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SMITE Update 11.87 July 13 Patch Notes for Mid-Season Update 8.7

Hi-Rez Studios has released the SMITE update 11.87 July 13 patch, or what’s also known as the Mid-Season Update 8.7 title update! This brings new god skins, the Stranger Things crossover content and more! Check out the full list of Battle Pass items and more below.

SMITE Update 11.87 July 13 Patch Notes | SMITE Mid-Season Update 8.7 Patch Notes:

Stranger Things Battle Pass (750 Gems)

Stranger Things Battle Pass Plus (1350 Gems)

Paid Track Items:

  • Hopper Apollo Skin
  • Waffle Avatar
  • Hopper Announcer Pack
  • The Upside Down Loading Frame
  • The Upside Down Pedestal
  • The Demogorgon Bakasura Skin
  • The Mind Flayer Loading Screen
  • The Demogorgon Death Stamp
  • The Mini Demogorgon Ward
  • Nat 20 Global Emote
  • The Mindflayer Sylvanus Skin
  • Eleven Avatar
  • Waffle Ward
  • Neon Poster Level Up
  • Portal Entrance Jump Stamp
  • Hopper Avatar
  • Eleven Scylla Skin
  • …and more!

Prestige Track Items:

  • The Mindflayer Avatar
  • Ahoy! Avatar
  • Hopper Loading Screen
  • The Upside Down Avatar
  • Hopper, P.I. Apollo Skin
  • Eleven Loading Screen
  • Camp Know Where Cap Avatar
  • Baby Demogorgon Avatar
  • Starcourt Mall Avatar
  • The Demogorgon Loading Screen
  • Starcourt Eleven Scylla Skin
  • …and more!

Free Track Items:

  • The Demogorgon Avatar
  • RUN! Global Emote
  • Eleven Announcer Pack
  • The Mindflayer Title
  • Cutesy Avatar Chest
  • Battle Emote Chests
  • Battle Cosmetic Chest
  • Battle Avatar Chests
  • Boosters
  • …and more!
QUALITY OF LIFE

Ranked

  • Ranked Reset for Masters/GM only
    • Players above Diamond 1 will be reset to Diamond 1.
    • Players above 2400 MMR will be reset to 2400 MMR.
    • Good luck to everyone on this split’s grind to Grandmasters!
  • Increased Ban Count from 5 to 6 per team in Duel.
BUG FIXES

UI

  • Fixed an issue where Role Queue lobbies had a chance to assign multiple players the same role
  • Fixed an issue where multiple Role trades could cause duplicate roles to be assigned

Gods

  • Sylvanus
    • Added a basic attack successful hit sound to all skins
    • Fixed an issue where plant deployable shadows could persist for longer than intended
    • Fixed multiple visual issues with Nature’s Grasp on all skins
  • Persephone
    • Allies will no longer see her minimap icon while she is in her dead passive state
  • Yemoja
    • Fixed issues where her Omi bar could display unintended information
  • Odin
    • Fixed an issue where the Birdbomb combo was not properly dealing damage (went live in previous hotfix)
  • Morgan Le Fay
    • Fixed an issue where her Basic Attack animations could get out of sync when she had high attack speed
    • Fixed an issue where she could get stuck in an unintended state when repeatedly targeting and cancelling her first ability
    • She can now use relics while in the targeting state of her first ability
    • Fixed an issue where enemies could be permanently slowed by her first ability.
      • There have been multiple hotfixes that resolved some cases this could occur.
    • Fixed an issue where her sword could disappear if basic attacking at the same time as casting her second ability
    • Adjusted the timing in which Arthurian Items trigger with her Ultimate
    • Fixed an issue where some of her abilities did not reflect the effect of CDR stats in the text only
  • Poseidon
    • Various visual FX updates have taken place across Poseidon’s abilities and his skins
    • Adjusted the visual FX on whirlpool for all skins to more clearly show the difference between warming-up and active states. And adjusted it across many skins to be more consistent in its visuals with base
    • Adjusted visual FX and Animation on Release the Kraken to make the Kraken emerging from the ground animation timed more closely with the damage and knockup, and adjusted it across multiple skins to be more consistent with base
  • Aphrodite
    • Fixed an issue where love birds would sometimes not hit enemies who were in the area and standing very close to Aphrodite
  • Chaac
    • Fixed an issue where his deployed rain area of effect could rarely persist much longer than intended
  • Gilgamesh
    • Fixed an issue where allies could be buffed from his 3rd ability for longer than intended
  • Loki
    • Adjusted the Flurry Strike ability text for grammar issues
  • Set
    • Adjusted the targeter on the close + skewer combo targeter to be more accurate in its hit area

Items

  • Seer of the Jungle
    • Fixed an issue where this item was not applying Bonus Damage to Jungle Bosses
  • Bumba’s Spear
    • Fixed various issues where this item was not applying bonus damage or healing when killing jungle monsters, bosses, or structures
    • It should now we properly applying both Bonus Damage and Health on kill to all 3 categories of enemy targets
  • Infused Sigil
    • Fixed an issue where this items passive could not hit enemies if the owner was being pushed, pulled, grabbed, or knocked up while the effect triggered
  • Purification Beads
    • Fixed an issue where some gods would not be able to use beads immediately if they were CC’d while in the casting time certain abilities.
      • This only affects a small amount of abilities. Notably Zhong Kui’s Book of Demons and Chronos’ Stop Time.
BALANCE LIVE WITH THE MIDSEASON UPDATE

Conquest

  • The Ocean’s Fury Conquest Update has arrived!
  • A raging storm summoned by Tiamat culminates in a massive tidal wave washing over the lands between Olympus and Babylon. The skies clear, shining a light on the effects this event has had on the map. The storm has passed but the sea just outside the map still seems angry.
  • General Map Changes
  • We’re excited to present new areas, pathing, and points-of-interest to spice up this Conquest Refresh for Mid Season. Heavy layout changes for Duo-lane, including a new playable area, adds more geometry and NPCs to fight around. Solo-lane, which historically has had less points of interest than the other lanes, is getting contestable XP camps added into the mix. These sources of farm on the edges of the map encourage Junglers to make more rotations, increasing the benefit of successful ganks while reducing the amount of lost farm when the opportunity for a gank slips out of reach. With all of these new additions, Vine Walls have been removed to prevent any slowdown in rotations to each of the new map features.
    • Duo lane has a new side jungle area on the outside of the lane, as the landmark here was washed away by the wave
    • Duo lane Alpha Harpies have had their pathing adjusted and split into 2 Alpha Harpy spawns, one that favors each team
    • Solo lane has a new XP camp area, marked by a wrecked ship on the environment
    • Back harpy location on the Red Buff side have been adjusted to make room for a new camp
    • The maps lighting has been returned to its 8.1 state
    • Various sea life, puddles, and damage are scattered across the map
    • Vine Walls have been removed
  • New Objective – Draugr
  • The Draugr is a medium-tier objective with similar health and strength to the Greater Scorpions. Slaying it rewards your entire team with a nice Gold & XP injection, plus a long-lasting defensive buff to your Towers and Phoenixes. In the mid-game, this buff can help relieve pressure in a match that has veered out of your team’s control, allowing you to group up and make a stand at your towers more effectively. While not strong enough to be a direct counter to the Enhanced Fire Giant buff, teams on the defensive can race to grab this before preparing for a phoenix defense to help turn the tide of battle.
    • This aquatic entity has risen from the deep to challenge the gods. Slaying it grants your entire team Draugr’s Boon
      • Towers and Phoenixes receive a stacking buff of +7% increased Power and +5% Damage Mitigation for every allied God within their radius. Max 3 stacks. Lasts 240 seconds.
    • Spawns in the new Duo Lane side jungle area
      • Base
        • Health: 720
        • Power: 60
        • Physical Protection: 16
        • Magical Protection: 16
        • XP (Team): 30
        • Gold (Team): 35
      • Scaling (every 1 minute)
        • Health: +135
        • Physical Power: +2
        • Magical Power: +1
        • Physical Protection: +1.5
        • Magical Protection: +1
        • XP (Team): +1
        • Gold (Team): +1
  • New Jungle Buff – Support (Green)
  • Rejoice! Supports are getting their own buff! This aptly named Jungle Buff belt allows Supports to provide a direct benefit to their lane partners while sharing farm. Later in the game, being able to extend the lifetime of your allies’ Jungle Buffs during Fire Giant stand-offs becomes a decisive advantage. As a bonus, this buff also gives Supports that normally build tanky a nice boost to their sustainability. Also, you’ll never have to fear accidentally picking up Red while this buff is on you!
    • While wearing this, Jungle Buffs on nearby allied Gods will not expire. This effect does not apply to other Support Buffs. Also grants +50 maximum Health and Mana, plus an additional 30 for every 50 total protections on the wearer
      • Enhanced: Grants +10 HP5 and MP5
    • A Draugr minion holds this buff on the red camp side, just outside bases
      • Base
        • Health: 300
        • Physical Power: 15
        • Physical Protection: 9
        • Magical Protection: 2
        • XP: 35
        • Gold: 24
      • Scaling (every 3 minutes)
        • Health: +135
        • Physical Power: +4
        • Physical Protection: +2
        • Magical Protection: +1
        • XP: +9
        • Gold: +1.5
  • Balance
  • Adjustments to map balance were needed to counteract the removal of boots and the addition of several new Jungle objectives. Fire Giant, Furies, and Oracles have had their base stats increased to help account for the additional Penetration that Carries will receive earlier in their item builds. Small buffs were given to the rewards of both Scorpion types to make them more useful to take among an abundance of options in the Jungle. With new and major changes to the map, we will be keeping a close eye on balance and make any necessary adjustments as everyone gets their hands on this map.
    • Buffs
      • Enhanced Damage Buff
        • Increased Lifesteal bonus from +7% to +10%
      • Enhanced Speed Buff
        • Increased Movement Speed bonus from +5% to +7%
      • Enhanced Mana Buff
        • Increased Maximum Mana bonus from +10% to +15%
    • Fire Giant
      • Increased Max Health from 6300 to 6600
      • Increased Physical Protection from 110 to 120
      • Increased Magical Protection from 70 to 80
    • Gold/Primal/Oni Fury
      • Increased Max Health from 3250 to 3500
      • Increased Protections from 30 to 35
    • Oracle
      • Increased Max Health from 500 to 600
    • Lesser Scorpion (Lane)
      • Increased Healing effect from 10 to 12 per tick
      • Base
        • Decreased Max Health from 450 to 390
      • Scaling
        • Decreased Max Health from +140 to +110
    • Alpha Harpy
      • Base
        • Decreased Max Health from 630 to 580
        • Decreased Physical Protection from 12 to 9
        • Decreased XP Reward from 71 to 38
        • Decreased Gold Reward from 28 to 24
      • Scaling
        • Decreased Max Health from +150 to +90

