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FF14 Update 8.39 Casts Out, Bringing 5.3 Content

  by   James Lara  
August 11, 2020 12:40 am in News

The PS4 version of Final Fantasy 14 has received the 5.3 update, bringing with it a large amount of changes and new content. Read on for the quick rundown of FF14 update 8.39.

Due to the large size of the patch notes, it is recommended that you visit the official patch note website. For those looking for a more shorter version that highlights the big changes, you can find that below. The notes were written up by Reddit user Geekboxing, so be sure to give them an upvote on their thread here: Patch 5.3 Notes (Preliminary): Normal People Edition

FF14 Update 8.39 Patch Notes (Short Version)

Free Trial

  • Players with only FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn registered to their account will have the registration of FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward applied to their account automatically.

  • The level cap has been raised to 60.

  • The free trial now includes FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward.

  • The display of the game title has been changed.

  • Deep dungeon access has been expanded to floor 200.

FF14 Update 8.39 Quests Notes

  • 12 new main scenario quests.

  • 4 new Chronicles of a New Era quests.

  • 4 new side story quests.

  • The weekly restriction on previous Chronicles of a New Era quests has been removed.

  • Main scenario quests for A Realm Reborn have been revamped. Some quests may need to be abandoned or re-accepted.

  • Quest objective icons for all quests have been adjusted to indicate elevation.

Dwarf Beast Tribe

  • 6 new Dwarf beast tribe quests.

  • Dwarf beast tribe daily quests.

  • Hammered Frogments currency and associated vendors.

New Duties

  • Faux Hollows and Unreal trials have been added.

  • New dungeon: Heroes’ Gauntlet [requires iLvl 460].

  • New trial: ??? [requires iLvl 465].

  • New trial: ??? (Extreme) [requires iLvl 480].

  • New trial: The Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Unreal) [requires iLvl 430].

  • New alliance raid: The Puppets’ Bunker [requires iLvl 465].

FF14 Update 8.39 Duty Adjustments

  • An experience point bonus will now be granted when completing dungeons for the first time.

  • Attacks by the Coincounter in Aurum Vale will now have action indicators.

  • Players will always receive a weapon or piece of armor equippable by their current job upon completing many leveling dungeons.

  • The drop rate for the Shadow Gwiber Trumpet in the Minstrel’s Ballad: Hades’s Elegy has been increased.

  • The weekly restriction on rewards in Eden’s Verse has been removed.

  • Duty Roulette rotations and Echo have been adjusted.

Grand and Free Companies

  • New craftable items have been added to the company workshop.

  • Additions and adjustments have been made to subaquatic voyages.

  • Pudding Flesh can be purchased from Grand Company quartermasters.

Housing

  • Furnishings from the FFXIV Furnishing Design Contest have been added.

  • New furnishings have been added.

  • Viera and Hrothgar mannequins are now available.

  • New orchestrion rolls have been added.

  • New aquarium fish have been added.

  • New seeds for flowerpots can now be purchased from Material Supplier vendors.

The Manderville Gold Saucer

  • Chocobo Racing: An average wait time will no longer be displayed when queueing.

  • Triple Triad: New cards and opponents have been added.

  • Doman Mahjong: An explanation of the Pao penalty will now display when triggered.

  • Doman Mahjong: The position of the cursor when selecting tiles with a gamepad has been adjusted.

FF14 Update 8.39 PVP Notes

  • Preparation time before matches begin has been reduced from 90 to 45 seconds.

  • The Feast: Season 16 has begun.

  • Frontline: The rotation of available campaigns has been changed.

  • Frontline: Campaigns available in Daily Challenge: Frontline have been changed.

  • Rival Wings: Time limit has been reduced from 20 to 15 minutes.

  • Rival Wings: Time before delivery of gobcrates has been changed from 12 to 10 minutes after the match begins.

  • Rival Wings: Several adjustments have been made to warmachina actions.

  • Rival Wings: Goblin mercenaries now deal increased damage against mammets.

  • Rival Wings: HP of gobtanks has been increased, as well as their damage against mammets.

FF14 Update 8.39 Items and Crafting Notes

  • The number of Blades of Golden Antiquity required to exchange for a Perdurable Tomestone has been reduced from 7 to 4.

  • Players will no longer be rewarded Cracked Stellaclusters upon completing the Copied Factory.

  • Crystarium gear can now be augmented using Puppet’s Coin earned form completing The Puppets’ Bunker.

  • New items and recipes have been added.

  • Crafted item level 480 equipment can now be exchanged for upgraded item level 490 equipment.

  • Sundry Splendors, a one-stop shop for gear and items purchased in exchange for Allagan tomestones and scrips, has been added to all city-states.

  • Crafting material shops have been added to Idyllshire, Rhalgr’s Reach, and Ul’dah.

  • The sort function has been adjusted. Items with a similar function will now be arranged together when sorted.

  • The prices of certain items have been adjusted.

  • Certain items can now be sold, desynthesized, or submitted for expert delivery missions.

  • The item level of Zodiac Weapon, anima weapon, and Eureka weapon replicas has been changed to 1.

  • To reduce system stress, the timing with which changes to gear durability and spiritbond are processed has been adjusted.

  • Materials in your inventory can now be used to search for crafting recipes.

  • The Trial Synthesis crafter action has been added, replacing Collectable Synthesis.

  • Level 51 to 80 recipes used for collectable synthesis can no longer be used to create collectable items.

  • A new level 15 trait, Practice Makes Perfect, has been added to Disciples of the Hand.

  • Additions and adjustments have been made to the crafting window.

  • Players can now specify the number of items to be crafted in the raw materials list.

  • Players can now speak with Ehll Tou to complete custom deliveries.

  • Adjustments have been made to Rowena’s House of Splendors.

  • Ornament recipes for alchemist have been moved to their own category.

  • The Auto Sneak trait for Disciples of the Land has been adjusted.

  • New miner and botanist gathering points have been added.

  • New items have been added to gathering points.

  • New fish have been added.

  • The display of requirements for perception-based gathering bonuses has been adjusted.

  • Ocean Fishing: Points earned for fish you have reeled in will now be displayed.

  • Ocean Fishing: Fish that award bonus points will now be indicated with a special icon.

  • The requirements for catching certain fish with special conditions have been added to the Fishing Log.

  • The level cap for desynthesis has been increased from 480 to 490.

  • Stacked items can now be automatically desynthesized, one after another.

  • New items available in exchange for achievement certificates have been added.

  • The pulldown menu of the Materia Creation window has been adjusted. The Equipped category now displays at the top of the list.

  • New items have been added to the inventory of Calamity salvagers.

  • New mounts have been added.

  • The music played when riding the pteranodon mount has been changed.

  • New chocobo barding has been added.

  • New minions have been added.

FF14 Update 8.39 Miscellaneous Chnages

  • Mounts can now fly in A Realm Reborn areas.

  • New chapters have been added to New Game+.

  • Leve quests can now be initiated and abandoned while riding a mount.

  • Rewards have been added for Zonureskin Treasure Maps.

  • New rewards have been added to the Dungeons of Lyhe Ghiah.

  • Players will now receive experience points when turning in Wondrous Tails.

  • Wondrous Tails prizes and rewards have been adjusted.

  • “Successfully desynthesize 5 items” replaces “Successfully affix 5 materia” in the Challenge Log.

  • New emotes have been added.

  • The descriptions of certain actions and statuses have been adjusted.

  • The period of invulnerability after being revived will now be indicated by the Transcendent status effect.

  • Players can now change the name of active sets in the Blue Magic Spellbook.

