While you might be busy checking out the Destiny 2 weekly reset of activities, and the return of the Iron Banner, Eververse has updated her store as well! If you have a good stock of Bright Dust, check out the Destiny 2 Eververse rotation for March 24 below.
[Gleaming Boon of the Vanguard](https://light.gg/db/items/When this is used during a strike, all players receive an Eververse Gift at the end of that strike.
Only one gift consumable may be used per player in an activity.)|3260482534|Consumable|150 Bright Dust [Gleaming Boon of the Crucible](https://light.gg/db/items/When this is used during a Crucible match, all players receive an Eververse Gift at the end of that match.
Only one gift consumable may be used per player in an activity.)|3536420626|Consumable|500 Bright Dust Golden Age Wine|2885393052|Shader|40 Bright Dust Cabal Shield Breaker|1378231105|Transmat Effect|450 Bright Dust
Make sure to bookmark our Destiny 2 hub for the latest news about the game and more.
It’s Tuesday, Guardians, and while there’s no Destiny 2 patch released, we do have the Destiny 2 weekly reset of activities to tide us over! In addition to that, as previously announced, the Iron Banner is back for a limited time! Check out the Destiny 2 weekly reset for March 24, 2020 below, which includes the Everve
Scorched Earth: Enemies throw grenades significantly more often.
Nightfall: The Ordeal: Hero
All previous modifiers
Champions: Unstoppable: This mode contains Unstoppable Champions, which cannot be stopped without an Unstoppable mod.
Champions: Barrier: This mode contains Barrier Champions, which cannot be stopped without an Anti-Barrier mod.
Champions: Cabal: This mode contains both Barrier and Unstoppable Champions, which cannot be stopped without an Anti-Barrier or Unstoppable mod, respectively.
Hero Modifiers: Extra Shields
Zahn’s Stratagem: Solar damage and incoming airborne damage increased.
Nightfall: The Ordeal: Legend
All previous modifiers
Equipment Locked: You will not be able to change your equipment after this activity starts.
Match Game: Enemy shields are highly resistant to all unmatched elemental damage.
Legend Modifiers: Match Game & Extra Shields
Nightfall: The Ordeal: Master
All previous modifiers
Togetherness: Base health regen is reduced. If near another player, health regen is increased.
Master Modifiers: Extra Champions & Match Game & Extra Shields & No Saved Checkpoints
Champions: Mob: This mode contains additional Champions.
Complete various activities around Nessus, including public events, Lost Sectors, and Heroic adventures.
Weekly Crucible Rotator Playlists:
Iron Banner: “There will come a day when the Tower falls again. Our ability to hold territory is paramount.” —Lord Saladin – – Capture zones to increase points for every kill.
Supremacy: “Secure those crests, and send a clear message of dominance to your opponents. Just don’t forget to give them back after the match. We’re not monsters.” —Lord Shaxx – – Fight for Valor by defeating opponents and securing the crests they drop. Recover friendly crests to deny them from opponents.
Lockdown: “Hold your ground. Yield to no one.” —Lord Shaxx – – Fight for Valor by capturing and holding zones. Win rounds instantly by capturing all three.
Vanguard Burn: Void Singe
The other modifieres rotate daily, check out the Daily Reset Thread for them!
Moon Activities
Wandering Nightmare: Nightmare of Horkis, Fear of Mithrax (Anchor of Light)
Use cache codes to open Rasputin chests after successfully completing Seraph Tower public events in Anchor of Light on the Moon. Complete daily bounties or Rasputin Activities to earn more cache codes.
4 Caches Opened
XP & Glimmer & Warmind Bits
Legendary Spelunker: Moon
Eliminate Champions and use cache codes to open Rasputin chests in Legendary Lost Sectors on the Moon. Complete daily bounties or Rasputin activities to earn more cache codes.
3 Caches Opened & 12 Champions Defeated
XP & Glimmer & Warmind Bits
Same as always, keep it locked here on MP1st for the latest Destiny 2 news.
Those looking for the next batch of free games for PlayStation Plus members, it seems the PlayStation Plus free games April selections have been reveald — albeit, prematurely.
An unlisted video by the PlayStation Access YouTube channel has outed the two PS4 games set to become free for PlayStation Plus members, and they are: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and DiRT Rally 2.0! Check the video below.
We’ve taken screenshots as well.
While PlayStation Access is a UK YouTube channel, given that the freebies for both US and UK are the same 99 percent of the time, we’re willing to wager that US will be getting the same two games as well.
As for the existing PS Plus freebies, you can download both games (Shadow of the Colossues, Sonif Forces) right now, here.
Are you glad with next month’s selection or were you hoping for more? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.
In other PlayStation news, Sony has announced today that they will be limiting the download speed on downloaded games on the PlayStation Store to preserve online gaming.
Behaviour Interactive has once again rolled out a new Dead by Daylight update this week! This is called Dead by Daylight hotfix 3.6.2, or what console gamers will see as Dead by Daylight update 1.88.
Dead by Daylight update 1.88 patch notes:
BugFixes – PS4
Fixed an issue that would award progress to both the Killer and the Survivor for the Trophy Quick Draw.
Dead Dawg Saloon: Fixed a performance drop when using a Flashlight.
The Deathslinger: Fixed an issue that caused the Deathslinger’s chain winch to not break after shooting.
The Trapper: Fixed an issue that wouldn’t award any score event when resetting a bear trap.
Fixed an issue that caused Survivors with the perk Saboteur to see the hook auras while being in a locker.
Fixed an issue that caused Survivors to be unable to be healed to full health when using the perks Solidarity, Autodidact and For the People on other Survivors.
Bug Fixes – PC
Fixed an issue that would award progress to both the Killer and the Survivor for the achievement Quick Draw.
The Deathslinger: Fixed an issue that caused the Deathslinger’s chain winch to not break after shooting.
The Trapper: Fixed an issue that wouldn’t award any score event when resetting a bear trap.
Fixed an issue that caused Survivors with the perk Saboteur to see the hook auras while being in a locker.
Fixed an issue that caused Survivors to be unable to be healed to full health when using the perks Solidarity, Autodidact and For the People on other Survivors.
Bug Fixe – Xbox One
Fixed an issue that would award progress to both the Killer and the Survivor for the achievement Quick Draw.
The Deathslinger: Fixed an issue that caused the Deathslinger’s chain winch to not break after shooting.
The Trapper: Fixed an issue that wouldn’t award any score event when resetting a bear trap.
Fixed an issue that caused Survivors with the perk Saboteur to see the hook auras while being in a locker.
Fixed an issue that caused Survivors to be unable to be healed to full health when using the perks Solidarity, Autodidact and For the People on other Survivors.
We’ll post the latest news on Dead by Daylight as it happens.
While PC gamers have already soaked up the Hidden Realms update, console gamers can try it out now! Hopoo Games has released Risk of Rain 2 update 1.04 for PS4 and Xbox One! This brings the Hidden Realms content consoles. Check out the Risk of Rain 2 update 1.04 patch notes below.
Risk of Rain 2 update 1.04 patch notes:
This is the third major content update for Risk of Rain 2 on consoles. With this update we are focusing on expanding the base game with fun and exciting content that the player will see right when the update lands. While Skills 2.0 had a bunch of challenges and unlocks, some players preferred to have content unlocked in the base game, and we’ve heard the feedback!
==== Major Content and Changes ====
Added Survivor: Acrid
Added 2 Stage Variants
Added 2 Hidden Realms
Added 3 Skill Variants
Added New Skin: Acrid Skin
Added New Monster: Void Reaver
Added New Boss: Scavenger
Added New Boss: Secret Boss
Added 9 Items and 1 Equipment to the game
Added Chest: Adaptive Chest
Added Chest: Overgrown 3D Printer
Added Shrine: Cleansing Pool
Added Drone: Emergency Drone
Added 3 Challenges to the game
Added 2 Environment Logs to the game
Added 6 Lore Entries to the game
Various performance & stability improvements
Various Bug Fixes
Acrid Skillset:
Passive: Poison– Certain attacks apply poison, dealing damage over time but cannot kill.
Primary Fire: Vicious Wounds – Maul an enemy, where every third hit does double damage.
Secondary Fire: Neurotoxin– Spit toxic bile at a range that damages and poisons enemies.
Utility: Caustic Leap – Leap into the air, dealing damage, stunning, and poisoning enemies on impact. Leaves a pool of acid that deals damage.
Special: Epidemic – Release a deadly poison that deals damage and poisons enemies. The disease continually spreads to up to 20 target.
Additional changes:
New Bosses and Monster – The Scavenger boss, Void Reaver monster, and an additional secret boss join the fight.
New Hidden Realms – Two new hidden realms can be discovered.
Alternative Layouts – The new Alternate Layouts system allows for some maps to have entirely new layouts, starting with Titanic Plains and Distant Roost.
New Items, Equipment, Lunars and more – An arsenal of new items and equipment is now at players’ disposal. This includes two new Lunar items, Adaptive Chests, Overgrown 3D Printer, seven new items, and a new type of equipment called the Jade Elephant.
Community Suggested Changes – Quality-of-life improvements suggested by the community have been implemented.
