It’s a little over a year since we brought Readwrite Gaming to life here at Readwrite.com. In the 13 months that have passed we have written thousands of pages and had millions and millions of views., breaking news stories, helpful and timely guides as well as the latest gossip from an industry that has, at times, seemed in real trouble for a second year running.

The year that was 2024

That we now accept swingeing layoffs as the norm is not right, because money is still being made by the bucketload by game’s publishers, let’s not kid ourselves. We, as game journalists, should not be held responsible for teams getting the boot, simply because of an average review score.

Nor has it been easy for the games journalism sides of things. Google has been Google and outright destroyed many good sites’ rankings, leading to plunging ad revenue and leading nervous boardrooms to chop entire workforces at a moment’s notice. And that’s before we talk about AI writers taking over the world. Enjoy that.

Hopefully, the 2025 version of this story will be a little different from this one (and indeed last year’s) but I am not holding my breath.

Despite the setbacks the games industry has still managed to crank out some amazing games this year and this article is a salute to the teams that worked and worked, often under stressful circumstances to produce something marvelous. Let’s have a look at some of those achievements before we give out our gongs for 2024.

2024’s worthy mentions

There have been some marvelous games in 2024 as well as games that caught the attention out of nowhere. Here’s a quick rundown of some that made us look twice.

Palworld

The year started with a surprise and controversy. Palworld’s carefree disregard of Nintendo and its Pokemon created havoc, with millions of sales and dubious mods, all while Nintendo’s legal eagles glared down from above, ultimately making their move later in the year, long after Palworld had raked in bazillions of dollars. Underneath that janky initial build was a game that PC players hadn’t been able to play before, never having really been treated to anything quite so like Pokemon before. To say Palworld was just PC Pokemon does it a great disservice though.

It took the best bits of Pokemon and mixed them with the best bits of PC Gaming (er, guns) and captured early 2024’s imagination.

Infinite Craft

At the same time as Pocketpair was making a fortune, a wacky web dev called Neal.fun was watching his Infinite Craft ‘game’ take over browsers all over the world. Dragging boxes onto boxes to make new boxes is an oversimplification, but such was the drive for people to be the first to make new discoveries, and also Donald Trump and Taylor Swift, people just couldn’t stop playing it. It was the ultimate time bandit. And it was plain weird.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

A real tail end Charlie for the end of 2024. The new Indy game made us hark back to the fantastic first couple of movies and, for some of us, remember our childhoods. Super gameplay, puzzles, and looks made the end of the year so much better.

Balatro

A card game? As a game-of-the-year contender? Baltro sold by the bucketload, got people out and out addicted (without the danger of losing money), and swept all before it when it came to just out-and-out playability. If Vampire Survivors took that crown last year, Balatro’s stunning success did it for 2024.

Readwrite’s Gaming’s Games of the Year

We have picked two to get the final gongs. The reason partly being because both games only appeared on their native formats so it seemed unfair to give a PC title game of the year when no console owner could play it. And vice versa with our console choice.

Somehow in all of this Xbox still got left out, but it kinda brought it on itself really with a very strange year.

Console Game of the Year – Astrobot

What a game. If there was a game you currently need to buy a PlayStation for it’s Astobot. It oozes developer love from the second you boot it up. It’s charming, cute, and oh-so-playable. Astrobot scooped the overall Game of the Year at The Game Awards and it’s hard to argue, even if it was slightly more contentious than 2023’s Baldur’s Gate III.

Astrobot is everything a truly great console game should be – including not being able to play it on PC. A remarkable game.

PC Game of the Year – Satisfactory

Boy, oh boy, what a game again. It had been in Early Access development for five years so you could argue it’s not new, but 2024 saw it release its V1 and it scooped the best PC Game at the Golden Joysticks and it just blew up from there.

Taking the genius of Factorio and making it accessible and great-looking was a huge undertaking. The story fit perfectly and the character of your trusty computer sidekick ADA was just perfect. I don’t get as much time to put into games as I once did but the 400 hours I have in Satisfactory in the last few months are a testament to how little attention I have paid my family.

Satisfactory is a magnificent PC game and deserves every ounce of its success.

And on to 2025. Happy New Year.

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With Gladiator II doing the rounds in movie theatres at the moment, there is renewed interest in all things Ancient Rome. One aspect that remains of great interest to many is the city of Pompeii – buried in the aftermath of an eruption of Mount Vesuvius and now part of Roman legend due to the historical significance of the site.

Pompeii: The Legacy takes place 20 years after the eruption in AD79 and puts you in charge of the rebuilding of Pompeii – something that never happened of course in real life.

As the head of a Roman family, you will oversee the reconstruction of Pompeii over several generations, making critical decisions that shape the city’s future. Your city is a dynamic, living system. Construct buildings, manage resources, and ensure your citizens have everything they need to thrive. Every structure, road, and water supply plays a crucial role in keeping the city alive and prosperous.

Infamy, infamy – they’ve all got it infamy

The game looks and sounds like a solid city builder but one that gets me more interested due to the Pompeii angle and you must make old Pompers rise from the ashes again while creating your own Roman dynasty in the process.

The Zagreb. Croatia-based solo dev working on the project is preparing a gameplay trailer as we speak and we are expecting a demo at next year’s June Steam Fest. You can of course wishlist the game on Steam right now to follow progress before you get your hands on things in the middle of next year.

City builders are constantly popular but sometimes struggle to find that little niche that makes them different from all the rest. Taking the real-life disaster in Pompeii and making it great once again might just be that thing.

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It’s been a huge day for Fortnite news today even as the latest update wends its way down the pipes of the Interweb and players everywhere have to go and find something else to play during the downtime, the news continues to roill out.

