If there’s one thing the original Doom games aren’t short on, it’s fantastic mods that completely change the experience. New Doom mod Siren is a creepy new survival horror take in the style of System Shock, F.E.A.R., Prey, and Aliens – and there’s a new demo to try out now.

While id Software tried its hand at a Doom survival horror game with Doom 3 nearly 20 years ago, the more recent games like the fantastic Doom Eternal have put more emphasis on action over creepiness. This leaves room for modders to make their own horror takes on Doom, something they regularly deliver on.

Siren is a new mod made by creator Dithered Output and has been in development for at least two years – and the latest 0.6 build is playable right now in a new demo. The modder says that they aimed to create “an experience closer to an Aliens game but with the variety and gameplay benefits the roster of Doom monsters brings”.

While the demo’s out now, you can also check out the latest trailer below. The Aliens influence is obvious but there’s also more of an immersive sim feel to playing it, similar to System Shock – although the terrifying titular smoke monster is like something out of Prey. To play it, you’ll need a copy of the campaign demo, GZDoom, and either Doom II or Final Doom. Be warned though: it’s pretty tough, even on Normal.

For more fantastic Doom mods, Ashes 2063 is basically Fallout in Doom, here’s a melee-focused mod, and here’s one where you steal NFTs by taking screenshots of them.

It’s been just over a month since the release of the Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Raid’s first tier Pandaemonium: Asphodelos and a Warrior player has already beaten the first major boss encounter of it solo – which took them over an hour to do.

While the eagerly-anticipated Endwalker expansion finally launched last month to much acclaim, especially from us, although it was initially lacking the much advertised new high-tier Raid, Pandaemonium. This will be rolled out slowly but the Raid’s beginning part, Asphodelos, came out just before Christmas – with the tougher Savage difficulty hitting earlier this month.

The various Circles of this Raid are a tough challenge for a group of players – the whole reason Raids exist – but some players have already beaten The First Circle of the Raid in single-player. It’s not a quick thing to do, either – the current record is held by player Aka_Ada, who beat it solo as a Warrior in just over an hour with a lot of preparation time.

You can check out their entire boss battle against Erichthonios below. While the fight itself took a whole it, Aka_Ada says that preparing for the solo run “took me two days, and about 8 hours to get used to the cooldown rotation”. They also provided a log breaking down the fight, which you can check out here.

It’s a truly crazy victory, and it remains to be seen if the rest of the Raid is possible to do solo too – or even the upcoming Alliance Raid Myths of the Realm, which we’ll hopefully find out more about next month.

Just a month before Valve’s handheld console is due to ship, at last, Steam Deck has finally confirmed support for the two biggest pieces of anti-cheat software around – Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye, clearing the path for the likes of Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection to run on the new hardware.

While Epic and Valve previously announced all the way back in September that Easy Anti-Cheat would be made compatible with the Steam Deck at launch, some developers remained unconvinced as recently as this month – including Fatshark, the developer of Warhammer: Vermintide 2, and Dead By Daylight’s Behaviour Interactive. DayZ developer Bohemia Interactive echoed these concerns with the BattlEye software on Steam Deck.

Well, according to the Steamworks team’s latest update, it “is now a simple process” to add Steam Deck and Proton support to games running Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye – and offer instructions on how developers can do this.

“This means that the two largest anti-cheat services are now easily supported on Proton and Steam Deck,” the update confirms. The first test data for “tested titles that use anti-cheat middleware” will apparently go live this Monday, January 24th. “We’re very excited to be able to make this announcement as it means partners can continue to use their existing cheat prevention tools while adding support for more amazing games on Steam Deck,” the update concludes.

Time will tell, of course, whether things are as straightforward and hunky-dory as this update from Steamworks makes out – but if things are truly sorted for games running EAC and BattlEye then everything’s set for the Steam Deck’s release next month. Hopefully.

Into the Echo is an upcoming MMORPG with a distinct twist. Described as a “time travel odyssey” by Toronto-based developer Etlok Studios, the game is set in the fantastical world of Raava, whose inhabitants have been living with a powerful magical ability called Qen for centuries. The arrival of a new, dark power has brought unrest to the land, and after a brush with this new force the player finds themselves able to travel through time.

