Latest Witcher News and Major Chip Maker Faces Probe

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Today’s Insights

• Hundreds of new ways to express yourself in Cyberpunk 2077’s patch

• Iconic voice actor of Geralt, of The Witcher games, goes back and forth on whether fans will see the brooding witcher in the next installment

• China opens probe into Nvidia, says chip giant violated antitrust laws

• New indie strategy game gives players the chance to open an adventurer’s inn

THIS WEEK IN GAMING

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch Challenges Players to “Express Yourself” 

Just launched this week, Cyberpunk 2077, in partnership with support developer Virtuous, has released Patch 2.2 which is called “Express Yourself.” This patch gives players the ability to change car colors, gives a gallery option to show off snaps in your apartment, offers over 100 new character customization options for V, and much more. 

The vehicle customization in itself is quite exciting. While you’re driving around, when you see a car’s paint job that turns you green with envy, don’t fret, just scan it, and save the paint job in your database. Or, even better, when you’re getting chased by those pesky cops, simply dip into a dark alley, do the old presto-chango on the fly, and change your car’s color. The cops won’t know what happened, and if you play it right, you’re off the hook! 

In addition to that, when you’re racing around the city, Johnny Silverhand (played by Keanu Reeves) will periodically appear in the empty passenger side seat and converse with V. This only seems apt since he lives in her mind rent free, why not see him on occasion? Unfortunately, he only appears when no one else is in the car with you, you're not in combat, and when you’re not taking on a main quest. 

For those who wished they could customize V more, it’s been granted. With Patch 2.2, 112 new character customization assets have been opened up. You’ll be able to give V the perfect look. A “plain to punk” slider has been added, and you can lock certain assets when fooling around with the randomizer. You can even give her double eyes, for when you simply must have that 180° vision. 

There are also plenty of camera upgrades, a gallery option for collecting those perfect party shots, and poseable NPC perks. So get out there and Express Yourself. 

DEVELOPER INSIGHTS
CD Projekt “Slaps” Geralt Voice Actor

The Witcher 4 has officially been announced, but in a strange back and forth from Doug Cockle, who voices the titular character, Geralt, we can’t be sure if fans of the franchise will see the brooding witcher return or not. According to CD Projekt, Geralt’s saga has come to an end, but Cockle let slip that the witcher may make an appearance. In a video on YouTube by Fall Damage, Cockle says, “Witcher 4 has been announced, I can’t say anything about it. What we know is that Geralt will be part of the game, we just don’t know how much and the game won’t focus on Geralt…” He goes on to say, “This is the thing, so I could be lying through my teeth. But I’m not. Or am I?”

This snippet brought on a storm of fan theories; from Ciri being the main character of the game with Geralt popping in on occasion, to a return of Vesemir. With Ciri becoming a full-fledged witcher at the end of The Witcher 3, in the “true ending,” having her as the main character makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, none of these theories have been confirmed by CD Projekt. In fact, Doug Cockle retracted his earlier statement in a later interview, “I did go online and I said something about this and then I got slapped by CD Projekt. I don’t know how true it is. I went off a rumor. I thought I’d seen somebody from CD Projekt say that Geralt will be in Witcher 4 but he won’t be the main character.” He went on to say, “The truth is I can’t answer the question because I’ve signed an NDA. So even if I did know, I’d have to lie to you.” 

Despite the confusing talk from the Geralt voice actor, what we can confirm is that The Witcher 4 is in full development with a tentative release date of 2025. I don’t know about you, but with or without Geralt, I’m excited to dive back into the world of the witcher!

TECH SPOTLIGHT
Chip Wars - China Hits Nvidia With Antitrust Probe

On Monday of this week, China opened an investigation into the chip giant Nvidia. The investigation doesn’t explicitly say how the US chip giant has violated China’s anti-monopoly law, but it seems like a retaliatory move against Washington’s proposed tariffs on Chinese goods. In addition, some of China’s highest-ranking industry associations stated that Chinese companies should refrain from purchasing chips from the United States, and buy locally instead.

Both Nvidia and investors don’t appear to be too concerned about the probe, because most of their chips are already prevented from being sold to China. The company’s stocks have dipped a few points this week after the announcement, but it’s nothing major. Only about 17 percent of Nvidia’s business comes from China, nearly 10 points less than two years ago. 

The antitrust probe is just another move from China to combat increasing chip restrictions from the US and to counter soaring tariffs on the country. Soon after the initial announcement of increased tariffs on China, Beijing issued a ban on exports of gallium, antimony, and germanium to the US. These materials are essential to chip making, and China is the biggest exporter of these metals. 

Experts don’t believe the probe will amount to much as the move is more about a signal to Washington. China is saying that United States corporations need them and their raw materials, don’t shut them out, or there will be consequences. 

Meanwhile, Nvidia will likely revise its China strategy and come up with a plan that hopefully works for everyone. They didn’t double their value in a year to $35.08 billion by resting on their laurels. 

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Channeling That Dormant “Inn-trepreneurial” Spirit

Have you ever dreamed of owning an Inn near a busy dungeon? Does the idea of catering to fortune-seeking adventurers get your financial senses tingling? Do you want to make piles of gold any way necessary? If you answered “Huzzah” to any of these questions, then Dungeon Inn is the game for you. 

In this plucky, cutesy, sometimes dark-humored, strategy game, you play as Sara, an enterprising entrepreneur. She sees an opportunity to make a mountain of coin by opening an Inn near a bustling dungeon and strikes up a deal with a dragon. What could possibly go wrong? Only everything, but with wits, clever time management, and some slightly shady tactics, the inn will thrive. 

Two rival clans frequent the nearby dungeon and will spend their money at your inn, but you must keep your dealings discreet. They can’t stand each other and will fight to the death on site. Your job is to keep the inn open, the ale flowing, and the money pouring in, all while catering to both the clans without the other finding out. 

Advertise your lucrative business both far and wide, and attract ambitious adventurers to your inn, while growing your profits. If you manage to keep your duplicity a secret, you will be able to invest in the inn and add exciting accessories such as a pub, bigger rooms, and training rooms. You can even decide what the inn serves, from ale to wine, energy drinks, or tea, the customization is intense. But let down your guard because clashes are inevitable. 

When the rival factions meet in front of your inn, a battle will ensue. Will you stand by and watch it happen, or will you secretly deploy battle wisps to sway the tide of battle to one side? You’ll have to be careful because if suspicion gets too high, it could ruin your reputation.  

Dungeon Inn is different from most similar strategy games as you are tasked with managing the guests more than the building itself. There are two difficulty levels, and there isn’t a strict timer constantly glaring at you. Though a lot is going on at once, you’ll have the time to manage everything smoothly. The artwork is cute and snuggly, but there are enough shadowy undertones to keep nearly everyone engrossed for hours on end. 

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