This week’s snapshot is a small one, but it brings a fancy new splash screen! Start up the snapshot and you’ll find out right away.

A full summary of the content available in this snapshot can be found in the changelog on Minecraft.net, the following is a short summary:

• Added a new splash screen and slightly improved startup time
• Updated LWJGL to 3.2.1
• Particles are now broken up into individual textures rather than being in particles.png
  
  • This breaks resource packs right now but we’re working on a way to still be able to load old resource packs

  
  

• Adjustments to the Wandering Trader
• New optional tag for block items: BlockStateTag
  
  • Contains map of block state properties to be overwritten after block is placed (note: item model is not affected).

  
  

• Fixed bugs

To get snapshots, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 

Share your thoughts on how 1.14 is shaping up in the comments below!

“What’s this about?” Joxer asked.

The Titan sat across from the rogue Lightbearer known only as the Drifter. Between them, unloaded rifles, hand cannons, and Last City food wrappers lay strewn across the Derelict’s rusty deck. Joxer could feel the ship’s engines humming under his boots, reverberating throughout the chamber.

“Think of this as a job interview,” Drifter replied. “I got a whole new operation about to come online, and Gambit was training for it. You’re one of the best candidates I got.”

Beneath his helmet, Joxer raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that? I’m no ‘Hero of the Red War.’”

Drifter chuckled. “Why does everyone think I got a mad-on for that one?”

Joxer shook his head. “I heard you two forged a gun together.”

Drifter frowned. “Hand to my heart, it wasn’t just us. Whole buncha folks running around with Malfeasance hand cannons these days. My grandma, too.”

“That Primeval really knows how to run,” Joxer snarled at the deck.

“Listen, big guy.” Drifter leaned back. “Not my fault you keep missing the shot.”

Joxer stood up out of his seat and towered over the other man.

“Hey! My bad, brother!” Drifter held up a hand. “Your Motes are always good here, whether you’re packing Malfeasance or not. What I need done, only a specialist—like you—can do.”

Joxer stared down at him. “What do you mean?”

“I seen you out there. You get how the Taken feel. How the Darkness… flows. You revel in it.”

Joxer sat back down, slowly.

“You’re a born invader, my friend. The best.” Drifter smiled again, with lightless eyes. “And I’ll need someone like you to test out my new project before I unveil it to the unwashed masses: Gambit Prime.”

“Sounds like a promotion at my local Sparrow dealership.”

“You wanna get paid or not?”

“What do I kill?”

Are you new to using Fedora, or have a question about using Fedora? Got a story or helpful hint for Fedora that you want to share? You want to check out Fedora Discussion. It is a relatively new place where users and members of the Fedora Community meet to discuss, ask questions, and interact.

Fedora Discussion is a forum and discussion site that uses the Discourse open source discussion platform.

There are already several categories useful for Fedora users, including Desktop (covering Fedora Workstation, Fedora Silverblue, KDE, XFCE, and more) and the Server, Cloud, and IoT category . Additionally, some of the Fedora Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have discussions as well. Finally, the Fedora Friends category helps you connect with other Fedora users and Community members by providing discussions about upcoming meetups and hackfests.

Linus Torvalds at last made the jump with the recent release of kernel 5.0. Although Linus likes to say the his only reason to move on to the next integer is when he runs out of fingers and toes with which to count the fractional part of the version number, the truth is this kernel is pretty loaded with new features.

On the network front, apart from improvements to drivers like that of the Realtek R8169, 5.0 will come with better network performance. Network performance has been down for the last year or so because of Spectre V2. The bug forced kernel developers to introduce something called a Retpoline (short for “RETurn tramPOLINE“) to mitigate its effect. The changes introduced in kernel 5.0 “[…] Overall [give a greater than] 10% performance improvement for UDP GRO benchmark and smaller but measurable [improvements] for TCP syn flood” according to developer Paolo Abeni.

What hasn’t made the cut yet is the much anticipated integration of WireGuard. Wireguard is a VPN protocol that is allegedly faster, more versatile and safer than the ones currently supported by the kernel. Wireguard is easy to implement, uses state of the art encryption, and is capable of maintaining the network link to the VPN up even if the user switches to a different WiFi network or changes from WiFi to a wired connection.

