It’s almost time for a new generation to experience the world of Mortal Kombat in a new way, as Mortal Kombat Movie is more than a month away — and producer Todd Garner discusses which characters were cut out as Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema releases new behind the scenes photos for the film.
Here’s the behind the scenes photos — featuring Lewis Tan, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joe Taslim, and Ludi Lin as Cole Young, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang respectively.
Speaking with Comic Book.com, Garner essentially explained that there was already an overabundance of characters featured and cited one particular fighter that was cut out because he wouldn’t be the focus of the film anyway — the water powered ninja known as Rain.
“So we pulled characters out early, just because it felt like Rain was in the movie for a second,” Garner said. “But Reptile’s sort of like Rain and so it’s like… And that was just a weird fight […] So we had to pull that character out, which is like, that wouldn’t have been a [main] character anyway. So things like that are like, ‘Are we just doubling down on the same thing, or repeating ourselves just for the sake of it?'”
Saving Rain for the potential sequel is a wise choice, and there are several other fan favorite fighters from the series that didn’t make the cut for this sequel as it is. In fact, the filmmakers may actually surprise us with characters that haven’t been prominently featured in the trailers and promotions released for the movie. We’ll just have to wait and see when the film comes out next month.
If you haven’t seen the fantastic Mortal Kombat Movie trailer, get over here and watch it! The movie hits selected theaters and HBO Max on April 16!
Heads up, battle royale fans! PUBG Corp. has rolled out a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds/PUBG update 1.63 March 5 patch, and given we just got the massive 10.3 title update recently, this is purely for fixes. Note that this patch seems to be just for the PS4 vesion of the game for now.
PUBG Update 1.63 March 5 Patch Notes:
Here’s what today’s update for PUBG is for per the devs:
[PS4] We have deployed a hotfix to reduce the recent increase in PS4 crashes.
The Item Preloading optimizations recently introduced with Update 10.3 are now disabled, as we further investigate the cause of these crashes.
That seems to be it for this title update. Same as always, if you spot any gameplay-related changes and other tweaks not mentioned above, please let us know down in the comments. There was also an update released last week for consoles to fix crashing issues as well, though that doesn’t seem to have done the trick. Hopefully, this one does.
Back in Februayr, Ubisoft announced that For Honor is getting another year of content for players. Today, the studio formally announced the For Honor Year 5 Season 1 event called “Asunder,” which starts next week on March 11!
Watch the trailer below to see what’s coming for the game’s first season of 2021!
The Horkos vs. Chimera rivalry has grown in ferocity and tensions rise as we enter a new year. It only takes a spark to start a rebellion…but what will it take to end it? Year 5 Season 1 Asunder begins March 11, 2021!
In the press release, Ubisoft states that Asunder continues the narrative arc introduced in Year 4. “The ongoing war continues to pit the warriors of the Chimera Alliance and the Order of Horkos against each other. However, Asunder represents a period of great abundance for the warriors as they enjoy festivities within their respective covenants.”
There’s a limited-time in-game event (LTM) called the “Horkos Masquerade” that will let players prove their worth to the Order of Horkos through a new 4v4 game mode: Carousel of Horkos. There’s also a free event pass that will become available during the event’s duration that has 30 tiers to complete.
Ubisoft has also revealed the For Honor March 2021 roadmap too!
Finally. Year 5 Season 1 also brings an update to the Warden, a new armor variation and weapon throughout the season, more in-game events, a Battle Pass and Battle Bundle (containing an all-new paired emote along with weapons, executions, effects and more).
Once the title update is out, we’ll be sure to let our readers know ASAP.
Sony’s London Studio, the devs behind VR World, Blood & Truth and more, has not announced their game in development just yet. But in a new article spotlighting the studio culture and challenges in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Head of Operations Tara Saunders commented on the London Studio’s next project.
According to Saunders, the studio’s next game has “huge potential.”
Tara: Yes, I want us to dream big and realise our full potential… but at the same time ensure that there is a real emphasis on ethical and sustainable game development practices. We have super strong values in place that mean we should be keeping in mind the importance of inclusivity, balance and team spirit on a day to day basis. Our next project has HUGE potential and we want to leverage that to the max by empowering the team to thrive and deliver a top quality game!
Mind, that’s all we know now. Chances are, this is another game geared to the PlayStation VR. Given that Sony has announced a new VR for the PS5, we should be in for some new stuff from the studio once they reveal their next game.
It appears Guilty Gear fans looking forward to the lovely looking new fighter that is Guilty Gear: Strive will have to wait just a little bit longer, as Arc System Works and Bandai Namco have made the announcement that they have delayed the game from its April release to June — to give the developers time to iron out any existing problems the game has before release.
As a PS5, PS4, PC, and even an Arcade release is planned for the game, the decision to delay wasn’t made lightly and the Guilty Gear: Strive development team expressed this sentiment in a message to the fans sent via press release.
Dear customers,
We have made the tough decision to move the release date of Guilty Gear: Strive (previously planned for April 9, 2021) to June 11, 2021.
Since we have received valuable feedback after the recent open beta test, we would like to make the most of this opportunity to provide the best game possible. We need extra time to polish some aspects of the game, such as the online lobbies and the server’s stability.
We believe it best to use the extra time to improve the game’s quality and provide a better experience to all our players.
Hazelight’s upcoming game It Takes Two seems to be an interesting game given the game’s storyline, and overall premise. If you’re interested in playing when it launches this March 26, better clear some disk space, as the It Takes Two day one update is sitting at a hefty 33GB on the PS4!
This was unearthed by us by checking the It Takes Two game data. In addition to that, we’ve also obtained the day one patch notes! Note there is probably a lot more stuff considering these are the only listed notes on PS4 and doesn’t seem like a kind of fix to take up so much space.
Fix various minor desync issues during online play.
That’s about it. But again, there might be more changes included that weren’t documented, so we’ll make sure to keep an eye on that.
If you haven’t seen the game yet, go watch gameplay of it to see the unique gameplay experiences it can offer.