With New World’s massive launch, the ongoing success of FFXIV, and plenty of buzz around the upcoming Lost Ark, MMORPGs are enjoying something of a renaissance in recent months. Into the Echo aims to deliver something a little different. Details have been sparse since the MMO was revealed with a teaser trailer and some stunning concept art, but the official website lists some pretty lofty goals: time travel to multiple eras, a revolutionary progress system that emphasises player differences, and community-based story progression.

It also seems the game will focus on bringing its playerbase together, with community challenges requiring a collective effort to move the world forward.

To find out more, we reached out to Akshay Kolte, founder and executive producer at Etlok Studios, to ask about the team’s vision for Into the Echo.

PCGN: Could you tell us about Into the Echo’s time travel mechanics?

Akshay Kolte: When we began building Raava, we wanted to give it a rich, deep history. We went back a million years to the early stages of the world’s evolution and worked our way [back to present-day Raava], taking everything into consideration, from tribes and cultures to languages and politics. We’ve built entire stories around the people who lived during various historical eras. So, when it came to designing the gameplay, we didn’t want to leave all this as just a backstory that our audience can read about in the lore. We wanted players to become a part of those stories, to really experience them.

Time travel is one of the many ways we plan on doing this. Just the introduction of time as a factor has added a new dimension to our vision. It not only gives a depth to the storytelling, but it has allowed us to explore some new ideas with gameplay and world design, too.

When we think of a [world] zone, we don’t just consider what it looks like right now, we automatically have to think about what it looked like in the past. And if players choose to pull on a thread about where something came from, there’ll be a story there for them to unravel.

The concept of an echo is that anytime a significant event has occurred in the past, it has left a ripple in the ocean of time that echoes throughout eternity. Players will be able to tap into these echoes and travel back to that significant moment in time.

Generally, time travel is portrayed as a sci-fi concept, but we’re taking a much more ritualistic approach to it. Players will have to gather things and perform a ritual to go into the echo, and a single location could have multiple echo versions from different points in the world’s timeline. Each echo has some mystery or story associated with it, so we expect that each of these journeys will be an experience in and of itself.

In the echoes themselves, players will encounter entities called Time Keepers that protect the echo, so players will have to either avoid or fight them.

How does the “hub-and-spoke” leveling system work, and what is it about this feature that benefits the game?

Most modern MMOs have a linear progression system that uses XP and levels as metrics to measure the player’s journey through the game. This type of system works really well in a single-player game, in which reaching the max level is the main objective. However, MMOs are ongoing, so using a linear XP model signals to the player that the way to win the game is to maximize your XP gain and reach the level cap. This makes reaching the level cap the objective of every player, and so reaching it in the most efficient way possible becomes the gameplay.

With our hub-and-spoke system, we’re replacing the standard XP bar and levels. Instead, players will come across several progression trees, or ‘spokes’ as we like to call them. These could be associated with a piece of story, building up crafting techniques, or even unlocking skills. The idea is to change the player’s motivations. We believe that by using our system, players will focus on the journey rather than the destination. Players shouldn’t do things just for XP, they should do it because it’s enjoyable.

Furthermore, the progress along each spoke is based on milestones instead of numbers, which makes it harder for there to be a preset formula for efficient progression. In fact, the hub-and-spoke system removes the need for players to search for faster ways of progressing in the first place: it’s completely up to the player to decide which spokes they want to level and in what order. This gives them an individual signature that goes much deeper than a character level number. Simply put, we have built a system that embraces the differences between players rather than homogenising or trying to balance them.

There’s a lot of competition in the MMO space right now, with behemoths like WoW, Final Fantasy 14, and now New World. What is it about Into the Echo that you think will make it stand out in a saturated genre?

While it’s true that there are several triple-A MMORPGs out there, we’ve seen a hunger among players for innovation in this space. Into the Echo provides an entire virtual universe with rich locations, beautiful stories shrouded in mystery, intricate puzzles, and several unique gameplay elements. I think all of these together will attract players to our offering.

Moreover, Into the Echo goes beyond the game. For example we plan to release an interactive lore site next year in 2022 where players will be able to dive into the fascinating world of Raava and learn all about its history, people, languages, and most of all, Qen. Further down the road we will be releasing a series of novels – that’s being worked on as well. Players don’t need to consume these in any particular order, but each piece they read will enrich their overall experience.