An ongoing task is the work going into preparing for the Y2038 problem. In case you have never heard of this, UNIX and UNIX-like systems (including Linux) have clocks that count from January the 1st, 1970. The amount of seconds from that date onwards is stored in a signed 32-bit variable called time_t. The variable is signed because, you know, there are some programs that need to show dates before the 70s.

At the moment of writing we are already somewhere in the 01011100 01110010 10010000 10111010 region and the clock is literally ticking. On January 19th 2038, at 3:14:07 in the morning, the clock will reach 01111111 11111111 11111111 11111111. One second later, time_t will overflow, changing the sign of your clock and making your system believe, along with millions of devices and servers worldwide, that we are back in 1901.

Then… well, the usual: planes will fall from the sky, nuclear power stations will melt down, and toasters will explode, rendering the world breakfastless. That is, of course, unless the brave kernel developers don’t come up with a solution in the meantime. Then again, they made the Wii controller work in Linux, what could they not achieve?

More stuff to look forward to in Linux kernel 5.0

• Native support for FreeSync/VRR of AMD GPUs means that now your smart monitor and your video card can sync up their frame rates and you won’t see any more tearing artifacts when playing a busy game or watching an action movie.
• Linux now has native support for and boosted the performance of the Adiantum filesystem encryption. This encryption system is used in low-powered devices built around ARM Cortex-A7 or lower — think mid- to low-end phones and many SBCs.
• Talking of SBCs, the touch screen for the Raspberry Pi has at last been mainlined, and Btrfs now supports swap files.

As always, you can find more information about Linux 5.0 by reading Linus’s announcement on the Linux Kernel mailing list, checking out the in-depth articles at Phoronix and by reading the Kernel Newbies report.

Learn more about Linux through the free “Introduction to Linux” course from The Linux Foundation and edX.

It’s that time of year again where talented game developers from around the world come together for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, and the ID@Xbox team is ready to kick off another showcase of amazing titles from independent developers in the ID@Xbox program.

We’re looking forward to this year at GDC, with 13 newly announced titles joining us in San Francisco and a total of 30 games featured across the Microsoft Booth, in the lower level of the South Hall, and our Developer Showcase event for media. We’re excited to share a closer look at newly announced titles for Xbox One including Beholder 2, Boomerang Fu, CrossCode, Dead Static Drive, Door Kickers: Action Squad, HyperDot, Mowin’ & Throwin’, StarCrossed, Stela, The Forgotten City, Totem Teller, UnderMine and Unrailed.

Check out the full list below for a complete look at the developers and games that are joining us in San Francisco, or swing by to check out these amazing games in-person!

Afterparty (Night School Studio) – Xbox Game Pass
In Afterparty, you are Milo and Lola, recently deceased best buds who suddenly find themselves staring down an eternity in Hell. But there’s a loophole: outdrink Satan and he’ll grant you re-entry to Earth.

Beholder 2 (E-Home Entertainment/Alawar Premium Limited) – Announced Today for Xbox One
You are a newly employed department officer within the Ministry of a totalitarian State. While you are poised to have an illustrious career and possibly become Prime Minister someday, the way up won’t be easy. So, how high up the career ladder will you climb? The choice is still yours to make!

Boomerang Fu (Cranky Watermelon Pty Ltd) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10
Boomerang Fu is a frantic physics-based boomerang brawler for 1-6 players. Choose from an adorable cast of cheery food characters to slice and dice with boomerangs. Discover a ridiculous range of power-ups like wildfire, disguises and telekinesis. Stack them together between rounds to form dangerous combinations.

Buildings Have Feelings Too (Merge Games Ltd/Black Staff Games)
Buildings Have Feelings Too is a light-hearted city builder where you take the role of a building. Help other buildings establish businesses, improve the neighborhood and eventually create a thriving city! Resource management and friendship, all wrapped in buildings with their own personalities and dreams.

Cake Bash (High Tea Frog) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Fight to be the tastiest cake! Cake Bash is a party game for up to four players with very unique hazards – bash your friends, dash away from danger and have a delicious time!

Cat Quest II (PQube/The Gentlebros)
Cat Quest II is an open world action-RPG set in a fantasy realm ruled by animals. Play as a cat and dog as you explore both their kingdoms solo, or with a friend! Quest in a world plagued by war, and go on a catventure like never before!