It Takes Two will retail for $39.99 and jumps out on the PS4, Xbox One and PC this March 26, and will feature a free upgrade to next-gen platforms in the same family.
It appears that Nintendo is ready to update the Nintendo Switch even further to keep up with the growing demands from customers, as Bloomberg reports that the company is planning to announce a new OLED Switch model later in 2021 — with production expected to begin later in 2021.
In the report, the 7-inch, 720-p resolution OLED panels will be produced by Samsung Display Co. and is expected to start by June — with an initial monthly target of about under a million units to be made. The upgrade is being done to better compete with the other consoles in the market — namely the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
“The OLED panel will consume less battery, offer higher contrast and possibly faster response time when compared to the Switch’s current liquid-crystal display,” display consultancy DSCC co-founder Yoshio Tamura told Bloomberg.
The new and rigid OLED panels are a cheaper alternative compared to the ones found in high-end smartphones, but the new Switch model will also come with 4K ultra HD resolution when the system is docked — a feature long requested for the system since it was launched back in 2017. As the console just turned 4 years this month, it’s only fitting that a new upgrade is in the horizon and we’ll probably get the official word from Nintendo sooner or later.
Respawn Entertainment has announced the Apex Legends next collection event, and it’s called “Chaos Theory.” It’s confirmed for release this March 9 (Tuesday), and prepare for a lot of new stuff! Caustic is taking center stage for this event, and there’s a new game type incoming and loads more.
Head on for the summary below, and we have a more detailed look into the new stuff incoming as well if you’re up to it.
Apex Legends Next Collection Event “Chaos Theory” Summary:
Caustic Town Takeover – Featuring the all-new Caustic Treatment, players will encounter a new dominant mousetrap with lots of high-quality loot that beckons all Legends who seek the glorious cheese. Constructed to prevent the Crash Site fuel spill from reaching the ocean, players must drain the toxic liquid from the center of the facility in order to receive temporary access to four gold loot items locked in cages.
Ring Fury Escalation Takeover – A new game-type, the “Ring Fury Escalation Takeover” introduces one or more Ring Flares on the map within the current ring. Giving the classic Battle Royale a twist with expanding pockets within the Arena, players who get caught in the Ring Flare will take damage equal to the damage dealt by the current round’s ring. Players can also throw down a new item, Heat Shields, which casts a protective dome that pours the deadly effect of the ring over the barrier for a short time. Heat Shields will reside in a brand new Survival Slot that aims to eliminate the choice between normal loot and situational utilities like a Mobile Respawn Beacon or a Heat Shield.
Chaos Theory Collection Event – Featuring a rewards track with all-new earnable cosmetics, this event includes legendary Kraber and EVA-8 weapon skins, daily rewards and challenges, and a brand new set of 24 themed, event-limited cosmetics. All 24 items will be available through direct purchase (for Apex Coins or Crafting Metals) and in Event Apex Packs for the entire duration of the event. Players who collect all 24 event items will earn the Bangalore heirloom. Following the event, the heirloom will be available to all via heirloom crafting.
No-Fill Matchmaking – A new way to play as a solo Legend that sends you into your selected playlist without a team of players. This feature will give players a lot of creative opportunities to play the game their way.
Apex Legends Chaos Theory Patch Notes:
LEGEND UPDATES
Caustic
Nox Gas Grenade cooldown increased from 2.5 minutes to 3.5 minutes.
Nox Gas damages at a flat rate of 5hp per tick instead of ramping up from 6hp → 12hp.
Dev note: Caustic is brutally effective at slowing down engagements. The entirety of his kit revolves around gas with a large area of effect, slow, vision obstruction, and direct health damage. It’s proven to be too oppressive in too many scenarios especially considering teammates can play in gas relatively unimpaired. Significantly reducing gas damage (without taking it away completely or having it affect armor instead) seems like a fair compromise that stays true to the character while making him less oppressive on the receiving end. We will be monitoring the data and gameplay closely. If these changes hit Caustic’s appeal or effectiveness too hard we will revisit accordingly.
Pathfinder
Removed Low Profile
Dev Note:Low Profile has been used as a balancing tool for both mobile and/or small legends. Although Path is still mobile, his hitbox is large. While his overall win rate and encounter win rate is by no means low, it’s hard to justify keeping Low Profile on a hitbox of his size.
Gibraltar
Removed 15% faster heal item usage while in Dome of Protection.
Horizon
Increased Black Hole cooldown from 2 minutes to 3 minutes
Revenant
Revenant’s Silence now disables Mirage’s cloaked revive & respawn as well as Octane’s Swift Mend.
Wattson
Wattson now has passive shield regen at 0.5 hp/s (half of Octane’s current health regen rate).
Rampart
Explosives damage Amped Cover normally, instead of inflicting 200 damage.
Explosives damage Sheila normally, instead of inflicting 175 damage.
Dev Note: Walls should be beefy and powerful once built. Before Rampart shipped, we were worried that her nests would be too oppressive and so we gave enemy players the option to quickly clear them out with grenades. This wasn’t necessary, as it turns out, so we’re removing increased damage from grenades against Amped Cover and Sheila.
WEAPON UPDATE
Weapon Optics
All gold AR and LMG default optics updated to 2x Bruiser.
Mastiff
Pellet damage decreased from 13 → 11. Fire rate increased from 1.0 → 1.1.
Dev Note: The goal of these changes are to place this weapon’s identity between the fast fire EVA-8 and the heavy hitting Peacekeeper. The Mastiff has consistently been dominant in close quarters combat given its forgiving spread pattern and high damage spikes with each shot. This change reduces that high damage potential in order to limit the amount of two pumps players experience on the receiving end.
Wingman
+1 bullet to every magazine size, including base.
Hemlok
Increased hip-fire spread.
Dev Note: The burst damage from the Hemlok’s hip-fire was feeling a little too consistent for an AR that should excel at medium range. This change mitigates the Hemlok’s close quarters damage spikes that felt bad on the receiving end.
QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES
Kings Canyon Loot – we’ve done a pass on the loot to bring up the quality across the map, while also maintaining a certain amount of loot after Mirage Voyage has flown away.
The wooden shacks across the map should have a few more pieces each, and generally be a little higher quality.
Spotted Lake has been reduced to Medium Quality from High.
Crash Site has redistributed the loot in the area slightly. The amount stays the same, but the higher quality loot should be in the ship.
Caustic Treatment has more loot than Water Treatment, and it remains Hiqh Quality.
Locked Weapon Optic Swapping – For guns with fully locked attachment slots, like fully-kitted gold weapons and most crate weapons, you can now remove the optic and replace it with a different sight. This does not apply to the Kraber sniper rifle.
Assists have been added to the in-game HUD, next to kills. This was already present in Ranked and now has been added to unranked. Assists still don’t contribute to XP. This has replaced the Spectator “eye” icon.
Assists and Knocks have been added to your squad’s banners and will show at the end of a match.
Club names now appear on Match Summary and Champion screen if all players are part of the same club.
Items will no longer “stick” to Crafting Replicator when dropped on the Replicator.
Badge Progress – for badges that have longer amounts of progress, hovering over the badge will show you more information. For example, if you’re trying to get 50 wins as Lifeline, you’ll now see that you have 45 instead of somewhere between 15 and 50.
Ping My Deathbox – While respawning on a dropship, you can now ping your own deathbox to help locate it easier.
Gold Backpack – Players being revived by a gold backpack will have a crackle of energy—based on the tier of armor they wear—while the revive is taking place. They will also display the armor heal FX when the revive is finished. This change should help players prioritize pushing a revive in progress.
Players on PC can now go back to the title screen from the lobby to allow switching of data centers without restarting the game.
Added numbers to the Advanced Look Controls. This should help people experiment and easily revert back to their favorite settings.
When scanning a beacon for Ring 6, you should now be able to see the location where Ring 6 finishes.
Inspect Weapon – Since the Survival Slot took its button on controller (we only have so many buttons!), Inspect Weapon has been moved to the emote wheel by default. It can be bound to any key on PC.
BUG FIXES
Gibraltar
Corrected an issue with Gibraltar not getting hit registrations when simultaneously releasing ADS and shooting while his Gun Shield was up
Wraith
Wraith players can no longer cancel Into the Void by jumping at a wall
The New Skydive Emote will now work with Legendary Skins
Caustic
Fixed a bug that was causing Nox Gas to flicker for some players affected by it
Octane
Repeatedly using the same jump pad no longer disables double-jumps
Players are no longer allowed to “glide” along a wall after using the jump pad
Crypto
Crypto’s animation to bring out his Drone is no longer skippable by throwing a holospray
Crypto can no longer teleport to a replicator
Reloading the Mastiff and 30-30 will no longer be faster while in Crypto’s drone
Loba
Fixed a few areas Loba could teleport into that would get her stuck
Rampart
Players can no longer use Sheila to get under the world when placed too close to the Phase Runner in Olympus
Horizon
Fixed the Gravity Lift falling through the floor when used on the train tracks in World’s Edge’s Sorting Factory
Using a zipline after a Gravity Lift will no longer increase accuracy
Fuse
Motherload will now damage and destroy jump pads
When under a small enclosure, players will no longer be pushed out after using Motherload
Players can no longer double their grenades after looting a dead Fuse’s deathbox
Mastiff
Dropping and picking up the Mastiff will no longer cause it to be reloaded
3030 Repeater
Dropping and picking up the 30-30 will no longer cause it to be reloaded
30-30 will now have spread deviation when ADS firing and jumping
MISC
Fixed a bug preventing Steam users from sending friend requests to each other
Usernames now update when a user swaps between the Origin Client to the Steam Client
Fixed a bug preventing players from creating or joining clubs due to their EA Account already being associated with another platform
Aside from the patch notes that list down the bug fixes and legend changes coming next week, Repawn is also bringing a Caustic makeover to the level as well!
CAUSTIC TOWN TAKEOVER
When life gives you lemons, you can count on Caustic to turn it into toxic lemonade. Breathe it in at the all-new Caustic Treatment; a new dominant mousetrap with lots of high quality loot that beckons all Legends who seek the glorious cheese.
Another major new addition are Heat Shields!
HEAT SHIELDS
During the Ring Fury Escalation Takeover, all players will start with a Heat Shield in their inventory on drop. Throw down your Heat Shield to avoid damage from Ring Flares (or from the ring itself!) and remember that you can always find more. The loot pool for this event has been tuned to spread Heat Shields out throughout the map.
Heat Shields cast a protective dome, pouring the deadly effect of the ring over the barrier for a short time, enabling Legends to loot, revive and generally make some amazing plays outside of the Ring. Plus, when you’re inside the dome, the use of healing items is sped up by 50% and the speed of Revives is increased by 25%. This bonus is ONLY given by Heat Shields that have been activated by the ring. Heat Shields on standby in the safe zone are conserving energy, and don’t grant this bonus.
But watch out: The Heat Shield will slowly degrade in power as it’s damaged by the ring. The damage of the Ring is reflected in the duration of the Heat Shield, so don’t expect it to last very long in the final rounds.
After the Ring Fury Escalation Takeover concludes, the Heat Shield will remain in the game as general ground loot
For those worried that the Heat Shield will take up precious inventory space, don’t. Respawn has announced that a new “Survival Slot” will be added to the game as well.
You’ll notice that the Heat Shield doesn’t take up any of your normal inventory slots—instead, it resides in the brand new “Survival Slot”.
The Survival Slot aims to eliminate the choice between normal loot and situational utilities like a Mobile Respawn Beacon or a Heat Shield. Now, there’s no reason not to carry one of these around. Coordinate with your team, and the possibility for more survivability tactics soars!
Like the heat shield, the Survival Slot itself will continue to be available in the game even after the Ring Fury Escalation Takeover ends.
