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Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak Easter Egg Offers First Look at Zombies

The Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak event promises a unique co-op experience. The name itself teases the spreading of a virus, and has connotations of infected zombies.

Thanks to the incredibly dedicated Rainbow Six community, a new Easter egg has been discovered that provides more information on Outbreak, and what players can expect from the co-op mode.

First, there’s an account from a mysterious individual. This is followed by an audio file (transcript below), and five images.

Take a look at the complete contents below:

Written account:

We were supposed to rendezvous with our supporters among the Russian hacking community for a tete-a-tete, but our flight got delayed. By the time we reached Kafe Dostoyevsky, everything had gone sideways. They’re saying terrorism but I’m saying cover-up and that tells me we’re closer to the truth than ever. Unfortunately this means our channels are in danger of getting compromised. I’ll be scrubbing our sites and clearing all our dead drops. We’ll have to go to ground for a while; this is our last drop at this location.

Let me be absolutely clear… they’ve cordoned off Truth or Consequences and there’re reports of gunfire and explosions. That means the citizens of T or C know the truth, and we owe it to them to spill the beans on what’s happening. I stand with Truth or Consequences, and we will learn their story.

Audio file transcript: (Thanks TheDeathFaze!)

“Alicia, it’s Kevin. I don’t know how or if this has made it’s way to you, but if you’re listening to this, but I hope that the worst thing that’s happened to you is if they got your Venti Caf wrong again. If that’s the worst thing about your day, that means this whole mess got contained. It means that the people I care about are still alive. It means that they stopped this- this thing. It’s been 2 days since I’ve snuck into the Quarantine Zone. I can’t call out, I think the Army is jamming cellphone reception, that’s why I’m recording this. The last will and testament for an entire town. Truth or consequences, I cant even- it’s dead, Alicia, and nobody knows the half of it. This outbreak, this infection, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen! It makes… monsters. Turns us- It infects you then you’re a monster, killing your friends- killing everyone you’ve ever loved. That’s why there’s gunshots, and, there’s drone strikes out here. That’s why the quarantine tents are inside the Quarantine Zone. (not sure if this is what he said). They can’t let this thing get out. Ever. Even if this means everything around here gets flattened. I’m fine with that. I don’t think there’s anyone else left to complain. I’m a small price to pay, Alicia, if that means you and everyone else are safe, and happy.”

Images:

The images are perhaps the most curious of the clues. They clearly show different kinds of zombie-like creatures. Could these be the enemies that players will need to fight?

Are you excited for the new Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak event? Do you think you’ll be taking down zombies, or something else entirely? Let us know.

Source: Reddit via Prodigio Pete (YouTube)

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Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Elgato Game Capture HD60 S Review (2018 Edition)

Today we’re taking a look at the Elgato Game Capture HD60 S. This is not really a new product, as it’s been out for nearly two years now, but it is still the latest portable PC and console game capture device from Elgato Gaming, a company that I’ve trusted with my gameplay captures for over six years. Their hardware hasn’t let me down, and their Game Capture HD software is great and continues to improve.

In the box, there’s the device itself (matte not glossy black, woo!), a HDMI to add to the collection, a USB Type-C cable, and some instructions.

Counting the inputs and outputs, the HD60 S has HDMI in and out, USB Type-C, and an audio in. When powered on, the device has a subtle white LED status bar on top. Clear, but not distracting.

The hardware itself feels solid, and I wouldn’t be afraid to take this with me on trips to record gameplay, or to record at a mate’s house. This portable device feels like it can handle being portable, so that’s obviously a good thing!

Next, the supported PC specs: can we actually run this thing? For both PC and Mac, the site lists a fourth generation Intel i5 quad core. However, with Ryzen now being a thing — I myself am running this smoothly on a Ryzen 7 1700 — and laptops being a lot more capable, I’d use Elgato’s own compatibility test to see if your PC or laptop is up to the task.

Once you’ve installed the Elgato Game Capture software and plugged the HD60 S into your compatible PC or laptop’s USB 3.0 port, then you can start recording and streaming using Elgato’s own software, or a third-party program like OBS.

I’m actually a huge fan of the Elgato software. Any problems I had in the past have been solved, and many new (actually useful) features have been added. And, despite the new additions, the software still looks tidy. It isn’t intimidating, and everything is just a click or two away.

You can fiddle with audio options, there’s different graphics you can use for streams, and you can add those fancy sub and donation animations, all within the software itself.

The life-saving Flashback Recording feature is here, so you’ll never miss a clip, since you can just rewind time and take what you need.

Through Elgato’s software, the HD60 S can capture at 1080p60 40 Mb/s. Though OBS and other third-party apps can record above that, potentially uncompressed.

The main selling point of the HD60 S over the HD60 is the Instant Gameview. The HD60 S’ USB 3.0 connection offers a boost in speed over the HD60’s USB 2.0 connection, allowing for almost lag-free playback within the Game Capture software. This is most useful for streaming, when you want all inputs and outputs to be in sync.

You can also play games through the software itself. However, for shooters or anything requiring very quick movements, it isn’t quite lag-free. I’d still choose the HDMI out plugged into another TV or monitor over Instant Gameview, but it’s there if you’re in a pinch.

So you get Instant Gameview with the HD60 S, but you also lose something. Master Copy, which is the ability to stream at a low bit-rate while recording a higher-quality version, isn’t supported by the HD60 S. If you stream at 720p60 5 Mb/s, then your recording will be at 720p60 5 Mb/s. This could be a dealbreaker if you want to stream to Twitch, but then have high-quality highlights to put on your YouTube channel. The HD60 supports this, but the HD60 S does not.

Another feature missing from the HD60 S, which the older HD60 boasts, is its own encoder, and so the HD60 S relies on your PC’s hardware a lot more. This wasn’t an issue with my Ryzen rig, but it’s worth considering. If you don’t need the Instant Gameview feature of HD60 S, then the HD60 may be better for you and your setup.

Price is also a big factor here, and as the HD60 S is nearly two years old, it wouldn’t really make sense for me to focus on the RRP. Looking on Amazon.com, you can currently get the HD60, HD60 S, and the HD60 with a Chat Link (for easily recording console party audio) for just under $160 apiece. The HD60 Pro, which I thoroughly recommend if you don’t need a portable capture device and have a desktop PC, is $180. So you really do need to weigh up your wants and needs here. It’s not as simple as me pointing at the latest product and saying “that’s the best.”

If you’re a streamer with a capable-enough PC or you just really love that Instant Gameview feature, and need a device that’s portable, then this is the one for you. Otherwise, take a look at the HD60 and the HD60 Pro, and maybe even the 4K60 Pro. There’s a lot to choose from!

If you require more help deciding which of Elgato’s products you should buy, check out their own “Capture Card Sector.” If you’re still confused, that should assist you nicely.

While there are other game capture solutions from other companies out there, I’ve not used them enough to form an opinion. I will say, however, that the AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2, which boasts the ability to record to an SD card with no PC required, is certainly something that interests me when it comes to a truly portable device, and could be worth looking at.