Other Modes

  • Classic Joust and Duel
  • While Animosity has become a prevalent upgrade that is difficult to build defensively against, Benevolence itself adds a lot of free reward for playing passively or even overtly reckless. These items made this starter tree overwhelmingly desirable, and have been banned from Joust and Duel. Also, the collision around Phoenix pedestals has been updated to allow projectiles to pass through. This matches the behavior in Conquest.
    • Once a Phoenix is slain, all ranged auto-attacks will now pass through its pedestal
    • The Benevolence starter item and both of its upgrades are now banned in these modes
  • Arena
  • Arena has a very aggressive yet delicate economy. Mid Season changes have given players extra Gold to spend, giving them a bit more time to play with expensive builds and upgraded starters. This is a fantastic side-effect, but a very precise XP boost was required to keep the XP curve in the same place relative to Gold. Thus, this spooling increase only applies to the 3 lowest XP members of each team.
    • This map has had a complete visual overhaul to match the theme of this Update’s Crossover: Stranger Things. The Greco-Roman Arena now lays in darkness, covered in otherworldly life as the gods battle through this parallel world known as “The Upside Down”.
    • The 3 lowest XP members of each team will now receive 1 extra bonus XP per second

Relics

MEDITATION CLOAK (REWORK)
  • Meditation and Neith, name a more iconic duo. Meditation has struggled to be taken seriously as a relic, offering easily countered healing and lacking in utility to compare against Shell or more purely defensive choices like Beads and Aegis. We are changing it from a single burst health to many pulses of healing that restore based on missing resources. This means its healing can be much higher and gives it a clear goal to shoot for to maximize its effect. It’s upgrade takes this a step further and reduces cooldowns of all nearby gods by 2.5s if they stay nearby, giving this much more utility than it previously provided.
  • Enter a meditative state where nearby allies gods within 50 units restore 8 + 5% of their Missing Health and Mana each tick. Heals occur once every second for 4s.
  • Cooldown : 160s

MEDITATION CLOAK (UPGRADE REWORK)
  • Enter a meditative state where nearby allies gods within 50 units restore 8 + 5% of their Missing Health and Mana each pulse. Additionally each pulse reduces cooldowns for all abilities by 0.5s. Pulses occur once every second for 4s.
  • Cooldown : 160s

SUNDERING SPEAR (REWORK)
  • Sundering Spear has seen some play but it struggled due to its variance. Unlike most relics this relic had a clear fail state which made it highly variable. Combined with the ability to 100% counter shields this relic had some wild swings. We are giving it two charges and toning down each individual component. Not only can you achieve slightly more by double casting this relic on a single target, gods now have the flexibility to spread out its effects and have a second shot to get some of the benefits on a pure miss.
  • Fire a bolt that travels 70 units, stopping on first god hit dealing 10% of their Current Health as True Damage and reducing any active shields by 50%. Targets hit take 10% increased damage for 5s, stacking 2 times. This relic has 2 charges.
  • Cooldown : 90s

SUNDERING SPEAR (UPGRADE REWORK)
  • Using this item fires a bolt that travels 70 units, stopping on first god hit dealing 15% of their Current Health as True Damage and reducing any active shields in by 75%. Targets hit take 10% increased damage for 5s, stacking 2 times. This relic has 2 charges.
  • Cooldown : 90s

BRACER OF UNDOING + UPGRADE
  • Bracer of Undoing and the new Meditation overlapped in quite a few ways. We are removing this relic and making room for a new Bracer to take its spot.
  • Removed these relics from the game.

BRACER OF RADIANCE (NEW RELIC)
  • Bracer of Radiance is designed as a Support Relic to rival other utility relics like Girdle, Shell, Meditation, and Heavenly Agility. Bracer of Radiance allows you to create an area of safety and power for your team. This area will not only serve as a ward but boost players ability to fight or flee depending on their health. It’s upgrade further empowers Supports to control the area of the map by making the relic reveal wards in the area. A well placed Bracer of Radiance at Fire Giant can not only clear out enemy vision but boost your team’s ability to threaten taking the objective, putting pressure on your foes.
  • Place a radiant glow at a target location for 90s. Allies who move through this field gain 10% increased Power if above half health or 10% Movement Speed if below Half Health for 8s. This fragment acts as a ward. If destroyed the cooldown of the relic is reduced by 20s.
  • Cooldown : 100s

BRACER OF RADIANCE (UPGRADED NEW RELIC)
  • Place a radiant glow at a target location for 90s. Allies who move through this field gain 10% increased Power if above half health or 10% Movement Speed if below Half Health. This radiant glow acts as a Sentry Ward. If destroyed the cooldown of the relic is reduced by 20s.
  • Cooldown : 100s
Items

BOOTS
  • Welcome to SMITE without boots! Boots have been in SMITE since its inception and served an important role. At the start of the game lower movement speed encourages laning and contributes much of the feel of the early game we are used to. This base speed however feels too slow when teammates need to begin rotating and grouping up. In come boots, a cheap and stat efficient way of gaining this speed and making the mid and late game rotation speed feel right. It comes with drawbacks however. First, these are required. Not building boots is a death sentence in many situations. Second, many of our modes don’t have the same considerations with keeping speed lower at the start of the game. Finally, this takes up an item slot which really limits item expression during the early and mid game.
  • With boots being removed players will now gain 18% Movement Speed over their first 7 levels. This pacing felt the most consistent with when players of all roles obtained boots and considers that players are gaining incremental speed with each level, rather than a sudden spike when they finish boots. This will change balance quite a lot. In our internal tests we have seen a large shakeup in builds and a lot of experimentation. Items that previously felt too slow to build or utility items that had to compete with getting boots online feel very different. This will affect power curves, which roles feel impactful, and at that time they feel impactful. We are excited for everyone to get their hands on this change and we will be ready to make any adjustments necessary as players explore this bootsless world
  • Removed this item and all boots upgrades from the game
    • Players in all modes now receive 18% Movement Speed (Boots Speed) over their first 7 levels

SHOES
  • Removed this item and all shoes upgrades from the game
    • Players in all modes now receive 18% Movement Speed (Shoes Speed) over their first 7 levels

ELIXIR OF SPEED
  • With boots and shoes gone this elixir doesn’t have much of a purpose anymore in freeing up that extra item slot.
  • Removed this elixir from the game

ENCHANTED SPEAR
  • Enchanted Spear and Heavy Mace were standouts from our initial testing. While we have our theories as to what is strong and what isn’t; we only wanted to adjust items we had strong feeling were going to be too strong or limit build options. With ~1500 gold freed up to spend items that are incredibly efficient such as Enchanted Spear and Heavy Mace with their 10 Penetration can create very early snowball opportunities. We are shifting their stats around, lowering their Penetration but providing some offset benefit in return.
  • Decreased Magical Penetration from 10 to 5
  • Increased Magical Power from 30 to 40

HEAVY MACE
  • Decreased Physical Penetration from 10 to 5
  • Decreased Cost from 1500 to 1450
    • Brawler’s Beat Stick, Jotunn’s Wrath, and The Crusher should have their total costs unchanged

ICHAIVAL
  • Ichaival, Mystical Mail, and Winged Blade fell into a similar boat as Enchanted Spear and Heavy Mace. Previously these items made you very difficult to fight but came at the cost of not rushing boots in the early game. This limited how useful these items could be. With that limitation gone we felt we needed to shift their strength around (or tone it back a notch) to ensure they didn’t become the only viable early option for Hunters, Solo Laners, and Supports.
  • Decreased Attack Speed Reduction from 10% to 7% per stack.
  • Increased Physical Power from 30 to 35

MYSTICAL MAIL
  • Changed Passive damage from 40 to 30 (+1 Per Level)

WINGED BLADE
  • Decreased Crowd Control Reduction from 20% to 10%

STAFF OF MYRDDIN (REWORK)
  • Staff of Myrddin is receiving a rework. The previous version had some un-intuitive interactions and struggled to find use on all but a few gods. The fantasy of the item is to be a spell slinging, cheating the cooldown system. This is something we wanted to preserve with the rework.
  • The new Staff of Myrddin will trigger like all Arthurian items do but will now provide 80% Uncapped Cooldown Reduction for a small window. Rather than affecting only a single ability you can use your full rotation and, if done quick enough before it decays, get a second rotation during a teamfight. We feel this rework will not only be more applicable on most gods, but remove many of the unintuitive interactions with the previous version of Staff of Myrddin.
  • Decreased Magical Power from 110 to 95
  • NEW PASSIVE – When your ultimate ability has finished casting you gain Myrddin’s Brilliance which provides 80% Uncapped Cooldown Reduction, decaying to 40% Uncapped Cooldown Reduction over 7s. Uncapped Cooldown Reduction overrides normal Cooldown Reduction. At the end of the 7s you lose Myrddin’s Brilliance. This can only occur once every 45s.

WAR FLAG (REWORK)
  • War Flag struggled to see play in Conquest, lacking the economic reward needed for supports. The items identity was to offset the need for economy with early lane aggression but even in that situation it fell short in Conquest. Now when you have obtained enough stacks of War Flag, each of your damaging abilities and Basic Attacks will pulse a strong heal on your allies and provide you with gold. This reinforces the items identity as the aggressive support option while giving it what it needs to succeed in Conquest.
  • NEW PASSIVE – Getting an assist when an enemy dies provides a stack that gives 1% Movement Speed and 2% Attack Speed for 8s to nearby allies up to 10 stacks. While at or above 4 stacks each time you damage an enemy god you restore 15 Health and Mana to nearby allies within 55 units and you gain 8 gold.

WAR BANNER (REWORK)
  • The upgrade mirrors the change to War Flag, but successful hits allow you to extend the buff in addition to restoring health. Skilled supports can not only provide a burst in speed and Attack Speed, but if they can find opportunities to fight enemy gods they can bring this into a tower siege, a phoenix siege, and even when they try to end the game.
  • NEW PASSIVE – Getting an assist for an enemy dying provides a stack that provides 2% Movement Speed and 4% Attack Speed for 8s to nearby allies up to 10 stacks. While at or above 4 stacks each time you damage an enemy god you restore 1.25% Health and 1.25% Mana to nearby allies within 55 units and refresh the duration of these stacks.