There are more details outside of that. There’s a new rewards track (duh!), a new “No-Fill Matchmaking” feature for solo legends and a new playlist to mark the event too! Head on over here to check that out.
While Treyarch usually brings out a new playlist update to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on Thursday, the studio has today not only done that but an actual (server-side) patch, too! The Black Ops Cold War March 4 update list of changes include playlist refreshes (as expected), but also a few gameplay fixes for Outbreak!
EA has released another new patch for its hockey sim, EA NHL 21! The EA NHL 21 update 1.50 March 4 patch doesn’t really include any gameplay-related changes, though it does have new content for upcoming Chel Challenges and more.
This is also tagged as the EA NHL 21 patch 1.5.0, in case you’re curious.
EA NHL 21 Update 1.50 March 4 Patch Notes:
World of CHEL
– Added additional content into WoC for upcoming Chel Challenges.
Art
Uniforms
The following uniforms have been added or updated in NHL 21
– Washington Capitals Alternate
– Oshawa Generals Alternate
– Chicoutimi Sagueneens Alternate
– Prince George Cougars Alternate
Told you it was a short one. Same as always, if you spot any gameplay-related changes, or tech fixes that isn’t on the list, let us know down in the comments.
Make sure to bookmark our NHL game hub for the latest title update for the game.
EA Vancouver has released the EA UFC 4 update 9.00 March 4 patch and this is a major one, as it adds two new fighters, and introduces a slew of gameplay tweaks! Head on below for the fighter ratings and gameplay related.
EA UFC 4 Update 9.00 March 4 Patch Notes:
UFC veteran Vincente Luque makes his entrance to the digital octagon with a 4 star overall rating bolstered by a 5 stars health rating and 4 stars for striking.
In this update we’ve improved the matchmaking system for online matches to discourage users from repeatedly leaving early. This will be done via a timed delay added preventing the user from entering matchmaking for a set amount of time. Additionally, you will notice that we’ve updated multiple other areas of gameplay that are outlined below.
Major Updates:
Added 2 new fighters, Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque
Added a timed delay to matchmaking if a user repeatedly does not finish online matches
Gameplay Updates:
Clinch Knees now receive a boost when Knees Boost is active in Career
Fixed animation issue in a specific diving punch knee on belly entry
Community Feedback:
Updated Michael Chandler’s nickname to “Iron” Michael Chandler
Osoto-Gari is no longer available to Created Fighters
Slipping strikes are now slower while rocked
Significantly increased effect of Grapple Advantage on Takedowns
Decreased denial window for the low single takedown
Takedown denials now drain 20% more permanent stamina from the attacker
Fixed animation issue in the early denial of the open stance single leg
Added damage for the following slams:
Kimbo Slam (right turn from cage single leg)
Double Leg Slam from Cage Single Leg (left turn from cage single leg)
Cage Bodylock Slam (left turn from cage double leg)
Slowed down the advancing switch kick
Body knees and frontal kicks can no longer be evaded by head movement
Slowed down back side posture fakes and made the animation more readable
Slowed down lead overhand combos
Special counter from Side Saddle to North South now requires a large stamina advantage
Fixed issue with jab – body side kick combo not working with “mixed movement”, such using one strike advancing and another stationary.
Fixed a brief “freezing” animation issue when trying to walk and sway after a slipping straight
Significantly slowed down jab – handplant kick combo
That’s one big update! We’ll make sure to report on any new title updates for EA UFC 4 in the future.
We are just two weeks away from the release of the next-gen version of Marvel’s Avengers and it’s free Future Imperfect DLC, and to help draw up some excitement Crystal Dynamics have released an all-new video, showcasing some of Marvel’s Avengers next-gen features .
Marvel’s Avengers will officially be available on the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles on March 18. If you own the game on either previous gen consoles you will be eligible for a free upgrade. Additionally, March 18 is also the same day that the next DLC is releasing, Hawkeye’s Future Imperfect.
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.
Nvidia may have the clear advantages over AMD thanks to it’s DLSS, but it seems that the company is holding back as it has been stated that they are launching their FidelityFX Super Resolution feature when it’s ready. This includes cross-support for the latest next-gen consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series.
Speaking to the Linus Sebastian of Linus Tech Tips, Linus confirmed the reasoning as to why AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution has yet to release.
Apparently rather than rushing it [FidelityFX Super Resolution] out the door on only one new top-end card, they want it to be cross-platform in every sense of the word. So they actually want it running on all of their GPUs, including the ones inside consoles, before they pull the trigger.
It would’ve been nice to have it ready by the time the cards launched, but as we saw with Nvidia’s DLSS 1.0 versus DLSS 2.0, it could be for the best.
An example of DLSS
Now for all you console players out there who don’t know what DLSS and FidelityFX Super Resolution, they’re essentially a type of AI upscaling technique that uses machine learning to upscale lower resolution to higher res, all while maintaining the original performance. This means that picture quality can look a whole lot better without the need to sacrifice frame-rate. There are tons of other benefits as detailed on Nvidia’s website for their own DLSS.
The results of DLSS vary a bit, because each game has different characteristics based on the game engine, complexity of content, and the time spent on training. Our supercomputer never sleeps, and we continue to train and improve our deep learning neural network even after a game’s launch. When we have improvements to performance or image quality ready, we provide them to you via NVIDIA software updates.
DLSS is designed to boost frame rates at high GPU workloads (i.e. when your framerate is low and your GPU is working to its full capacity without bottlenecks or other limitations). If your game is already running at high frame rates, your GPU’s frame rendering time may be shorter than the DLSS execution time. In this case, DLSS is not available because it would not improve your framerate. However, if your game is heavily utilizing the GPU (e.g. FPS is below ~60), DLSS provides an optimal performance boost. You can crank up your settings to maximize your gains. (Note: 60 FPS is an approximation — the exact number varies by game and what graphics settings are enabled)
To put it a bit more technically, DLSS requires a fixed amount of GPU time per frame to run the deep neural network. Thus, games that run at lower frame rates (proportionally less fixed workload) or higher resolutions (greater pixel shading savings), benefit more from DLSS. For games running at high frame rates or low resolutions, DLSS may not boost performance. When your GPU’s frame rendering time is shorter than what it takes to execute the DLSS model, we don’t enable DLSS. We only enable DLSS for cases where you will receive a performance gain. DLSS availability is game-specific, and depends on your GPU and selected display resolution.
