TECHMASH

Tag: #PCGaming

  • From PC to PlayStation and Xbox: Viking Frontiers Brings Open-World Survival to Consoles This Week

    From PC to PlayStation and Xbox: Viking Frontiers Brings Open-World Survival to Consoles This Week

    The long boats are hitting new shores! If you’ve been looking for a reason to unleash your inner Jarl on the big screen, your prayers to Odin have officially been answered.

    Viking Frontiers, the ambitious open-world title that first challenged PC players to conquer the brutal northern wilderness, is finally making its grand debut on next-gen consoles.

    Get your axes ready: the game officially launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on July 9.

    What is Viking Frontiers?

    Developed by independent Polish studio BLUM Entertainment (and brought to consoles by Wildlands Interactive), Viking Frontiers isn’t your standard, run-of-the-mill survival game. It is a massive, multi-genre hybrid that brilliantly mashes together:

    • Deep RPG mechanics to build your legacy and skills.
    • Immersive simulation features like hunting, crafting, and enduring harsh weather.
    • Strategic settlement management to expand your village from a few ragged tents into a fortified fortress.

    You take on the role of a leader thrust onto an unknown, unforgiving shore after a series of unfortunate events. The ultimate goal? Ensure the survival, growth, and glory of your newly founded Viking clan.

    Manage, Build, and Raid

    Survival in Viking Frontiers requires a delicate balance of brains and brawn. As the Jarl, you aren’t just fighting off the elements and wild beasts—you are responsible for the actual livelihood of your clansmen. You will need to manage your village’s laws, dictate daily activities, handle resource allocation, and maintain living conditions.

    Whether you decide to prioritise the path of a hunter, a master builder, a pious priest, or a ruthless raider is entirely up to you.

    Survival tip: The northern wilderness is unyielding. Watch the weather, keep your people fed, and remember: survival is the only thing that matters.

    Console Launch Details

    Already a hit for those playing on PC, console gamers can now get in on the action with dedicated optimisations for next-gen hardware.

    • Release Date: July 9
    • Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (and currently available on PC)
    • File Size: Highly optimised (sitting at a lightweight ~3.7 GB on Xbox Series X|S)

    If you’re ready to guide your people to safety and glory, head over to the PlayStation Store or Xbox Marketplace to grab your copy when it drops this Thursday.

    Are you going to be picking up Viking Frontiers on console this week? Let us know your survival strategy in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #GamingNews #VikingFrontiers #XboxSeriesX #PS5 #PCGaming #SurvivalGames #RPG #IndieGames #TechMash

  • Digging Into Danger: Why Subterranean Horror ‘MOLE’ Is Steam’s Latest Overwhelmingly Positive Obsession

    Digging Into Danger: Why Subterranean Horror ‘MOLE’ Is Steam’s Latest Overwhelmingly Positive Obsession

    The indie horror scene has a new champion, and it’s buried miles beneath the Earth’s surface.

    Developed by Off Black Creations and published by Oro Interactive, the claustrophobic psychological horror simulator MOLE launched on Steam to massive critical acclaim. Within just its first two weeks, the title has struck absolute gold, rocketing to a spectacular 97% “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating with more than 1,500 user reviews.

    If you loved the tactile dread of Iron Lung or the narrative mind-bending of Mouthwashing, MOLE is your next mandatory descent into madness.

    What is MOLE?

    Set beneath post-war Slavic soil, MOLE puts you in the boots of the Navigator aboard a monstrous, deep-bore drilling machine. The setup is elegantly terrifying: your crew has entirely vanished, the vessel is dead silent, and a strange, haunting signal keeps broadcasting from the deep.

    Your objective? Keep the colossal machine running at all costs.

    Why is the Steam Community Obsessed?

    Achieving a 97% positive rating on Steam during a launch window is no small feat. Reviewers and players are praising MOLE for its masterclass execution in a few key areas:

    • Incredibly Tactile, Analogue Mechanics: Everything in your drilling “coffin” is manual. You aren’t just clicking menus; you are throwing heavy levers, managing clunky ’00s-style interfaces, slipping cassettes into decks, and typing directly into creepy operating systems. The sheer clunkiness of the machinery amplifies the panic when things inevitably go wrong.
    • Atmosphere Over Cheap Scares: While there are plenty of pulse-pounding moments, MOLE excels at psychological dread. The sound design is phenomenal—every creak of the hull feels like the Earth crushing you to a smear.
    • A Haunting Narrative: As you dig deeper into the crust, you dig into the protagonist’s fractured memories. It’s a short, highly polished, 4-to-5-hour narrative that balances terrifying set pieces with deeply emotional, heart-wrenching trauma.