It is our hope that our deep storyline, unique progression model, our commitment to mental wellness, and most importantly our respect for our players, will ensure that we can retain players for years to come.

Do you think there’s been a resurgence in MMO interest lately, and if so, what would you attribute that to?

I believe that the demand for MMOs has never decreased. If anything, it has risen, and we can see a lot of casual players entering the space recently. Up until now, technology and cost were the only barriers to entry for innovative studios that wanted to bring their dreamworlds to life. With ground-breaking technology from companies like Epic Games, Unity, Improbable, and others, it has become possible for studios to quickly prototype and test new ideas. We feel like this has been the primary driver for the resurgence of MMO games.

Having said that, the journey of an MMO from prototype to release is long and arduous, and requires significant funding. So, not all MMO ideas will see fruition, but several will and players will be all the better for it.

What are the key themes or style references of Raava?

Our vision for Raava is to build a vibrant, culturally rich world made up of a diverse population. The concept art on our website features Cotopi, which is one of the many locations in Raava. This location is inspired by architecture from South India, specifically the state of Kerala. But this is just the tip of the iceberg: the game’s initial release will be set in the southern sub-continent of Iridon, which is one of the three main continents on Raava. We have a vast map and each area has its own deep history that makes it original and unique. We’ve taken inspiration from various biomes, both from around the world and from the far reaches of our imagination, to create locations that have never been seen in mainstream games before.

We’re lucky to have a fully remote team from over 12 countries. The cultural diversity within the team is reflected in the diversity you will see in the project itself.

Players working together to push the story forward collectively is something that works so well in other MMOs. How have you approached this concept with Into the Echo?

One of the main intentions behind our progression system is to create a playerbase in which every player has a unique identity and purpose. The next step is to make these identities relevant, and we’re doing this through community-based gameplay.

We’re working on this at multiple levels of the game. For example, we’re building world-level community challenges in which thousands of players would have to contribute towards a common goal. On the other hand, we’re developing systems to allow more interdependency between players, so they can help further either their own personal progress, or that of their guild.

We hope to achieve interdependence without forcing social interaction. We understand and respect that not all players are comfortable interacting with other players, which is why we’re creating systems that let players work together without being forced to interact with each other.

Can you tell us more about Qen?

Qen is our unique take on the concept of magic. In most games, magic doesn’t have a history, it just exists. But on Raava, Qen has a complex history and has played an instrumental role in shaping society and politics. We have gone very deep with the theory behind Qen and the way it works, and players will have the opportunity to explore all of that.

Qen originally manifested itself on Raava more than ten thousand years ago. It spread through the population over many generations. People didn’t really understand it at first, therefore it was feared and its use was discouraged. An organisation called the Order of the Silver Birch began to research Qen and then took it upon themselves to spread knowledge about the power and regulate its use. In present-day Raava, the Order of the Silver Birch is the foremost authority on Qen: they understand it and all the laws of nature that govern it. However, a mysterious entity has emerged that is organising a group of rebels to act against the Order, and they seem to be able to bend the rules of Qen, which is a practice known as Shadow Qen.

An inadvertent encounter with Shadow Qen has put the player right in the thick of things. It’s now up to them to learn all about Qen and how it works before they can understand Shadow Qen. Only then will they be able to uncover who the mysterious entity is and how they can stop it. Luckily, their brush with Shadow Qen has left them with an uncanny ability to travel back in time.

What kind of combat can players expect from Into the Echo?

Combat will be action-based. We’re adopting a classless combat system, so players will be able to switch between fighting styles without changing their actual characters. We’re not going to have any open-world PvP, so players cannot simply attack each other as they roam around Raava. When we’re ready, we’ll share more about the PvP gameplay we plan to include, but what we can tell you now is that we’re experimenting with group vs group, guild vs guild, and faction vs faction combat.

Lastly, and most importantly, we’re not limiting PvP to combat. Players will be able to compete with each other in many different ways.

There’s no sign of an Into the Echo release date just yet, though the devs have already begun hosting small pre-alpha tests, and there are details on the next test coming up soon. You’ll be able to sign up on the game’s site for a chance to dive in when the next test rolls around. For now though, we have a list of upcoming PC games to check out if you’re keen to try something new.

