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Dark Alliance Update 1.07 Released This September 21 for v1.19.531 (Update)

Tugue Games has released the Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance update 1.07 (PS5 tags this as version 1.007) patch this September 21, and this an unannounced title update, though we expect there are bug fixes included in this patch.

Dark Alliance Update 1.07 Patch Notes | Dark Alliance Update 1.007 Patch Notes | Dark Alliance v1.19.531 Patch Notes:

Size: 1.5GB (PC)

Update: Tuque Games has released the official patch notes!

Stability Improvements

• Fixed out-of-memory crashes after extensive playtime on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles
• Fixed occasional crashes on Xbox One consoles
• Resolved disconnects during progression through Act 3 missions
• Fixed a crash when returning to Basecamp after idling in the Pause Menu during an encounter
• Fixed an issue in which a hang would occur after the player opens the menu right before a cinematic

Balance Improvements

• Increased loot chances for higher rarities across all difficulties
• Increased Act completion rewards
• Increased chance of per-Act preferred sets from 20% to 33%
• Reduced effectiveness of the Burn status effect which made higher CR bosses too easy to defeat
• Tundra Raptor Stamina Cost Reduction from 10%/15% to 15%/20%
• Wearer of the Mask Execution Chance of Dropping Stamina Fragments from 25%/50% to 40%/50%
• Goblin Bane Taunted Monster Damage Reduction from 20%/30% to 30%/45%
• Horde Raider Legendary Resistance Buff HP threshold raised from 15% to 20%
• Bruenor Shield Master Feat Blocking Stamina bonus from 15% to 30%
• Condition Penetration per INT point increased from 1% to 1.5%
• Grenade damage increase from 150/175/200/225/250 to 175/200/225/250/300
• Reduced Duergars, Gnolls and Icewind health by 10%
• Monster hit points reduced by 33% in single player
• Monster Physical damage reduced by 25% in single player
• Elemental damage reduced by 12.5% in single player
• Buffed Frenzy: from -50% to -70% stamina cost on actions
• Buffed Frightened: from -50% to -60% physical damage output
• Buffed Critical Strikes: from 50% to 75% Critical Damage Boost
• Buffed Precision Strikes: from 30% to 50% Critical Chance Boost
• Buffed Sapped: from 30% to 40% Stamina Cost Increase
• Buffed Thorns: from 30% to 50% Damage reflection
• Faerie Fire: Cooldown reduced from 150sec to 120sec
• Taunt: Cooldown reduced from 240sec to 120sec
• Heavy Armor Master feat buffed from 25 to 30 %
• Medium Armor Master feat buffed from 10 to 15 %
• Light Armor Master feat buffed from 7 to 10 %
• Danger Sense Armor feat buffed from 10 to 20 %
• Savage Attacker Stamina Damage feat buffed from 15 to 20 %
• Steel Will Condition Resistance feat buffed from 10 to 20 %
• Precision Shot Critical Damage feat buffed from 40 to 50 %
• Precision Attack Critical Chance feat buffed from 8 to 10 %
• Second Wind feat buffed, Stamina cost from -5 to -10 %
• Defender Armor feat buffed from 15 to 20 %
• Reduced the stamina usage for Catti-Brie’s moves by 5-10%
• Added a short invincibility duration when Tethering to Party Leader

AI Improvements

• Enemies no longer keep walking in place when attempting to return to an area
• Large enemies can no longer be interrupted from Turn-on-Spot animations and are much harder to stun-lock
• Enemies now respond more quickly to the player’s presence, move more quickly and are generally more aggressive
• Monsters no longer change target too frequently in co-op which resulted in them being stuck in a turn state

Gear Set Improvements

• The Underdark Camo 3 and 5 pieces set bonus now poisons enemies upon a critical strike

UI Improvements

• Upgrade gear now has cost displayed in consistent locations in the UI
• Resolved an issue in which Objective markers sometimes disappeared when player falls off the map during The Fury of Icewind Act 3 boss fight
• Damage over time numbers are now displayed in multiplayer
• Players can now rejoin a friend’s previous session from the Steam overlay
• Lock-on target reticle is no longer placed below Hagedorn in the Crystalline Dreams Act 3
• Preview now updates when sorting of gear is changed
• Invite-only game session now swaps to public or friends after new party leader changes it
• Fixed an issue in which the controller loses functionality in Journals Tab
• Corrected a ‘Hexed resisted’ string being shown when an enemy resists to a Sapped condition
• Ability cooldowns now have numerical values in the UI
• Updated Recommended Combat Power scores according to new balancing and feedback
• Stamina now refills immediately after a Short Rest
• Quickplay Bonus is now shown consistently from different party members’ point of view
• Updated the estimated act length icons on the World Map
• A button prompt is now present for an exhausted execute on Akar Kessell
• Tether is no longer activated in Boss Fights with large arenas
• Muted players remain muted after returning to Kelvin’s Cairn or when another player joins the server
• Trial of Tempus intro banner displays the correct location
• Fixed an issue in which the Short Rest UI would sometimes remain stuck on-screen
• The ‘Hold Ability’ button now displays an animation of input while using Preset 2 Control Scheme
• Characters no longer get deleted without player input when going back to the Character Selection screen after confirming changes in the Options Menu
• The ‘M’ key no longer causes a conflict when it is rebound in the keybinding menu
• Escape key can nolonger be bound in the Keybinding Menu
• Windows key can no longer be bound in the Keybinding Menu
• Fixed an exploit in which Attributes could be increased indefinitely without spending Attribute Points when exiting the Character Sheet while in the process of allocating an Attribute Point using a controller
• Voice chat UI pop up no longer remains visible on screen even when the microphone is muted.

Boss Improvements

• Garnn has been made more challenging during the boss fight in Companions of Icewind Dale Act 3
• Icewind Phase transition during boss fight is no longer delayed
• Icewind doesn’t receive debuffs from being Frightened by Drizzt abilities
• Kelvin’s Pillars of Ice now properly spawn around each non-downed players in the arena
• Fixed an issue in which Akar Kessell could rarely teleport under the map in The Order of the One Light Act 3
• Bosses are more difficult to stun-lock
• Players can no longer escape certain boss rooms
• Bosses no longer aggro downed players (unless there are buffs active which override this)
• Icewind no longer loses her invincibility when a player is revived beside her in The Fury of Icewind Act 3
• Icewind no longer becomes unresponsive after a Total Party Down
• Icewind no longer flickers above elevator before flying in multiplayer
• Icewind’s Bite attack now correctly causes a hurt reaction
• Beholder boss can no longer teleport out of the level and be defeated instantly
• Kelvin is now able to hit the player character when performing an Upward Slash during The Mask of Kelvin Act 3
• Icewind no longer constantly uses attacks that cannot reach the player character
• Murdunn no longer teleports repeatedly after becoming exhausted while teleporting during Companions boss fight
• Fixed a rare issue in which Icewind’s invulnerability buff would not activate between phases in The Fury of Icewind Act 3
• Fixed a rare issue in which Icewind’s final phase shifts do not occur after the player fires the last ballista in The Fury of Icewind Act 3

