80 Level Weekly Newsletter (October 7 – October 13)

NEWS

Blender 4.3 Beta Is Here

Blender 4.3 has officially entered beta, unveiling a new splash screen, Grease Pencil v3 with Geometry Nodes support, Eevee Light Linking, and Brushes and Asset Browser integration.

Learn more and test: https://80.lv/articles/blender-4-3-beta-is-here/?utm_source=li-newsletter

SEGA Warns Players They Can't Own Metaphor: ReFantazio

SEGA warns players that they won't own Metaphor: ReFantazio.

"SEGA shall not be required to provide refunds in connection with discontinuing online services": https://80.lv/articles/sega-warns-players-they-can-t-own-metaphor-refantazio/?utm_source=li-newsletter

Epic Games To Launch Tool For Free Megascans Downloads In Fab

Epic Games will reportedly launch an official tool to download all free Megascans assets in Fab until the end of 2024.

Learn more: https://80.lv/articles/epic-games-to-launch-tool-for-free-megascans-downloads-in-fab/?utm_source=li-newsletter

Concord is Still Under Active Development, SteamDB Data Suggests

Concord, the most disastrous AAA game of 2024, is apparently crawling its way back to the market, according to SteamDB data.

I didn't believe it either, but it's hard to argue with changelists: https://80.lv/articles/concord-is-still-under-active-development-steamdb-data-suggests/?utm_source=li-newsletter

This 3D Gaussians Method Reconstructs Hair with Impressive Accuracy

Researchers revealed Gaussian Haircut, a new method of reconstructing hair using 3D Gaussians.

It's impressively accurate: https://80.lv/articles/this-3d-gaussians-method-reconstructs-hair-with-impressive-accuracy/?utm_source=li-newsletter

Blocktober: Level Design For A God Of War Ragnarok's Location

In honor of Blocktober, Jon Hickenbottom shared a behind-the-scenes look at the level design for Svartalfheim's Nidavellir port in God of War Ragnarok.

See more: https://80.lv/articles/blocktober-level-design-for-a-god-of-war-ragnarok-s-location/?utm_source=li-newsletter

INTERVIEWS

A Step-by-Step Guide on Recreating Venice City View in UE5

Florian Wagner showed us the workflow behind the Venice-inspired environment created in Unreal Engine 5 and shared some useful texturing and composition tips to achieve a desired look with rich and natural layering.

Read the interview: https://80.lv/articles/a-step-by-step-guide-on-recreating-venice-city-view-in-ue5/?utm_source=li-newsletter

Turning Diablo Inspiration into Detailed Red Sorceress Model

Hafez Yadollahi and Arezou Hajian showed us how they created the Diablo-inspired Red Sorceress, discussing the intricate details made for the model and her accessories and talking about the texturing workflow.

Read the interview: https://80.lv/articles/turning-diablo-inspiration-into-detailed-red-sorceress-model/?utm_source=li-newsletter

Learn How To Craft Viking-Inspired Knife With ZBrush & Substance 3D

Sujay Mali shared a detailed breakdown of the Raven Knife project, explaining how a Viking-inspired knife with a horn-carved handle and a leather sheath was created using ZBrush, Substance 3D, and Unreal Engine 5.

Read: https://80.lv/articles/learn-how-to-craft-viking-inspired-knife-with-zbrush-substance-3d/?utm_source=li-newsletter