So far today we have news of the Skibidee Toilet, which we now have pretty much confirmed will be later today, and also coverage of Winterfest 2024 and the return of the Cabin, but now, leaks are reaching us of what we can expect in the Item Shop over the holiday season, along with the dates we will get them.

Renowned Fortnite leaker HypeX is always on the money so there is absolutely no reason to believe that any of this is a a false flag.

ALL LEAKED FORTNITE SHOP DATES

• Skibidi Toilet – TONIGHT
• Starfire – TONIGHT
• OG Season Shop – TOMORROW
• Mariah Carey – DEC 20
• Ninja Batman & Harley – DEC 21
• Santa Shaq – DEC 22
• Lamborghini Urus SE – DEC 22
• The Nightmare Before Christmas – DEC 22
• Master… pic.twitter.com/ziTbAsnWJO

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) December 18, 2024

What it does tell us is that there is going to be a lot of cool stuff between now and Christmas day, just check out this list below:

• Skibidi Toilet – TONIGHT
• Starfire – TONIGHT
• OG Season Shop – TOMORROW
• Mariah Carey – DEC 20
• Ninja Batman & Harley – DEC 21
• Santa Shaq – DEC 22
• Lamborghini Urus SE – DEC 22
• The Nightmare Before Christmas – DEC 22
• Master Chief – DEC 23
• Cyberpunk 2077 – DEC 23

There was also a more recent post showing some of the leaked cosmetics. You better hope you get some V Bucks for Christmas folks.

If all you ever wanted for Christmas was Mariah performing an emote in Fortnite then 2024 is going to be a year. HypeX says ‘All I want for Christmas’ will be a free emote that you will earn by talking to Mariah Carey’s NPC after completing an event, although what that event is right now is a mystery.

If it is aliens in those drones, they must be watching on wondering if we are worth invading.

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Fortnite’s annual seasonal event Winterfest will soon be back for 2024, and, after a rather flat 2023 which, let’s face it, was pretty poor compared to earlier events, it looks as though Epic Games is trying to make this year’s Winterfest one to remember.

So when is it, how long is it, what can you nab and, oh yes? That cabin? Really? Let’s find out.

When is Winterfest 2024?

We now have confirmed dates for Winterfest 2024 and as we speak all the goodness is being uploaded to the servers in the latest Fortnite update before it goes live.

Winterfest 2024 is scheduled to run from 20th December until 7th January which should give you a nice run of time to get all your quests completed.

All we have had officially from Epic Games so far is a few seconds of a roaring festive log fire (more of which is minute) with the dates at the top. No launch times at the mo but they will probably be announced soon as the whole shebang kicks off in just a couple of days anyway.

Get ready to cozy up

The cabin returns this week! pic.twitter.com/hi3hujoAEm

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) December 16, 2024

What’s included in Winterfest 2024?

Some of things that have been outed so far are listed below.

• Crashed Chiller Spray
• Choose Naughty Spray
• De-Rezz Tally Back Bling
• Llama Lightbulb Spray
• Run It Up Jam Track

We are also expecting festive sklns both free and paid (Merry Snoop Dogg anyone?) and ice skates, don’t forget the ice skates.

Update: Check out our page on all the leaked characters and emotes, including Master Chief and Mariah Carey and when they will become available in the Item Shop.

Winterfest 2024 map changes

Nothing has been said about the map yet, but, well assume snow everywhere and do the ice skates mean we can skates across any water? Or will there be a specific ice rink to gather at Central Park style?

Winterfest 2024 cabin

After a needless absence in 2024, the Cozy Cabin is back and this staple of Fortnite’s Winter events is a welcome return. So far, all we know is that the cabin is back and, we assume, will serve the same role as previously, as a hub to tie the whole Winterfest event together.

Only two more sleeps until we find out (at the time of writing of course!)

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We covered the rather saddening arrival of the Skibidi Toilet meme into Fortnite earlier today along with how to get your hands on it, but if you are trying right now you won’t be able to get into the game as the Fortnite servers are currently down for maintenance. But when will it be back and what’s new in this last major change before the Holidays? Let’s find out.

When is Fortnite back up?

Downtime started at 7 AM ET / 12 PM GMT – so around an hour ago at the time of writing and as yet there is no indication of how long it will be offline. Previously when Epic has run into trouble downtime has run on longer than anybody would like, but fingers crossed things will be a bit more routine for update 33.11

This is an unusual time and date for a Fortnite update, we have no recollection of an early Wednesday morning patch before, so maybe it is just Epic trying something new at a lower traffic period, and it could become the norm going forward. We will have to wait and see.

Downtime for v33.11 begins at 7 AM ET with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand. pic.twitter.com/JjSzPEM3sM

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 17, 2024

What is in the new Fortnite patch?

In the absence of any real patch notes just yet we expect the aforementioned Skibidi Toilet stuff to arrive – can’t wait, no seriously. Also preparations for Winterfest this year which launches in a couple of days time are tucked away in there.

Indeed a lot of the new stuff won’t be instantly apparent and will wait until Winterfest 2024 starts before unlocking. We can expect to see new items such as wind grenades and ice skates as well as the usually free skins we get at this time of year.

We will update this page if the update takes longer than usual or when Epic Games releases the final patch notes for update 33.11

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AI developers RPGGO have just announced a new groundbreaking mod that brings artificial intelligence into the world of Stardew Valley in the shape of the new Stardew Drama AI RPG.

Billed as a pivotal moment in gaming history as it’s the first successful integration of AI tech into an existing major, game title.

The mod integrates with the new Stardew Valley 1.6 and uses AI to create unique, dynamic experiences for players.

