System Shock · Anime, manga, and games

Oct 3

System Shock 2 Remaster And Buried Stars Are Free On Epic Games Store

Epic Games is giving away System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster and Buried Stars on the Epic Games Store for one week. The promotion opened at midnight on October 1, 2026, and runs until 0:00 on October 9, 2026. System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is Nightdive Studios' modern version of the 1999 FPS and RPG hybrid, with reworked character and weapon models and animations, support for up to 144fps, ultrawide displays, and optimized controller controls. It also adds crossplay-enabled co-op multiplayer and mod support. The game is set in 2114 aboard the faster-than-light ship Von Braun, where the protagonist wakes from cryosleep with no memory and faces mutants, killer robots, and the rogue AI SHODAN. Buried Stars is a mystery adventure from Korean studio LARGO and LINE Games about a venue collapse during a survival audition broadcast and the murders that follow, with branching endings. Only Buried Stars lists Japanese support among the two.

Aug 18

Warren Spector Announces Retirement From Game Development

Warren Spector, the producer behind "Ultima Underworld," "System Shock," and "Deus Ex," announced his retirement from game development in a LinkedIn post. Spector entered the tabletop RPG industry in 1983 and joined Origin Systems in 1989, where he worked on "Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss" (1992) and "System Shock" (1994). He later moved to Looking Glass Studios for "Thief: The Dark Project" (1998) and then to Ion Storm, where he released "Deus Ex" in 2000. His career also includes "Epic Mickey" (2010) at Disney Interactive Studios and work on the unreleased "System Shock 3" at OtherSide Entertainment, where he served as co-founder and Chief Creative Officer. Spector said his career spans 44 years, with 17 games and 9 expansion packs, and his final work is "Thick as Thieves." He cited age, health issues, and a changing game business as reasons, saying he no longer finds it enjoyable. He plans to focus on writing, reading, lecturing, consulting, and practicing piano, while remaining involved in the industry through consulting.