CORRUPTED BLUESTONE (REWORK)
  • Corrupted Bluestone was intentionally a weird upgrade, asking ability gods to pivot towards an Attack Speed build right at the very end. It turns out this was just too weird, only seeing use in very limited capacity. We are simplifying its rules and shifting around what it provides to be more all around for Warriors. It still focuses on pivoting your build but the shift is much less severe and provides more general protection that Warriors need to fight.
  • Decreased Physical Power from 60 to 50
  • Now provides 150 Health
  • Will now provide its stacking benefit for applying Corruption, rather than actively tracking how many applications of Corruption are active. This stacking benefit now lasts for 6s.
  • Decreased Attack Speed provided per stack from 15% to 10%
  • Stacks now provide 4% increased Protections

(STARTER) DEATH’S TOLL
  • These next few changes are focused around Basic Attack Warriors who have struggled to fight against the Bluestone Warrior meta. Death’s Toll in particular should provide strong sustain and boxing power to gods like Osiris and Bellona but the cleave sustain was too low. We are boosting it for Melee cleaves specifically to help provide additional sustain for gods who need to fight in the thick of a wave to sustain.
  • Increased the heal on melee cleave Basic Attack hits from 50% to 75%
    • Ranged cleave basic attack hits remain at 50%

DEATH’S EMBRACE (UPGRADE)
  • Increased the heal on melee cleave Basic Attack hits from 50% to 75%
    • Ranged cleave basic attack hits remain at 50%

BERSERKER’S SHIELD
  • Berserker’s Shield is receiving a unique change we have avoided doing for a long time. The idea of class restricting items often is a last resort or limited to trees where that is the core identity of the tree. In most cases we have been able to balance and tune bruiser items to work but Berserker’s Shield offered just the right stats that it had to be tuned down so much that Assassins and Warriors could not use it due to Hunters ability to leverage those stats.
  • This is something we don’t plan to do more in the future as most other cases have ways they can be adjusted in case one role is using an item that limits it for other roles. With this class locking we are boosting the Attack Speed and Physical Protection this item provides to better work with Basic Attack Warriors or Assassin’s looking for some extra tankiness.
  • This item can only be built by Assassins and Warriors
  • Increased Attack Speed from 15% to 25%
  • Increased Physical Protection from 20 to 35

SHOGUN’S KUSARI
  • Shogun’s Kusari provides strong team utility but it is difficult to build. The lack of raw health made it difficult for Supports to purchase and even for Basic Attack warriors looking for some extra Magical Protections it struggled to bring enough to feel worth the tradeoff. Replacing the Crowd Control Reduction with Health and a bump to the Aura’s strength should make this feel like a more viable choice for Supports and Warriors alike.
  • No longer provides Crowd Control Reduction
  • Now provides 150 Health
  • Increased Attack Speed Aura from 25% to 30%

SERRATED EDGE
  • Serrated Edge made a big impact when we first launched it but quickly fell after a round of nerfs. A bump to its Physical Power should round it out as a powerful offensive choice.
  • Increased Physical Power from 25 to 35

(STARTER) MANIKIN SCEPTER
  • Manikin Scepter has not delivered on being a viable option for Junglers looking for some extra aggression in ganking. Specifically the lack of sustain, its lack of enough clear speed, and it struggling to really be felt as a boost to your lethality all came together to create this feeling. We are adjusting it quite heavily to address all of these and make it better compare to Bumba’s Spear and Eye of the Jungle. Its damage over time not only reaches maximum strength more quickly, but it now scales with your power. Similarly, the heal upon defeating a Jungle Monster scales off your health and mana, making it relevant past your first clear.
  • Increased burn Physical Damage from 12 over 2s to 16 (+5% of your Physical and Magical Power) over 2s
  • Decreased the amount of stacks from 4 to 3
  • Increased Health Restored from 15 to 3% of your Max Health
  • Increased Mana Restored from 15 to 5% of your Max Mana

MANIKIN MACE (UPGRADE)
  • Increased Health Restored from 2.5% to 3% of your Max Health
  • Increased Mana Restored from 2.5% to 5% of your Max Health

(STARTER) SENTINEL’S GIFT
  • Sentinel’s Gift and Benevolence walk a fine line with each other but as Season 8 has progressed Benevolence has become the go to. We are boosting Sentinel’s Gift’s strength to further differentiate the two items. With an even lower cost and some raw protections, players with Sentinel’s should feel more comfortable pushing against Benevolence at its weakest point; the beginning of the game.
  • Decreased Cost from 600 to 550
  • Increased Both Magical and Physical protections from 7 to 10

(STARTER) CONDUIT GEM
  • Conduit Gem is gaining some additional mana to better support other Mage builds. Specifically the lack of a Mana providing starter weakened Book of Thoth and Book of the Dead builds; leaving those items to live only when Book of Thoth can be safely rushed. With the removal of boots we expect some pretty serious shake ups with what can be started and rushed and felt a little mana here could ease this shakeup some.
  • Now provides 100 mana

(STARTER) VAMPIRIC SHROUD
  • Vampiric Shroud struggles to compete even where it would be expected to be strong; with Brusier Mages. Rather than bringing up power more to compete with Conduit Gem and Sands of Time we want to highlight its unique strength as a defensive option. A boost here should help it stand out as an option when a mage is particularly worried about early physical aggression.
  • Increased Health from 75 to 100
  • Increased Physical Protection from 10 to 15

BLOOD SOAKED SHROUD (UPGRADE)
  • This upgrade had an identity that fought with itself. This was the tanky option but encourages heavy lifesteal builds which scale their healing off damage. This made it lackluster for damage dealers who would simply go Sacrificial Shroud and lackluster for bruisers who didn’t benefit enough. We are removing the stacking lifesteal and making this item more focused as a direct upgrade to Vampiric Shroud for Bruisers.
  • Increased Physical Protection from 40 to 55
  • Increased Health restore from 12 to 2% Max health
  • Increased Mana restore from 6 to 2% Max Health
  • Removed the Bonus stacking Lifesteal from this item’s passive

SACRIFICIAL SHROUD (UPGRADE)
  • Sacrificial Shroud promises heavy damage at a cost, but the damage tradeoff didn’t feel quite there for most players. Some extra Magical Power will help this item stand out as a potent damage option.
  • Increased Magical Power from 100 to 115

(STARTER) WARRIOR’S AXE
  • Warrior’s Axe has been mostly overshadowed by Bluestone Pendant in recent play. Since our last nerf on Bluestone Pendant we saw some use of Warrior’s Axe but it still struggled. Looking at the current Bluestone Pendant we feel its overall power is where it should be and rather than nerfing it we need to bring other starts that compete with it up. Warrior’s Axe will now not only steal health more effectively at the start but will now scale over the laning phase and game. Gods who feel like they can win trades should feel rewarded for playing into this trading playstyle in between clearing the wave.
  • Increased Passive Bonus Damage and Health Steal from 30 to 35 (+1 per level)

ATALANTA’S BOW
  • Atalanta’s Bow is getting an extra bump in power, letting it flex more into Hunter builds as an option.
  • Increased Power from 35 to 40

(STARTER) LEATHER COWL
  • Leather Cowl is an all around starter but with no mana sustain it can be difficult to utilize at the start of the game. Some extra MP5 should help it compete as an option with Death’s Toll, Gilded Arrow, and Bluestone.
  • Now provides 7 MP5

HUNTER’S COWL (UPGRADE)
  • Now provides 15 MP5

(STARTER) WARDING SIGIL
  • Warding Sigil is a strong defensive choice but doesn’t quite offer anything else to help in the early game. Freeing up some gold in the early game to pair this with what you need in the early game should help it find a spot more often.
  • Decreased Cost from 700 to 600

(STARTER) TAINTED STEEL
  • Tainted Steel is seeing quite the change. While minor anti-heal can be impactful in some matchups, it doesn’t really help you personally in ways you would expect a starter to. We are now letting it steal healing like Tainted Amulet does, giving it something more direct to feel in the laning phase.
  • Decreased Healing Reduction from 20% to 15%
  • You are now healed for 100% of the healing reduced

TAINTED AMULET (UPGRADE)
  • Tainted Amulet and Breastplate struggled to see play largely because it only made sense in matchups where you could justify Tainted Steel. Upon looking at it closer even with Tainted Steel being a more attractive choice Tainted Amulet and Breastplate don’t quite stand on their own as potent end game starter upgrade. We are boosting both these items to make sure this feels rewarding in matchups where they make sense.
  • Increased Healing Reduction from 20% to 30%

TAINTED BREASTPLATE (UPGRADE)
  • Increased Physical Power from 40 to 50
  • Increased Magical Power from 60 to 75

JADE EMPEROR’S CROWN
  • Jade Emperor’s Crown can be a potent counter to high Physical Power teams but it lacked enough personal stats for the wearer to feel tanky enough. Some extra help with make this team utility choice feel better to buy for the wearer.
  • Increased Health from 150 to 200

TYRANNICAL PLATE HELM
  • Tyrannical Plate Helm boosts a specific game plan but its high cost makes it a difficult game plan to go all in on. A lower cost removes some of the friction in building this item and frees up some gold for Supports who go this route.
  • Decreased Cost from 2600 to 2400
Gods
God Balance in Mid Season is really focused around bringing up gods that have struggled since the start of Season 8. We took a look at all our metrics, Win Rate, Pick Rate, Ban Rate, SPL Performance, Ranked Performance, Casual Performance, and general sentiment to create a list of gods that struggled in most of these metrics. Boots removal will change things a ton, item balance and relic reworks will change things a ton, but we want to make sure these gods don’t need to wait for how things shake up to get some love.
AMATERASU
Reflecting upon Amaterasu’s balance we saw her be a strong Warrior towards the end of Season 7, needing multiple nerfs. Since Season 8 however she has not shone with the same brilliance and is in need of some buffs. Heavenly Reflection will now charge more quickly and reliably, helping Amaterasu get her damage out more quickly during teamfights and while laning. Additionally we are reverting the nerf we did in late Season 7 to her Dazzling Offensive.

HEAVENLY REFLECTION
  • Increased Charge Rate from taking damage from 4 to 4.5
  • Increased Charge Gained from hitting an enemy from 0.15 to 0.2
    • This means Amaterasu will gain charge on Heavenly Reflection more quickly for taking damage and for each enemy she hits

DAZZLING OFFENSIVE
  • Increased Base Damage from 80/120/160/200/240 to 80/125/170/215/260
ARTEMIS
Artemis often feels like the hunted rather than the huntress. We want to improve her tools that put her on the offensive so she can feel safer putting on the pressure. Transgressor’s Fate can be a really solid follow up to CC or emergency safety. It will now be available more often and a boost to its damage can let her turn on foes who get caught. Vengeful Assault will also give some extra speed to flee or follow and is also getting a cooldown reduction to lower her downtime.

TRANSGRESSOR’S FATE
  • Increased Base Damage from 25/40/55/70/85 to 35/48/61/74/87
  • Decreased Cooldown from 18/16/14/12/10s to 14/13/12/11/10s

VENGEFUL ASSAULT
  • Increased Movement Speed from 20% to 25%
  • Decreased Cooldown from 18/17/16/15/14s to 16/15.5/15/14.5/14
BABA YAGA
More buffs are brewing for Baba. We are blasting off some cooldown on Blast Off while making her Ultimate a better defensive tool when she is under pressure. Some extra Shield Health combined with a stronger knockback will give her the space to unleash a volley of Witchfire on her foes.

BLAST OFF
  • Decreased cooldown from 16 to 14.

HOME SWEET HOME
  • Increased Shield Health scaling from 15% to 25%
  • Increased Knockback Strength from 330 to 400
BARON SAMEDI
Who wouldn’t invite Baron to the Mid Season party? Baron Samedi is gaining a boost to his utility rather than raw damage. Hysteria from Basic Attacks is getting a substantial boost while a double hit from Vivid Gaze will now automatically apply its debuff, even if the target is at 0 Hysteria. Consign Spirits is also seeing a cooldown reduction. These changes help both Mid Baron Samedi in gaining some extra safety and more frequent wave clear while Support Baron Samedi has more freedom to play with applying Hysteria for maximum effect.

HYSTERIA
  • Increased Hysteria applied from Basic Attacks from 2 to 5

VIVID GAZE
  • Increased Hysteria applied from 10 to 15 per hit
  • Added Power Debuff duration to the description (3/3.5/4/4.5/5s)

CONSIGN SPIRITS
  • Decreased Cooldown from 15/14/13/12/11 to 13/12.5/12/11.5/11
DA JI
Da Ji hasn’t quite clawed her way into the Meta. While there was a lot of talk about her being stronger with Shell losing its block stacks we didn’t quite see that play out. One Thousand Cuts is her primary clear ability but it has a large cooldown as it doesn’t go on cooldown until it finishes casting. Lowering this cooldown will bring it closer to other Assassins and their clear speed in the Jungle.

