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From The ShadowsAnother ambitious-looking Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign just put out a demo, and it delves into the aftermath of the base game's pesky shadow curse"They returned to life, but the possession did not go away without a trace."Image credit: Larian/VG247 News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on March 17, 2025 It's been a great time to be a fan of interesting-looking Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign mods so far this year, and that certainly doesn't look to be changing any time soon. Another project that looks pretty ambitious has just put out a demo, and it's all about what happens to the base game's Shadow-Cursed Lands once their namesake's been lifted.Yep, sorry, I'm potentially adding another thing to your BG3 custom campaign demo backlog that may also include the likes of modder Moezilla's The Grand Theater and SquallyDaBeanz's Forsaken. My bad.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Anyway, this new one is called 'Shadow Curse Reborn', and is the work of modder Burnin094. In the demo, you seemingly get to experience the first bit of what'll be the first act of the campaign, set in the base game's Shadow-Cursed Lands, but with a little less of the shadow curse."After the removal of the shadow curse, some of the corrupted managed to get rid of the possession. They returned to life, but the possession did not go away without a trace. During physical or magical activity, the [eyes of the] corrupted darkened, black veins appeared on their bodies, and during sleep they were disturbed by visions from the Kingdom of Shadows."In order to ensure safety and prevent the spread of the supposed threat, the harpers, with the support of the fire fists, isolated most of the 'corrupted' in Moonrise Towers." Gnarly. So, your mission in this demo is to escape from Moonrise "either as a fugitive, or an ally of the Harpers", then follow a path a "squad of 'corrupted' Githyanki used to escape the same place. You'll need to start a fresh character, and can bring along or recruit a small party of companions, including Lae'zel and Quil GrootslangBurnin094's plans for the full thing sound pretty ambitious. They mention wanting to properly strip away the remaining elements of the shadow curse from Act 2's map, as well as adding two more acts beyond the opening on they're working on at the moment. The second one will take place in the wilderness and Rosymorn Monastery, and the last bit in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, Avernus, and possibly the Underdark.It also sounds like they plan on doing something different cutscene-wise, writing: "If everyone copies Larian's dialogues, players will quickly get tired of it. It takes a lot of effort and time. Most of the dialogues will be done in the spirit of old RPGs. Perhaps, over time, voice acting, frames with 2D or 3D portraits will be added. Perhaps it will be possible to use photo mode for some scenes."Does the premise of Shadow Curse Reborn sound interesting to you? Let us know below, and also if you want to know if you'll be able to shag a bear in an upcoming update to the Stardew Valley/BG3 crossover mod, we've got you covered.

Power up your Gamer Network ID with our Steam IntegrationGet the latest updates on your games without lifting a finger (well, maybe one or two). News by Craig Munro Digital Product Director Published on March 17, 2025 We've been working on something that we hope you'll love -- especially if you're the kind of gamer who has a wishlist longer than a Final Fantasy cutscene (guilty as charged).Starting today, you can link your Steam account to your Gamer Network ID and get email alerts for articles about games in your Steam library and wishlist.So, what does that mean?Linking your Steam account means we'll know which games you play or are interested in. Then, you can set your account to follow the games in your Steam libary -- and whenever we publish news, reviews, guides, interviews, or updates about those specific games, we'll email you about it.No more scrolling through pages of articles hunting for that one bit of info about your favourite upcoming indie title or the latest patch for your go-to multiplayer game. If it's in your library or on your wishlist, we've got you covered. A snapshot of what a linked Steam library looks like. Don't judge my wishlist!Why link your Steam account?Stay in the loop: Get email updates about the games you actually play or want to play. No fluff, just stuff you care about.Discover more: Find out when we've got guides, features, or deals about games you're already invested in.It's easy: Takes just a few clicks, and you're good to go. No DRM, no loot boxes--just pure, tailored gaming content.How to link your Steam accountGo to the Steam library page in your account area.Hit the "Sign in with Steam" button.Your Steam library and wishlist will be linked to your account. Hit the "Follow all" buttons in the "Games from your wishlist" and "All games you own" sections to add your games to your interests list.Enable email alerting for content about your games at the bottom of the interests page.That's it! We'll email you whenever there's something new to read about games in your account.We built this because we want to make it easier for you to stay informed about the things you love, so whether you're deep into Baldur's Gate 3 or are counting down to the next Stardew Valley update, we hope you find it useful.Thanks for being part of our community -- and let us know what you think in the comments.

Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo LifeAustralian retailer EB Games announced last week that it would be expanding its trade-in service to include retro games and consoles. It sounds like a good concept on paper (we retro game fans relish the idea of seeing more classics out in the wild), but in practice, the prices offered by the retailer are rough (thanks for the heads up, Press Start).According to the EB Games website, the new retro service offers the company's "trade value guarantee", meaning you'll get "top coins" for anything you choose to trade from NES to Wii U. Hmm.If it all sounds a little vague, it's with good reason. Retro game collector Justin (@livingaretrogaminglife) decided to put the new trade-in service to the test, taking a handful of games from his collection along to a local store to see how much "top coin" would be offered for each. Spoiler: it ain't that much.Justin's trade-in sample included big hitters like Donkey Kong Country 2 and Banjo-Tooie, but each game came back with a far cheaper cash offer than you'd hope. DKC 2 received a $10 AUD (~5 / $6 USD) offer, The Minish Cap landed $16 AUD (~8 / $10 USD), Yoshi's Island and Banjo got $21 AUD (~10 / $13 USD), while the likes of Pokmon Black 2 had $20 AUD (~9 / $12 USD). What's more, they're all in-box and appear to be in very good nick.Obviously, retro trade-in is a whole different beast to modern games and has to take things into account like condition, how complete it is and whether the cart is legit in the first place. But, challenges aside, those prices are pretty bleak.As a point of comparison, while it might not always offer the best exchange rate, a retailer like CEX offers 29 cash for a complete-in-box DKC 2, 49 for The Minish Cap and 71 for Banjo-Tooie. eBay sales can often go even higher. Things can't always be a one-to-one translation, it's true, but you don't need to read too deeply to see that EB Games' offers are a little off what you might expect.The same practices seem to apply to consoles, too. Push Start reported that the retailer will offer $70 AUD for a Wii U with GamePad and sensor, $80 AUD for an N64 with cables and controllers, and $82.50 AUD for a PS2 Slim all of which, unsurprisingly, falls short of what you'd find elsewhere.Naturally, Justin from livingaretrogaminglife didn't cough up his precious collection for such a low sum and returned home with all of the above games safe and sound. Phew.Hey, perhaps this is something of a learning curve for EB Games and the retailer will start to offer fairer prices as it gets to grips with the retro market. Somehow, we doubt it. Update: Business as usualWhat do you make of these trade-in prices? Let us know in the comments.[source instagram.com, via press-start.com.au]Share:00 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNew 18+ LEGO Mario Kart Set Is A Better Build Than We ExpectedPole position on our wishlistsNintendo & Pokmon Company Had An "Adversarial Relationship", Say Former NOA Staffers"There was a little bit of salt"Switch 2 Predicted To Cost "$400 Or More"It could also be the "biggest console launch ever"PSA: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Has Reportedly Leaked OnlineSpoiler shields, activate!