All I know right now is that Elgato has yet to let me down, and I trust them as my daily driver for work and play.


The Elgato Game Capture HD60 S was provided to MP1st by Elgato Gaming. You can learn more about this product by visiting the Elgato Gaming website

You can find our Review Policy and Scoring System detailed here.

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Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Xbox Games With Gold February 2018: Assassin’s Creed, Shadow Warrior, Crazy Taxi & More

The upcoming Xbox Games With Gold February 2018 titles have been announced. Four games are coming to Xbox Live Gold subscribers: two for Xbox One and two for Xbox 360. As you’d expect, both Xbox 360 titles are playable on Xbox One via backwards compatibility.

Xbox One

On Xbox One, Xbox Live Gold members can download Shadow Warrior ($29.99 ERP) for free during the month of February. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India ($9.99 ERP) will be available as a free download from February 16th to March 15th.

Xbox 360

On Xbox 360, starting February 1st, Split/Second ($19.99 ERP) will be free for Xbox Live Gold members through February 15th. Then on February 16th, Xbox Live Gold Members can download Crazy Taxi ($9.99 ERP) for free through February 28th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaHaVSS5o6Q

February’s lineup provides over $69 dollars in value and up to 3200 in gamerscore.

Are you happy with February’s selection of games? Or are they underwhelming? Let us know!

Source: Major Nelson

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Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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New Call of Duty: WWII Twitch Prime Loot Offers Resistance Boosters

The new Call of Duty: WWII Resistance event means that there’s loads of new loot to be found in Supply Drops. As with the Winter Siege event, Twitch Prime members are being gifted a couple of boosters, to help increase their chances of acquiring better loot, more quickly.

Twitch Prime (activated through Amazon Prime) grants players the “Resistance Supply Drop Pack.” This consists of one Resistance Supply Drop and one Resistance Bribe. The latter offers “dupe protection,” so you’ll only receive new items.

Pro-tip: We’d recommend opening the Resistance Bribe towards the end of the event, when you’ve already collected the common items. This will increase your chances of getting something special.

For a rundown, or reminder, of what Twitch Prime is, read the description below:

Twitch Prime is a new premium experience on Twitch that is included with Amazon Prime. Benefits include monthly in-game loot, ad-free viewing on Twitch, a channel subscription every 30 days AND all the benefits of being a prime member. See all the Twitch Prime benefits here.

Check out the full list of Amazon Prime benefits in: USUKCanadaGermanyFranceAustriaBelgiumItaly and Spain. You can try it for free for 30 days right here, and when you do, you get all the Twitch Prime benefits instantly just by linking your Twitch account to your Amazon account.

Secure your Call of Duty: WWII Supply Drops and let me know what you find inside!

In other Call of Duty news, the Valkryie Axis Resistance uniforms are now customizable, and Activision is apparently sending out free WWII codes via email.

Source: Twitch Prime via Charlie INTEL

Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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PUBG Xbox Player Count Surpasses 4 Million, Players to Get In-Game Reward to Celebrate

No one really doubted that PUBG would be successful on Xbox. After shattering records on PC, and continuing to entertain millions of players each day, it was only a matter of time before the battle royale beast started smashing milestones on console.

To celebrate surpassing four million players on Xbox, Bluehole will be giving all Xbox players an in-game gift. This will come in the form of 30,000 Battle Points, which can be used to purchase loot boxes.

The 30,000 BP will be provided to any Xbox players who own the game and has created a character before January 31 at 12 a.m. PT. So yes, this will likely bring in even more players, and boost the Xbox player count to even greater heights!

Here are the details straight from Xbox:

Anyone who has purchased or purchases PUBG on Xbox One and has created a character before January 31 at 12AM PST will receive this bonus, so if you’ve been waiting to jump onto the island, now is the perfect time to become a part of our growing community on console. Bonus Battle Points will be delivered and appear directly in players BP accounts (right below their gamertag) after February 1, 2018 at 12AM PT.

What do you make of PUBG‘s success on Xbox? Feel it was inevitable? It is deserved? Let us know.

In other PUBG news, Xbox has said that sales for the console version are “very big,” netcode analysis shows that the game has a big problem, and the Battle Royale Trainer is here to help players improve.

Source: Xbox News via Resetera

Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Latest Fortnite Update Adds Chug Jug, Option to Remove Console Aim-Assist, Auto Run & More

A new Fortnite update is rolling out across all platforms. During its implementation, players will experience downtime for an unspecified period of time.

When servers do go live again, patch V2.3.0 will be available to download and install. The latest Fortnite update brings the new Chug Jug item to Battle Royale, in addition to the removal of aim assist on consoles, and a new auto run feature. Save the World fans will be happy to hear that Mutant Storms will soon be returning.

Here are the Battle Royale patch notes: (Save the World details can be found here.)

Chug Jug

Low HP? No Shields? Enemies all around? Give yourself a fighting chance with the all-new Chug Jug! Find a safe place to Chug this Jug for 15 seconds and gain max Health + Shields.

PATCH NOTES – BATTLE ROYALE

GAMEPLAY

Added AutoRun!

Input defaults for PC are “=” and “NumLock”

Input defaults for controller is double-clicking the left stick.

Added a setting to disable aim assist on consoles.

Remapped weapon binds on AZERTY keyboards to the top row number keys.

Bug Fixes

Wooden power poles no longer block building.

Spike Traps found in Supply Drops will now stack with other Spike Traps found elsewhere.

The Spike Trap’s effective range will now more accurately match the distance of the spike animation. The damage area was previously too large.

Fixed an issue which prevented the Shield Potion and Slurp Juice visual effects from playing when the player is already shielded.

Fixed an issue that made Cozy Campfires appear to be active after they have expired.

Fixed an issue which caused collision of eliminated players to persist for too long.

Fixed an issue which allowed players to hide inside of supply drops if the supply drop landed on a crouched player.

Fixed an issue which allowed players to pass through walls as they edited them.

Optimized the speed at which players can cycle building pieces under poor network conditions.

Fixed an issue which caused dropped items to fall off the edge of the map and spawn near a living player.

Kicking a basketball through a soccer net no longer counts as a goal. Soccer balls still count.

WEAPONS

Bug Fixes

Improved the accuracy of grenade arcs.

Fixed an issue which allowed players to switch between two scoped weapons without leaving the scoped view.

Player’s weapons will no longer disappear for a short time after the effects of the Boogie Bomb wear off.

Reduced the delay between throwing a grenade and switching to another weapon.

GENERAL

Shadowplay Highlights now records player knockdowns (DBNO).

Quitting a match early will no longer award stat or challenge progress.

Progress will only be awarded when a player leaves after they are eliminated or have won.

Bug Fixes

Players can no longer purchase the Battle Pass x10 Tier bundle when at or above Battle Pass tier 65.

We fixed this on January 19th and affected players have been compensated.

Fixed an issue which allowed items in the locker to rotate on the wrong axis while spinning them.

Fixed an issue which caused the client to lock up after ALT-TABing on PC.