  • New achievements and titles have been added. The icons for certain achievements have been adjusted.

  • Certain duties and trials will now count toward the completion of some achievements.

  • The Fashion Accessories category has been added to the main menu. The Parasol action and all future accesories acquired from Patch 5.21 and later can be found within this new category.

  • A warning message will now be displayed if your retainer’s gil limit will be exceeded when trading gil to your retainer, or when selling items on the market board or via a mannequin.

  • Retainer Ventures: New categories have been added for mining, botany, and fishing.

  • Retainer Ventures: The maximum number of shards or crystals that can be obtained from a venture has been increased.

  • The number of friend requests that can be sent in a day has been increased from 5 to 7.

  • Players can now use the World Visit system when joined in a cross-world party.

  • More options and adjustments have been added to the Party Finder interface. The layout of the interface has been adjusted.

  • A “Wait” option has been added to the Vote Abandon window.

  • The display of status effects applied by you will now take priority when appearing on a target bar or focus target bar.

  • Enmity can now be manually reset when attacking a striking dummy.

  • The category for actions used to transform your character has been changed from Glamour to Special.

  • Descriptions for combo actions primarily used in PvP (e.g. Royal Authority Combo or Wheeling Thrust Combo) will now include cast time, recast time, and cost.

  • A search function has been added to the orchestrion.

  • The pulldown menu of the armoire has been adjusted. The inventory category now displays at the top of the list.

  • The display of quests with branching dialog in the Unending Journey has been adjusted. In the event players have completed related quests that allow for special dialog, an icon will display next to the checkbox that toggles the reflection of quest progression.

  • Players can now save the size and positioning of the results window that appears when appraising lockboxes and logograms.

  • Several new options have been added to group pose.

  • The duties that can be recorded have changed.

  • The Yo-kai Medallium, obtained during the Yo-kai Watch collaboration event, has been moved to the Collection menu.

  • Players can now access the official site via links displayed in-game.

  • Links have been added to several menus to open their associated official pages in your default web browser (PlayStation 4 only).

  • A Hardware Cursor: FFXIV Custom scaling option has been added (Windows and Mac only).

  • A Playguide option has been added under the UI Settings tab of the Character Configuration menu.

  • The duty list will now be displayed in Foundation and the Pillars, even when the “Hide duty list during non-instanced duty” option is enabled under the HUD tab of UI Settings in the Character Configuration menu.

  • A Mouse Cursor Size option has been added under the Mouse Settings tab of the System Configuration menu.

  • A Shortcuts option has been added to the Keybind menu.

  • Under the News tab of the Support Desk menu, the Issues category of the drop-down menu has been changed to Status.

  • Several additions and adjustments have been made to text commands.

  • Additions have been made to the auto-translation dictionary and the PlayStation 4 auto-complete dictionary.

  • New music has been added.

  • For players who have only registered FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward, the FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE logo will display on the title screen.

  • The Movies menu has been changed to the Movies & Title menu.

  • The layout of the game launcher has been adjusted.

  • Collectables information can now be viewed in the Eorzea Database.

Again, this is the short version of the patch notes, if you want to get the full thing visit the official website with the link above. 

Tags: Final Fantasy XIV Square Enix
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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.

Home > News

Falls Guys Steam Sales Hit 2 Million in Just a Week

  by   Alex Co  
August 10, 2020 7:39 pm in News

Believe it or not, the biggest multiplayer game sensation isn’t a new battle royale game, or a new first-person shooter, but one that has more similar qualities to Mario Party and platformers than anything else. That game is, of course, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

While some might think the game’s massive succcess is due to it being free on PlayStation Plus this month, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Over on Steam, where the game isn’t free, the Fall Guys Steam sales have hit two million sold in just a week from release!

This figure is made even more impressive when you factor in it’s essentially free on another platform! Hopefully, this means that Mediatonic will release the game on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One soon, so they too can enjoy the craziness of Fall Guys.

Stay tuned to our Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout review hitting the site soon. In the meantime, go check out our beginner’s guide on the game. There’s also a speed hack being used now on PC by some rather annoying individuals. Check out how it looks here.

Surprised at the Fall Guys Steam sales numbers or are you thinking it’ll blow up even more once people found out how fun the game is?

Tags: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Mediatonic
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Alex Co

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

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Call of Duty Puzzle Solved and Points to Friday Date for Next Event (Update #2)

  by   Alex Co  
5:18 pm in News

Earlier today, the packages Activision sent to content creators were opened and it housed not a Call of Duty 2020 reveal or announcement, but rather, a projector and other stuff that teased at what’s coming’s, Well, it didn’t take long for the Call of Duty community to solve this puzzle!

After solving this elaborate puzzle (marketing ploy) by Activision, fans were then directed to a website named “pawntakesspawn.com/tv!” and what do we have there? Well, nothing much except an old TV, computer and what appears to be a VHS that states “8-14,” 12:00″ which doesn’t take a genius to figure out as August 14, at 12 noon (we presume is in PT).

In case you need more proof this is connected to Call of Duty, the background of the site features the Warzone map in the top left!

Here’s a better view of it:

Given how Activision has confirmed that they are using Call of Duty: Warzone as a platform to share franchise info, it’s a given now that we’ll see something happen in Verdansk this Friday! Hopefully, even non-players of Warzone will see it via trailer or something.

There we go, Call of Duty fans! This year’s Call of Duty 2020 reveal, which is rumored and expected to be titled Black Ops Cold War, will be taking place on Friday, August 14, at 12 noon! Hopefully, we’ll see actual gameplay and not just a teaser confirmation.

Update: According to reputable site Videogamechronicle, the Friday won’t be the Call of Duty 2020 reveal, and will instead be the next step in the game’s puzzle/ARG (augmented reality game). It remains to be seen whether VGC is correct, but we’ve amended the headline to be more accurate.

Update #2: YouTuber NoahJ456 states he has heard directly from Activision who confirms that we won’t see any COD 2020 reveal on Friday but just the next part of the puzzle.

Once we hear more news, we’ll update the post.

Tags: Call of Duty call of duty: black ops cold war Call of Duty: Warzone Infinity Ward Treyarch
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Alex Co

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

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Call of Duty Packages House Puzzles, Treyarch Updates Social Media; All Tied to Black Ops

  by   Alex Co  
3:59 pm in News

Just last week, we reported that Activision has sent mystery crates to content creators that included a date set for August 10, Well, that day is today! While we’re expecting it to house a reveal for Call of Duty 2020, which is rumored to be called Black Ops Cold War, that doesn’t seem to be the case — at least at face value, as there seems to be puzzles to solve first!

Thankfully, content creators such as NoahJ456 livestreamed the box opening and we got to see what was in it! One of the items in the box is a note with a lot of stuff on it. Rather than having me explain, read it below via our screenshot:

Alongside the manifest, there’s a projector with slides that seems like mini maps or something. YouTubers and other Call of Duty fans are now checking to see what it uncovers. Reliable Call of Duty dataminer BKTOOR_ posted four of the map images where it mentions London, Paris, New York, and Moscow.

Various Call of Duty fans and sites are now trying to find out what this all means. There’s what appears to be a code for a clock face:

What’s more, Treyarch has apparently rolled out an update to Black Ops 1 on PC three days ago and it’s tied to the puzzle!

Apparently, some have surmised that the map is somehow tied to Treyarch’s Summit map:

https://twitter.com/TheMW2Ghost/status/1292858319397429249

The update seems to be tied to Black Ops 1’s Summit map, as the clocks located inside the main structurehas their times changed to match that of Black Ops 4’s!

