diff --git a/extensions/changelog-dashlet b/extensions/changelog-dashlet
index f6f8dffa3..ff707f821 160000
--- a/extensions/changelog-dashlet
+++ b/extensions/changelog-dashlet
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit f6f8dffa341eeece80c09d61884b05f271995f75
+Subproject commit ff707f821ba37b306b662abc13e213a6b6599310
diff --git a/extensions/gameversion-hash b/extensions/gameversion-hash
index f80c1e4cc..168079cee 160000
--- a/extensions/gameversion-hash
+++ b/extensions/gameversion-hash
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit f80c1e4cca279207234ba88a42ecb526d03f23ed
+Subproject commit 168079cee429b5d4704612cc56bd08033da90914
diff --git a/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/index.ts b/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/index.ts
index a11547e60..bc00c4860 100644
--- a/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/index.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/index.ts
@@ -29,14 +29,15 @@ import { IAnnouncement, ISurveyInstance,
 import { matchesGameMode, matchesVersion } from './util';
 
 const ANNOUNCEMENT_LINK =
-  'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/announcements/announcements.json';
+  'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex-Backend/main/out/announcements.json';
 
 const SURVEYS_LINK =
-  'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/announcements/surveys.json';
+  'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex-Backend/main/out/surveys.json';
 
 // Can be used for debugging.
 const DEBUG_MODE: boolean = false;
 const SURVEYS_LOCAL_PATH = path.join(__dirname, 'surveys.json');
+
 function readLocalSurveysFile() {
   return fs.readFileAsync(SURVEYS_LOCAL_PATH)
     .then(data => {
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ function readLocalSurveysFile() {
 
 function getHTTPData<T>(link: string): Bluebird<T[]> {
   const sanitizedURL = url.parse(link);
+  log('info', 'getHTTPData', sanitizedURL);
   return new Bluebird((resolve, reject) => {
     https.get(sanitizedURL.href, res => {
       res.setEncoding('utf-8');
@@ -76,9 +78,7 @@ async function updateAnnouncements(store: ThunkStore<IState>) {
     let res: IAnnouncement[];
     if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
       try {
-        res = JSON.parse(await fs.readFileAsync(
-          path.join(getVortexPath('temp'), 'announcements.json'),
-          { encoding: 'utf8' }));
+        res = JSON.parse(await fs.readFileAsync(          path.join(getVortexPath('temp'), 'announcements.json'),          { encoding: 'utf8' }));
         store.dispatch(addNotification({
           type: 'info',
           message: 'Using announcements from file.',
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ async function updateAnnouncements(store: ThunkStore<IState>) {
     if (res === undefined) {
       res = await getHTTPData<IAnnouncement>(ANNOUNCEMENT_LINK);
     }
+    log('info', 'retrieved list of announcements', res);   
     store.dispatch(setAnnouncements(res));
   } catch (err) {
     log('warn', 'failed to retrieve list of announcements', err);
diff --git a/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/util.ts b/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/util.ts
index 94ebad84b..4806ad462 100644
--- a/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/util.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/announcement_dashlet/util.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export function matchesGameMode<T>(entry: T,
                                    forceMatch: boolean = false): boolean {
   const entryGameMode = getSafe(entry, ['gamemode'], undefined);
   if ((gameMode === undefined)
-    && ((entryGameMode === undefined) || (entryGameMode === '*'))) {
+    && ((entryGameMode === undefined) || (entryGameMode === '*') || (entryGameMode === ''))) {
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/extensions/extension_manager/util.ts b/src/extensions/extension_manager/util.ts
index 5cef449b2..5ae30a549 100644
--- a/src/extensions/extension_manager/util.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/extension_manager/util.ts
@@ -41,9 +41,10 @@ function githubRawUrl(repo: string, branch: string, repoPath: string) {
   return `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${repo}/${branch}/${repoPath}`;
 }
 
