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Half-Life & Portal Writer Says Itd Be Silly Not To Look Into Generative AI
Erik Wolpaw, a writer for Half-Life and Portal, revealed that Valve has been exploring the use of Generative AI for research and development. He believes it would be unwise not to investigate the potential of this technology.
The Next Risk of Rain Is Allegedly in Development...for Deadlock
A leaker specializing in Deadlock news claims that a new Risk of Rain-like game mode is in development for Valve's MOBA shooter. This follows the suspension of activities at Risk of Rain developer Hopoo Games after its co-founders joined Valve.
Valve VAC bans a million CS2 accounts in one day
Valve developer Ido Magal confirmed that Counter-Strike 2 issued approximately 960,000 VAC bans in a single day as part of an ongoing effort to combat farming bots. This massive ban wave targets accounts engaged in illicit activities within the game.
Valve VAC bans a million CS2 accounts in one day
Valve has issued one million VAC bans for Counter-Strike 2 accounts in a single day, indicating a significant crackdown on cheating. Separately, Razer has launched the NiKo Collection, a line of gaming peripherals co-designed with Counter-Strike legend Nikola 'NiKo' Kovač.
Steam's latest update sounds like a step in the right direction for regional pricing woes
Steam has introduced an update to its regional pricing tools, offering developers new conversion methods including exchange rate, purchasing power, and multi-variable options. This aims to help developers set more appropriate prices for games across Steam's 35 supported currencies, addressing past issues where regional pricing was deemed too high based on local wages. The update also provides developers with new pricing data to better understand specific regions.
Former Valve writer hits out at Epic Games layoffs: "It's not like they're a publicly traded company. It's not like there's some need to hit the stock market thing. This is Tim"
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek criticized Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney regarding the company's recent 1,000 job cuts. Faliszek questioned the motivation behind the layoffs, given Epic Games is not publicly traded, and contrasted it with Valve's employee-centric approach that fostered agency and rewarded hard work.
New Steam update finally addresses huge disparity in regional prices between countries "to help developers price games in 35 currencies and 4 region groups worldwide"
Valve has released a new Steam update designed to address significant disparities in regional game pricing. The update aims to help developers more accurately price games in 35 currencies and 4 region groups worldwide, utilizing purchasing power conversion and multi-variable methods.
New Steam pricing tools could change what you pay for games
Valve has released new pricing conversion tools for Steam, designed to assist developers in setting game prices for different regions. This update aims to streamline the process of determining regional pricing for games on the platform.
Former Valve Dev Destroys Tim Sweeney Over Epic’s Mass Layoffs
Former Valve developer Chet Faliszek heavily criticized Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney on TikTok following Epic's announcement of 1,000 layoffs. Faliszek accused Sweeney of prioritizing profit from Fortnite over game development and employee well-being, contrasting Epic's actions with Valve's employee ownership model.
The FPS skybox is underappreciated, so let's appreciate some
This opinion piece argues that the skybox, a crucial element in first-person shooters, is an underappreciated aspect of game design. The author highlights several games with exceptional skyboxes, from classic titles like Halo to modern releases like Doom Eternal, suggesting that artistic skyboxes can be more impactful than pure photorealism.
Feature: PS5 Price - Why Does It Cost So Much in 2026?
The PlayStation 5's price is increasing significantly in 2026 due to a confluence of factors including the pandemic's impact on supply chains, global inflation, and increased tariffs. Component costs, particularly RAM, have also surged due to high demand from AI companies like OpenAI. These economic pressures are affecting other hardware manufacturers like Nintendo and Valve, and are expected to impact future console generations and development budgets.
PvE in Deadlock? Leaker suggests it’s right around the corner and it’s ‘1:1 Risk of Rain’
A leaker suggests that Valve's upcoming game Deadlock will feature a PvE mode that is heavily inspired by Risk of Rain. This mode would allow players to defend against waves of enemies and collect items. The leaker also indicated that this PvE mode might be tied to the game's lore and skins, and is not expected in early builds for several months.
Danger Zone
Valve's anti-cheat system, VAC, has banned approximately one million accounts in Counter-Strike 2 within a single day. This significant action highlights Valve's ongoing efforts to combat cheating in the popular PC title.
Sony hikes the PS5 price by $100, PS5 Pro by $150: 'this was a necessary step'
Sony has announced significant price increases for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal, citing global economic pressures and rising memory costs. The new prices, which are $100 to $150 higher than previous ones, are set to be implemented by retailers starting April 2, 2026. This move comes as the industry faces ongoing memory scarcity, impacting console production and pricing.
"It wouldn't be a surprise if Microsoft and Nintendo followed suit" - Analyst reacts to PlayStation's shock price rise as industry braces for more uncertainty
Sony has announced a significant price increase for the PlayStation 5, citing global economic pressures and component cost increases. Industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls suggests Microsoft and Nintendo may follow suit. This price hike comes at an awkward time with the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 expected later this year.
Sony confirms PS5 hardware is about to become even more expensive
Sony is increasing the recommended retail price for its PlayStation hardware globally, effective April 2, 2026, citing ongoing economic pressures. The PlayStation 5, Digital Edition, and Pro models will see price hikes of $100 and $150 respectively in the U.S., with the PlayStation Portal also affected. This follows a previous price adjustment in August 2025 and impacts hardware manufacturers worldwide facing tariffs and component shortages.
I just spotted the Steam Deck in a big horror movie sequel, and its film debut highlights the handheld's biggest…
The Steam Deck OLED made a notable appearance in the horror movie sequel Ready or Not 2, playing a role in a character's preoccupation with gaming. The article humorously notes how the handheld's battery life limitations were even reflected in its film debut. This appearance highlights the current state of gaming handhelds, including their battery constraints, compared to other devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and Nintendo Switch.
Former Half-Life 2 writer calls out Epic CEO Tim Sweeney over layoffs, says Valve boss Gabe Newell is "better" than him at making "as much money as possible," anyway
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek criticized Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney over recent layoffs, questioning employee motivation and comparing Epic's actions unfavorably to Valve's employee retention. Faliszek highlighted that Valve, despite operating Steam, has fewer employees than Epic and suggested Gabe Newell is more adept at generating profit while still fostering a positive work environment.
Valve VAC bans a million CS2 accounts in one day
Valve developer Ido Magal confirmed that Counter-Strike 2 issued approximately 960,000 VAC bans in a single day as part of an ongoing effort to combat farming bots. This massive ban wave targets accounts engaged in illicit activities within the game.
Monado becomes the open source foundation for various OpenXR (VR) vendors
Collabora's open-source XR runtime, Monado, has become the foundational technology for numerous vendors in the VR and AR industry, including Google's AndroidXR, Hololight Stream, NVIDIA CloudXR, Pico, PortalVR, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon Spaces. Monado's modularity, quality, permissive licensing, and lower barrier to entry are cited as key advantages for its widespread adoption.
