The controversial paid mod marketplace recently added to The Sims 4 is apparently exceeding Electronic Arts' expectations, according to a new report from Sims Community. It cited an anonymous "insider" who evidently also leaked accurate details about The Sims 4's Marketplace and Maker Program before it was revealed to the public.

It's not clear exactly what EA's financial goals for The Sims 4 Marketplace are, and the source didn't provide a specific number, but said that the paid mod marketplace "has so far exceeded EA’s expectations," adding, "We don’t know what [those expectations] were, though."

Earlier this month, details about a single-player The Sims title currently called Project X were leaked. It appears that Project X will feature individual neighborhoods that players must pay to unlock. According to Sims Community's source, EA has seen the player response online and might be rethinking things.

The hardest quests in Arc Raiders tend to be the ones that require you to complete a variety of steps during a single visit to a map. When that map is Stella Montis, things can be even trickier. That's the case with the Furtive Meetings quest from Shani, which tasks you with uncovering meeting spots around Stella Montis--or as we like to call it: Shredder Central.

You have to complete every step of Furtive Meetings in a single visit before extracting with a specific item. Because of this, we really think you should bring along an augment that provides a safe pocket, as it would be devastating to have to redo the entire quest because you died at the end and lost the item.

When you're ready to head into Stella Montis to complete Furtive Meetings, read on.

The Fragmented Logs quest in Arc Raiders sends you to Stella Montis, which is arguably the game's most dangerous map. You'll have to visit multiple locations there, making this a potentially risky trip, so you'll want to be prepared.

Also, you'll need to bring in an Electrical Component for this quest. These can be crafted in Speranza using just a few Plastic Parts and Rubber Parts, so getting your hands on one shouldn't be a problem. If you want to be extra careful, bring an augment with a safe pocket to keep the Electrical Component in while exploring.

When you're ready to set off on the Fragmented Logs quest, follow the steps below.

One of the most frustrating aspects of modern PC gaming is how long you can be stuck waiting for a new game to finish compiling its shaders the first time you boot it up. The second most frustrating is having to do that each time you update you graphics card drivers. Nvidia is hoping its new Nvidia App features might make that a thing of the past.

Included in an update that introduces new features for the RTX 50-series of GPUs, Nvidia has introduced a beta version of what it's calling Auto Shader Compilation. With this enabled, the Nvidia App will dynamically determine when your PC is idle before kicking off shader compilations for your installed games in the background, potentially freeing you from having to wait for the step to complete the next time you actually want to play.

You're able to set how much space on your drive can be allocated to storing a cache of shader compiles, with more spacing allowing for more pre-compilations to stand at the ready for your most-played games. You can also roughly specify when the process is allowed to kick in, which you should be careful with since shader compilation can be quite CPU-intensive, so having it going while trying to do something else important on your PC at the same time isn't advisable. Auto Shader Compilation is disabled by default, but you can start utilizing it with the latest version of the Nvidia App.

If you're ready to trek across Spaceport again in Arc Raiders, the Waking the Grid quest has got you covered. In this quest, you'll need to visit multiple locations on this open map, though they're thankfully all relatively close to one another. Because of this, you should be able to knock it out in one match without many issues.

You won't need to extract with any items to complete Waking the Grid, so you can feel free to come into this quest using a free loadout if you prefer. You may encounter a stray raider or two working on their quests or looting, though, so it's still worth keeping your wits about you.

When you're ready to complete Waking the Grid, follow the steps below.

Recent mass layoffs at developer Eidos Montreal were the result of a long-in-development project at the studio that was close to completion being canceled, according to a new report.

As reported by Insider Gaming, the project, known as P11, had been struggling for years due to changing between multiple game engines and an ever-ballooning budget. The game was reportedly an open-world, third-person action-adventure title where players would battle magical spirits. The main character, River, had a giant-moose companion that could be used to navigate the game's open world.

P11 reportedly had cost several hundred million dollars since work on it began in 2019. The cancellation is somewhat surprising, as according to the report, the project was almost complete and tentatively slated for release later this year, having recently passed key development milestones.

According to a new report, esteemed developer Crystal Dynamics is working on a new The Lord of the Rings game, which would be its third game now in development, joining Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (2026) and Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027).

Insider Gaming reported that the Embracer-owned studio is making the new game, with financial backing from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. It's been reported that this game is aiming to "compete with Hogwarts Legacy," but there is no word on what that means.

Crystal Dynamics is working on this game alongside the developer Revenge, the report said.

Blaze Entertainment has revealed a new Evercade gaming handheld device, the Evercade Nexus. Billed as the successor to its Evercade EXP-R handheld, preorders for the Nexus will go live on April 1, with the unit being priced at $200 ahead of its shipping date in October 2026. A Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack cartridge is included in the bundle.