Xbox One gamers, you’ll be able to download Risk of Rain 2 for free as part of the Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships! This is part of Microsoft’s Free Play Days which starts March 26 at 12:01 a.m. PT and will run until March 29 11:59 p.m. PT.
Risk of Rain 2 will also be 40 percent off on the Microsoft Store from March 31 to April 6.
With more and more people being ordered to stay at home due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, most people have turned to gaming to entertain themselves. While that in itself is fine, it seems this is putting strain on the internet as a whole. If you encounter PSN slow downloads today or in the near future, it’s not your net provider, but it’s Sony.
In a new letter posted on the PlayStation Blog for the community, the company announced PSN slow downloads for games, and this is to make sure online gaming is at par with what we’ve accustomed to.
Playing videogames enables players all over the world to connect with friends and family and enjoy much needed entertainment during these uncertain times. Sony Interactive Entertainment is working with internet service providers in Europe to manage download traffic to help preserve access for the entire internet community.
We believe it is important to do our part to address internet stability concerns as an unprecedented number of people are practicing social distancing and are becoming more reliant on internet access.
Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay. We appreciate the support and understanding from our community, and their doing their part, as we take these measures in an effort to preserve access for everyone.
Reading this, some might get confused with the Europe mention and assume this is just for EU. This was published on the US PlayStation Blog, and from what Sony’s saying, it seems Europe might be taking up too much bandwidth.
While this might be a bummer for most people, it’s a small price to pay to ensure that everyone gets their online gaming on, right? When somebody asks why their PSN downloads are slow, show them this.
Rockstar Games has once again triggered a Red Dead Online update this week fpor March 24, which should be live in the game as you read this. This week, there’s a bunch of discounts, Role challenges, random weapon variants and more.
Red Dead Online update this week summary:
All Moonshiner Sell, Bootlegger, and Story Missionshave a 50% Role XP Boost
Moonshine Shack properties are discounted by 10 Gold Bars plus all Norfolk Roadster Horses and Band Expansions are 40% off
Any three Role challengescompleted will deliver a reward of RDO100$
A new random weapon variation of the Showdown ModeLast Stand is now available
Players that fill all seven Outfit Slotswill receive a reward for a free Off-Hand Holster below Rank 70 of their choice
MOONSHINER BONUSES
Ambitious bootleggers, rejoice! From March 24 – 30 in Red Dead Online you’ll earn a 50% Role XP Boost on all Moonshiner Sell, Bootlegger and Story Missions.
For those yet to embark on the Moonshiner Specialist Role, you’ll need to be at least Trader Rank 5 or have completed one Trader Sell Mission. From there, Cripps will get you set up with veteran bootlegger Maggie Fike at Emerald Ranch.
For those yet to embark on the Moonshiner Specialist Role, you’ll need to be at least Trader Rank 5 or have completed one Trader Sell Mission. From there, Cripps will get you set up with veteran bootlegger Maggie Fike at Emerald Ranch.
Those who fill out all seven Outfit Slots will receive a reward for a free off-hand holster below rank 70 of the player’s choice! Complete any three Role challenges and you’ll get a reward of RDO$100.
SHOWDOWN SERIES: LAST STAND
From March 24 – 30, the Last Stand Showdown Series is a new Random Weapon variation for the free-for-all Last Stand. Each player will spawn next to a random weapon with the only goal to be the proverbial last one standing… by any means necessary.
Locations: Annesburg Mine, Armadillo, Cemetery
ONGOING RANK-BASED REWARDS: NOW THROUGH JUNE 1
Reach Rank 10: A Reward for a free Hunting Bow and an Offer for 50% off any Shotgun.
Reach Rank 20: A Reward for 5 Gold Bars off the price of the Bounty Hunter License and an Offer for 50% off any Revolver.
Reach Rank 30: A Reward for a free Machete & an Offer for 50% off any Repeater.
Reach Rank 40: An Offer for 40% off a Stable Stall and an Offer for 40% off any Horse at the Stables.
Reach Rank 50: A reward for one Free Character Appearance Change, an Offer for 50% Off Coats below Rank 15 and an offer for 40% off a Tent
Reach Rank 60: All players beyond Rank 60 will receive a reward for a free Navy Revolver, 40% off a Camp Dog of your choice, 50% off a Stable Stall, and 5 Free Moonshine Mash Refills
Lastly, PlayStation Plus members will receive a reward for three free Ability Cards of their choice.,
Bandai Namco Entertainment has released a new Code Vein patch today, and it brings a bunch of updates to the game, and more. Console gamers will see this as Code Vein update 1.50, and you can see the full Code Vein update 1.50 patch notes.
Code Vein update 1.50 patch notes:
Base Updates
A new feature allowing you to view past events has been added to the hot springs.
Now you can now site in front of the piano. – While seated, you can press buttons to play the piano.
Phote Mode Updates
A new real-time mode has been added to Phote Mode. – Real-Time Mode allows you to use Phote Mode without stopping time in the game.
Photo Mode can now be entered during multiplayer. – Photo Mode during multiplayer will always be in real-time.
Pose settings are now available for your partner in Photo Mode.
Mask display settings will now be applied to your partner.
New photo frames and special effects have been added.
System Updates
Added new gestures.
Changed the timing at which you can enter the Depths’ add-on in New Game. – You can now obtain the necessary map before completing the Crypt Spire by investigating the memo placed near Davis in the base.
Fixed a number of bugs and issues.
That’s it for all the changes made that we know of so far. If Bandai Namco Entertainment releases a new patch notes list, we’ll update the post.
Hi-Rez Studios isn’t letting the COVID-19 pandemic stop SMITE players from accessing new changes and whatnot in the game, as SMITE update 11.35 is now live! This is the SMITE Grim Omens 7.3 update. As one can expect, there’s a new event, balance changes, and more. Check out the full SMITE update 11.35 patch notes below.
A new event begins in SMITE that will follow the story of the next two god releases. Dark times are approaching in the SMITE universe as Yggdrasil withers away from Persephone’s failed plan. Mulan is determined to help humanity in any way she can. She will encounter friends and enemies as she uncovered the truth about the signs that signal the terrifying events that will soon unfold. Can Mulan persevere through the Grim Omens?
The “Buy All” option will be available in the Grim Omens event for 7680 gems
Players will automatically receive Grim Omens items as they are released if they choose to Buy All.
There will be 4 chapters in the Grim Omens event, and each chapter will have an event chest associated with it
There will be 6 items (5 skins and 1 Cosmetic Bundle) in each chapter’s Chest
The base price to roll a chapter’s Chest is 400 Gems
There will be an initial discount of 20% for each Grim Omens Release for each chapter.
This discount will be 320 gems per roll instead of 400.
All Grim Omens event skins will also have a direct purchase option available for 750 gems. Event skins are Standard
Grim Omens event skins will remain available at 750 gems after the event concludes
Cosmetic Bundles do not have a Direct Purchase option
Unlocking all 6 items from a chapter will unlock that chapter’s reward skin
Each of the 4 chapter reward skins are Unlimited
Each unlimited chapter skin will be available for 1920 gems when the event is over.
Receive the final event reward, Unlimited Totem Caller Hou Yi, by unlocking all 24 items from the event
Grim Omens Quests
There will be 8 Grim Omens Quests total, 2 Quests per chapter.
A Chapter’s Quests are unlocked after a purchase from an item in that chapter.
Quests reward 50 Gems each, for a total of 400 gems.
PROJECT OLYMPUS
Live March 10!
Esports and Live Streams
Fixed an issue where client showed incorrect times for upcoming SPL matches
Integrated a new reporting tool making it easier for the Hi-Rez Support team to identify players detected by our automated systems for review and action.
Live with the launch of 7.3
Increased the Duration of Assault Lobby by 10s, and set MOTD to match Assault, to ensure players have enough time for rerolls and trading
Esports and Live Streams
Added SPL rosters to the “Info” tab
BUG FIXES
General
Fixed an issue where Speed Buff on certain maps would display the bonus as 15%
Jungle Practice
Towers on this map will now reveal stealthed Units like they do in other maps
User Interface
Fixed an issue where players would be unable to invite party members because of an error about them “being invited recently” also reduced party invite lockout time for when this is working in intended scenarios
Fixed an issue in the party menu where the “Kick” option would appear on players who weren’t in your party
Fixed an issue with invalid account links between Twitch and SMITE
Data Driven Auto-Buy and Recommended Items – addressed an issue that was causing some gods to be recommended builds without boots.
Gods and Items
Vision Shard
Fixed an issue where Auto-Buy and AI Bots were not upgrading Vision Shard to another relic
Mulan
Fixed an issue where Mulan’s sword could disappear when using emotes in a certain order
Isis
Fixed an issue where the particle FX on the 3rd hit of her basic attack chain were not the correct size
Skins
Charm Caster The Morrigan
Adjusted audio on multiple abilities for better gameplay clarity
Gravehound Anubis
Fixed an issue where audio on his Ability 3 had stopped playing
Announcer Packs
Weak3n Announce Pack Volumes have been increased
RANKED
With 7.3 comes a new Split! Following our new approach for Ranked in Season 7 we are adjusting players variance rating and not their direct MMR. Preserving MMR allows for strong matches at the start of the split. Variance resetting will allow for players to move more quickly. This results in similarly intense matches while letting players MMR value more more rapidly. Feel you belong in Gold but are stuck in Silver? Here is your chance to prove it! But be careful, this works in the reverse as well! Focus up and try your best to earn your MMR!
