At gamescom, Bungie has released a new trailer for Destiny 2’s upcoming expansion, Forsaken. While it’s a cinematic trailer more than anything else, it does show us what happens to Cayde-6, and yeah, it’s not good.
Check out the four-minute video below and watch Cayde-6 kick ass.
During Blizzard live stage show at gamescom today, Bungie and Activision revealed an epic new cinematic trailer from Destiny 2: Forsaken. As the most notorious outlaws in the system escape from the Prison of Elders, the only thing standing between them and our home is you and Cayde-6, the most legendary Hunter sworn to protect the City. A Vanguard doesn’t go down without a fight. Witness Cayde’s last stand.
In addition to that cinematic trailer, Bungie has also announced a Destiny 2 “Gambit” game mode free trial! Available to all Destiny 2 owners from September 1, 10 a.m. PT and will last until September 2, 10 a.m. PT for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. There’s also a trailer for that too.
Gambit is an all-new hybrid game mode for Destiny 2: Forsaken. Dive into how the competitive co-op experience combines the best of team PvE and PvP.
If you’re not concerned about spoilers, make sure to check out the report we posted regarding the Destiny 2: Forsaken info leak.
In case you didn’t know, Battlefield V is playable on the gamescom showfloor. Not only that, but DICE themselves even did a livestream for the game where they talked about the shooter.
For those who can’t attend the event, Reddit user Mikey_MiG summarized some of the info taken from various YouTubers who have had early access to the gamescom BFV build. Now, if you’re looking for footage to make its way online, that won’t happen anytime this week, as Battlefield YouTuber Westie has already confirmed that any footage is embargoed until August 31. Nonetheless, there’s some new info to be had, which you can dig into below.
Bethesda has released a new trailer showcasing some of the DOOM Eternal weapons players can wield in the upcoming shooter. Simply called the “Phobos gameplay reveal,” the video gives us a quick tour of Phobos, and of course, there’s carnage to go with it.
The DOOM Slayer takes the battle to Phobos in our gameplay reveal video of DOOM Eternal. Unleash your ultimate power fantasy with an arsenal of weapons, including the Super Shotgun’s new Meat Hook mod, an extendable blade, and the shoulder-mounted rocket with flame thrower to wreak havoc on Hell’s onslaught of demons. Battle against re-imagined classic DOOM demons like the Pain Elemental and Arachnotron across locations like Earth, Phobos, and beyond.
For those who find the current PlayStation Store search interface a tad too cumbersome and not intuitive enough, it seems Sony has heard our plea is making a PS Store Search UI fix! Or at least, a big overhaul to make it more user-friendly.
Over on video game forum ResetEra, user Kyoufu mentioned how the beta version of firmware 6.0 was updated to “beta 3,” and along with it, brought a big change to the PS Store Search UI. Check out the updated UI and how it shows the available matches to the search query.
Now, people can search for games per publisher or even per genre as well.
It’s definitely an improvement, no? Let’s hope Sony releases PS4 firmware 6.0 soon.
In other PlayStation news, GameStop is selling what it calls a “Collector’s Box” that has a bunch of cool PlayStation merchandise included.
If you’re one of the many people who found Battlefield 1’s gunplay a bit too random and inconsistent, then what you’re about to read should be very welcome news.
In a new post, DICE Battlefield Weapon Designer Julian Schimek and Core Gameplay Designer Florian Le Bihan talks about the improved gunplay in Battlefield V, what changes the studio has made, and what it has learned from past titles in the series.
Traditionally, Battlefield has some of the most advanced gunplay systems for an FPS. Factors such as muzzle velocity, bullet drop, rate of fire, drag coefficient, damage drop-off, base weapon damage and spread and recoil, can sometimes be a little complex for players to fully understand.
That was something that all of us on the Core Gameplay Team really wanted to improve upon for Battlefield V, so players will have an easier time understanding a weapon’s behaviour, We invested a huge amount of time working on solutions because we want players to have greater control over their shooting experience, and to clearly show what’s happening with a weapon. – Florian Le Bihan
Schimek then discussed how Battlefield 3 (remember that game?) provided some of the inspiration for Battlefield V’s gunplay.