Of course, the description above is only for Nvidia’s version, though we do expect AMD to work in a similar fashion. It’s a pretty exciting technique, one that has worked wonders on many PC titles running on the RTX 3000-series line of cards.
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.
It looks like People Can Fly isn’t done with the Outriders demo just yet! The studio has today announced that a new patch is incoming tomorrow, March 5! The Outriders demo upcoming changes has been revealed today, and there’s a lot of fixes incoming, as well as a plug for that farming area that a lot of players are exploiting these days.
Note that the update rolled out tomorrow is a backend one, and the actual client-side patch is due sometime next week (no firmt date has been given yet).
We currently have a patch in the pipeline and are intending to release it as soon as it has passed testing (likely early next week). Here is what it will address:
Resolutions that apply to ALL PLATFORMS:
Added a Motion Blur Toggle [ALL PLATFORMS]
Made minor tweaks to frame rate output for certain items in cutscenes, however, we are working on a more comprehensive fix for the future [ALL PLATFORMS]
Made improvements to cut down on the time it takes to Matchmake [ALL PLATFORMS]
Made other minor improvements and fixes
Additional resolutions that apply only to PC:
Fixed a crash that repeatedly occurred when opening the menu or inventory [PC]
Fixed a bug that deletes player gear if their connection drops out during a transition [PC]
Improved subtitle display and synchronization during the “Bad Day” quest [PC]
Additional resolutions that apply only to Xbox Platforms:
Fixed menu prompts not displaying correctly in supported non-English languages [XBOX]
Additional resolutions that apply only to PlayStation Platforms:
Fixed store links on the “Buy Now” button in the Lobby [PS4/5]
Note that while the ingame button will be fixed with the patch, you can still search the PlayStation store for “Outriders” should you wish to already pre-order it.
Fixed bug that was causing an audio desynchronization in cutscenes [PS4/5]
Changes to the Demo
A backend update to the demo will be done during a short maintenance on Friday, March 5th at 3pm GMT. This will affect all platforms.
This change should be quite seamless and will not require you to download a patch. We are pre-announcing it now in order to give your advance notice of the changes.
Some of these changes, specifically those related to enemies, are in response to feedback we’ve seen coming in from players as well as what our own backend metrics are showing us.
Other changes are intended to only affect the demo, and may not be implemented in the full launch build.
We would like to issue a explanatory note of caution before getting into the changes: While we have balanced the main game with a certain progression system, this progression may be impacted by heavy farming of gear and/or mods in the demo. As some players are front-loading a lot of that progression (such as by trying to fill their mod library or acquire multiple Legendaries) within the demo content already, their experience of parts of the main game may well be impacted.
Of course, it’s every player’s decision how to play the game for themselves and we do not want to prevent people from farming the demo for gear if they enjoy it. However, we would like to ensure that this process is not overly simplistic, easy or prone to exploitation.
What’s changing?
Changes to Captains
The Captain mob ability “Healing Light” will have its effectiveness reduced.
The Captain mob ability “From the Ashes” and “Phoenix Aura” will have their cooldowns increased.
Some players were finding it hard to fully kill Captains who would trigger these abilities, making for a frustrating rather than a challenging but fun encounter.
Changes to Gauss
Gauss will have his health points increased for repeat playthroughs.
This is to ensure that he remains fun and challenging for players who are overpowered at this point in the story.
Gauss healing from his ability “Steel Wall” will be increased.
Changes to loot drops
While we do not want to prevent farming runs (We get it!), the lootcave discovered via the triple chest-run, as well as the store exploit, do not feel to be within the spirit of the game. To that end, we are redirecting farming efforts to mechanics in the game that may be more enjoyable for players to play through and repeat.
Epic items will no longer appear in shops and vendors (within the demo).
Chests will no longer drop legendary items.
Side quest rewards (on repeat runs) will now have a chance to drop legendary items.
Drop rates for enemies are NOT being changed at this time as we feel these are balanced quite well for the average player experience. RIP that captain.
Note that running this backend update now is also a way for us to pre-emptively ensure that such backend balancing can be a straightforward, low impact method of also rectifying any excessive balance issues in the main game.
For more on the demo feedback the studio has collected and explanation, head on over here.
Once the demo update is out, we ‘ll be sure to let our readers know. Check out what we think of the demo in our impressions piece. There are also Bulletsorm Easter eggs in the game which we’ve compiled.
EA Vancouver has released the EA Madden 21 update 1.25 March 4 patch, or what the studio calls the Maden 21 March Update! There are key changes to gameplay, Madden Ultimate Team and loads more. Head on below for the full patch notes for all platforms (including next-gen).
EA Madden 21 Update 1.25 March 4 Patch Notes:
Madden NFL 21 (Xbox Series X|S & PS5)
Key Highlights:
Fix for QB freezing in certain play formations
Fix for missing Pro Bowl active abilities
Various MUT UI fixes
Franchise updates to trade logic and player value
“League History” addition to Franchise
Gameplay Updates:
Fixed an issue causing the QB to freeze after flipping Gun Split Close Play Action plays while also hot routing the HB.
Fixed an issue causing some QB’s to repeat their pre-play walk-to-line, getting set in the formation animation twice.
Fixed an issue preventing some abilities from being equipped for players on the Pro Bowl roster.
Fixed an incorrect route shown in the play-art for the play Gun Tight Doubles Zig Under.
Fixed an issue sometimes causing the receiver to run back toward the line instead of breaking out when running a zig route.