General bug fixes

• The player character can no longer get stuck out of bounds jumping off the shrine area into a wall in The Goblin’s Shard
• Added physical damage components to moves which were previously only dealing elemental damage
• Players can no longer stunlock Hagedorn with light attack while in teleportation animation
• Hagedorn now receives debuffs from magic abilities
• Resolved an issue in which Large Chest gear would sometimes spawn in the floor of the level out of reach of players
• Player no longer become stuck after jumping onto a specific ledge in Crystalline Dreams Act 2
• Viper Fang Kick move now correctly triggers the Elemental Adept buff
• Stonegrinder boss no longer instantly dies when knocked into the siege weapons at the end of Companions Act 2
• The Short Rest now correctly spawns for an encounter in Beholder Act 1
• Elemental Fire Damage buff from Bruenor’s Anvil of Clanggedin now deals Fire damage in multiplayer
• Player characters can no longer clip through a specific wall into an out-of-world area near the death plane in Beholder Act 2
• Interacting with a campfire is no longer prioritized over reviving an ally
• Climbing a ladder is no longer prioritized over reviving an ally
• Fixed an issue in which a Total Party Down would sometimes occur with one player still alive
• Goblins associated with each ballista no longer have a noticeable delay in aggro to the player
• Collision has been added to a wooden wall to prevent players moving their character outside the bounds of the level in The Goblin’s Shard Act 2
• Allies revived with Cattie-Brie’s Resurrections ability are now counted towards total revives during the tally screen
• Resolved an issue in which players are sometimes unable to join from the Friend’s List
• Players can no longer get around the magical barrier in a side area in Verbeeg Jamboree Act 1
• 3D model no longer displays previously selected item when switching pages of a specific gear type in the Equip panel of the Character Sheet menu
• Fixed an issue in which the player is presented with a white loading screen when searching for a Public session before walking on the portal to start an act in Kelvin’s Camp
• Characters are no longer able to jump to an area in Verbeeg Jamboree Act 3 which renders them stuck and unable to escape
• Enemies no longer jitter when moving during a Multiplayer session in Verbeeg Jamboree Act 2
• The correct pressure plates now remain active after being activated in the Puzzle room of Verbeeg Jamboree Act 2
• Quickplay bonus is no longer awarded in single player
• Monster rotations and flying animations are no longer erratic in multiplayer throughout the title
• The buff ‘Elemental Weapon Cold’ from Bruenor’s Stomping Quake now adds cold damage to attacks while in MP
• Steel Will feat now gives 10% condition resistance
• Goblin’s Flee reaction is no longer interrupted prematurely
• Stats no longer reroll after changing the skin of a weapon
• Added missing barks and banter throughout the title
• Fixed an issue in which downed players would occasionally fail to get revived after using a Short Rest
• Abilities now correctly adjust to terrain when cast
• Team attack window has been increased to five seconds
• Reduced the harshness of the VFX from Akar Kessell’s Thunderwave move in The Order of the One Light Act 3
• Fixed an issue in which player would occasionally fail to Connect to/Create a Session with no error message
• Fixed an issue in which some users would disconnect after completing a mission in an invite only lobby
• Switching profiles on Xbox now updates the Trophies assets in Kelvin’s Cairn
• Starting any act in Multiplayer while alone no longer resets difficulty to level one
• Players no longer fail to join session via invitations when the host cycles to an Invite-Only Multiplayer session
• Fixed issues involving enemies not respawning when backtracking through levels
• Players no longer respawn at the start of certain levels when force respawning
• Full Roundhouse move now triggers Elemental Adept buff
• Fixed issues in which players could get tethered inside walls
• Online sessions can no longer be searched after activating the teleportation circle at basecamp
• Improved Catti-Brie’s ranged attacks to address attacks not registering when performed in quick succession while moving
• Players are no longer sometimes tethered into thick fog in Crystalline Dreams Act 2
• Improved sync of Monster attacks and animations
• Fixed an issue in which some players would remain stuck on a loading screen in multiplayer
• Intelligence now increases elemental damage dealt by abilities with innate elemental damage
• Purple ability cooldown fragments now drop from defeated monsters
• Cinematics now run more smoothly on Xbox One
• Character models and gear now load more quickly in Kelvin’s Cairn
• Improved dodging and aiming responsiveness
• Fixed an issue in which players could not re-enable Voice Chat after disabling it
• Cloud save data no longer overwrites character data when joining a multiplayer session
• Enemy health bars now correctly display when using lock-on mode
• Fixed an issue in which players would be disconnected when returning to Kelvin’s Cairn
• Characters no longer fall through environment after holding the Block or Aim button while attempting to descend ladders in Goblin at the Gates
• Frostwave grind move now grants the Vampiric buff and fills the Ultimate on hit

The developers haven’t released the official patch notes just yet, but thankfully, the community is here to save the day! Reddit user ModeAlternative played with the patch implemented and noticed the following changes:

Did one quick run as Cattie (3.9k CP) on Kelvin boss rank 6. Here are a few things I noticed:

  • Kelvin boss gave 9 items at the end compared to 6 previously. I only ran it once, but 4 of the 9 were legendary, and 3 of those 4 were lvl 5. Good loot
  • I had 5 pieces underdark camo – usually the poison tick on Kelvin was 1200. Now its super low, like 110.
  • The damage from bleeding on Kelvin used to stack to like 5-8k per tick, I couldnt get it past 200 per tick
  • Overall regular mobs on rank 6 seemed to do less damage and have less hp than before
  • Cattie did less damage on charged shot than before (I went from 3.4k to 2.3k). Similar reduction to the lobbed arrows….something like 1.4k to 1k per tick. You can still jump to prevent stamina drain on lobbed arrow. Cattie with decent gear can still solo Kelvin fairly easily, just a bit more risk and time required.
  • Cooldown timers on abilities have been added

Once the devs have released the official patch notes, we’ll be sure to update the post.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, here’s our review of Dark Alliance.

Update: Post has been updated with official patch notes from the developers!

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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Rainbow 6 Siege Update 2.13 Deployed for Y6S3.1 This Sept. 21

Ubisoft has released the (Rainbow Six) Rainbow 6 Siege update 2.13 (PS5 version 1.000.016) patch this September 21, which is for the Y6S3.1 title update. Head on below for the full patch notes, and file size for each platform.

Rainbow 6 Siege Update 2.13 Patch Notes | Rainbow 6 Siege Y6S3.1 Patch Notes | R6 Siege Update 2.13 Patch Notes | Rainbow 6 Siege Update 1.000.016 Patch Notes:

File Size:

  • Ubisoft Connect: 1.29 GB
  • Steam: 847.7 MB
  • Xbox One: 1.07 GB
  • Xbox Series X: 1.56 GB
  • PS4: 1.46 GB
  • PS5: 1.07 GB

BUG FIXES

GAMEPLAY

  • FIXED – After spawning with Blitz or Montagne and switching PC windows, hip-fire spread is reduced.

LEVEL DESIGN

  • FIXED – The operator can lean and clip inside the electrical box at EXT Garage on Villa map.
  • FIXED – Various asset issues on Bank map.
  • FIXED – Various collision issues on Coastline map.
  • FIXED – Various LOD issues on multiple maps.

OPERATORS

  • FIXED – The refill SFX for Lesion’s GU is not triggered.
  • FIXED – When shooting Clash’s CCE Shield with Kali’s CSRX 300, the operator will not receive the Guard Break state nor the animation.
  • FIXED – Osa’s bullet impact decals disappear when deploying her Talon-8 Shield.
  • FIXED – The first-person camera is offset inside Maestro’s Evil Eye when a player spectates through it.

USER EXPERIENCE

  • FIXED – Voice Chat Volume is set to 0 when accepting a party invite on Stadia.
  • FIXED – Under certain conditions, HUD markers will not be visible to players.
  • FIXED – ADS Sensitivity slider jumps in increment of 2 when set to Standard.
  • FIXED – Extra texture is present in first-person view on all of Buck’s uniforms.
  • FIXED – Various localization issues.

Source: Ubisoft

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Destiny 2 Upcoming Update 3.3.0.3 Out This Week, Known Issues Listed

Following some unforeseen issues, Bungie will be rolling out the Destiny 2 update 3.3.0.3 later this week. Below are the details on the hotfix, and the issues it will hopefully resolve.

Destiny 2 Update 3.3.0.3 patch notes:

Update (9/23/21): Bungie has released the official patch notes which are listed here.

HOTFIX 3.3.0.3 EXTENDED DOWNTIME 

On Thursday, September 23, extended downtime for Destiny 2 is scheduled in preparation for Destiny 2 Hotfix 3.3.0.3. Players will be removed from activities at 5 AM (1200 UTC) and be unable to log in until 10 AM (1700 UTC). Please note that times may be subject to change during this maintenance period.

KNOWN ISSUES 

While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help Forum.
  • Trials of Osiris rank reward weapons cannot be Masterworked.
  • When inspecting the Shadow’s Gloves Warlock armor there is a gap between the player’s arms and torso.
  • Having Champion mods equipped when visiting the Wish Wall in Last Wish may result in BIRD errors.
  • The Titan Interlaced gauntlets have parts of the armor floating disconnected from the arms.
  • Tracing The Stars I displays the same location for Atlas Skews twice. The hidden location is Distant Spine Island Tree.
  • Horror’s Least is dropping at 0 Power from the Corrupted Nightfall.
  • Players can purchase a second Passage and accidentally overwrite a seven-win passage.
  • The Corrupted Nightfall Triumph to score over 100,000 points isn’t counting points correctly.

For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, players can review our Known Issues article. Players who observe other issues should report them to our #Help forum.

That’s about it for the patch.

Source: Bungie

MP1st Staff

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Dead by Daylight Update 2.31 Stalks Out for Update 5.2.2 – Sept. 21

Behaviour Interactive has released the Dead by Daylight update 2.31 September 21 patch, or what the studio calls update 5.2.2! This reverts the pallet visuals, and includes quite a number of big fixes. Head on for the patch notes below.