In Battlefield 3 weapon base accuracy was very high when using the Heavy Barrel attachment, which allows players to reliably hit distant targets by reducing barrel whip. Drawing inspiration from older Battlefield games has led to many positive gunplay changes for Battlefield V, like dispersion decreasing constantly and not linearly. – Julian Schimek
In BFV, the spread is now presented as recoil in full automatic fire, which players will feel build up as they fire, instead of “having to look for tracers.” Schimek adds, “Recoil itself is now applied over a short amount of time rather than all at once, making it feel much smoother and allowing for a much higher usage of it than before.”
You can read more about how DICE designed the gunplay of Battlefield V here.
Don’t forget to check out our Battlefield V hub for the latest news as it develops.
If you’re looking forward to CD Projekt RED’s next game, Cyberpunk 2077, due to how the studio handled The Witcher franchise, you’re not alone. It seems this hype might be warranted when it comes to content as the studio has now confirmed that the quests/missions in Cyberpunk 2077 are similar to The Witcher 3 “in terms of playtime and complexity.”
Speaking to PCGamer at gamescom,Quest Designer Patrick Mills talked a bit about Cyberpunk 2077 quests.
You’ve got a quest giver, you’ve got a person over here—but you could just go straight to that second person and take the quest from them and do it that way? [The process] has gotten even more complicated in Cyberpunk—there are more multiple ways to resolve individual quests. Before, there were usually a few ways, a couple of decision points. Now there are whole different ways to play the quest.
What I would say is I’d expect something to similar to The Witcher 3. Particularly in terms of playtime and in terms of quest complexity. Specifically, I’d even look more at the expansions than The Witcher 3 base game because that’s really where the quest design philosophy that we’re using now came from—it was developed later in the expansions.
If that wasn’t enough, the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account released a set of images that shows how gritty the game looks.
Heads up, soldiers! DICE is holding a Battlefield V livestream just for gamescom! While the studio hasn’t said what we’ll see in the livestream, fans should be treated to some fresh gameplay, new info regarding the game and more.
Check out the Battlefield V livestream link below, which is set to go live at 12 noon ET (9 a.m. PT), 5 p.m. BST.
Join Battlefield Community Managers Freeman and Jeff Braddock live from Gamescom as we get you caught up with all the goings on ahead of the Open Beta for Battlefield V.
As part of Bandai Namco Entertainment’s media onslaught at gamescom 2018, the studio has announced the Ace Combat 7 release date! Titled in full as “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown,” the release date for the arcade dogfighting game has been set for January 18, 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One, while it’ll fly out to PC via Steam on February 1, 2019!
Check out a brand new trailer just to mark the occasion.
Set on the same Usean continent as in ACE COMBAT® 3 and ACE COMBAT® 4, the story revolves around the Second Usean Continental War, following an attack by an army of pilotless jets.
ACECOMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN will also feature new weapons and flight controls. This allows for a wider range of tactics, including new futuristic superweapons and planes like the sturdy A-10C Thunderbolt II, as well as multipurpose fighter F-35C and high-performance aircraft Rafale M.
Those with PlayStation VR, don’t forget that the game will have exclusive missions just for the peripheral that might or might not make you airsick.
Are you an Xbox One gamer who still haven’t bought the Halo: The Master Chief Collection? Are you an Xbox Game Pass member? If the answer to both are a resounding yes, then you’re in luck! Microsoft has announced that the Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be available on the service starting September 1!
For those not familiar with The Master Chief Collection, it’s a bundle that includes Halo CE: Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 all with updated visuals, offline LAN support, and improved matchmaking.
The improved and enhanced Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to Xbox Game Pass beginning September 1. Featuring visual enhancements with up to 4K UHD resolution on Xbox One X, improved matchmaking, offline LAN, customizable installation options, and faster load times, it’s the definitive way to experience the ultimate Halo saga. Includes the extensive suite of campaign, multiplayer and additional features from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 – all updated to run at 60FPS.
This might be the perfect time to bite into an Xbox Game Pass membership, no? In other Halo news, the latest game announced for the series, Halo: Infinity, has been confirmed by 343 to be Halo 6.