    The Verdict

    Off Black Creations (a four-person Swedish studio consisting of former AAA developers) promised to challenge expectations with an obsessively polished, weekend-length game as art—and they delivered. Backed by Oro Interactive’s knack for publishing wonderfully bizarre indie gems, MOLE is cementing itself as one of the definitive indie horror hits of the year.

    If you are ready to find out whether the vessel or your mind will break first, MOLE is available now on PC via Steam. Don’t sleep on this one—just make sure to leave a light on.

    Find out more here

    #MOLEGame #IndieHorror #SteamGaming #OffBlackCreations #OroInteractive #PCGaming #GamingNews #PsychologicalHorror #TechMash

  • Groceries, Guns, and Gore: Quarantine Market Simulator Launches July 10!

    Groceries, Guns, and Gore: Quarantine Market Simulator Launches July 10!

    Simulation games have put us in the shoes of everything from power washers to goat herders, but the latest announcement from Arafkan Games and publisher PlayWay SA is bringing something beautifully chaotic to our PCs. Get ready to dust off your spiked clubs and perfect your customer service smile, because Quarantine Market Simulator is officially opening its gates on July 10!

    If you’ve ever thought working retail was a nightmare, this game is about to show you what a real challenge looks like.

    The Ultimate Post-Apocalyptic Side Hustle

    Set in a gritty, post-apocalyptic world, Quarantine Market Simulator places you in charge of one of the very last operating markets inside a heavily fortified quarantine zone. Society may have collapsed, but people still need their canned beans, toilet roll, and survival supplies.

    The game blends first-person management mechanics with high-stakes survival elements. You aren’t just scanning items; you are the thin line between a thriving community hub and total outbreak devastation.

    Key Features to Expect:

    • Manage Your Market: Keep the post-apocalyptic economy flowing by stocking shelves, organising inventory, and managing your prices to maximise profits.
    • Quarantine Control: Not everyone is fit to shop. You’ll need to check customer temperatures at the door. If someone has a fever, they might be infected. Do you turn them away, or take a shady bribe and let them sneak in? The choice (and risk) is yours.
    • Store Security: Shoplifting hits a bit harder when society has collapsed. Catch thieves trying to raid your register and use a spiked baseball bat to “restore order” and recover your cash.
    • Defend the Colony Walls: When a massive threat approaches the colony, you’ll drop the scanner and pick up the heavy artillery. Hop onto the defence line and operate a minigun to tear through zombie-themed raids before they breach the walls.

    The TechMash Verdict: PlayWay SA has a massive track record for publishing incredibly addictive simulators, and teaming up with Arafkan Games for a mashup of Supermarket Shriek meets Left 4 Dead looks like pure indie gold. It’s a brilliant twist on the tycoon genre that requires equal parts business savvy and trigger-finger reflexes.

    Quarantine Market Simulator launches on PC via Steam on July 10. Will you run a clean, safe establishment, or let a few infected slip through for the right price? Wishlist it now and get ready to open for business!

    Find out more here

    #QuarantineMarketSimulator #IndieGames #GamingNews #PlayWay #ArafkanGames #SimulationGames #PCGaming #TechMash

  • The Stanley Parable With a Loaded Rifle: ‘War Fantasy’ is the Ultimate Technophobic Mindfk

    The Stanley Parable With a Loaded Rifle: ‘War Fantasy’ is the Ultimate Technophobic Mindfk

    The modern military shooter has a formula. You drop in, follow the waypoint, shoot the bad guys, and feel like an absolute hero. But a freshly dropped announcement trailer from indie developer Non-Euclidean is about to violently tear up that script.

    Enter War Fantasy, an upcoming psychological horror FPS that aims to systematically dismantle the genre. Described by its creators as “The Stanley Parable with a loaded rifle,” this title is a deeply unsettling, technophobic dive into how the line between military simulations and real-world warfare has completely dissolved.

    Check out the trailer breakdown below and see why this game is already messing with the heads of FPS fans.

    Psychological Conditioning as a Gameplay Mechanic

    Instead of stepping into the combat boots of a glorified action hero, War Fantasy casts you as a blank slate being systematically broken down. You are trapped inside an infinite military training compound under the thumb of a demented, emotionally abusive commanding officer who watches, logs, and analyses your every move.

    The horror here isn’t jump scares; it’s the insidious psychological pressure. Every shot you fire, every order you blindly follow, and every second you spend hesitating is fed back into a cold, uncaring algorithm designed to strip away your humanity.