Dead by Daylight Update 2.31 Patch Notes | Dead by Daylight Update 5.2.2 Patch Notes | Dead by Daylight Update 5.002.200 Patch Notes:

Content

  • Reverted the pallet to the old visuals. The updated pallet will return in a future update.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that caused several Cenobite scoring events to incorrectly count as Bonus BP
  • Fixed an issue with the Nemesis’ move speed while charging Level 3 Tentacle Strike
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Survivor models in a lobby to not always reflect what the other Survivors selected.
  • Fixed an issue that caused players to not always receive disconnection penalties when leaving a match as Killer.
  • Fixed an issue that may cause a loss of momentum when changing directions during a lunge attack when playing as the Cenobite.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Cenobite’s chase music not to restart after using Summons of Pain during a chase.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Cenobite’s Lament Guardian score event to be counted in an incorrect category.
  • Fixed an issue that caused a grunt sound effect to be played when switching to the Cenobite when spectating a custom game.
  • Fixed an issue that a “generator completed” sound notification to play when switching between Victor and Charlotte or when switching spectated players.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Engineer’s Guild archive quest not to progress.
  • Fixed an issue that caused two hooks too close to one another at the east stairs in Resident Evil map.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented one side of a pallet in Gideon Meat Plant from being destroyed by the killer,
  • Fixed an issue where the Cenobite’s Gateway SFX continues to play after triggering the attack.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the chain hunt start notification sound to trigger when switching to a survivor’s perspective while spectating.
  • Fixed several misaligned banners in the Store.
  • (PC only) Fixed an issue with 4K resolution being enabled by default for some players, sometimes resulting in performance drop
  • Fixed a possible softlock when spamming the ESC key during the Loading screen
  • Fixed an issue with the Grade Reset popup not opening if the date changed while the Game is still opened
  • Fixed a crash in the Tally screen related to the Season End Grade Reset

Known Issues

  • The Dead Dawg Saloon map is disabled and is planned to be fixed for the next update
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Gran Turismo 7 Pre-Order Bonus Items & Anniversary Edition Contents Announced

Looking forward to Gran Turismo 7 when it launches next year? For those looking to put down some cash before it’s released, Sony has announced the Gran Turismo 7 pre-order bonus items, and even what’s in the Anniversary Edition of the racing game.

Gran Turismo 7 Pre-Order Bonus Items:

Pre-order at any participating retailers including PS Store and get a pre-order bonus of the following in-game items:

  • Toyota Castrol TOM’S Supra
  • Mazda RX-VISION GT3 Concept (Stealth)
  • Porsche 917K Living Legend
  • 100,000 in-game Credit (CR)

Here’s a look at the cars:

25th Anniversary Edition PS5, PS4 (Retail):

The physical one includes a steelbook case is available for pre-order now.

  • Includes PS5 Game Disc and Voucher for PS4 Game**
  • In-Game Credits – 1,100,000 CR
  • Toyota GR Yaris with country specific Livery
  • 30 Manufacturer / Partner Avatars
  • The Music of Gran Turismo Official Soundtrack
  • Toyota Castrol TOM’S Supra
  • Mazda RX-VISION GT3 Concept (Stealth)
  • Porsche 917K Living Legend

25th Anniversary Digital Deluxe Edition PS5, PS4 (PS Store):

  • Dual PS4 + PS5 Entitlement
  • In-Game Credits – 1,600,000 CR
  • Toyota GR Yaris with country specific Livery
  • 30 Manufacturer / Partner Avatars
  • The Music of Gran Turismo Official Soundtrack
  • Toyota Castrol TOM’S Supra
  • Mazda RX-VISION GT3 Concept (Stealth)
  • Porsche 917K Living Legend

The pre-order offer ends when the game launches on March 4, 2022. So jump in now if you want the goodies. Don’t forget, there is a $10 upgrade fee if you’re going to bump the game up to the PS4 version to the PS5 one.

Gran Turismo 7 will be out this March 4, 2022 on the PS4, and PS5, and its been noted that its campaign will require an internet connection to play, and here’s Polyphony’s explanation why that’s the case.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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Battlefield 2042 Beta Codes Being Sent out by Amazon, Beta Client Gets Uploaded to Origin API

While DICE hasn’t revealed any new info regarding the Battlefield 2042 beta, it seems some info has surfaced about it, though in an unofficial capacity. Multiple gamers have reported that Amazon has started sending out Battlefield 2042 beta codes today.

Over on Reddit, multiple threads and people have posted on how Amazon has sent out the beta codes to pre-order buyers, and this applies to console and PC. In addition to that, it has also tagged the early access beta date for September 23, which we assume was the former beta date before the game officially got delayed by a month.

Amazon already sending on BF2042 Beta codes
byu/VikingAnalRape inGamingLeaksAndRumours

The Battlefield 2042 description was updated with this.
byu/hamzamahran inbattlefield2042

Reddit user VikingAnalRape posted that they got an Origin code, and while it lets the owner input the code, nothing shows up in the game library once redeemed. Here’s a screenshot of it:

https://imgur.com/EIRyBPo

While EA has remained mum on when the beta will be available, the actual open beta client has been uploaded on EA’s Origin platform, too! Thanks to Reddit user daniluk400, we have the key art, description, and other data.

Official keyart:

Per the Origin client, it seems the pre-load would or should have started on September 18, with the early access beta being available on September 20, though it’ll only be up for four hours. Here’s the description of the beta client:

“Adapt and overcome in the near-future, all-out war of Battlefield™ 2042. Join the fight on Orbital with a diverse selection of Specialists, cutting-edge weaponry, and vehicles to choose from. Open Beta between September 22-25, 2021. Early access is available on September 22-23, 2021, 07:00 UTC, for all players who pre-order the game or are current EA Play members. Preload is available on Sept 21, 2021, 06:00 UTC.”

Origin API screenshot as proof:

Again, I want to reiterate that the September 20 and September 23 dates are most likely ones that were originally targeted by DICE before the game got delayed. So don’t expect the beta to be playable this coming Thursday. Mind, I wouldn’t say no, and would gladly be wrong if EA surprises us with a beta this week, but I don’t see it happening given DICE themselves has said that they will talk more about the beta later this month. Key word here is “talk” and not release, or let people play the beta.

Once we know more details regarding the beta, we’ll let our readers know. For the latest and most reliable Battlefield 2042 news (we don’t blow smoke just for fun!), make sure to bookmark our Battlefield game hub.

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Red Dead Online Weekly Update September 21 Reset

Rockstar Games has rolled out the Red Dead Online weekly update September 21 reset of activities and discounts! Same as before, for the recap, head on below for the list of new activities, discounts and more.

Red Dead Online Weekly Update September 21 Reset:

Players looking to earn their Blood Money can gain double RDO$ and XP for stealing the Ember of the East this week.

There’s also an influx of Capitale hitting the frontier as players may find more of the rare commodity than usual in chests and in the pockets of fallen foes while taking on any Blood Money Contract.

More key highlights from today’s news include:

  • Double RDO$ and XP for taking on The Bluewater Contract and The Cornwall Contract
  • Bonus Capitale for completing a Clearing House Crime, and to all players based on recorded Rank at the end of September 27
  • Free Vest and XP Rewards for completing any Blood Money Contract
  • 30% XP Boost for Posse members completing group activities
  • Free Fast Travel all week
  • New Discounts: 40% off all Off-Hand Holsters, 30% off all CoatsRevolvers, and Select Skill Pamphlets
  • Quick Draw Club No.3 Benefits such as the Rustic Bagshot Knife are available to earn until October 4. Purchasing all four parts of The Quick Draw Club will get the upcoming Halloween Pass No.2 for free
  • Prime Gaming Benefits: Players that connect to Prime Gaming before September 28 will receive a Reward for a free Vitalism Studies Pamphlet and an Offer for half off an Established or Distinguished Naturalist Role Item of their choice
  • Double RDO$ and XP on Ember of the East Opportunity
  • Additional Capitale available during all Blood Money Contracts

Discounts

There are a range of special discounts this week, including 40% off all Off-Hand Holsters for those looking to duel-wield; 30% off all Coats, Revolvers, and Select Skill Pamphlets.

That’s it for this week, Tune in next week for the next Red Dead Online update.

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SMITE Update 11.92 Drops for Update 8.9 This September 21

Hi-Rez Studios has released the SMITE update 11.92 patch this September 21, and this is for the Cleanliness v.s Godliness update 8.9 patch. This includes new skins, and chests. Read on for more info.