Adding more weight to the Summit thing, CharlieIntel has compared the screens from Black Ops 1 pre-patch and confirms it got changed! Oh, and in case there was any doubt, Treyarch themselves have updated their social media profile pictures too!

It seems the clocks named on the map lined up with slides showing the phrase, “Beish, I was here.” This is apparently the name of the game of chess that was played in 1972 during the Cold War!

Yep, as expected, the package sent by Activision is somehow connected to this year’s Call of Duty reveal! How deep does the rabbit hole go? We’ll know for sure in the coming days.

While some might see this as an over-complication of a game reveal, I have to hand it to Activision. Instead of announcing a game, they’re not drumming up hype and interested, and more importantly, engaging the community in this puzzle solving crusade.

Once we know more tangible details, we’ll let our readers know.

More Call of Duty Reading:

Tags: Activision Call of Duty call of duty: black ops cold war Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Call of Duty: Warzone Infinity Ward Treyarch
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Alex Co

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

Home > News

PUBG Update 8.2 Patch Notes & Release Date Revealed

  by   Alex Co  
1:50 pm in News

While PUBG players just got the massive PUBG Season 8 patch, PUBG Corp. already has a a bunch of stuff lined up for PUBG update 8.2! The PUBG update 8.2 release date is set for August 19 on PC, and August 27 on consoles. If you’re curious what’s in it, head on below for the PUBG update 8.2 patch notes.

Same as in other patches, players can hop in the PC Test Servers to test this patch out starting this Wednesday, August 12.

PUBG Update 8.2 patch notes:

New Weapon: MG3

The latest weapon available in Battlegrounds Care Packages is the fast firing MG3 Light Machine Gun. With two different rates of fire, a bipod for stability, tracer rounds to help you keep track of your spray, and increased weapon damage to vehicles, there’s a new reason to fight over the big red box.

  • Spawns in Care Packages on all maps, in Normal Matches only
    • Not currently available in Ranked Matches
  • The MG3 has two firing modes which change the fire rate between 660 rpm and 990 rpm
  • Chambered for 7.62mm, holds 75 rounds and has a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s
  • 1.25x damage multiplier when shooting vehicles
  • Tracer rounds are fired every 5th round, as well as for the final 10 bullets of each magazine, letting you know that ammo is running low.
    • Tracer rounds can only be seen by the shooter
  • Supports optical attachments up to the 6x Scope
  • The MG3 has an attached bipod, deploying automatically when prone to greatly improve weapon stability

New Throwable: Decoy Grenade

Disorient your enemies and cover your movements with the new Decoy Grenade. Available as world loot on Sanhok, the Decoy Grenade will make fake firing sounds for about 10 seconds after thrown, giving you a few moments to make your move.

The Decoy Grenade is a new throwable which mimics gunshot sounds. Purposely made to be used as a tactical item to distract and outwit your opponents.

  • Available only on Sanhok in Normal Matches, as a rare world spawn item
    • Not available in Ranked Mode
  • Decoy grenades can be cooked to reduce their detonation time out of the hand and are thrown just like other grenades
    • Upon detonation, Decoy Grenades emit gunshot sounds for 10 seconds and eject shell casings to add to the guise of real gunfire
  • Beware, they’re not waterproof! Dropping one into water will disable its effects
  • Decoy Grenades don’t currently spawn in Training Mode

Gameplay

Weapon Remodel and Retexture

M416, SKS and Kar98k has been remodeled from scratch to improve their visual quality. Along with their visual update, firing sounds of these weapons have also been overhauled.

Care Package Updates

  • C4 has been added to Care Packages on all maps, except Karakin
  • MG3 has been added to Care Packages on all maps
    • The C4 and MG3 are not available in Ranked Mode

LMG (Light Machine Gun) Balance Adjustment

  • Vehicle damage multipliers have been added to LMGs.
    • MG3: x 1.25
    • DP28 : 1.15x
    • M249: 1.10x
  • Camera shake when firing LMGs while prone has been reduced
    • There has been no changes made to the weapon recoil. However, players may feel the weapon is more stable due to reduced camera shake.

World

Erangel Docks

  • Four docks have been added to Erangel
    • Two docks have been added to existing wharves, one at Novorepnoye and the other at Ferry Pier
    • The southern beaches of the Erangel mainland and Sosnovka Island have also had docks added

Quality of Life Improvements

Throwables Wheel Menu Improvements

The Throwables Wheel has been updated to better facilitate multiple recent additions to the PUBG throwable arsenal.

  • The wheel now has 6 slots and allows access to all throwables
    • 4 slots are permanent locations for the most common throwables; Frag Grenade, Molotov Cocktail, Smoke Grenade and Stun Grenade
    • 2 slots are dynamic. The dynamic slot on the right side holds either Sticky bomb or C4 and the one on the left can hold either Decoy grenade or Spike Trap
      • If your inventory has both the Sticky Bomb and C4, the wheel will prioritize the Sticky Bomb. With Decoy grenade and Spike Trap, the Decoy grenade takes priority
      • If you have a Sticky Bomb or Decoy equipped in your throwables slot, the dynamic slot on the wheel will display the other corresponding item, C4 or Spike Trap

Helmet Hide Function

Sometimes you just want to look good for YOU. For those moments, you can now toggle off your helmet to maintain your default costume pieces, even after you protect your noggin with a fine Level 3 helmet. This functionality is purely cosmetic, and other players will still see you with a helmet on, but you’ll at least get the satisfaction of enjoying your chicken dinner in full Alex the Dinosaur costume glory.

  • When Helmet Hide is enabled, your hoodie, hat or other head covering will remain visible even when wearing a helmet.
    • To all other players, you’ll still be seen wearing, equipping and otherwise interacting with your helmet.
    • This is a local visual change, only showing for players who enable it.
  • Helmet Hide is disabled by default. You can enable it in the Settings, or by clicking the option in the Inventory.
  • Equipable slots for Head and Helmet are now separated.
    • Equipping a helmet now won’t automatically drop your hat, or other cosmetic item in the head slot.

Performance

The Following performance improvements have been made:

  • Improved font loading process to reduce game stuttering/hitching
  • Optimized the process for loading character data to reduce instances of stuttering/hitching and ensure a more stable framerate
  • The item table is now preloaded on the client backend which results in items loading quicker
  • Refactored the onscreen Key Guide widget to reduce potential instances of stuttering/hitching
  • Improved the game from hitching when loading a character on the inventory screen

Esports Tab – PCS 2

The Esports Tab has been updated to include PCS2 information and the next Pick em challenge!

When the challenge unlocks, you can head over and make your predictions just like before. Grab as many points as you can and pick up some of the great new PCS2 items! The Esports Tab will be available until September 23rd!

Menu Breakdown

  • OVERVIEW
  • Overview page will now feature a total of 4 pages.
    • 1st page
      • An introduction to PCS 2 and thumbnail image which when clicked will redirect you to the live stream and event information.
      • Now each day with a match on a schedule will be highlighted.
    • 2nd page
      • Introduction to the Pick’em challenge. Here, you will be able to learn how to participate and preview rewards.
    • 3rd, 4th page
      • PCS Focus which features certain players who successfully advanced to PCS 2 from each region (APAC/ASIA, EUROPE/NORTH)
      • A player who has recorded the best PCS 1 PEPS+ stats from the region
      • A player who has recorded the most kills in PCS 2 preliminary
      • A player who has been selected as a dark horse

TEAMS

  • All participating teams and their players (including team’s reserved players!) can be found here.
  • Under the team name, the title of the preliminary where that team went through and their final placement is displayed.
  • Weekly team stats will be updated weekly.
  • STANDINGS
    • Up to date standings with a per region breakdown (APAC, Asia, North America, and Europe)
    • Until the start of the event, countdown to the very first match of each region is displayed.
  • PICK’EM CHALLENGE
    • Event page for the PCS2 Pick’Em Challenge where you can vote on who you think will take home the event victory.
    • All details can be found here on how to participate for a chance to unlock exclusive rewards. We’ll also be sharing a separate announcement with more details before this goes live

Want more info? Read the PCS 2 event announcement here.
Stay tuned for another announcement on everything you need to know about the Pick’Em Challenge.

