If you’re playing Battlefield V, chances are you’ve come across an instance or two where you can’t properly make out the enemy from the environment. If you have, you’re not alone, and DICE knows about the Battlefield 5 enemy visibility problem.
Over on Twitter, Multiplayer Producer David Sirland tweeted that DICE will address visibility, though they’re not bringing back “Doritos” (the old spotting system where each marked enemy had a little triangle like a Dorito on their heads) anytime soon.
We are going to address visibility – it's a key problem area and priority. Not taking back Doritos any time soon tho, it's nice being able to flank and having to check your corners etc. But it's not nice not seeing someone you look straight at those times and on specific maps
We are going to address visibility – it’s a key problem area and priority. Not taking back Doritos any time soon tho, it’s nice being able to flank and having to check your corners etc. But it’s not nice not seeing someone you look straight at those times and on specific maps
As someone who has a hard time making out enemies from the environments, I approve of this change. How would you want DICE to fix it? Or do you feel that it’s part of the game and they shouldn’t touch it at all?
Earlier this week, we mentioned that BioWare will be hosting the last Anthem livestream of 2018. Well, it’s happening now! In case you’re curious, BioWare has said that they will be showcasing the Interceptor class, and we’ll see a new Stronghold mission as well!
The Anthem livestream is set to start today, December 20th at 3:30 pm CST/1:30 pm PST/4:30 pm EST /9:30 pm GMT. Go watch it below/
Same as before, if there’s anything worthwhile revealed during the livestream, MP1st will report on it. So check back later today or tomorrow in case you can’t watch it now.
In other Anthem news, BioWare says competitive PvE (player vs. enemy) would be a “great fit” for the game, and we agree. You should also check out what content will be included in the Legion of Dawn edition of the game, right here. Lastly, Anthem won’t have its character creator available during the demo, and BioWare explains why.
Anthem will be out this February 22, 2019 on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
With all the talk behind time-to-kill (TTK) and time-to-death (TTD) in Battlefield V, some might have forgotten that one of the biggest for these things is the game’s netcode. Thankfully, YouTuber Battle(non)sense hasn’t and has now posted his findings in terms of Battlefield 5 netcode issues!
Check out the 21-minute video below where not only the Battlefield 5 netcode is dissected, but also network variation values, buffer bloat and a ton of other technical terms.
If you don’t want to watch the entire thing, or it’s too technical for you, Reddit user thejeran did a TL;DW (too long, didn’t watch) version where it mentions that the Battlefield V network isn’t as fast as Battlefield 1, and in 64-player servers, the damage update rate is almost 50 percent worse than BF1!
Check out the graph from Battle(non)sense that shows the difference between the two Battlefield games:
Worried about it? Don’t fret too much. DICE Multiplayer Producer David Sirland has acknowledged the issues and even mentions that if all goes well, the top issues will be sorted first.
We are indeed attacking this head on and with our best team. It also includes looking at health comms and communication of damage in general and other things. Expect improvements in most releases coming from now on, and if all goes well the top issues will be sorted first.
Sirland adds that the studio already has code up and running, and they just need to test and vet stuff, though he admits a “complete win” will take a little while.
Oh we already have some code up and running. Just needs testing and vetting and stuff. Bit complete win here will take a Little while – bit the first and big ticket items will be faster as we know what causes it in detail
Are you surprised at the results? Let’s hope DICE sorts these out soon.
Xbox One gamers, we now know the Xbox Games With Gold January 2019 titles! Xbox guru Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb has updated his blog, and we now know that the games are Celeste and WRC 6 for the Xbox One!
On Xbox One, Xbox Live Gold members can download Celeste ($19.99 ERP) for free during the month of January. WRC 6 FIA World Rally Championship ($49.99 ERP) will be available as a free download from January 16th to February 15th.
On the Xbox 360 front, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and Far Cry 2 will be the free games! Remember that you can play both Xbox 360 games on your Xbox One via backwards compatibility.
On Xbox 360, starting January 1st, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ($14.99 ERP) will be free for Xbox Live Gold members through January 15th. Then on January 16th, Xbox Live Gold Members can download Far Cry 2 ($19.99 ERP) for free through January 31st.
Once the games are out, we’ll let our readers know.
Good titles for January? Or were you expecting more to start the year?
While at it score, Anthem is a purely PvE (player vs. enemy) affair, would something a little bit more competitive be something players would be interested in? Regardless if you are, BioWare thinks Anthem competitive PvE would be a “great fit.”
Over on the Anthem subreddit, user SKYeXile asked whether an Anthem competitive PvE mode akin to Diablo III’s Rifts, Destiny 2 Nightfall missions, or something similar would be of interest for the community.
Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions, this does’t mean Anthem competitive PvE is confirmed. In the same thread, Schmidt posts that there is “Nothing to see here,” and that he loves reading everyone’s ideas.
Is Anthem competitive PvE something we’ll see? I sure hope so. While it might not be available at launch, let’s hope BioWare has plans similar to this as part of the game’s post-launch content.
In other Anthem news, BioWare has confirmed that the character creator won’t be available at launch. If you’re more interested on the gameplay side of things, here’s the confirmed list of elemental damage types in the game.
While EA hasn’t revealed any official Battlefield 5 sales numbers, industry data has cropped up that seems to heavily suggest that the game isn’t performing as the publisher would have liked. It seems even analysts are in agreement as well.
In a new report by SeekingAlpha (login required), analyst John Miller states that additional estimate reductions should be expected when it comes to earnings as Battlefield 5 sales disappoint. Check out the summary of his findings, where it posits that the reason for the low sales are due to the delayed battle royale mode, consumer backlash, and more.
Summary
Battlefield V suffered from consumer backlash as a less authentic portrayal of WWII was revealed.