ONE THOUSAND CUTS
  • Decreased Cooldown from 13s to 11s
HACHIMAN
Hachiman is definitely showing why he is a Master of Arms and the Lord of the Eight Banners. Eagle Eye will now fire 4 shots consistently, giving him some extra trading power in the early game. Heavenly Banner is also getting some buffs, scaling better with Hachiman’s power and providing extra utility to him and his team when fighting around the banner.

EAGLE EYE
  • Increased Ammo count from 3/3/4/4/4 to 4 at all ranks
  • Decreased Cooldown from 12 to 12/11.5/11/10.5/10
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 50/60/70/80/90 to 50 at all ranks

HEAVENLY BANNER
  • Increased Physical Power Scaling from 45 to 55%
  • Increased Attack Speed from 5/7.5/10/12.5/15% to 10/12.5/15/17.5/20%.
HADES
Hades wants to get into the thick of a fight to Devour Souls and pull enemies in with Pillar of Agony. Our goals here are to reward Hades for doing just that. Devour Souls having a reduced cooldown will allow Hades more frequent opportunities to restore health and burst enemies which helps Hades during all stages of the game. In teamfights Hades will now gain reduced cooldowns for each enemy hit with Pillar of Agony, allowing him to engage, use Pillar of Agony, and continue the pressure much more quickly.

DEVOUR SOULS
  • Decreased Cooldown from 11s to 10s

PILLAR OF AGONY
  • When Pillar of Agony damages an enemy all of Hades’ other abilities have their cooldown reduced by 0.2s
HE BO
He Bo is known for his burst but he has been struggling to make a splash. Finding the right point for his early game strength compared to his late game burst is a fine line but he is currently on the weak side. A boost to Water Cannons early game base damage will help him clear and compete with other mages.

WATER CANNON
  • Increased Base Damage from 60/110/160/210/260 to 80/125/170/215/260
HEL
Mid Season came with a large change to healers overall. Since then things have settled down and Hel has felt underwhelming for some time. We want to increase her ability to trade and burst her opponents rather than boost her sustain as a way to bring her back.

DECAY
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling from 50% to 60%
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 55/60/65/70/75 to 45/50/55/60/65

RESTORATION
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 55/60/65/70/75 to 45/50/55/60/65

REPULSE
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling from 70% to 75%
HERA
Argus is getting a tune up for Mid Season. Argus has high impact when he first lands in a fight, but in later stages of the game his output for how quickly he can die feels mismatched. Rather than boosting his tankiness we want his attacks to feel more impactful. Additional Royal Assaults fist damage is getting a solid base damage bump, helping Hera clear and burst enemies down with a strong combo.

COMMANDING PRESENCE
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling on Argus’ First Hit from 30 to 35%
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling on Argus’ Second Hit from 30 to 35%
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling on Argus’ Third Hit from 40 to 45%

ROYAL ASSAULT
  • Increased fist damage from 80/130/180/230/280 to 80/135/190/245/300
JORMUNGANDR
The cycle continues with another Jormungandr change! Jormungandr has struggled to find a spot supporting his allies and being a bruiser for his team. His breath is now more corrosive, getting a nice burst in base damage while Submerge gets a solid boost to its Movement Speed, letting him chase down his enemies.

GENERAL
  • Increased Basic Attack damage from 9.6 to 10.4.

SUBMERGE
  • Increased Movement Speed from 25% to 35%
KALI
The Goddess of Destruction lives up to her name in the late game but she struggles to get there at the start. High mana costs combined with limited gank burst damage make it hard for her to compete against other junglers. Alleviating but not removing something of these early limitations should help her reach the later stages of the game.

GENERAL
  • Increased Base Mana from 205 to 225

NIMBLE STRIKE
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 70 to 60

LASH
  • Increased Blade Damage from 35/45/55/65/75 to 37/49/61/73/85
    • Total increased from 105/135/165/195/225 to 111/147/183/219/255

INCENSE
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 70 to 60
MULAN
Mulan wants to master her arsenal to overpower her opponents in the late game, but she isn’t quite getting to that point. Improving her base health is a start, but extra scaling on Cross Strike with some bonus Protections on the Mastery and base hit of Grapple will round out that late game and let her brawl with the rest of the gods.

GENERAL
  • Increased Base Health from 480 to 490
  • Increased Base Health per level from 82 to 84

CROSS STRIKE
  • Increased Physical Power Scaling per hit from 30% to 35%
    • Total increased from 30/60/90% to 35/70/105%

GRAPPLE
  • Now provides 5% Protections in addition to the Movement Speed when mastered.
  • Increased Grapple Protections from 20/25/30/35/40 to 25/30/35/40/45
ODIN
Odin has been in an interesting spot since his rework. He released quite strong seeing a slew of nerfs, but over time it has become clear the nerfs went too far. Some of the ones that hit him the hardest were around his main ability cooldowns and Gungnir’s Might overall damage. We are reverting some of these to find a solid middle ground for the god.

LUNGE
  • Decreased Cooldown from 16/15/14/13/12s to 15/14/13/12/11s

RAVEN SHOUT
  • Decreased Cooldown from 16/15/14/13/12s to 15/14/13/12/11s

GUNGNIR’S MIGHT
  • Increased Physical Power Scaling Throw Damage from 50% to 60%
OLORUN
Magical ADCs were a group that we watched very closely with recent buffs. While some of them underperformed, Olorun underperformed the most. Looking at the aftermath of the ring buffs we saw a large rise in all Mage ADCs except Olorun who hardly moved. It is clear he needs some additional buffs. Overflowing Divinity now scales better with his Magical Power while early game Sanctified Field has a reduced cooldown, giving him some extra safety he didn’t have access to. The final change is a fix to make his ultimate interactions more consistent and expected. Currently, enemy CC applied to him is lengthened due to how Time Dilation interacts with him. This 40% CCR functionally removes these unintuitive interactions and brings CC effects into more neutral territory rather than being extra punishing to Olorun.

OVERFLOWING DIVINITY
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling from 15% to 25%

SANCTIFIED FIELD
  • Decreased Cooldown from 140/130/120/110/100 to 120/115/110/105/100
  • Olorun now gains 40% Crowd Control Reduction while in this area
RATATOSKR
Ratatoskr’s Acorns replace boots in his build, which means he need special consideration when we decided to remove boots. His acorns allowed him to move slightly faster than everyone on the map while offering him flexibility. We adjusted the speed values so this remains and feels potent enough to feel good about buying these acorns while other gods have different options opened up to them earlier.

MAGIC ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 8% to 2%

LIVELY ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 10% to 4%

NETTLE ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 10% to 4%

THICKBARK ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 20% to 6%

BRISTLEBUSH ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 20% to 6%

THISTLETHORN ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 20% to 6%

EVERGREEN ACORN
  • Decreased Movement Speed from 20% to 6%
SUSANO
Susano and Terra are gaining a similar change that Scylla received some time ago. Typhoon and Crushing Earth are abilities that can be refired and do not disappear upon the death of the god. Since both those conditions are the case we want to make sure those gods can finish what they were attempting to do at the time of death.

TYPHOON
  • Susano can now refire Typhoon while dead
TERRA

CRUSHING EARTH
  • Terra can now refire Crushing Earth while dead
THOR
Thor has strong potential as shown by the many times he has been a prominent pick. He has however not hit that mark in Season 8. We are boosting his ability to generate power with his Passive while fighting by increasing its range and giving Anvil of Dawn just that little extra to let him coming crashing down on his opponents.

WARRIOR’S MADNESS
  • Increased Radius from 30 to 55 units

ANVIL OF DAWN
  • Increased Physical Power Scaling from 90% to 100%
THOTH
The arbiter of the damned is getting a boost to his Hieroglyphs, putting some extra threat into is primary artillery mage ability.

HIEROGLYPHIC ASSAULT
  • Increased Magical Power Scaling from 20% to 25%
TIAMAT
Tiamat is the only nerf on this list, receiving a change focused at adjusting a high level concern. Summon Serpents should be a powerful tool for pushing up and lane and creating pressure. This pressure however shouldn’t be enough on its own to topple your bases primary defenses but rather open up your team to find opportunities to push. Serpents will now die when attacking a Phoenix or Titan twice, making them unable to take these objectives on their own without assistance from a god or a particularly beefy wave of Oni minions. Summon Beasts is also seeing a reduction in lifetime, lowering Tiamats ability to zone control for extended periods of time.

SUMMON SERPENTS
  • When Serpents damage a Phoenix or a Titan they take 1 pip of health in damage

SUMMON BEAST
  • Decreased Lifetime from 30s to 15s
FREYA
Freya has seen a recent spike with the Mage ADC itemization but she still struggles. One aspect that holds her back is her early laning phase and the demand on her mana. Reducing these costs should help her out in a way that doesn’t directly increase her hyper carry playstyle.

IRRADIATE
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 60/80 to 45/65

PULSE
  • Decreased Mana Cost from 60/80 to 45/65
NOX
Minions beware! Nox’s unique playstyle focuses on locking down her opponents, winding up big burst windows, and disrupting enemies’ plans. These work great in non-conquest modes where she sees significant success but conquest is a different story. This was helped when we added damage on Shadow Lock, augmenting her clear, but we were overly cautious with the numbers we chose. A boost to this should further round her out for Conquest.

SHADOW LOCK
  • Increased minion damage from 50/85/120/155/190 to 50/90/130/170/210
  • Increased minion damage scaling from 40% to 50%
YEMOJA
We made it to the end of the Patch Notes! Congratulations for reading this far, but we got one more to go and it is definitely a big one. Yemoja’s Omi casting system brought a unique style of casting to SMITE but has left Yemoja in an interesting balance state. Her overall performance is very low but she is consistently among the highest banned gods in Ranked and in SPL. We are looking to make adjustments to alleviate some of the strength that pushes her to be a top SPL contender but bring up other aspects that will help her in overall play.
First up, Omi. Omi requires a very specific build that when optimized allows Yemoja to spike in efficiency. We are removing the mana conversion to Omi, instead letting her gain Omi at a set rate and converting that mana to health in a similar way to Cu Chulainn.
Second, Bouncing Bubble and Moonstrike. During her ultimate especially Yemoja is very flexible in being able to support her team and heavily disrupt the enemy team with a volley of slows and stuns. Bouncing Bubble especially has a very quick follow up into Moonstike and these can be paired back to back very quickly. We are adding some postfire to Bouncing Bubble to better match her animations and adding a build in delay when heavy spamming of her first ability takes place. Enemies will have some extra breathing room due to this and an increased cooldown on River’s Rebuke.
To offset this Bouncing Bubble is getting a solid bump to its base damage which will especially help her in lane and during early rotations. This combined with some extra flexibility on her build path will hopefully help her perform at all levels while high level players have more opportunity to play against this fluid goddess.

OMI
  • Yemoja no longer needs to gain Mana or MP5 to obtain extra Omi. She instead gains 1 Omi at levels 6, 11, and 16
  • Mana and MP5 are now converted to health at a rate of 20%

BOUNCING BUBBLE (MOONSTRIKE)
  • There is now a small delay when attempting to spam these abilities back to back to back. For example, if you use Bouncing Bubble into Moonstrike as fast as possible, there is no delay. If you then attempt to use Bouncing Bubble again as fast as possible there is a small delay.