It will allow you to chat naturally with in-game characters about anything in the game and they will respond to you like real people and friends would, bringing unlimited dialog and offering unique perspectives to bring the game to life like never before.

“Stardew Drama marks a new era in gaming where AI becomes an integral part of the player experience,” said Jane, Operations Director at RPGGO. “We’re thrilled to offer this innovative technology to the Stardew Valley community at no cost.”

Stardew Drama’s API weaves stories into the Valley allowing you to create friendships and even romances should that be what you fancy!

“The NPCs can understand and respond to whatever you say, going way beyond scripted dialogue. While they stay true to their own personalities, routines, and quirks, they feel more like real friends than just game characters. You can share your daily adventures in the valley, discuss your latest harvest, and exchange local gossip about what’s happening around town”

The mod itself uses RPGGO’s AI engine which, outside of what we have here can be used if you sign up to create your own games and adventures.

Using AI to generate images and dialog the engine can be used to create pretty much any RPG idea you may have, without knowing any code at all. You can check out what RPGGO is doing on its website, and if you are a keen Stardew Valley fan, you can download the Stardew Drama mod over at Nexus.

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Gaijin Entertainment has released the Storm Warning update for War Thunder, bringing a host of new military vehicles and features to the game just in time for the end of the year

This latest major content update includes the 4.5-generation fighters Typhoon and Rafale, the advanced Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled gun, and the French light cruiser La Galissonnière. While we are at it we can also explore the new “Attica” map, inspired by the landscapes of Greece.

The Eurofighter Typhoon, developed by Germany, the UK, and Italy, is a standout addition (and one of my favorite pieces of military hardware in recent years fact fans). This modern fighter jet, also in service with several other countries, boasts an impressive arsenal of up to 10 air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM. With its helmet-mounted targeting system and advanced CAPTOR radar, the Typhoon is a force to be reckoned with in both close and long-range combat is is set to be extremely popular within War Thunder.

Not to be outdone, the Rafale F3-R, the latest French-produced fighter jet, makes its debut in War Thunder. Accepted into service in 2018, this aircraft is a powerhouse in long-range combat, thanks to its MICA-EM ARH missiles. It also features the AASM HAMMER precision weapons system, new to War Thunder, which includes a vast array of guided bombs for taking out ground targets.

The update also brings the Thai Air Force subtree to the Japanese aviation line, expanding tactical options for players. The F-5T SCU “Tigris” light jet fighter, equipped with Python 3 air-to-air missiles, is a notable addition to this branch and again will likely prove a popular fighter to start blowing people out of the sky with.

On the ground, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 stands out as one of the most advanced self-propelled howitzers in the world. Its 155 mm L52 gun can hit targets at distances of tens of kilometers, with a reload speed as low as 6 seconds. Despite its nearly 58-ton weight, this beast can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h on good roads, allowing for quick repositioning.

For more detailed information about the Storm Warning update, head over to the official War Thunder site.

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Farming Simulator 25 has been a huge success for Giants Software and while the devs probably always suspected it would be, given the remarkable success of previous games in the series, having the name alone is no guarantee the ball will not be dropped (we are looking at you Cities Skylines 2)

Earlier in the year, before Farming Simulator 25 game was out we reported on the annual gathering of Farm Sim enthusiasts known as Farmcon as excitement towards the new release built.

Now obviously with the success story in mind, there was going to be a Farmcon 25, and if you fancy finding yourself in picturesque Austria in July 2025 you too could be one of the attendees.

Tickets for the event at Kundl are available already and will see the family-friendly event held on the weekend of July 5th and 6th.

The annual event for fans, modders, and influencers to meet the team and creative minds behind Farming Simulator will take place at the Innovation Center of the renowned agricultural manufacturer and long-time partner Lindner in Kundl, Austria.

“We’re thrilled with the amazing reactions from the community to Farming Simulator 25! This enthusiasm motivates us every day, and we can’t wait to reveal more exciting updates at FarmCon” comments Christian Ammann, CEO at GIANTS Software. “We’re also incredibly grateful to Lindner for providing the venue for this year’s event. Their unwavering support and contributions truly elevate the experience for everyone. See you at FarmCon 25!”

The Farmcon event has been running since 2016 (minus the obvious pandemic break) and visitors will get the chance to meet the devs and perhaps influence the direction of the game in the future.

Visitors can also take factory tours and, if they’re quick enough, get a ride on Lindner’s iconic red tractors on the test track. Meanwhile, many fans catch up with old and new friends or meet some of their favorite influencers.

With each Farming Simulator game having a lifespan beyond the traditional yearly numbered release of many games, it will be exciting to see just what plans Giants has for the franchise going forward.

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Path of Exile 2 has gotten off to a flying start but now the hard work begins on progressing the game from these initial early stages to one that players will want to spend time with for months and years.

We have had a few minor patches and hotfixes so far but we are now awaiting an incoming patch imminently that is going to be pretty major by the looks of it. Grinding Gear has given us a large blog post with a massive list of what’s happening, and that isn’t even the full patch notes at this stage, merely highlights, so it definitely seems like this patch will be one you will want to check out as it seems a lot of balancing and QoL has been going on.

Path of Exile 2 fast Travel and gameplay changes

Whatever your views on Fast Travel in games, it seems PoE is going to be getting it. The blog post states, “We’ll be adding the capacity to fast-travel between Checkpoints within an area, as well as adding many more checkpoints to areas, generally at all entrances and exits to areas, meaning if you find these first you’ll be able to instantly travel to them to continue exploring.”

