Windows Central

1. Bethesda's Todd Howard reveals one of Fallout 3's biggest DLCs came from how much everyone hated the RPG's ending — "I’ll give us an average grade on that"

   In a new interview, Todd Howard has revealed Bethesda made one of Fallout 3's biggest DLCs to fix its controversial ending.

2. Highguard becomes the latest PvP project to fall victim to the industry’s brutal reset

   Highguard lays off most of its studio as player counts drop below 4,000

3. The Steam Deck OLED is quietly vanishing from storefronts — and fans are asking questions

   Steam Deck OLED has gone out of stock across the US and several Asian storefronts, with Valve yet to comment. While Europe still shows availability, speculation is growing around supply pressures, pricing, and future hardware plans.

4. Avowed’s success shows how Game Pass can turn a mid‑budget RPG into a hit

   When it comes to players on Xbox, Avowed managed to reach the top 20 played in a single day, something Hollow Knight didn't.

5. Diablo 2 developers on servicing the "millions of players" still playing the classic, releasing Reign of the Warlock on Steam, and working with Rahul Kohli

   Diablo 2 developers discuss the first new class in 25 years and the trials and tribulations of designing for an old but beloved franchise.

6. Diablo 2 gets Warlock as the first new class in decades and shadow drops on Steam and Xbox Game Pass

   Reign of the Warlock is here, and Diablo 2 and Diablo 4 BOTH get the new Warlock class.

7. This compact OMEN 16L gaming PC delivers better value than building it yourself — and it’s on sale

   Best Buy has secured a 14% President's Day discount on the HP Omen 16L, a mid-range pre-built desktop equipped with increasingly rare and valuable hardware specs crucial for optimal PC gaming.

8. Tired of Edge’s busy New Tab? Someone finally made a cleaner version with this new extension

   A new Edge extension called Fluent New Tab replaces the cluttered New Tab page with a clean, Windows 11-style layout focused on privacy.

9. WWE 2K26 drops a closer look at its CM Punk Showcase — including a glimpse at rewriting matches the Best in the World should've won

   WWE 2K26 reveals its second Ringside Report, this time covering the CM Punk Showcase with CM Punk himself providing commentary on its features, rewards, and gameplay changes from previous Showcases.

10. The creator of Fable was "tearing up" watching Xbox show off the RPG reboot's gameplay — "F*** me. This thing that we created, it's going to live"

    Fable creator Peter Molyneux reveals that watching Xbox's recent gameplay showcase for the 2026 reboot made him start "tearing up."

11. Downloaded 7‑Zip from the wrong site? That “installer” might’ve turned your PC into a proxy bot

    A convincing fake 7-Zip website is distributing a trojanized installer that quietly enrolls infected PCs into a residential proxy network without obvious warning signs.

12. How to kill Vox Engines in Helldivers 2 — weak points and best stratagems to use against the "voice of Cyberstan"

    The Cyborgs' Vox Engine tank is the deadliest threat Helldivers 2 players will face in the Battle of Cyberstan (hopefully). Here's how to kill it.

13. ARC Raiders finally gets the PvE focus it needed — but real problems still remain

    ARC Raiders update 1.15.0 introduces The Shared Watch PvE event and the return of Cold Snap, but I have concerns over progression and more.

14. Notepad's new Markdown feature added a severe vulnerability that's just been patched — Is it enough to make Microsoft leave the lightweight app alone?

    Notepad just picked up Markdown support last year, much to the chagrin of many longtime users. Microsoft has now provided details of a severe vulnerability tied to the feature, which it says has been patched.

15. Blizzard describes a "highly empowered" partnership with Xbox following its acquisition by Microsoft — supportive collaboration exists on both sides

    Blizzard president Johanna Faries describes the studio’s relationship with Xbox as highly empowered, emphasizing support, communication, and creative agency following Microsoft’s acquisition.

16. Blizzard has "exciting conversations" about TV show adaptations of its iconic games — but the bar is high with fierce competition

    In an exclusive interview, Blizzard president Johanna Faries confirms “exciting conversations” about potential TV adaptations, but stresses that any project must meet the company’s high creative standards.

17. I tested Microsoft Flight Simulator with this entry-level throttle quadrant from Honeycomb — the Bravo Lite is ideal for newcomers with smart control choices

    Honeycomb's more affordable Bravo Throttle Quadrant Lite cuts down on some of its controls, leaving novice players with the essentials at an entry-level price.

18. Blizzard turns 35, and the studio says it’s ready to rebuild and move forward

    Blizzard President Johanna Faries on the studio's 35th anniversary, its "highly empowered" future with Xbox, and keeping Battle.net a "shining star" for all players.

19. Microsoft Teams moves the 'Quit' option to Windows 11's system tray — it's trying to stop you from leaving meetings by mistake

    A new Teams update will move the quit option to the system tray, stopping users from accidentally ending calls mid-meeting.

20. HP now has a gaming laptop subscription service, offering RTX 5080 GPUs for $130 a month — and you'll never own that PC

    HP has quietly launched an OMEN gaming laptop subscription that offers hardware up to an RTX 5080 for $129.99 a month. The service includes a 30-day trial, a 12-month lock-in, yearly upgrade options, and steep cancellation fees, but no path to ownership.

21. Microsoft is testing superconducting cables to make AI data centers far more efficient

    Microsoft aims to explore high-temperature superconductors to reduce energy consumption and minimize the environmental impact of AI data centers worldwide.

22. Microsoft confirms that Windows 11 version 26H1 will not be updated to version 26H2 this fall — won't get a new version until 2027

    Microsoft's special offshoot version of Windows 11 that's exclusive to Snapdragon X2 devices won't be getting an upgrade to version 26H2 this fall. Here's why

23. Overwatch just shattered its Steam PC player count record with its new Season 1 update release — it's the most-watched game on Twitch right now, too

    Following the release of Overwatch's new Season 1 and the huge Reign of Talon overhaul, it's shattered its previous player count record on Steam.

24. Avoid rising memory costs — this RX 9070 XT pre-built gaming PC delivers 32GB of RAM for a price that beats building it yourself

    iBuyPower has a 9% discount for its RDY Element 9 Pro R07 gaming PC. With AI consuming RAM left and right, buying pre-built PCs like this will be much better for you than buying expensive parts to build one by yourself.

25. Allumeria Steam demo reinstated after Microsoft's DMCA over Minecraft-related “infringement” is rescinded [UPDATE]

    Allumeria’s Steam demo has been removed after Microsoft filed a DMCA claim alleging infringement related to Minecraft.