-const EXTENSION_FORMAT = '1_8';
-const EXTENSION_FILENAME = `extensions_${EXTENSION_FORMAT}.json`;
-const EXTENSION_URL = githubRawUrl('Nexus-Mods/Vortex', 'announcements', EXTENSION_FILENAME);
+//const EXTENSION_FORMAT = '1_8';
+const EXTENSION_FILENAME = `extensions-manifest.json`;
+const EXTENSION_PATH = 'out/';
+const EXTENSION_URL = githubRawUrl('Nexus-Mods/Vortex-Backend', 'main', EXTENSION_PATH + EXTENSION_FILENAME);
 
 function getAllDirectories(searchPath: string): Promise<string[]> {
   return fs.readdirAsync(searchPath)
@@ -178,11 +179,9 @@ function downloadExtensionList(cachePath: string): Promise<IAvailableExtension[]
       log('debug', 'extension list received');
       return manifest.extensions.filter(ext => ext.name !== undefined);
     })
-    .tap(extensions =>
-      fs.writeFileAsync(cachePath,
-                        JSON.stringify({ extensions }, undefined, 2),
-                        { encoding: 'utf8' }));
-}
+    .tap(extensions => fs.writeFileAsync(cachePath, JSON.stringify({ extensions }, undefined, 2), { encoding: 'utf8' }))
+    .tapCatch(err => log('error', 'failed to download extension list', err));
+  }
 
 function doFetchAvailableExtensions(forceDownload: boolean)
                                     : Promise<{ time: Date, extensions: IAvailableExtension[] }> {
diff --git a/src/stylesheets/variables.scss b/src/stylesheets/variables.scss
index 3cb9ca36c..8475aef3b 100644
--- a/src/stylesheets/variables.scss
+++ b/src/stylesheets/variables.scss
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ $headings-color:          inherit;
 
 
 //== Base Spacing
-$gutter-width:              30px;
+$gutter-width:              24px;
 
 $padding-base-vertical:     0.2em;
 $padding-base-horizontal:   0.5em;
diff --git a/src/stylesheets/vortex/dashlet.scss b/src/stylesheets/vortex/dashlet.scss
index 16fc45dd0..811f68efb 100644
--- a/src/stylesheets/vortex/dashlet.scss
+++ b/src/stylesheets/vortex/dashlet.scss
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
   background-color: $brand-menu;
   padding: $half-gutter;
   height: 100%;
+
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;   
+  border-radius: 8px;
+
   li {
     border: 0px;
     background-color: lighten($brand-menu, 5%);
@@ -52,10 +58,13 @@
 .dashlet-news {
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;
+
   ul {
     margin-bottom: 0;
     padding: 0 4px;
   }
+
   .placeholder {
     height: 100%;
   }
@@ -122,6 +131,7 @@
     background-size: cover;
     background-position-x: 50%;
     z-index: 0;
+    border-radius: 8px;
   }
 
   .gopremium-widget-text {
@@ -130,14 +140,21 @@
 }
 
 .dashlet-announcement {
+
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;
 
   .list-announcements {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    gap: 8px;
+
     overflow-y: auto;
     list-style: none;
+    padding: 0;
+    margin: 0;
 
-    padding: 0 4px;
 
     .announcement-list-item {
       .announcement-description {
@@ -163,9 +180,14 @@
         }
       }
 
-      background: $gray-lighter !important;
-      padding: 0 10px;
-      margin-bottom: 10px !important;
+      -webkit-user-select: all;
+      user-select: all;
+
+      border-radius: 4px;
+      border: 1px solid #1c1e1d;
+      margin-right: 8px;
+      padding: 8px;
+      background-color: $brand-bg;
     }
 
     .announcement-extras {
@@ -198,6 +220,7 @@
   .dashlet-customize-btn {
     display: flex;
     justify-content: flex-end;
+    
 
     .btn {
       color: currentColor;