The post goes on to say, “We’ll also be making Passive Point respeccing cheaper, especially at higher levels. It had a relatively aggressive curve getting more expensive with character level, we have flattened that curve so it doesn’t exponentially grow as much. This should generally result in approximately 40-50% less gold cost for respeccing between the start and middle of endgame progression.”

Path of Exile 2 has been live for just over a week! We’ve addressed some feedback already and are working on more fixes for key pain points in an upcoming patch. The full patch notes are coming soon, but check out some of the more significant changes in this news post.… pic.twitter.com/DJO5Af1Srv

— Path of Exile (@pathofexile) December 16, 2024

Endgame and Monster Balance

A series of changes are being made to the balancing of monsters and the endgame in general. These so far are listed as

• Maps no longer have additional elemental resistance penalties inherently applied at Tier 6 and Tier 11 or higher Maps. It is now consistent across all of the Endgame.
• Chaos Damage now also scales less aggressively over the Endgame.
• Critical Strikes from monsters now deal 40% less bonus Damage.
• Lowered the baseline monster density of Breach Encounters, primarily by reducing the frequency of the “Elite” monsters appearing.
• Disabled the Volatile Crystals Modifier, we’ll revisit this in the future pending telegraphing improvements.
• Purple Explosives created by the Volatile Plants Modifier on Rare Monsters now deal significantly less Damage.
• The Siphons Flask Charges Modifier on Monsters now drains ten times less Flask Charges per second. (This was unintentionally draining way too many charges)

A ton more changes are being made to the balancing for skill and gems as well as characters and items. If you want to dig deeper you can check out the full post for yourself.

When is the Path of Exile 2 patch?

At the moment there is no date given but with this amount of detail already we reckon it will probably drop within the next couple of days. The post from the devs states “upcoming patch” as you can see above, so keep an eye on the official X account to stay up to date.

Other Path of Exile 2 articles you may like

• How long is Path of Exile 2 early access?
• Path of Exile 2 Sacrificial Heart: How to get and use
• Can you change Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2?
• How to respec in Path of Exile 2

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We are big Vampire Survivors fans here at Readwrite Gaming and also big fans of any of the better clones such as Deep Rock Galactic Survivor as well. However, spending all day in front of a computer screen means that you eventually also come to love Windows and its desktop. Now imagine if you could have a Survivors-type game right there on your desktop. Well, guess what…hello Desktop Survivorrs 98 – the perfect marriage of Microsoft’s classic operating system carefully blended with a rogue-lite bullet-heaven.

Yup, that last sentence is probably one of the weirdest I have ever written but I am not hallucinating, on this occasion at least,

In Desktop Survivors 98, you play as your own cursor and must survive quick, intense rooms set in randomly generated dungeons. Level up, explore, and acquire exciting weapons inspired by classic PC culture such as Solitaire, Minesweeper, or Word Art. The game’s interface is heavily inspired by the nostalgic charm of Windows 98, complete with a virtual taskbar that sits above your current desktop taskbar, and even includes its own quirky parody mascot, “Swordy”.

“I wanted to create a game that feels like an extension of your desktop,” says Brandon Hesslau, the solo developer of Desktop Survivors 98. “The idea of a game you can toggle on and off whenever you want really appealed to me. Plus, I couldn’t resist the fun of filling a typical desktop with very chaotic visuals.”

The demo, which is available now on Steam, features a complete dungeon zone to explore and survive, a unique plethora of upgradable weapons and items, and an exciting glimpse of what’s to come in the full version which is penned in for some point in 2025.

You can toggle between the game and your desktop whenever you want, perfect for those little screen breaks you never take anyway.

We love mad little games here, so if you do too, this will be right up your alley.

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As the world (well some of it) begins to get obsessed with the strange unidentified drone sightings over cities, airbases, and nuclear installations, I am keeping my eyes firmly down. I have enough on my plate dealing with waiting for Civ VII to come out, without the concern about getting probed for my innate knowledge of Call of Duty and Satisfactory.

Whatever the strange drone lights are, and we will likely never know, that is probably preferable to them turning out to be the bad guys in Deklazon and Pqube’s new ET-’em-up They Are Here.

Deklazon is being billed as a “mysterious solo creator’ as if this game wasn’t creepy enough.

“Working with DEKLAZON to bring They Are Here to life feels like uncovering one of the biggest conspiracies in gaming,” said Tyrone Walcott, Product Group Manager at PQube. “This isn’t just a game—it’s an unflinching dive into the unknown. We can’t wait for players to experience the eerie brilliance DEKLAZON has created.”

“They Are Here drags players into the role of a journalist assigned to uncover the truth behind eerie disturbances at a secluded rural farmhouse. What begins as a routine assignment quickly unravels into a nightmare of cosmic proportions. Shadowy figures, strange lights, and inexplicable phenomena are just the beginning. Immerse in an otherworldly conspiracy where survival hinges on exposing the truth lurking just beyond the edges of human understanding.”

The game itself is set in 2005 at a (creepy) old farm house that is experiencing (creepy) lights and (creepy) alien abductions. You get the gist, and to hammer home the point, They Are Here is going to feature at the Horror Game Awards 2024. And if you are watching that, then you are well, creepy.

There is a demo of the X-Files inspired (along with a healthy dose of Signs) available on Steam ahead of the full release. If you are going to check it out, we’d advise closing the curtains because nobody needs to play this and look out of the window to see an outsize DJI Mavic buzzing around.

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With the worldwide launch of Civilization VII fast zooming into view we are starting to get very excited about what the early days of Spring hold for our gaming time..

While Firaxis has just unveiled the opening cinematic and orchestral theme tune for Civ VII we have been digging into the leaders the game will shop with trying to decide who we will play as first.

