IT HAPPENED!!! #OWL2019THE @ShanghaiDragons SECURE THEIR FIRST WIN!https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/Nfux0Zvl7HFebruary 23, 2019

$479,197,708.33—that's how much a US Army contract will pay Microsoft for an "Integrated Visual Augmentation System." The contract was awarded to Microsoft on November 20, and today some of the company's employees have written an open letter to CEO Satya Nadella and president Brad Smith protesting the move and asking the company to "Cease developing any and all weapons technologies."

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"A strange rumor is spreading through Tokyo’s H City: those who bear the cursed Mark will die. Unexpectedly appearing on the body as a scar taking on the appearance of a dog bite, the Mark is said to bring about your inexplicable death. Now, having lost your memory, you stand before a mysterious house said to protect those who possess the Mark. As the doors swing open, the countdown to death has already begun." 

Rise of Legions is a "castle siege RTS" built around "short, intense 1v1 matches" that has players trying to smash their opponent's castle before their own castle ends up similarly schmucked. It's based on the old Warcraft 3 mod Castle Fight, if that rings a bell, it's free, and it's playable today on Steam Early Access. 

Square Enix's third-person stealth-shooter Left Alive has not made a great impression so far. We described it as "an underwhelming return to the Front Mission universe" after a 2018 PAX West preview, and a trailer that came out shortly afterward was "boring" and "large incomprehensible." Today, the publisher dropped a 14-minute gameplay video showcasing Left Alive's three main characters in action, and I'm sorry to say that the outlook hasn't changed much. 

In February 2018, US senator Maggie Hassan called on the ESRB to take steps to reduce the prevalence of loot boxes in videogames, and warned that if it did not, the government step in. Later the same year, the Federal Trade Commission signaled its willingness to get involved in the matter. Now, according to Variety, the wheels have begun turning: A letter sent to Hassan by FTC chairman Joseph Simons said the commission is planning a "public workshop on loot boxes" later this year.   

Look, Civilization 6 is a cool videogame and all, but it's no Footloose. It may span the breadth of human history, but it's not epic on the scale of a battle between a religious dad and a city boy who just wants to dance to rock 'n' roll. Civilization is tragically lacking in Kevin Bacon. But at least this new mod, "To Hell With The Devil: Religious units fight Rock Bands," is putting us on the right track.

Whether Epic took a cue from Apex Legends or not, producer Zack Estep confirmed during a Fortnite AMA that a respawn system for squad play is a possibility and that we'll know more soon. 

Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy is a fictional setting so vivid I can close my eyes and picture it, at least as it appears in the movies. That's why it's surreal to see modder Onureth's immaculate recreation of Hogwarts in Planet Coaster. This enormous, to-scale model doesn't just recreate the castle but the entire surrounding area including the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch, and all the other little places littered around the school grounds. It's amazing.