The Civilization IV website has been updated with word on the imminent patch for Firaxis latest strategy title. "Some of the highlights include multiple AI improvements and tweaks, worker behavior tweaks, MANY game play improvements (ex Animal Husbandry reveals horses), promotion tweaks, a softer pillage sound (requested by many, many people), fixed diplomatic exploits (gold for gold, peace treaty exploit), multiplayer tweaks (Hot seat, Lobby, etc.), memory, caching and performance improvements, etc. There were also a number of video card specific fixes." We will of course have the patch on our fileserver network as soon as its released.

KOEI announced its hack & slash Dynasty Warriors 5 Xtreme Legends is now available in North America, serving up a banquet of 18 all-new maps, 5 sizzling modes, and so much more! In 'Legend' mode, gamers will take part in never-before-told stories, including the first showdown between the Kingdoms of Wei and Shu, and the attempt to kidnap the Emperor.

Gravity Interactive has set the launch date for the company's new MMORPG game, ROSE Online, for Dec. 1, 2005. The Ragnarok Online follow up title is an interplanetary adventure game that will take players through a journey of mystery and peril.

Atlus U.S.A announced that Softmax's PS2 exclusive RPG Magna Carta: Tears of Blood is now available in North America. Magna Carta: Tears of Blood is a role-playing game, set in Efferia, a continent populated with five races. In this world, you can use seven different types of Carta and meet a host of characters.

Groove Games has released the first patch for Brainbox's horror/FPS Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green. This update brings your retail game to v1.1 and adding 3 new multiplayer maps, dedicated server, editor, plus a few other multiplayer optimizations. Read more for detailed fixlist and download links ..

THQ has now released a new patch for Relic's 3D RTS Dawn Of War/Winter Assault. This update brings your retail game to v1.41 and mainly seems to add unit balancing, interface enhancements, some optimizations and bug fixes. Requires the previous v1.40 patch to be installed (thanks Relicnews). Read more for detailed fix list and download links...

German publisher Frogster Interactive announced today that it will publish Xbow Software's 3D space combat RPG Star Wolves 2 in Germany, scheduled for release Q1 2006. No further details are available, so read more to check the first screens...

SWAT 4 allows players to take control of a squad of up to five police officers tasked with performing dangerous operations such as high-risk arrests, hostage rescue and counter-terrorism. Sierra has released a QMM map pack which includes eight game levels created by members of the SWAT 4 QA Team using the in-game Quick Mission Maker.

In this sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the brothers travel back in time to retrieve Princess Peach, only to come face to face with baby versions of themselves, the princess and Bowser. Teaming up with their young selves will soon send Mario and Luigi on a quest of lunatic proportions as players must control both the adult AND baby versions of the Mushroom Kingdom heroes.

At the Tokyo Game Show Namco announced a sequel to Baten Kaitos was in the works, with a Japanese release date scheduled for December 2005. Baten Kaitos II takes place 20 years after the original with 2 new continents to explore, in addition to locations from the original. You play as Sagi, Milly or Giro on your quest to find the source of a series of unnatural phenomena.