Even with all the leaders not yet announced we know of 13 that will land on launch and there is a fair old spread of philosophical geniuses to homicidal despots, depending on who takes your fancy really. So let’s have a close look at the three we are most interested in at this stage, covering a broad range of playstyles for everybody.

Confucius

For a more cerebral starting point, we are going to pick Confucious – the Chinese philosopher who is generally considered one of the main sages of East Asian history.

Confucius, or Kong Fu Zi, came to prominence during the Zhou Dynasty and turned to writing following a life in government. In contrast to a political climate in which rulers vied for power and succumbed to vice, Confucius cultivated an ethos of order, harmony, and tradition. His many writings stress hard work and knowing one’s place – be you ruler or subject, parent or child. Confucian thought would influence East Asian society for centuries hence.

Unique Ability
Keju: Increased Growth Rate in Cities. Increased Science from Specialists.

Attributes:

• Expansionist
• Scientific

Agendas:
Guanxi: Increase Relationship by a Medium Amount for having the most Specialists in an empire. Decrease Relationship by a Small Amount for the leader with the least amount of Specialists in an empire. Only triggers if Confucius has at least one Specialist.

Starting Biases:

• Grassland

Confucious’ real-life political career:
Confucius held several government positions during his lifetime. Although he struggled to implement his ideas in the political realm, his vision of benevolent leadership and just governance left a lasting legacy, influencing the administration of various dynasties throughout Chinese history.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The name of Florentine writer, diplomat, and philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli has become synonymous with duplicity and treachery. He argued that the most effective ruler was one willing to do whatever it took to gain, retain, and wield power. Such views won him the ire of both the Catholic Church and the powerful Medici dynasty. But his ideas live on in his posthumous work The Prince—giving him, in true Machiavellian fashion, the last word.

Unique Ability

Il Principe: Gain additional Influence per Age. Gain a set amount of Gold per Age when your Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted, or even more Gold per Age when they are rejected. Ignore Relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars. You can Levy Military Units from City-States you are not Suzerain of.

Attributes:

• Diplomatic
• Economic
• Agendas:
• The Spider: If not at war with Machiavelli, increase Relationship by Medium Amount for each other war.

Starting Biases:

• None

Known for:
Machiavellianism: Over time, the term “Machiavellian” came to describe political behavior marked by deceit, manipulation, and a disregard for morality in the pursuit of power. Though Machiavelli himself emphasized pragmatic statecraft, his name became associated with cynical, manipulative politics, a reputation that has influenced both political theory and popular culture.

Trưng Trắc

Now it’s time for a leader with a more militaristic outlook on life.

For a brief period in what is now Vietnam, two sisters, Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị, stood against the might of the Han Dynasty. When her husband was sentenced to death, Trưng Trắc and her sister fought on, gaining independence for three years before the Han counterattack. They are still held up as symbols of Vietnamese independence, and divinities in their own right.

Unique Ability
Hai Bà Trưng: Gain a set number of free Promotions on your first Commander. Your Commanders gain additional experience. Gain increased Science in Cities on Tropical tiles; this bonus is increased during any Formal War you declare.

Attributes:

• Militaristic
• Scientific

Agendas:
Van Minh: Decrease Relationship by Medium Amount with the player who has the greatest amount of Promotions across all Commanders. If tied, Decrease Relationship a Small Amount with tie holders. Increase Relationship by Medium Amount with the player who has the least amount of Promotions across all Commanders. If tied, Increase Relationship a Small Amount with tie holders.

Starting Biases:

• Vegetated
• Tropical

Real-life legacy:
After the Han Empire eventually crushed the rebellion in 43 CE, Trưng Trắc was captured, and legend says she committed suicide by drowning herself in the Hat River to avoid being paraded in a Chinese triumph. Her bravery and resistance against foreign invaders have made her a symbol of Vietnamese independence and the fight for freedom. Her story is still celebrated in Vietnam today, with monuments and festivals in her honor.

All leaders in Civ VII so far

With more promised along the way, and doubtless some DLC to add in here we currently know of 13 Leaders that will appear in Civ VII – Here they are in a glorious little list.

• Amina
• Ashoka
• Augustus
• Charlemagne
• Confucious
• Hatshepsut
• Ibn Battuta
• Isabella
• Machiavelli
• Pachacuti
• Tecumseh
• Trưng Trắc
• Xeres

Civilization VII launches world wide on February 11th 2025.

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We don’t want to wish our lives away here at Readwrite Gaming but we wish it was February 10th, 2025. That would be the night before Civ 7 releases and we could boot it up for the first time, sit back, and enjoy the epic intro before plowing into a game that is going to take over most of our lives.

Except now we will just be able to press the mouse button when we see SKIP in the bottom right of the screen because, well we have seen it.

Firaxis and 2K have released the game’s opening cinematic, voiced by the excellent Gwendoline Christie of Game of Thrones and Star Wars fame, and boy oh boy do we wish what followed was Main Menu, Start New Game. Instead, we are left hanging after the three minutes and a bit-long introduction video which takes us through time, all narrated by Christie as it takes us through the passage of history and highlights the Ages that will make this version of Civ different from all that went before it, as we discussed in this earlier article.

On top of the opening cinematic Firaxis has also released the game’s epic new theme music composed by Christopher Tin and titled ‘Live Gloriously’ – packed with operatic Latin singing and sweeping orchestral movements Tin says, “With ‘Live Gloriously,’ I wanted to capture universal themes of hope, heroism and mortality that have resonated across history. You’ll hear words from The Iliad, Beowulf, Popol Vuh, and Ramayana, delivering a beautiful sense of gravity and emotion that embodies the story of humanity.”