At gamescom, Ubisoft announced the first major update for racing game, The Crew 2. Called “Gator Rush,” the content drop will be available this coming September 26 for all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, and PC).
Introduced in the heart of the southern swamps, the all-new hovercraft discipline in the off-road family will have players doing things no other vehicles can do in TheCrew2. With three hovercraft vehicles completely new to the line-up, racers can slide on all kinds of terrain, bump their opponents on a tight corner and land on their competitors after jumping a ramp. In addition to the Bayou, other iconic places across the US map have been redesigned with enhancements such as steep slopes and banked curves. Players can enjoy these enhancements in all-new events, a Live Xtrem Series race and free drive, with new skills available in the open world bringing new locations to explore.
The Crew 2 Gator Rush content will also include a new “Ace” mode which is a new difficulty level for top-tier players to earn Legendary loot, “parts that award better performances, exclusive affix bonuses and new combinations to customize each ride’s performance according to their handling preference.”
Also on the same date (September 26), The Crew 2 Season Pass owners will get seven days early access to two new additional vehicles as part of the game’s monthly vehicle drop.
Ringing true to what we spoke about last week, Treyarch brought in a new Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 multiplayer map for show goers at this year’s gamescom.
Called “Arsenal,”the map is is a closed facility/factory that has Treyarch’s familiar lane design. It’s quite bigger in scope than your standard Call of Duty map, and given how there’s a huge chunk of it that’s roofed, players might want to change their scorestreak loadout whenever this map comes into rotation. Check it out in action in the video below (via Soki).
Reddit user Guest601 also posted a layout of the new map as well.
Thoughts on Arsenal so far? Remember that some of Black Ops 4’s maps will be re-imagined from previous entries in the series, so there’s bound to be a few that will be liked by the community.
In other Black Ops 4 news, don’t forget that the beta date for the game’s battle royale mode, Blackout, has been dated for both the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
If you’re a fan of Ubisoft’s The Division, or got all hot and bothered when you saw The Division 2 gameplay demo earlier this year, then you’ll be glad to know that The Division 2 pre-orders are now live!
Along with that announcement, Ubisoft has also detailed the different editions The Division 2 has, and even released a new trailer for the third-person shooter just for gamescom.
The Standard Edition: includes the base game, releasing worldwide on March 15, 2019.
The Gold Edition includes the Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 game, with a 3-day early access to the game starting March 12, 2019, and the Year One Pass, which comprises 7-day early access to all free Year One Episodes, exclusive customization items, additional activities and more.
The Digital Ultimate Edition includes the Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2 game, with a 3-day early access to the game starting March 12, 2019, the Year One Pass and 3 additional digital packs (Elite Agent Pack, Battleworn Secret Service Pack, First Responder Pack).
The Dark Zone Definitive Collector’s Edition includes:
The Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2 game, with a 3-day early access to the game starting March 12, 2019, the Year One Pass which comprises 7-day early access to free Year One Episodes, and 3 additional digital packs (Elite Agent Pack, Battleworn Secret Service Pack, First Responder Pack).
A 30cm-high Ubicollectibles figurine of Heather Ward, a Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2 Specialized Agent.
The Phoenix Shield Collector’s Edition is available for pre-order exclusively on the Ubisoft Store. It includes:
The Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2 Game, with a 3-day early access to the game starting March 12, 2019, the Year One Pass and 3 additional digital packs (Elite Agent Pack, Battleworn Secret Service Pack, First Responder Pack).
Other high-end physical items including a STEELBOOK metal case (a Ubisoft Store exclusive), a Book of Lithographs, a selected Game Soundtrack and a Washington, D.C. Map.
Don’t forget, pre-ordering The Division 2 will net you a access to the private beta, which will take place sometime before the game’s release. Also of importance, buying the Gold Edition or any higher tier edition will give you early three-day access to the game.
Before anyone gets too excited, “The Company” isn’t what you think it is. Nope, it’s not related to the Bad Company franchise in any way, but rather, it’s a game feature that lets you collect and specialize how you want to play Battlefield V!