    The game draws a direct line from Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket straight to the modern military shooter, forcing players to ask a terrifying question: What have video games actually been training us for?

    Navigating the Impossible: Non-Euclidean Terror

    True to the developer’s name, the world of War Fantasy doesn’t adhere to standard physics or geometry. As the psychological conditioning intensifies, the physical environment breaks down:

    • Looping Corridors: Hallways that fold in on themselves, trapping you in a perpetual maze of military-industrial architecture.
    • Kaleidoscopic Arenas: Training simulations with no logical exits that shift and reassemble based on your compliance.
    • Hyper-Realistic Weaponry: An incredibly detailed arsenal of modern firearms, drones, and near-future tech. The game intentionally makes the weapons feel real—because authenticity is part of the conditioning.

    The game is banking heavily on technophobia, weaponising the player’s choices and behaviours against them. With Steam tags like Narrative, Psychological Horror, and Choices Matter, your attempts to resist or obey will actively shape the nightmare.

    Are We Playing Games, or Are Games Playing Us?

    What makes War Fantasy look so brilliant—and deeply uncomfortable—is its meta-commentary on the gaming industry itself. It directly targets the normalisation of violence through the gamification of real-world warfare (think drone pilots using controllers).

    It isn’t interested in making you feel powerful. It wants you to feel controlled, analysed, and thoroughly trapped inside a machine that won’t let you leave until you’ve been turned into the perfect weapon.

    War Fantasy is currently slated for a PC release via Steam, and it’s safe to say our wishlists are already updating. If you’re tired of the same old military power fantasies and want a shooter that will genuinely mess with your head, this is the one to watch.

    Find out more here

    #HorrorGames #WarFantasy #IndieDev #PsychologicalHorror #FPSGames #GamingNews #TechMash #PCGaming #SciFiHorror #GamingCommunity

  • Feed the Beast, Feed Your Fears: Cosmic Horror Sim ‘FEED IT’ Hits Steam This August!

    Feed the Beast, Feed Your Fears: Cosmic Horror Sim ‘FEED IT’ Hits Steam This August!

    Get ready to test the limits of your sanity, because indie developer Games On A Chair and publisher Pretty Soon have officially announced that their tension-fueled psychological horror game, FEED IT, is launching on Steam on August 17th!

    As the debut commercial release from Games On A Chair, FEED IT drops players into a claustrophobic nightmare built around a simple, terrifying premise: you are trapped in a house with an insatiable, ever-hungry monster.

    To survive, you’ll have to keep the beast fed. But as resources dwindle and the creature’s demands grow more unsettling, managing its hunger becomes a gruelling psychological battle. It’s a frantic race against time to maintain your grip on reality, manage your terror, and solve the mysteries of the house before you become the next meal.

    Key Features to Look Forward To:

    • The Hunger Mechanic: A dynamic AI monster whose mood and behaviour shift based on how—and what—you feed it.
    • Sanity Management: The environment twists and distorts as your fear grows, making it harder to distinguish reality from hallucination.
    • Escape Room Elements: Scavenge for clues, manage your scarce resources, and find a way out before your luck runs out.

    Whether you’re a fan of tense resource management or deeply unsettling cosmic horror, FEED IT promises a uniquely stressful indie experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

    Mark your calendars for August 17th and head over to Steam to add it to your wishlist today. Just remember: whatever you do, don’t let the bowls go empty.

    Find out more here

    #FeedItGame #IndieHorror #GamingNews #SteamGames #GamesOnAChair #PrettySoon #HorrorGaming #PCGaming #TechMash

  • From Peasants to Powerhouses: The Guild – Europa 1410 Reveals Its Brutal Medieval Production Chains

    From Peasants to Powerhouses: The Guild – Europa 1410 Reveals Its Brutal Medieval Production Chains

    Gold doesn’t just magically fall into a merchant’s coin purse in the Middle Ages—it is forged, smuggled, brewed, and bartered into existence.

    With The Guild – Europa 1410 fast approaching its Steam Early Access launch on July 16, 2026, developer Ashborne Games and publisher THQ Nordic have dropped a brand-new developer diary. This latest deep dive invites players straight into the grit and grind of the game’s workshops, mining pits, and marketplaces, showcasing a ruthless, interconnected medieval economy where a single bad trade can lead to absolute ruin, and a clever craft can buy you political salvation.

    If you’ve been looking for a strategy game where macroeconomics meets micro-management and backalley backstabbing, you’ll want to pay close attention to this one.

    Crafting Your Way Up the Social Ladder

    In The Guild – Europa 1410, your profession dictates your daily grind, but your ambition dictates your legacy. The developer diary highlights how raw materials are transformed through intricate multi-step production chains.

