Gaming News

The wait is over, it's BobLAN day (and Star Wars day for good measure!)

The Spring Update for Battlefield 1 is here! This free update brings a whole host of new features to the game, just in time for BobLAN (it was released late April 2017). Additions include Platoons, Medic class improvements, new weapons, medal ribbons and a host of bug fixes in the various maps.

Read all the details of the Battlefield 1 Spring Update at battlefield.com.

Preparation has finally begun for the first LAN of 2017. Here is the proposed Games list:

• CS:GO


• Battlefield 1


• Titanfall 2


• GRID Autosport


• DOOM


• Rocket League


• Rockband


• Some VR games

I'm sure some old favourites will crop up too, eg:

• Day of Defeat


• HalfLife 2 Deathmatch


• Team Fortress 2


• QuakeWorld


• Battlefield 1942

A new game mode called Duel has been added to the growing feature set of the closed beta of Quake Champions. Read more about the Duel mode on Plus Forward.

Having played the game a bit during this weekend's beta session, all I can say is that it's fast - they really have captured the spirit of the original game. I'm not sure I like the Quad countdown timer though - having to count the minute in your head if you were the Quad runner was a major part of the role!

A minor update to the Merlin firmware addresses a couple of UI bugs. Only install if you are experiencing issues. See the Merlin changelog for details.

The dates for the first BobLAN of 2017 have been announced. The LAN will take place from Thursday 4th until Sunday 7th May. The LAN Party page and Forums Topic are up and available - what do we fancy playing this time?!

A new and updated version of our old favourite Quake is in closed beta, courtesy of Bethesda. Whether we'll be able to play this at the May BobLAN is as yet unknown, but head over to Bethesda to signup for the beta and view screenshots and videos.

A new version of the Merlin firmware for Asus routers was released yesterday. New features include an updated OpenVPN version. Also included are a number of bug fixes and updates to current standards.

Read the full changelog if you are an Asus router user.

For all you zombie apocalypse fans out there, the next instalment in the Resident Evil series was release this week. The story follows on from Resident Evil 6, and is set in present-day rural America. It is a first person game using Capcom's new RE engine.

Read more on Steam and Gamespot

You may have noticed that the site now automatically switches to https mode with a valid certificate. Big thanks to }data{ for making the changes to our hosting to support SSL. If anyone spots any problems, please let Mesmer know - thx!

The annual Steam Winter Sale is now on until 2nd Jan 2017. Check daily for offers at the Steam Store

A new version of the Merlin firmware for Asus routers was released yesterday. New features include update notification, plus improvements to the stats page for QoS. Also included are a number of bug fixes and updates to current standards.

Read the full changelog if you are an Asus router user.

For fans of the Ghost Recon franchise, the next instalment has entered closed beta. Due for release in March 2017, Wildlands offers a more expansive gameplay as you tackle the drug cartels of Bolivia.

More details and game trailers can be found on Shack News.

Another LAN is over, and we have to wait six months to start again! We all had an amazing time, and it was over all too soon.

So what games got played this time round? Some old favourites like CS:GO, GRiD, TF2, L4D2, Rocket League and Rockband made an appearance. Newcomers included the wonderful DOOM, and DiRT3 in CTF mode. Regular games that didn't appear this time included Battlefield (we tried to get BF1 working, to no avail), Day of Defeat, Titanfall, HalfLife 2 DM and QuakeWorld. Hopefully by next time we'll all have Titanfall 2, and also Battlefield 1 working in multiplayer mode.

Finally, Bob - you are a legend. Fantastic hosting and facilities as usual, hence gamers travelling from either end of the country to be part of it. It was great to see everyone making the effort to get there and be part of it all!

With the LAN at the halfway stage, we now have a good idea of the range of games being played. We've seen old favourites such as CS:GO, L4D2 and GRiD, and some newcomers like DOOM and Dirt3. As always, the hosting and facilities are top rate!

Follow the weekend's progress via the BobLAN Schedule

The second BobLAN of 2016 is just kicking off. Head over to the BobLAN page for details and a live video feed!

A new version of the Merlin firmware for Asus routers was released at the weekend. New features include a stats page for QoS and charts added to various traffic monitor pages. Also included are a number of bug fixes and updates to current standards.

Read the full changelog if you are an Asus router user.

The latest game in the Call of Duty franchise - Infinite Warfare - is released today. This follows hot on the heels of FIFA 17, Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 in the standard pre-Christmas releases of the AAA franchises.

Up next is Dishonored 2 followed by the sequel to WatchDogs the following week - plenty to keep even the most avid gamer occupied for a few weeks at least!

For the Asus router users in the clan, a new Merlin firmware was released a couple of weeks ago which can be flashed from recent stock Asus firmware. So far so good, and the config and scripting options make it a lot more flexible than the stock firmware. No need to factory reset either - all settings are preserved. It was a very smooth experience, which makes a refreshing change these days!

Details, changelog and download links can be found on Merlin's Site

The dates for the second BobLAN of 2016 have been announced. The LAN will take place from Thursday 24th until Sunday 27th November. The LAN Party page and Forums Topic are up and available - what do we fancy playing this time?!