Intel is just starting to get back into the world of discrete retail graphics cards, and is going all the way, complete with its own graphical upscaling technology, Intel XeSS. Now, XeSS is out in the wild, complete with support in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and a kind-of release on GitHub.

Supersampling, or upscaling, is a technology that can run a low-resolution version of a game at a much higher resolution, using deep learning AI to fill in the gaps and smooth out the edges, effectively letting us play the game as if it is running at a high native resolution. Nvidia’s DLSS is the best-known example of supersampling technology, with the company announcing the third iteration last week alongside its new 4000-series cards. Nvidia’s primary competitor, AMD, has its own upscaling tech, FSR 2.0.

Like AMD with FSR, though, Intel is trying to be somewhat open about XeSS. Intel previously promised to release XeSS on GitHub, and indeed has now released XeSS’ initial development kit alongside this update to Shadow of the Tomb Raider. That’s not the entire source code just yet, so Intel still has some work to do to make good on that. Also like AMD’s offering, XeSS will work on not just Intel’s new Arc GPUs, but also on AMD Radeon and Nvidia GeForce cards as well. Hardware tester CapFrameX has already released some statistics showing the technology working on AMD cards. In contrast, Nvidia’s DLSS works only with Nvidia cards, and major features of DLSS 3 are only available on the company’s pricey 4000-series cards.

XeSS gives game developers one more way to get more impressive visuals out of their game for people on mid-range and low-end hardware. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the only game so far, but Intel has promised support for other popular games like Hitman 3, Gotham Knights, Chivalry II, and more on the tech’s official page.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Lost Ark’s second major update for September brings the big guns, with the debut of the drone-strike-calling Machinist headlining the free-to-play MMORPG’s latest update.

The update is appropriately called the Rage with the Machinist update, and the Machinist is definitely the main attraction. Joining other Gunner advanced classes like the Artillerist, Sharpshooter, Gunslinger, and the Deadeye, the Machinist is all about using cutting-edge technology to obliterate foes. Through a combination of guns, lasers, an advanced Hypersync suit, and a deadly drone, the Machinist looks to bring the boom to the demons of Arkesia. They might even get a bullet in the head.

Speaking of demons, this latest update will introduce Lost Ark’s third Legion raid, where players will face off against the killer demon clowns of the Midnight Circus and its leader, Kakul-Saydon. Players will need an item level of 1,475 to confront the nightmare-inducing act, but an easier “rehearsal” version of the raid can be attempted at item level 1,385.

The update also introduces a few ways to speed up player progress, adding yet another Powerpass for players who have completed the Punika continent to use in order to boost an alternate character to 1,302 item level. However, this Powerpass can only be used until October 26, so players shouldn’t sit on it for long. Special missions have also been added for characters between item level 1,302 and 1,415 that grant additional upgrade materials to speed up their progress. These special event missions will be active until November 23, so players should take advantage of them while they can.

A number of server merges will happen alongside the update, which players can find more details about here. Read on for the full patch notes below.

Lost Ark Rage With The Machinist Update Patch Notes

MACHINIST ADVANCED CLASS

The Machinist is armed to the teeth with highest-tech machine guns, laser weapons, along with a Drone capable of remote, precise strikes and unique attacks. When standard weapons and drone strikes aren’t enough to take down a target, the Machinist can activate their identity skill and suit up in cutting-edge technology with the Hypersync ability. Energy cores for the high-tech Hypersync suit can be charged by landing attacks, and once entered, Hypersync core energy will be expended by abilities until the Machinist runs out.

The Machinist joining the Deadeye, Gunslinger, Artillerist, and Sharpshooter as the fifth Gunner Advanced Class. Learn more about the Machinist in the recent Lost Ark Academy focused on detailing its identity, Engravings, and skills.

KAKUL-SAYDON LEGION RAID

Kakul-Saydon enters the fray as the third Legion Raid. In this raid, you’ll face the insanity of the Midnight Circus as you battle members of the Mayhem Legion and Legion Commander Kakul-Saydon. No revives are available mid-battle, so be ready to fight for your life. Differing from Valtan & Vykas, Kakul-Saydon is a four-player Legion raid. This Legion Raid has 3 gates, and is complete with a swathe of new unique characteristics, abilities, and mechanics.

While players will need to be Item Level 1475 to attempt the Normal difficulty of the raid, an easier version of the raid called Midnight Circus: Rehearsal can be entered by players at Item Level 1385 to practice the difficult mechanics and teamwork required to vanquish the Mayhem Legion.