While spectating, players will now be returned to scoped view when the spectated player switches between scoped weapons, instead of being pulled into third-person view.

Brick building effects have been fixed.

Players can now mute party members from the lobby screen.

Players banned from voice chat can no longer use it on the lobby screen.

UI

Added Auto Decline Friend Requests as a new option for PC players to the Social Widget.

When enabled, friend requests will be auto-declined. Enabling this option will decline all pending friend requests.

Bug Fixes

Friend and Party invite notifications will now correctly appear for Battle Royale players that have never played Save the World.

You no longer open the fullscreen map while spectating a player with report menu up,

This issue only occurred if a player was using the “Combat Pro” controller config.

The radial emote menu will no longer persist after the warm-up phase if left open.

Characters pose no longer resets after opening the news widget.

The ping value displayed in the Net Debug Stats UI is now more accurate.

t will appear higher than before for all players.

AUDIO

Lowered volume of bus music and the sound played when jumping out of the bus.

Lowered volume of wind sounds played during skydiving and gliding.

Lowered the volume of gunfire, footsteps, and impacts during warmup phase.

Removed the “Caw” sound layer from the Death Valley pickaxe.

Removed some layers from the new pickaxe sounds that could be mistaken for bullet whiz-bys

Bug Fixes

Music from dance emotes will no longer overlap.

Loot chest audio is no longer hushed by pickaxe impact sounds.

WORLD

Added more loot spawns to Haunted Hills.

Bug Fixes

Fixed missing collision on junkyard crane.

Fixed two areas where players could hide under the terrain by the edge of the river.

Fixed a section of the Moisty Mire water that did not slow players down.

Fixed a mine cart in Shifty Shafts that could not be destroyed.

Fixed an issue causing the soccer stadium to sometimes not load in properly.

Fixed a seam in the terrain near Flush Factory that allowed players to see through the map.

Added collision to pillars in Haunted Hills so players can no longer hide inside them.

Scoring a goal in the Soccer stadium will now show proper visual effects.

 

What do you think of the latest Fortnite update? Happy with the changes? Let us know.

In other Fortnite news, Epic Games is slowing down the development of Paragon to focus on Fortnite, update V2.2.0 patch brought big changes to the game, and here’s the latest community stats showcase.

Source: Epic Games

Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Star Wars Battlefront II to Have a Revamped Progression System, New Mode & More

DICE has given a new update on Star Wars Battlefront II, and what lies beyond in the coming weeks and months for the shooter. In a post on its official site, DICE has revealed that a new progression system is being worked on, and will address many concerns from fans.

There’s a new mode and Season set to come soon as well, though no specific details has been shared.

  • We’re working on a  revamped progression system. Your feedback has been essential here, and we are preparing significant changes to progression that will address many of the things we’ve seen players asking for. We’ll be sharing more details about these changes in March.  
  • A game mode called Jetpack Cargo is coming in February. Two teams of eight players  equipped with jet packs compete in Jetpack Cargo, a frantic, fast-paced way to play. This mode will only be available for a limited time, so don’t miss it.
  • A new Season is coming soon. We’ve learned a lot from the first season of content for Star Wars Battlefront II, and we’re integrating those insights into our plans moving forward. We know you’re waiting for details on what’s coming in the next season, and we’ll have more to tell you soon.

DICE has also released the stats from the game’s The Last Jedi Season, and to no one’s surprise, most gamers chose the First Order as their faction (since they’re more awesome), but Finn is the more popular hero among gamers. Check out the other stats below in the infograph.

In other Battlefront II news, check out some of the undocumented changes DICE made in their recent patch. There’s also now a workaround for AFK players in Heroes vs. Villains!

Source: EA

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Alex Co

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

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Smite Upcoming Season Ticket Includes a Recolor of the Rarest Skin

Like free stuff for Smite? Of course you do. Hi-Rez Studios recently announced their plans for the upcoming Season Ticket 5 that has been buried amongs the news of the Season 5 patch.

This sees the Georgia-based studio start off the Season Ticket with a bang and contain some neat cosmetic items, such as an Recore-inspired Skadi skin and more. However, the big takeaway for this year’s Season Ticket is giving the opportunity to ‘earn’ one of the most expensive and lucrative skins in the game. This, of course, is none other than the Archon Thanatos skin. Though, there’s a big twist to the skin that you will be able to earn.

Instead of being Angel-themed, this new Thanatos skin goes in the opposite direction and takes a Demonic theme. Additionally, it should be noted that this new skin doesn’t transform while the match progresses.

Anywho, enough talk. For those interested in what the Spring split of the Season Ticket contains you can simply read on below:

  • Level 1 : Cutesy Chest – 915 FP
  • Level 2 : Enigma Chest – 2206 FP
  • Level 3 : Beam Me Up – 3496 FP
  • Level 4 : Cool Dude Jump Stamp – 4786 FP
  • Level 5 : Enigma Chest – 6077 FP
  • Level 6 : Enigma Chest – 7367 FP
  • Level 7 : Cool Dude Global Emote – 8657 FP
  • Level 8 : Athena Armor Knight Skin – 9948 FP
  • Final Reward : Demonic Thanatos – 80,000 FP

If you’re wondering why the Demonic Thanatos requires so much FP to acquire is due to the skin being the final reward for the Season Ticket. Though, apparently in the most recent PTS update for the game, it seems Hi-Rez Studios made the skin available at 40,000 FP instead.

Those who don’t really want to grind out the FP required to get the above mentioned items or the final reward can pay some cold hard cash to earn an abundance of money to purchase either the 400 gem Season Ticket or the hefty 1200 gem Season Ticket, which cost about $8 and $25 respectively to purchase.

You can check out the items you’ll receive from these bundles below:

400 Gem Season Ticket

  • LIMITED SKIN – Star Salvager Skadi
  • Unlock SMITE esports voting – Earn 30 FP for correct votes!
  • 10 Team Boosters – All Skins
  • Bonus Quests for additional FP
  • Earn Double Fantasy Points for every match you win or lose (based on match time)
  • Unlock Rewards such as Skins and Chest Rolls
  • Ability to spend Fantasy Points in the Fantasy Point Store

1200 Gem Season Ticket

  • Everything mentioned in the previous Season Ticket bundle
  • Instantly unlocks 2,500 FP

In other Smite news, it seems that Hi-Rez Studios is also set to improve the quality of Smite on consoles by offering more QA support, bug report in future matches, networking issues and a streamlined way to report those pesky trolls who can ruin matches for no reason. You can read on how they plan on achieving this by clicking here.

Smite is set to receive it’s biggest patch of the year with the 5.1 patch that’s set to go live in the upcoming weeks. While the patch is still going through multiple changes in the PTS, you can get the gist of what to expect when it goes live by reading here.

Source: Smite

Joel Santana

Gamer for the past 20 years who loves anything ranging from RPGs, Fighters and of course FPS games. Author

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Latest Warframe Update for Consoles Brings Ghoul hunting, and Lots More

Digital Extremes has released a new Warframe update for consoles, and while PC gamers might already be enjoying the new stuff, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gamers can join in on the fun now.