    Take the Smith profession, for example:

    1. Gather Raw Materials: Procure Iron and Silver Ingots from local mines or the volatile public marketplace.
    2. Craft Intermediate Goods: Forge the iron into sturdy fittings (essential building blocks for advanced items).
    3. The End Product: Combine those fittings with silver to craft a glistening, high-value Silver Chain.

    But here is where The Guild separates itself from standard city builders: items aren’t just for selling. While that Silver Chain can fetch a hefty sum at the market, you can choose to wear it yourself. Doing so gives you a tangible reputation boost with the Town Council or Church Authorities, proving that in Europa 1410, economic power translates directly into political influence.

    High Risks, Shadow Markets, and Volatile Economies

    It’s not all honest blacksmithing and peaceful baking, though. Different professions, like Alchemists, can craft seemingly innocent intermediate products that double as components for far more dangerous, less-than-legal end products. If you want to play a darker role in the Holy Roman Empire, the shadows are waiting.

    However, Ashborne Games warns that the line between a passive income stream and a devastating financial gamble is razor-thin:

    Market Oversupply: If you get greedy and flood the marketplace with too much of a single product, the simulation’s supply-and-demand mechanics will kick in, driving prices into the dirt and ruining your own profit margins.

    Vulnerable Supply Lines: Got a massive shipment of luxury goods heading to a neighboring quarter? You better make sure your transport carts are heavily guarded. Rogue players or AI bandits can ambush your caravans, wiping out your family’s investments in a single stroke.

    Whether you choose a life of virtue or one of crime, every link in the supply chain requires careful calculation.

    Secure Your Dynasty This July

    From establishing beehives for steady passive income to managing patrons at an Inn, The Guild – Europa 1410 promises a complex, living medieval world. If you want a taste of the mechanics before the official launch, a 14-turn playable demo featuring the city of Kuttenberg is currently live on Steam.

    Make sure to head over to Steam to wishlist the game ahead of its July 16, 2026, Early Access release. Will you build an empire that lasts for generations, or will the market swallow your dynasty whole?

    What profession are you planning to master first? Let us know in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #TheGuildEuropa1410 #AshborneGames #THQNordic #StrategyGames #PCGaming #MedievalSim #GamingNews #SteamEarlyAccess #TechMash

  • Don’t Make a Sound: Fearwoods Drops Terrifying New Trailer and Full Development Roadmap

    Don’t Make a Sound: Fearwoods Drops Terrifying New Trailer and Full Development Roadmap

    Indie horror fans, it is time to rally your gaming squad and double-check your flashlights. The solo developer behind the highly anticipated indie title Fearwoods has just dropped a massive presentation update, giving us a chilling new trailer, refreshed screenshots, and a crystal-clear look at the game’s future development roadmap heading toward its Q3 2026 launch window.

    If you thrive on the high-tension, panic-inducing energy of games like Phasmophobia or Lethal Company, you’ll definitely want to put this one on your radar.

    Check out everything we know about the updated Steam page and the terrors lurking in the trees below.

    What is Fearwoods?

    Fearwoods is a 3-player online co-op survival horror experience that throws players into the heart of a deeply cursed forest. Your ultimate goals? Work together, search for scattered GPS pieces, piece together the tragic mystery of a girl named Aveline, and find a way to escape.

    The catch? You are being actively hunted by a relentless, supernatural demon.

    In Fearwoods, light and silence are your only real weapons. Turning on your flashlight might help you find a crucial clue, but it also transforms you into a giant neon sign for the entity stalking you. Teamwork and tight communication are absolute musts if you want to survive the night.

    A Fresh Look at the Nightmare: New Trailer & Screenshots

    The newly updated Steam page features a revamped trailer and polished screenshots that show off significant visual improvements. The developer has dialled up the environmental lighting and atmospheric density, capturing the suffocating dread of a fog-laden forest.

    The trailer highlights just how vital audio and visual cues will be. From the terrifying crunch of leaves behind you to the sudden, chaotic flicker of a teammate’s flashlight in the distance, the gameplay looks spectacularly tense.