Rehearsal and Normal Modes share a weekly lockout per character. A character that clears Rehearsal Mode first will not be able to do Normal Mode that week.Once a player has completed Normal Mode Kakul-Saydon in a given week they can no longer clear Rehearsal Mode that week on any character.Doing Normal Mode first will grant the rewards that would have been obtained in Rehearsal Mode, in addition to all of the Normal Mode rewards.

A new special training feature has been added, and can be accessed by speaking to Beatrice in Trixion. The special training contains the same minigames encountered in the Kakul-Saydon Legon Raid for players to practice.

Two new items used in exchange for rewards are introduced in this raid: Mayhem Marks and Mayhem Trumpets. Mayhem Marks are used at the Legion Raid Exchange NPC to obtain various rewards, such as card packs, accessories, and more. Some of items have a weekly limit while others have a roster limit. Mayhem Horns are used to upgrade the bonuses provided by Legion Raid gear sets. These sets grant unique effects when 2, 4, or 6 pieces of the same set are equipped. These set effects can be increased using Mayhem Horns at a new Set Gear Management NPC available in all major cities. A new Guide Quest will be available detailing the new system in-game.

NEW PROGRESSION EVENTS

FREE PUNIKA POWERPASS

Players will receive a Punika Powerpass after completing Punika’s quest “Berver’s Friend”. To access this quest, players must first complete all Adventure Quests (marked by purple exclamation marks) on Punika to collect stamps and become a citizen. Once the final quest in this chain, “Honorary Punikan” has been completed, you can talk to Nia in Nia village to start “Berver’s Friend.” If you’ve already finished the quest before the update, you’ll get the Powerpass when the event starts! This Event Powerpass will be delivered via in-game mail.

The Punika Powerpass will function like the North Vern Powerpasses available to players in the launch version of Lost Ark— once you’ve completed the storyline through that continent, you can use it to bring an alternate character to that point in the game. With the Punika Powerpass, you’ll receive Item Level 1302 gear. This is an event Powerpass, and will expire on October 26.

SPECIAL EVENT MISSIONS

Similar to an Express Event, you can designate a character between item Level 1302 and 1415 on your roster to participate in the Special Event Missions, where they’ll earn honing materials to quickly level up to 1415. Defeat Guardians, Abyssal Dungeons, and reach Item Level thresholds to earn impactful honing material rewards. The Special Event Missions will stay active until November 23.

We’re excited to see the new alternate characters roaming Arkesia as players experience different playstyles or quickly level up a brand new Mechanist. Both of these events are available for a limited-time— so make sure you take advantage and use them while you can!

GENERAL UPDATES

The first round of server merges will begin after the regularly scheduled downtime. Find the list of servers merging and an FAQ on how these merges will be handled in our Server Merge Details article.Updated and refreshed the daily login bonuses reward track.Updated the Fever-time event system to allow for new types of Fever-time events. The first new event will take place during the final week of Arktoberfest from September 30 to October 3. In this event, each day, rewards can be claimed through the button normally— but a special track will also be active that grants a bonus prize. This extra reward track can be progressed through by logging and playing for 30 minutes each day. Once you meet the daily requirements, the next prize is reached. You only earn one prize, claimable at the end of the event, based on the number of days you met the requirements.The Growth Support Effect has increased from 1370 to 1415 to help new players reach their friends in the T3end-game.The level 22 (Legendary Engraving Selection Chest) and 25 (Lv. 3 Gem Box) rewards from Thronespire now have Item Level requirements (1445 and 1460 respectively) to open.Updated the Item Level requirement for “Legendary Class Custom Engraving Recipe Chest” available from the vendor found on Anguished Isle to require Item Level 1445 or higher.Added an option to report mail received from other players.Added 6 additional character slots, to increase the previous max of 18 to 24.AFK kick has been removed.Additional items have been added to the Event Guardian Raid vendor, including: Legendary Card Pack (1 roster limit)Petit Saydon Pet Chest (1 roster limit)Legendary Rapport Selection Chests (2 roster limit)Event Tome of Enhancement books (3 roster limit for weapon books, 15 for armor)Regulus’ Light Currency Chest (10 weekly roster limit)Vitameow (5 weekly roster limit)Leap’s Essence (3 weekly roster limit)Basic Life Energy Potion (2 weekly roster limit)Daily Una Instant Completion Ticket (6 weekly roster limit)Daily Una +1 Task Ticket (1 weekly roster limit)Creation Fragment (5 weekly roster limit)Added Solar Grace, Solar Blessing, and Solar Protection honing materials.Doubled the previous amount of Destruction and Guardian Stones received. The price remains the same.