As players journey through World War 2 in the game and continue it through Tides of War, it all starts with your Company. A player’s Company is their own personal collection of soldiers, tanks, vehicles, and weapons where they can pick which ones they want to bring into battle, customize them to fit their play style and grow them over time. The more they play, the more they’ll progress, and the more rewards they can earn to outfit their Company.
Prepare to read more about the classes that will be available in BFV, as well as “combat roles.”
Building Your Company
There will be two multiplayer factions at launch – the British and German armies – that you can build your Company from. You’ll be able to create one personalized Company per faction, each containing a set of soldiers and vehicles to tinker with.
Although armies fight for the same goal, each unit stands on their own.
Your Battlefield V accolades and achievements are forever etched in your Company. From each Chapter in Tides of War to every multiplayer mode, your time spent playing Battlefield V contributes to the growth of your Company. Soldiers, weapons, and vehicles can be unlocked and then advanced through deep feature customization, thanks to the five progression ranks: Career, Class, Weapon, Vehicle and Chapter.
Four Classes
The iconic classes of Recon, Support, Assault, and Medic return – each excelling at different battlefield conditions than the other, according to their distinct abilities and loadout. You can switch between classes during matches, so you’ll always have the best tools and skills for the fight. Weapons and gadgets are set per Class.
Assault
The Assault class is the infantry backbone, always out front and excelling when it comes to close-quarter battles. This is the class usually found between the enemy and a capture point or kicking down doors to clear a blasted-out Fortification. Medium to long range weapons that require snap decision-making and shotguns are the Assault class’ tools of the trade. They also know their way around explosives, a nitroglycerin thumb, so to speak.
Support
The Support class keeps their squad moving at every turn. They close the gap between intense firefights by keeping teammates resupplied and excel at laying down sustained fire to wipe out enemies or cover squad members. Their weaponry is fit for close and medium range and typically has a high rate of fire, letting you lay down a steady stream of bullets. The Support class is also a Fortification expert, able to build them quicker than any other class, as well as able to add mounted guns and other hardware to them.
Medic
The Medic is the difference between life and death, helping the squad survive as long as possible. When fighting, there’s nothing more important than protecting your fellow soldiers, and that’s where the Medic class shines bright. They hold their own in combat with medium-range weapons, but the medic’s true weapon is the syringe, which revives any teammate faster than the new non-medic revive available to everyone in your squad.
Recon
This class is the glint of reflective light the enemy sees in the distance before they’re on the ground calling for a Medic. The sniper rifle is the hallmark of the Recon class, where precision, patience, and map knowledge let them neutralize enemies from afar. They’re also instrumental for team play – the Recon class can use its range and Gadgets to call out intelligence to their team.
Combat Roles (Formerly, Archetypes)
Consider the four base classes as a starting point. New to Battlefield V is the introduction of Combat Roles, previously known as “Archetypes.” Each Class gets two Combat Roles at launch to choose from, with one equipped as a default. More Combat Roles will release gradually as part of Tides of War, giving players enough time to master each before providing them with additional options to choose from.
Combat Roles for each class offer a deeper level of customization, which lets you better adapt to the battlefield situation. Think of them as a type of swap-able package of benefits that gives you more flexibility to tackle a specific objective. For example: let’s say you are pushing foes back non-stop as an Assault Class, and suddenly the enemy starts rolling in more tanks — you can quickly adjust by switching to a Combat Role that gives you a set of benefits meant to better deal with enemy vehicles.
Your class and Combat Role can then be further refined by equipment loadouts, tuned to best suit your upcoming fight. You can also design the look of your soldiers through cosmetic changes, by applying distinct faces, diverse outfits, and war paint so that the enemy never forgets who fired that last round. Building your own soldiers, customizing their weapons, and selecting their visual design gives you a more personal and tactical experience.
You can read up on vehicles and other info right here. In the second part of DICE’s Battlefield V info blowout, we’ll be looking at The Company from a developer perspective, while for part three, fans can expect a deeper look at equipment progression.
Earlier today, DICE announced the start dates for the Battlefield V beta for both early access users, and for everyone else. Now, if you’re one of the many people who are itching to try DICE’s upcoming shooter, then chances are you want to know when you can pre-load the beta client ASAP.