This new approach allowed the start of Season 7 to establish a healthy Matchmaking Curve quickly using previous data as a strong starting point. Players quickly found their MMR values and had healthier matches along the way. Continue to expect the Matchmaker to really refine its understanding of each players skill level over the coming splits! We do however strive to find improvements to address concerns that arise. Variance reset has shown many positives, but the initial strength of the reset felt too swingy. Lowering the Variance reset amount will help with this. We also saw player concerns about players obtaining Masters and then not trying as much due to demotion not being a penalty. Masters players can now demote out of Masters. If you want to keep the illustrious title reserved for only the top players, you have to work to keep it! Good Luck!
This split will feature a soft variance reset.
For players below 37% Variance will be reset to 37% Variance. (Was previously 53%.)
God Leaderboards are not reset this split, rather will be reset at Mid Season. Earn some Diamond Boarders and show off your stuff with your favorite gods!
MMR is not reset this split.
Masters Division players can now demote out of Masters Division following the standard demotion rules.
Item Balance – Live with 7.3
Mage’s Blessing
Increased Magical Power from 20 to 30
Enchanted Ring
Increased Cost from 1100 to 1300
All Tier 3 items building from this will remain the same total cost.
Increased Power from 40 to 55
Devourer’s Gauntlets
Increased Base Physical Lifesteal from 10% to 15%
God Balance – Live with 7.3
Aphrodite
Kiss
Reduced cooldown from 16/15/14/13/12 to 14/13.5/13/12.5/12
Love Birds
Now has an initial hit
15/25/35/45/55 (+15% of your magical power)
Cerberus
Base
Increased HP per level from 86 to 95
Guan Yu
Warrior’s Will
Removed the camera lock when using this ability
Merlin
Dragonfire
Decreased Magical Power Scaling damage per tick from 25% to 20%
Elemental Mastery
Decreased Magical Power Scaling damage per hit from 20% to 15%
Nu Wa
Clay Soldiers
Increased Base Movement Speed from 365 to 365/380/395/410/425
Decreased Cooldown from 18 to 16
Olorun
Touch of Fate
Increased Olorun’s Critical hits from 50% increased damage to 60%
Focused Light
Increased damage from 100/145/190/235/280 to 110/155/200/245/290
Consecration
Increased Slow from 20% to 30%
Persephone
Harvest
Decreased prefire time on this ability from .2s to .1s.
Decreased minimum distance between Harvest placements from 5 units to 2.5 units.
Harvest (Sprout)
Decreased time the base Harvest plant takes to evolve into a sprout from 4s to 2.5s
Harvest (Flower)
Decreased time the base Harvest plant takes to evolve into a flower from 24s to 16s.
Decreased chase time from 3s to 2.2s.
Increased movement speed from 440 to 600.
Grasp of Death
Decreased speed at which a tether will reach to grab you by 50%.
Decreased Attack Speed penalty from 20/22.5/25/27.5/30% to 15% at all ranks.
Sobek
Base
Increased HP per level from 86 to 95
Sickening Strike
Increased Healing per hit from 20/30/40/50/60 to 30/40/50/60/70
Sol
Unstable Manifestation
Sol loses heat less fast once Heat starts its decay
Decay speed reduced by 25%
Radiance
The damage from this ability no longer causes minion hit reactions
Supernova
Time between shots decreased from 0.24 to 0.18
Increased the heat gain from firing this ability from 10 to 40
Xing Tian
Hook Slam
Decreased duration of Root from 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2s to 1/1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4s
Sky Cutting Axe
Decreased damage from 65/85/105/125/145 to 60/80/100/120/140
The next update for SMITE (barring any emergency hotfixes) should be out on April 7, 2020.
As part of today’s big Ghost Recon Breakpoint Title Update 2.0 roll out, players can expect a bunch of gameplay tweaks, and new classes. Those interested to learn more right now, you can check out the Ghost Recon Breakpoint new classes and abilities video below, and it even has Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell in it.
The two classes are the Engineer and the Echelon. Check out what they can do on the battlefield below, as well as a rundown of their abilities.
Also mentioned in the video is how everyone will be able to play the first chapter of the story DLC called “Checkmate” which has the Ghosts team up with Sam Fisher! For those who own the Checkpoint DLC, you can invite non-DLC owners to play it, though they won’t earn any of the DLC’s unlocks and progress.
Another thing discussed in the video is the new Ghost Experience and how it differs from each other. Check out how each mode can cater to different kinds of playstyles. This Ghost Experience roll out also shakes up the gear score system. Don’t fret if you have second guesses, as you can change the settings for this at anytime.
It’s finally out, Ghost Recon Breakpoint players! The big Ghost Recon Breakpoint Title Update 2.0 is now out, and it brings the Ghost Experience, a ton of gameplay changes, the Splinter Cell crossover event and more! Console gamers will see this as Ghost Recon Breakpoint update 1.07 Read on for the full Ghost Recon Breakpoint update 1.07 patch notes below.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint update 1.07 patch notes:
Please note: Whether you purchased a digital or a physical edition of the game, you will need to download the patch before playing. The size of the patch depends on your platform, region, and preferred language.
Xbox One: 30 GB
PlayStation®4 system: 17 GB
PC: 15.5 GB
New Features
The Ghost Experience
Introducing the brand-new Ghost Experience! Pick one of our pre-selected settings or modify parameters to create the unique experience you want. Right when you boot up the game, you will be able to choose from two preset options or build your own combination:
Regular Experience: Play Ghost Recon Breakpoint the way it was released, with gear level and tiered loot.
Immersive Experience: A brand-new experience of the game that removes gear level and tiered loot entirely and offers new tactical options.
Custom Experience: Choose your own selection of settings to create a personalized fit.
You’ll be able to choose from a variety of community-requested settings, such as stamina management, health regen, new HUD settings, and more!
For additional information on the Ghost Experience, check out our dedicated article here.
Players with the Year 1 Pass will have exclusive access to both classes starting on March 24 for one week.
Gameplay & Adventure
Year 1 pass content – if you don’t own the Year 1 pass you can join a friend who does own it in co-op to complete the entire adventure. However, only Year 1 pass owners will receive the exclusive adventure rewards.
New missions, cinematics, and dialogue. Expand the original story with the new Adventure: Deep State!
New iconic locations.
New gameplay mechanics and elements.
New Faction missions.
And more!
New Gunsmith Options
Most assault rifles will now be able to equip short barrel options (some ASR models have been omitted as their real-life counterparts do not have short barrel options).
TA31H added to 27 weapons with emphasis on assault rifles.
New suppressor customization:
New muzzle option added in the muzzle list.
Players can manually apply 3D visuals to it.
Paint options are locked for those options.
Connectivity Assistance
Players who cannot maintain a sustained connection to matchmaking services will now still be able to play solo PvE without being disconnected.
These players will still have all of the functionality of the game except access to multiplayer modes. While in this mode, your Friends List will appear empty.
The game will regularly re-test this connection in the background without impacting your play. You will be able to manually trigger a re-test of the connection by initiating matchmaking in multiplayer modes.
Inventory management*
Added a Mass Dismantle option which dismantles all non-equipped and non-favorite weapons, sidearms, or gear in the currently open selection screen.
Added a Mass Sell option to sell all non-favorite and non-equipped gear and weapons while in the shop. (Sell all button added to the shop).
Added a Favorite option to individually select weapons and gear pieces so they cannot be dismantled or sold. (An indicator has been added to the weapon / gear tooltip to show this action).
Players can now equip items directly when picking them up (without going into the menu).
Added Optimize gear: equip all highest-level gear automatically.
Does not apply to weapons.
Button will be grayed out if the optimized gear is already equipped.
Players can now unequip weapons and gear equipped on other presets.
Warning message will still be visible to players as a caution.
The unequipped item will be replaced by the item occupying the same slot on the equipped preset.
Players can now sort their weapons / gear chronologically or by Name, Type, Gear Level, and Quality.
* Only in RegularExperience / Gear Level Enabled. Does not apply to the Immersive Experience / Gear Level Disabled.
Ghost War
Two New Classes adaptation for Ghost War:
Engineer Class: The supply drone gives recoil reduction instead of a boost in Ghost War.
Echelon Class: The Shock pistol has the added function of draining stamina in Ghost War.
Four New Maps:
Construction Site
Forgotten Valley
Freight Yard
Stoney Creek
New Ghost War missions and milestones
Map Voting: In standard play, players are now able to vote for their preferred map and game mode.
Character and Customization
New Items in Maria’s Shop [Skell Credits]:
Weapon attachments: 3
Alternative Suppressor: Kilm Silencer
Alternative Suppressor: Ripples Silencer
Scope: Futuristic Closed Sight
Figures: 3
Hill
Nomad
Walker
Customization: 2
Facial Paint: Shark
NVG: 3E Black Arrow
Vehicle: Added the RT-5 Shepard | Standard for Skell credits. Now you can get the same bullet-blasting truck-mounted turret action straight from Maria herself! The Terminator truck remains a live event exclusive reward.