For everything PUBG Esports, head over to pubgesports.com, or hit the PCS2 logo in the esports tab for an easy shortcut when you’re in-game.

UI/UX & Menus

Background Music Selection

Players looking for a bit of nostalgia when they log in can now choose their lobby music! We’ve added a selection of themes dating from all the way back to Early Access for you to choose from. After all, there’s no better way to get hyped for the Battlegrounds than by rocking your favorite tunes!

Select your Background Music under Settings.

  • Previously used background music is now available for selection
    • Each Season, BGM is reset to default
  • Ranked Mode and the Esports tab will feature their own exclusive BGM which cannot be changed

Match History

  • New Match History section has been added to the Career tab
  • You can view your most recent 20 matches
    • Review match records from both Normal and Ranked matches
    • Records over 30 days old cannot be viewed in detail
  • Leaving a match early or disconnecting due to an error will prevent that match from being recorded in your Match History

New Loading Screen and Guide for Training Mode

  • New splash art and text has been added to the loading screen
  • Additional informational text has been added to the minimap

In-game UI Improvements

  • Unified the style and location of round buttons to improve the visual experience
  • Improved irregular title locations on some screens
  • Design of badges, tags, wide pop-up screens and drop-down menus has been improved

Emote Settings Improvement

  • Now you can double click to equip/unequip an emote from your emote list.
  • Drag & drop emotes in the emote wheel to change slots or unequip emotes.

Improved System messages

  • Improved system messages displayed in case of server maintenance, server overload, external provider authentication failure etc to be more clear.

Store UI Update

  • When bonus items are included in sets, they are now displayed in the Bonus Gift section of the item preview screen.
  • Now all set items are displayed on the character while previewing an emote.

Social

Friends List Rework

  • The friends list has undergone a visual and functional rework
    • More detailed status friend statuses are now displayed, such as ‘On your team’
    • Friends tab now displays the last online state of an offline player on your friends list
    • Information on when you last played with someone on your recent tab is now displayed
  • Invite
    • Now players can invite a player already in a team
    • Accepting this invite will make the player move from the existing team to the new team.
  • Follow friends renamed to add/remove friends

Custom Matches

Team Deathmatch is now available in Custom Matches

  • Now you can enjoy TDM in custom matches

New system message for Custom Matches

  • A new message has been added for when players are kicked by match observers
    • This is to clearly distinguish messages in situations where a player has been kicked by the host, versus being kicked for cheating or another Rules of Conduct offence

Replay System

  • The replay system has been updated. Replay files from previous updates are now unable to be used

Skin & Items

New Items

  • Night on the Town
    • Sets
      • NIGHTCLUB DRESS SET (+ Victory Dance 23 emote)
      • BOW TIE AND SUSPENDERS SET (+ Bundle of Hearts emote)
  • Individual items
    • Nightclub Dress (White)
    • Nightclub Stockings
    • Bow Tie and Suspenders Suit
    • Shiny Shoes and Socks

PCS 2

PCS Item sets (8 sets – Each comes with 1 voting coupon)

  • PCS2 SLR BOX
  • PCS2 BERYL M762 BOX
  • PCS2 S12K BOX
  • PCS2 BUGGY BOX
  • PCS2 MASK BOX
  • PCS2 EMOTE BOX
  • PCS2 ALL-IN-ONE SET
  • PCS2 WEAPON SET

Metal Plated M416 Skins

  • Gold and Silver Plate M416 skins are returning to the store!
    Over the years, we’ve released dozens of skins on the PUBG store, only to have them never show up again after the initial sale. Some players have been asking for another chance at some of these skins, so after some thought, we’ve decided to bring a couple items back to the store. We’re starting off with the Gold and Silver Plate M416 skins from quite a while back and will consider additional skins in the future if these go over well.

We hope this gives our new players, and those of you who missed out the first time, another chance!

  • METAL PLATED M416 SETS
    • Gold Plate – M416
    • Silver Plate – M416

Sales Schedule

  • Night on the Town sets : After the August 19th live server maintenance ~ Until September 16th liver server maintenance
  • PCS 2: After the August 19th live server maintenance ~  September 8th 1700 (KST)
  • Metal Plated M416s: After the September 2nd weekly maintenance (Planned) ~ September 30th 1100 (KST)

Bug Fixes

Gameplay

  • Now players are able to attach Charms to Sanhok 4 weapons
  • Fixed the issue where you could turn the character in the lobby by following certain steps
  • Fixed an inventory issue which could occur during TDM matches
  • Fixed the yellowish tint in the Season 8 menu lobby
  • Fixed the issue where players sometimes couldn’t complete the following mission ‘Survive 15 minutes without taking any damage from the Blue Zone’
  • Fixed the issue where sounds are not played along with the game hitching during TDM gameplay
  • Fixed the issue where you couldn’t rotate the character in the customize -> emote menu
  • Fixed an issue where the direction of UI arrows froze regardless of player orientation
  • Fixed the issue where bots could spawn with DP-28s on Vikendi
  • Fixed optics resetting to default when reconnecting to the game
  • Fixed the bug where players would dive straight down when exiting the plane
  • Fixed animation for when characters who were on fire held a Panzerfaust
  • Fixed the grenade pin clipping through characters finger in FPP
  • Fixed the issue where players were able to see behind foliage when moving their camera in certain angles
  • Fixed an issue where the bullets in a Kar98 could appear outside the chamber while reloading
  • Fixed an issue where specific female hairstyles could appear incorrect while holding a Spike Trap
  • Fixed an issue where Gas Cans would disappear from a character’s hands if that character was on fire
  • Fixed an issue with the Kar98 where the weapon cartridge could appear behind the character while reloading
  • Fixed an issue where the backpack would move on a character’s back if they rotated while in the sidecar of a bike
  • Fixed an issue where the fall animation could appear incorrect if the character was holding C4
  • Improved the animation for moving from ready to throw a melee weapon to unequipping the melee weapon
  • Fixed the animation for switching to any weapon from the Panzerfaust while in the prone position
  • Fixed the positioning of scopes when aiming backwards while on a bike
  • Improved the animation for discarding a Panzerfaust after use
  • Improved the animation for swimming backwards while rising to the surface
  • Fixed an issue where the character’s lips could appear incorrect while readying a melee weapon for throwing
  • Fixed an issue where in FPP with the R1895 equipped the character’s wrists could appear incorrect while using free look

World

  • Fixed Loot truck roaming around the same location near the bridge south of Camp Alpha
  • Fixed the issue where players could clip through an object and die by falling in a certain location on Erangel
  • Fixed characters shaking up and down when standing on a certain rock on Erangel
  • Fixed an oil barrel floating in the air above a bridge on Erangel
  • Fixed the awkward looking cliff texture at the north of Stalber on Erangel
  • Fixed the issue where a player was not able to move past a particular building’s railing
  • Fixed the issue where players could vault over a ceiling in certain underground locations on Karakin