Fixed an issue with Hit Sticks not tracking properly for Abilities using Hit Stick accumulation for In the Zone criteria (e.g. Avalanche)
Madden Ultimate Team Updates:
Various UI Fixes
Franchise Updates:
NEW: Improvements to Trade Logic and Player Value
NEW: League History
Dev Note: For Madden NFL 21, League History will begin at the year of your Franchise when the update goes live and populate each year onward. Check out our deep dive on League History, Trade Logic and Player Value Gridiron Notes to learn more!
Fixed issue where “Backlash” ability was called “Pass Lead Elite”
Fixed naming of Seahawks stadium to Lumen Field (for new Franchises)
Dev Note: All updates also apply to Gen4 consoles.
Madden NFL 21 (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Stadia)
Key Highlights:
Fix for QB freezing in certain play formations
Fix for missing Pro Bowl active abilities
Fixed rusher logic in certain punting situations
Gameplay Updates:
Fixed an issue allowing punts to frequently get blocked by an AI-controlled rusher when lined up inside the 5-yard line.
Dev Note:To address this issue, we tuned the logic of the rusher that was blocking the kick. The AI was timing the Dive perfectly and not in a situation where the player rushing the punter would layout and dive due to the blocker between him and the punter.
Fixed an issue causing the QB to freeze after flipping Gun Split Close Play Action plays while also hot routing the HB.
Fixed an issue causing some QB’s to repeat their pre-play walk-to-line, getting set in the formation animation twice.
Fixed an issue preventing some abilities from being equipped for players on the Pro Bowl roster.
Fixed an issue with Hit Sticks not tracking properly for Abilities using Hit Stick accumulation for In the Zone criteria (e.g. Avalanche)
Rockstar Games has launched the GTA Online weeklu update March 4 activities and discounts refresh! Same as always, head on below for the full highlights and full list below.
GTA Online Weekly Update March 4, 2021:
Highlights from today’s update include:
The Grotti Brioso 300, previously featured exclusively in this past Holiday’s celebrationsis now available for all to purchase from Southern San Andreas Super Autos
Double GTA$ & RP in Air Freight Cargo Sell Missions, Stockpile, Air and Sea Races, all six A Superyacht Life Missions, Hidden Caches, and Treasure Chests
A free Panic ProLaps Basketball Top for completing the Cayo Perico Heist finale and free matching Shorts for stealing from a Secondary Target
A free Neon Glow Necklace and Red & Blue Bangles for players who complete an Air Freight Cargo Mission (to be received after logging in next week)
The Bravado Verlierer is this week’s top prize at the Lucky Wheel
Property Discounts: 60% off all Hangars and 50% off the Galaxy Super Yacht
Avenger Discounts: 40% off the Mammoth Avenger,Avenger Weapons Workshop, and Avenger Weaponized Vehicle Workshop
Additional Vehicle Discounts: 40% off the Buckingham Akula, P-996 Lazer, FH1 Hunter, Savage, Principe Deveste Eight, and Pegassi Zorrusso
Prime Gaming Bonuses: Players who connect their Social Club account with Prime Gaming will get the Kosatka Submarine’s Sonar Station for free, plus a GTA$200K bonus for playing any time this week
Prime Gaming Discounts: 80% off the MTL Brickade and HVY Barrage, plus 35% off the Vetir military truck
PlayStation Plus Benefits: Starting April 1st, PlayStation Plus members no longer have to wait up to 72 hours after their first log-in to receive the monthly GTA$ 1M bonus in their Maze Bank account. All they need to do is visit the PlayStation Store at the start of each month to claim the bonus, which will be deposited into their account upon store redemption
Discounts
Make your dollar last longer this week by taking advantage of a range of discounts on real estate, and vehicles of all stripes this week. See below for the complete list of offerings.
Properties & Real Estate:
Hangars — 60% off
Galaxy Superyacht — 50% off
Avenger Discounts — 40% off:
Mammoth Avenger
Avenger Weapons Workshop
Avenger Weaponized Vehicle Workshop
Vehicles — 40% off:
Buckingham Akula
P-996 Lazer
FH1 Hunter
Savage
Principe Deveste Eight
Pegassi Zorrusso
Stay tuned next week for the next GTA Online weekly update.
Evil Mojo Games and Hi-Rez Studios has revealed the 48th champion entering the ring in Paladins, and it’s Octavia! The Paladins new champion got a new cinematic trailer today, as well as an overview of her skills, and even the Paladins next update patch notes!
This upcoming update is called the Paladins “Indomitable” update, and alongside Octavia, there are champion changes, new Battle Pass update and more. Head on belwo for the details. The Indomitable patch is set for release this March 31.
Paladins New Champion – Octavia Overview:
OVERVIEW
[Role]
Damage
[Health]
2200
[WEAPON] MARKSMAN RIFLE
A semi-automatic marksman rifle that deals 500 damage every 0.3s, has a maximum Ammo count of 12, and is fully effective up to 900 units.
[ALT-FIRE] DESIGNATED SIGHTS
Look down your sights and gain increased accuracy; your Movement Speed is reduced by 50%. Using this ability while you are in the air stops your movement, allowing you to fire for up to 2.5s. While active, this ability allows you to see enemies within friendly and enemy Distortion Fields.
[ABILITY 1] COMMANDING LEAP
Leap into the air to gain control of the battlefield. Aiming down sights with your rifle will cause you to levitate in air for up to 2.5s.
[ABILITY 2] DISTORTION FIELD
Create an opaque dome that hides allies and prevents from seeing outside of it while inside ; ability lasts for 4s. Enemies caught within the Distortion Field will have their Movement Speed reduced by 10%.
[ULTIMATE] CREEPING BARRAGE
Rain down a laser barrage upon your enemies that deals 850 damage per beam – the Creeping Barrage is cast out in a devastating line in front of Octavia. The beam cluster is setup into two parts: a smaller targeting beam that deals 100 damage and destroys shields. if it makes contact, and the large damaging beam that deals 850 damage.