SMITE Update 11.92 Patch Notes | SMITE Update 8.9 Patch Notes:

BALANCE LIVE WITH THE 8.9 UPDATE SEPTEMBER 21

Assault

  • Assault
    • Increased lobby duration during the re-roll/trading phase from 55s to 65s for this mode and MOTDs that use Assault format
    • New Feature – Healer Tiers
      • Healers in assault will now be assigned to tiers
      • If a team gets a healer, the other team will also get a healer of the same tier
      • Healers are no longer allowed to be rerolled by any player, but they can be traded
      • Tiers are:
        • Tier 1
          • Hel
          • Aphrodite
          • Yemoja
        • Tier 2
          • Sylvanus
          • Chang’e
          • Ra
          • Guan Yu
          • Terra
          • Horus
        • Tier 3
          • Olorun
          • Cupid
          • Baron Samedi

Conquest

The removal of boots items created a large change in the pace of SMITE matches. Players are gaining these movement speed stats for free now instead of spending gold from the map, so endgame builds are being reached faster than ever.
Along with this effect, there also has been a lot of metagaming and map optimization that is causing junglers to fall behind in experience when compared to the rest of the roles. Supports are also feeling a similar effect.
We are implementing some intense gold and experience changes to the Conquest map in this update to address the above issues. We are decreasing the base XP, scaling XP, and scaling gold earned from killing minions. While also increasing the XP gained from Buff holders, their minis, and from harpies. This is a clear decrease in gold in the map, and a shift in XP away from lane and into the jungle. As most of these effects are scaling, these changes will be felt more in the mid to late game, and the early game will feel mostly the same.
There are some additional changes to help individual roles. The “Lowest Level XP Bonus” is being increased to help Supports (or anyone on the team who falls behind). The movement speed effect from the Speed Buff is being increased to help Junglers. And finally, all of the key jungle camps that players clear before wave 1 are being spawned even earlier to make sure players have time to get to lane or to potentially find new starting routes. One specific change contrary to the previous point is the green buff, which is now going to spawn even later to help communicate to players that they should not be killing this camp as part of their starting route.
This is a huge set of changes for Conquest, and there are more exciting changes coming to the map in future updates. We hope this update has a strong effect on making each role feel impactful.

 

  • Increased Lowest Level XP split bonus from 0.25 to 0.35
    • A reminder of how this mechanic works:
    • Originally implemented in the 5.13 Mid Season Update
    • After 2m on the game clock, Lowest Level  XP Bonus will turn on
    • This rule will give the Lowest level player on each team a 35% increase to their shared XP only, not solo XP
    • This means a 2 way split, yielding 120% XP total to both players, would yield 60% to the higher level player and 60 * 1.35 = 81% to the lower player
    • 3 man split – also yields 120% which would give 40% to each player, and 1.35*40 = 54% to the lowest player
  • Speed Buff
    • Increased base Movement Speed bonus from 5% to 8% on this Jungle Buff
  • Initial Spawn Times
    • Damage, Mana, Speed, Void Camps
      • Moved up from 00:20 to 00:15
    • Support Camp (Green Buff)
      • Moved back from 00:20 to 00:35
    • Back Harpy Camps
      • Moved up from 00:25 to 00:20
  • Minion Balance
    • All Lane Minions
      • Decreased Scaling XP Reward from 5 to 4.5 per 3 minutes
      • Decreased Scaling Gold Reward from 0.75 to 0.5 per 3 minutes
    • Swordsmen and Brutes
      • Decreased Base XP Reward from 45 to 44
    • Archers
      • Decreased Base XP Reward from 25 to 24
    • Jungle Buff Camp Monsters (Buff Holder and Both Minis)
      • Increased Scaling XP Reward from 9 to 12 per 3 minutes
        • (Mana Camp: 27 to 36)
    • Harpies (Small)
      • Increased Base XP Reward from 22 to 24

Items

BELT OF FRENZY
Relics offer a way for gods to really push for a specific strategy and this flexibility often exists for our tanky support players. In recent patches however most of these relics have seen very little play and are often replaced with safer choices like Purification Beads. Our goal this patch is to bring up the power of these relics and see if they can bring an incentive to forgo the safety of beads. Belt of Frenzy is getting a boost to its Attack Speed, letting your team shred through the enemy team or objectives that much more quickly.
  •  Increased Attack Speed Buff from 15% to 25%

BELT OF FRENZY UPGRADE
  • Increased Attack Speed Buff from 15% to 25%

HEAVENLY WINGS
Heavenly Wings offers strong utility against heavy slow teams. Its cooldown however made it an unreliable tool for those cases. A reduction here (combined with a Relic Dagger) puts it below the standard 90s ultimate cooldown making it quite the reliable answer to slows.
  • Decreased Cooldown from 140s to 120s

HEAVENLY WINGS UPGRADE
  •  Decreased Cooldown from 140s to 120s

HORRIFIC EMBLEM
Horrific Emblem offers a way to put the brakes on your enemies advance and offensive power. We are making it a stronger counter to Basic Attack focused comps and lowering its cooldown to help it be a reliable tool during teamfights.
  • Decreased Cooldown from 130s to 110s

MAGIC SHELL
Magic Shell has a strong place but we felt the base version of it felt underwhelming. It will now have some Basic Attack mitigation upfront which should help it feel more potent before its upgrade comes online.
  • Added the effect – all allies take 20% reduced damage from Basic Attacks for the duration
  • The upgrade still has this same effect at 50%, unchanged

MEDITATION CLOAK
Meditation Cloaks redesign promised some interesting gameplay but the healing and cooldown utility wasn’t quite enough to compete with more offensive minded options. A reduction in cooldown and a doubling of its cooldown reducing capabilities can make it a solid option to plan around.
  • Decreased Cooldown from 160s to 140s

MEDITATION CLOAK UPGRADE
  • Decreased Cooldown from 160s to 140s
  • Increased the Cooldown per tick from 0.5s to 1s

BENEVOLENCE REWORK
Benevolence has been reworked! From the go to Support starter to the go to everyone starter it has been a wild year for this item. Benevolence was always focused on rewarding the more roaming style of support and we hope to preserve that feeling in the rework without introducing an incentive for all gods to build it. New Benevolence will now be focused around gaining stacks of Benevolence and then bestowing the teammate of your choice with a powerful health restore. For your Benevolence you will gain some gold. With stacks being accumulated over time as well as from Assists you can wait for the right time to roam and feel like you are gaining some benefit as you go to help your team.
  • +100 Health
  • +10 MP5
  • +7 HP5
  • Passive : Every second you are not near an ally you gain 1 Stack of Benevolence, stacking up to 50 times. For each assist you gain 4 stacks. While near a damaged ally you spend stacks to restore yours and their health equal to 0.15% of your Maximum Health. For each stack consumed you gain 1 gold.

BUMBA’S DAGGER
Bumba’s Dagger has started to see some play but we still think it has some room to go. While it does offer high sustain and clear speed, the early levels of this item feels roughly even with the other options without the added benefit of stats you can bring into a gank. A boost in flat power should round out this early game slump.
  • Added 15 Magical Power
  • Added 10 Physical Power

WAR FLAG
War Flag has not quite hit the mark in encouraging a different playstyle compared to safer alternatives like Sentinel’s Gift. The effort in gaining gold combined with stats that can make it hard to stay engaged make it feel like high risk for moderate reward. We are making it easier to gain gold while also replacing Power with protections, allowing for that early spike in protections that can let you box directly with your enemies.
  • Decreased Stacks Required to turn on bonus gold effect from 4 to 3
  • Removed 10 Physical Power and 20 Magical Power
  • Added 10 Physical Protections 10 Magical Protections

ARONDIGHT
This item begins a long list of buffs to damage focused Assassins. Our goal this patch is to ensure that damage focused Assassins feel like they have the items needed to be a strong threat late game and stay competitive against their tankier counterparts. This paired with the shift in Conquest experience should help Assassins reclaim their spot on the team. Arondight provided strong power and cooldown reduction; but it’s flat base power favored tankier gods. We are shifting the procs damage to focus more on scaling, rewarding high power builds more directly.
  • Decreased the Base Damage from 40 to 20
  • Increased the Physical Power Scaling 30% to 40%
  • Now Reads:
    • When first striking a revealed target they take an additional 20 + 40% of your Physical Power

BRAWLER’S BEAT STICK
Brawler’s Beat Stick is a common counter to healers but lacks the stats to make it not feel like a detriment to pick up. An extra 10 Power will help it along. Additionally, the Mace tree as a whole is seeing a solid buff. With the T2 Mace not offering the same level of spike it did previously we feel the tree as a whole needs more reward when finishing items.
  • Increased Physical Power from 40 to 50

HEARTSEEKER
Heartseeker should be a strong option for Assassins to get that extra damage in on tankier targets but the scaling isn’t quite enough to get that impact. We are reverting a previous nerf to help it find a slot in Assassin builds.
  • Increased Bonus Damage from the item’s passive from 2%-5% to 3%-6% (revert)

JOTUNN’S WRATH
Jotunn’s Wrath trades raw damage output for Cooldown Reduction, and at its current cost that tradeoff isn’t quite worth it. A reduction here should really let Assassins get their abilities back much more quickly when it is called for.
  • Decreased Cost from 2350 to 2200

THE CRUSHER
The Crusher is about to start crushing it again. An extra 10 Power will help at all stages of the game and help it compete with other choices.
  • Increased Physical Power from 30 to 40

TRANSCENDENCE
Finally we are also buffing Transcendence. With the pace of Conquest changing without boots this stacking item saw a large falloff for both Assassins and Hunters alike. 10 Extra Physical Power upfront will help it compete with other fast starts like Ichaival or the newly buffed maces.
  • Increased Physical Power from 35 to 45

Gods

AWILIX
Awilix can feel strong given the right team composition but in other cases she has to commit everything to stay relevant. Increasing the base damage on Summon Suku and Moonlight Charge will give her extra clear to farm and extra options when she cannot safely commit to getting a fully powered Feather Step off.