Titled update 22.8.2, there’s four new bounties, which involve ghouls! Aside from that, there’s a lot more tweaks. Without further ado, check out the super meaty update below.

4 New Bounties: Ghoul Purge!

Ghoul threats have arrived! These recurring bounties feature the Ghoul monstrosities. Help defend Cetus and destroy the Ghouls…. but their destruction may not be permanent! Expect the Ghouls to re-emerge regularly.

*Starting today, you can meet face to face with these ugly beasts NOW, visit Konzu to get started on the Purge! roughly 30 minutes after the update launches. You can run the Bounties until February, 6th! 

Ghoul Purge will also introduce these new Grineer Ghoul Enemies and Variants:

GHOUL AUGER
Known colloquially as the ‘drill sergeant’, the Augur is fast-grown into its enhancements. As with all Ghouls, no regard is given to the proper development of its higher functions. Cantilevered leg augments propel the unit toward the fray at speed, while over- and under-mounted extendable drill carriages magnify both reach and penetrating power.

GHOUL AUGER ALPHA
Whether through aberrant cognition or sheer brutality one specimen always moves to the front of each pack. It is from this individual that the other units take their lead.

GHOUL DEVOURER
Vay Hek’s personal favorite, the Devourer is a maximal terror unit. Draped in shreds of the diapause bag that birthed it, this gap-mawed monstrosity barrels toward prey with furious intensity. Wrist-mounted hooks are welded to elbow joints and hyperpowered by a myotechnological winch system for maximum impact-and-pull.

GHOUL EXPIRED
The Expired are Ghouls who have succumbed to malnutrition or environmental poisoning during the early stages of development. Their backup nervous systems continue to drive them forward, however, making them ideal suicide troops.

GHOUL EXPIRED DESERTER
Why this emaciated monstrosity chose to abandon its pack remains to be seen.

GHOUL RICTUS
So named for its terrifying leer, the Rictus (AKA ‘the Sawman’) lives to divide and conquer its foes – literally.

GHOUL RICTUS ALPHA
This specimen shows evidence of advanced cognitive abilities and greater, if rudimentary, situational analysis. Cold blooded and ruthless, t is easy to see how this specimen led its pack so ably.

Dynamic Weather in the Plains of Eidolon!

The Plains of Eidolon now have changing weather patterns! This new dynamic weather system brings rain, lightning, rolling thunder, as well as fluctuating wind and cloud patterns. The Plains can shift from sunshine to rain (and vice versa) during the day and night, and rain will linger for a reasonable amount of time.

Jumping in puddles isn’t the only good thing about being out in the Plains during the rain! Take advantage of increased fish spawns and reduced visibility for the Grineer while it is raining.

A rain slider has also been added to the Plains of Eidolon Captura Scene. Adjust the slider from a light trickle to total downpour and capture your dramatic side!

Focus 2.5:

Since the launch of Focus 2.0 in Update 22: Plains of Eidolon, you have shared your thoughts and suggestions on where we could improve on Operator gameplay as a whole. Focus 2.5 is a reflection of what we’ve learned through your experiences and acts as a jumping-off point for future implementations that need more consideration before they reach you (daily cap removal for example).

First things first!

The following have been refunded so that you may redistribute as you please:

  • Focus points: Similar to the Focus 2.0, points invested into the 5 Focus Schools will be refunded back to their correlating School. For example, Zenurik Focus points will be refunded back into Zenurik for redistribution.
  • Brilliant Eidolon Shards: Shards invested in waybounds have been returned as items, while shards that have been turned into Focus points have been refunded as points.
  • Installed Lenses have not been affected, and will remain on your Warframes and weapons.
  • The cost of Focus as a whole is now roughly half of what it was before, thanks to the the millions of Focus points saved on pool capacity and node cost reductions!
  • Focus abilities have been tweaked to improve usability and to bring overall power levels of the five schools closer together.

Shared Pool Capacity:

We have added shared pool capacity! You can now upgrade your pool size using the points from any School you wish, which increases the maximum capacity for every school all at once.

You can increase pool capacity from your active tree. Simply select a School of choice as your “primary” and use its Focus points to increase the shared pool capacity.

Node Costs:

The costs of unlocking nodes across all trees have, on average, been reduced by almost 30%. The table below compares what a 5 rank passive node (like Zenurik’s Energy Pulse) costs before and after these changes:

Focus2point5.PNG.73ec3859dc92b3219a5d281

Focus School ability changes:

Zenurik:

  •  Void Singularity’s pull speed has been doubled.
  •  Lightning Dash now costs 10 energy per cast.

Vazarin:

  •  Guardian Blast now grants 160 shields at max, up from 100.
  •  Protective Dash now grants 5s of immunity at max, up from 2s.

Unairu:

  •  Void Spines now reflects 100% damage at max, up from 25%.
  •  Stone Skin now adds flat armor, 60 for both Warframe and Operator at max.

Madurai:

  •  Void Strike now continues accumulating damage boosts over multiple uses of void mode, each rank adds additional attacks up to a max of 8.
  •  Blazing Dash now stuns enemies instead of ragdolling.

Incursions in Plains of Eidolon Caves:

The following Incursions can now occur in Caves scattered around the Plains: Exterminate, Assassinate, and Cache Recovery. The objectives in these Incursions are the same as they are in the Plains, but there is now a chance for these to randomly take place in caves!

New Tenno Weapons:

CORINTH
Deliver a massive punch with each blast of this shotgun, or launch a round that explodes mid-air knocking down nearby enemies.

GUNSEN
Lacerate attackers with two razor sharp warfans.

Find this weapon or its Blueprint in the Market or Tenno Research lab today!

New Stance:

Fans: Slicing Feathers! Twirling acrobatic slashes with a refined touch!

New Grineer Weapons:

QUARTAKK
Annihilate targets with four simultaneous shots from this high-caliber Grineer rifle.

Find this weapon in the Market or from Ghoul Bounty rewards today!

STUBBA
Inflict rapid-fire bursts of pain with this Grineer submachine gun.

Find this weapon in the Market or from Ghoul Bounty rewards today!

New Grineer Cosmetics:

MAGGOR SYANDANA
Victory over the Grineer, draped across your shoulders.

MAGGOR ARMOR BUNDLE
Grineer plate, trophies from battle on the Plains of Eidolon.

New Grineer Bundle:

MAGGOR ASSAULT PACK
Make a devastating entrance with the Maggor Assault Pack. Includes the Quartakk quad-barrelled assault rifle and hard-hitting Stubba submachine gun, with matching Maggor armor and syandana.

Invite Players to Your Orbiter!

Warframe’s shared-world experience now expands to your Orbiter with the option to invite your friends to come aboard! Players have been requesting this feature ever since we introduced the Landing Crafts back in Update 14. If you played back then, you’ll remember cabin space was very limited, but it has expanded over the years. To make room for your squad, we’re expanding your Orbiter further by adding the new Personal Quarters!