Yep. he’s managed that. You can hear it for yourself below while checking out the opening sequence in the video above.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII launches worldwide on February 11, 2025 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam (which also supports Mac and Linux) and the Epic Games Store. Cross-play multiplayer and cross-progression are supported across platforms.

The post Want to spoil the start of Civilization VII before launch? Watch the game’s opening cinematic to get yourself in the mood appeared first on ReadWrite.

Elden Ring. Amazing game. Shadow of the Erdtree expansion – mindblowing follow up but we have all become accustomed to the fact that that could be the end of The Lands Between until some far-off Elden Ring 2 sequel.

Then, at The Game Awards 2024 in-between moments of Keighley, came the announcement nobody expected. It wasn’t Half-Life 3 which turned out to be another case of ‘in-the-knows’ knowing nothing (and we did get The Witcher 4), but a new game set in the Elden Ring universe. Nightreign. Elden Ring: Nightreign is a standalone multiplayer co-op survival game set in “a harsh and unforgiving world.”

It may be co-op but you will be able to take it on solo, but whether that will turn out to be a good idea or not – unless you are one of those speedrunners who can complete games in under three minutes.

Teaming up in squads of three – or daring to go solo – teams must outlast a three-day-and-night cycle, making split decisions about combat and exploration across changing maps to become strong enough to take down terrifying bosses at the end of each day.

These night bosses must be defeated in order to progress to the next section. An interesting section of the press release reads, “All is not lost for those who fall in defeat; unsuccessful runs will grant players relics to allow them to customize and upgrade their characters tailored to their personal play styles.” – so a bit like Elden Vampire Survivors then.

Assuming that kind of mechanic is how it sounds it might be that the first few rounds will be horrifically difficult until you can buff your character and gear. If it manages to get the “just one more game” feel right, it is going to be huge, and perfect for those who couldn’t be bothered with the extreme difficulty of ER that put off a lot of players.

It actually all sounds rather cool and you can check out the highly cinematic trailer above for a first look at what to expect next year.

Elden Ring Nightreign will launch in 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam

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The new 1.4 update patch for Farming Simulator drops today and brings with it a raft of bug fixes and tweaks to the game to generally improve performance. While there doesn’t look to be anything earth-shattering here, it is mainly under the hood stuff, the devs have got to 1.4 pretty quickly providing a pretty good performance level by this point now, on the PC version at least.

The patch will be available to download on all versions of Farming Simulator 25 by the time you read this.

Farming Simulator 25 patch notes

If you were hoping for new content so soon after launch then this patch is not for you. However, there are a lot of fixes in play which will make the game look better and the good news for console players is that the stability issues that have plagued the game for some since launch are being worked on. Let’s have a look at the patch notes.

Please Note! As with all major updates, you may experience stuttering on the first game launch after updating. Especially when using mods or custom graphics settings due to shaders being recompiled.

Improvements & Changes

• Major improvements towards game stability
• Improved performance for various foliage types
• Various improvements for Field AI workers
• Various improvements for Go-To AI workers
• Various localization fixes and improvements
• Various visual adjustments on several machines
• Improved advanced graphic settings menu
• Improved check to fill water trailers on smaller water sources
• Improved forestry mulchers removing stumps
• Improved guidance steering line visualization
• Improved wave simulation on rice fields

Fixes and changes

• Allow starting the game with some GPUs again that only support DirectX 12 feature level 11 (e.g. Geforce 700series). Note that this is below the offical minimum specifications and performance and stability might not be ideal
• Disabled poplar being destructed when driving over it
• Fixed “Gone but not for cotton” achievement (sell 40 cotton bales) not saving progress properly
• Fixed “Trailer fill limit reached” icon for trailers not relibably showing for clients
• Fixed beetroots displayed on belt systems
• Fixed clipDistance mismatch on the large windmill
• Fixed color selection on geringhoff headers
• Fixed cut ravaged trees (created by twister) not being saved properly
• Fixed deletion of weeds with dynamic husbandries
• Fixed effect particles being displayed too dark in certain scenarios
• Fixed guidance steering working width on Agrio Dino II
• Fixed landscaping delay
• Fixed mission “deadwood” trees being sometimes outside the map border
• Fixed mission “planting soybeans” spawning with incompatible machinery
• Fixed missions for fieldwork not progressing in some cases
• Fixed mod filter for crossplay refreshing in the mods overview
• Fixed terrain paint brush not having option to switch to round shape
• Fixed texture flickering issue on the sunflower silo
• Fixed various placeables with configurable solar panels not having an income
• Fixed various weeders wheels destroying crops
• Fixed winch sync with more than 3 trees attached
• Increased fill speed from the larger water tank
• Increased height of sawmill unloading triggers to support higher trailers
• Limited amount of straw buffered in combines to avoid large heaps when leaving blocked area
• Removed limestation pipe collision to support higher trailers
• Tweaked steering sensitivity for gamepads introduced with 1.3.0.0 and increased available settings range

New additions:

• Massey Ferguson Prime Twine & Netwrap+ are now available as branded consumables
• JD wheel weight support to Groundking & TM1000 wheels
• Graphic setting control of foliage LOD distance to allow larger foliage view distances without hurting the performance too much
• Visible checkmark to downloaded mods in the mods overview

Modding

• Added “shallowWaterSimulation” placeable specialization to allow for simulated water in placeables

Additional note for console players

• We are continuing to work on further console-related issues to improve stability and performance. You may expect additional patches and game updates in the coming time.

The post Farming Simulator 25 gets new 1.4 patch – what’s included? appeared first on ReadWrite.