Security researchers have observed hackers linked to the notorious LockBit gang exploiting a pair of Fortinet firewall vulnerabilities to deploy ransomware on several company networks.In a report published last week, security researchers at Forescout Research said a group its tracking dubbed Mora_001 is exploiting the Fortinet firewalls, which sit on the edge of a companys network and act as digital gatekeepers, to break in and deploy a custom ransomware strain they call SuperBlack.One of the vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2024-55591, has been exploited in cyberattacks to breach the corporate networks of Fortinet customers since December 2024. Forescout says a second bug, tracked as CVE-2025-24472, is also being exploited by Mora_001 in attacks. Fortinet released patches for both bugs in January.Sai Molige, senior manager of threat hunting at Forescout, told TechCrunch that the cybersecurity firm has investigated three events in different companies, but we believe there could be others.In one confirmed intrusion, Forescout said it observed the attacker selectively encrypting file servers containing sensitive data.The encryption was initiated only after data exfiltration, aligning with recent trends among ransomware operators who prioritize data theft over pure disruption, said Molige.Forescout says the Mora_001 threat actor exhibits a distinct operational signature, which the firm says has close ties to the LockBit ransomware gang, which was last year disrupted by U.S. authorities. Molige said the SuperBlack ransomware is based on the leaked builder behind the malware used in LockBit 3.0 attacks, while a ransom note used by Mora_001 includes the same messaging address used by LockBit.This connection could indicate that Mora_001 is either a current affiliate with unique operational methods or an associate group sharing communication channels, Molige said.Stefan Hostetler, head of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, which previously observed exploitation of CVE-2024-55591, tells TechCrunch that Forescouts findings suggest hackers are going after the remaining organizations who were unable to apply the patch or harden their firewall configurations when the vulnerability was originally disclosed.Hostetler says the ransom note used in these attacks bears similarities to that of other groups, such as the now-defunct ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang.Fortinet did not respond to TechCrunchs questions.

GTC, Nvidias biggest conference of the year, begins Monday and runs till Friday in San Jose, with the biggest announcements probably coming Tuesday. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the news as it happens and were expecting a healthy dose of announcements. And were making it easy for you to follow along. CEO Jensen Huang will give a keynote address at the SAP Center on Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT, focusing on what else? AI and accelerating computing technologies, according to Nvidia. The company is also teasing reveals related to robotics, sovereign AI, AI agents, and automotive plus 1,000 sessions with 2,000 speakers and close to 400 exhibitors.Heres how to watch the Nvidia GTC 2025 keynote online, along with many other sessions, talks, and panels.So what do we expect to see at GTC? Well, Nvidia typically reserves a big chunk of the conference for GPU-related debuts. A new, upgraded iteration of the companys Blackwell chip lineup seems likely. During Nvidias most recent earnings call, Huang confirmed that the upcoming Blackwell B300 series, codenamed Blackwell Ultra, is slated for release in the second half of this year. In addition to higher computing performance, Blackwell Ultra cards pack more memory (288GB), an attractive feature for customers looking to run and train memory-hungry AI models. Rubin, Nvidias next-gen GPU series, is almost certain to get a mention at GTC alongside Blackwell Ultra. Due out in 2026, Rubin promises to deliver what Huang has described as a big, big, huge step up in computing power.Huang said during the aforementioned Nvidia earnings call that hed talk about post-Rubin products at GTC, as well. That could be Rubin Ultra GPUs, or perhaps the GPU architecture thatll come after the Rubin family. (The chips are named after Vera Rubin, the astronomer who discovered dark matter.)Beyond GPUs, Nvidia may illuminate its approach to recent quantum computing advancements. The company has scheduled a quantum day for GTC, during which itll host execs from prominent companies in the space to [map] the path toward useful quantum applications.One things for sure: Nvidia could use a win. Early Blackwell cards reportedly suffered from severe overheating issues, causing customers to cut their orders. U.S. export controls and fears of tariffs have massively depressed Nvidias stock price in recent months. At the same time, the success of Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, which developed efficient models competitive with models from leading AI labs, has prompted investors to worry about the demand for powerful GPUs like Blackwell.Huang has asserted that DeepSeeks rise to prominence will in fact be a net positive for Nvidia because itll accelerate the broader adoption of AI technology. He has also pointed to the growth of power-hungry so-called reasoning models like OpenAIs o1 as Nvidias next mountain to climb. To be clear, Nvidia isnt exactly hurting. The company reported a record-breaking quarter in February, notching $39.3 billion in revenue and projecting $43 billion in revenue for the subsequent quarter. While rivals such as AMD have begun to encroach on the companys territory, Nvidia still commands an estimated 82% of the GPU market. But Huang is reportedly feeling impatient to see AI applications that matter beyond the tech industry.This story originally published March 11.