BOUNCING BUBBLE
  • Increased Base Damage from 30/65/100/135/170 to 40/75/110/145/180
  • Increased Postfire from 0.3s to 0.43s

RIVER’S REBUKE
  • Increased Cooldown from 110s to 120s
POST-PTS BALANCE

STAFF OF MYRDDIN
The new Staff Of Myrddin has definitely resulted in some quick ability casting! We are going to reduce some of its raw effectiveness to bring it into a better spot for live. A small power reduction combined with a quicker decaying a lower amount of Uncapped CDR should make this item feel closer in balance to old Staff of Myrddin, allowing you to get one or two spells back quickly, not multiple rotations.
  • Decreased Magical Power from 95 to 85.
  • Decreased Uncapped CDR provided from 80% to 70%.
  • Decreased time to decay from 7s to 4s.

SUNDERING SPEAR
Sundering Spear is another of the top performers from PTS, taking an already powerful relic and adding consistency to its list of strengths. While each individual bolt is less effective, the reduction in cooldown and potency of the damage amplification was a step too far in attempting to compensate. We are increasing the cooldown back to match live Sundering Spear and toning down its power when not upgraded.
  • Increase cooldown from 90 to 110
  • Decrease stacking damage increase from 7% to 5%.

SUNDERING SPEAR UPGRADE
  • Increase cooldown from 90 to 110

TRANSCENDENCE
Transcendence (and Stone Cutting Sword) both stood out in PTS as items that when rushed provide a huge spike in power that are difficult to counter. We adjusted a few of these items already but wanted to add these to the list. Our goal is to bring down their strengths to ensure there is strong item diversity at launch but not to overdo it before we see what they can do. If these items need further adjustments (up or down) we will once players get their hands on shaping the item meta.
  • Increased Cost 2450 to 2600 (reverting a buff from 8.6)

STONE CUTTING SWORD
  • Decreased cost from 2350 to 2250
  • Decreased Protection Debuff from 10 to 7 per stack
  • Increased Protection Buff from 10 to 7 per stack

WAR FLAG/BANNER
War Flag’s description was unclear with how it interacted with multiple War Flags, creating ambiguity as to whether stacks gained from another player contributed towards you being ‘at or above 4’. The passive component of getting health, mana, and gold will only trigger when you have gotten 4 or more stacks from Assists, not from another War Flag user.
  • Updated the description to better reflect how this functions when multiple War Flags/Banners are stacked.

HOW EXACTLY DO WE GET 18% MOVEMENT SPEED BY LEVEL 7?
One thing we were not super clear about was how exactly the Movement Speed per level worked. Some players thought you got 18% for hitting level 7, with no in-between amount, while others thought it might be a strange formula. Sorry for the confusion but here is explicitly how it works!
  • Players at level 1 will have +0% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 2 will have +3% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 3 will have +6% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 4 will have +9% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 5 will have +12% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 6 will have +15% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 7 will have +18% Movement Speed.
  • Players at level 8 through 20 will have +18% Movement Speed.
GILGAMESH
Gilgamesh is getting an additional nerf. While we expect the Bonus Balance to be a step in the right direction we feel due to his overall performance he needs some more. One thing that stood out is how powerful Winds of Shamash can be at splitting the enemy team on initial cast and how punishing the final root/cripple can be for those who choose to stick it out and fight. An adjustment here should give more flexibility in how teams choose to fight around the Winds of Shamash.

WINDS OF SHAMASH
  • Decreased Initial Slow from 20/22.5/25/27.5/30% to 20% at all ranks
  • The Root at the end of the ultimate no longer cripples

Once there’s a new SMITE update, we’ll let our readers know.

Source: SMITE

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Alex Co

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

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Roccat Announces First USB Studio Microphone the “Torch”

PC gamers, and streamer enthusiasts looking lighten up their set-up, will be happy to learn that Roccat has announced a new studio microphone with full Amino RGB. Introducing the “Torch.”

Roccat is back with yet another exciting product, this one being a first for the company as it dabbles into USB connective standalone microphones. Meet the new Torch Mic from Roccat!

The Torch Microphone Trailer

“The Torch’s distinct look, pro-level performance, and attractive price make it perfect to grow with you as you chase your streaming and content creation passions,” said René Korte, ROCCAT Founder and General Manager for PC peripherals at Turtle Beach. “Gamers watch their favorite streamers and are inspired to create content themselves, and a studio-grade microphone is no longer a luxury, it’s a must-have accessory. We’re excited to enter a new PC peripheral category with the Torch, and to deliver another high-performance accessory that adds to our desktop ecosystem.”

Talk about a beauty! And if you didn’t catch that, the Torch does indeed support AIMO Illumination, meaning if you already own some of their existing gear that has it (such as the Kone Pro mouse, Vulcan Pro Keyboard, and the SYN Pro Air Headset,) then you’ll be able to take full control of all the lighting all at a press of a single button! 

Features and Highlights of the Torch Microphone

  • Dual condenser capsule design with 24-Bit audio quality
  • Professional mixer-style controls
  • Three pick-up patterns, including the exclusive Whisper
  • Contactless Quick-Mute gesture control
  • Reactive RGB lighting with AIMO
  • Driver free plug and play setup
  • Boom arm compatible, without compromise

Torch Microphone Specifications

  • Sample/Bit Rate: 48kHz,
  • 24-bit with optional selection for 44.1kHz
  • Capsules: 2 × ROCCAT Proprietary ∅14 × 6.5mm condenser capsules
  • Pickup Patterns: Cardioid, Stereo, Whisper (ROCCAT Proprietary)
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Max SPL: 110dB
  • Zero-latency 3.5mm, 4-Pole headphone socket
  • Turtle Beach TruSpeak™ technology
  • Turtle Beach Audio Hub compatible
  • Dimensions (Desktop fully assembled): 138mm × 95mm × 208mm
  • Weight (microphone and stand): 500g
  • Weight (microphone only): 290g
  • Windows® 7, 8.1 or 10
  • USB 1.1/2.0/3.0
  • Package details
    • ROCCAT® Torch ‒ Studio-Grade USB Microphone Module   
    • Base with recording studio style controls, and Microphone Angle Adjuster
    • 2 × Microphone to Base Connection Cable (15cm /200cm) 
    • USB-C to USB-A PC Connection Cable (200cm)
    • Quick-start guide

The Torch Microphone is now available for pre-order for $99 with a release date of August 15. 

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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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Forza Horizon 5 to Use Ray Tracing for Audio

While Playground Games has already talked about Forza Horizon 5’s graphical performance before, it’s confirmed today that the racing game will also utilize ray tracing for its audio.

In a new video deep dive by Playground Games, Lead Audio Designer Fraser Strachan confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 ray tracing support is indeed featured in the game.

Q: Does ray tracing affect anything audio-wise as well as visual (while we’re here)?

Playground Games: It does, yeah. So we have taken ray tracing, and we are using it throughout the world. So actually we’re sending out ray traces to detect walls, buildings, and ceilings as well.

Playground points to “echo location” as something similar to it.

Just in case you’re unaware, Microsoft calls audio ray tracing as “Project Acoustics” and here’s a technical explanation of it (via Microsoft):

Project Acoustics is a wave acoustics engine for 3D interactive experiences. It models wave effects like occlusion, obstruction, portaling and reverberation effects in complex scenes without requiring manual zone markup or CPU intensive raytracing. It also includes game engine and audio middleware integration. Project Acoustics’ philosophy is similar to static lighting: bake detailed physics offline to provide a physical baseline, and use a lightweight runtime with expressive design controls to meet your artistic goals for the acoustics of your virtual world.

Animation of a horizontal 2D slice of wave propagation through a scene

You can watch the video around the 26:30 mark to hear Playground Games talk about ray tracing for audio in Forza Horizon 5.

Forza Horizon 5 is set for release this November 9, 2021 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and is also available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

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Alex Co

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

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Gran Turismo 7 Beta Test Surfaces on PlayStation Website

Looks like Gran Turismo fans can get hyped about playing the next Gran Turismo game, as a Gran Turismo 7 beta test client has surfaced on the PlayStation website — giving racing enthusiasts something to look forward to and try out!

As reported by GT Planet, the beat is a part of the Experience PlayStation app and looks to be the only way players can access the GT 7 beta by visiting the official website then following a specific set of instructions, which they’ve described below.

The path into the Beta is a little convoluted. First, players must head into the Experience PlayStation portion of the official website. Then they need to select “Start Quest”, and “Related Campaigns”, before picking “Italia Quest”. The “Gran Turismo Beta (Test)” quest is one of four quests therein. While it seems to be part of a promotion for Italy, it is in fact open globally.

From there, players just have to watch the Gran Turismo 7 launch demo and then they’ll get the the beta code which is placeholder in itself.

So there you have it — head on over to the Experience PlayStation portion of the PlayStation website and try your luck with the beta!

While Gran Turismo 7 is still a long ways off, Gran Turismo Sport is still active and the latest update in 1.66 just arrived which you can read about here.

Thanks GT Planet!

Tim Villasor

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Dark Alliance Update 1.04 July 12 Released (Update)

Tuque Games has released the Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance update 1.04 July 12 patch, or also seen as the Dark Alliance update 1.004 patch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S. While Tuque Games has not announced what version this patch is tagged internally, chances are, this is v1.17 for PC. We’ll update the post accordingly if we’re incorrect.

Update (7/20/21): If you are looking for the July 20 patch notes for update 1.05, head on over here!

Dark Alliance Update 1.04 July 12 Patch Notes | Dark Alliance Update 1.004 Patch Notes:

Update: Tuque Games has acknowledged today’s patch and mentioned that a more substantial one is scheduled for next week.

According to Tuque Games, this update addresses disconnect issues that players are having at the end of missions.

Tuque Games has not released the official patch notes, but has touched on some of the things that are being tweaked in this title update, which you can read below (via Tuque Games):

  • Game Stability
  • Disconnects
  • Mission Bugs
  • AI Behaviours
  • Game Balancing on Monsters and Challenge Ratings

We’re keeping an eye out on the community and will update the post once more info has been made public.

Don’t forget to check out our interview with Tuque Games regarding the game where we talk about combat, inspiration and more.

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Alex Co

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

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15 Fan-Favorite Battlefield Maps We Want to See in Battlefield 2042

With Ripple Effect Studios (formerly DICE LA) confirming that they are working on a mode in Battlefield 2042 that will feature “fan-favorite” maps, we here at MP1st decided to list a few of the game’s maps that we want to see in the franchise.

Note that given how Battlefield’s gameplay offers a wide range of possibilities, most of the maps here are focused on infantry vs. infantry, and as such, don’t expect wide open maps that are primarily made for vehicles here. With that said, head on below and see if you agree!

Maps list are in no particular order.

Operation Metro (BF3)

Let’s get this one out of the way first. If there’s ONE map in this entire list that we’re sure will be in Battlefield 2042, it’s Operation Metro. This is the most popular Battlefield map (like it or hate it) possibly of all-time. There’s a reason why people flock to Op Metro, and regardless if it’s a meat grinder-type of map, it has its appeal. We’re fairly certain we’ll see Operation Metro in BF2042, since it’s almost a tradition to see this map pop up in every Battlefield game nowadays.

Seine Crossing (BF3)

Another fan-favorite map from Battlefield 3, Seine Crossing showcased tight infantry action, with a few vehicles thrown in to spice things up. How fun was it firing tank shells on buildings to drop debris on enemies? We’re hoping to see this one given a much wider space to accomodate 128-players.