Weapons: 12
New weapons: 5
AR-18
ARX200
MK 23
SC-40K
UZI 9mm
Weapons variations: 6
516 Shorty
553 Scout
G28 Scout
M4A1 Assault
Scorpio Scout
Vector Shorty
Unique weapons: 1
Maxim 9 | Echelon
Deep State Adventure Rewards – Exclusive to Year 1 Pass Owners and Adventure Purchasers*:
Figures: 2
Sam Fisher
Victor Coste
Customization: 2
Fourth Echelon Goggles [Mission 1 Reward]
Fourth Echelon Top
Gear: 4
Fourth Echelon Pants
Fourth Echelon Boots
Fourth Echelon Gloves
Fourth Echelon Full mask
Titles: 3
Vehicle: 1
Blacklist Helicopter | Standard
New weapons: 1
SC-IS HDG [Mission 1 Reward]
*The first mission of Deep State is free and available to all players. Play to receive two rewards without purchase of the Year 1 pass or Adventure: Fourth Echelon Goggles and SC-IS HDG.
New Raid Boss Rewards:
Engineer Set: 5
Architect Mask | Engineer
Architect Top | Engineer
Architect Vest | Engineer
Architect Gloves | Engineer
Architect Pants | Engineer
Echelon Set: 5
Silencer Mask | Echelon
Silencer Top | Echelon
Silencer Vest | Echelon
Silencer Gloves | Echelon
Silencer Pants | Echelon
New Class Unlock Items
Engineer
Camo: 1
Weapon Paint: MC Arid
Emblems: 2
Engineer
Elite Engineer
Melee Weapon: 1
Mark II
Titles: 2
Senior Engineer
Master Engineer
Weapon: 1
MGL
Echelon
Camo: 1
Weapon Paint: Grey Python
Customisation: 1
Echelon Gear Patch
Emblems: 2
Echelon
Echelon Elite
Melee weapon: 1
Echelon Karambit
Titles: 2
Senior Echelon
Echelon Elite
Weapon: 1
Maxim 9
New Ghost War Items
Weapon attachments: 1
Alternative Suppressor: Hiver Silencer
Customisation: 6
Weapon Paint: Blue Tiger
Weapon Paint: Cells
Weapon Paint: Checkers
Weapon Paint: Dark Ops
Weapon Paint: Neuromod
Weapon Paint: Technologic
Titles: 3
BlackOps
GhostHunter
301st Spartan
Emblem: 1
Ares
New Hair Customization – Unlocked by Default For Free
Bun
Curly Crew Cut
Shaggy
Side Part
Undercut
Light Stubble Beard
Medium Stubble Beard
New Items in Store [Ghost Coins]
Third Echelon Bundle*
Figures: 2
Briggs
Prime Sam Fisher
Customisation: 3
Third Echelon Sonar Goggles
Third Echelon Multi-Vision Googles
Third Echelon Top
Gear: 4
Third Echelon Vest
Third Echelon Boots
Third Echelon Pants
Third Echelon Gloves
Paladin Nine Bundle*
Gear: 4
Paladin Nine Boots
Paladin Nine Pants
Paladin Nine Gloves
Paladin Nine Mask
Customisation: 1
Paladin Nine Top [Vest will not appear with this top equipped]
Melee weapon: 1
Needle Point Fighter
RT-5 Shepard Mk. II Bundle*
Vehicle: 4
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Desert
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Hill
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Jungle
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Snow
Figure: 1
Grímsdóttir
Unique Weapon Skins: 2
MK 23 | Echelon
SC-40K | Brown
*Items can also be purchased individually.
UI and Progression
Updated HUD to make it easier to know which mission you are on.
Players can switch between Episodes by focusing the investigation zone, then:
Using LT/RT on Xbox One, L2/R2 on PS4™ system, and arrow keys on PC.
Clicking directly on tabs.
A new indicator is displayed on tabs for easier navigation.
Enemy NPCs will now drop ammo boxes and item loot packages with visual feedback.
Added a more visible light shader on interactive objects (crates, ammo boxes, collectibles, item loots).
Increased low-quality weapon parts gained from dismantling weapons.
Increased weapon parts gained from drones while playing on Immersive Experience.
Camera
New settings
Added a toggle to Enable / Disable ScreenShake effect.
Added a new Camera distance setting in the menus for players to choose:
Dynamic: Camera dynamically shifts between close during combat and far out of combat. This is how the camera currently works in the game.
Close: Camera stays close to the player character.
Far: Camera stays far from the player character.
Bug Fixes and Balancing
Fix Highlights
Hill and Walker figures are added to Maria’s shop for free.
(PC) Fixed a rare issue where the game would crash on AMD and Nvidia graphic cards if players are located in specific regions.
(PC) Fixed an issue that didn’t allow the game to be launched via Uplay for some players.
(Exploit) Fixed an issue on the Sharpshooter ability after exiting the bivouac.
(Exploit) Fixed an issue on the Sacrifice Perk in Ghost War.
(Exploit) Fixed an issue with auto-aim in Ghost War.
Updated systems in-game which create a more permissive BASE jump experience.
Fixed an issue with the completion of “Top Dog” Ghost War mission.
Removed Damage Bonus perk when injured on Gibson M9 while in Ghost War.
Fixed several issues where descriptions were cut off in menus.
Improved and increased the helicopter’s speed perception.
Fixed clipping issues on the Ocelot Chest Rig and Self Fastening Ankle Boots items.
Fixed an issue where the belt’s color would change depending on the color of the shirt worn by character.
Fixed an issue where vehicles spawned randomly.
Exploits
The following issues have been addressed by the team as per player reports. Please let us know if you still see them occur in the game, either the same or in a new form.
Fixed an issue with the Silver Stake.
Fixed an issue on the Sharpshooter ability after exiting the bivouac.
Fixed an issue on the Gargoyle raid boss that made it spawn inactive.
Fixed an issue on the Sacrifice Perk in Ghost War.
Fixed an issue with auto-aim in Ghost War.
Fixed an issue on the Cerberus raid boss that made it inactive.
Fixed an issue on the Baal raid boss that broke the fight mechanics.
Fixed an issue on the Sharp Thunder weapon.
BASE Jump
Created new platforms to BASE jump from in key areas.
Updated systems in-game which create a more permissive BASE jump experience.
Reduced the auto-deploy distance to allow for more time BASE jumping before deploying the parachute.
Performance
Ongoing memory and framerate optimizations.
(PC) Fixed a rare issue where the game would crash on AMD and Nvidia graphic cards if players are located in specific regions.
(PC) Fixed an issue that didn’t allow the game to be launched via Uplay for some players.
Progression
The item wheel, missing night and thermal vision and binoculars have been addressed by our team – please let us know if you are still missing any of these items or if the item wheel still gets stuck.
Fixed an issue where the item wheel would randomly get stuck.
Fixed an issue where players could not use night and thermal vision in PvE after a PvP session.
Fixed an issue where binoculars were missing.
Fixed an issue that prevented the Panther Cloak & Run ability to be used in the Raid.
Fixed an issue where C4 would appear on players after exiting the bivouac.
AI
Balancing:
Reduced the damage received by players in Regular difficulty mode.
Rebalanced the WASP behavior:
WASP Drone attacks the player from a further distance and places itself further from the player when attacking.
WASP Drone health points reduced.
Rebalanced enemy archetypes:
Breacher: NPC will no longer get as close to the players when attacking.
Heavy: Reduced NPC accuracy.
Adjusted the riflemen’s cover behavior: NPCs take cover further from the player.
Decreased the Search Light’s detection time: Search Light detects the player faster now.
Increased the Search Light’s destruction sound radius: Search Light’s destruction is heard by NPCs in a larger radius.
Adjusted the generator’s deactivation state from worried to suspicious. When a generator is deactivated, enemies nearby go to suspicious state rather than worried state to prevent the entire camp from being warned.
Fixes:
Made players harder to detect by enemies while in vehicles.
Fixed issues with drones detecting players on bikes.
Improved NPC state-related issues:
Improved consistency of camps’ state.
Fixed NPC suspicious state mechanic after detecting the players’ drone.
Fixed and improved NPC cover animation.
Improved enemy NPC animation from idle to scared when stowed in vehicles.
Fixed an issue where turrets could still detect players after being deactivated.
Fixed an issue where anti-aircraft missiles were not launched at players in helicopters.
Fixed various World’s life issues including convoys not stopping in time for trains and animal replication issues.
Improved AI helicopter behavior.
Fixed an issue where vehicles spawned randomly.
Ghost War
Balancing:
Reduced pistol damage to prevent two-shot headshot kills:
HS2000: from 41 reduced to 37
M1911: from 38 reduced to 36
P227: from 38 reduced to 36
Stainless Extended: from 42 reduced to 37
Removed Damage Bonus perk when injured on Gibson M9 while in Ghost War.
Fixes:
Fixed an issue with the completion of “Top Dog” Ghost War mission.
Improved tooltip to give better information when a player has matchmaking penalty.
Fixed a rare occurrence where players got double points for marking enemies with drones.