SUMMON SUKU
  • Increased Base Damage from 80/130/180/230/280 to 80/135/190/245/300

MOONLIGHT CHARGE
  • Increased Base Damage from 90/130/170/210/250 to 90/140/190/240/290
BACCHUS
Bacchus is limber and ready to flop. Reducing his cooldowns will round out his ability to set up for his team and give him more flexibility to engage for poke or to all in commit.

BELLY FLOP
  • Decreased Cooldown from 16s to 16/15.5/15/14.5/14s
BAKASURA
Bakasura was expected to be quite strong in Season 8 and even stronger with the removal of boots but we have yet to see that pan out. Late game especially he lacks tools to commit to a fight and threaten a team before being locked down and deleted. Some extra time on the CC Immunity and duration on the Cone Attack should give him that extra flexibility he needs to serve as a carry in the late game.

REGURGITATE
  • Increased CC Immunity Duration from 1s to 1.5s (revert)
  • Increase Cone Attack Buff duration from 5s to 6s (revert)
CHAAC
Chaac can really make it rain, at least in the early game. While his laning phase is quite solid most other Warriors either bring stronger control or more consistent pressure. Some extra base stats combined with a large decrease on Torrent should help him get into a fight more effectively, deal more damage while he is there, and stay there longer with the extra Protections provided.

GENERAL
  • Basic Attack Speed Per Level Buff from 1.0 to 1.2

TORRENT
  • Decreased Cooldown from 13s to 13/12/11/10/9s
ESET
Eset is nearly fully reverted from her initial rework. While it was deemed quite strong at the time, players have both learned to play around these strengths and the meta has shifted in a way where her strengths aren’t quite as strong. A return of the damage mitigation on Circle of Protection highlights her ability to provide a massively strong area for her team to fight in, whether it is defensive or offensively used.

CIRCLE OF PROTECTION
  • Increased Damage Mitigation in the circle from 20% to 25% (Revert)
GANESHA
Turn of Fate’s long cooldown made it difficult for Ganesha to consistently boost his team or clear something on his own in a reasonable time. This extra bit of utility and damage aside from Ohm and Dharmic Pillars should remove an obstacle stopping him from seeing more play.

TURN OF FATE
  • Decreased Cooldown from 16s to 14/13.5/13/12.5/12s
GEB
Cataclysm functions unlike nearly any ability in SMITE, working entirely off Current Health to deal its damage. While unique, even the best case scenario for this ultimate saw it as not quite as effective as other teamfight ultimates and in worst case scenarios fell far short. We are now making Cataclysm deal a base amount of damage and then deal additional damage based on Current Health. We think the unique aspect is worth preserving but this should help the Ultimate feel impactful whenever it is used and have that extra oomph when used to start a fight.

CATACLYSM
  • This ability now deals base damage in addition to the % Health scaling. It will not have any magical scaling
    • 120/270/420/570/720
  • Now deals 15% Current health damage at all ranks (decreased from 15/20/25/30/35%)
HEL
This god has recently started showing up in the solo lane. Can one god create a “healing meta” on their own? Maybe not, but Hel is sure trying her best. We are applying a shift to Hel. The first change is a fix to her kit to make her passive work the way that players have expected it to from the text. For some amount of time Hel has only been healing herself for more in light stance, which will now be fixed to apply to her healing of herself or allies. However, as she is performing quite well, we are also decreasing this amount of healing she can gain. The final result will be that Hel will heal herself for less, but her allies for more. We will keep a close eye on this goddess for future nerfs if needed.

STANCE ATTUNEMENT
  • Fixed an issue where this was not providing Hel with increased healing to her allies while attuned to Light Stance
  • Decreased the amount of Healing Hel provides to herself an allies when fully attuned to light stance from 20% to 10%
HOU YI
Mark of the Golden Crow can be thought of as Hou Yi’s stim, and when viewed in that way it doesn’t keep up with other Hunters. A lower cooldown to highlight its sight utility combined with some extra damage scaling should help this feel more competitive with other stims when directly boxing his enemies.

MARK OF THE GOLDEN CROW
  • Increased Damage Increase for every 10% of missing health from 1/2/3/4/5% to 3/4/5/6/7%
  • Decreased Cooldown from 18s to 18/17/16/15/14s
HORUS
This Rightful Heir has struggled to find his rightful spot as either a Solo laner or support. By focusing on Updraft and Protector’s Surge’s base either option should feel a solid boost to their early gameplay. With his strong lockdown and potentially game shifting ultimate some extra early potency will go a long way.

UPDRAFT
  • Increased Bonus Damage of the Gust attack from 14/23/32/41/50 to 20/30/40/50/60

PROTECTOR’S SURGE
  • Increased Healing from 50/100/150/200/250 to 70/115/160/205/250
SYLVANUS – MINOR REWORK
Sylvanus has outgrown his RNG passive and something new has flourished; A passive that he is in direct control of. Nature’s Bounty will spawn a seed pod whenever he hits any enemy with an ability or where his abilities are deployed. For each Seed he picks up he will gain some mana and Cooldown reduction to help him continue the fight. In super late games this gets even further boosted to really help his team close out a game.

NATURE’S BOUNTY (NEW PASSIVE ABILITY)
  • When Sylvanus’ abilities hit or are deployed a seed pod appears at that location. When Sylvanus picks up this seed pod he restores 2.5% of his Mana as well as lowers his cooldowns by 0.25s. At level 20 this Cooldown Reduction is increased to 1s
ULLR
The Glorious One has been anything but in recent patches. While he can be quite strong if he can get a lead; his late game has left him underwhelming and on the lower performing end of most hunters this Season. We are reverting a scaling adjustment on Bladed Arrow to help this out but are also boosting the passive stats provided by his stance switch. The extra Attack Speed and Lifesteal will give him some extra flexibility early and that raw scaling in the late game.

BLADED ARROW
  • Increased Physical Power Scaling from 70% to 80%

WIELD AXES (WIELD BOW)
  • Increased Attack Speed (Bow) from 5/10/15/20/25 to 10/15/20/25/30%
  • Increased Physical Lifesteal (Axe) from 5/10/15/20/25% to 10/15/20/25/30%
You can check out the new skins right here. The next update is out this October 5.
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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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The Division 2 Update 1.34 Rolled Out for Fixes This September 21

Ubisoft has rolled out The Division 2 update 1.34 patch this September 21, and this was rolled out during the game’s maintenance period. There’s a short list of issues fixed, which are outlined below along with the maintenance schedule.

The Division 2 Update 1.34 Patch Notes | The Division Sept. 21 Maintenance Patch Notes:

The servers will shut down for scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, September 21st at

  • 09:30 CEST,
  • 03:30 AM EDT,
  • 12:30 AM PDT.

The estimated downtime is 3 hours.

Patch Notes

  • Fixed an issue that caused players to became invisible if a player detonated the EMP sticky bomb while interacting with a ladder.
  • Fixed an issue where players could infinitely use/throw the Shrapnel Trap Skill with no cooldown while having four pieces of the Rigger set.
  • Fixed an issue where players could climb over a fence in Coney Island Ballpark and reach non-playable area.

That seems to be it for this title update. Make sure to check out this The Division Heartland leaked gameplay for something new.

Source: Ubisoft forums

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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Playground Game Kicks Up the Relaxation in Forza Horizon 5 With 30 Minutes of Music

Playground Games has released a new trailer for Forza Horizon 5, but it’s not what you think. Instead of showcasing new gameplay, Playground has released 30 minutes of Forza Horizon 5 music, and it’s quite relaxing!

Take a few minutes to relax and enjoy the sounds of the Horizon Festival in Mexico, from the hills and farmland to the swamps and canyons. Here’s 30 minutes of ambient sounds captured in-game.

If you want to see some actual Forza Horizon 5 gameplay, check out the latest trailers where we also see a load of new cars too.

Forza Horizon 5 will be releasing on November 9 for the Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC. It will be available for purchase, though for those who are subscribed to Game Pass, it will also be available on the subscription the same day it launches.