EA formally revised FY 2019 net bookings guidance; the outlook was revised from $5.55 billion to $5.20 billion.
The limited nature of Battlefield V’s single player campaign at launch, unimplemented cooperative missions and the delay for the battle royale mode frustrated players.
All the major retailers currently have the title on sale for 33% to 50% off.
As hard sales data comes forward in January, look for additional downward revenue revisions from analysts and corresponding pressure on the stock price.
Will EA garner a lot of holiday sales for Battlefield V? For DICE’s sake, let’s hope so.
In other Battlefield V news, DICE has rolled out a few holiday gifts to the community, and here’s how to get ’em. If you play the Medic class, don’t fret, DICE has you covered too! Finally, make sure to check out a sneak peek at the improved bipod mechanics DICE is currently tweaking right here.
While Respawn has a Star Wars game and an unannounced VR title brewing, the studio hasn’t forgotten about the Titanfall franchise. If you’re a fan of Titanfall 2 (like me!), then you’ll be glad to know that the studio has all-but-announced Titanfall 3 via the latest round of job postings!
At EA’s website (via Gearnuke), checking the Respawn Careers page shows there’s a host of positions available that has (Titanfall) next to it which means an entry in the franchise is in active development! At a glance, there’s like 15 jobs related to Titanfall. Check the screenshot below:
There’s the chance that this could be a mobile Titanfall game, but given Respawn is looking for animators, senior game designers and more, it’s highly likely that this is for Titanfall 3.
In EA’s latest earnings report, the publisher revealed that Respawn has “games” releasing next year, which means that Titanfall 3 could see release next year (highly unlikely?), or maybe it’s the VR game along with the known Star Wars title.
While Titanfall 2 fared very well critically, the game stumbled a bit commercially since EA had the bright idea to release the game sandwiched between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. With EA now owning the studio, chances of that happening again are very slim.
Are you happy with this news? What do you want to see in Titanfall 3?
While that’s all well and good, the guns being given away are only for the Support and Assault classes, and nothing for the Medic class, which is already in need of any firepower they can get given the submachinegun’s (SMGs) apparent pitiful power in the game.
Thankfully, all is not lost! Over on Twitter, a user asked DICE Multiplayer Producer David Sirland whether the Medic class will be getting anything this Christmas, to which Sirland answered with a short but sweet, “yes.”
No news yet on just what this present for the Medic class will be. Maybe a way for the med crate to auto heal when people are near it like in past versions of the game since no one picks up med packs from it anyway? Once we know what it is, we’ll let our readers know.
If you’re a fan of For Honor and Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft has the perfect mash up to make you jump for joy. It seems Ubisoft is teasing a For Honor crossover with the Assassin’s Creed franchise!
Over on Twitter, a short video clip has been released by the official For Honor account, where we see the Assassin’s Creed logo along with the words “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
In case you didn’t catch it, the short clip ends with a message saying, “Full reveal on December 20 at 12 p.m. EST on The Warrior’s Den livestream!” If you’re not familiar with The Warrior’s Den, it’s a weekly livestream by the developers of For Honor where new announcements are made, along with new reveals.
Will this mean that assassins from the Assassin’s Creed franchise will be available in For Honor? Or maybe it’s something much smaller like having the Assassin’s Creed costumes or something be a new cosmetic item in For Honor? We’ll know for sure come tomorrow.
What do you want to see in this crossover? In case you didn’t know, Ubisoft has done it before in the publisher’s other franchises.
Are you a Support player in Battlefield V? Do you like using the bipod but hate how buggy and cumbersome it is? If the answer to that is a resounding yes, you’ll love what you’re about to watch!
Over on Twitter, Core Gameplay Engineer Niels Stoelinga shared a super quick video clip of the improved Battlefield 5 bipod fix that the studio is cooking up behind the scenes! Check out the short clip below.
Here we go, my first sneak preview of a #Battlefield feature I'm working on. This time I'm showing you improved bipod mechanics. Thanks for sending the clips, I'll hopefully post more short videos in the future. pic.twitter.com/DFLKhL7Tcs
As you can clearly see, the improved bipod just stays in place (as it should be) when perched on a ledge. It’s also way easier to swing and look around aiming down sights (ADS) while using it, which should help Support people protect a base and lay down some covering fire.
In other Battlefield V news, DICE has revealed a couple of Holiday gifts for the game’s player base as a thank you. Check out what they are and how to earn them here.
We’re all used to publishers offering beta access to games as pre-order incentives, right? Well, Ubisoft has one-upped its marketing with The Division 2, as it has partnered with Mountain Dew! In a new ad, it states that buying MTN Dew Game Fuel will give the buyer The Division 2 private beta access!
If that’s not enough Dew for you, the first 1,000 orders of Game Fuel will also receive a “Bonus Prize Pack,” which is sure to make that Game Fuel taste a little bit sweeter! Here’s a screenshot of the ad:
If you’re somehow interested, Mountain Dew isn’t playing favorites with any one flavor, no. There are four flavors that each will net the buyer The Division 2 private beta access.
How’s that for some co-marketing might? If you’re not interested in Game Fuel, don’t fret! Ubisioft has already confirmed that The Division 2 will get a beta sometime next year. Just, y’know, a little later than if you buy some sweet Dew!
In other The Division 2 news, a closed alpha has recently concluded, so don’t be surprised if any leaked screenshots or footage makes their way online.
The Division 2 is set for release in March 15, 2019 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
With Star Wars Battlefront II being released in 2017, it’s now considered an “old” game by today’s standards. While that might be the case for some, the game’s player base will be glad to know that EA and DICE have no intention of dropping support of the title in 2019.