    The Development Roadmap: From Demo to Full Release

    Alongside the visual makeover, the developer shared an official infographic detailing exactly how Fearwoods will evolve across its development cycle. Here is a breakdown of what to expect from each phase:

    PhaseMaps & ExplorationEnemy AI (Aveline / Demon)Narrative & Mechanics
    Current Demo• 1 Partial Map
    • Small exploration area    		• Basic behavior• Fragmented narrative content
    • Playable online co-op
    Early Access (Coming Q3 2026)• 1 Full Map
    • Larger exploration areas    		• Improved behavior
    • Hallway appearances    		• Dynamic horror events
    • Story fragment system (Lose fragments on death)
    Full Game• 3 Chapters across 3 Maps
    • Ultimate exploration spaces    		• Advanced behavior
    • Ceiling crawling
    • Reality distortions    		• Complete narrative
    • Scripted chase events
    • Higher difficulty story fragments

    The risk-versus-reward mechanic in the upcoming Early Access build sounds especially brutal—losing your hard-earned narrative fragments upon dying means every risky trek into the dark carries severe consequences. By the time the Full Game rolls around, the demon will be capable of ceiling-crawling and causing full-blown reality distortions.

    How to Play Right Now

    If you don’t want to wait until the Early Access launch later this quarter, you don’t have to. A playable co-op demo is available right now on Steam, allowing you and two friends to test your survival instincts in a smaller slice of the cursed woods.

    Head over to the Fearwoods Steam Page to check out the brand-new trailer, browse the fresh screenshots, and add the game to your wishlist.

    TechMash Verdict: With its heavy reliance on sensory mechanics and high-stakes co-op play, Fearwoods is shaping up to be one of the most stressful—and exciting—indie horror games of the year. Keep those flashlights off, people.

    Find out more here

    #Fearwoods #HorrorGames #IndieDev #GamingNews #CoOpHorror #SteamGames #SurvivalHorror #PCGaming #TechMash

  • Watch Your Back: Critically Acclaimed Survival Horror MAZEBOUND Drops Massive Hardcore Update on Steam

    Watch Your Back: Critically Acclaimed Survival Horror MAZEBOUND Drops Massive Hardcore Update on Steam

    Indie developer and publisher Absam Studios has announced a major update to MAZEBOUND, its critically acclaimed survival horror hit on Steam. If you thought navigating the game’s relentless, procedurally generated labyrinth was stressful before, things are about to get a whole lot more brutal.

    For the uninitiated, MAZEBOUND delivers a frantic and unforgiving gameplay experience. Stranded with nothing but a towering wall ahead and the sea at your back, you are trapped in a nightmare maze with no option but to hunt, gather, and run to survive—either entirely alone or with friends in online co-op.

    But as the developers prominently warn: You’re not the only one watching, and you’re not the only one starving.

    Enter the Maze—If You Dare

    The headline addition to this major update is the highly anticipated Hardcore Mode, a punishing new way to play specifically designed for veteran players seeking the ultimate adrenaline rush. In this mode, every choice carries massive weight, and a single mistake will cost you everything.

    Here is a breakdown of what awaits you in the updated maze:

    • Permadeath Is Live: If you die, your run is over. Period.
    • Hardcore Leaderboards: See how your survival times stack up against the most fearless runners globally.
    • New Nighttime Dangers: The maze becomes significantly more hostile after dark, and all safety doors now slam shut at night in Hardcore Mode.
    • Scarcer Resources: Hunger depletes at a much faster rate, and there are fewer Waystones to rely on.
    • New Monsters: Terrifying new twisted entities have been added to the maze, and the spawning behaviour of existing creatures has been heavily adjusted.
    • Exclusive Rewards: Players who manage to beat the brutal Hardcore Mode will unlock a brand-new axe and a fresh Steam achievement.

    Race for the $1,000 Solo Cash Prize

    To celebrate the launch of Hardcore Mode, Absam Studios is hosting an official Hardcore Solo Competition with a $1,000 USD prize pool.

    The top 20 players who secure a spot on the Hardcore solo leaderboard by July 30th at 10 AM PDT will win Steam Gift Cards, with the ultimate survivor taking home the first-place grand prize of $250. Note that for transparency, any winning runs clocked under two hours will require video proof to claim the reward.

    Whether you’re looking to test your grit against the new permadeath mechanics or want a piece of that prize pool, there’s never been a better time to jump back in. MAZEBOUND is available right now on PC via Steam.

    Find out more here

    #MAZEBOUND #AbsamStudios #SurvivalHorror #IndieGames #SteamGames #GamingNews #CoOpGaming #PCGaming

  • The Great Clash Awaits: NEXON Unveils Season 4, Massive 2026 Roadmap, and 2nd Anniversary Rewards for The First Descendant

    The Great Clash Awaits: NEXON Unveils Season 4, Massive 2026 Roadmap, and 2nd Anniversary Rewards for The First Descendant

    Looter-shooter fans, it’s time to gear up. To celebrate the second anniversary of The First Descendant, NEXON and the development team hosted Descendant Fest 2026. The packed livestream dropped a massive payload of content announcements, including the Season 4 World Premiere Trailer, a highly ambitious H2 2026 Roadmap, a transparent Creator Roundtable, and an anniversary infographic showcasing the game’s staggering growth over the past two years.