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > Features

Battlefield 2042: Should We Be Worried About the Delay?

In case you haven’t heard the news, it was announced last week that Battlefield 2042 has officially been delayed to November 19 — almost a full month from its initial release date of October 22. While a full month’s delay isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things, since games usually get delayed months (or even years), it is still a cause for concern, though mainly for other things surrounding the delay.

Sure, games development isn’t a smooth process, not by any means, and this global pandemic which is forcing people to work from home surely isn’t helping matters, either. That said, the main concern for me is the lack of communication. Battlefield fans were left to find scraps of info since official channels (EA & DICE) hasn’t really talked about the game at all. I mean, it didn’t feel like the game was set for release in a month’s time.

Checking the official Battlefield Twitter account, outside of the delay announcement (and Michael K. Williams’ death), the last time the account tweeted anything regarding Battlefield 2042 that focused on gameplay was September 3 (where we got to see Specialists and their abilities shown off). After that, it took us 13 days on September 16 until we got anything tangible, and it was about the delay. Imagine that: 13 full days went by before anything was announced or marketed for the game, and the latest news we get? It’s about the game being delayed. That surely didn’t drive confidence in anyone’s eyes.

While I don’t think DICE or the game is in trouble, EA does need to work on its marketing. Even with the delay announcement, they could have softended the blow with the announcement of the beta. But as everyone knows, we didn’t get anything about that, either. The most we got was a mention of how we’ll get updates on the beta “later this month,” which could mean this week or the last week of September. When you’re communicating about a multi-million product to a consumer base that have loads of choices and alternatives, the last thing you’d want is these people doubting your product and considering finding an alternative (in this case, it’s Call of Duty: Vanguard, and Halo Infinite), or even considering not finding an alternative shooter, and just choose from the multitude of free-to-play multiplayer games that are currently available.

Who is to blame here? DICE? EA? Marketing people? The fanbase? I won’t pretend to know the inner workings of EA’s marketing department, but surely, anything would have been better than going silent for weeks. It’s gotten so bad that we’re left to chew on datamined info to get any sort of semblance of news. But the fact that people have loads of questions left, and we’re just a month from release, isn’t it time to maybe, y’know, open the floodgates a bit more?

Not only have we not heard anything official about the new mode Hazard Zone, we still don’t know all the Specialists coming at launch, the weapons that will be available, and more. Heck, we haven’t even seen actual raw gameplay outside of leaks and videos from content creators. Again, as a product as a whole, I am not that concerned about BF2042 since I trust DICE is capable of releasing a fun game. That said, I am also expecting bugs and whatnot, which will be worked on, and improved upon during the game’s lifecycle.

What makes this a bit more aggravating is the fact that Battlefield fans have been asking DICE and EA to step up their communications to players since Battlefield V. You’d think DICE/EA would have learned from that the hard way, no?

I am hoping EA talks about the game soon, but not just dump info on us on one day, and let us figure it out on our own. Release info slowly but in a steady pace, and let gamers soak in each bit of info for maximum effect.

Are you concerned about Battlefield 2042 getting delayed? If not, what area should EA work on? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below.


Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed here are solely of the author’s and does not represent MP1st and its staff in its entirety.

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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Latest Far Cry 6 Trailers Lets You Face Giancarlo Esposito and He’ll Even Give You Tips

Ubisoft has released the latest Far Cry 6 trailers today, and this one once again both videos star Giancarlo Esposito as the game’s villain, Anton Castillo. In the first video, you can listen to Giancarlo (in character) talk to the player and what’s in store for them.

Do you have what it takes to challenge dictator Antón Castillo, played by Hollywood’s favorite villain, Giancarlo Esposito? He’ll be waiting for you. Put your skills to the test when Far Cry 6 arrives October 7.

In the next video, Esposito gives players real (not fake) gameplay tips and tricks for Far Cry 6!

It’s going to take an entire army to stand up against Yara’s cunning dictator, Antón Castillo. Get the best (and totally real) tips & tricks from Giancarlo Esposito himself before the Guerrillas join forces in Far Cry 6, available October 7.

Far Cry 6 is set for release this October 7 on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

You can check out the post-launch roadmap planned for Far Cry 6, right here.

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > Features

ROCCAT Torch Microphone Review – Hot Mic

Known for their award winning line of PC peripherals such as mouse, keyboards, and gaming headsets, ROCCAT is venturing off into a new line of audio product, this time aimed at gamers, content creators, and streamers alike. Introducing the ROCCAT Torch, the first-ever standalone USB microphone from ROCCAT. To help you all decide whether or not this makes an excellent addition to that growing set-up, we have been given the opportunity for some extensive hands-on. Here’s our in-depth ROCCAT Torch review.

Set-Up, Design, and Features

Straight out of the box, you’ll notice that there are a few components that come in the package. First, you have the actual Torch Microphone. This comes in a boom-style shape with some ROCCAT trademarking and RGB lighting that adds some gorgeous style to it. Then you have the base itself, which is equipped with a couple of sound dials and sliders. Then there are the two USB-C cables, one long, and one very short. 

For those with an arm mic stand, the Torch should fit most of them as it uses a standard mic thread size, though for the purpose of this review we’ll stick to using what’s included. 

There isn’t a whole lot here, which is a good thing because putting the microphone together only took a few steps. Without reading the instructions, I was able to assemble the Torch in just a matter of minutes, as parts twisted and snapped on with ease. And it looked super clean by the end of it without excessive wiring.

This ,then, brings me to the next bit, its overall design. 

I’ve praised ROCCAT in practically all our product reviews, and I will do it again here by saying that this is a company that understands style. This time around, by producing exquisite designs with gorgeous, well lit RGB lighting. The Torch is no exception to that as it is one incredibly beautiful microphone.

Much like many of their recent PC peripherals, the Torch features the same signature bionic shell with honeycomb design, though one more prominent as its fully exposed rather than underneath the casing itself. Makes sense considering the general look of microphones, but I really love that design in the Torch, coupled with its not-so-flashing RGB lighting.

On the base, there are three distinct pattern modes (more on that later) that users can select from, each having their own dedicated RGB color. Further, there is a gain slider that has low and high settings that directly affects the RGB. If you lower the gain you can actually see this on the Torch itself as two sets of RGB bars on each side will change based on the position of the gain slider. It’s actually brilliant that it does this, as it provides you with a way of knowing exactly where your gain levels are. 

Touching more on the base, in addition to the pattern knob and gain slider, there is a volume dial that controls the desktop audio volume. A nifty, quick and easy to access function. Additionally this dial can also be pressed down to mute the microphone with a display indicator on the front that lets you know when it’s muted (mic turns red to) or when you’re live.

On the backside there is a light level switch that you can alternate from high, medium, low, to even off if you aren’t a fan of the RGB lighting. Next to that, there is a motion sensitivity with high, medium, and off. This is for the sensor at the very top of the microphone that allows an additional way to mute the device with a simple hand swipe. I’ll admit, this is a dumb feature, but it’s one of those dumb features that you can’t help but love once you start using it, which I found to be more often than the actual button press.

Honestly, I really love how the out of the box experience is with the Torch. The base is a smart and an easy way to let users jump directly into things without any needed knowledge of software related tools that other microphones need.

Of course you can couple the Torch with software to further customize specific settings, but for a newbie like me who prefers things to just work, this is a fantastic entry level microphone. Streamers will absolutely love the Torch for it’s beautifully crafted design, but I suppose the big question is, does it actually produce studio quality sound that ROCCAT markets? 

Check 1, 2,3…

You know, despite loving the design of the Torch microphone, I did have my worries about the overall microphone quality. I mean, it’s priced at $99, which is fairly “cheap,” and I’ve also spent a good chunk of this review gleaming at the Torch design. There has to be a “but” right? Well no, I just friggin’ love the design that much, and the audio quality itself holds well above the paid value.

Now, I don’t want to over exaggerate the Torch microphone quality in any way, because truthfully you can probably find an alternative that sounds better, and the term “studio quality” is open to a lot of interpretations. However, when you consider that this is mostly a gaming and streaming microphone, that puts that studio quality sound in a better scope. So how does it fare during gaming, streaming, and even podcast use? 

Stacking the Torch up against some of my dedicated headsets, there was a huge difference in overall quality with the Torch being the victor. From the feedback received from both friends and co-workers, they noted that my voice sounded superbly clear when using the Torch microphone.

Hearing  myself in a short recording, I, too, was impressed by the improvements offered. Now, there was a bit of background noises that the Torch would pick up on, but all in all, it was a pretty crystal clear experience. And again, this is just using the Torch default settings, as previously mentioned there are some dials with separate sound modes on them. However, regardless of what mode you select, the Torch has a very cool standout feature., and that would be its automatic gain control, which helps level out gain levels whether they’re high or low. You may not know exactly what that means, but most likely have been on the receiving end of where someone’s voice is either too loud, that it causes distortion popping from your speakers, or too soft where you can’t hear them. With the automatic gain control, the Torch solves those instances as it attempts to normalize one’s voice.