Over on EA’s web portal for the game, the Star Wars Battlefront 2 roadmap 2019 calendar for content has already been outlined of things to come — for January and February, at least. Note that DICE has not mentioned if what’s shown is final, but what’s already here is impressive.
For January, players can expect a new villain in Count Dooku to enter the fray, along with new Elite Clone Troopers. Not good enough? Yeah, maybe February will make up for it. In February, Anakin Skywalker will be introduced, as well as a new game mode with the description of “Our latest game mode (featuring capture points and capital ship takedowns) is released.” In addition to those two, the 501st Legion (who fought alongside Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars) will be making an appearance, as well as “Capital Ship Interiors” which is part of the capture game mode.
While there’s a chance that EA stops supporting the game after February, there’s a good chance DICE won’t. Regardless of what happens in the next few months, it’s comforting to know that Star Wars Battlefront II fans have something to look forward to in 2019.
In related news, DICE released the Obi-Wan hero last month, which you can read about here.
Surprised by EA and DICE’s support of the game? How long do you think the studio will pump out content for it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
While Treyarch just released a big patch for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 yesterday, the developer has now rolled out a new Black Ops 4 game settings update today! Included in it is a much-needed Blackout armor tuning, camo fixes and more!
Check out the complete changes along with Black Ops 4 PC update 1.10!
Blackout Armor Tuning
Thanks to everyone for the feedback on our Armor redesign and Armor repair system that we rolled out last week in Blackout. Now that we’ve all had some time with the new system, we’re making a few tuning updates that will directly affect Armor durability and how players use Armor Plates. With these changes, we’ve better balanced the long-term effectiveness of Level 2 and Level 3 Armor, and reduced how frequently Armor can be repaired.
These updates include:
Level 2 and Level 3 Armor durability has been reduced to match Level 1 Armor durability.
Reduced the maximum amount of Armor Plates that can be stacked from 10 Armor Plates to 5.
Increased time required to use an Armor Plate from 2 seconds to 3.
Slightly increased Paladin damage against Armor to reduce the number of shots needed to take down enemies wearing Level 3 Armor.
Notes from the dev team: While we’re pleased to see Armor lasting through more than one gunfight with this redesign, we agreed that Level 2 and Level 3 Armor was a bit too durable. With the durability dialed back on these, players should be able to destroy their enemies’ Armor more frequently.
We’ve reduced how frequently Armor can be repaired by increasing the time required to repair Armor, which will be most noticeable in active gunfights. In a game where an extra second can make all the difference, this change gives aggressors more opportunities to close the distance on enemies as they repair their Armor more slowly than before.
As we mentioned last week when we initially rolled out the first Armor redesign, we’ll continue to gather data and monitor your feedback as we evaluate Armor’s performance in Blackout. Keep it coming!
Blackout Weapon Camos
With today’s update, Weapon Camos earned in Multiplayer, Zombies, and the Black Market can now be applied to weapons in Blackout, including Reactive Camos and Mastercrafts!
To equip your Weapon Camos, visit the new Armory menu in Blackout prior to a match. Once equipped, players will see their selected camos on their corresponding weapons when they’re picked up in the game. Reactive Camos will have their own Blackout-specific requirements to “unwrap” and progress stages of the camo. And yes, Weapon Camo support is also applied to Blackout Custom Games. Enjoy!
Note: There is a known issue with Reactive Camos on certain weapons that will appear to be “wrapped” in the Armory and on the ground even after they’ve been unwrapped. These weapons will display their Reactive Camos as expected once you pick them up in the game, and a fix for this cosmetic issue is coming soon.
PC 1.10 Title Update
Our PC 1.10 title update is live today, delivering the updates from yesterday’s 1.10 patch notes and additional PC-specific changes listed below. Blackout Armor tuning and Weapon Camo updates are planned for the next PC update, currently scheduled for tomorrow. As we mentioned in our Dec. 13 update, we typically target a PC patch release window of within 24 hours of its corresponding console version to ensure each update is thoroughly tuned and tested before release.
And in case you missed it in yesterday’s update… as a special “thank you” to our players, fully-unlocked Reactive Camos can now be applied to any gun that you’ve unlocked Gold Camo for in Multiplayer! We’ve also made this clearer in the in-game menus with today’s update. Get out there and grind, and look good doing it.
Here’s what’s new across all platforms with today’s update:
PC 1.10 title update now live.
Armor tuning applied in Blackout.
Weapon Camo support added to Blackout.
ARAV spawns added to Blackout Custom Games.
Fixed IX Shaw Character Mission unlock in Blackout.
MP stability fixes for Zero and the Mantis.
Zombies fixes for Dead of the Night and weapon personalization.
Blackout
Armor Tuning
Reduced Level 2 Armor durability to match Level 1 Armor durability.
Reduced Level 3 Armor durability to match Level 1 Armor durability.
Reduced the amount of Armor Plates that can be carried at once from 10 to 5.
Increased time required to use an Armor Plate from 2 seconds to 3.
Slightly increased Paladin damage against Armor.
Reduced minimum number of Paladin shots required to down an enemy with Level 3 Armor and 150 health from 3 shots to 2.
Players with 200 health from a Trauma Kit and Level 3 Armor will still require a third shot to down.
Players with 200 health from a Trauma Kit and Level 3 Armor can be downed with 2 consecutive headshots.
Weapon Camos
Weapon Camo support added to Blackout.
Camos earned in Multiplayer, Zombies, and the Black Market can be applied, including Reactive Camos and Mastercrafts on their designated weapons.
New Armory menu added to allow players to set up their Weapon Camos prior to a match.
Players will see their selected camos on corresponding weapons when picked up in-game.
Reactive Camos have Blackout-specific requirements to “unwrap” and progress stages of the camo in Blackout.