    If you missed the stream, don’t worry—we’ve broken down all the major highlights that will define the game for the rest of 2026.

    Season 4 Premiere: “The Great Clash”

    NEXON kicked things off with the world premiere trailer for Season 4, titled The Great Clash. Arriving on August 20, 2026, the narrative brings the ongoing war with the Vulgus to a cinematic head. A colossal Vulgus warship has appeared directly over Albion, leading to an all-out assault and the long-awaited showdown between the Descendants and the primary villain, Karel.

    The H2 2026 Roadmap: Dungeons, Weapons, and PvEvP

    The developers laid out a comprehensive release schedule for the second half of 2026, targeting endgame depth, character progression, and entirely new ways to play:

    • July 15 Update: Intercept Battles are getting a major overhaul. Hard Difficulty and Void Abyss modes will merge into a single tiered system, topped off with a new pinnacle challenge: Void Intercept Battle: Extreme.
    • August 20 (Season 4 launch): The introduction of Mega Dungeons, massive interactive instances featuring multiple bosses and the cinematic climax against Karel. An ultra-hard, time-limited Conquest Mode and ranking leaderboard will launch two weeks later. August also introduces Trial Mode (an escalating power-fantasy survival run) and the Transcendent Weapon System, launching with 11 core-building weapons designed for long-term farming.
    • September 17 Update: The fan-favourite sniper Ultimate Hailey joins the roster alongside two unique Ultimate Skill Modules. Players will also get to explore the Cradle of Evolution, a dungeon built on highly randomised elements to keep repeated farming runs fresh.
    • November Update: Introduces the Henosis Sanctuary dungeon and a brand-new Descendant named Monet.
    • December Update: The game’s very first asymmetric 3v3 PvEvP mode, Colosseum-A. Two factions will compete to eliminate Vulgus forces while actively sabotaging each other, complete with the ability to temporarily transform into a giant Colossus to crush the opposition. Ultimate Jayber will also round out the year.

    Meet the New Descendant: Raven

    Stealing the spotlight for the August update is Raven, the charismatic former boss of an Albion back-alley guild. Her combat style is built around high-mobility action, utilising instantaneous repositioning, devastating close-range shotgun blasts, and the unique ability to summon a Raven Form to fight by her side. Lore enthusiasts take note: she is heavily tied to Viessa’s backstory.

    Creator Roundtable & 2nd Anniversary Infographic

    NEXON utilised the event to emphasise community transparency. The Creator Roundtable brought developers, directors, and community managers face-to-face with content creators to directly address player feedback regarding weapon balancing, grind progression, and upcoming quality-of-life adjustments.

    To mark two years live, the team released a 2nd Anniversary Infographic documenting the community’s collective milestones—tracking total hours played, total missions completed, the most-used weapons, and the most popular Descendants. Players can also log on to the official site to check out their own personalised yearly stats.

    Anniversary Events & Loot Are Live Now

    The second-anniversary celebration is officially underway in-game and runs for approximately two weeks. Players can access the 2nd Anniversary Token Shop to cash in gameplay rewards for brand-new customisation items, returning 1st-anniversary cosmetics, and the highly anticipated debut of the Transcendent Alignment Device.

    Additionally, final voting for the player Skin Design Contest runs from July 6 through July 20, and physical merch collectors can now pre-order newly announced figures, including a Nendoroid Bunny and Figma Valby, through August 31.

    With a definitive end to the Karel story arc, a weapon progression overhaul, and a bold jump into asymmetric PvEvP, the latter half of 2026 looks to be the most transformative era for The First Descendant yet.

    What are you most excited for in the H2 2026 roadmap? Let us know in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #TheFirstDescendant #DescendantFest2026 #Nexon #LooterShooter #GamingNews #Season4 #TheGreatClash #UltimateHailey #ColosseumA #PCGaming #Xbox #PlayStation #TechMash #Gaming

  • Under the Hood: Rally Car Mechanic Simulator Shifts Gear for a Major Console Release

    Under the Hood: Rally Car Mechanic Simulator Shifts Gear for a Major Console Release

    The simulation genre is about to get a lot faster, muddier, and significantly more tactical. Polish development duos Play2Chill S.A. and Atomic Jelly have officially teamed up to bring the intense, high-stakes world of motorsport engineering to life with Rally Car Mechanic Simulator.