So for example, when you move away from a microphone it’s normal for your voice to have less volume to it, and if you move closer then it’s louder. That’s how sound works, but with a microphone you’re never too sure whether you are too loud or too quiet unless otherwise pointed out. The Torch solves that by increasing the volume of your voice when it’s too low, and decreasing when it’s too high. It’s a very seamless process that requires no manual work whatsoever.

Going back to the dial, there are three modes that can be selected from which are; cardioid, stereo and whisper. In cardioid the Torch picks up sound directly in front of it. So for gamers and streamers, this will give you the best, clearest results out of the three modes.

With stereo mode, this will open up the Torch microphone to more sounds as additional channels on the left and right are activated. This works best for those wanting to capture sounds from multiple sources. Not one I personally used since I game and chat, but it’s there for those interested.

My favorite of the bunch is the whisper mode. Just like it sounds, this mode allows you to talk in a whisper for those late night gaming sessions. Living in a full house, I find myself always talking in a low volume in order not to wake anyone up. With the Torch I don’t have to worry about anyone not hearing me in game or in chats because it’s whisper mode ensures that I will always be heard. It works spectacularly

Verdict

You know, I want to say that the Torch is an excellent starter microphone for any gamer and streamer out there, but honestly calling it a “starter” microphone would be a huge understatement. It’s more than just that, and while there may be some better sounding quality mics within the $99 price range, what you get with the ROCCAT Torch versus what you get there just doesn’t compare. The Torch is loaded with so many top of the line innovated features that it feels like an absolute steal, a deal too good to be true, only it’s real and it’s well worth the price of admission. 

Whether your a content creator looking to spice up that streaming set-up with some amazingly, well produced RGB lighting effect, or a gamer just wanting to have a high quality microphone without the hassle of dealing with overly complicated software, well look no further as the Torch delivers. Crystal clear sound quality, with killer features such as the automated gain control, as well as with what I may consider to be one of the best designs to come out the ROCCAT factory, the Torch USB microphone debuts with what many could consider to be one premium experience. 

ROCCAT knocks it out with their very first standalone microphone, and hopefully it’s not the last from them. 

Pros:

  • Design – The Torch Microphone is easily one of the best looking standalone mics out. ROCCAT knows style, and its impressive RGB lighting makes this one exciting mic.
  • Out of the box, the Torch is filled with features that you would otherwise need software for, making it one of the most accessible mics on the market.
  • Automatic gain control and whisper mode make controlling your volume a breeze.
  • Playback recording audio sounded crystal clear, though debatable whether it hits that “studio” quality level.
  • If you own any other ROCCAT devices, the Torch will sync up it’s RGB lighting with that system via NEON software. Makes for an excellent addition to the family.

Cons:

  • Minor background feedback is picked up.

A review unit was provided by the manufacturer. You can purchase the product here for $99, You can read SP1st and MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here

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James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.

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FIST Update 1.03 Adds Easy Difficulty & More This September 19

Ti Games has released the FIST update 1.03 patch (version 1.003 on PS5), this September 19, and this adds an Easy difficulty mode, bug fixes and more! Check out the full patch notes for the Forged in Shadow Torch update today.

FIST Update 1.03 Patch Notes | FIST Update 1.003 Patch Notes | Forged in Shadow Torch Update 1.03 Patch Notes:

Here’s what’s new per the studio:

New Feature:

  • Added Easy difficulty, in which the combat difficulty is significantly reduced. You can witch Normal/Easy difficulty at any time in the game.

Optimizations:

  • Reduced overall difficulty of Ancient Complex.
  • Added a new teleporter in Underground Lake.
  • Changed the location of the teleporter in Upper Torch Tower so that you can return to the city before fighting the boss.
  • Added more save points.
  • Optimized the route design in some maps.

Bug Fixes:

  • Fixed a bug that Plant Seeds have a chance to not be all collected.
  • Fixed a bug in Ancient Complex that the deeper area can not be entered if a part of route was skipped.
  • Fixed a bug in Mine where the boss does not spawn.
  • Fixed some other minor bugs.

If you haven’t checked FIST out, you might want to, as our review gave it a glowing score, and said, “Ti Games debut title is one not to skip out on, and is rousing continuation to the PlayStation Heroes Project, proving that you don’t need to be a big studio to pull of high production values into a game.”

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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Quake Remastered Review – Remastered Frags (Switch)

Remasters of classic titles are nothing new for video games in this day and age. It gives fans a chance to relive their nostalgic and happy moments on current gaming platforms while also introducing new players to games that defined generations before them. Of course, a remaster can be a hit or miss depending on who’s working to bring it back to modern consoles – but it looks like Quake Remastered is the exception to the rule, and it works beautifully on the Nintendo Switch!

A recipe for Success and Immortality

Released back in 1996 for the PC, Quake was the successor to id Software’s revolutionary first-person shooter series Doom, and the first to use its namesake game engine the Quake Engine – which boasted heavy 3D graphics and software of its time. Like its predecessor, players take control of a soldier who makes his way through maze-like environments while battling all kinds of monsters and demons along the way using a variety of weapons ranging from a simple bloody axe to shotguns and rocket launchers. It’s gothic fiction blended with pure gore and insanity – the kind of formula that worked with video games in the ’90s, and of course, it made the game a resounding success. Add in multiplayer, and a kick ass soundtrack by Trent Razor, and you have a game that’s purely driven by adrenaline and intensity – which led to sequels and a community that formed its own convention and celebrates the fandom called QuakeCon.

Diving Back to Hell and Back Again

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Quake, id Software, Bethesda, and Nightdive Studios collaborated along with several other developers to create a remaster that stays true to the original release, all while enhancing bits and pieces of it for modern consoles such as the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and the Nintendo Switch, our reviewed platform.

Right from pressing the start button and loading to Bethesda.Net, you are immediately transported back to 1996, and the world of Quake. You learn the ropes fighting undead soldiers and battling chainsaw armed pipe bomb shooting abominations while exploring increasingly complicated mazes and dungeons. The Switch handles this game perfectly, and there are no slowdowns in the single-player campaign at all. Online multiplayer and deathmatches are present, and you can jump into any server or create your own to invite friends to. It’s a great experience on the Nintendo Switch, and you can choose to play it either handheld mode with motion controls, or in dock mode for the  home television experience.

Besides the main campaign, the remaster also incorporates all the extended content that was previously released for the original game – and two new episodes developed by MachineGames in Dimension of the Past and Dimension of the Machine. Additionally, Quake 64 has been added in its entire via the add-on menu. If there was a perfect way to celebrate 25 years of Quake, this is the package for it.

Verdict

A few weeks in after its initial release, I can confidently say that classic Quake is back and better than ever. This shooter helped set many conventions that we enjoy in FPS games today, and if you ever wondered why this game was revolutionary to many PC players back in the day, give this Quake remastered a go, and you’ll understand where all the adoration came from.

Score: 9.5/10

Pros:

  • Classic Quake gameplay. Nuff said.
  • All extended content plus two new episodes are available, as well as Quake 64.
  • Fast loading times. Seamless gameplay.
  • Switch version allows for various options on how to play the game, including motion controls using the JoyCon controller.
  • Playing multiplayer and deathmatch online is absolutely fun.

Cons:

  • Multiplayer and deathmatches can lag depending on net connection.

A review code for Quake was provided by the publisher and played on the Nintendo Switch. You can read SP1st and MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.

Tim Villasor

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Users Reporting COD Vanguard PC Beta Crash Tied to Battlenet Friends Count

If you’ve been experiencing some crashes in Call of Duty Vanguard beta on PC, don’t worry, you aren’t the only one, as many users have reported the same COD Vanguard PC beta crash issue. Luckily, there may be a fix to it,as users have discovered that this bug is potentially tied to Battle.Net friends list.

COD Vanguard PC Beta Crash Fix:

Now this won’t solve all the crashes you might be experiencing with the Call of Duty Vanguard beta on PC, but a very common one that many are seeing is the game crashing immediately after booting.  Many have attempted to perform a full fresh install to no avail, though oddly enough, the reason for this crash may be related to your friends list on Battle.net. Many users have discovered that if you have over 100 friends on the service, Vanguard will crash at boot. 

A very odd bug indeed, and many have already tested to see that going under now allows the beta to fully boot and be playable. Hopefully Sledgehammer Games issues a fix for this ASAP, especially since the Call of Duty Vanguard beta has been extended by a full four days. If not, expect this bug to be gone by release.