CrossCode (Deck13 Interactive/Radical Fish Games) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
A retro-inspired 2D Action RPG set in the distant future. CrossCode combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story.

Dead End Job (Headup GmbH/Ant Workshop) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Dead End Job sends you into a madcap, Ren & Stimpy-esque world to bust up ghosts. It’s a procedurally generated twin-stick shooter that straps a vacuum pack to your back and puts a plasma blaster in your hand. For you, it’s just another day in the office.

Dead Static Drive (Fanclub) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
Grand Theft Cthulhu. An existential road trip adventure game through a nightmare, nostalgic Americana world. Drive through a fictional USA, stopping in small towns, gas stations, and rundown city limits. What starts as a road trip evolves into a game of survival against a progressively oppressive world.

Devil’s Hunt (1C Publishing EU/Layopi Games) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Based on original novel by Paweł Leśniak “Equilibrium,” this third-person action game resurrects the everlasting fight between light and darkness, good and evil, as full-fledged war between Angels and Demons seems imminent and our world is the proposed battleground.

Door Kickers: Action Squad (Killhouse Games/PixelShard) – Announced Today for Xbox One
Door Kickers: Action Squad is an old school side scroller with a touch of strategy and tactics on top of the ridiculous SWAT style action. Literally kick the doors down, blast the bad guys and rescue hostages in explosive Single Player and Coop Multiplayer – with Couch play included.

Family Man (No More Robots/Broken Bear Games)
When pushed to the limits of your own morality, how far would you go for your family?  You owe the mob money and have 30 days to repay. Will you flip burgers and scrape the money together… or get your hands dirty, for more cash, but push your family away?

Hunt: Showdown (Crytek) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Hunt: Showdown is a competitive first-person PvP bounty hunting game with heavy PvE elements, from the makers of Crysis. Set in the darkest corners of the world, it packs the thrill of survival games into a match-based format.

HyperDot (GLITCH/Tribe Games) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10, Xbox Play Anywhere
Dodge everything in minimal action arcade game, HyperDot.  Quickly evade enemies and test your skills in over 100 hand-crafted trials during campaign mode, outlast your friends in multiplayer battles, or build complex challenges with the custom level editor.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Thunderful/Megagon Industries) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Just you and your bike! Take it on a thrilling ride down an unspoiled landscape while descending multiple unique mountains – each offering several different trails to explore. Race, jump, slide and try not to crash while finding your own way down the mountain.

Minion Masters (BetaDwarf) – Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox One X Enhanced
Dive into 1v1 – or bring a friend to 2v2 – battle in this dangerously addictive fast-paced hybrid of deckbuilder, MOBA, and tower-defense.

Mowin’ & Throwin’ (House Pixel Games) – Announced Today for Xbox One
Mowin’ & Throwin’ is a surprisingly fun pure party game experience where you control lawn gnomes in a chaotic contest to wreck each other’s yards. Go head to head or team up with a real-life friend to take down your other friends.

Operencia: The Stolen Sun (Zen Studios) – Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox One X Enhanced
Operencia: The Stolen Sun embraces everything you love about classic first-person dungeon-crawlers, enhancing the old-school turn-based RPG experience with modern sensibilities set to a backdrop inspired by Central European mythology.

Raji: An Ancient Epic (SUPER.com/Nodding Head Games) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Raji: An Ancient Epic is an action adventure game set in Ancient India. Raji, a young girl is chosen by the gods, to stand against the demonic invasion of the human realm, her destiny to rescue her younger brother and face the demon lord Mahabalasura.

Silver Chains (Headup GmbH/Cracked Heads) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Silver Chains is a first-person horror game with a strong emphasis on story and exploration. Search for clues within an old abandoned manor to unravel the truth about the terrible events which have happened here.

Sparklite (Merge Games Ltd/RedBlue Games)
Sparklite is a roguelite brawler-adventure. Using an arsenal of gadgets, guns, and gear, they will battle foes in top-down action combat, solve puzzles, and explore dangerous corners of the world in search of missing gyrocopter parts in an effort to save the Sparklite.

StarCrossed (Whitethorn Digital/Contigo Games Inc.) – Announced Today for Xbox One
StarCrossed is an action arcade game with a magical girl aesthetic and a cooperative twist. Join our cast of 5 space-faring heroes as they travel from planet to planet, working together to strengthen their bond and defeat a looming evil that threatens the galaxy!