Over on the official Battlefield website, DICE has announced that the Battlefield V beta pre-load time is set for September 3, 2018 8:00 UTC or 4 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT). In addition to that, a brief Q&A on the beta has been posted as well.
When Can You Start? The Beta opens to the public on September 6 and runs for a limited time. So, tell your friends to wake you up when September begins.
Pre-load load starts on September 3, at 8:00 UTC.
How Do I Get in Early? If you subscribe to either EA Access, Origin Access, Origin Access Premier, or pre-order** a copy of Battlefield V today on PC, Xbox One, or PlayStation 4, you’ll get early access to the Open Beta starting September 4.
What Multiplayer Maps and Modes Can I Play? Players can jump into the up 64-player Conquest mode on the Rotterdam map, set in the embattled Holland city, or the Arctic Fjord map, set in icy Narvik, Norway. In Conquest, you must battle for control of key locations on a massive multiplayer map, using the new Fortifications, towable weaponry, and Squad Reinforcements system.
Two “days” of Grand Operations are also available to players in the Open Beta. In this modular narrative experience inspired by historical events, each day is represented by a round of play, and player actions have a direct impact on the next round. Up to 64 players can deploy in the Airborne and Breakthrough modes on the Arctic Fjord map.
A Quick Ride on the Tides of War A preview of the Tides of War — the ever-evolving journey through WW2 featuring a new narrative every few months — also awaits players in September. Each chapter of Tides of War is designed to focus on an aspect of the era, with unique gameplay experiences to drive players forward.
A five-part Tides of War chapter will be part of the Open Beta. Players who complete the chapter will earn an exclusive in-game Dog Tag in Battlefield V at launch.
See that “limited time” thing regarding the beta schedule? The reason why there’s no end date yet is because DICE hasn’t decided when it’ll actually end! Over on Reddit, Battlefield Global Community Manager Dan Mitre confirmed that there’s “no word yet” on a definite beta end date.
In other Battlefield V news, analyst firm Cowen Research states that BFV pre-orders are lagging behind Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 by “more than 85 percent.” Another thing to concern yourself about is, it seems DICE isn’t developing the battle royale portion of Battlefield V.
The announcement has many creators and viewers uneasy, but Twitch says that the change will be beneficial for streamers by increasing their ability to grow their channels.
“This change will strengthen and expand that advertising opportunity for creators so they can get more support from their viewers for doing what they love. We want the service to remain a place where anyone can enjoy one-of-a-kind interactive entertainment, and ads allow us to continue making it the best place for creators to build communities around the things they love and make money doing it.”
Twitch says that there are still ways to watch ad-free; Viewers who have the Prime versin and subscribe to a streamer who has the ad-free option enabled on their channel will not see ads, but if you are looking for a sitewide option, you’ll have to upgrade for the more expensive Twitch Turbo membership that starts at $8.99.
Gutting ad-free viewing isn’t the only thing being taken away from gamers who pay for Twitch Prime, though. Amazon also announced today that the 20% discount on pre-ordered games is going the way of the dodo bird by August 27. So get those pre-orders out of the way while you still can.
Just last week, we reported that analyst firm Cowen mentioned that Battlefield V pre-order sales have been “weak,” and a big part of that has to do with its release date being sandwiched between Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Now, in a newly published report by CNBC, Cowen has doubled down on its earlier statement and even went a few steps further. According to Cowen analyst Doug Creutz, pre-order sales of Battlefield V have been a “serious disappointment,” and that if he had to pick a “casualty” for October, it’d be DICE’s shooter.
Creutz states that the Battlefield V pre-orders are tracking more than 85 percent behind rival franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. To put things in perspective, Battlefield 3 was just behind pre-order sales by 20 percent compared to that year’s Call of Duty title; with the next installment of the franchise — Battlefield 4 — lagged Call of Duty pre-order sales by 40 percent, As for the most recent Battlefield game, Battlefield 1 actually tracked ahead of Call of Duty at this same time before launch.
This is very far off the tracking levels of previous Battlefield titles in 2011, 2013, and 2016. With a release date directly in between CoD and RDR, we worry that BFV could be headed for a similar fate as 2016’s Titanfall 2, which got squeezed out by its launch date directly between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. – Doug Creutz
Furthermore, Creutz thinks the 13-14 million units EA is estimating for BFV is “not looking achievable.”