UI/UX

  • Fixed the issue where the text ‘Motor glider’ was displayed as a system string on the Last Match screen
  • Fixed the issue where esports vehicles added to Ranked Mode displayed a system string on the Last Match screen
  • Fixed the issue where the inventory scroll bar would not return to default location
  • Fixed the issue where some rewards were not being displayed in the rewards pop-up screen when using receive all button
  • Fixed the issue where ESC button was activated twice when pressed in the item purchase screen
  • Fixed the issue where APAC, ASIA region title still being displayed in English in Traditional Chinese language option
  • Fixed the UI overlaps on the profile screen
  • Fixed the issue where some buttons displayed in white when overlapped with a mouse cursor
  • Fixed the issue of the timeline UI not displayed correctly
  • Fixed some visual errors on the PUBG ID screen
  • Fixed an issue when attempting to switch throwables after removing safety pin which caused the following error  “Inventory system error: 3”
  • Fixed an issue where explosive damage done to wheels would not update the vehicle UI

Skin & Items

  • Fixed the issue where character’s body would become transparent with certain face skins in Zombie Mode
  • Fixed the issue where character’s legs would become transparent when equipping the Miramar Biker Jacket
  • Fixed the issue where the in-game inventory icon didn’t display when equipping ‘Rapture Squad Tactical Pants’
  • Fixed the clipping issue when female characters equipped ‘TUANTUAN’s Tank Top’
  • Fixed the clipping issue when a female character equips ‘Route Warrior Gloves’ and gets on motorcycle with a weapon

Replay

  • Fixed the export button of the replay having wrong color and highlight effect not displaying
  • Fixed the player UI coordinates mismatching in certain cases during replays

Once this patch is out, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.

Source: PUBG

Tags: PUBG PUBG Corp.
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Alex Co

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

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Night City Wire Episode 2 Stream – Watch Cyberpunk 2077 Info Revealed Live

  by   Alex Co  
11:55 am in News

CD Projekt RED is today showcasing our next look at Cyberpunk 2077 with the Night City Wire Episode 2 stream! Starting at 6 p.m. CEST/12 noon ET/9 a.m. PT/12 mn HKT, the studio will offer details about lifepaths, what weapons you’ll be using and more.

Watch it happen in the stream below.

https://www.twitch.tv/cdprojektred

Stay tuned to SP1st where we’ll cover the important gameplay details revealed during the stream. Check out gameplay from the last Night City Wire, right here.

About Cyberpunk 2077:

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.
Cyberpunk 2077 will launch this November 19 on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It will also hop on over to next-gen (PS5, Xbox Series X), at a yet-unspecified date.
Tags: cd projekt red Cyberpunk 2077
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Alex Co

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

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Rainbow 6 Siege August 10 Update to v1.90 Brings Invisibility Fix

  by   Alex Co  
11:26 am in News

Just last week, we reported that Rainbow 6 Siege players were being victims of an invisibility glitch that’s trigged in the new MUTE Protocol event. Thankfully, that’s about to change now. Ubisoft has released the Rainbow 6 Siege August 10 update that fixes this! Console gamers will see this as update 1.90.

Rainbow 6 Siege August 10 Update patch notes:

Here’s the message from the offiicial Rainbow Six Twitter account:

The M.U.T.E Protocol hotfix.🛠

Today, 10th August.

-To prevent the invisibility exploit.
-Fixed victory screen animation.

PC: 9:00 EDT / 13:00 UTC
XB1: 10:00 EDT / 14:00 UTC
PS4: 11:00 EDT / 15:00 UTC
Downtime: 20 mins

More info about the event re-activation to come soon

It seems based on the message, we’ll get another MUTE Procotol event again. Hopefully, there won’t be any issues with that one when it’s released.

For those unaware, the MUTE Protocol event was initiated last week, and here’s what it’s about:

Rainbow Six Siege MUTE Protocol Secure Area:

In this futuristic sci-fi inspired 5-vs.-5 mode, attackers are flying in and trying to shutdown M.U.T.E Protocol by any means necessary, while defenders hold up in Comm Tower, defending it at all cost. 41 Operators will be available to play, with a few exceptions for gameplay reasons: Twitch, Thatcher, Mozzie, Mute, Maestro, Valkyrie, Dokkaebi, Echo, Goyo, Clash, Montagne, Blitz and Caveira won’t be available.

Even for players who are used to playing Secure Area, M.U.T.E. Protocol’s new game mode is unique, as it is based on a brand-new feature: Morphing. On the attacking side, players will have to secure two areas, and will be able to switch between Operator and Drone forms by entering and exiting Observation Tools. On the

Once we get wind of the new event details, we’ll let our readers know.

Tags: Rainbow Six Rainbow Six Siege Ubisoft Montreal
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Alex Co

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

Home > News

RDR2 Update 1.21 August 10 Rides Out

  by   Alex Co  
9:31 am in News

Following the big Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) Summer Update two weeks ago, Rockstar Games has released the RDR2 update 1.21 August 10 patch today! As expected given we just got a huge content-filled update, this one is mostly for fixes and nothing else.

Clocking in at just 160MB on PS4, head on below to see what’s in this title update for Red Dead Redemption 2.

RDR2 Update 1.21 August 10 patch notes:

While there’s no patch notes released just yet, this title update should be for connection fixes for Red Dead Online. Just last week, the official Rockstar Support Twitter account announced the following:

We are aware some players are currently experiencing connection issues with Red Dead Online. We are currently working on a fix and will share any updates as soon as they are available.

Given the patch’s size and the fact that this has been rolled out without much fanfare. this shouldn’t include new content. That said, if you find any gameplay-related changes in it, let us know down below and once we confirm it, we’ll update the post and credit you.

We’ll be on the lookout for any official patch notes from the official support site, and if they release any, we’ll update the post.

Tags: Red Dead Redemption Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar Games
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Alex Co

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

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Dying Light August 10 Update Adds Hellraid DLC, Post-Release Support Announced

  by   Alex Co  
7:19 am in News

Five years upon release, Techland is still hard at work on Dying Light post-launch support! The Dying Light August 10 update is out now, and it adds the premium (read: paid) Hellraid DLC to the game! While the actual expansion isn’t out until later this week on August 13 on PC and August 14 on consoles, the game data is out now.

Over on Twitter, Techland announced that more free content is coming to Hellraid owners and then som.

Dying Light August 10 update patch notes:

While Techland hasn’t revealed any official list of gameplay changes, here’s the official word on Dying Light’s Hellraid DLC:

No one knows where the strange arcade machine came from. One day the residents of the Tower just found it in the basement after an odd power outage. They took it upstairs unaware that their find is a gateway to another realm. Shake up your Dying Light experience by using this eerie device to access a completely new game mode based on Techland’s unreleased first-person fantasy slasher Hellraid.

HACK THROUGH THE HORDES OF HELL
Step into a portal to leave the familiar streets of Harran behind and emerge in an otherworldly stronghold overrun by servants of Hell. Slay brand-new demonic enemies with medieval swords, axes, and hammers as you venture through stone corridors and dimly lit chambers.

MASTER A NEW GAME MODE
Prove your skills in intense, rewarding runs through the demon-infested dungeon. Pick up bounties for additional prizes as you revisit the fortress. Improve your Hellraid rank to access new weapons you can also wield outside of the infernal realm.

RAID ALONE OR IN CO-OP
Take your chances alone or gather a party of up to 4 people and be certain Hell’s minions will always be ready for you. Prepare to face unholy forces matching your numbers and strength for a formidable challenge.