Weapon Camo support included for Blackout Custom Games.
Character Unlocks
Addressed an issue that could occasionally prevent the IX version of Shaw from unlocking properly.
Custom Games
ARAV now spawns in Custom Game matches.
Multiplayer
Featured Playlists
Added Safeguard to Mercenary Objective Moshpit.
Stability
Fixed a crash that could occur when using the Ice Pick on a Gunship.
Fixed an occasional crash that could occur while the Mantis is active.
Zombies
Create-a-Class
Addressed an issue where personalizing weapons could cause a UI Error.
Stability
Dead of the Night – Fixed crashes that could occur:
During the fourth step of the Main Quest.
During ghost appearances in the Main Quest and Pack-a-Punch quest.
When the final cutscene plays after the Boss Battle.
During the jumpscare when there are multiple players.
Miscellaneous
Addressed an issue where players who were downed at the end of the round were not automatically revived.
General
Black Market
Clarified the descriptions of Reactive Camos to inform players that earning Gold Camo on a gun will allow you to apply the Reactive Camo.
Ajax’s Centurion tag is now properly assigned to Ajax once unlocked.
In addition to the long list of items included in yesterday’s 1.10 patch notes (Blackout Custom Games and audio improvements, balance tuning for Zero, Reactive Camos for weapons with Gold Camo unlocked in MP, Auto Sprint option, etc.), the following PC-specific updates are also live on PC today in version 270.70(68).14.0.36.0.39078:
General
Addressed an issue where the player could not change their reticle color.
Addressed an issue where a console prompt would be displayed in the tutorial screen when opening the Create-A-Class menu for the first time.
Let’s hope the next update further fixes the bugs in multiplayer.
Find yourself puzzled by some of DICE’s game design decisions when it comes to Battlefield V? Or maybe you feel something is overpowered? Whatever your query is, now’s your chance to be heard! DICE is holding a Battlefield 5 Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) today at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m . ET!
It will be conducted by DICE Global Community Manager Dan Mitre, Producer Jaqub Ajmal and two other DICE developers! While the actual answers will be posted starting 1 p.m. ET, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions right now.
Check this thread to start throwing in questions for DICE, and let’s hope they get around to answering it.
Hitman 2 fans, you have a lot to celebrate this December as not only did a new patch for the game drop, but IO Interactive has revealed a host of new stuff for players, and they’re free! There’s a Hitman 2 holiday mission, new suit and more!
First up is the Holiday Hoarders mission, which pits Agent 47 against two thieves Harry “Smoky” Bagnato, and Marv “Slick” Gonif. The mission will run from December 18 and will be up until January 8, 2019. Players who download the December update (more on than later) will be able to access the mission, while those who just bought the game can download the mission in the in-game store. Check out the trailer below.
Holiday Hoarders adds a festive feeling to the Paris Legacy location by adding snow cannons, decorations and presents that can be unwrapped. Your objective is to eliminate two thieves who have managed to gain entrance to the Sanguine Fashion Show and are stealing various items. We’ve also included some brand new items this year, including Explosive Snowballs and Holiday Shuriken, which are guaranteed to spread the holiday cheer!
Completing the Holiday Hoarders mission will net players the Santa 47 suit which they can use in any mission and can be earned for free as well.
Regarding the December update, check out the patch notes straight from IO Interactive:
Featured Contracts Rewards
We’ve introduced four new Challenges that can be earned by completing Featured Contracts. Each one will reward a new unlock, which will be permanently added to your inventory. Featured Contracts are just one element of the ‘live content’ that is continually released for all HITMAN 2 players. We are currently planning to release 5 new Featured Contracts per month.
Progress towards all of these challenges will begin starting on December 18 2018 and players can only gain credit for completing each contract once. Completing the same Featured Contract 40 times won’t help. If players have already completed a Featured Contract, they will need to complete it again to make progress on these new challenges.
Contract Apprentice
Complete 5 Featured Contracts to unlock the Measuring Tape.
Contract Journeyman
Complete 15 Featured Contracts to unlock the Handyman Wrench.
Contract Specialist
Complete 25 Featured Contracts to unlock the [Redacted unlock].
Contract Master
Complete 40 Featured Contracts to unlock the [Redacted unlock].
Discover Cuba
We’ve fixed an issue that would cause the ‘Discover Cuba’ Challenge in the ICA Facility not to progress or unlock.
Save Load Cycles
We’ve fixed a handful of issues that could be caused by saving/loading, specific to challenge completion and target status.
Aim Assist Snap
We’ve fixed an issue that could cause the aim assist ‘snap’ to be incrementally higher if a player uses it in quick succession after a kill.
Nul Point
We’ve fixed a rare issue that could cause players to receive 0 points on their final scoreboard. This was caused by performing very specific actions followed by a save/load cycle.
Crash(es) on PS4
We’ve fixed a handful of prominent crashes on PS4, caused by various factors. Basically, this system software update improves system performance on PS4.
Fast Target
We’ve made a change to ensure that the ‘Fast Target’ option works consistently.
No Master
We’ve fixed an issue that caused Location Mastery trophies/achievements to remain locked after earning Mastery outside of main campaign missions. Players can now expect to unlock the achievement/trophy whenever they reach the max Mastery level.
Helicopter Exit Exit
We’ve fixed an issue where an emergency escape hatch on the bottom of the Miami helicopter would trigger if the exit cinematic was skipped, resulting in Agent 47 falling out and floating behind it.
LOC Down
We’ve fixed multiple issues with fonts, overlapping text and special characters in various localised languages. We’ve also introduced a new font for Russian and Japanese localisation.
Cohh-lombian Carnage
We’ve removed the option to take cover against the mansion gate in Santa Fortuna, due to an issue that could result in 47 only able to shoot the door.