There are a lot of great things coming to Minecraft in 2022, including the new The Wild 1.19 update with mud and boats with chests – but the one thing fans may not have expected is a Minecraft x Puma collaboration. Well, one’s just been announced anyway, despite the game not having any pumas. Or feet.

Collaborations between games and companies can come in all shapes and sizes. The king of crossovers, Fortnite, can run the gamut between properties as wide-ranging as Naruto and Radiohead, with the popular battle royale even offering collaborations with fashion outlets and art galleries.

Despite also being popular, Minecraft generally doesn’t go in for collabs as often as something like Fortnite – at least, not officially – although the building game has seen crossovers with the likes of Sonic The Hedgehog in the past. Now the official Minecraft Twitter account has revealed a brand new collaboration with German design company Puma – who, of course, are best known for their range of footwear and sportswear.

What this collaboration will entail is being kept secret for now, with the tweet only saying that it’s “coming soon” and that the team “can’t wait to reveal more”. Whether that will mean real-world Puma gear with Minecraft characters or in-game Puma outfits and footwear is anyone’s guess right now – or when it will happen.

Watch while we leap into a new collaboration with @PUMA coming soon! #PUMAxMinecraft pic.twitter.com/hVciHRJslU

— Minecraft (@Minecraft) January 21, 2022

Ignoring official Minecraft collabs like Puma collab, there are still plenty of unofficial crossovers to check out already – like the entire Genshin Impact map or a Doom-style FPS. You can’t get those in Fortnite.

Publisher Atari

Developer MicroProse

The first act of Dark Souls has seen me escape from the Undead Asylum, marvel at the vertical level design of Undead Burg, and seek help from NPCs and friends as I plunge into the increasing darkness of the Depths and Blighttown. Now, the imposing portcullis at the entrance to Sen’s Fortress has opened, and I’ve got to battle through it in order to reach the glittering city of Anor Londo, a place high above and protected by a ring of sheer cliffs.

When I return to Firelink Shrine from Blighttown (arriving via a cleverly hidden elevator), I find that the world has taken note of my activities. A bug-eyed serpent called Kingseeker Frampt has appeared in a nearby chapel, and a cleric who was waiting for his travelling companions has disappeared. So has Knight Lautrec, a fellow dressed in gold armour who I’d freed from a cell in the Undead Church – he’s nowhere to be found now, but he’s murdered the firekeeper who’d been sealed in her own cell beneath the bonfire. Speaking of which: the bonfire, my first real tether to this gloomy world, is cold and dead. Bugger.

I decide to make a quick trip into Darkroot Garden before tackling Sen’s Fortress. After dealing with the titanite demon living in Andre the Blacksmith’s basement, I head out into Darkroot through a back door and find myself in yet another location that looks and feels completely different to anything else I’ve travelled through up to this point.

This is the first area in Dark Souls where you can truly feel the game’s age. Darkroot Garden lacks the palpable sense of place I found in Undead Burg or even Blighttown – it’s a series of corridors and open areas covered in muddy textures that don’t clearly convey anything. Are these moss-covered rocks? Is this grass or leafy detritus? What I see in Darkroot Garden is level geometry – there’s not enough set-dressing to maintain suspension of disbelief.

Still, it’s worth the trip. I pick up the versatile partizan spear, which is guarded by a two-headed tree snake, and a set of elite knight armour that I find near a napping stone sentinel deep in the forest.

The area boss, the Moonlight Butterfly, gives Dark Souls another chance to tip its tarnished cap in the direction of 2D side-scrollers: the butterfly descends from above as I cross a long stone bridge and, as with the Taurus Demon, my movement is largely restricted to a single axis. Having plundered as much as I can in Darkroot, it’s time to face the music and tackle Sen’s notoriously tricky gauntlet of fun and games.

As Frampt has warned me, the fortress is a “deadly house of traps,” but that’s rather underselling the sheer number of death-dealing devices this ‘Sen’ has stuffed into their Lordran vacation rental. A hidden plate at the entrance triggers an arrow trap, which in turn alerts two hulking snakemen to my presence – these slashing serpents will eagerly charge out from the gloom to welcome you with their swords if the arrows haven’t already ventilated you.

Moving beyond the foyer, I arrive at the first of several catwalks. There are no railings, and the swinging axe blades are a tad inconvenient, sure, but they provide quick access to the basement, which is crawling with titanite demons and partially flooded with tar, slowing your movement to a crawl. The owners have also thoughtfully installed a Fireball Island-style boulder system, presumably for added security.