TALENTS
[Default] Hell or High Water
Upon landing with the Commanding Leap ability create a small pool underneath you that will heal both you and allies for 600 health over 1.5s. Octavia’s ammo is not consumed while standing inside of this field or maximum 1.5s.
[Level 2] Asymmetric Warfare
Distortion Filed now damages enemies for 125 every .5s for the duration of Distortion Field and heals allies for 75 every .5 seconds while inside of the field.
[Level 8] Display of Force
Enemies are rooted in place for 1.5s when they are hit by the pre fire beam and the Creeping Barrage deals 600 extra damage.
CARDS
WEAPON/ARMOR
Determined Defense
Increase your maximum Health by 50|50.
Interdiction
Increase your maximum Ammo by 2|2.
Getting Jumpy
Reset the Cooldown of Leap after dropping to or below 10|10% Health.
Fire and Maneuver
Increase your Movement Speed by 6|6% for 2.5 s after getting an Elimination or Killing Blow.
COMMANDING LEAP
High Ground
Increase the jump strength of Octavia’s Leap by 5|5%.
Air Supremacy
Reduce damage taken by 5|5% for 2.5 s after activating leap.
Vicious Circle
Reduce the cooldown of Distortion Field by 0.6|0.6s after activating Leap.
Clean Shots
Reduce your weapon recoil by 20|20% while using Leap.
DISTORTION FIELD
Entrenched
Reduce damage taken by 5|5% while standing inside of the Distortion Field.
Vantage Point
Reduce cooldown of Leap by 0.3|0.3s while standing inside of the Distortion Field.
Priority Requisition
Reduce the cooldown of Distortion Field by 0.5|0.5s.
Dominant Dome
Increase the size of Distortion Field by 4|4%.
DESIGNATED SIGHTS
Tactical Fire
Generate 1|1 ammo after getting a Killing Blow or Elimination while Designated Sights is active.
Overwhelming Force
Eliminations or Confirmed Kills while scoped generate 2|2% Ult charge
New Boots
Reduce the Movement Speed penalty of Designated Sights by 20|20%.
Snap To It
Reduce the time it takes to bring up Designated Sights by 10|10%
SKINS
Maverick
Unlocked through Season Pass 2021
This skin will become unobtainable after Season Pass 2021 has finished.
Commander
Unlocked with 200 Crystals or 60,000 Gold
Golden Octavia
Obtained by Reaching Mastery level 50 with Octavia
BALANCE
Developer Commentary: Yagorath is heavily influencing the meta and play rates of champions at all skill levels – we are seeing that most overperforming champions have mechanics that either counter, or compliment her very well. For now we would like to bring Yagoraths power level down and see where other Champions fall, so balance will be minimal for the release of PTS. More balance adjustments may come based on PTS performance.
Barik
Health
Reduced Health 4,000 ➡️ 3,400
Developer Commentary: Based on Bariks current performance we are reverting his health buff from last patch.
Yagorath
Talent
Corrosive Acid
Reduced Caustic Spray initial hit damage 48 ➡️ 42
Passive
Armored Carapace
Base Damage Reduction decreased 40% ➡️ 35%
Inhand
Caustic Spray
Reduced initial hit damage 42 ➡️ 36
Ultimate
Devour
Reduced base Ultimate Health pool 4000 ➡️ 3500
Developer Commentary: Giant space worm is strong.
BUG FIXES
Champions
Androxus
Fixed an issue where Spawn Doors could apply damage to Reversal.
Barik
Fixed an issue where the One Man’s Treasure would activate twice if a Turret killed an enemy.
Bomb King
Fixed an issue where the projectile trail VFX would come from the wrong hand if Bomb King reloaded after throwing an odd number of Sticky Bombs.
Corvus
Fixed further issues with Corvus getting out of bounds using Projection.
Dredge
Fixed an issue where Dredge could see some 3P effects on his camera in 1P.
Io
Updated Protectors card text to explicitly state that the card does not activate while using Moonlight.
Khan
Fixed an issue where Eternal and Dark Guardian skins use the Default skin’s audio instead of unique audio.
Lian
Fixed an issue where Precision would gain stacks on targets in an Ethereal state.
Moji
Fixed an issue where the Dense Woods card did not function.
Skye
Fixed an issue where the Mastery Coin could get stuck on Skye’s model when using Mastery Emote at the end of round.
Terminus
Fixed an issue where Terminus’ respawn timer was reduced when executed by an enemy.
Fixed an issue where Spawn Doors could apply damage to Power Siphon.
Tiberius
Fixed an issue where Tiberius could activate the second effect of Heavy Blade with the Tigron’s Fury talent equipped while Banisher or Polymorphed.
Torvald
Fixed an issue where Torvald’s Protection activation audio would play a second time when the shield expired on the target.
Willo
Fixed an issue where Blastflower would gain stacks on targets in an Ethereal state.
Yagorath
Fixed an issue where Yagorath could swap from Travel Form to Planted Form while Banished.
Fixed an issue where Chronos and other Cooldown-reducing effects would not reduce the Cooldown of Travel Form abilities.
Fixed some map collision issues with Yagorath on Brightmarsh.
General
Fixed an issue where the “Inverted Y-Axis” setting carried over from Controller to Keyboard and Mouse when the Player swapped Input Type.
BATTLE PASS UPDATE – EVENT PASSES
The Battle Pass will be updated to our new Event Pass format, featuring a single-track reward system and visual overhaul. We wanted to address some of our players major concerns with our new format:
Single Rewards track containing items for both Free and Paid Players.
24 Total Levels, with each level containing an impactful unlock
1 skin obtainable by Free Players
Total experience required to complete the Battle Pass has been halved.
2-month Event Pass rotation instead of 3-months.
Completely NEW Challenge System – Trials of the Realm.
GAME ON EVENT PASS
The Eternal Pyre Battle Pass will become unpurchasable with the release of Patch 3 — Indomitable — as we transition to our new Event Pass system with the release of our first Event Pass, Game On, purchasable for 400 crystals.
Receive instant rewards for purchasing, and unlock 24 levels of rewards as you play and complete challenges!