To receive the new Personal Quarters Segment Blueprint, you must complete The War Within. Players who have already completed the quest will receive the Blueprint automatically in their inbox.

*Note about invites: Declining an invite to Orbiter will prevent additional invites for 15 seconds. Repeatedly declining invites will increase the 15 second duration.

Customize your Personal Quarters!

Vignettes: Choose the centerpiece of your Personal Quarters from the following 8 Vignettes. Each Vignette adds its own ambiance and flare to your space.

  •  Earth Vignette
  •  Aquarium Vignette
  •  Cephalon Vignette
  •  Europa Vignette
  •  Eidolon Vignette
  •  Mars Vignette
  •  Kuva Fortress Vignette

Purchase Vignettes individually from the selection list, or all of them from the “Vignette Bundle” located in the Market.

Stencils: Add some color and theme your Quarters’ walls with Stencils!

  •  Corpus Stencil
  •  Grineer Queens Stencil
  •  Grineer Stencil
  •  Ostron Stencil
  •  Tenno Stencil

Purchase Stencils individually from the selection list or from the Market.

Aquarium: Bring home the fish you’ve caught from the Plains with your own Aquarium! Simply select “Customize Quarters” to pick the tank you want to house fish from your inventory. Fish will be removed from your inventory, but can be retrieved at any time from your tanks.

Warframe Display: Put your Warframe on display! Choose from your loadouts to showcase your best look in full scale.

Somachord: Add ambiance to your Orbiter with the Somachord! Unlock songs by locating and scanning Somachord Tones scattered throughout the Solar System. Find them all to complete songs!

Increased Decoration Capacity:

To accommodate all the new decorations, capacity has been split into 4 different areas (Transference Room, Helminth Infirmary, Personal Quarters, and everything in between) with a capacity of 1200 EACH to hold all your ship’s flair.

And since we know some of you really enjoy personalizing your Orbiter, we will be overhauling decoration placement to be more streamlined in 2018! These currently unreleased changes (discussed in Devstream #103) will include grid snapping, placing floating decorations, and much more!

New Orbiter Decorations!

Warframe Articula: Posable scale models of your favorite Warframes are here! To place, open your decoration tool and select “Warframe Articula”. Once you’ve found the perfect spot, customize by selecting from your existing loadouts, choosing a pose from the “Warframe Gun Pose Set”, and swapping weapons! Due to their complexity, Articula take more Capacity than most decorations so placement will be limited. For example, you won’t be able to place a large number of Articula like you can with Noggles.

Trees, Planters and more!
Explore a new line of decorations including some plants and decorative toys for your Companions!

New Operator Animation Sets!

There is a new Operator customization option available: School specific animations!
Zenurik, Naramon, Unairu, Madurai, and Vazarin have their own set of idle animations. These are freely for the school of your choice. If you unlock each school, each set becomes available for your operator!

Captura improvements: Archwing & DoF!

  •  Archwing can now be deployed in Captura!
  •  Added a Depth of Field toggle in Captura! As opposed to the current Depth of Field slider, the toggle will completely turn it on or off.

New Plains of Eidolon Trophies!

  •  Pest Control – Kill 100 Plains Beasts
  •  Master Angler – Catch 10 Fish
  •  Plains Prospector – Unearth 100 Deposits from the Plains of Eidolon

Additions:

  •  Added Zaw Strikes and Amps to the Equipment tab on player Profiles. Zaw and Amp Mastery gain also is now tracked!
  •  Added resistance, armor type, and health type information to the Eidolon Vomvalyst’s Codex entry.
  •  Added a “Sale Manifest” window when selling your Mods for Credits or dissolving them for Endo. The window will provide information on the sale for you to review before you confirm or cancel.
  •  The Seismic Wave mod now drops from Bailiffs and Tusk Reavers.

Bait, Dye, and Pharoma – Fixes, Changes and Additions:

The intent of the following changes is to make fishing a more harmonious experience for you and your squad! Until now, Bait, Dye, and Pharoma has only exclusively affected the player who used it. Moving forward, all squadmates will receive benefits from Bait or other fishing consumables in the Plains. The fish you see will still vary from player to player, however, the effects of these consumables will be shared across all members.

When making this change, we also reviewed how each of these consumables worked and tweaked them slightly for the sake of consistency and balance:

  •  You can now throw Pharoma and Luminous Dye like Bait!*
  •  Dye, Pharoma and Bait now only work within a certain radius around its casting point. Any player fishing within the radius around this casting point will benefit from its effects.

*In order for Luminous Dye and Pharoma to work within this system, they are now thrown like bait. They float in the water and affect all fish in the same body of water within a certain radius. This way you can cast out the Dye in one place, and all players will see the fish get highlighted as they swim near it. Multiple Dyes can be used at once, if you want to affect a larger section of the water.

Finally, we made the following changes and fixes to fishing:

  •  Added custom Bait throwing animation.
  •  Active Bait will no longer be destroyed by fish.
  •  Reduced fish escape speed when spooked.
  •  Fixes towards fish swimming through terrain.
  •  Fixed rare case where fishing Bait would not float properly.
  •  Fixes towards Bait being destroyed if thrown into shallow ponds where the bait would hit the bottom before floating to the surface.
  •  Fixed clients being able to throw one more Bait than they actually have.
  •  Fixed an issue where some fish could swim in the air.

Gara Mass Vitrify Changes:

  •  Mass Vitrify is no longer invulnerable and now has sections that break off and explode as it absorbs incoming damage. The amount of damage absorbed scales with Power Strength and Armor. Explosion damage scales with Power Strength.
  •  Mass Vitrify no longer has a duration and remains until recast, destroyed from damage, or smashed with Shattered Lash.

Gara is still relatively new as far as Warframes are concerned but since her release, we’ve found (and many players have found) that an invulnerable and almost impenetrable barrier doesn’t allow for a very engaging gameplay experience. We know that other Warframes also have Powers with similar issues, but adding a shattering component to Mass Vitrify is a change we could easily implement that is consistent with Gara’s glass theme while also making Mass Vitrify more interactive.

With these new changes, we can tweak the absorption and explosion values as necessary to make sure Mass Vitrify is both fun and effective. Please keep your feedback constructive and let us know what you think after you’ve had a chance to test these new changes.

Volt Changes:

  • Reduced Electric Shield’s Energy Cost per meter to 1 Energy per 4 meters (down from 1 per 1 meter)
  • You can now swap to your primary weapon while holding Volt’s Electric Shield, doing this will drop the Electric Shield. You can drop the Electric Shield as before to avoid switching to another weapon.

Reticle Changes:

  •  Reticle will turn blue when targeting allies and red when targeting enemies.
  •  Reticle will show different states for hip and aim.
  •  Context actions will dim when aiming while they are active.