Fixed an issue where the longest range for a kill stat would not update properly.
Fixed an issue where spamming the adrenaline shot could lead to disabled functionality for shooting and using items.
Fixed an issue where weapon paints appeared incorrectly as mission rewards.
Removed inputs for showing / removing pins from the Briefing Page in the pre-match phase.
Players can now toggle the team widget and the drone counter in the interface settings.
Fixed an issue where the ability gauge would still be displayed in Ghost War even though it was disabled in the settings.
Removed Bonus Category in the End Match screen in Custom Match.
Fixed rare occurrence where the attacker could plant and defuse the sabotage objective.
Fixed a rare occurrence where a round would get stuck and never end if multiple people would open the tac map at the same time.
Fixed an issue where the gas from the drone would appear before the projectile hit the ground.
Respawn
Respawn System Improvements
Added new respawn points more relevant for players.
Now players will not respawn to the closest point geographically, but to the latest location they went through before dying to avoid having players spawning in a place they have never visited before. For instance, it allows players in squad attacking a camp from different location points to respawn where they were, instead of respawning all at one location in case they get KIA.
UI
Fixed the unlock conditions for the Flat Cap item.
Fixed several issues where descriptions were cut off in menus.
Fixed an issue where weapons and gear would not be displayed in the player’s info page.
(PS4/Xbox One) Improved Skill Tree videos latency.
Vehicles
Improved and increased the helicopter’s speed perception:
Added effects (both visual and audio) on helicopters when flying at high speed.
Added a blur effect on a circular mesh that replaced the rotor blades to simulate the gyroscopic effect.
Added an angle that suggests the air lift effect.
Improved and debugged the main character animations while on bikes.
Fixed an issue where reversing with bikes was inconsistent and could appear as non-functional at times.
Improved the bikes’ feeling and removed unnatural movements.
Reworked smoother animations for the physics forces applied to the character when encountering a bump on a bike.
Fixed weird animations on the Firespin bike.
Fixed an issue that randomly stopped bikes from reversing while on a rough inclined plane.
Fixed an issue where movement would stop when applying the brakes while reversing on a bike.
Fixed an issue where pneumatic boats exploded when spawned by players.
Fixed an issue where helicopters randomly defied the laws of physics by jumping in the air at specify settlements.
Visual
Hill and Walker figures are back in Maria’s shop for free.
Fixed an issue where the Brown Fury Knife would disappear during an execution.
Fixed an issue where a weapon would turn invisible after exiting a bivouac in a co-op mode.
Fixed clipping issues on the Ocelot Chest Rig and Self-Fastening Ankle Boots items.
Fixed an issue where the belt’s color would change depending on the color of the shirt worn by character.
Fixed an issue where binoculars would not appear while using Photo Mode.
World
Fixed visual issues at Main Pumping Station.
Fixed an issue where textures were missing near the Hidden Coomb.
Fixed an issue where it was not possible to crawl under barbed wires near Howard Airfield.
Hopefully, nothing gets broken with the patch. Once we know more details regarding upcoming content and more from Ubisoft Paris , we’ll let our readers know.
Epic Games has released a new Fortnite update today, and it’s tagged the Fortnite v12.21 update. Console gamers will se this as Fortnite update 2.63, and on PS4, it’s at 1.1GB in size. Check out the known new additions in this new Fortnite patch.
— Lucas7yoshi – FESTIVAL ARC??? (@Lucas7yoshi) March 24, 2020
Given the size and such, there’s not a lot in this update. Dataminers such as Lucas7yoshi states they went through the update in 65 milliseconds given there’s really no new content in it.
look on the bright side it went through the entire update in 65 milliseconds lmfao pic.twitter.com/39B1d7p3EL
— Lucas7yoshi – FESTIVAL ARC??? (@Lucas7yoshi) March 24, 2020
So far, the official Fortnite Trello board has not updated yet. We’re checking to see what issues were tackled in this patch, and will update it once (and if) Epic Games posts an update in it.
If you spot any changes, new content and the like, please let us know down in the comments below, so we can cross-check it and update the post if necessary. Again, this is a small update, so don’t expect anything big to come out of it.
What are you hoping to see in the next, big Fortnite patch? Let us know down in the comments.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you’ve no doubt heard of the global pandemic that is COVID-19. With multiple cities worldwide issuing social distancing protocols, and telling people to stay at home, that applies to studios as well. Halo studio 343 Industries has addressed this as well in their latest Waypoint.
Check out the letter in full addressed to the community below and what this means to the Halo franchise.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Before we do that though, I wanted to take some time to address the elephant in the room, COVID-19 (coronavirus). This virus has been dominating the news and has worked its way into almost every aspect of our lives. We are not immune to this global pandemic and we’re fully aware of the danger it poses to us as a individuals, as a team, and as part of the larger Seattle community.
As the situation began to take a turn for the worse in our area about two weeks ago, Microsoft and 343 leadership gave our studio guidance to work from home. Seeing as safety is the most important thing during a time like this, we took the advice and have been working from home ever since. It hasn’t been a vacation though, as every team is adapting and getting creative to make sure they can do their best from outside the studio. Both 343 and Microsoft’s leadership teams have been providing constant updates with how the COVID-19 situation is progressing, how our projects are progressing, and recommendations on how best to stay safe during these unprecedented times.
What does that mean for MCC PC and Halo Infinite? We’re removing all the obstacles in our path and tracking well, but need to be mindful of our current limitations and understand that the coronavirus situation may get worse before it gets better. Rest assured that every single one of us is doing everything in our power to continue developing and delivering quality Halo experiences while we adjust to this new way of life.
Beyond all of that though, please remember that this is bigger than games and bigger than Halo. Practice social distancing whenever possible (like the Blue Spartans above who are staying an Elephant’s length away from each other), wash your hands, and do your best to keep it clean. We’re all in this together.
343 Industries has hit it right on the head. This (COVID-19) is bigger than games, and bigger than anything entertainment-related. There are human lives at stake, and it’s not worth risking that just to speed up development of our favorite video games.
Just a few days ago, Ubisoft surprised Splinter Cell fans by announcing the Ghost Recon Breakpoint X Splinter Cell crossover called “Deep State,” which is due out tomorrow on March 24. For those looking forward for more before the content drop, the trailer is here now, and yes, Sam Fisher is back!
Fight alongside Sam Fisher in a new Splinter Cell adventure coming to Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Play the first mission free and customize your gameplay with the new Ghost Experience – available March 24! Play FREE this weekend starting March 26.
Aside from Deep State, a ton of new changes are coming to Ghost Recon Breakpoint tomorrow with Title Update 2.0! Read up on the full patch notes right here.
Hopefully, this is the start or a teaser for a proper Splinter Cell game. Sam Fisher has been away far too long.
While it’s been out for more than two weeks now, that hasn’t stopped Activision from releasing the Call of Duty: Warzone overview video, where we have various Infinity Ward staff members talk about the drive on making the free-to-play shooter, its features and more.
It’s a good behind-the-scenes look for those enjoying the game, which seems to be the vast majority of gamers worldwide. We don’t really blame players for being hooked though. Our review gives it a glowing 9.5/10, and states, “Warzone is roping in players left and right, and with good reason. Not only does it feel like a complete Call of Duty game set in battle royale rules, but it’s free, too.”
Ghost Recon Breakpoint players, the time you’ve been waiting for is almost here! Tomorrow, the big Ghost Recon Breakpoint patch will drop which will include the new Ghost Experience, balance changes, new classes and loads more! Check out the full Ghost Recon Breakpoint Title Update 2.0 patch notes below
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Title Update 2.0 patch notes:
Patch Size and Download Information
Please note: Whether you purchased a digital or a physical edition of the game, you will need to download the patch before playing. The size of the patch depends on your platform, region, and preferred language.
Xbox One: 30 GB
PlayStation®4 system: 17 GB
PC: 15.5 GB
New Features
The Ghost Experience
Introducing the brand-new Ghost Experience! Pick one of our pre-selected settings or modify parameters to create the unique experience you want. Right when you boot up the game, you will be able to choose from two preset options or build your own combination:
Regular Experience: Play Ghost Recon Breakpoint the way it was released, with gear level and tiered loot.
Immersive Experience: A brand-new experience of the game that removes gear level and tiered loot entirely and offers new tactical options.
Custom Experience: Choose your own selection of settings to create a personalized fit.
You’ll be able to choose from a variety of community-requested settings, such as stamina management, health regen, new HUD settings, and more!
For additional information on the Ghost Experience, check out our dedicated article here.
Players with the Year 1 Pass will have exclusive access to both classes starting on March 24 for one week.
Gameplay & Adventure
Year 1 pass content – if you don’t own the Year 1 pass you can join a friend who does own it in co-op to complete the entire adventure. However, only Year 1 pass owners will receive the exclusive adventure rewards.
New missions, cinematics, and dialogue. Expand the original story with the new Adventure: Deep State!
New iconic locations.
New gameplay mechanics and elements.
New Faction missions.
And more!
New Gunsmith Options
Most assault rifles will now be able to equip short barrel options (some ASR models have been omitted as their real-life counterparts do not have short barrel options).
TA31H added to 27 weapons with emphasis on assault rifles.