Players can also purchase a Buy All option to get all content in the Event Pass instantly!
Instant Unlocks (Exclusive to Event Pass Purchasers)
Avatar Androxus
50% Experience and Gold Boost
INSTANT UNLOCK – Avatar Androxus
Level 12 – Full Dive Ying
Level 18 – Rezzed Ying
Level 24 – Modded Androxus
OTHER EVENT PASS EXCLUSIVE UNLOCKS
Sprays
3D Sprays
Avatars
MVP Poses
Night Out – Evie
Emotes
Drumline – Inara
Flowing Form – Zhin
Loading Frame
Death Card
Death Stamp
TRIALS OF THE REALM – GAME ON
Trials of the Realm is Paladin’s newest challenge system replacing the Battle Pass Challenges, featuring weekly quests for players to tackle each patch. Completing your Trials unlocks a variety of cosmetic, currency, and XP rewards, with every Event Pass featuring a fresh set of Challenges and rewards.
REGIONS:
Trials of the Realm can be accessed from a new menu option on the Paladins home page.
When you first open the Trials menu, there will be 8 regions that all correspond to a location on the Paladins World Map.
When a major patch goes live, players will only have access to the first Region, but each week a new region will unlock, opening up new challenges and rewards. A timer on the World Map and Region List will show how long before the next region is unlocked.
CHALLENGE HUBS:
To start your Trials open up any of the regions that have been unlocked – there you will find 3 different sets of challenges, each with their own reward, represented by an iconic Paladins location.
These locations are unlocked with tickets displayed at the bottom of any region you open. Each patch you will start with two tickets, and completing a set of challenges grants you both the reward for that location and a new ticket. Open up any of the three locations inside a region, select unlock, and you will start progressing your trials!
REWARDS:
Each set of Trials you complete has a unique reward tied to it. Whether you want crystals, avatars, Event Pass Levels, or chests – the order you unlock the rewards is determined by you!
300 Total Crystals
7 Total Game On Event Pass Levels
60,000 Total Gold
Avatars
Sprays
MVP Poses
Striking Snake – Mal’ Damba
GENERAL
Test Maps
We have officially retired the Test Maps match queue.
Players will now be able to create custom games on Test Maps.
For more on the Sparkling Stallion Pack DLC, head on over here.
Once the patch is out on March 31, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
CI Games is once again letting gamers snipe their way to glory, as the Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 release date has been announced for June 4! This was accompanied by the shooter’s gameplay debut trailer which showcases heads blown off and it’s gruesome!
The new trailer showcases our first next-gen look at the game, and better looking gore and more! Watch sniper assassin Rave unleash his weaponry and sniper skills to hit targets at over 1000 meters!
Players eager to snipe an early copy of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 can pre-order physical editions of the game for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One platforms. By doing so, snipers will unlock the following exclusives (at selected stores only):
Marcus Tactical: A light sniper rifle with great stability
FFF-45 ACP Luring Pistol: A sidearm with special luring ammo
Two Weapon Skins.
Pre-orders for the game are live now, and it’s going to cost $39.99 at launch. Those who pre-order the physical editions on consoles (which is live now), will get exclusive weapons and skins bonus packs.
Gameplay features:
The Sniper Ghost Warrior series is the best-selling first-person sniping franchise of all time selling over 11 million copies worldwide, and CI Games is eager to continue building on this success with the highly anticipated sequel. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 marks the most thrilling entry yet, adding an entirely new level of challenge with the extreme-range sniping of targets over 1,000 meters away, in addition to an arsenal of other new features:
1000m+ extreme-range sniping
A dramatic single-player campaign set in modern-day Middle East, with 5 distinct sandbox maps featuring a variety of fully accessible, interactive areas players can approach their own way
Next-level realism with authentic gadgets and weapons customizable to fit different styles of play
Replayable missions that can be completed in a number of ways, with unlockable rewards for achieving all objectives
More intelligent adversaries with improved tactics
Next-generation features include enhanced visuals, native 4k resolution, and improved loading times, setting a new benchmark as the best looking Sniper Ghost Warrior game thus far
Keep your crosshairs locked in! Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is shooting out this June 4.
Epic Games has released the Fortnite update 3.08 March 4 patch, and yes, this has been rolled out even if the big v15,50 Fortnite patch just went out earlier this week. As expected, this is purely fixes and shouldn’t include any new content.
The title update is rolling out for PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Mobile and Nintendo Switch versions aren’t included, and there’s no downtime as well.
Fortnite Update 3.08 March 4 Patch Notes:
Here’s what’s in today’s Fortnite patch according to Epic Games:
We’ve begun to deploy a maintenance patch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC that improves game stability.
You will be prompted to download the patch at the end of your match or when launching the game. No server downtime will be required
That seems to be it. As for the issues that arose from this week’s big patch, Epic has listed new ones which we’ve included below:
Voice chat not working properly for some players.
Description
We’re investigating an issue preventing voice chat from working properly for some players.
Players on GeForce NOW unable to change Video settings
Description
Players are unable to change their video settings when playing through GeForce NOW.
Split Screen temporarily disabled.
Description
Due to a stability issue, the Split Screen feature on PlayStation and Xbox has been temporarily disabled.
That seems to be it for today’s new Fortnite update. Same as always, if you spot any technical or gameplay-related changes, let us know down in the comments.
While Sony just dropped quite a few bombs in last week’s State of Play, it looks like the company has more surprises set to be announced soon, as the official PlayStation Middle East Twitter account has posted a teaser just now!
— PlayStation Arabia (@PlayStation_ME) March 4, 2021
The arabic text reads, “We have a surprise for you coming soon.”
Of course, there is the off-chance that this “surprise” is only for Middle Eastern PlayStation gamers, though that seems highly unlikely. What do you think it is and what are you hoping to see from it? Let us know your guesses down in the comments.
In other PlayStation news, Sony has filed a patent wherein simple everyday items like a banana can be used as a gaming controller! Nope, we’re not even joking. Read more about it here.