That Was Fast
We’ve fixed an issue where saving and loading in Miami could cause the Global Innovation Race to end almost immediately. It was also confusing Diana a bit, so we had to fix it.
Tranquilizer ammo
We’ve fixed an issue that caused the Kalmer-1 Tranquilizer gun to lose ammo when reloading a save game.
None Shall Pass
We’ve added a progress bar to the ‘None Shall Pass’ Challenge on Isle of Sgail.
The Sound of XP
We’ve fixed an issue where the audio cues for unlocking Performance XP would still trigger when players have toggled the ‘HUD Score’ to Off.
Painter’s Immunity
We’ve fixed an issue where Agent 47 could get away with murder by blending in as a painter in Mumbai. Now, guards will engage and open fire. He’ll probably still get away with it.
Autosave HUD
The small icon in the bottom right-hand side of the screen that indicates whether you can save or not, is now toggled ‘off’ by default.
Whittleton Creek Loading UI
We’ve made a change to the objectives icons visible during the loading screen for Whittleton Creek, in order to describe the objectives fully.
Bus Stopped
We’ve fixed an issue that could make it impossible to exit a created Contract in Mumbai if the main exit (bus) was used.
Too Much Sugar
We’ve fixed an issue where Agent 47 could insert an infinite number of coins into a vending machine by concealing a coin in the briefcase. We laughed at this one, but it’s still been fixed.
Sensitive Security
We’ve fixed an issue that could cause some car alarms to trigger in Miami without any player interaction.
Hidden Targets
We’ve fixed an issue where unconscious targets could be placed into cupboards in some rare cases.
Poor Jeeves
The Butler disguise was previously not required for the Chameleon challenge in Isle of Sgail. Now it is.
Postal Insurance
The ‘Priceless’ challenge has been removed from the game on all platforms because the package was indestructible. Mr Batty will be pleased, for now…
Triumph Trigger
We’ve fixed an issue that could prevent the fireworks and confetti from triggering when Sierra walks on the podium.
Challenge Breaks
We’ve fixed an visual issue in the main menu that would cause the ‘Challenges Completed’ number to break into two lines when players reached double figures.
One A Day
We’ve fixed an issue where an apple would be considered as an illegal item in Whittleton Creek on Casual Difficulty Level.
Briefcase
Don’t worry, it’s not *that* fix. Instead, we’ve fixed an issue that was preventing some players from accessing the Aluminium Traveler Briefcase. Check your inventories…
Terminus
We’ve fixed an issue that prevented eligible players from being awarded with the Terminus Suit for completing an Elusive Target with the Silent Assassin rating.
Elusive Target Text
We’ve made some subtle changes to the communication when attempting to launch an Elusive Target that isn’t live yet. The intention is to give more information to the player and have it feel less like an ‘error’ message.
Ghost Mode Improvements
Timer Stacking
We’ve added a new mechanic that adds 20 seconds to the opponent’s target countdown clock for each consecutive noticed target kill/pacification you perform. For example, 1 noticed kill equals the regular 20 seconds. A consecutive noticed kill will result in an additional 20 seconds being offered to your opponent, up to a maximum of 80 seconds. We’ve made this change to further encourage unnoticed kills/pacifications and to give more room for players to eliminate their target without being pressurised by opponents who consistently perform noticed kills.
Once both players have eliminated the target, the waiting period for the next target will be 10 seconds or less, depending what was on the clock when the second players’ target was killed.
Ghost PiP
We’ve fixed an issue that could cause the PiP camera in Ghost Mode to be too dark if a kill is performed indoors.
PiP Boy
We’ve fixed an issue where the audio cues for the PiP camera are played, even when players have disabled it.
Lobby Challenges
We’ve added the Challenges Menu to the Ghost Mode Lobby.
SFX Connection
We’ve added a sound effect that plays when you have connected to another player in the lobby. It sounds a bit like “whooosh-ka-ching”, but we recommend you play Ghost Mode to hear it for yourself.
Mission Timer
We’ve disabled the ‘Mission Timer’ option when playing Ghost Mode.
Considerate Assassin
We’ve fixed an issue in Ghost Mode that could cause inconsistencies with explosive devices.
Crate Crashers
We’ve fixed an issue in Ghost Mode that could reliably cause a crash when retrieving items from Ghost Crates.
Fish Lunch
The Ghost Mode announcer will now declare “Victory” or “Defeat” at the end of a completed match.
Legacy Pack Specific Improvements
Jeg Sauna Hende Stadig Ikke
We’ve fixed an issue where raising the temperature of the sauna in Hokkaido would insta-kill the NPC’s in the sauna. Now, they’ll leave the room, as expected.
Shadow Man
We’ve fixed an issue on Xbox One that could cause shadows in Marrakesh to behave erratically near the APC turret controls.
Frequently Answered Questions Pt. 2 We still strongly recommend that any players who are having issues with the Legacy Pack check the Legacy Pack FAQ.
PC Specific Improvements
Go to Map
Press the M key to go directly to map, do not pass Challenges, do not collect $200. You can also choose to bind it to another key in the Options menu.
Screenspace Shadows
We’ve added a new Graphics Option; Screenspace Shadows. Toggle on to give high quality shadow detail.
Reflection Quality
We’ve added a new Graphics Option; Reflection Quality. Toggle off, low, default or high to control the resolution of the rendered reflections in mirrors and floors.
Motion Blur
We’ve added a new Graphics Option; Motion Blur. Toggle off, low, default or high to give a smoother look.
Dynamic Sharpening
We’ve added a new Graphics Option; Dynamic Sharpening. This option counters effects caused by temporal anti-aliasing.
SLI Performance
We’ve fixed an issue that could cause performance drops for players using NVIDIA cards with SLI enabled.