In addition to Hellraid, Techland announced post-release support as well! Ensuring more content will be rolled out with the first one set for next month!

If we get official patch notes, we’ll update the post. Dying Light Hellraid DLC can be bought now for $9.99 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Tags: Dying Light Techland
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Alex Co

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

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Destiny 2 Solstice of Heroes Armor Discussed by Bungie, Fourth Armor Glow Tied to New Expansion

  by   Alex Co  
August 9, 2020 8:15 pm in News

Just a few days ago, Bungie announced that the Destiny2 Solstice of Heroes is coming back, and it starts on August 11! We all know why Guardians all over the world is looking forward to this event, and that’s for that glowing armor thing!

In the latest Bungie blog post, the studio outlined the new changes coming to the Destiny 2 Solstics of Heroes armor. Read on below for the details.

ARMOR 

This year, we have a new approach to Solstice of Heroes armor that we think is going to give you far more flexibility on how you show off your Solstice-ness. 
Similar to previous years, you will start with a Rare set and upgrade it into a Majestic Legendary set. Once you have all of your Legendary gear, you can start upgrading it into a Magnificent set. The Magnificent set has a final list of objectives to complete:
  • Complete a Nightfall Ordeal on the Master difficulty.
  • Complete a Nightmare Hunt.
  • Complete Pit of Heresy.
  • Win seven Trials of Osiris matches. (Not on a single Passage)
  • Complete a Tier 5 Altar of Sorrow three times.
Completing these final objectives will unlock a white glow on your Magnificent armor. You need to upgrade your armor to Magnificent during Solstice of Heroes but can continue to complete these objectives to unlock the glows after the event ends. After you earn your Magnificent set you can continue to earn more randomly rolled pieces from opening Solstice Packages found in the EAZ.
Earning the Majestic Legendary set will unlock the option to purchase a Universal Ornament set from Eververse for either Silver or Bright Dust. This ornament will change its glow to match your Elemental subclass color. Unlike last year, you won’t need to purchase individual color glows. Each class set will be able to display three different elemental glows that will match whatever subclass you have equipped at the time.

Since the Elemental glow sets are Universal Ornaments, players will be able to apply them to any armor 2.0 pieces instead of just being able to on your Solstice armor! Fancy, huh?! Also, as a bonus, all of the Elemental Universal Ornaments will also support a fourth glow for players who equip the Statis subclass when Beyond Light releases this fall!

Don’t expect any major updates though, and this year’s glows will always be on as they are built into their Universal Ornaments.

One of our goals with the Solstice of Heroes armor was to improve the experience of earning over previous years. There won’t be any major armor updates, so once you earn your Majestic set it will be relevant up until next year’s event. The Elemental glows being made into Universal Ornaments will ensure you can use them on any of your high stat armor going forward.

Glows can’t be toggled on and off for Universal Ornaments. That is why this year’s glows are always on, as they are built into their Universal Ornaments.

The white glow on the Legendary Magnificent set are also always on once you complete the challenge for the corresponding piece. Both the white glows and the elemental glows will increase their intensity depending on how much super energy you have at the time.

Once the Solstice of Heroes 2020 starts, we’ll be sure to let Guardians know.

Tags: Bungie Destiny Destiny 2
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Alex Co

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

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Report: Xbox Series X Controller Packaging Leaks, Mentions Xbox Series S

  by   James Lara  
7:39 pm in News

Leaked images of the Xbox Series X package have surfaced, potentially confirming the long rumored Xbox Series S.

Twitter user RAKEN posted today a series of images of what is clearly the Xbox Series controller packaging. On it, there are details of what’s included in the box along with the supported devices.


As you can see, the Xbox Series section has both the announced Series X and the rumored, cheaper version, Series S as compatible devices along with Xbox One, Windows, Android, and even IOS. No further details about the Series S can be found on the box, though if real, this would undoubtedly confirm that console is still being planned. Ever since the Series X got announced, there has been rumored pointing to a cheaper and possibly all digital version of it. Just last month we reported on some potential leaked Xbox Series S specs, though again nothing has been confirmed yet.

Additional leaked images making their way on discord also shows off the inside panthletes and different packshots.

Like all reports and rumors, we suggest you take this one with a grain of salt until things are official. Especially with a packaging, no telling what dedicated users may do to fake leaks nowadays. If the Xbox Series S does exist, we expect to hear about it real soon as we are getting near next-gen console releases. So stay tuned, and hopefully we hear an official comment from microsoft real soon.

Tags: Xbox Xbox Series S xbox series x
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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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Fall Guys Speed Hack Now Running Wild, Here’s What It Looks Like

  by   Alex Co  
7:18 pm in News

With Mediatonic’s Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout now a runaway success, and it being a multiplayer-focused game, it was just a matter of time until somebody cheats. Well, unfortunately, that time has come. There’s a Fall Guys speed hack now being used by some players.

The video below shows one player just blitzing from the rest of the pack the moment the inital race starts! The cheater makes no effort in hiding it at all as his fall guy seems to be fart-propelled with how fast he/she can move.

While it sucks that this is happening, at the very least, it’s very obvious that someone’s cheating. Hopefully, Mediatonic can crack down on this ASAP. Mind, given how big the game has been, I’m expecting more cheats to make its way out soon — at least on the PC version.

Speakinf of PC, if you’re a PC player and you’re running into the grey screen issue, there’s a quick fix that you should check out now. We also posted a beginner’s guide in how to do well in the game as well.

We’ll be posting a complete review of this party game-based battle royale title, so keep an eye out for that. If you spot any cool Fall Guys videos or maybe saw an exploit or two, send us a news tip and we’ll credit you if we ru it.

Tags: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Mediatonic
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Alex Co

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

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Rogue Company Upcoming Update Scheduled for This Coming Week

  by   Alex Co  
5:45 pm in News

Developer First Watch Games is planning on releasing a Rogue Company upcoming update this coming week! This was revealed by Game Designer Nick Keogh in a new “This Week in Rogue Company” video.

Some of the changes discussed and planned to be included in upcoming patches are changes to the bleedout timer, which will be increased to 15-16 seconds, thus giving more people time and incenvtive to revive teammates, According to Keogh, based on their data for revives, he’s “disappointed” with how players are handling it so far.

Another thing that will be touched is the overtime, defuse time on Demolition Mode. Those who are defusing the bomb and the timer hits zero, expect the bomb to not go off just yet. Note that these two things mentioned aren’t guaranteed to be in this week’s upcoming patch, but they might make it in, so no promises.

Check the video below for more info.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, head on over to our Rogue Company early access impressions piece! While we aren’t giving it a final score just yet (we’re reserving that for the full review once the game is out of early access), we did state “it shows much promise. It runs great, the gameplay is addictive, and most of all it’s fun. “

Tags: First Watch Games Rogue Company
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Alex Co

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

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Street Fighter 5 Producer Yoshinori Ono Departs Capcom After Nearly 30 Years

  by   Alex Co  
4:56 pm in News

Long-time Capcom employee and Street Fighter Producer Yoshinori Ono has called it quits! Ono has taken to Twitter to announce today that he has left Capcom after nearly 30 years of service.

Ono has shared his message to Street Fighter fans and the fighting game community with a rather lengthy message. He has cited the on-going challenges brought on by COVID-19 to the Capcom Pro Tour (CPT) as part of the reason why he’s resigning this summer.

While Ono has been working from Capcom since 1993, the producer shot to the spotlight with the release of Street Fighter 4, and has acted as the face of the Street Fighter brand. In his entire stint at Capcom, Ono has been involved in almost 40 games.