New suppressor customization:
New muzzle option added in the muzzle list.
Players can manually apply 3D visuals to it.
Paint options are locked for those options.
Connectivity Assistance
Players who cannot maintain a sustained connection to matchmaking services will now still be able to play solo PvE without being disconnected.
These players will still have all of the functionality of the game except access to multiplayer modes. While in this mode, your Friends List will appear empty.
The game will regularly re-test this connection in the background without impacting your play. You will be able to manually trigger a re-test of the connection by initiating matchmaking in multiplayer modes.
Inventory management*
Added a Mass Dismantle option which dismantles all non-equipped and non-favorite weapons, sidearms, or gear in the currently open selection screen.
Added a Mass Sell option to sell all non-favorite and non-equipped gear and weapons while in the shop. (Sell all button added to the shop).
Added a Favorite option to individually select weapons and gear pieces so they cannot be dismantled or sold. (An indicator has been added to the weapon / gear tooltip to show this action).
Players can now equip items directly when picking them up (without going into the menu).
Added Optimize gear: equip all highest-level gear automatically.
Does not apply to weapons.
Button will be grayed out if the optimized gear is already equipped.
Players can now unequip weapons and gear equipped on other presets.
Warning message will still be visible to players as a caution.
The unequipped item will be replaced by the item occupying the same slot on the equipped preset.
Players can now sort their weapons / gear chronologically or by Name, Type, Gear Level, and Quality.
* Only in RegularExperience / Gear Level Enabled. Does not apply to the Immersive Experience / Gear Level Disabled.
Ghost War
Two New Classes adaptation for Ghost War:
Engineer Class: The supply drone gives recoil reduction instead of a boost in Ghost War.
Echelon Class: The Shock pistol has the added function of draining stamina in Ghost War.
Four New Maps:
Construction Site
Forgotten Valley
Freight Yard
Stoney Creek
New Ghost War missions and milestones
Map Voting: In standard play, players are now able to vote for their preferred map and game mode.
Character and Customization
New Items in Maria’s Shop [Skell Credits]:
Weapon attachments: 3
Alternative Suppressor: Kilm Silencer
Alternative Suppressor: Ripples Silencer
Scope: Futuristic Closed Sight
Figures: 3
Hill
Nomad
Walker
Customization: 2
Facial Paint: Shark
NVG: 3E Black Arrow
Vehicle: Added the RT-5 Shepard | Standard for Skell credits. Now you can get the same bullet-blasting truck-mounted turret action straight from Maria herself! The Terminator truck remains a live event exclusive reward.
Weapons: 12
New weapons: 5
AR-18
ARX200
MK 23
SC-40K
UZI 9mm
Weapons variations: 6
516 Shorty
553 Scout
G28 Scout
M4A1 Assault
Scorpio Scout
Vector Shorty
Unique weapons: 1
Maxim 9 | Echelon
Deep State Adventure Rewards – Exclusive to Year 1 Pass Owners and Adventure Purchasers*:
Figures: 2
Sam Fisher
Victor Coste
Customization: 2
Fourth Echelon Goggles [Mission 1 Reward]
Fourth Echelon Top
Gear: 4
Fourth Echelon Pants
Fourth Echelon Boots
Fourth Echelon Gloves
Fourth Echelon Full mask
Titles: 3
Vehicle: 1
Blacklist Helicopter | Standard
New weapons: 1
SC-IS HDG [Mission 1 Reward]
*The first mission of Deep State is free and available to all players. Play to receive two rewards without purchase of the Year 1 pass or Adventure: Fourth Echelon Goggles and SC-IS HDG.
New Raid Boss Rewards:
Engineer Set: 5
Architect Mask | Engineer
Architect Top | Engineer
Architect Vest | Engineer
Architect Gloves | Engineer
Architect Pants | Engineer
Echelon Set: 5
Silencer Mask | Echelon
Silencer Top | Echelon
Silencer Vest | Echelon
Silencer Gloves | Echelon
Silencer Pants | Echelon
New Class Unlock Items
Engineer
Camo: 1
Weapon Paint: MC Arid
Emblems: 2
Engineer
Elite Engineer
Melee Weapon: 1
Mark II
Titles: 2
Senior Engineer
Master Engineer
Weapon: 1
MGL
Echelon
Camo: 1
Weapon Paint: Grey Python
Customisation: 1
Echelon Gear Patch
Emblems: 2
Echelon
Echelon Elite
Melee weapon: 1
Echelon Karambit
Titles: 2
Senior Echelon
Echelon Elite
Weapon: 1
Maxim 9
New Ghost War Items
Weapon attachments: 1
Alternative Suppressor: Hiver Silencer
Customisation: 6
Weapon Paint: Blue Tiger
Weapon Paint: Cells
Weapon Paint: Checkers
Weapon Paint: Dark Ops
Weapon Paint: Neuromod
Weapon Paint: Technologic
Titles: 3
BlackOps
GhostHunter
301st Spartan
Emblem: 1
Ares
New Hair Customization – Unlocked by Default For Free
Bun
Curly Crew Cut
Shaggy
Side Part
Undercut
Light Stubble Beard
Medium Stubble Beard
New Items in Store [Ghost Coins]
Third Echelon Bundle*
Figures: 2
Briggs
Prime Sam Fisher
Customisation: 3
Third Echelon Sonar Goggles
Third Echelon Multi-Vision Googles
Third Echelon Top
Gear: 4
Third Echelon Vest
Third Echelon Boots
Third Echelon Pants
Third Echelon Gloves
Paladin Nine Bundle*
Gear: 4
Paladin Nine Boots
Paladin Nine Pants
Paladin Nine Gloves
Paladin Nine Mask
Customisation: 1
Paladin Nine Top [Vest will not appear with this top equipped]
Melee weapon: 1
Needle Point Fighter
RT-5 Shepard Mk. II Bundle*
Vehicle: 4
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Desert
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Hill
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Jungle
RT—5 Shepard Mk. II | Snow
Figure: 1
Grímsdóttir
Unique Weapon Skins: 2
MK 23 | Echelon
SC-40K | Brown
*Items can also be purchased individually.
UI and Progression
Updated HUD to make it easier to know which mission you are on.
Players can switch between Episodes by focusing the investigation zone, then:
Using LT/RT on Xbox One, L2/R2 on PS4™ system, and arrow keys on PC.
Clicking directly on tabs.
A new indicator is displayed on tabs for easier navigation.
Enemy NPCs will now drop ammo boxes and item loot packages with visual feedback.
Added a more visible light shader on interactive objects (crates, ammo boxes, collectibles, item loots).
Increased low-quality weapon parts gained from dismantling weapons.
Increased weapon parts gained from drones while playing on Immersive Experience.
Camera
New settings
Added a toggle to Enable / Disable ScreenShake effect.
Added a new Camera distance setting in the menus for players to choose:
Dynamic: Camera dynamically shifts between close during combat and far out of combat. This is how the camera currently works in the game.
Close: Camera stays close to the player character.
Far: Camera stays far from the player character.
Bug Fixes and Balancing
Fix Highlights
Hill and Walker figures are added to Maria’s shop for free.
(PC) Fixed a rare issue where the game would crash on AMD and Nvidia graphic cards if players are located in specific regions.
(PC) Fixed an issue that didn’t allow the game to be launched via Uplay for some players.
(Exploit) Fixed an issue on the Sharpshooter ability after exiting the bivouac.
(Exploit) Fixed an issue on the Sacrifice Perk in Ghost War.
(Exploit) Fixed an issue with auto-aim in Ghost War.
Updated systems in-game which create a more permissive BASE jump experience.
Fixed an issue with the completion of “Top Dog” Ghost War mission.
Removed Damage Bonus perk when injured on Gibson M9 while in Ghost War.
Fixed several issues where descriptions were cut off in menus.
Improved and increased the helicopter’s speed perception.
Fixed clipping issues on the Ocelot Chest Rig and Self Fastening Ankle Boots items.
Fixed an issue where the belt’s color would change depending on the color of the shirt worn by character.
Fixed an issue where vehicles spawned randomly.
Exploits
The following issues have been addressed by the team as per player reports. Please let us know if you still see them occur in the game, either the same or in a new form.
Fixed an issue with the Silver Stake.
Fixed an issue on the Sharpshooter ability after exiting the bivouac.
Fixed an issue on the Gargoyle raid boss that made it spawn inactive.
Fixed an issue on the Sacrifice Perk in Ghost War.
Fixed an issue with auto-aim in Ghost War.
Fixed an issue on the Cerberus raid boss that made it inactive.
Fixed an issue on the Baal raid boss that broke the fight mechanics.
Fixed an issue on the Sharp Thunder weapon.
BASE Jump
Created new platforms to BASE jump from in key areas.
Updated systems in-game which create a more permissive BASE jump experience.
Reduced the auto-deploy distance to allow for more time BASE jumping before deploying the parachute.
Performance
Ongoing memory and framerate optimizations.
(PC) Fixed a rare issue where the game would crash on AMD and Nvidia graphic cards if players are located in specific regions.
(PC) Fixed an issue that didn’t allow the game to be launched via Uplay for some players.