Simulation Separation
In the release notes for our previous update, we included a new option called “Simulation Quality.” In this update, we’ve split this option into two; Graphical Simulation and Audio Simulation, allowing players to take advantage of the audio improvements but without affecting their GFX performance.
Steam Trading Cards
We’ve added support for Steam Trading Cards, including badges, profile backgrounds and emoticons.
IO Interactive has also mentioned that the January update is brewing as we speak, and it’ll bring more fixes and improvements. Players can expect a January roadmap early next year.
Earlier today, we posted that DICE said that they have a holiday gift for the Battlefield V player base. Well, now we know what they are. In a new update on EA’s website, DICE developer Jonas Elfving announced that the Battlefield 5 holiday gifts are the Ribeyrolles 1918 assault rifle and M1897 shotgun!
How to get both weapons? Super simple! All players need to do is log in to the game between December 18, 2018 (today) until January 3, 2019 and they’re yours! Once you log in during this timeframe, the Assault and Support classes will be able to access the weapons via the Company menu.
Check out what each gun looks like below.
You may remember the Ribeyrolles 1918 from Battlefield™ 1, where Assault players got to play with its select-fire capabilities. In Battlefield V, it’s a unique piece, thanks to its integral bipod, and with best-in-class accuracy, the assault rifle with the highest range at the cost of some raw damage output.
Popular in both World Wars, the M1897 was an American trench gun that proved to be so effective during WW1 that the German Empire protested its use. Its Battlefield V incarnation is available for the Support class, and will feel like a true pump-action shotgun with a good one-hit kill range.
In other Battlefield V news, if you haven’t heard of the news, the time-to-kill in the game has been reverted back to what it was at launch! Now might be the perfect time to log in and try these new weapons out given the faster TTK.
With BioWare hosting an Anthem livestream every week, some might be wondering if that’ll continue this week since we’re super close to the holidays, and the short answer is yes. Over on Twitter, Lead Producer Mike Gamble shared that this week’s Anthem livestream will be the last for 2018!
Happy Holidays to YOU! Final stream of the year: this Thursday December 20th at 3:30 PM CST. Watch as we battle against the evil forces of “technology”, “dust mites” and “software” to bring you content. With special guest: the Koala King himself.
So just what can we expect from BioWare this Thursday, 4:30 p.m. EST? Thankfully, Global Community Manager for EA Jesse Anderson spilled the beans over on the Anthem subreddit!
Anderson mentions that BioWare will be showing Interceptor gameplay and a team taking on a Stronghold (think of ’em as Destiny’s Strikes)! Those familiar with Anthem, you’ll be glad to know that this new Stronghold being shown will be something new! If last week’s livestream focused a bit too much on loadouts, and the like, don’t fret! Anderson also mentions that they will focus more on gameplay this coming Thursday.
In other Anthem news, BioWare has confirmed that the character creator won’t be available during the demo early next year since it won’t feature the beginning of the game. The studio also mentioned that armor won’t be tied to stats, which means players can use the armor they want regardless of stats they’re after.
It’s finally here, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 players! If you’ve been looking forward to Treyarch’s promised balance pass for the new Specialist named Zero, you finally got you wish!
Treyarch has rolled out Black Ops 4 update 1.10, and it introduces Operation Absolute Zero to Xbox One and PC gamers, and also balances Zero, and a lot more. Check out the full patch notes (via Treyarch):
The following updates are now available on PS4, with other platforms to follow:
Blackout
Character Unlocks
All Specialist characters unlocked in Blackout.
Character Missions are now Outfit Unlocks, which reward “The Numbers” outfits for each Specialist when completed (and automatically reward the outfit for Character Missions that were already completed).
Contraband Stash
Added limited-time Contraband Stashes, which give access to the Slay Bell and Secret Santa melee weapons.
The following updates are included in the 1.10 title update on all platforms:
Multiplayer
Featured Playlists
Half-Off Heist added to Featured category.
Half-priced items in the Buy menu (Scorestreaks excluded).
Blackjack’s Gun Game added to Featured category.
Gun Game with 3 new Operation Absolute Zero weapons added to rotation.
Map Pack Moshpit added to Featured category for Black Ops Pass holders.
Team Deathmatch, Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Hardpoint on Elevation and Madagascar maps only.
Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit added to Featured category.
6v6 Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed, no parties allowed.
Mercenary Objective Moshpit added to Featured category.
Control, Search and Destroy, Heist, and Domination, no parties allowed.
Specialists
Zero
Increased amount of time it takes to earn the Ice Pick.
Increased time required to hack UAV, Care Package, and Counter UAV.
Greatly increased time required to hack Sentry, Drone Squad, Sniper’s Nest, Mantis, Thresher, Attack Chopper, and Gunship.
Increased time required to hack Torque’s Barricade.
Hacking an enemy no longer prevents their healing cooldown.
Hacking an enemy Assault Pack now causes it to expire.
Crash
Closed an exploit that would allow the TAK-5 to boost players to higher health levels than intended.
Modes
Heist
Addressed an issue that would allow cash to be deposited after the round ended.
Cash deposit can now continue while the player controls a Scorestreak.
Cooking a Frag Grenade until it detonates and kills the player now correctly removes the Frag Grenade from the player’s inventory.
Addressed an issue with Best Play including kills from other players not featured.
Equipment
Score is now rewarded for manually destroying a Trophy System.
Reactive Camos
Unwrapped Reactive Camos can now be equipped on any weapon that has the Gold Camo unlocked.
Killathon Reactive Camo now progresses with kills instead of kills without dying.
Rampage Reactive Camo now progresses by achieving rapid kills or better instead of escalating killstreaks.