STORE UPDATES

The Rage with the Machinist Update includes special Machinist skins, the Magick Society skins, new Machinist specific bundles, and more! Find the new cosmetics showcased below.

MAGICK SOCIETY SKINS

MACHINIST ROBOTICS SKIN

MACHINIST DAWN SKIN

NOTABLE BUG FIXES

Fixed an issue causing background audio to be missing in various cutscenes.Fixed an issue causing unintended text to appear in the Achievements menu in non-English languages.Fixed an issue causing the color options to not appear in the settings window for the Attack Direction Indicator.Fixed an issue causing the identity tooltip setting to not function while using certain classes.Fixed an issue allowing HTML formatted text to be sent via guild group chat notices.Fixed an issue causing a cutscene to be skipped when completing certain quests in Anikka while in a party.Fixed an issue causing the Pheromone Bomb to not last for 30 seconds if used on Night Fox Yoho before becoming invincible.Fixed an issue causing the virtual keyboard to be shown when changing tabs in various menus while using a controller.Fixed an issue causing the incorrect weekly reset time to be shown in the Stronghold Activity Notebook.Fixed an issue where sever effects granted by the “Strange Movement” Tripod for the Destroyer’s “Earth Smasher” skill were not applied as described.Fixed an issue causing guild chat messages to occasionally not appear.Fixed an issue causing various chat tab settings to be reset.Fixed an issue causing text to be reversed on one side of the Wingsuit Bike mounts.Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Tower of Fantasy’s first major content update is coming later this fall, but players don’t have to wait until then to check out the new playable character Cobalt-B, who will be added to the free-to-play gacha MMORPG on October 6.

Cobalt-B gives off some serious maniacal scientist vibes, as she obsesses over perfecting her signature weapon, the Flaming Revolver, in a new trailer. Despite being called a revolver, Cobalt-B’s weapon sure seems like a shotgun, with gameplay footage showing her blasting enemies with both energy grenades and up-close-and-personal shots that spread out in a large, forward-facing cone. If the name didn’t give it away, her weapon is a fire-based one, joining the likes of King and his scythe, Huma and her shield, and Zero with his negating cube.

Characters and weapons aren’t exactly one and the same in Tower of Fantasy. Characters in Tower of Fantasy are called Simulacrum, and are essentially optionable skins players can use if they see fit. Unlocking those characters, however, also includes their signature weapons, which can be used independently of its corresponding owner.

A special limited-time event, Vera Orienteering, is currently live and will run through October 12. This event will let players earn a variety of rewards from various challenges, and looks to get players ready for the game’s major upcoming Vera expansion.

Once Tower of Fantasy’s Vera update arrives, players will be able to explore a new desert region that is home to the cyberpunk city of Mirroria. It’s where game’s main storyline will continue, as previewed in a recent story trailer.

Prior to Cobalt-B’s arrival, Tower of Fantasy has received two new characters, the icy-sword wielder Frigg and the tenacious Claudia. Tower of Fantasy has seen more than 10 million download since launch, and is available on PC and mobile devices. For those looking to get started in the anime MMO, be sure to check out our Tower of Fantasy beginner’s guide.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Update: The console has sold out at Walmart, but we will update this article with more retailer listings once they are live.

The special-edition Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Nintendo Switch OLED is available to preorder now at Walmart for $359. Walmart is the first retailer to list the console ahead of its November 4 release date. Though the listing indicates that the console will ship immediately, that’s a mistake on Walmart’s end, as the console will not hit shelves until a couple weeks before the games launch in November.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Nintendo Switch OLED

The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Switch OLED features some pretty striking artwork, especially on the back of the console itself. You’ll find all three starter Pokemon–Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly–emblazoned alongside a bunch of other symbols and designs from the world of Pokemon.

The white dock has images of both legendary Pokemon (Koraidon and Miraidon) on the front and a Poke Ball design on the back. It comes with purple and red Joy-Con controllers with insignias printed on them. The back of each Joy-Con features images of Pokemon that are outlined in either purple or red, which matches the colors on the console.

Just like the recently released Splatoon 3-themed Switch OLED, the upcoming Pokemon Switch OLED does not come with a copy of Scarlet/Violet. That said, the console is only 10 bucks more than price of the standard Switch OLED.

If you haven’t preordered a copy of Pokemon Scarlet or Violet, make sure to check out our preorder guide. And if you’re curious to see which other Pokemon inhabit the upcoming Switch exclusives, take a peek at our roundup of every confirmed Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News