Compared to the Evercade EXP-R, the Nexus features several substantial upgrades like a larger 5.89-inch IPS display, twin analog sticks, wireless headphone support, and EverSync for local multiplayer. This feature will allow players to share a game wirelessly with other Evercade Nexus consoles, and is similar to the single-cart local multiplayer of the Nintendo 3DS handheld.

Designed to play 32 and 64-bit games, the device can also switch to TATE Mode with the push of a button, shifting the screen into a portrait mode that works well with vertically orientated arcade games. The Nexus has a battery life of up to five hours, and it can download content faster thanks to Wi-Fi 6 functionality. For anyone who already owns an Evercade console, the Nexus will be backward compatible with over 80 Evercade cartridges from the officially licensed retro collection libraries.

Following its reveal last year, Secrets of Strixhaven quickly became my most anticipated Magic the Gathering set of 2026. While I adored our brief stop in the wilds of Lorwyn, there's just something about Strixhaven's dark academia atmosphere and art nouveau stylings that captivates me. After attending a preview event in which Wizards of the Coast offered press a first-look at what some of Strixhaven's secrets are, I feel fairly confident saying that Secrets of Strixhaven should be your most anticipated Magic set, too.

Secrets of Strixhaven is an incredibly powerful set--one that brings back high-value cards and gorgeous art treatments while also introducing a shockingly strong mechanic with prepare. We've prepared an overview of the set's new mechanics as well as a look at some of the set's most jaw-dropping cards.

While their frames might be reminiscent of Omen and Adventure cards, prepare is an entirely new mechanic designed for Secrets of Strixhaven that grants you access to some powerful spells. While the card type is still a creature and should be treated as such when resolving spells, abilities, and the like, these cards feature an incantation in the bottom-right portion of the card that they can cast if they are prepared.

It's not often that a quest in Arc Raiders sends you topside with an explicit goal of downing one of the game's biggest foes, but you'd best be prepared when it does. In the case of Settled in Full, you'll be going up against a dangerous Bastion so that you can take a Bastion Cell for its corpse.

If you're heading into fight against a Bastion with the goal of obtaining a Bastion Cell, we highly recommend you bring an augment with a safe pocket. It'd be a shame to waste your time and resources getting the cell only to lose it in a bad turn of events.

When you're ready to take down a Bastion for Settled in Full, check the tips below.

Arc Raiders is overflowing with challenging enemies to take down, and some quests will send you out to take materials from them. This is what the Test Case quest from Apollo is all about, tasking you with obtaining a Hornet Driver, Fireball Burner, and Firefly Burner.

Though completing the tasks in Test Case is a straightforward affair, you'll need to be prepared with appropriate shields and ammo, as some of these enemies can be a little irritating at times--especially if they catch you out in the open. Additionally, we'd recommend bringing an augment with a safe pocket or three so you can store the requested materials there, meaning you won't lose them in the event of your death.

When you're ready to find the materials for the Test Case quest, follow the steps below.

The third and final raid of World of Warcraft: Midnight's first season is set to go live March 31, but that didn't stop a group of clever players from trying and technically succeeding to kill its ultimate boss early. Spoilers for Midnight's story ahead.

The March on Quel'Danas raid sees players looking to take down the corrupted dark nauru L'ura, who after the events of the Voidspire raid, has been used by Xal'atath to transform the Sunwell into the ominous sounding Darkwell.

Since the isle of Quel'Danas and the new Darkwell aren't exclusively instanced (they are simply part of the map), players who go to investigate the big shadowy laser beam in the sky can, in theory, see L'ura hovering above the corrupted Sunwell. I say in theory, because a debuff called Overwhelming Oblivion surrounding the Darkwell is intended to make sure players don't ever get close, dealing 45% of a player's total HP per second.

Later quests in Arc Raiders tend to have multiple steps, and Dust on the Wires is one of the most substantial. Though it's a fairly easy quest to complete, you'll want to be prepared for a good bit of running around on Spaceport.

Dust on the Wires contains an item you'll need to extract back to Speranza with, so we'd strongly recommend that you bring an augment sporting a safe pocket to ensure you can safely get it home even if you're killed.

When you're ready to complete Dust on the Wires, follow the steps below.

The latest patch for Bungie's new extraction shooter, Marathon, is here--and with it, Bungie is making its stance on movement exploits clear.

Patch 1.0.5.2 includes a fix for a movement exploit that allowed Thief players to cancel her slide animation by pulling out her Grapple Device, while still retaining momentum. (An example of the exploit in action can be seen here.)

