The PC gaming mods repository Nexus Mods is making disclosures about AI mandatory for uploads of new mods, meaning that mod authors will have to declare "whether AI has been used in their work," the site announced today as part of a big post about AI-generated content on the platform.

"One of the most consistent concerns we've heard is that it's not clearly disclosed when AI has been used to create a mod," according to the post from site owner Victor "Foledinho" Folmann. "We already have tags for AI-generated and AI-assisted mods, but we recognise that there's a lot more we can do to make that information more accessible and clear for you a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

In a new post today, Valve acknowledged that it's seen "a significant increase in submissions for store and page review in recent months" and says it's "running a little behind" by taking "up to 12 business days" for reviews instead of the typical 3-5 days.

Indie developers have recently expressed frustrations over lengthy approval times for Steam games, even causing some games to miss planned launch dates. Valve says that "much" of the delay is having to re-review games, so it's making some changes to the release checklist for developers to hopefully "cut down on re-reviews for basic functional issues."

The changes include requiring dev …

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The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever generated more excited and buzz than anyone expected and with the launch just days away, we chatted with the team about why they think so many gamers are all-in on the promise of WoW: Forever.

WoW: Forever Gives you Permission to Slow Down

VICE recently had a chance to sit down with some members of the World of Warcraft: Forever development team to chat about the upcoming launch and what about it has made it appeal to so many gamers.

VICE: Since WoW Forever has both the ‘spirit of Classic’ and some ‘quality of life changes’ from retail, it makes sense how you can appeal to those separate player bases. I imagine that’s part of the reason why there was such a groundswell around the beta and tons of players pouring into the game. But what about someone who has never played either? As a beta player, it seemed like there were a surprising number of new to MMO or new to WoW players. What do you think it is about Forever that is drawing in a younger generation of gamer who grew up past the MMO peak years?

Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): First, we were really surprised by just how many new players we saw. We can’t talk specific numbers, but there were a lot of new players in the beta who had never played WoW before.

As for what’s drawing them in, I think there were some people in 2019 who thought, ‘I need updated graphics’ or ‘I need the game to look prettier to get into it.’ And now we’ve given them that with the updates to the engine. With water, with dynamic shadows and lighting, with fog, and all the weather effects we’ve done.

Having access to higher definition models and doing things like transmogs, there’s a lot to appeal to people who are looking for that sort of graphical fidelity upgrade.

Also, I think there’s a lot of people who watched their parents or their uncle or aunt play it. And now it’s their turn to be able to get in at the beginning. Nobody has an advantage, nobody knows anything. Even more so than 2019, this is an unsolved game. The people who have played before don’t have such a big advantage over those who are just coming in. It’s the best possible time to come in to World of Warcraft if you’ve never played it, because everyone is getting in at the ground floor. Nobody knows the best way to do things yet and everyone has an equal footing.

And the other thing is that I think there’s a lot of younger gamers who are more hungry for a social game. They’re looking for more community and more friends to adventure together with other people. I think there’s a growing hunger for that in the gaming community.

Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): I think in the last several years, I think gaming has shifted in some ways towards a rapid loop, rapid reward structure, attention economy influenced paradigm.

I think amongst younger gamers or just gamers that are pretty immersed in that, it can get pretty exhausted. Something like WoW Forever where the journey does matter… it’s supposed to be slower paced, it’s supposed to be long tail and it’s not that instant gratifacation loop, that’s something that’s appealing to a lot of people.

For a lot of us that was always the appeal and for some people that’s becoming the appeal. I think we’re kind of having a moment right now in gaming where people are actually looking to go back and turn the clock back. Not just for nostalgia, but for the style of the game.

VICE: That makes a lot of sense. I’ve been thinking about the WoW: Forever beta as my most surprising cozy game of the year. I’ve played WoW for 20+ years and this is the first time I’ve ever used that descriptor for it.

Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): And getting into World of Warcraft 22 years into it is a lot. There’s a lot of history, there’s a ton going on. But having a fresh entry point and starting from square one with the rest of community is always a great moment for people to jump in.

Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): When you go looking on forums, there’s a common thread of people being thankful that we’d given them permission to take their time. They felt like they were allowed and encouraged. You don’t have to rush this. That was very refreshing to see.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft coverage as the official launch of World of Warcraft: Forever arrives.

World of Warcraft is available now on PC. World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November November 4.

The post How World of Warcraft: Forever is Successfully Creating A New Generation of MMO Gamers appeared first on VICE.

Leakers have pieced together a playable version of the canceled Portal prequel F-Stop. Most of the assets came from the massive 12-terabyte leak that dropped this August. That didn't include the game's source code or map data, but those final pieces apparently hit the Valve Cut Content Discord this week, allowing a nearly complete version to be pieced together.

Some dialog and elements of F-Stop eventually found their way into Portal 2. But it differs dramatically from the mainline Portal games in that it's built around a camera mechanic that lets you capture an item by taking its picture and place it elsewhere using the resulting Polaroid …

Read the full story at The Verge.

GOG is giving away a free PC game as part of a 72-hour promotion, giving players another chance to expand their libraries without spending anything. This time, the giveaway is A New Beginning: Final Cut. Here is what you need to know about the GOG free pc game 72 hours giveaway.

GOG Free PC Game 72 Hours Giveaway Explained

The latest GOG free PC game giveaway features A New Beginning: Final Cut, a point-and-click adventure from Daedalic Entertainment. The promotion began on October 30 and runs until November 2, so some of that 72-hour window has already passed.

However, there is one major detail worth pointing out: the game is free to keep once you claim it. The 72 hours refers to the giveaway window, so you don’t have to rush through the adventure before the promotion ends. Thankfully, your growing backlog can survive another addition!

For your convenience, here is a quick breakdown of the offer:

Giveaway Detail	Information
Free game	A New Beginning: Final Cut
Store	GOG
Giveaway ends	November 2, 2026
Deadline	6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM GMT
Free to keep?	Yes, once claimed during the promotion

GOG’s official store page lists the offer’s deadline as November 2 at 4 PM EET, which converts to the times above. We’ve also created a countdown clock below that shows you when the giveaway ends.

How to Claim the Free PC Game on GOG

To claim A New Beginning: Final Cut, head to its official GOG store page and select “Go to giveaway.” Sign in to your GOG account and follow the giveaway prompts to add it to your library.

Make sure the game appears in your account before the deadline. You can download and play it later, so there’s no need to install it immediately.

What Is A New Beginning: Final Cut?

If you’ve never heard of A New Beginning: Final Cut, it’s a story-focused adventure with a graphic novel art style. The game follows retired bioengineer Bent Svensson, whose quiet life in Norway is interrupted by a woman claiming to have traveled back from the future.

Her name is Fay, and she believes Bent’s energy research could help prevent a climate disaster. Unfortunately, that research is about to fall into the wrong hands. So much for a peaceful retirement!

If you enjoy puzzles and sci-fi stories, this GOG free PC game giveaway could be worth checking out. Just make sure you claim it before November 2, as the original 72-hour promotion is already underway.

The post GOG Free PC Game Giveaway Gives Players 72 Hours to Claim and Keep It appeared first on VICE.