    While PC players have already been getting their hands dirty on Steam under its initial launch, the big news hitting the paddock is the game’s massive leap to modern systems. Ultimate Games S.A. has taken the wheel to handle the preparation, optimisation, and official release for the console versions, expanding the garage to a whole new audience of living-room grease monkeys.

    If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when a driver obliterates their suspension on a brutal Scandinavian stage, this is your chance to find out.

    The Reality of the Service Park: Gameplay Breakdown

    Rally Car Mechanic Simulator isn’t just your standard oil-change sim. It drops you directly into the high-pressure role of a dedicated rally crew chief. You aren’t just working in a pristine, quiet workshop; you are managing time, budgets, and the chaotic aftermath of reckless driving.

    • Authentic Rally Tech: Forget standard sedans. You’ll be tearing down and rebuilding purpose-built racing machines. We are talking high-performance turbos, competition-grade transmissions, complex electronics, and heavy-duty coilover suspensions designed to survive massive jumps.
    • The Special Stage Crunch: The game splits your time between the comfort of your main garage and the frantic, timed repair segments during actual rallies. When the car limps into the service park between stages with unrepairable parts and the clock ticking down, your decision-making will dictate whether your team reaches the podium or DNFs.
    • Deep Team Management: Beyond turning wrenches, you are responsible for forging a championship-winning legacy. Players will need to manage garage funds, expand their workshops with advanced tools (like dynos and custom paint booths), negotiate lucrative sponsor deals, and assemble a top-tier crew.

    From PC Success to Console Optimisation

    Having already secured a solid reputation among PC simulation purists for its realistic damage modelling, detailed cleaning mechanics, and deep personalisation options, the transition to consoles marks a major milestone.

    Thanks to the publishing and porting expertise of Ultimate Games S.A., console players can expect a finely tuned experience optimised for modern hardware. The console versions bring the game’s highly detailed graphics, intricate engine components, and satisfying physics loops to the big screen without losing the mechanical depth the genre demands.

    Whether you’re meticulously adjusting stick sensitivity for precision part removal or utilising advanced controller remapping, the jump to consoles ensures that the tactical tension of the service park translates perfectly to a controller.

    Rally Car Mechanic Simulator proves that championships aren’t just won on the dirt tracks—they are built, piece by piece, in the garage. Get your toolboxes ready.

    Find out more here

    #RallyCarMechanicSimulator #GamingNews #SimulationGames #ConsoleGaming #Play2Chill #AtomicJelly #UltimateGames #XboxSeriesX #PS5 #PCGaming #TechMash

  • Cats, Mechs, and Mayhem: Tech Titans Join Forces for ‘Cats in the Shell’

    Cats, Mechs, and Mayhem: Tech Titans Join Forces for ‘Cats in the Shell’

    When veterans from China’s biggest rival gaming giants—Tencent and NetEase—leave their corporate strongholds to team up, the industry takes notice. But no one quite predicted what their newly minted collective, Raven Studio, would build as their debut project.

    Alongside global publisher Infini Fun, Raven Studio has officially pulled back the curtain on Cats in the Shell, a frantic, highly strategic mech-building roguelike auto battler coming to PC via Steam Early Access in Q4 2026.

    If you’ve ever wanted to pilot a towering, steel-clad instrument of absolute destruction as a whiskered feline, your highly specific dream is finally coming true.

    The Birth of Raven Studio

    Raven Studio isn’t just another indie outfit. Founded by a powerhouse collective of industry veterans pulling experience from Tencent, NetEase, and SNK, the studio was built with a specific mandate: break away from predictable, formulaic corporate production and prioritize pure, experimental gameplay.

    By partnering with Infini Fun, a global multi-platform publisher established in 2024, the developers have been given the runway to bring one of their wildest ideas to life.

    “Cats in the Shell’s detail-oriented, satisfying mech building and roguelike randomness will keep you on your toes. More than 1,000 modules provide near-infinite choices in exhilarating combat instances.” — Alex Dong, Director of Raven Studio

    Tactical Customisation Meets Feline Fury

    At its core, Cats in the Shell is all about build-crafting. The loop is a satisfying blend of deep mechanical tinkering and roguelike unpredictability.

    1. Six Mech Archetypes & Whiskered Helmsmen

    Players can choose from six distinct mech types, each serving as a blank metal canvas. However, a giant war machine is only as good as its pilot. You’ll recruit a variety of feline fighters, each sporting exclusive active abilities and unique strategic focuses that heavily alter how your machine behaves on the battlefield.