Wake Island (BF 1942)

The only map in this entire list from the OG Battlefield — Battlefield 1942, Wake Island has been revived again and again, and we’re fairly certain we’ll see this one in BF2042 in one form or another. It offers the perfect balance of vehicles, infantry, naval, and aerial combat all in one map! It is a pain to travel from one island end to another though.

Strike at Karkand (BF2)

While Wake Island might be the most famous BF1942 map, Karkand is possibly Battlefield 2’s most iconic one. It’s also been remastered in more recent Battlefield games, and it’s understandable why. It offers a great urban setting where players can hide in buildings as infantry, or lay waste to enemies using vehicles. It even has good sniper perches to, for bush wookies to, y’know, snipe and spot (if they ever do that).

Damavand Peak (BF3)

While Battlefield 3 offered a varied map selection, there’s none as unique as Damavand Peak. While the map starts out like your everday Battlefield map. capturing the first objective point meant players had to dive hundreds of feet down(and parachute) to the next ones, which honestly felt exhilarating at the time. Once down, there were caverns to hide in, and more. Damavand Peak felt like three maps in one, and transitioned from one area to the next in the most badass way possible.

Hill 137 (Bad Company 2 Vietnam)

Are we cheating including this since it’s from an expansion? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing we’re certain of is how awesome Hill 137 was! Conflicts engulfed the entire map in fire which burned down cover! It was a struggle fighting uphill (literally) that made capturing the objective once you reach the top, very satisfying.

Imagine 64v64 battles (heck, or even 32v32) on this badass hill with trees and bushes for cover? Yeah, that would be insane to see and we’d love to experience it.

White Pass (Bad Company 2)

Bad Company 2 had a number of snow maps, but White Pass offered balance in terms of how cover was available for both sides. The white gave a stark contrast to the usual grays and browns we see in most Battlefield maps, and we’re hoping to see this again in BF2402.

Oasis (Bad Company 2)

Bad Company 2 might not have the biggest maps, or have the most vehicles available in its maps, but it more than made up for it with tight infantry levels like Oasis. Capturing and defending objectives offerered both sides good line of sights, where not one side had the distinct advantage. It might seem like a small thing, but you’d be surprised at how many multiplayer maps can’t even say that.

Paracel Storm (BF4)

When Battlefield 4 was announced, “levolution” was mentioned as one of its latest new features, and aside from Siege of Shanghai, this was evident in Paracel Storm where we got a huge storm enter the map, obscure visibility, and even have the waves affect how you can shoot enemies, navigate nautical vehicles and the like.

Did I mention that the starting area where you storm an actual naval ship was just like a scene from an action movie? Once you’ve completed that, you’re then tasked to storm an island.

If BF3 had Damavand Peak as memorable map, BF4 had Paracel Storm.

Caspian Border (BF3)

If there was ever a map in BF3 that was the perfect showpiece as to what Battlefield stood for, Caspian Border was the map. It had structures that could be torn down, it allowed for jets, choppers, tanks, quad bikes and the like to be used freely, and it even gave infantry time to to shine in specific areas of the map where you can sneakily take out vehicles.

Regardless if it was Rush or Conquest, Caspian Border offered an amazing time for all players given the map layout, and how each objective weren’t too far from each other which meant action was non-stop.

Zavod 311 (BF4)

Zavod 311 might not be as familiar as Siege of Shanghai, or the other BF4 maps out there, but it offered different layers of engagement. Players can go up structures to snipe incoming attackers, or you can hide below deck and just mow down those who wanted to plant MCOMS. Given the map size, tanks were able to flex on the map, though not so much that infantry combat was overshadowed.

Zavod 311 might not be the most famous BF4 map, but it definitely belongs on the list.

Grand Bazaar (BF3)

While Operation Metro was seen as the premiere infantry-focused map in BF3, Grand Bazaar was a close second. Sure, vehicles were playable on the level, but the real action was always in the center that was off limits to vehicles. Players can use their grenade launchers to drop debris on unsuspecting enemies, and it was just a cluster of bodies, med packs, ammo packs and the like, as all chaos broke out.

Grand Bazaar wasn’t as “grind-y” as Operation Metro, but offered the same kind of infantry-centric intensity.

Noshar Canals (BF3)

If you played TDM (Team Deathmatch) in BF3, then chances are, you’ll have played on Noshar Canals. Heck, go to YouTube and search for “BF3 TDM montages,” and chances are, most will be from Noshar Canals. This is one of the  — if not the most — iconic TDM map so far.

Even as Conquest and Rush maps, Noshar wasn’t bad, either.

Operation Locker (BF4)

If you thought Operation Metro was grindy, wait till you experience Operation Locker! From the on-set, Op Locker was a slog (but in a fun way) to get through one objective to the next. There were the jail portion of the maps that were also a grind-fest, and of course, the tower area where walls, grenades, bullets and everything kept flying non-stop.

Some might hate these meat grinder-type maps, but there’s no denying their appeal.

Arica Harbor (Bad Company 2)

Ah, yes. In this humble writer’s opinion, Arica Harbor is one of the best Battlefield maps ever built, and it’s a shame that we never saw any other game outside of Bad Company 2 feature it.

There were mountains, buildings, and all sorts of cover, but not enough that it made vehicles useless. The fact that Bad Company offered full-on destruction played a heavy hand in making Arica Harbor a fast-paced map.

How can anyone forget that middle area where buildings, small enclaves where infantry can hide stood ground with the medic trains all assisting vehicles with their LMGs? If there was ever a map I wanted to see comeback, it’s Arica Harbor.


Well, there you have it. Needless to say, there are bound to be favorites from players that weren’t part of the list, and we want to hear about it! List down in the comments which classic Battlefield map should be remade in BF2042 and why.

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Alex Co

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

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Splitgate Crossplay Open Beta Starts Tomorrow, Here’s a Look at 3 New Maps

Get ready to embark in some brand new territories for your shooting game pleasure, as 1047 Games has revealed three new Splitgate maps with a sneak peek gameplay trailer released to promote the crossplay open beta hitting tomorrow!

Here’s the three new maps showcased in detail — Crag, Foregone Destruction, and Impact!

Accompanying the new gameplay trailer is a little description of these new maps coming to the game via press release.

Players looking to jump in can start strategizing early as the above video explores Crag, Forgone Destruction and Impact. The short video drops walkthroughs, helpful strategy tips, lore and gameplay on each – and fans are treated to another look at the stunning graphical update hitting Splitgate on the 27th.

For those new to the Splitgate scene, the game is described as a Halo meeting Portal and with good reason. Check the overview below.

Splitgate is a free-to-play, fast-paced multiplayer shooter that features player-controlled portals. This sci-fi shooter takes the FPS genre to a new dimension with its portal mechanics, delivering high-flying, multi-dimensional combat. Evoking memories of the most revered shooters of the past two decades, Splitgate embraces the classic and familiar feel of close-quarters combat while adding a unique twist. IGN describes Splitgate as “Halo meets Portal.”

While we await the release of these new maps, drop by and check out more gaming news at MP1st.

Splitgate is free-to-play and is set to become available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

Tim Villasor

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Super Robot Wars 30 Release Date and Pre-Order Bonuses Announced

Get ready to take control of your favorite robots and mechas in a big Super Robot Wars celebration soon, as Super Robot Wars 30 release date and bonuses have been announced by Bandai Namco Entertainment!

In a video announcement from producers Takanobu Terada and Kohei Mogami, fans finally get to see the release date as well as highlights of what the new game commemorating 30 years of Super Robot Wars will feature!

In addition to the main game being released this coming October, Super Robot Wars 30 will also be available in various packages for fans who want more content! Via press release, here’s the bonus contents!

Nintendo Switch™/PlayStation®4 “SUPER ROBOT WARS 30” Package Version Early Purchase Bonus and Digital Version Pre-order Bonus Contents:

Bonus 1 – Mission: Spirit of Steel
* Rewards the SRX unit, Striker Scope, and Defender Arm Power Parts.

Bonus 2 – Mission: Elemental Lord
* Rewards the Cybaster unit, Cyclone Booster, and Sky Charm Power Parts.

Bonus 3 – Special Starter Pack
* Rewards the Military Academy 30 ID Power Part, 50,000 credits, 500 PP, and 3,000 MxP.

Bonus 4 – Bonus Mission: Spirit of the Blade
* Rewards the Spirit of the Blade Power Part, 50,000 credits, 500 PP, and 3,000 MxP.

Bonus 5 – Bonus Mission: Spirit of the Shot
*Rewards the Spirit of the Shot Power Part, 50,000 credits, 500 PP, and 3,000 MxP.

Bonus 6 – Bonus Mission: Spirit of Power
*Rewards the Spirit of Power Power Part, 50,000 credits, 500 PP, and 3,000 MxP.

In addition to a standard release, there’s also a digital deluxe edition and digital ultimate edition to choose from, as well as a premium sound and data pack!

Super Robot Wars 30 Digital Deluxe Edition
The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the Super Robot Wars 30 full game, Season Pass, and Bonus Mission Pack.

Super Robot Wars 30 Digital Ultimate Edition
The Digital Ultimate Edition includes the Super Robot Wars 30 full game, Season Pass, Bonus Mission Pack, and Premium Sound & Data Pack.

Premium Sound & Data Pack

  • Includes 31 anime themes and soundtracks, 15 original songs, and 51 reference images. Songs will be game-sized cuts.

  • Premium Sound & Data Pack Special Mission

    • Rewards the Topological Sight Enhancement Part, 100,000 credits, 1,000 PP, and 5,000 MxP.

 

Check out the Super Robot Wars 30 reveal trailer here if you missed it the first time!

Super Robot Wars 30 launches for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC via Steam on October 28!

Tim Villasor

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Black Ops Cold War Season 4 Reloaded File Sizes, Roadmap & More Revealed

While Black Ops Cold War Season 4 Reloaded isn’t going to start until July 15, Activision has revealed a lot of info about it today, such as the Black Ops Cold War Season 4 reloaded file sizes/download sizes, as well as the roadmap and loads more.

Black Ops Cold War Season 4 Reloaded File Size, Roadmap, and Everything New:

File sizes:

PlayStation 5: 8.9 GB
PlayStation 4: 8.9 GB
Xbox Series X|S: 9.2 GB
Xbox One: 9.2 GB
PC: 9.2 GB (Warzone Only) / 10.4 GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)

“MAUER DER TOTEN” – NEW BLACK OPS COLD WAR ZOMBIES EXPERIENCE ARRIVES JULY 15
  • New Round-Based Zombies Map: “Mauer Der Toten”
  • The Return of Mule Kick
  • New Crafting Item and Wonder Weapon
  • New Zombies Challenges and Intel
  • New Onslaught Content (PlayStation)
BLACK OPS COLD WAR MULTIPLAYER FREE CONTENT:
  • New Map: Rush Returns from Black Ops II
  • New Modes: Capture the Flag and Paintball Moshpit
  • New Playlists: Rush 24/7 and Cranked Moshpit
  • Weapon Blueprint and CDL Charm Rewards in League Play
  • Weapon Blueprints in the Prestige Shop
WARZONE AND BLACK OPS COLD WAR CONTENT:
  • Free: Two New Weapons
  • New Operator: Weaver (In Season)
  • Arriving in the Store: CDL Team Supporter Pack, Special Ops Pro Pack, and More
WARZONE FREE CONTENT:
  • New Game Mode: Payload
  • New Event Type: Blueprint Blitz (In Season)
  • The Red Doors Become More Mysterious…
  • New Killstreak: Sentry Gun
  •  Gifting Comes to Warzone

Head on here to read more about the new content incoming.