It has been more than two decades now that the ARMA franchise has managed to capture and hold a niche in PC gamers’ hearts. The ultra-realistic Milsim made it to version 3 before we also got the late-80s set ARMA Reforger which, more than just a spin-off, is the technological precursor to the recently announced ARMA 4, which isn’t coming for another couple of years at least.

ARMA is not Fortnite, nor is it Call of Duty. If you want to get the closest you can get to playing an actual front-line soldier, go here. But until now you needed a PC to jump in. That changes today as Bohemia Interactive has just, in the last few minutes, shadow-dropped in true ARMA style, the PS5 version of ARMA Reforger, bringing the Cold War to consoles for the first time.

A lot of work seems to have been carried out to make the experience with a controller a solid one and the PS5 version of Reforger including, “adaptive trigger implementation with varied resistance per weapon type, haptic feedback, and motion controls that allow for precise customizability. The game fully utilizes the DualSense controller’s advanced capabilities to increase immersion.”

With over 61km squared of maps across two islands provided, the game also includes a real-time editor called Game Master so you can create your own scenarios. We have a feeling this one is going to be popular, even though the plethora of PC mods will not be available on the PlayStation version.

ARMA Reforger is available right now at the PlayStation Store or you can find out more about it here, or by watching the new trailer above.

ARMA Reforger PS5 modes:

• Conflict is a strategic battle for two islands whereby teams must capture specific points to gain an advantage over the enemy. Not only must they engage in combat with opposing factions, but they must build structures and run logistics to gain a defensible foothold on the island.
• Game Master allows players to create custom scenarios with in-game assets to play solo or with friends. These can range from straightforward missions to elaborate scenarios, and the Game Master can modify the scenarios on the fly to curate a thrilling experience for players.
• Combat Ops is a cooperative or single-player game mode where players must complete specific tasks and battle to extract from the islands of Everon and Arland. This cooperative game mode features dynamic objectives and enemy spawning, creating a unique experience for every match.
• Capture & Hold is a rapid-fire, high-pressure game mode that concentrates the immersive and realistic gameplay of Arma Reforger into short and intense matches.

The post ARMA Reforger: Military sims on the PS5 have just got a lot more serious as Bohemia Interactive shadow-drops onto console appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Game Awards is known for its annual bluster as the world waits to see what new games get announced at the ceremony alongside who picks up the gongs – trailers and announcements are as big as the winners.

Last year’s showcase was held against the backdrop of swingeing industry layoffs which added a surreal feel to the event as it was mostly glossed over. Be under no illusion, this year’s layoffs will be ignored once more, especially if some of the rumors about what is getting announced tonight come off.

The big one doing the rounds, and it’s almost so unbelievable it goes full circle to being believable again, is that Valve’s Gabe Newell is going to appear on stage to announce Half-Life 3. Now, whether that happens or not, the fact that we are talking about finally getting a new Half-Life game – and granted there have been rumors of something in the pipes for months now, is incredible and the only outcomes now are disappointment or elation. Nothing lies in between.

The rumor I heard, and I am not kidding here, is that Gabe will be there to announce Half-Life 3.

I personally don’t believe it. But that could be what Jason’s talking about! https://t.co/fRFUwnhHi0

— Nima Zeighami (@NimaZeighami) December 11, 2024

It’s probably not true. But it could be? People are talking about it, and while there is a lot of putting two and two together and coming up with 3 (that’s quite a clever joke, you are welcome), there is a slight undercurrent that this could be the kind of Grand Theft Auto 6 boost that the games industry is crying out for.

You could argue that the only thing less likely to happen is for it to be announced as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, but we don’t know. For some reason, our spidey senses are not allowing us to rule it out completely.

Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) says there will be at least 2 announcements at #TheGameAwards that people won't believe is there!

"There are at least 2 things that will make you guys reacting be like 'Holy sh*t!, I can't believe this thing is here!'"

He also said that they may… pic.twitter.com/4lC5PAWPkq

— Genki (@Genki_JPN) December 11, 2024

Industry legend Jason Schrierer has already said, “There are at least 2 things that will make you guys reacting be like ‘Holy sh*t! I can’t believe this thing is here!'”

Half-Life 3 is more likely to be one of those than, say, EA FC26, but now we are in the realms of if it is just another Star Wars game from somewhere we will be disappointed.

So could it be? Who knows? We will find out probably around four hours after the show starts and you can find out how to watch it unfold for yourself with our handy guide.

The post Half Life 3 – Is this the big announcement for The Game Awards tonight? appeared first on ReadWrite.

‘Tis the season to pick up games on the cheap or have them given to us for free by kind-hearted digital storefronts with big white beards and red cloaks.

We already know that the Epic Giveaway for 2024 will feature a 16-game handout bonanza between now and January 9th, as well as Steam’s sale running from just before Christmas until the new year (although there are no freebies on Steam, they don’t do that!).

GOG.com is also in on the action, kicking off its Winter Sale later today with discounts on 1,000s of classic and new games alike and it will also be handing out some freebies along the way as well. Let’s see what we know so far.

What are GOG’s free games in the Winter Sale?

GOG will be offering some free games throughout the promotion, details of which you can find below.

• 12th December 2 pm GMT, 3 pm CET: The Whispered World: Special Edition

It looks as though this title is set to be free for about three days until December 15th. We will add further free games as they leak or get announced.

When is the GOG Winter Sale?

Scheduled to run from the 12th of December until early in the New Year, the closing date has not yet been confirmed, but we should find out later today.

Renowned French deal-leaker Billbil-kun posted on his socials,

“Winter Sale 2024 event is about to start at GOG. Many discounts will be applied to a wide selection of games”, before going on to reveal that the first free game will be The Whispered World, a 2014 fantasy adventure game from Daedilic Entertainment.