Objective UI & UX Improvements:

  •  All non-endless Solar Map and quest missions now display short objective instructions for each stage with a matching marker icon in the UI, similar to those displayed on the Plains.. Some endless missions also have new objective text.
  •  Simplified and cleaned up any existing objective UI’s general alignment, ordering and spacing to make it more readable.
  •  Reworded language in some existing missions’ objective UI for clarity, and added more appropriate text to some timers instead of the generic ‘Time’.
  •  Fixed many small consistency issues and bugs with objective markers and replaced some existing mission markers with area markers where appropriate.
  •  Added area markers to Hive missions to cover highlight areas where the destroyable tumor nodes spawned around each hive.
  •  During long dialog stages in quests, there will now always be an area marker so that players don’t get confused about where they should be.
  •  Changed timer description in Rescue missions to “Time Limit” instead of “Time Left”.
  •  In-world markers for Incursion/Bounty objectives locations will no longer disappear for others when someone reaches it first – it will persist for players who aren’t in the area yet.
  •  In-world markers for Incursion/Bounty objectives will reappear if you leave the objective area.
  •  The countdown timer when leaving the perimeters of an objective in the Plains has moved to a more visible spot in the UI. It also states that you are “abandoning objective”.
  •  Changed the marker for downed Capture targets from red to a yellow objective marker – this will make it clearer to players that they need to use the context action instead of continuing to damage the target.
  •  Objective timers are now greyed out when paused.
  •  Get to extraction’ objective appears on the UI when extraction is enabled (excludes missions where extraction is optional).
  •  Extraction Timer text changed from ‘Time:’ to ‘Extracting In:’ so it can’t be confused with other active timers.
  •  Some missions with large extraction zones like landing pads now use a green area extraction marker. Adjusted some extraction zones so that they fill the whole landing pad and marker area, instead of half of a landing pad.
  •  Removed panels from Corpus doors which never did anything to avoid new player confusion because they would light up during lockdowns.
  •  Fixed missing markers on Corpus co-op doors.
  •  The Rescue Target in the Plains now has a HUD health indicator located under your mini-map.
  •  Fixed objective waypoint not disappearing after successfully destroying the Reactor in Sabotage missions.
  •  Fixed Bounty waypoint directing players to extraction when Archwing is immediately deployed upon entering the Plains.
  •  Fixed objective waypoint not disappearing after successfully taking the Vessel from the tomb in the last mission of the Sands of Inaros Quest.
  •  Fixed some Markers being stuck in the at origin on the minimap.
  •  Fixed unlocked icon appearing very dimly on Grineer doors.

Changes:

  •  Made performance and memory optimizations to the Plains of Eidolon and other tilesets. If you were experiencing crashes before, we hope that these changes will be the fix!
  •  The Corpus Gas City and Grineer Settlement tilesets have received an audio remaster! We revised the sounds in these tiles and used updated engine tech so that certain ambient sounds are more noticeable and clear. The remaster adds more character and personality to the audio and will also make enemies easier to pick out.
  •  Time between Incursions will increase if you let an Incursion alert expire. The Lotus can take a hint!
  •  A single Vomvalyst in its energy-form near multiple Lures will now only feed a charge to a single Lure. However, to improve overall survivability of the Lures, we have changed Eidolon Lures to always spawn at level 30 regardless of Bounty level or distance from the gate.
  •  Hunter Command Mod change: your Companion will now focus on an enemy for a set duration when they are first slash proc’d by you. While focused on a target, they will ignore any other newly proc’d enemies and will go back to their default behavior after the duration expires.
  •  Operators and Ostron Vendors in Cetus have had their eyes beautified with shaders.
  •  The beams from Trinity’s Link now fade out when the Ability has ended.
  •  Lephantis’ melee attacks will now knock you back if you’re hit!
  •  Smoothed NPC movement for clients with a poor connection to host.
  •  Replaced an old version of the reactor in Grineer Settlement Sabotage with the newer (and fewer-pronged) version used in the Grineer Shipyard Tileset.
  •  Removed blue undertone from Nekros Irkalla’s energy wisps.
  •  Improved AI pathing in the Grineer Asteroid tileset.
  •  Overall UI optimizations.
  •  Reduced number of stasis mines in Archwing Rush.
  •  Added ‘destroyable’ shine FX to mines in Archwing Rush.
  •  A Skiff VIP has been added to the list of commanders in Dynamic Assassinate Incursions.
  •  Improving the responsiveness of loadouts in Relays and Cetus.
  •  Made improvements towards less hitches in Relays.
  •  Improved AI pathing on the Grineer Settlement tileset.
  •  Grineer Melee enemies on the Plains are now able to climb to the top of the Storage Containers.
  •  Tuned down the bloom on the wings of the Chroma Vojnik Battle-Damaged Tennogen Skin.
  •  Improved lighting on the Lua tileset doors.
  •  Changed “enemies are dead” transmission to “broken their ranks” transmission in Invasion missions.
  •  Updated one of Lotus’ lines for the Mastery Rank 25 test to better match the test.
  •  The Recon Commanders in Assassinate Target Bounties in the Plains have had their health regen lowered and they will no longer switch teleport.
  •  PoE Captura scene is now tradeable!
  •  Adjusted the audio gain for rain the the Plains, and improved the ability to hear fishing and mining laser audio more clearly when it’s raining.
  •  Fragments in your Codex are now categorized based on their origin (Cephalon, Cetus, Gara, and Ghouls).
  •  You can now replay Bounties for Standing!
  •  You can now use Emotes in your Orbiter! Deep bows all around.
  •  Mirage’s Hall of Mirrors casting animation has been changed to match the style of the Mirage Prime trailer!
  •  Improved sound ambience and performance on a Grineer Settlement tileset door.
  •  The body tendrils on Nezha’s Yaksha Tennogen Skin is now tintable and will take tints from the tertiary slot.
  •  Lieutenant Lech Krill changes:
  •  Lech Kril will now prioritize using his ice abilities instead of melee when he can.
  •  Upon destroying Lech Kril’s backpack, his ice abilities will have their cooldowns reset to reduce time spent waiting around.
  •  Changed Lech Kril’s Ice Wave ability so that it doesn’t halt the fight when players are meleeing him.
  •  Added FX to Lech Kril’s weakspot that changes tint based on how much damage his backpack has taken to help make the objective clearer to new player.
  •  Very slightly tweaked hitbox location for backpack to try and achieve more consistent damage.
  •  When Decorating your Dojo, your selected Decoration will now be deselected if you type into the search bar and the Decoration in question does not appear on the results page. This should help prevent players accidentally building the wrong item!
  •  Ambulas is now immune to Viral Damage. This will fix issues where Ambulas becomes unhackable.
  •  Made improvements towards correctly loading into the same Cetus Instance with your squad. This was resulting in perpetually attempting to load into the Plains upon which the doors never opened.
  •  Improved navigation and pathing behavior of Dropships in the Plains.
  •  Air Support Turrets spawned by the Host (as well as Turrets spawned by Clients prior to previous migrations) will now be destroyed when a Host migration occurs. This fixes Air Support Turrets lingering after a Host migration which resulted in being able to spawn more than 1 at a time.
  •  Removed placeholder items from Hok’s daily Zaw special.
  •  Removed a weird marker from Teshin in the first stage of The War Within quest.