In an interview for the Famitsu book Dark Souls Design Works, director Hidetaka Miyazaki said the idea unpinning Sen’s Fortress was to create a “trap road” on the approach to Anor Londo, and while that idea was present from the start of the design phase, it took the team quite a while to create a rough map of the area. The goal was for players to feel a real sense of “I made it” when they finally arrived in Anor Londo, and I’d say they pulled that off. But to do it, they had to make Sen’s Fortress a real trial.

As the designers discuss in the interview, there are signposts for almost all of Sen’s many traps. “We almost tried hard to make them obvious and create things that screamed ‘trap,’” says art designer Masanori Waragai, who oversaw the design of both Sen’s Fortress and Anor Londo. Miyazaki himself thought to make the steps look worn down and rounded in the stairways where boulders will roll down to crush you, as a way to warn players – perhaps it’s not something they’ll notice the first time, but they might spot the difference when they next encounter this trap.

What really makes Sen’s Fortress so exacting, though, is that you’ve got to successfully navigate it in one shot – there’s no bonfire midway through where you can regain your composure and bank some souls. The bonfire is one of the Souls series’ best ideas, and its most copied.

The threat of losing all the souls you’ve accumulated, all the progress you’ve made since the last time you rested, creates an escalating tension with each step forward. In Sen’s Fortress, a misstep will send you all the way back to the start of the maze, and that gets increasingly nerve-wracking the further you progress. As you near the rooftop those catwalks turn into tightropes in your mind – whatever you do, don’t look down.

It’s not like Dark Souls has been reluctant to dial up the friction before this point, but things take a bit of a turn at Sen’s Fortress – it’s the first time the game has felt deliberately mean. There’s a chest tucked away in an alcove you can use to avoid a crushing boulder, except when you go to lift the lid up the chest opens wide and gulps you down, killing you in a single hit. It’s such a traumatic event that I make sure to hit every single chest I come across afterwards. Then there’s an unreachable spellcaster who can knock you off the final catwalk before you emerge topside.

Worst of all, it’s possible to miss the bonfire that saves your progress through the fortress – it’s on a balcony one level below the rooftop, and you have to peer over the edge just to see it at all. If you don’t, chances are pretty good you’ll wind up getting hit by a massive firebomb, hurled by one of the giants stationed atop the structure.

The final step on this pilgrimage to Anor Londo involves defeating the Iron Golem, a massive, slow-moving automaton with an axe and an impressive throwing arm. This leg of the journey has revealed two important things about Dark Souls. First, while it’s a remarkably unified vision so far in its level design and approach, the fact that separate design teams worked on each area is becoming more obvious.

The second is that the notion that Dark Souls would insist on a ‘firm but fair’ approach is probably mistaken. Sen’s Fortress is the first real hint that there’s some deliberate cruelty involved – and I’ve been warned by friends and colleagues that this will be proven conclusively in Anor Londo.

To be continued…

How does one become a paranormal investigator anyway? It’s a question that’s bouncing around in my head as I sit in Midnight Ghost Hunt’s version of the Ectomobile, flanked by seasoned ghost hunters. I know I’m about to face off against a team of poltergeist players, but as my teammates survey their high-tech gadgets I can’t help feeling like I’ve blagged my way into a very serious job I know nothing about. However, after spending an hour with developer Vaulted Sky Games’ supernatural shooter, I think I’m ready to leave this games journalism business lark behind and take up ghost hunting full-time.

The premise is simple: playing as a hunter, your job is to locate and exterminate some antagonistic apparitions. The ghosts don’t want that. Their goal is to kill the hunters, and they can hide inside inanimate objects around the level to get the jump on unsuspecting players. After learning this I spend most of the first match taking paranoid potshots at every teapot, lamp, and side table that looks at me funny. Just like one of those ghost-hunting TV shows, each gameplay session kicks off with a spot of paranormal investigation, which eventually builds to a chaotic crescendo when the clock strikes midnight.

If the match gets to this point, the roles of predator and prey are reversed, so the hunters will need to hunker down and wait to be rescued, while the ghosts are imbued with a ghoulish red glow and increased strength and resilience. Put it this way, if Midnight Ghost Hunt was a horror movie, you can be sure that nobody would be left alive by the end credits.