UPCOMING EVENT

Winter Sale 2024 event is about to start at GOG

Many discounts will be applied to a wide selection of games

We'll have also some giveaways, here is the first one

The Whispered World Special Edition
December 12 – 15th 3PM CEThttps://t.co/u9Q60lveWp

— billbil-kun (@billbil_kun) December 12, 2024

The GOG sales are always a great place to crate-dig for old classics from yesteryear at truly knockdown prices. Previous sales have seen cuts of 90% to many games, and as a lot of the older stuff starts off cheap in the first place, many great games can be picked up for next to nothing. So our advice is do not ignore the GOG sale in favour of the more traditional digital storefronts.

The post GOG Winter Sale and free game giveaway – everything you need to know appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Diablo IV crew has, no doubt, been busy eagerly watching (and potentially even playing) Path of Exile 2 of late and the lack of an announcement of a traditional Holiday-time event has not gone unnoticed.

While Activision Blizzard itself is yet to confirm or deny that one will happen, according to sources on Reddit, notifications for a new Diablo IV Christmas-themed event have started arriving to players.

Called Slay Ride to Hell, the notification features a particularly grim-looking Santa Clause, a Rudolph mount, and a festive Treasure Goblin.

Why this has gone out before any official PR is unclear – maybe a mistake, or it might be complete AI-derived BS.

We are going with the former and think that Slay Ride to Hell could well be a thing.

You all asked for it (repeatedly and angrily)
byu/DasGoat0180 indiablo4

When is Diablo IV’s Slay Ride to Hell Event?

According to the graphic that’s gone out the event seems to run between December 17th and December 31st – so a nice little fortnight period leading up to New Year.

This is less than a week away so if it is not to turn out to be a lump of coal in the stocking, Blizzard is going to have to be announcing it soon.

Diablo’s festive, and indeed any, events are always worth jumping in on as there is nothing quite like seeing Sanctuary bedecked with snow and Christmas decorations.

So, if only for that reason we hope this pans out to be a true mini-leak and not somebody’s idea of hilarity. Either way, we will know soon enough.

It is probably a fair bet that Diablo IV might be looking to tempt back any players who may have strayed over to Path of Exile’s successful Early Access launch. With the two games being cut from very similar cloth there is bound to have been a few testing out how green the grass is on the other side of Hell.

Featured Image: Courtesy of Reddit

The post Diablo IV Slay Ride to Hell event – what is it, when does it start, and is it even real? appeared first on ReadWrite.

The launch of Flight Simulator 2024 did not go well. That’s a given at this stage. Lots has been done by Asabo and Microsoft to fix things up and at least make the game playable and the patches keep rolling in, so we are confident that at some point in the next few months, the original vision may not be far off.

What is more difficult to understand is how this wasn’t anticipated. With a game with so much DLC from so many different developers, professional and amateur the chances of none of it causing a problem was pretty much nil. And that is on top of all the other issues the game has had.

Anyway, the latest patch – 1.2.7.0 will disable all old Flight Simulator 2020 content by default, putting the game into a sort of Safe Mode from which you can then re-enable your content, one by one to see what is giving you issues. This, depending on your installation may be a hugely laborious task if you have to reboot every time to see if things hang, but it might mean you can get your fave airports and aircraft in the game and just forget about that DLC that made bridges shinier for a while.

The patch notes explain this process as, “After taking update 1.2.7.0, aircraft that was previously available to select will need to be enabled in My Library to become visible again. More Marketplace 2020 ported content will be made available soon.”

If you are trying to play on Xbox, Microsoft also has this for you, “Note: Initial loading into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox Series X | S may take longer than normal due to the deactivating of Marketplace 2020 ported content.”

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – 1.2.7.0 Patch Notes

There are a huge amount of changes which you can skim through by seeing the official release notes, but it seems a lot of changes and fixes have been applied to Career Mode as well as stability and performance. We have listed those changes below for ease.

Hopefully, this latest patch, annoying as it may be, will go some way to sorting out a lot of people’s issues with the game and allow them to finally get into the skies.

Stability & Performance fixes

• Fixed a crash in audio system occurring sometimes when closing the sim
• Fixed a crash in the FX system
• Fixed a crash that could occur when releasing a lever interaction
• Fixed a crash at the end of scientific research missions
• Reduced memory usage for aircraft gauge textures generated by WASM (reduces amount of out-of-memory crashes on Xbox with WASM-enabled aircraft)
• Fixed a crash which could occur when creating a flight plan in certain airports
• Reduced latency with HTTP requests
• Fixed a potential crash when using the EFB
• Fixed a crash when going to the hardware settings of Tobii Eye Tracker device
• Added a popup to propose launching the sim in Safe Mode in case the title crashed during the previous launch
• Packages from the Community folder, Marketplace, and from MSFS (2020) carry over process are disabled in Safe Mode to allow the sim to boot
• The disabled packages can then be re-enabled manually in My Library
• Fixed a crash on machines with more than 32 logical cores
• Fixed a crash on Xbox in photo mode
• Fixed various other crashes
• Limited the number of passengers inside the plane on Low Settings to limit out-of-memory issues on Xbox Series S
• Added an integrity check on StreamedPackages folder to detect when files are corrupted.
• Changed the CoherentGT frame distribution system and views refresh rate to better match MSFS (2020) behavior
• Reduced the stutter of the game when the panel camera is opened
• Optimized boot time
• Fixed low power mode activating when watching the credits screen

The post Flight Simulator 2024’s latest patch disables all your old content so you can see which addons are causing your issues – what else is new? appeared first on ReadWrite.