Progression
The item wheel, missing night and thermal vision and binoculars have been addressed by our team – please let us know if you are still missing any of these items or if the item wheel still gets stuck.
Fixed an issue where the item wheel would randomly get stuck.
Fixed an issue where players could not use night and thermal vision in PvE after a PvP session.
Fixed an issue where binoculars were missing.
Fixed an issue that prevented the Panther Cloak & Run ability to be used in the Raid.
Fixed an issue where C4 would appear on players after exiting the bivouac.
AI
Balancing:
Reduced the damage received by players in Regular difficulty mode.
Rebalanced the WASP behavior:
WASP Drone attacks the player from a further distance and places itself further from the player when attacking.
WASP Drone health points reduced.
Rebalanced enemy archetypes:
Breacher: NPC will no longer get as close to the players when attacking.
Heavy: Reduced NPC accuracy.
Adjusted the riflemen’s cover behavior: NPCs take cover further from the player.
Decreased the Search Light’s detection time: Search Light detects the player faster now.
Increased the Search Light’s destruction sound radius: Search Light’s destruction is heard by NPCs in a larger radius.
Adjusted the generator’s deactivation state from worried to suspicious. When a generator is deactivated, enemies nearby go to suspicious state rather than worried state to prevent the entire camp from being warned.
Fixes:
Made players harder to detect by enemies while in vehicles.
Fixed issues with drones detecting players on bikes.
Improved NPC state-related issues:
Improved consistency of camps’ state.
Fixed NPC suspicious state mechanic after detecting the players’ drone.
Fixed and improved NPC cover animation.
Improved enemy NPC animation from idle to scared when stowed in vehicles.
Fixed an issue where turrets could still detect players after being deactivated.
Fixed an issue where anti-aircraft missiles were not launched at players in helicopters.
Fixed various World’s life issues including convoys not stopping in time for trains and animal replication issues.
Improved AI helicopter behavior.
Fixed an issue where vehicles spawned randomly.
Ghost War
Balancing:
Reduced pistol damage to prevent two-shot headshot kills:
HS2000: from 41 reduced to 37
M1911: from 38 reduced to 36
P227: from 38 reduced to 36
Stainless Extended: from 42 reduced to 37
Removed Damage Bonus perk when injured on Gibson M9 while in Ghost War.
Fixes:
Fixed an issue with the completion of “Top Dog” Ghost War mission.
Improved tooltip to give better information when a player has matchmaking penalty.
Fixed a rare occurrence where players got double points for marking enemies with drones.
Fixed an issue where the longest range for a kill stat would not update properly.
Fixed an issue where spamming the adrenaline shot could lead to disabled functionality for shooting and using items.
Fixed an issue where weapon paints appeared incorrectly as mission rewards.
Removed inputs for showing / removing pins from the Briefing Page in the pre-match phase.
Players can now toggle the team widget and the drone counter in the interface settings.
Fixed an issue where the ability gauge would still be displayed in Ghost War even though it was disabled in the settings.
Removed Bonus Category in the End Match screen in Custom Match.
Fixed rare occurrence where the attacker could plant and defuse the sabotage objective.
Fixed a rare occurrence where a round would get stuck and never end if multiple people would open the tac map at the same time.
Fixed an issue where the gas from the drone would appear before the projectile hit the ground.
Respawn
Respawn System Improvements
Added new respawn points more relevant for players.
Now players will not respawn to the closest point geographically, but to the latest location they went through before dying to avoid having players spawning in a place they have never visited before. For instance, it allows players in squad attacking a camp from different location points to respawn where they were, instead of respawning all at one location in case they get KIA.
UI
Fixed the unlock conditions for the Flat Cap item.
Fixed several issues where descriptions were cut off in menus.
Fixed an issue where weapons and gear would not be displayed in the player’s info page.
(PS4/Xbox One) Improved Skill Tree videos latency.
Vehicles
Improved and increased the helicopter’s speed perception:
Added effects (both visual and audio) on helicopters when flying at high speed.
Added a blur effect on a circular mesh that replaced the rotor blades to simulate the gyroscopic effect.
Added an angle that suggests the air lift effect.
Improved and debugged the main character animations while on bikes.
Fixed an issue where reversing with bikes was inconsistent and could appear as non-functional at times.
Improved the bikes’ feeling and removed unnatural movements.
Reworked smoother animations for the physics forces applied to the character when encountering a bump on a bike.
Fixed weird animations on the Firespin bike.
Fixed an issue that randomly stopped bikes from reversing while on a rough inclined plane.
Fixed an issue where movement would stop when applying the brakes while reversing on a bike.
Fixed an issue where pneumatic boats exploded when spawned by players.
Fixed an issue where helicopters randomly defied the laws of physics by jumping in the air at specify settlements.
Visual
Hill and Walker figures are back in Maria’s shop for free.
Fixed an issue where the Brown Fury Knife would disappear during an execution.
Fixed an issue where a weapon would turn invisible after exiting a bivouac in a co-op mode.
Fixed clipping issues on the Ocelot Chest Rig and Self-Fastening Ankle Boots items.
Fixed an issue where the belt’s color would change depending on the color of the shirt worn by character.
Fixed an issue where binoculars would not appear while using Photo Mode.
World
Fixed visual issues at Main Pumping Station.
Fixed an issue where textures were missing near the Hidden Coomb.
Fixed an issue where it was not possible to crawl under barbed wires near Howard Airfield.
Yep, it’s a big one. Don’t forget, the Splinter Cell crossover event starts tomorrow with the patch too! Once the patch is live, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
Despite the PlayStation 5 impressive SSD speeds, it would appear that Sony is looking into ways to further increase the boot time to play games, as the latest in PlayStation patents reveals custom game templates that will launch games directly into gameplay.
Update: Quick update because I’ve been seeing some confusion. Don’t mistake this with games giving you the option to launch in either Singleplayer or multiplayer as that has been something that has existed for a long time now. Instead, look at it like this, you create a template so when you launch the game you are immediately in matchmaking, not just the multiplayer menu, but in a queue to find a lobby. There are tons more ways this can be applied, but don’t look at this as simply the option to launch the game in either singleplayer or multiplayer.
Original:
According to the patent (spotted by Roxanne), which was filed over a year and a half ago (only recently went public), Sony is looking at ways to utilize the functions found in SSDs and other hardware components as it details the ability to boot directly into specific sections of games.
User interfaces for platform-based gameplay (e.g., Sony PlayStation®) may include a variety of different user interfaces used to select content (e.g., a game) to play, interact with other users, or otherwise interact with the selected content or other content in different ways. Digital games may include different modes of interaction, such as multiplayer, single-player, open world, competitive, etc. Each game title (and each gameplay mode thereof) may be associated with different user interfaces.
Presently available ways for users to begin gameplay may include steps, such as signing into a platform, selecting a game title, signing into the game, selecting one or more options on a menu, joining co-players for a multi-player session, selecting a stage, etc. Each step may be associated with different user interfaces.
The user interfaces used in digital games may also display information about the user, peers, and gameplay by the user and/or peers. Presently available user interfaces for displaying the user gameplay data may include displaying a string text and/or a specific achievement (e.g., a trophy) provided by each game.
Due to its usage in numerous aspects of digital content interaction, user interfaces can have significant impact on user experience. Such interfaces may, for example, detract from the user experience when gameplay information and statistics are not displayed or poorly displayed. Further, such interfaces may increase the time and amount of operations or steps a user must take to launch and play a selected portion of a game, and may thereby frustrate or inconvenience a user trying to launch a game.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for systems and methods for launching direct gameplay and providing a dynamic interface.
These are all programmable according to the patent, with users being able to store multiple templates. What exactly does this mean? Well, think about this. If you are playing a single-player game, you no longer have to wait to go through all the functions of selecting the menus and loading a save, when it can be done all automatically. This even more so with multiplayer. Using Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 as an example, instead of booting into the game, having to select a specific mode (Zombies, multiplayer, the modes, etc.) you can theoretically boot directly into Zombie mode, or into matchmaking as soon as you start the game. Pretty cool, right?
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for launching direct gameplay and providing dynamic interfaces. A template of an interactive content title may be associated with an activity of the title. The template may be transmitted to and displayed on a user device. The user can select the template, which may then launch the activity associated with the template within the title and generate an object to capture and store data related to the activity. Data from the object can be displayed in real-time to show a current progress of the user participating in the activity. After completion of the activity, the activity can be displayed as a re-playable activity, and data gathered during the activity can be used to dynamically update a user profile, display activity history, or predict future templates and/or activities with which the user is likely to interact.
In step 210, one or more templates are stored in memory in the platform servers 120 and/or interactive content source servers 110 in association with a corresponding one or more activities of an interactive content title. Each activity may be a progress type, where the user or a group of users completes a single or multiple discrete actions (e.g., one or more quests within a game); an open-ended type, where the player or group of players has no given task to complete (e.g., an open world game where users build objects or explore a gaming world); or a competitive type, where at least two players cooperatively or competitively participate in an activity, and a result is captured (e.g., a head to head match or a team versus boss match). Each template may directly link to the portion of the content title where the user can begin the activity within the title or begin a matchmaking process which matches the user to a competitive match. Such link may, for example, allow the user to skip navigational steps conventionally required to begin interacting with a specific portion of a title or to enter a competitive activity, such that the user simply selects the desired template and immediately begin interacting with the title or is immediately entered into matchmaking. For competitive type templates or templates for multi-player interactions, the templates may include information such as number of players that can participate in the interactive content, number of players per party/team, prizes available, and time limits.