Bounty Fixes:

  •  Fixed a timing issue where Konzu’s Bounties would not refresh properly.
  •  Fixed an issue where the HUD wouldn’t update when accepting bounties.
  •  Fixed an issue where the ‘Bounty Accepted’ transmission wouldn’t play when taking on a new Bounty.
  •  Fixed an issue where you’d have to leave Cetus and return to see a new Day’s bounties.
  • Fixed Bounty not starting for 4-player Squad after loading into the Plains.

You can check out the “hidden fixes” right here.

Source: Warframe forums

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Alex Co

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

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Avengers Project Game Gains Veteran Devs From Naughty Dog, EA, Monolith and More

There’s not a lot known about Square Enix’s still-untitled Avengers project game which is being developed by Tomb Raider studio, Crystal Dynamics, but it seems the studio is hiring a lot of veteran game developers to make sure it’ll be a hit.

Some of the developers joining Crystal Dynamics for the Avengers game come from Naughty Dog (The Last of Us), Monolith (Middle-earth: Shadow of War), Sledgehammer Games (Call of Duty: WWII), and more.

Today, the studio announced that 15 new people have joined the staff, which is highlighted by former Naughty Dog Creative Director Shaun Escayg, who worked as the Creative Director and writer for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Escayg will take on the role of Creative Director for the Avengers game moving forward.

Shaun Escayg had this to say:

I’m thrilled to join Crystal as Creative Director and be aligned with a team as passionate about telling great character based stories as I am.

Joining Escayg will be Stephen Barry, who will take the helm as Director of the game. Barry was previously with EA, and was the former Director of Product Development at Visceral Games (Battlefield: Hardline, Dead Space).

Finally, Crystal Dynamics co-studio heads Scot Amos, and Ron Rosenberg had a few things to say about the unrevealed title.

We’re committed to delivering an incredible, completely original Avengers experience to our gamers, and that means we are always looking to add amazing developers to our existing best in class studio talent. As development progresses, our studio continues to grow. The tremendous progress we’ve made on The Avengers project further drives us toward our goal of crafting something all Marvel fans will be proud of, and will play for years to come. We can’t wait to show you what we mean in the future. – Scot Amos

We recently hired fifteen world-renowned industry veterans, spanning production leadership, animation, design, art and engineering, who have previously worked on games such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Dead Space, Star Wars: Battlefront and many more. Their AAA experience adds to an already deep roster, making us well-positioned to deliver on the ambitious goals we’ve set for ourselves with The Avengers project. It’s a stellar addition of many people who fit incredibly well into our wheelhouse of building game experiences we all love. – Ron Rosenberg

We still don’t know anything specific about this new game under Marvel and Square Enix’s partnership, but we’re expecting details to be made public soon.

Source: SiliconEra

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Alex Co

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

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New Dragon Age Game Being Worked on at BioWare Confirmed

In news that shouldn’t shock anyone, BioWare has confirmed it’s working on a new Dragon Age game. This was confirmed by Mark Darrah, Executive Producer of the as-of-yet-untitled Dragon Age game, over on Twitter.

In case you couldn’t read the tweet, Darrah mentions that he’s halfway through his trip to Barcelona, where he’s showing Anthem to internal staff at EA. He’s the EP (Executive Producer) of both Anthem and Dragon Age.

Does this mean we’ll hear more about the new Dragon Age game soon? Maybe. And with E3 set to unleash some bombs this June, don’t be surprised if that’s part of the announcements during EA’s E3 press conference.

The other game Darrah’s working on, Anthem, is reported to be delayed to sometime in “early 2019,” which means we’ll most likely see the new Dragon Age even later after that. For reference, the last Dragon Age game released was Inquisition, which was pushed out in November 2014.

What do you want to see in the new Dragon Age game if ever it’s revealed? Should it include co-op? Multiplayer? Maybe loot boxes (OK, I’m kdding!).

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Alex Co

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

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PSA: Call of Duty: WWII Valkryie Axis Resistance Uniforms Now Customizable

Amidst all the new content released by Sledgehammer Games yesterday as part of Call of Duty: WWII’s “Resistance Event,” some players might have overlooked one of the small new additions and that’s the Axis character customization!

The character class can now be customized in the Division page! Just press triangle (on PlayStation 4), to change both Allies and Axis default uniforms.

PSA: Valkyrie Axis Resistance Uniforms
byu/Mcondrey inWWII

I know, this might not be something big, but it’s a nice little addition.

If you still don’t have Call of Duty: WWII, don’t forget to check your inbox as Activision is said to be sending out free codes at random!

Have you noticed any other addition to COD: WWII? If so, let us know in the comments.

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Alex Co

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

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Report: Anthem Release Date Pushed to “Early 2019”

Excited for Anthem? I don’t blame you. What we saw during its reveal was nothing short of spectacular. Well, it seems you’ll be waiting for a while, as the game’s original fall 2018 release date is now in jeopardy.

In a report by Kotaku, three people “familiar with the project” have pegged the Anthem release date — or release window — as now in “early 2019.” Also of note, the fall 2018 was a release window that was “never realistic” according to one source. There’s no specific release date yet as one can imagine, though there will be a beta, so we’ll know when it’s close to being out.

That’s not all. In the same report, it’s been said that BioWare is keeping a close eye on the anger surrounding Destiny 2, and have expressed worry that Anthem might suffer the same fate. Regarding cosmetics, there’s murmur that it will involve cosmetics only, which, if true, won’t be surprising given the backlash people had against Star Wars Battlefront II.

We’ve reached out to EA for a comment on Anthem’s delay, and will update the post if we get a response. That said, this isn’t really surprising, as Anthem even made the top spot in our “games most likely to be delayed” feature.

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Alex Co

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

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WWE 2K18 Patch 1.08 Jumps Out, Here’s the List of Improvements

There’s a new WWE 2K18 patch out now, and while it’s numbered “1.08” on the PlayStation 4, it’s actually the 1.07 update for other platforms.

Jumping in at a paltry 125MB, the download consists of fixes more than anything else. Check out the patch notes below courtesy of 2K.

PS4/XB1/PC

•Fixed an issue that prevented users from deleting CAS tied to deleted Universes.
•Fixed an issue that caused PPV stars to be lost when losing internet connection
•Fixed an issue resulting in barricade piece appearing in the middle of the ring in Create-A-Video

There are also various other general bug fixes throughout the game.

Switch

•This patch will be to catch up the Switch with Patches that have released on XB1 and PS4.
The previous patch had a lot more included, and you can read about it here. If you notice anything that’s not included in the patch notes, let us know in the comments below.
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Alex Co

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

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Halo & Destiny Funko Toys Revealed, There’s a “Cayde With Chicken” Model

Attention all die-hard Halo and Destiny fans! Funko has just revealed new toy models featuring characters from both franchises. The two new toy series were showcased during the London Toy Fair.

You can preview the highlighted models below, but don’t get too excited, as they aren’t available until May.