We here at MP1st wish Ono nothing but the best in his future endeavors and hopefully, we’ll see him attached to another gaming company soon. His genuine excitement in talking about his projects and his way of interacting with fans was on another level.

In other Street Fighter 5 news, Capcom has revealed the new Season 5 roadmap for the game, as well as the new fighters joining the roster later this year and beyond. Head on over here to check that, along with the new stages, out.

Tags: Capcom Street Fighter street fighter v Yoshinori Ono
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Alex Co

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

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Marvel’s Avengers Also Has Exclusive Content Locked to Specific Phone Providers

  by   James Lara  
9:23 am in News

Just last week, Square Enix announced that Spider-Man would be coming to Marvel’s Avengers exclusively for the PS4. While many didn’t take kindly to that news, it would seem that Square Enix is in fact not done with locking content behind a platform as it has been revealed today that a set of skins are now being locked behind specific cell phone providers.

This news comes from Twitter user JayShockBlast who received a notification from his cell provider, Verizon that some exclusive perks would be made available for him. Upon checking it out, he discovered that in addition to access of the beta, there were some exclusive skins that he would be getting just for being a part of Verizon.

He then later provided a video update  confirming that Virgin Mobile, another cell phone provider, would also be getting some exclusive skins for being apart of their network.

It was announced last year that Virgin Media subscribers would be getting some exclusive content that stretched from both physical and in-game rewards. At the time, it was unknown as to what kind of in-game rewards the carrier would be providing, though I guess from the image above we now know. To make matters even worse, there are other deals that were revealed earlier this year with other companies, one being with 5 Gum. 5Gum’s Marvel’s Avengers exclusive content  rang from in-game name plates, exclusive emotes, and PlayStation avatars.  And of course there are PlayStation’s Store Marvel’s Avengers pre-order bonuses.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Square Enix went overboard with exclusive in-game content locked behind other products. Final fantasy 7 Remake for example had cross promotions with Butterfingers, and last gen, Deus Ex Mankind Divided had a very awful pre-order scheme where the more people that pre-ordered, the more bonuses would become unlocked. Of course there are the 1-year exclusivity deals for some of their titles. We aren’t sure how we feel about this, as the Spider-Man deal was already cutting it with fans. Despite these being soley cosmetics, we can see the frustration as it just means more locked content. We’re sure that these will eventually become available for everyone, but for how long is anyone’s guess.

Marvel’s Avengers will be releasing next month on the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia.

Tags: Crystal Dynamics marvel's avengers Square Enix
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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.

Home > Features

Why Game Pass on Android Will Help Microsoft Conquer Mobile Gaming

  by   Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp  
3:43 am in Features

Earlier this week Microsoft announced that from September 15, it will be possible to stream all the games on Game Pass to your smartphone Android device. This is a huge chance to the service in two major ways. First, this is the initial move that Microsoft is making into game streaming. Second, this is Microsoft’s big break into mobile gaming, and it’s going to see them conquer that segment of the industry.

Mobile gaming is fantastic. It allows you to play a plethora of games, thousands of them, while on-the-go, all from the convenience of your phone. There’s no reason to bring a separate console with you if all you want to do is play Fortnite or PUBG, because those games are right there on your phone. In a way, mobile gaming is seemingly unlimited, though this move that Microsoft is making proves that there is one big limitation, and that’s the type of games you can play on your mobile.

Right now you can play a portable version of the biggest free-to-play, but you can’t get that same fidelity or experience that you’d have when playing on a console. This is why many people are getting a Nintendo Switch, because it’s console quality gaming without the limitation of needing to be at home, or hooked up to a power supply or a television. You can play what you want, where you want, and the only limitations you have are the types of games available on the platform.

This is where Microsoft is going to swoop in and take the market. Game Pass offers over 100 games for a small monthly subscription fee. It’s the gaming equivalent of Netflix, apart from the fact that until recently there’s been no hint of streaming the games you pay for. By making these games available on a mobile device, Microsoft is effectively offering console and PC quality gaming anywhere, at any time. Whilst the service will still require wi-fi, or a good connection to your provider, it’s an easier limitation to work with than literally needing to be plugged in at home.

Other services have come along to offer something similar to what Game Pass will. They provide a server that you can login to and play games on. However, these have been limited to the games you’ve purchased on Steam or other services. Some have even required you to purchase the games you want to play all over again. These requirements are clunky, and ultimately aren’t going to get anywhere in the mobile games segment.

Microsoft is a big enough company that they can offer hundreds of servers to their subscribers for this small monthly cost of around $15 per month. They can afford to host these servers whilst gamers use them to play Halo: The Master Chief Collection, or State of Decay 2 as if they were playing on an Xbox One or PC. Ultimately, Microsoft has the ability to offer the best mobile gaming experience possible, and it’s all achieved through streaming.

Of course the caveat to all this is that mobile data or wi-fi are required. While these are small limitations, they’re still limiting. People pay a lot for the huge amounts of data on their contract, and they don’t want to spend it all on Game Pass. I can see the service appealing to those of us who make the most of free wi-fi hotspots, or want to play games on our phone at home. What I can’t see, at least as soon as September, is anyone avoiding using all of their data on a game.

What will see Microsoft truly conquer the mobile gaming market is the ability to use little to no data for Game Pass game streaming. If they can offer a way to add data to someone’s phone for the explicit purpose of playing games on Game Pass, then they might just take the market altogether.

Tags: Android Game Pass

Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp

Trying to be a games journalist, dad, and master of Destiny 2. Author

Home > News

Modern Warfare & Warzone Season 5 Stealth Changes Listed

  by   Alex Co  
August 8, 2020 6:18 pm in News

Earlier this past week, Infinity Ward dropped the big Season 5 update for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone! Same as with almost every patch, there are stealth (read: hidden) changes not mentioned in the actual patch notes. If you’re curious what they are, we’re here to hellp with our Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 5 stealth changes list!

Most of the stuff listed below are from YouTuber Xclusive Ace’s new video, while others have come from the Modern Warfare/Warzone community. Read? Dig in below.

Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 5 stealth changes list:

General:

  • Guns stripped down, no attachment look has changed (applies to blueprints only)

Modern Warfare:

  • High Alert perk now has a verbal warning aside from the on-screen warning.
  • Grau received a new “Squall” barrel attachment (get three point-blank kills in five matches to unlock).

Warzone:

  • Footsteps audio boosted (now louder before the patch)
  • Ladder movement sound boosted too
  • Everyone guaranteed to drop an armor plate when killed
  • Adjusted armor plate values – If armor takes less than 10 damage, you will replenish a full armor bar (won’t just top up the bar that got damaged). Anymore than 10 damage, and it will just top up the existing damaged armor plate bar. Note that this could be something already in the game before the Season 5 patch.
  • Self Revive Kit and Munitions Box prices adjusted – Self Revive now at $4,000 (from $4,500), and Munitions Box now at $4,500 (from $5,000).
  • Red and green propane tanks added – Red causes regular explosion, green causes gas explosion

https://imgur.com/GNRxhDY

(image via Captain_Sterling)

  • Teammate buyback reduced to $4,000 (from $4,500)
  • High Alert perk now has a verbal warning aside from the on-screen warning.
  • More durable gas mask added (more hit points)
  • New elevator shaft in the Dam added.

Gunfight and Spec Ops:

  • Can now ping enemies/areas/objects like in Warzone

Note that this might not be the complete list, given we’re not sure what changes Infinity Ward made that weren’t documented. If you spot any that’s not on this list, leave a comment below and once we’ve checked it out and it’s legit, we’ll add it t the list.