What is also interesting is that it appears to offer even more functions than just that as the patent discusses teleporting users to specific areas, or matchmaking options such as by skills, player count, etc.
In one example, the interactive content title is a video game title, and the one or more templates may correspond to different modes of competitive gameplay available within that game title. In another example, the one or more templates may correspond to different chapters of an interactive storyline. Each template may be associated with a portion of the interactive content title where the corresponding activity starts within the interactive content title. For example, the template may include a waypoint within a portion of a game (e.g., at a specific game environment location at a specific point in time in the game storyline) where an activity starts. In another example, the template may virtually teleport a character of the user to the location within the game environment that is closest to the start of the associated activity. The template may also be associated with matchmaking so as to assign the user to a competitive match (e.g., by skill, experience level, or availability of other peers). Each template may be updated, edited, or removed, or new templates may be created. The one or more templates may be stored at the interactive content source servers 110 or at platform server 120 and retrieved therefrom.
Twitter user and known in the PlayStation hacking scene, Roxanne took to replying to our thoughts on it, offering a possible insight as to how this may be actually used.
What I heard from my sources was that the OS itself can display several tasks or in-game achievements you have still to finish. The advantage they plan is that „you can see what you will need to do in-game“ but without needing to start the game at all, kinda like a „What’s Next“.
That would certainly line-up with the initial description stating that Trophy data could be some of the information displayed on the dynamic interface. Of course, we aren’t sure if this will be added to the PlayStation 5, but the patent itself has existed for a while now, with it only going public last Thursday.
What do you guys think, does this sound like a feature you can foresee yourself using if it becomes available? I know I certainly can see myself using it.
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.
Following the PS5’s specs reveal last week, it seems Sony is slowly unraveling the essentials when it comes to the next-gen console. Of course, we know that regardless of how powerful a console is, it’s nothing without the right games. Given we’re a multiplayer-centric publication, we’re here to list down some of the PlayStation multiplayer franchises we want revived on PS5!
Warhawk (2007)
Last major series release: Warhawk (2007)/Starhawk (2012)
A spiritual successor to the original 1995 Warhawk, Warhawk for the PlayStation 3 released in 2007 and opened with generally good critics and player reviews. At the time, Warhawk was seen as the must-have multiplayer game with its impressive 32-player count, spanning on large battlefields that allowed players to fight on the ground, or in the air. At the time, it was nothing like PlayStation owners had ever experienced yet. Flying around was exhilarating as you took to dog battles with other Warhawks, and the ground combat was jam-packed with action as fleets of troops equipped with vehicles took to the massive map. There were a decent amount of game options, from clan system to server browsers, the game was truly ahead of what many other multiplayer games on console were lacking at the time. Surprisingly it was one of the most balanced titles I have ever played, even for today. Everything about Warhawk was fun, and it was easily a must-own title for PlayStation owners at the time.
It did eventually see a spin-off sequel known as Starhawk, and while it was solid, it never truly did capture that magic Warhawk created. Warhawk deserves another go, be that either a remaster/remake, or a true sequel that expands on its offering.
Resistance: Fall of Man (2006)
Last major series release: Resistance 3 (2009)
Probably the first title many PlayStation 3 owners played considering it was the console’s first exclusive and available at the launch of the console. There is a lot that the Resistance series as a whole did right. On PS3 (at the time), it introduced a friendslist, clan system, party system, in-game chat and a number of features that would eventually make their way into the PS3 itself. The game had an impressive player count with 20 vs 20 battles, something not seen on the console gaming space at the time. And the weapons were just incredibly awesome in that series, which Insomniac Games were pretty known for in other franchises. And the maps. It’s strange that a title from 2006 offered a lot more than most standard multiplayer shooters today, as every map had multiple variations to not only support to large 40 players fights, but also smaller skirmishes. Plus, who could dislike that setting? An Alternate WW2 timeline where an Alien invasion happens instead and mankind are being pushed back towards the brink of extinction? How kickass.
Sadly, with Spider-Man being as successful as it was on the PS4, don’t expect the original developers, Insomniac games to return to the Resistance series anytime soon.
PlayStation All-Star: Battle Royale (2012)
Alright, many of you probably have mixed feelings about this one because I know I certainly do. PlayStation All-Star: Battle Royale was intended to be Sony’s version of Super Smash Brothers. The game featured 24 playable characters, comparable to Melee’s number of fighters. However, unlike Smash, PS All-Star missed a majority of its iconic characters such as Cloud Strife, Spyro, Crash, and many more in favor of third-part characters such as Big Daddy (Bioshock), Dante (Ninja Theory DMC) and Raiden from Metal Gear Solid. Heck, Cole from the inFamous series had two variations, one version being evil and the other being bad. The roster needed some heavy work, and those third-party characters felt more of catering to what was current rather than what fans would have preferred.
It was also extremely unbalanced for a fighter and the odd decision to make combat only winnable via Super Kills didn’t help that either. If Sony were to ever give All-Star another try, they would seriously need to focus on getting their PS1 icons. This includes Crash and Spyro despite not owning them anymore, along with Metal Gear Solid’s Snake, and plenty of other classics. They’d also need to get rid of the whole kills with just the super system. It was a decent idea, but not one suited for this type of game. If they’re gonna do a Smash clone then they might as well make it a good clone.
MAG – Massive Action Game (2010)
Developed by now-defunct Zipper Interactive (SOCOM), MAG was a game a bit ahead of its time when it was released back then. Suppring up to a whopping 256 players in total per match, the tech wasn’t really there to support this kind of large-scale warfare then (heck, Battlefield couldn’t even get 32v32 matches on PS3 going).
While the core gameplay and ambition were solid, it had quite a number of bugs, an overall lack of polish and thin content that saw the game slowly die out. However, with the PS5 these ambitions can now be executed with the proper tech. Will we see another MAG entry at all? Probably not but this is one of those instances of what might have been.
Twisted Metal
Last major series release: Twisted Metal (2012)
Back in the PS1 era, first-person shooters weren’t as famous then as it is now. Back then, vehicular combat was king, and the king of that hill was Twisted Metal, the brainchild of David Jaffe (God of War). While the series saw continued success well into the PS2 generation, the last mainline entry was Twisted Metal released back in 2012 on the PS3 as a reboot of the franchise.
Overall, it was a solid entry loved by fans, but the lack of a proper story mode (which was a huge selling point of the franchise), the small roster of characters available, and somewhat cumbersome controls made Twisted Metal run out of gas earlier than expected.
Killzone
Last major series release: Killzone Shadow Fall (2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25I9yqQcnY
Before Horizon Zero Dawn became a big hit, Guerrill Games was originally known as the Killzone devs. While it might have failed to be Sony’s “Halo killer,” it still managed to carve its own fanbase. While Shadow Fall looked fantastic when it was released, the gameplay (especially multiplayer) got mixed reaction from fans.
The overly weighty controls might have been one of the causes while its multiplayer didn’t catch on as Guerrilla Games might have hoped, though one can also direct it at how it didn’t offer the same drip-feed mechanic that the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises do very well. Still, it’s been a long time since we got a Killzone game, and we’re very excited to see it come back. Can you imagine how a Killzone game would look and play on the Decima game engine? Minds blown might be an understatement.
SOCOM
Last major series release: SOCOM 4 US Navy Seals (2011)
If there’s a game on this list that has the most people asking for a revival, it’s probably the SOCOM franchise. Developed by now-defunct Zipper Interactive, SOCOM is a third-person military shooter that focused on team tactics, rather than running and gunning.
Unfortunately, stiff competition, and how some fans didn’t like how the gameplay was sped up to cater to the “shooter crowd” meant that the game died quite fast. Just three years after launch, multiplayer servers were already shuttered down in 2014, and Zipper was no more.
While we might not see another entry in the SOCOM franchise, its developers formed SOF Studios and is working on a PS4 (PS5 version at this time most likely) version of H-Hour: World’s Elite, which is said to be the spritual successor of SOCOM.
And there you have it! Our list of the PlayStation mutliplayer franchises we want to see come back on the PS5! Did we miss any games? What multiplayer games do you think deserve to be revived on the PS5? Let us know down in the comments.
Introduced in the Season 2 patch in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, are Regiments, which act as the game’s clan system, where players can group up, carry the same clan tag, and such. If you’re looking to find one, be careful of accepting invites, as multiple people have reported a Modern Warfare Regiment bug that prevents them from booting the game!
Reddit user editjames told his tale of woe where after accepting a Regiment invite, he suddenly experienced Modern Warfare error 13-71!
If you’re playing Battlefield 1 still, not only did DICE introduce a rotating game mode everyday to keep things fresh, but the usual Battlefield 1 Scrap exchange is still on-going as well.
For those interested, the MG15 is finally available in exchange for the game’s in-game currency! As for the rest of the items, head on over and check the quick video below by DICE Producer Jaqub Ajmal.