Vanguard Reactive Camo now progresses by achieving rapid objective kills instead of objective kills within 5 seconds.
Challenges
Living On Edge
Addressed an issue where this Challenge was progressing on every kill in Hardcore.
Custom Games
Addressed an issue where Bots would not capture zones in Madagascar or Elevation.
Stability – Fixed crashes that could occur:
When a Zero player attempted to hack multiple enemy items.
When a Zero player hacked a Barricade that was about to expire.
When viewing a Hellstorm strike through CODCaster.
Miscellaneous
Addressed an issue with Kill Counters on picked-up weapons advancing when the original owner gained kills.
Addressed an issue where hacking a Care Package and then booby-trapping it would not leave a booby-trapped Care Package.
Addressed an issue where hacking Mesh Mines multiple times could result in their team colors not changing.
Blackout
Custom Games
Custom Game support added to Blackout.
Maximum of 12 players per match.
Play in Solos, Duos, or Quads.
Includes full character customization support.
Online only to ensure each Custom Game is up-to-date.
Audio Improvements
Lowered the volume of the Supply Drop plane.
Players will now hear the ARAV’s engine from farther away.
Vehicle engine sounds can now be heard more reliably when several other sounds are playing simultaneously.
Map Improvements
Improved mantling points at Hijacked to make it easier to enter from the water.
Improved door placements at Hijacked.
Improved interactivity with new elevator buttons at Hydro Dam.
Improved some interior lighting for better visibility.
Addressed clipping at Snowball spawn points.
ARAV should no longer explode when riding it down the elevator at Construction Site.
Zombies
Gameplay
Global – Addressed issues:
That allowed players to access and use custom rules in an online private match.
Where the explosion from Victorious Tortoise could result in Zombies no longer attacking the player.
Where players that stood under the effect of the Scepter of Ra’s Level 3 ability could have increased health regeneration for the rest of the match.
Where Equip Mint would not restore equipment past 1 equipment charge.
In the Armory where the Clan Tag and Kill Counter were not visible after attaching.
Where the Laser Sight attachment on the Hades would pulse colors when Pack-a-Punched.
Dead of the Night
Closed a number of exploits where players could jump on objects near the Forest Entrance and the East Stairway.
Addressed several art issues with the Pack-a-Punch Camo on weapon attachments for certain weapons.
Addressed an issue with endless spawning of the Werewolf with certain Custom Mutations settings set.
Addressed an animation issue with the Crimson Nosferatu when using the Scepter of Ra as it spawned.
Addressed a rare issue that caused player animations to get stuck as if bitten by the Crimson Nosferatu after killing one at the start of its bite attack with Alistair’s Annihilator.
IX – Addressed issues:
Where some of the shields in IX appeared smaller than usual.
Where kills with a charged shot from a Serket’s Kiss did not count as Pack-A-Punched weapon kills toward challenges or Callings.
Where flame FX persisted after the Brazen Bull exploded from using Victorious Tortoise.
Voyage of Despair – Addressed issues:
Where zombie pathing stopped working properly in the Galley / Promenade Starboard Deck.
Causing the Pack-a-Punch paintings to be fully revealed in Custom Mutations when using certain settings.
Classified
Closed multiple exploits where the player could use the Ragnarok DG-5 to jump onto various objects.
Addressed a visual issue with character and enemy shadows when electric traps were active.
Stability
Global – Fixed crashes that could occur:
When using Electric Burst with certain weapons.
If a player disconnected while taking Shield damage.
When a Water Catalyst zombie respawned.
When several enemies would “ragdoll” upon death at the same time.
Dead of the Night – Fixed crashes that could occur:
When playing in splitscreen during the Main Quest.
When Pack-a-Punching a customized ICR-7.
Blood of the Dead – Fixed crashes that could occur:
During the escort step in the Main Quest.
When The Warden spawned on the roof.
General
Auto Sprint
Auto Sprint added to Options under Controls (applies to all modes). When enabled, double-click the left stick to automatically sprint throughout all actions. Pull back on the stick to cancel.
In addition to the items included under All Platforms above, the following updates are available this week on Xbox One and PC with Operation Absolute Zero:
Multiplayer
Specialists
Zero added as a playable character unlocked at Tier 1 in the Black Market.
Black Ops Pass Content
Madagascar and Elevation available to download for Black Ops Pass holders.
Blackout
ARAV Vehicle
Driver Position
The ARAV is the second-fastest land vehicle behind the ATV in pure speed, and is the 2nd-toughest vehicle after the Cargo Truck. While it can shrug off a few bullets, ARAV drivers still need to be mindful of explosives and rockets headed their direction.
Passenger
Passengers have the option of staying seated within the safety of the cabin, or leaning out the window to initiate combat with weapons and equipment.
Players can heal from the passenger seat without transitioning to leaning out. While leaning out, players still have full use of their weapons and equipment.
Turret Gunner
Players are placed on a mounted machine gun with 360-degree aim, perfect for providing suppressing fire or firing on enemy vehicles.
Overheat: Extended firing will cause the turret to overheat and be temporarily disabled. The turret will be usable again after it has cooled down.
Durability: The turret will become permanently disabled over time. Keep an eye on the turret itself, as it will begin to smoke and catch fire when its durability is reduced to zero and can no longer be used.
Hijacked
Hijacked has been added to the map, docked just outside of the Construction Site.
This “well-known” luxury yacht includes a helipad as a possible helicopter spawn point, as well as a possible vehicle spawn.
Characters
Zero added as a playable character once unlocked at Tier 1 in the Black Market (no Character Mission required).
IX Zombies Character Missions now available to find and complete to play as Gladiator versions of Scarlett, Diego, Bruno, and Shaw.
New Weapons
Daemon 3XB SMG, SWAT RFT Assault Rifle, and Secret Santa melee weapon added.