Once Treyarch releases the official patch notes that include the gameplay-related changes, we’ll let our readers know. If

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Alex Co

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

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Black Ops Cold War Update 1.20 Pre-Load Brings Season 4 Reloaded

Heads up! Treyarch has released the Black Ops Cold War update 1.20 title update, which is a pre-load for Season 4 Reloaded that’s due to be released officially on July 15! Note that the pre-load should be live on PlayStation platforms, though the content is the same. Head on below for the file sizes for each platform, as well as what’s new.

The patch shows up as Black Ops Cold War update 1.020 on PS5 in case you’re curious.

Black Ops Cold War Update 1.20 Pre-Load Season 4 Reloaded Patch Notes | Black Ops Cold War Update 1.020:

File sizes:

PlayStation 5: 8.9 GB
PlayStation 4: 8.9 GB
Xbox Series X|S: 9.2 GB
Xbox One: 9.2 GB
PC: 9.2 GB (Warzone Only) / 10.4 GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)

Season Four Reloaded includes:
“MAUER DER TOTEN” – NEW BLACK OPS COLD WAR ZOMBIES EXPERIENCE ARRIVES JULY 15
  • New Round-Based Zombies Map: “Mauer Der Toten”
  • The Return of Mule Kick
  • New Crafting Item and Wonder Weapon
  • New Zombies Challenges and Intel
  • New Onslaught Content (PlayStation)
BLACK OPS COLD WAR MULTIPLAYER FREE CONTENT:
  • New Map: Rush Returns from Black Ops II
  • New Modes: Capture the Flag and Paintball Moshpit
  • New Playlists: Rush 24/7 and Cranked Moshpit
  • Weapon Blueprint and CDL Charm Rewards in League Play
  • Weapon Blueprints in the Prestige Shop
WARZONE AND BLACK OPS COLD WAR CONTENT:
  • Free: Two New Weapons
  • New Operator: Weaver (In Season)
  • Arriving in the Store: CDL Team Supporter Pack, Special Ops Pro Pack, and More
WARZONE FREE CONTENT:
  • New Game Mode: Payload
  • New Event Type: Blueprint Blitz (In Season)
  • The Red Doors Become More Mysterious…
  • New Killstreak: Sentry Gun
  •  Gifting Comes to Warzone
ADDITIONAL BLACK OPS COLD WAR AND WARZONE INTEL:
  • Free Black Ops Cold War Trial Next Week
  • Update File Sizes for Warzone and Black Ops Cold War

Once the actual file is out on all platforms, we’ll let our readers know.

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Alex Co

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

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Final Fantasy XIV Roadmap for 2021 and Endwalker Official Benchmark Revealed

Those looking forward to more Final Fantasy XIV content later this year, you’ll be glad to know that Square Enix has revealed the Final Fantasy XIV roadmap for 2021! Not only that, but the PC benchmark for the Endlwaker expansion has been revealed as well.

Final Fantasy XIV Roadmap for 2021:

July – August

  • Make it Rain Campaign – Beginning July 19 and running through August 11, players can obtain the new “vexed” emote by completing event quests while also earning bonus Manderville Gold Saucer Points (MGP) from Gold Saucer activities.
  • Patch 5.58 – Releasing on July 20, the update will mark the beginning of Season 20 of The Feast alongside other content adjustments.
  • Moonfire Faire – This summer-themed seasonal event will return for a limited-time starting from August 13.
  • The Rising – Marking the 8th anniversary of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn’s release, The Rising is set to begin on August 27.

September – October

  • FINAL FANTASY XV Collaboration Event – Players can look forward to the return of the popular event that brings FINAL FANTASY XV hero Noctis Lucis Caelum to the world of Hydaelyn. From September 13, players who have reached level 50 and completed the main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon” can participate to earn numerous rewards, including Noctis’ hairstyle and outfit, the four-person Regalia mount, and more. Players who had previously completed this quest can once again experience this questline and adventure alongside Noctis.
  • Moogle Treasure Trove Event – From October 19 and until the planned start of Endwalker early access on November 19, players will have another chance to gather irregular tomestones to exchange for various rewards.

November Onward

  • Endwalker Early Access Launch – Endwalker early access beings on November 19 and allows players who have pre-ordered the game to begin their adventures ahead of the official release on November 23, 2021.
  • Post-Launch Events – Additional seasonal events are scheduled to land in the months following the release of Endwalker, such as All Saints’ Wake beginning in late November, the Starlight Celebration in December, and Heavensturn to ring in the new year.

As for the Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker benchmark, there’s a new trailer and details about that too!

The benchmark software also features an updated character creator feature, which includes the option to create male Viera characters: a new playable race to be added in Endwalker. The appearance data of characters created through the benchmark can also be saved for use in the retail version of the game or selected as the character to appear in benchmark cutscenes.

For more on the PC benchmark, head on over here.

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Alex Co

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

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Report: Lost Judgement Might be the Last Game in the Judgement Series Due to Contractual Disagreements

Looks like fans looking forward to more from Sega’s open-world Judgement franchise might be in for some disappointing news, as a report suggests that Lost judgement might be the last game in the Judgement series due to contractual disagreements.

In a post on Reddit, Japanese site Nikkan Taishu reports that there are disagreements between Sega and the talent agency representing actor Takuya Kimura — who plays the main character Takayuki Yagami in the Judgement series.

According to an article from a Japanese showbiz news site named Nikkan Taishu, in which the site did an interview with someone familiar with the situation, Sega wanted to publish Lost Judgement on PC/Steam to further extend the series’ audience but the protagonist’s actor Takuya Kimura’s talent agency prevented them from doing so due to their very strict likeness right policy (very limited pictures of their talents even on the Internet). Sega thinks this doesn’t look reasonable in terms of business and decides to end the series with the second entry.

In other words, Sega also wants to release the Judgement series on PC via Steam, but the Kimura’s agency doesn’t want to since that was not part of the initial agreement when using his likeness for the games. If this is the case, Lost Judgement may be the last game in the Yakuza spin-off series and Sega may move on to other endeavors because of it.

While Lost Judgement may be the end if this report holds water, the west will still be getting its hands on the game this coming September and you can read all about it here.

Check the magazine scans of the Japanese site on Reddit. Thanks Nibellion for the tweet on this!

Tim Villasor

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Warframe TennoCon to Feature The New War Gameplay, Prime Warframe & More Incoming for Attendees

Tennos, it’s going to be one exciting week for you, as Digital Extremes’ TennoCon is set to air this coming Saturday, July 17 at 5 PM ET/8 PM PT/5 AM HKT! In a press release sent out, the studio outlined some of the stuff set to be shown off during the event, as well as a host of freebies coming to digital attendees of Warframe TennoCon’s broadcast (TennoLive).

For starters, those seeking to find more details about the upcoming content headed to the game, TennoCon 2021 will see the gameplay debut of The New War expansion! There are also giveaways planned for those watching as well, which are listed below.

For those wondering, it seems Digital Extremes is doing a mix of in-person and digital showcases, as outlined in the press release:

Old enemies will emerge to wage The New Warin the highly-anticipated content expansion first revealed at TennoCon 2018 in DE’s hometown of London, Ontario, surrounded by thousands of players, before transitioning to a virtual event in 2020 due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

For those tuning in, there are special guests and content drops scattered throughout the show!

DE is rewarding players with several premium and exclusive items for watching.  Additionally, players will be treated to new reveals from Lotus voice actor and event host, Rebecca Ford and special guests Steve Sinclair, Scott McGregor, Geoff Crookes, and Sheldon Carter during TennoLive.  Visit www.warframe.com/tennocon for additional in-game items and redemption information, plus a detailed schedule of events, programming and merchandise.

Twitch and Steam Drop During TennoCon

  • Vastilok Gunblade Weapon
  • Awarded for watching thirty consecutive minutes between 12:30 p.m. ET – 5:00 p.m. ET

In-Game Relay Event Reward During TennoLive Segment

  • Tannukai Longsword Skin and Armor Set
  • Awarded at the end of the TennoLive in-game Relay event, must be present to qualify

Twitch and Steam Drop During TennoLive Segment

  • Loki Prime Warframe with Slot
  • Awarded for watching thirty consecutive minutes between 5:00 p.m. ET – 7:00 p.m. ET

MP1st will have the livestream and a round up of the Warframe TennoCon announcements once the event is done, so stay tuned!

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Alex Co

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

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NBA 2K21 Update 1.012 July 12 Shoots Out

Visual Concepts has released the NBA 2K21 update 1.012 (shows up as 1.012.000) July 12 patch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S! As far as we’re aware, this patch is not out on current-gen platforms (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC). Head on below for more info regarding today’s title update.

NBA 2K21 Update 1.012 July 12 Patch Notes | NBA 2K21 Update 1.012.000 Patch Notes:

Unfortunately, Visual Concepts has not released any official patch notes for today’s patch just yet (so don’t believe anything you read unless the actual changes are sourced from 2K themselves or from a reliable source).

The latest patch released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S is #9 and has the following changes (released June 24, 2021):

  • WNBA court floors and dornas have been updated for the new season.
  • Rookieville has been modified to allow for easier entry into The City for new players. A 1v1 court with a CPU opponent will now be available to ensure there is always an opponent.
  • AI generated players will now have appropriate heights, by position, when playing games in The Rec.

As for MyTeam, here are the latest updates from Visual Concepts (includes limited-time event for the NBA FInals:

We’re keeping an eye out on the community and will update the post if there are any relevant changes made. This could very well be a player update given we’re in the NBA Finals, or possibly a new decoration in the park. Once we know more, we’ll let our readers know.

If you spot any changes, let us know down in the comments.

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Alex Co

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

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COD Warzone Down, Server Issues Reported for July 11

Can’t log in or play Call of Duty Warzone? Well, you’re not alone! It seems COD Warzone down reports are surfacing right as we write this, and from different areas too!

Reports have surfaced over on Reddit, and on Twitter stating that yes, Warzone is down!

COD Warzone Down Reports for July 11:

Multiple players on Reddit have commented on how Warzone is not playable for them. In addition to that, it seems the CLD (Call of Duty League) is also experiencing the issue as well.

https://twitter.com/ModernWarzone/status/1414354004243591171

https://twitter.com/Leonniclasss/status/1414351837185126406

Same as before, if it is down for you, let us know down in the comments what platform you’re on, and where you’re located, so at least we know if this server outage is exclusive to one area/region/country. We’ll be updating the post as more development surfaces.

Both the official Activision Support Twitter account, and Raven Software have not commented on the server outage, but once they do, we’ll update the post.

In other Warzone news, a popular cheat website is offering a “free trial weekend” of their Call of Duty Warzone cheating software! So you might want to temper expectations in winning a lot of matches, and just being headshotted across the map this weekend.

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Alex Co

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

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Marvel’s Avengers Loot Adjustments & Exclusive Gear Coming in War for Wakanda DLC

Those looking for more unique gear to collect in Marvel’s Avengers, rejoice! Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that there will be exclusive gear coming to the War for Wakanda free expansion when it’s released later this year!