Call of Duty Vanguard will be releasing on November 5 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. 

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James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.

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COD Vanguard Beta Extended for 48 Hours, Beta Rewards Announced

Having fun in the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta? If so, we have some good news! Sledgehammer has announced that the COD Vanguard beta has been extended for 48 hours! This means that it’ll now endon Wednesday, September 22!

The beta is open to everyone now, and they can download it in their respective platform’s digital store (PlayStation Network, Xbox Store, Battle.net).

https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1439288151529381888?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

In addition to that, those who play the beta and reach level 20 will also get two rewards for the final version of the game (assuming you buy it).

Players who reach level 20 will receive two rewards:
  • A Weapon Blueprint for Call of Duty Vanguard and Warzone, available in Vanguard following the game’s launch on November 5, and in Warzone when the new main map launches later this year.            
  • An Arthur Kingsley Operator in Call of Duty: Mobile, available shortly after the end of the Beta.

Get out there and frag, soldier! If you want to read up on what we thought of the beta, read on here for our impressions.

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Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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Street Fighter 5 Taps Into Marvel Vs Capcom Nostalgia With Character Costumes for Season 5

If you enjoy playing Capcom games and miss the good old days then prepare for some throwback outfits coming your way. Street Fighter 5 taps into Marvel Vs Capcom nostalgia with some character costumes for Season 5 — and it will start rolling out next week!

As revealed and teased by the official Street Fighter social media pages, Akuma and Rose are among the first characters who are getting some new alternate costumes which can be purchased at the Street Fighter 5 shop page. Fans of the Marvel Vs Capcom series will recognize these skins from the 2D era of fighting games, and here’s what each character is getting.

The demon Ansatsuken master will be sporting his Cyber Akuma look straight from Marvel Superheroes Vs Street Fighter — where that character was augmented by Apocalypse and served as the final boss of that crossover game. Unlike that version of Akuma, this is just a costume and he won’t have access to rocket punch fists. He will however sprout out his cyber wings for effect when he does combos and his Raging Demon finisher!

As an unlikely costume choice for Rose, Ruby Heart is no stranger to Capcom fans as she is one of the original fighters representing the brand for Marvel Vs Capcom 2! Of course she won’t be using barrels or ship attacks, but this is a fun throwback to MvC 2 and probably a small nod to fans who loved the crossover series!

There’s already plenty of new content for Street Fighter 5 thanks to the recent Summer Update that finally saw Oro and Akira released as playable characters, and we can expect more stuff later building to the release of the final DLC character in Luke before the year ends.

Both Cyber Akuma and Ruby Heart costumes will become available for Street Fighter 5 next week starting September 21! It’s free if you purchase the Season 5 premium pass, or you can buy them individually at $3.99 each!

Tim Villasor

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Apex Legends Server Disconnect Errors Expected to be Resolved Next Week, Rank Split Extended

Well legends, we have some bad news for you if you were hoping to see a weekend fix to all the Apex Legends server disconnects as Respawn Entertainment has confirmed that they expect a full return to normal when next week’s patch drops.

When Will Apex Legends Server Disconnects Issues be Fixed?

As we previously reported on, Apex Legends is currently experiencing some server related issues with the launch of the Evolution Collection Event. While Respawn Entertainment did state that players should expect these issues to go on during the weekend, it seems that we may have a bit more waiting to do as a new update from the studio states that they expect full operations to return to normal when the new Apex Legends patch drops, which is next Wednesday September 22. 

On the bright side, taking into account of all the issues and the very vocal community, Respawn will be extending ranked split by one whole week. This is expected to drop this coming Monday, so if you missed out it due to the server issues, hopefully you’ll have better chances next week. 

If you’re able to play Apex Legends, or not able to connect to matches, feel free to leave a comment below to let your fellow legends know which region/area is having issues, and on what platform.

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James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.

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THQ Nordic Celebrates 10th Anniversary With Six New Game Announcements

Did you know that THQ Nordic turned 10 this year? Yep, and to celebrate this long awaited birthday, the massive publisher announced an onslaught of new games, along with offering some freebies and discounts for it’s supportive community.

In case you missed out on the THQ Nordic 10th anniversary stream, down below you’ll find all the newly announced games along with trailers to accompany.

Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed

https://youtu.be/cl8fokvSrTw

That’s right, earthlings, Crypto is back and this time, he’s invading the swinging sixties! After the KGB blew up his mothership, Crypto seeks revenge and travels to iconic places in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Japan, and even to the Moon! Destroy All Humans! 2 is a full remake of the original game, adding and improving features while (re-)building the game from scratch in shiny Unreal Engine 4 visuals. The game is developed by Black Forest Games who successfully re-launched the Destroy All Humans!-Franchise in 2020 and is in development for PC, PS5™, and Xbox Series S/X.

SpongBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake

Everything is possible in the infinite expanses of the cosmos .. there might even be a reality where mayonnaise isn’t an instrument! When the mysterious fortune teller Kassandra grants SpongeBob and Patrick wishes, the two buddies unintentionally open up portals to strange Wishworlds… it’s all F.U.N. and games until their friends get lost in the portals! Explore seven distinct worlds and don more than 30 cosmic skins to rescue the universe of the brand new adventure SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, available on PC, PlayStation™, Nintendo Switch™ and Xbox One.

Outcast 2 – A New Beginning

Your friendly neighborhood invader-slayer is back: Cutter Slade returns to the spectacular alien world of Adelpha in Outcast 2 – A New Beginning. Twenty years after the events of the first game, Adelpha finds itself under threat of invasion: ruthless corporations are exploiting the planet and are enslaving and even killing the people. Cutter’s mission is clear: organize a resistance, rescue the people, and get rid of the invaders. Outcast 2 is developed by the original team behind the first Outcast Adventure – Appeal Studios from Belgium. The open-world action-adventure features fast-paced 3rd person combat as well as a non-linear Science-Fantasy story with dynamic plot progress based on player actions. Outcast 2 is currently in development for PC, PS5™ and Xbox Series S/X.

Jagged Alliance 3

Fans have been waiting for decades, to see the third edition of the legendary strategy franchise Jagged Alliance. The strategy game experts from Haemimont Games, well known for their work on the Tropico-Series, Surviving Mars, Victor Vran and many other great games will finally create a true successor to the beloved series. This time, the player takes command of a mercenary force in the fictional country of Grand Chien – a land thrown into chaos after a brutal paramilitary force known as “the Legion” took over. Jagged Alliance 3 will combine tactically deep, turn-based combat with exploration of a large game world with strategic elements including gaining control over territories, training local forces, and establishing multiple squads chosen from beloved mercenaries – all well known to fans of the series. Jagged Alliance 3 will have RPG-elements like special perks or level-ups for your mercenaries, as well as looting and customizing your arsenal of weaponry. Coming to PC, Jagged Alliance 3 will also feature a co-op multiplayer mode so you can free Grand Chien together with a friend.

Superpower 3

Superpower is tailor-made for all the megalomaniacs out there who are convinced they would do a much better job of running the world than the real-life leaders across the globe! In this grand-strategy game, set in the contemporary world, your goal is to lead your chosen nation to world domination or to master special scenarios. Wouldn’t it be tempting to re-establish the British Empire? Players take control of the economy, politics, diplomacy, social development, military strategy, and more. If you ever wanted to become the ruler of the world, in Superpower 3 for PC you can give it your best shot!

MX vs. ATV: Legends

MX vs ATV franchise will make its PS5™ and Xbox Series X|S console debut in MX vs ATV Legends. Featuring the deepest career mode to date, MX vs ATV Legends invites you to carve your own path to the podium with unprecedented player choice including sponsorship opportunities and special invitational events. The all new Trails mode pits you against nature like never before! Your time is now!

ELEX II

Of course, this is not a new announcement, but no less exciting: Open-World RPG ELEX II shows off its new story-trailer, explaining what drove Jax, the Beast of Xacor into isolation – and why the time has come for him to leave his exile.

Expeditions: Rome

Last but not least, the development team behind the upcoming CRPG Expeditions: Rome gives an overview about what makes the game special: A story full of memorable characters and a world that reacts to your actions. The fate of Rome is in your hand, Legate!

THQ Nordic Free Anniversary Games

Not a bad slate of new games announcements from THQ Nordic, definitely many to look forward to. And speaking of looking forward to something, THQ Nordic is also offering two free (Steam) games, as in free to keep for ever!

You have from today until the September 20 to claim these two gems for free. Additionally, THQ Nordic is also running a free-to-play for the week for Desperados III, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t already.

Of course there is also a publisher sale running on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC, and Stadia with some nice savings on popular THQ titles such as Darksider and many more.

That’s all we have for you, what new game announcement has you most excited?

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James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.