Stela (SkyBox Labs) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10, Xbox One X Enhanced
Stela is a cinematic, atmospheric platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world.

The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
A re-imagining of the award-winning, critically acclaimed mod with over two million downloads on Xbox One and PC. Like Russian Doll or Groundhog Day in a mythological Roman city, where everyone will die again and again, unless you break the cycle. Cleverly exploit a time loop to solve an ancient mystery. Re-write history.

The Sojourn (Iceberg Interactive/Shifting Tides) – Xbox One X Enhanced
The Sojourn is a thought-provoking first-person puzzle game in which you traverse the parallel worlds of light and darkness in search of answers to the nature of reality. Venture into an enchanting world and face life’s obstacles by solving dozens of unique puzzles through four beautifully crafted chapters.

Totem Teller (Grinning Pickle) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
Join a wandering muse in search of inspiration. Gather listeners and retell stories in beautiful, broken places. Recover lost folklore or discard it forever. These stories are yours. Truth is in the telling.

UnderMine (Thorium Entertainment) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10
Raise up your pickaxe and delve deep into the UnderMine, uncovering its secrets, one peasant at a time. In this action-adventure roguelike, mine gold and discover new combinations of items to take on traps and monsters awaiting below. Rescue friends to unlock permanent upgrades and be the peasant that makes it out alive.

Unrailed! (Daedalic Entertainment/Indoor Astronaut) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10
Unrailed! is a multiplayer co-op game where you work together with your friends to gather resources and build a train track across endless procedurally generated worlds. Master random encounters with its inhabitants, upgrade your train and keep it from derailing!

Void Bastards (Humble Bundle/Blue Manchu) – Xbox Game Pass
You make the decisions in Void Bastards, a new kind of strategy-shooter. Lead your ragtag prisoners through derelict spaceships and myriad other dangers. Make the right choices about what to do, where to go and when to fight. Master combat, manage ship controls, scavenge supplies, craft improvised tools and more!

Xenosis: Alien Infection (NerdRage Studios) – Xbox One X Enhanced
You are a deep space salvage hunter who discovers the remains of the Starship Carpathian. The ship’s AI will be worth a lifetime of credits. As you dock the port locks down, you are trapped inside. You receive a harrowing transmission from somewhere. A warning, you are not alone.

What games are you most excited to see at GDC? Let us know on Twitter at ID@Xbox!

Last month, German-based game developer Matthias Linda launched a Kickstarter project for his SNES style RPG Chained Echoes. The good news is, it has been a success – earning enough funding for a Switch version to be developed alongside other versions. There’ll even be regular and limited edition physical copies available to purchase.

Here’s the good news from the developer himself:

Chained Echoes has been successfully funded with 130.409€ on Kickstarter and an additional 32.813€ on PayPal for a combined total of 163.222€! We are thrilled that we hit so many great stretch goals along the way, which now enables us to offer Chained Echoes on 2 additional platforms, as physical copies and currently in 3 additional languages.

This has only been made possible thanks to all of your amazing support and help with spreading the word throughout the campaign. We genuinely appreciate everything. Thank you all so much!

If you missed our original post, the game is inspired by fantasy titles of the ’90s and takes place in a 16-bit world where dragons are common as piloted mechanical suits. You take control of a group of heroes who must restore peace to a continent where war has been waged for generations.

The game combines the simplicity of retro titles with modern design principles to offer a fast-paced adventure. Players can expect around 20-25 hours of play time, no random encounters (as enemies are visible within the game world), tons of items to be looted, stolen or crafted, a complex skill and equipment system, the ability to customise your own airship and music inspired by the PSX era.

The game is currently scheduled to be released in September 2021. For more information about this Kickstarter, take a look at the official page.

Did you back this game? Do you like the look of it? Tell us in the comments.

If you’re still collecting Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo, you might be interested in this exclusive look at the next batch.

During a ‘Made in Asia’ convention held in Belgium this weekend, YouTube channel Gaming Boulevard got up close and personal with four of the upcoming NFC figures. Here’s a look at each one:

Young Link

Pichu

Daisy

Ken

Pre-orders for this next batch are now available. For more information, check out our previous post and our pre-order guide.

Will you be adding any of these to your collection? Are you still buying amiibo on a regular basis? Let us know in the comments.