This was revealed by the devs during the latest Marvel’s Avengers devstream (via Twitch chat in answering fan questions) where a few other tidbits of info were shared as well. Aside from exclusive gear dropping for the War of Wakanda DLC, Crystal Dynamics has also mentioned that there will be loot adjustments coming in the expansion as well, though the devs didn’t elaborate just what we’re going to see.

Regarding the War for Wakanda story, it’s being worked on by Marvel veteran scribe Evan Narcisse, the writer behind the Rise of the Black Panther series, which should be welcome news to Black Panther fans.

Finally, Crystal Dynamics has teased that fans should look into this coming week’s stream, as there’ll be a special guest!

For more on War for Wakanda, check out concept art and a new screenshot of it here.

Stay tuned here on MP1st to know the latest Marvel’s Avengers news.

Thanks, Billyb311!

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Alex Co

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

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EA FIFA 22 Launches Oct. 1, Cover Athlete and New Hypermotion Tech Announced

Footie fans, EA has officially announced FIFA 22! In addition to the FIFA 22 release date set for October 1, the publisher has also revealed the cover athlete, and the new tech powering the soccer sim this year called “Hypermotion.”

Check out the reveal trailer, where we also see that Paris Saint-Germain striker and global football icon Kylian Mbappé is once again the cover athlete for the second year in a row.

Here’s what EA has to say about the Hypermotion tech via the press release:

Powered by HyperMotion, FIFA 22 combines Advanced 11v11 Match Capture and proprietary machine learning technology to deliver the most realistic, fluid and responsive football experience for next-gen consoles and Stadia, unlocking the raw emotion, passion and physicality of the world’s game.

HyperMotion technology enabled the integration of the first-ever motion capture of 22 professional footballers playing at high intensity. Additionally, EA’s proprietary machine learning algorithm learns from more than 8.7 million frames of advanced match capture, then writes new animations in real time to create organic football movement across a variety of interactions on the pitch. Whether it’s a shot, pass or cross, HyperMotion transforms how players move on and off the ball.

Franchise fans can expect familiar modes like Career, VOLTA, Ultimate Team and more to make a return. There’s also an all-new Create a Club experience in Career Mode, reimagined gameplay in VOLTA FOOTBALL, introduction of FIFA Ultimate Team Heroes and more.

FIFA 22 is in development by EA Vancouver and EA Romania, and will be released this October 1 on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC, while the FIFA 22 Legacy Edition will be available on the Nintendo Switch.

Pre-orders are live via this link.

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Alex Co

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

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Blue Box Game Studios’ Abandoned App Available to Preload July 29 Per Store Listing Update

Initially planned to release last month, and now delayed till sometime in August, it would appear that Blue Box Game Studios’ Abandoned app now has an official date for when users can begin preloading it.

In a recent PlayStation Store listing update (via PS5 console,) Blue Box Game Studios has pushed out a news update, revealing that Abandoned now officially has a preload date for July 29. 

As you can see in the screenshots we captured above, Abandoned will officially be available to preload starting July 29. This happens to fall on a Thursday, or if it follows other preloads, Friday morning for some. Chances are we will see the app live the following week (August 1-7). While no official release date has been given for the app since its delay, the developers did state it would be sometime in August.

  • Related Reading: Blue Box Game Studios Says Abandoned Won’t Run on PS4 Because of Visuals, Plans to Host Q&A to Clear Rumors

Interesting, no official announcement from Blue Box Game Studios has been made yet concerning this, so it is a bit surprising to see a news update on the official PSN page for it. For now, we will hold this as a rumor until an official announcement gets made. 

Abandoned is set to release as a PS5 console exclusive .

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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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PSA: COD Warzone Cheat Website Offering “Free Trial Weekend”

While video game publishers offer free trial weekends for its games (like what Activision does with Call of Duty), it looks like cheat makers are following suit as well. A certain popular Call of Duty Warzone cheat website (which we won’t name) is offering a “free trial weekend,” which means expect more cheaters in your Warzone matches.

This is more of a warning than anything else, as we won’t be providing links or telling anyone where they can get this, since, y’know, cheating is scummy and all. This free trial weekend is but one of the many issues Warzone has with cheaters. Unfortunately, it seems Activsion has a hard time stopping it.

Given how popular Warzone is now, and it is free-to-play on all platforms, cheat makers are targeting Activision’s popular battle royale game more and more, and this free trial weekend will surely exacerbate things. If you’re looking to take a break from Warzone, this weekend might be the perfect time, due to this promotion.

While these cheating software for games are rampant on PC, more of these cheat providers are looking to horn in on consoles too! We reported one cheat maker that lists one of their main selling points for their “auto aim, auto shot” cheat as “Works on ‘ANY’ platform or console including Xbox, PlayStation and PC.”

Let’s hope that video game publishers find a way to stop these from spreading. If you’re cheating in multiplayer games, maybe check why you need to do it and ruin the fun for everyone?

Thanks, ModernWarzone!

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Alex Co

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

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HexGaming PS5 Rival Controller Review – Competitive Controller With Back Buttons Comes to PS5

If you’re a shooter fan, and you play on consoles, chances are, you’ve already bought a custom controller that featured back buttons/paddles for the PS4 and/or Xbox One. Heck, it’s become so widespread that not only did Microsoft release their own version of it with the Elite Controller for Xbox, but Sony even launched the official back button attachment for the PS4!

Now, if you’re an Xbox Series gamer, you can just use your old Elite controller on your new console, and game on. Unfortunately though, that’s not the case with the PS5 and its new controller, the DualSense. Not only won’t the official back button attachment not fit or work with the DualSense, but custom controllers on the PS5 aren’t exactly easy to obtain — at least until now.

Enter HexGaming, and their “Rival” PS5 controller that not only offers back buttons, but also trigger stops to make shooting faster! First thing you have to ask yourself even before considering getting one is: are you a multiplayer shooter fan? If the answer to that is no, then this controller might not add any value to your gaming sessions. However, for those that play a ton of online multiplayer shooters (like me), there’s a lot to love about the HexGaming PS5 Rival controller even if it has a rather steep $290 price tag.

Hard Hitting Hex

Given the HexGaming PS5 Rival controller is based on the original DualSense, it’s no surprise that the thing looks and feels sturdy. There is no worry of any cheap material being used at all, If you’ve laid hands on a DualSense controller and liked how it felt, you should feel at home with the HexGaming PS5 controller.

While the feel might be the same, the weight isn’t. With the added back buttons, the HexGaming PS5 controller feels a wee bit heavier than your standard DualSense, which is understandable.

With custom controllers, the biggest complaint most gamers have is how durable it is, which is a logical concern give its price. I mean, no one wants to buy a new one every few months or even a new one every year, since, well, it is a very expensive peripheral. While I’ve only had the HexGaming PS5 Rival controller for a few weeks, I have subjected it to non-stop use, and so far, it seems to be sturdy enough that I might (keyword here is “might”) not need a new custom controller for at least a few years.

If this is indeed as sturdy as it feels now, then multiplayer shooter fans are in a good place.

For those curious about the warranty, there is a 90-day (three months) available for gamers once they purchase it, and if they share their purchase on social media (tagging the official HexGaming account), they will get an extended warranty of 180 days (six months), which isn’t bad.

Features and Differences

The key features of the HexGaming Rival controller for PS5 are (via the press release):

  • Six-in-One interchangeable thumbsticks with 3 different heights.
  • Two different ergonomic thumb grip designs – domed or concave.
  • Ability for gamers to operate the controller flexibly, capture targets faster and improve accuracy (giving players the edge in FPS games with better aiming).
  • Option to activate the remap program during the game and assign a maximum of 15 buttons (X, O, Triangle, Square, Up, Down, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, R2, L3, R3, Touchpad) to the rear buttons.
  • Interchangeable thumbsticks to play wired or wireless – switch thumbsticks in seconds, and remappable rear buttons configurations on the fly. With this highly engineered controller, the standard for top-notch gameplay has been elevated.

As you can see, my pictures do not do the device justice

The biggest draw here are obviously the back buttons, which are easy to set up, and requires no key, magnets or any other item. Simply follow the instructions, keep an eye out on the back attachment blinking lights and that’s it. It’s very easy to set up and fast.

Outside of the back buttons which is the biggest addition to the controller (and is what people are paying for essentially), the triggers are also optimized for multiplayer shooters. The trigger stops have been adjusted so the L2, R2 buttons require just a slight button press to fire (given R2 is usually the default button to fire in most shooters), as opposed to the original DualSense that requires a lot more pressure to fire your weapon in games (yes, I know you can turn off the adaptive triggers for the DualSense, but even so, the trigger stops for the Rival are better for firing weapons).

This same trigger sensitivity are applied to the L1 and R1 buttons as well, so if you prefer to fire quick in shooters, or be able to use equipment, abilities and whatnot with a quick button press, then this should be perfect for you.

In addition to the hair triggers and back buttons, the analog sticks are also given a much-needed height adjustment. The unit comes with a set of interchangeable thumbsticks in a plastic container, so you can mix and match the height to your heart’s content. I definitely prefer the higher sticks when playing shooters, as opposed to the DualSense’s. It’s just easier to move your aiming reticle, and in some cases, it helps in accidental R3/L3 pressing (which results in an unintended melee attack in most shooters).

While the R2 and L2 triggers are easier to press (and in turn go ADS and fire weapons), this comes with a cost. One of the DualSense’s new features are the adaptive triggers, that adds context-sensitive pressure to the triggers (ie. makes firing a shotgun feel different from firing a handgun). With the shortened triggers on the Rival controller, this isn’t really possible. So, say, a game like Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart which fires different kinds of bullets depending on how hard you squeeze, that’s not really possible with the Rival controller as far as I’m aware.

Shooter’s Advantage

The HexGaming PS5 Rival controller was made for shooters. Heck, even it’s marketing focus on “competitive gameplay,” “forged for eSports’ and the like, which means the company knows why gamers would want to spring for a $290 controller.

It’s as simple as this: if you cannot play online multiplayer shooters without back buttons (like me), then you’ll probably want to give the Rival controller a look since it’s the only game in town (as far as we’re aware). If you haven’t tried playing multiplayer shooters with back buttons before, you might want to, as it will give you a huge advantage in online games without cheating!

However, if you find yourself not really minding how well you perform in online shooters or rarely play the at all, then the PS5 Rival controller provides essentially zero value for you — outside of the higher analog sticks and different color combinations.

The big question of “is the price tag worth it?” will be subjective on whether you play online multiplayer shooters or not, and if you care enough to improve your game to warrant the price tag. If the answer is yes (I don’t blame you), then know that the Rival PS5 controller feels sturdier than its predecessors  we won’t name which ones) which might make that $290 price tag a bit easier to swallow — at least until Sony releases an official back button attachment for the PS5.

For the moment, the HexGaming Rival PS5 controller is the only game in town for custom, competitive controllers on the PS5, and it’s up to you to decide whether this is one hex you want to cast or not.

Pros:

  • Easy to program back buttons
  • Triggers are made for shooters (hair triggers)
  • Good build quality (sturdy)
  • Comes with thumbsticks that can be interchanged
  • Warranty is a good six months (provided you share on social)

Cons:

  • Price is a little steep at $289
  • No adaptive triggers that some games might require

HexGaming PS5 Rival controller provided by manufacturer. Controller is out now for $289.99 and can be ordered via the official HexGaming website.

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Alex Co

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

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