New ranged weapons also come in “gold” variants, fully loaded with attachments.
Black Ops Pass Content
Reaper added as a playable character for Black Ops Pass holders.
Zombies
Black Ops Pass Content
Dead of the Night available to download for Black Ops Pass holders.
Black Market
Black Market Revamp
100 clearly-defined Tiers for streamlined progression.
New item categories and more diverse content, including new weapons, Reactive Camos, Weapon Camos, Reticles, Mastercrafts, and more.
Reserves now start at Tier 101.
New shared Warpaints that can be equipped with different outfits across different Themes on the same Specialist.
New Zero Specialist unlocked at Tier 1.
New Weapons
Daemon 3XB
3-round burst, 0.45 cal. submachine gun.
Fast cyclical rate of fire with improved hip fire accuracy.
SWAT RFT
5.56 assault rifle.
Moderate recoil and a fast rate of fire.
Secret Santa
A festive melee weapon for the holiday season.
In addition to the items included under All Platforms and Xbox One and PC above, the following PC-specific changes are coming to the PC 1.10 title update:
General
Weapon Balance
Daemon 3XB
Increased hip-fire spread in each stance (Multiplayer and Blackout only).
Increased hip-fire spread increase per bullet fired (Multiplayer and Blackout only).
Emblems
Custom Emblems are now visible to all players.
Gameplay
Auto Mantle
Changed the behavior of Auto Mantle to react even if the player didn’t jump.
Auto Mantle will remain turned off by default.
Auto Sprint
Added Auto Sprint option for gamepads.
ADS Sensitivity
Added a Gamepad ADS Sensitivity setting in Options.
Weapon Camos
Weapon Camos can now always be removed through the Personalization menu.
Black Market
Resolved an issue where the wrong prompts were displayed in the Black Market.
Multiplayer
Gameplay
Added a Default Spawn Selection option to select either Seraph’s Tac-Deploy or Auto-Spawn by default.
Added a Toggle/Hold option for Zero’s EMP Disruptor grenade.
Whew! That’s a lot, no? If this new patch breaks anything or brings in anything new that’s not part of the patch notes, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
With 2018 coming to a close, and presuming that there’s no secret, unannounced big game that gets released in the next two weeks, we should be set when it comes to the big, AAA gaming experiences of the year.
Having said that, taking a look at each month’s release, and lining them up per month, one can’t help but wonder: is 2018 the best year in gaming history in terms of video games and their quality? We take a look at each “big” or significant game released per month, and you can help us judge if 2018 is indeed one of the best, if not the best, in terms of video game releases.
Note that we included every big release, and not just those that feature multiplayer, and we won’t be listing down re-releases or ports that came out this year.
January
Dragon Ball FighterZ – January 26
Monster Hunter World – January 26
February
Batallion 1944 (Early Access) – February 1
Kingdom Come Deliverance – February 13
March
Sea of Thieves – March 20
A Way ut – March 23
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – March 23
Far Cry 5 – March 27
April
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – April 17
God of War – April 20
May
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – May 4
Destiny 2: Warmind – May 8
State of Decay 2 – May 22
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection – May 29
June
Vampyr – June 5
Unravel Two – June 9
The Crew 2 – June 29
July
Octopath Traveler – July 13
Mega Man X Collection 1+2 – July 24
The Banner Saga 3 – July 24
August
Dead Cells – August 7
Overcooked 2 – August 7
We Happy Few – August 10
The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 1 – August 14
Guacamelee! 2 – August 21
Shenmue I & II – August 21
Yakuza Kiwami 2 – August 28
Strange Brigade – August 28
Divinity: Original Sin 2 – August 31
September
Destiny 2: Forsaken – September 4
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age – September 4
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) – September 4
Marvel’s Spider-Man – September 7
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – September 14
The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 2 – September 25
Life Is Strange 2 – Episode 1 – September 27
October
Astro Bot Rescue Mission – October 2
Forza Horizon 4 – October 2
Mega Man 11 – October 2
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey = October 5
Super Mario Party – October 5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – October 12
SoulCalibur VI – October 19
Red Dead Redemption 2 – October 26
November
Hitman 2 – November 13
Spyro Reignited Trilogy – November 13
Fallout 76 – November 14
Battlefield V – November 20
Darksiders 3 – November 27
December
Just Cause 4 – December 4
Subnautica – December 4
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – December 7
Again, we didn’t include any game that was a remaster, retro release compilation, console to console ports, etc. Even without those, we had one hell of a year in gaming this year, right? Is this the best year in gaming history? That’s open to debate, but it’s definitely up there.
Which year is the best in gaming history for you and why? Where do you put 2018 in terms of the all-time best? Make sure to bookmark MP1st! We’ll be covering all the latest and best multiplayer games in 2019 and beyond!
List of games that are new this week are shown below (thanks to Reddit user ardvarix). This is NOT the final list yet, and I’ll be updating the post later with actual images from the browser PSN Store that now has the Week 2 sales listed.
Original Story:
Has your bank account recovered yet from last week’s humongous PlayStation Store sale that kicked off the first week of Sony’s Holiday Sale? Well, regardless if it has or not, week 2 is here!
Remember: a bunch of games will, and have been, pulled from last week’s sale without any warning or announcements, so be prepared to experience the same thing in week 2! So if you find something you like, snatch it up quick!
Check out the discounted games for this week’s PlayStation Store sale! This week’s sale ends December 25 at 8 a.m. PST! The new games added this week are the ones in the first table, though the other games are still on sale as well, but have been so since last week.
If you didn’t find anything you like, we’ll be posting our weekly round up of online PS4 game deals this weekend, which should be perfect for those looking for last-minute stocking stuffers!