While the prop hunt is at the core of Midnight Ghost Hunt, the supernatural context is a perfect match for the formula and gives the props a logical reason for being able to fight back. It retains the inherent silliness of hide-and-seek, but introduces some much-needed tension. The result is slapstick perfection: it’s not at all uncommon to see a po-faced paranormal investigator running away from a potted plant.

That said, playing as a ghost isn’t a float in the park, and there are plenty of reasons to fear the game’s hunters, who can wield a selection of gadgets, gizmos, and guns that would put the Ghostbusters’ arsenal to shame. The game’s gun rack includes both sci-fi goodies like the plasma-spitting Spectral Cannon, and DIY contraptions, such as a shotgun that fires salt shakers. But before you can use any of those, you’ll need to work out where the ghosts are hiding by using radars and spectrophones.

Props and abilities are at Midnight Ghost Hunt’s core, but the game’s maps tie the lot together thematically. Prop placement is random, so there’s no way of learning exactly which piece of furniture has gone wandering, but familiarising yourself with every nook and cranny makes you feel like a spirit-stomping pro. I got to try out three of the game’s haunted maps: an opulent mansion, a deserted school on prom night, and a ghost ship. Each one feels completely different in terms of layout and the props you’re searching for, which keeps every hunt fresh.

For example, the school map is a maze of narrow corridors that flow into a main hall, complete with a disco ball that can be possessed to deadly effect. The pirate ship adds plenty of verticality to each chase, as raised decks and a crow’s nest help haunted props hide high-up. While the prom night level is a nod to Carrie, the mansion and pirate ship are tonally closer to an episode of Scooby-Doo. And if that comparison seems ridiculous, it won’t when you’re being chased from room to room by a grand piano.

However, that’s not to say that Vaulted Sky Games’ particular take on horror games isn’t conventionally scary. Watching your comrades being pursued by both inanimate objects and spectral forms creates a very real sense of panic that’s more unsettling than spoofy. While playing as a phantom, charging up your attack plunges you into a stylised, Evil Dead-like first-person cam to really hammer home a sense of threat.

By pairing the wonderfully whimsical mechanics of prop hunt with creative maps and player abilities, this latest multiplayer romp from Coffee Stain Publishing looks set to entice multiplayer fans and horror enthusiasts alike. And while the added mechanics make this a little less pick-up-and-play than the game mode that inspired it, that won’t stop you giddily laughing as you watch a dear friend poring over the precise placement of a potentially possessed dining chair.

Midnight Ghost Hunt enters Early Access later this year, but you can apply to join the closed beta weekend, which runs from January 28-30, via the Steam page.

Surprise! Konami has released Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel on Steam. While the free trading card game was pencilled in for a winter launch, we didn’t hear anything specific about a release date so it’s a pleasant surprise to see that it’s just, like, launched.

Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel features more than 10,000 cards that you may recognise from over two decades of the show’s existence. It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that getting some of these cards may require you to participate in an event or purchase something in-game.

If you fancy playing by yourself, the solo mode features campaigns based around deck types that feature story sequences based on the lore of the cards. There are also tutorial and duel strategy modes to help you learn how to play the game before jumping online to duel someone else. Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel features cross-play and cross-save, too, so you can battle your friends regardless of what platform any of you are currently on.

You can also busy yourself between duels by disassembling unwanted cards to generate new ones. There are also deck-building features and resources that include a database of deck lists, so you have plenty of tools for theorycrafting.

Here’s the brand-new trailer:

For more of the best card games on PC, you can follow that link.

A group of former Firaxis developers has just announced a new studio. Called Bit Reactor, the studio will focus on the same sort of “turn-based tactics” games its founders are known for, with a focus on “high-end production values, riveting storytelling, and innovative design”. Bit Reactor already has unannounced games in development.

In a press release, co-founder and CEO Greg Foertsch says that Bit Reactor has “assembled an amazing group of talented, experienced and dedicated game developers to inject rich storytelling, immersive presentation and rock solid game mechanics to give this genre it’s rightful time to shine – a golden age of turn-based games is upon us.”

Bit Reactor’s announcement materials focus heavily on the team’s experience on XCOM, but members of the studio have also worked on the likes of Civilization and Elder Scrolls Online. Foertsch himself worked at Firaxis for over two decades, and served as art director from 2005 to 2019 on everything from XCOM and XCOM 2 to numerous games in the Civilization series.