In other Call of Duty news, Infinity Ward has sent out mystery boxes to content creators hinting at something that will happeon on August 10! Cryptic messages have also started appearing to Warzone players, and it could very well be tied to the Call of Duty 2020 reveal.

Tags: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Call of Duty: Warzone Infinity Ward
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Alex Co

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

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UFC 4 Day One Update Patch Notes Revealed Based on Closed Beta Feedback

  by   Alex Co  
5:10 pm in News

In case you didn’t know, EA held a UFC 4 closed beta to select members of the community. After reviewing the feedback, the studio has been working on changes will be going live through two patches! The first patch is for the EA Access Play First Trial and the other is for the UFC 4 day one update patch that will be rolled out live when the game is released on August 14.

UFC 4 Day One Update Patch Notes:

General

  • Added training manual feature. Learn the controls and the meta behind submissions, striking, ground and pound, and the clinch. The training manual can be found under offline modes in main menu and game help in the pause menu
  • At launch UFC community tutorial videos will be added as well, these will cover deeper gameplay meta/strategy including ground game and submissions
  • Added skip functionality to pre-fight and post-fight emotes
  • Fixed an issue with lack of blood/damage when playing consecutive matches
  • Fixed issue causing notable ear deformation
  • Fixed facial animation issue affecting fighter likeness on fighter select screen and in fighter portraits
  • Tuned muscle definition on all fighter models
  • Fixed an issue with glove touch functionality

Miscellaneous updates to some UFC fighter appearances/likenesses (Not all of these will be available for the EA Access Play First Trial, some may not show until worldwide launch on August 14th). Notable changes:

  • Donald Cerrone – hairstyle and facial hair (beard)
  • Paul Felder – body proportions and facial hair (increased width/volume of upper torso)
  • Paulo Costa – body proportions (increased width/volume of Costa’s torso and shoulders)
  • Stephen Thompson – body proportions (reduced size of head)
  • Cody Garbrandt – updated body likeness and facial hair
  • Sean O’Malley – hair color
  • TJ Dillashaw – updated body likeness

Striking

  • Fixed animation issue with jab into jumping spinning body kick combo
  • Fixed an issue where jab feints were affecting takedowns
  • Improved responsiveness of combo inputs
  • Fixed issues with strikes not triggering if the input could also be used for a cage strike. For instance, fighters who had the cage superman punch could not perform the regular superman punch.
  • Fixed animation issues with spinning elbow
  • Fixed sprinting knee inputs

Grappling

  • Added player indicators to the submission HUD to identify who’s attacking and defending
  • Takedown denial now taxes attacker’s stamina
  • Depleting health in side control now leads to knee on belly
  • Fixed an issue where grapple assist sometimes lead to additional inputs
  • Fixed dead frames on the transition to knee on belly

Ground and Pound

  • Added HUD during ground and pound to highlight available transitions and submissions
  • Added ground and pound transition from half guard up to full guard for the sub fighter
  • Increased stamina penalty for missed strikes during ground and pound
  • Tuning: lowered temporary damage for most positions
  • Tuning: reduced vulnerability when posting to straights
  • Tuning: increased permanent damage

Submissions

  • Improved visibility of submission HUD options
  • Submissions have been tuned:
    • Decreased movement penalty for the defender.
    • Decreased the effect of small stamina advantages.
    • Decreased submission strength for most submissions – the Back Flat Rear Naked Choke was the only exception. This was done in a way that increases the contrast between the stronger and the weaker submissions.

Clinch

  • Sub fighter’s strikes no longer interrupt cage power takedowns
  • Added single leg drive from knee catch position
  • High block no longer interrupts clinch cage takedowns
  • Cleaned up animations for knees in the catch teep kick position
  • Removed blocking of dominant fighter’s body knees from single under cage. These are supposed to be countered with the wizer escape, pressing the left stick towards the opponent’s underhook, the opposite direction to the one used for the regular escape.

AI

  • AI can now defend cage single under body punches
  • Decreased the speed of harder AI response to submission prompts
  • AI submission skills have been tuned on various difficulties
  • Increased the AI’s ability to defend strikes in cage single under when hurt
  • Fixed an issue where the AI was unable to defend back pack position
  • Fixed an issue where the AI idles in cage back clinch
  • Added 30+ new custom AIs for roster fighters
  • Updated AI movement and cage awareness logic
  • Increased the effect of the opponent’s stats on AI gameplan

Camera

  • Camera adjusted during Imanari Roll

You can read about EA Vancouver’s design decisions for the changes right here. Don’t forget to check out the complete UFC 4 fighter roster and ratings here.

Tags: EA Vancouver UFC UFC 4
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Alex Co

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

Home > News

Cryptic Call of Duty Warzone Messages Showing Up In-Game & Teases Something

  by   Alex Co  
3:50 pm in News

Before Season 5 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone dropped, Infinity Ward rolled out teasers to different content creators hinting at big changes coming to Verdansk. It seems that even with this past week’s Season 5 update, that hasn’t stopped the studio from pushing out Call of Duty Warzone messages to players in-game!

Infinty Ward has begun pushing out cryptic in-game messages directly to players in Warzone! Check out a shot of it in actual unstaged gameplay:

Secret popup message while playing warzone yesterday
byu/allthis619 inCODWarzone

In case anyone thought it was fake or a one-off thing, YouTuber Xclusive Ace also got one:

The complete message states “Know your history,” and then it says in Russian: “Condemned to repeat it.”

Modern Warzone has also tweeted one other image that has Russian text that states “active measures,” though we haven’t seen anyone else get it:

https://twitter.com/ModernWarzone/status/1292120051315810304

While nothing’s confirmed so far, it’s very, very likely that these are part of Activision’s marketing roll out to announce this year’s Call of Duty game in Warzone — something the publisher confirmed will happen. Don’t forget, content creators revealed that they got packages from Activision teasing something for August 10!

Are all these tied to reveal of this year’s COD game rumored to be titled Black Ops Cold War? Probably so, but we’ll have to wait a few days to know it for sure. We’re hoping this year’s Call of Duty gets announced on August 10, and if it does, we’ll be sure to let our readers know ASAP.

More Call of Duty Reading:

Tags: Call of Duty Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Call of Duty: Warzone Infinity Ward
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Alex Co

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

Home > News

Marvel’s Avengers “PlayStation Advantage” Touted in New Trailer

  by   Alex Co  
11:25 am in News

This past week, Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers was the latest game to draw the ire of gamers everywhere as it was announced that Spider-Man will be joining the roster post-launch, but only on PlayStation platforms. Following that it was then revealed that there are more than one Marvel’s Avengers PlayStation advantage planned.

In a new video, Sony lists down the benefits of playing Marvel’s Avengers on PlayStation:

Reassemble for Marvel’s Avengers on PlayStation including:
• Exclusive access to an original, Crystal Dynamics take on Spider-Man as a DLC character and content in 2021
• Exclusive community challenges*
• Early access to legendary outfits**

While I don’t approve of locking content for a specific platform, I do understand why it’s happening. Hopefully, there won’t be anything else that non-PS4 gamers won’t be able to access aside from Spidey and specific challenges.

Don’t forget, this means that the PS5 version of the game will feature Spider-Man too, while the Xbox Series X version won’t. For those who pre-ordered the game, the beta is currently underway, with everyone on PS4 getting access to it next week. You can check out the full beta schedule to know when it’ll arrive on other platforms.

Stay tuned to our hands-on beta impressions of Marvel’s Avengers hitting the site soon.

Tags: crystal dyamics marvel's avengers
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Alex Co

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

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