In the 1.0.5.2 patch notes, Bungie explained why exploits like these aren't something the studio wants to encourage.

April Fools' Day is upon us, and once again, it's the most skeptical time of the year. You can't believe anything that you see or hear on this particular day, as the gaming industry has a longstanding tradition of pulling "got 'em" pranks on people. Sure, some people might be allergic to fun on April Fools' Day, but the intention here is to have a laugh and enjoy the silliness that comes with this celebration of mischief, lies, and trickery.

So far, it looks like a few games have jumped the gun and gone live with their gags. PUBG: Battlegrounds is going all-in on the event with a limited-time April Fools' mode, and Pokemon Pokopia is referencing one of our favorite Family Guy jokes. We'll be keeping an eye on everything for tomorrow and will update this post with all the new gags from publishers and developers, so be sure to bookmark this page. If you're looking to do some more reading on the subject matter, you can also check out our feature on the best April Fools' Day gaming jokes of all time.

Winning a chicken dinner in PUBG: Battlegrounds is no easy feat, as it requires skill, accuracy, patience, and luck--and who has time for that? Instead, you can cheese your way to victory with a new April Fool's Day limited-time mode in the battle royale game and disguise yourself as a prop in the game. Each "Prop Hunt" match features 12 players divided into three Hunters and nine Props, and matches are designed to be a lighthearted alternative to PUBG's traditional combat-heavy gameplay.

Microsoft is adding a new Xbox Game Pass perk in the form of special bonuses for a number of free-to-play titles from World of Tanks studio Wargaming.

Game Pass subscribers for any tier of the membership program will be able to get in-game perks for titles like World of Warships, World of Warships: Legends, World of Tanks: Modern Armor, and World of Tanks Blitz. The upcoming World of Tanks: Heat will also get the new Game Pass perks.

The Game Pass bonuses are coming over the next 12 months, Microsoft said, and they begin with a range of perks for World of Warships across Xbox and PC on April 9. You can see a rundown of the perks for World of Warships below, as shared by Microsoft.

In the Clamoring for Attention quest in Arc Raiders, Tian Wen seems to think that some well-timed distractions can assist in pulling ARC out of position. She wants you to test this theory around Blue Gate, so be prepared to make some noise.

For this quest, you'll need to bring a Battery and Wire x3 into the match with you to make some repairs. Alternatively, you can find these items in the match, but that seems like an unnecessary hassle if you have some in your stash already.

When you're ready to set off to Blue Gate to complete the Clamoring for Attention quest, we've got you covered below.

Microsoft's upcoming Halo game, Halo: Campaign Evolved, has no in-game shop. Halo Studios community director Brian Jarrard confirmed this on social media.

"There is no shop," he wrote.

Jarrard said this in response to a fan who was wondering if the fact that Halo: Campaign Evolved will have a special skin for people who buy soda meant there would be an in-game shop. There is no in-game shop, so it seems people will need to drink soda to get the "Fantastic Spartan Armor," which makes Master Chief look like a can of Fanta. That is currently the only known way.

While Resident Evil Requiem has had a monopoly on survival-horror talk since it launched, fans of old-school Resident Evil might want to check out Ground Zero. Developer Malformation Games has announced an April 16 release date for the retro-inspired survival horror game, and it'll be launching for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Set in South Korea, Ground Zero takes place two months after a devastating meteor impact. An elite Korean operative, Seo-Yeon, and her Canadian partner are sent to investigate the city of Busan, and they quickly discover that strange growths have infested the metropolis and hordes of mutant survivors prowl the streets. It's up to players to discover the truth of what really hit Busan by shooting, stabbing, and roundhouse-kicking their way through danger.

If you're getting PS1 vibes from Ground Zero, that's by design. A love letter to classic PS1-era survival horror games, Ground Zero features pre-rendered backgrounds and fixed camera angles alongside its nostalgic graphics, as well as puzzles, custom difficulty modifiers, and even tank controls for an extra layer of nostalgia. Combat is inevitable, but players who can fight back with skill will be rewarded with more Genome Points, which can be traded for powerful gear upgrades.

If you like when Arc Raiders sends you on quests to collect items for Tian Wen, then Outstanding Balance is right up your alley. This time, you'll be heading to Blue Gate to track down Dodger's Stash for Speranza's favorite gun-shop owner. Be prepared to visit more than one spot, though.

Dodger's Stash will need to be brought back to Tian Wen, meaning you'll have to extract with it in your inventory. With this in mind, we highly recommend bringing an augment that offers a safe pocket.

When you're ready to tackle Outstanding Balance, follow the steps below.