Firaxis itself is currently at work on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which after a delay is now due to launch later this year. Job listings have strongly suggested that Civilization 7 is getting underway at the studio, but there’s been no official confirmation of development yet.

For more strategy games to check out in the meantime, you can follow that link.

Looking for more information about Yelan in Genshin Impact? Yelan has appeared in the game files since the 2.0 update, but not much else has been revealed about her until recently. A cutscene during the Moonchase Festival Genshin Impact event gave us a look at a brand new character which many believe to be Yelan. Her datamined profile has her listed under the ‘tall woman’ model, lining up perfectly with the character in the cutscene.

There’s conflicting information about whether this truly is Yelan, as the game files also have her down as a bow user. The woman in the cutscene appears to have a polearm strapped to her back, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean she can’t use both weapons. Raiden Shogun fights using a polearm as her primary weapon, but she switches to an Electro sword when performing her elemental burst.

The anime game’s community also believes Yelan is linked to Dendro, an element that the devs haven’t addressed yet, but which has appeared in leaks. Here’s everything we know about Yelan in Genshin Impact, including her backstory and banner release date.

Genshin Impact Yelan backstory

Judging by Yelan’s appearance, we can make a few educated guesses as to who she might be within Genshin Impact’s story. Yelan wears a large bell on her belt – this could be the Cleansing Bell quest item that Madame Ping sends players to find. This suggests Yelan could be related to Madame Ping, or she may actually be Madame Ping herself. We know Madame Ping is an adeptus, one of the special groups of gods and magical beings that live in Liyue.

New character is revealed to be Yelan from Genshin_Impact_Leaks

We know adeptus’ can take multiple forms, but this would be the first time we’ve seen a character transform from young to old. Another possible hint suggesting Yelan may be related to Madam Ping is her weapon. The Moonchase event revealed Madame Ping trained Xiangling to use a polearm, so there’s enough evidence to believe Yelan also received combat lessons.

Genshin Impact Yelan banner release date

Similarly to Shikanoin Heizou, Yelan doesn’t have a model in the game files, so there’s no chance of seeing her for a while. Datamined leaks point towards Yae Miko being the only new character in the Genshin Impact 2.5 update. Yelan and Heizou are rumoured to join the game in update 2.7 alongside The Chasm, a brand new area which resides next to Qingxu Pool and Lingju Pass.

We don’t know Yelan’s rarity or vision, but fans believe she’s going to be the first five-star Dendro character. Dendro is one of the seven elements that hasn’t been introduced yet, so it would make sense for a five-star character to introduce this new element.

And there we have it, that’s all the information available about Yelan in Genshin Impact. Check out our Genshin Impact new characters guide to find out what other characters could be joining the game’s large roster. Speaking of the roster, you can read our Genshin Impact tier list to learn more about the best characters in the game.

PC gaming is undeniably expensive, and ongoing component shortages are making the hobby even more costly. Sadly, it looks like the situation is about to get a lot worse, as the best graphics cards and CPUs from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia could suffer a 20% price hike in 2022.

According to a report by Digitimes, GPU and processor pricing could increase due to high shipping and foundry costs. Chip wafter manufacturer TSMC already bumped its prices up by 10% last year, which saw AMD raise its product prices by $20-40 USD, so it’s even more disheartening to hear this could increase further.

The report suggests that AMD will be hit the hardest, as its CPUs rely on the 7nm and 5nm tech. This includes the red team’s upcoming Ryzen Zen 4 lineup, which is expected to arrive this year. Of course, the company’s RDNA 2 graphics card could also end up more expensive, as they also use TSMC’s 7nm foundries.

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3000 graphics card use Samsung silicon, so GPUs like the RTX 3090 Ti should be unaffected. However, next-generations RTX 4000 cards are likely to come at an increased cost, and the green team has seemingly already made prepayments to the semiconductor manufacturer.

Out of the big three, Intel seems to be least affected by component new component costs, but it doesn’t come out unscathed. The blue team may still price up its parts due to general price increases, as the company has chips currently outsourced to TSMC. Ultimately, this means buying a new gaming PC in 2022 could leave your bank balance worse off, especially if you’re aiming to build one from scratch.