    2. Over 1,000 Component Modules

    As you progress through runs and navigate random in-game events, you will collect weapons, armor, and specialized component parts. With over 1,000 modules available, the sheer depth of theory-crafting is massive.

    3. Inventory Management & Synergy Slots

    You can allocate modules into five core slots. However, inventory space is strictly limited. The strategy lies in managing your tight inventory, arranging parts in a precise order, and unlocking hidden synergies that trigger explosive chain reactions.

    Automated Chaos and Global PvP

    Once your feline pilot is buckled in and your mech is armed to the teeth, it’s time to step onto the battlefield. Cats in the Shell splits its action across two main fronts:

    • The Story Campaign: Battle through four distinct futuristic biomes, adapting your loadout to handle environmental hazards and squaring off against towering, screen-filling bosses.
    • Asynchronous PvP: Want to test your build against the world? Take your machine into an asynchronous PvP gauntlet. You will fight AI-controlled versions of mechs meticulously assembled by actual players worldwide. The ultimate goal? Survived the gauntlet to secure 10 cumulative victories.

    Because it’s an auto battler, your job is done once the countdown hits zero. You get to sit back and watch your engineering masterclass—or catastrophic design flaws—play out in real-time automated clashes of steel, lasers, and flying fur.

    Launch Details & Public Playtest

    Cats in the Shell is slated to hit Steam Early Access in Q4 2026. Raven Studio is already aiming for a massive global audience right out of the gate, promising localization support for 11 languages, including English, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

    Can’t wait until Q4? You don’t have to. To celebrate the announcement, Raven Studio and Infini Fun have launched a seven-day public playtest right now on Steam. Head over to their store page, request access, and start building your ultimate mechanical kitty today.

    What do you think of this unexpected gaming crossover? Let us know your thoughts on Raven Studio’s debut in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #CatsInTheShell #RavenStudio #InfiniFun #SteamEarlyAccess #PCGaming #MechGames #AutoBattler #Roguelike #GamingNews #TechMash

  • Torchlight: Infinite SS13 ‘Afterlight’ Season Locked for July 16 Launch – New Hero Revealed!

    Torchlight: Infinite SS13 ‘Afterlight’ Season Locked for July 16 Launch – New Hero Revealed!

    Attention all Hunters! If you’ve been looking for your next massive ARGB fix, XD Games has dropped a bombshell. The developers have officially announced that the next highly anticipated season of Torchlight: Infinite — SS13 Afterlight — will launch worldwide on 16 July. Get ready to reset your builds, rethink your strategy, and dive into a brand-new wave of endless loot farming.

    Step Into the Light: What We Know So Far

    While XD Games is keeping the full patch notes close to their chest, they’ve already given players plenty of reasons to get excited.

    • The Arrival of a New Hero: Say hello to Tide Whisper Selina, a water-dwelling magic wielder who is set to completely shift the current combat meta. While her full kit is still under wraps, early teasers suggest she will blend fluid mobility with devastating magical area-of-effect damage.
    • New Ways to Play: Season 13 is officially introducing dedicated Solo Self-Found (SSF) and Hardcore modes. Whether you prefer the ultimate self-reliant grind or the high-stakes thrill of permadeath, SS13 has you covered.

    Mark Your Calendars: Key Dates for SS13

    You won’t have to wait until launch day to see everything XD Games has planned. The lead-up to the Afterlight season is packed with community events and streams:

    EventDate / TimeWhere to Watch / Attend
    Season Preview Livestream11 July @ 6:00pm BSTYouTube & Twitch
    TorchCon 2026 (Shanghai)11 JulyWest Bund Art Center
    Torchlight Gathering (Los Angeles)11 July @ 3:00pm PDTPasadena, CA (First-ever NA community meetup)
    SS13 Afterlight Global Launch17 July @ 3:00am BST (16 July, 7pm PDT)PC, iOS, & Android

    Note for UK Players: Because of the global timezone synchronization, the servers will technically open for UK and European players in the early hours of Friday, 17 July. Plan your sleep schedules accordingly!

    Final Thoughts: The Summer ARPG Race is On

    With Torchlight: Infinite offering a completely free-to-play, zero-stamina, infinite-loot ecosystem, the Afterlight season lands at the perfect time to capture the summer gaming crowd. Keep your eyes peeled on the official Torchlight channels next week for the full gameplay deep dive.

    Are you planning to main the new hero Selina, or are you jumping straight into the new Hardcore mode? Let us know in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #TorchlightInfinite #SS13Afterlight #XGames #ARPG #GamingNews #PCGaming #MobileGaming #TideWhisperSelina #TorchCon2026 #TechMash #Gaming