EA has confirmed that it will not proceed with early development of the next Mass Effect. That decision means BioWare and its Edmonton workspace are closing. The company says it will support affected employees in exploring other roles within EA.

I am particularly saddened by this. Neverwinter Nights 1 (NWN1) goes down in my 50+ years of gaming history as my all-time favorite game, and it was very influential in my career choice. My thoughts are with the people affected by the closure.

In the same announcement, EA confirms that Respawn and DICE will collaborate on a future project. Reporting identifies that project as a new Star Wars Battlefront, but EA's own announcement leaves it unnamed. There are no confirmed platforms, release date, or gameplay details to share from that announcement.

Which BioWare game has meant the most to you?

The Locust are getting a little closer than comfortable. Modder rockonthehill is developing a PC VR conversion for the Gears of War: E-Day campaign. The creator's page confirms work on campaign VR support, stereo rendering, full-body IK, manual reloads, and more.

Road to VR's preview also shows manual weapon switching, two-handed aiming, cover combat, and the King Raven gunner position. The current project targets the single-player campaign; online co-op is not part of that initial scope. Planned future features include physical melee and more interactive weapon handling.

This is an unfinished fan project, not official VR support or a downloadable finished release. There is no release date, and the creator says it will be free when it arrives. Would a full campaign conversion tempt you into another Gears playthrough?

The backyard is getting more legs and more paint. Obsidian has revealed Rot and Ruin, an upcoming Grounded 2 update arriving this fall. This is a preview of what's coming, not a claim that the update is live today.

The new Woodpile area brings back Termites, including Workers, Soldiers, the Termite King, and new O.G.R.R. variants with changed behavior and attacks. The Centipede is the new boss, while the Potato Beetle Buggy offers close-range combat support, a Healing Roar, and help hauling and contributing building resources.

For builders, Painting and the Splotcher paintball gun let you recolor structures. Bismuth and the new Yoking Press also allow weapons and armor to move into higher tiers. There are new collectibles and stations as well, and Obsidian says version 1.0 will arrive in 2027. Which addition is most likely to pull your group back into Brookhollow Park?

Check your mod loadout before your next drop. Arrowhead moved Helldivers 2 from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat on October 20, alongside additional security measures intended to improve game integrity.

The studio says recent cheat mods have affected other players and even the wider Galactic War. It also acknowledges the creativity behind cosmetic and other non-gameplay mods, while warning that some harmless cosmetic modifications may require updates from their individual creators after the transition.

That is a compatibility warning, not a claim that all mods are now unusable. Helldivers 2 does not provide official mod support, and Arrowhead cannot guarantee their safety or continued functionality. Players who believe Easy Anti-Cheat is causing problems can contact the studio's support channel. Has the change affected your setup, or has it been a smooth transition?

The new Anaconda isn't the entire patch. Frontier's October 20 update brings the Anaconda Mk II into paid ARX early access, with new Mk II equipment and several pre-built packages. This is not an announcement that the ship is already available for ordinary in-game credits.

The update also adds the Found Adrift Operation: an abandoned megaship carrying a valuable asset has returned, and the job is to navigate the wreck and secure it before other scavengers. There are cutting-tool improvements and fixes for Operations, Powerplay unlocks, and other issues too.

Existing ships receive a substantial balance pass. Changes include extra internal capacity for some transports, shield improvements for several smaller ships, and adjustments to exploration and flight performance. That gives Commanders who aren't buying the new ship something to examine as well. Which change is most likely to alter what you actually fly?

The VR demo buffet is open. Steam Next Fest is running through October 26, and Road to VR counted 42 PC VR demos in its October 20 roundup. That count is a snapshot rather than a promise that every demo will remain available indefinitely.

A few starting points from the list: PAYDAY: Aces High for co-op heists, Outlanders VR for town-building strategy, and DRIFTERS: Blackout Crew for co-op extraction. There are also puzzle, horror, action, and building games to browse if those aren't your thing.

This looks like a useful opportunity to try unfamiliar VR ideas before committing to another purchase. The source link opens the festival itself; use the VR filters to narrow the list. Which demo has earned your next headset session?