Ready to blast some bugs? Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Gran Turismo) is set to write and direct a feature adaptation of the Robert A. Heinlein sci-fi novel Starship Troopers for Columbia Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The classic story follows an interstellar war between Earth and an infestation of bug-like aliens and digs into military life and the concept of earning voting rights through the acts of service. Most known for its campy 1997 feature adaptation from Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Total Recall), the story has also been accused of espousing fascist ideology. The upcoming project will not be a Verhoeven remake.Blomkamp will produce alongside creative partner Terri Tatchell. Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologistL'Wrenbrings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.

How do you shape a world in crisis without breaking its authenticity? RVX masters the art of invisible VFX in Zero Day, ensuring every frame feels real while subtly amplifying tension and atmosphere! Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025The post Zero Day: VFX Breakdown by RVX appeared first on The Art of VFX.

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Researchers from South China University of Technology and Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital analyzed the effects of heat treatment on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)-fabricated CoCrMo alloys, focusing on microstructural changes, mechanical anisotropy, and residual stress reduction. The study examined how solution treatment at 1150C for one hour followed by annealing at 450C for 0.5 hours altered grain morphology, tensile strength, and elongation properties.CoCrMo alloys are widely used in orthopedic implants due to their corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and mechanical durability. When fabricated using LPBF, the layer-by-layer solidification process produces columnar grain structures aligned along the build direction, resulting in significant differences in mechanical properties depending on orientation. The research quantified these variations and assessed how heat treatment modifies the materials structure to address mechanical disparities.Microstructural Analysis of LPBF-Fabricated CoCrMo Alloys. Image via Materials Futures.Mechanical testing showed that as-printed CoCrMo samples exhibited 19.1% elongation along the build direction and only 9.3% perpendicular to it, a difference exceeding 100%. Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was also higher along the build axis, measuring 1173.7 MPa compared to 1048.6 MPa in the perpendicular direction.Columnar grains, typically aligned in the <001> direction, restricted dislocation movement across grain boundaries, resulting in lower ductility perpendicular to the build axis. High dislocation densities at melt pool boundaries further influenced stress distribution, contributing to premature failure in the weaker orientation.Recrystallization Reconfigures Grain MorphologySolution heat treatment at 1150C for one hour induced full recrystallization, transforming columnar grains into equiaxed grains. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis measured a 94.6% recrystallization ratio, confirming that the high-aspect-ratio grain structure observed in as-printed samples was eliminated.Tensile testing of heat-treated samples showed that UTS values equalized across orientations, measuring 906.1 MPa and 879.2 MPa, while elongation reached 20.2% and 17.9%, respectively. The grain morphology shift reduced anisotropic effects, improving uniformity in mechanical performance.Powder Morphology and LPBF Processing Parameters. Image via Materials Futures.Following solution treatment, annealing at 450C for 0.5 hours introduced additional microstructural changes. TEM imaging identified nanoscale martensitic laths and annealing twins in the heat-treated samples. Kernel average misorientation (KAM) mapping confirmed that residual stress decreased significantly after treatment.Grain size analysis found that heat-treated samples retained slight anisotropy in grain diameter but eliminated elongation differences caused by grain morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that -FCC and -HCP phases remained stable following heat treatment, with no phase transformation detected.Residual Strength Reduction and Further Research ConsiderationsAlthough heat treatment eliminated anisotropic mechanical behavior, post-treatment samples exhibited reduced strength compared to as-printed CoCrMo alloys. Solution treatment removed columnar grain structures, while annealing introduced new strengthening mechanisms through precipitate formation and twin boundaries.Further research is required to evaluate how precipitate formation at grain boundaries influences long-term fracture behavior. The study did not examine wear resistance or fatigue properties, leaving open questions about how treated CoCrMo alloys perform under cyclic loads.Orientation and Phase Transformation. Image via Materials Futures.Ready to discover who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights.Anyer Tenorio LaraAnyer Tenorio Lara is an emerging tech journalist passionate about uncovering the latest advances in technology and innovation. With a sharp eye for detail and a talent for storytelling, Anyer has quickly made a name for himself in the tech community. Anyer's articles aim to make complex subjects accessible and engaging for a broad audience. In addition to his writing, Anyer enjoys participating in industry events and discussions, eager to learn and share knowledge in the dynamic world of technology.