Have you heard of the game World War 3? If not, it’s fine, as it’s not made by a big-name studio, nor is it being published by a big-name publisher. It’s made by an indie team in Poland called The Farm 51.
With gamescom kicking off today, the studio has released a World War 3 gameplay trailer just for gamescom! If you’re a fan of modern combat shooters like Battlefield 4, then you’ll find a lot to love in World War 3!
World War 3 is a multiplayer military FPS set in a modern, global conflict. Strong teamplay, national armed forces, real locations, full body awareness and a versatile customization system all contribute to the authenticity of the modern combat experience enhanced by other essential elements such as a robust ballistic system, advanced armors and life-like weapons. Produced in cooperation with military R&D centers and consultants, World War 3 shows the consequences of every battle in the context of a global war campaign on a strategic war map. Coming to Steam fall 2018.
World War 3 will feature 64-player battles that will involve both infantry and vehicles, as evidenced by the gameplay trailer. You can check out the game’s official website for more details.
What do you think of it so far? Can it withstand the other shooters set to hit PCs and consoles before the year’s done?
If you’re looking for more zombies to slay, then you might want to keep an eye out for Saber Interactive’s (NBA Playgrounds) video game adaptation of the hit 2013 zombie flick World War Z.
Saber Interactive calls the tech it uses as the “Swarm Engine,” and it helps bring hundreds of zombies on screen at once, which the player can mow down using an assortment of weapons! There’s also “adaptive spawn control,” and other features which you can watch in the World War Z gameplay video below.
You’ll face off against hundreds of zombies of different types on screen at a time, rushing as a pack to overwhelm your defenses. Dynamic swarm simulation, adaptive spawn control, diverse zombie mechanics, and an advanced gore system all combine for the ultimate zombie shooter experience. Play with friends or on your own with AI teammates to stay alive against these relentless swarms in all their bloody glory.
World War Z is set for release on the PS4, Xbox One and PC, though no firm release date has been given yet.
While DICE has shown a quick teaser of the Battlefield V battle royale mode in its latest trailer released last week, we don’t know a lot of info about the mode so far.
As it turns out, there’s a big reason for that, and it’s due to DICE, which is the main studio developing Battlefield V, isn’t behind the battle royale mode! This was confirmed by the Star Wars Battlefront Global Community Manager Ben Walker, who goes by the username “F8RGE” on Reddit and social media.
This is definitely huge news, and given DICE is the main studio behind EA’s Star Wars Battlefront games, chances are, Walker isn’t assuming things or making things up. It’s not currently known which studio is doing the development duties for Battlefield V’s battle royale mode, though chances are, it’s one of EA’s internal studios. Nonetheless, we’ve contacted EA about this and will update the post if and when we get a response.
In other news, the Battlefield V multiplayer beta date has been announced earlier today! We also posted the list of confirmed weapons set to appear in the shooter.
Activision has sent the official press release and has announced that the Xbox One Black Ops 4 Blackout beta will start on September 14 as well. As expected, PS4 gamers will get to experience it well in advance due to Sony and Activision’s marketing deal.
Original Story:
While Activision has already announced the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout beta date for PS4 (September 10), the Xbox One and PC platforms don’t have a firm beta date just yet — at least until today. Over on the Black Ops 4 subreddit, the official Treyarch account posted that the Black Ops 4 Blackout PC beta release date is set for September 14!
Compared to the console betas, the PC beta will be open to everyone. It’s currently not known whether the Xbox One Black Ops 4 Blackout beta date will be the same as the one on PC or not. For those looking forward to the Blackout beta, don’t forget to NOT delete the multiplayer beta client, as it will be used for the Blackout beta, though Treyarch will roll out an update for it.
Also of note, over on Twitter, user xlimeTigerx found a line of text in the datamined files that mention that Treyarch is aiming for 100 players, and that parachuting will be the players’ way of entering the map!
Black Ops 4: Blackout will officially support 100 Players and Parachuting is our way of entering the map!
