Gaming

PUBG shut down in China

Replaced by battle royale without violence

Published

May 9, 2019

Luigi Leonardo

Throughout the history of battle royale games, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has consistently kept its strong performance. Despite the numerous competitors, PUBG is still a reliable player in the industry. Much of the industry’s players are variations of the same tired formula. As such, PUBG’s simple system is one of the favorites.

Despite the game’s popularity, PUBG has fallen into disarray. Tencent, the game’s publisher, has reportedly shut down the game in China. Through Weibo, the publisher has declared the game’s end of testing. PUBG is officially gone.

Instead, Tencent has launched the more peaceful Game for Peace. The newly launched game shares the same mechanic as PUBG. However, it doesn’t feature violence at all. It doesn’t have blood or gore. When a player dies, they merely wave goodbye. Definitely, the game is an exercise in Chinese censorship.

Otherwise, Game for Peace is still a survival of the toughest. Dead players still leave loot boxes after death. “It’s almost exactly the same. The game play, the background, the graphic design and the characters, they’re almost the same,” Cui Chenyu, a Chinese games analyst said.

To more Western sensibilities, the game’s lack of violence is humorously surreal. However, the game is a sign of China’s patriotism. It “pays tribute to the blue sky warriors that guard [China’s] airspace,” Tencent said.

After the launch, Tencent expects “CNY 8 billion to CNY 10 billion in annual revenue.” Of course, a region-exclusive launch does not mean much. PUBG remains one of Steam’s top games. However, things might soon change if Game for Peace launches in other regions.

Related Topics:PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds PUBG

Entertainment

LE SSERAFIM to perform at BlizzCon 2026

BlizzCon’s closing act.

Published

June 26, 2026

GadgetMatch

Global K-pop sensation LE SSERAFIM is returning to BlizzCon.

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the five-member girl group will perform as the closing musical act at BlizzCon 2026. LE SSERAFIM will take the Main Stage on Sunday, September 13 (PT), bringing fans another live performance after its BlizzCon debut in 2023.

The appearance also comes ahead of the group’s upcoming U.S. tour. Blizzard teased that the performance will make it a “Perfect Night” for fans attending the convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.

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LE SSERAFIM returns to Blizzard

LE SSERAFIM debuted in 2022 under SOURCE MUSIC, a label of HYBE. The group is composed of Sakura Miyawaki, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha Nakamura, and Hong Eunchae.

The group’s name is an anagram of “I’m Fearless,” reflecting the confidence that has defined its music since debut.

This won’t be LE SSERAFIM’s first crossover with Blizzard. The group previously collaborated with Overwatch 2, bringing themed cosmetics and a special event to the hero shooter.

BlizzCon 2026 is sold out

BlizzCon is Blizzard Entertainment’s annual community celebration. It brings together fans of World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and other Blizzard franchises for game announcements, developer panels, esports, cosplay, and hands-on experiences.

Passes for BlizzCon 2026 have already sold out. However, Blizzard says tickets may still become available through the Tixr public resale marketplace.

Fans can learn more about LE SSERAFIM’s appearance on Blizzard’s official blog.

Gaming

AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 now available for Radeon RX 7000 Series

Update drops earlier than expected, powering more than 300 supported games

Published

June 24, 2026

GadgetMatch

PC and handheld gamers can officially skip the wait, as AMD has launched its FSR 4.1 upscaling technology for Radeon RX 7000 series (RDNA 3) GPUs.

Computing and Graphics Group Senior Vice President and GM Jack Huynh made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter). This development brings machine learning powered gaming to millions of players across more than 300 games.

By downloading the latest AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.6.2 driver, users can unlock the new AI upscaling suite on existing RX 7000 series desktop graphics cards.

(The driver can be downloaded here.)

The update drastically sharpens image reconstruction, delivers far superior temporal stability, and keeps motion ghosting to an absolute minimum. That’s across a massive library of supported titles.

Beyond optimized frame rates out of the gate for those two blockbusters, the release packs vital architecture stability improvements and bug fixes for the broader Radeon ecosystem.

Huynh added that AMD is actively engineering lightweight machine learning models to expand FSR 4.1 optimizations to a wider base of gamers. More details are to come.

Moreover, the driver for the FSR 4.1 upscaling technology will deliver day-one support for two highly anticipated releases: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations.

if you are wielding an RDNA 3 desktop rig or an RDNA 3-powered handheld, like the ROG Ally X or Lenovo Legion GO, simply open up the AMD Software suite, get the update, and test the new AI tech.

Gaming

GTA VI: New images unveiled as pre-order details, price finally announced

Highly-anticipated title to launch on November 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S

Published

June 24, 2026

GadgetMatch

Grand Theft Auto VI finally has a price. The highly-anticipated upcoming installment in the series is set to launch on November 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Pre-orders will begin on midnight, June 25. Available versions are the Standard Edition at US$ 79.99 and the Ultimate Edition at US$ 99.99.

The Ultimate Edition amplifies the single player experience with an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story.

Here are some newly-released exclusive images:

Alongside the Standard and Ultimate Editions, all Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders and purchases before November 20 will also get the Vintage Vice City Pack.

This is a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest:

Players who pre-order digital versions of GTA VI will be able to begin pre-loading on November 12. This is to ensure they are able to play at launch on November 19.

The physical version, which contains a download code inside the box, will be available starting November 12 as well to support pre-loading.