London Toy Fair Reveals: Halo

The Master Chief returns to Pop! Our newest Halo® figures includes
Master Chief with Cortana, Sgt. Johnson, ODST Buck, and the Arbiter!

Pop! Games: Destiny S2

Check out the newest wave of Destiny Pop! This series features
Dominus Ghaul, Suraya Hawthorne featured with Hawk,
Amanda Holliday and the old Warlock Osiris.

For the full showcase, you can check out Halo here, and Destiny here.

It’s also worth noting that some of the models are exclusive to certain stores. Best Buy, for example, has called dibs on the new Ikora Rey variant, and the “Cayde 6 with Chicken” can only be found on Amazon.

What do you think of these new Halo and Desting funko toys? Let us know.

In other Destiny 2 news, several top Destiny YouTubers have lessened their support of the game, Bungie is hiring a new community manager, and the developer explains the faction rewards throttle and incoming adjustments.

Source: Funko (1) (2)

Mack Ashworth

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SOS Launches in Style With Snoop Dogg Streaming Live

SOS has now launched on Steam Early Access. While it’s, yes, yet another battle royale title, it does have some unique features that make it stand out from the crowd.

SOS encourages players to be entertaining, as gameplay is streamed to live viewers. What’s more, microphones play a big part, with communication key to surviving on the island.

It’s a game that’s well-suited to big personalities… Like, for instance, Snoop Dogg, who just happened to be streaming the game at launch. (I assume this was a sponsored deal, but didn’t see any disclosure, so who knows?!)

If you missed Snoop Dogg’s stream, you can catch the highlights here:

https://youtu.be/gv6YQkRw8zk

And yes, I did notice that Snoop managed to push keys, move his mouse, and smoke all at the same time. DON’T SPOIL THIS FOR ME!

If you want to know more about SOS, check out the handy blurb and launch trailer below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh6Gvf1AA38

SOS is an interactive game show where 16 entertaining performers are dropped onto La Cuna Island with one simple goal – get off La Cuna Island. Players must find a relic, signal for extraction, and grab a spot on the rescue chopper while out-thinking opponents and fending off monster hordes.

He might not have been playing, but he was still pretty entertaining. You dig?

Source: Snoop Dogg (Twitter)

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Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Analyst: Destiny 2 Is “Struggling” With “Player Engagement” and “Microtransaction Implementation”

Analyst firm Cowen has offered its assessment of Destiny 2‘s performance, claiming that there is increasing evidence that players are leaving the game’s community. Cowen Managing Director Doug Creutz sent a note to his clients that began with, “Destiny is not in a good place.”

Creutz gave the following four key reasons for the game’s lackluster performance:

1. “Design decisions were made that have made D2 a less engaging, and less distinctive, game than D1. In particular, key aspects of the D2 end game feel neutered compared to D1.”

2. “Microtransaction implementation, while not nearly as problematic as in Star Wars Battlefront 2, has still been a source of player unhappiness.”

3. “Bungie’s [the studio that developed the game] apparent urgency in responding to player feedback has been disappointing.”

4. “Until recently, Bungie did a poor job communicating its road map going forward, particularly compared to the more open stance of many other live service games.”

Creutz also mentioned the lessened support from video streamers, with Twitch viewership at “franchise-low levels.”

He concluded by saying that, while the franchise can recover, he isn’t optimistic:

“We do think Bungie still has some opportunity to fix the game’s problems over the next year and recapture engagement, but we’re not sure they have the ability to pull it off at this point … We also note that Destiny currently has more serious competition in its genre from a refurbished Division (Ubisoft) and the indie title Warframe than it did three years ago, when D1 had its own share of player dissatisfaction.”

The way Wall Street firms are commenting on video games like Destiny shows just how huge the industry has become. Video games are big business, and it’s sometimes easy to forget that.

What do you think of Destiny 2? Can the game pull things around? Let us know.

In other Destiny 2 news, several top Destiny YouTubers have lessened their support of the game, Bungie is hiring a new community manager, and the developer explains the faction rewards throttle and incoming adjustments.

Source: CNBC

Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Ghost Recon Wildlands Loot Boxes Are Coming, Ubisoft Says System Is “Fair to All Players”

Ubisoft has revealed that Ghost Recon Wildlands loot boxes are going to be a thing. Considering the recent controversies surrounding paid-for loot drops, this is a pretty brave move.

In what is clearly an attempt to nip any negativity in the bud (yeah, right!), Ubisoft has released a Q&A to help explain what the loot boxes contain, and how fair they are to the community.

How to get Battle Crates

All players will receive a gifted Spec Ops Crate and a gifted Ghost War Crate, which are redeemable on the Ubisoft Club. Battle Crates can then be purchased from the Store for 400 Store Credits, with each Battle Crate containing three items that you do not already own.

Battle Crates Content

Battle Crate is the name of a collection of crates specifically designed for the Campaign and co-op mode (Spec Ops Crate) as well as for the Ghost War mode (Ghost War Crate). Spec Ops Crates contain Epic Weapons, Exotic Weapons, Vehicles and tons of cosmetic items for you to enjoy even more in the whole Campaign mode.

Ghost War Crates contain Exotic Weapons (re-skinned versions of weapons already available in the game – no impact on the weapon stats), customization items and an exclusive new line of skins for your character, called Icons.

Overall, all the cosmetic items you get can be used in both the Campaign and Ghost War modes. More than 200 items are available through the Battle Crates experience. All the items are also purchasable in the store through the various pack offers, except for the Icon skins that are exclusive to the Ghost War Crates.

You can consult the list of all the items you can obtain on a dedicated page on the Ghost Recon Network.

Duplicate management

There are no duplicates in the Battle Crate system. You will only get items you do not already own.

Item Rarity

All the items available from the Battle Crates have various levels of rarity, affecting their chance of dropping with each Crate:

– Rare

– Epic

– Legendary

These “Battle Crates” will be added in the next update, named “Extended Ops,” which is expected to land sometime this month.

What do you make of the Ghost Recon Wildlands loot boxes? Will they ruin the game? Or is this loot boxes done right? Let us know.

Source: Ubisoft

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James Fleming

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PUBG Lobby Weapons Removed in Latest Update, Should Help Boost Performance

In an attempt to “optimize the server” and “game client performance,” the latest PUBG update introduces multiple pre-match starting areas on both maps, as well as removing all weapons prior to game start.

The update is currently being trialed through the Test Server, with a Live Server launch scheduled for later today.

Full details of the latest patch can be found below:

Previously, all the players would spawn together at the same location awaiting the start of the match. Lots of interaction among multiple players in such a small area had a high impact on the servers. To solve this, we have introduced multiple areas where players gather before the match start. As a result, the performance, both server and client-side, has improved.

Additional modifications are also on the way related to the airplane performance improvement. More details will be shared soon.

We will also be testing a new security (anti-cheat) measure that is still under development but we want to start gathering some data regarding it’s stability and compatibility. Some PCs may experience compatibility issues during this test, which may cause crashes when starting the game. If this happens to you, please take a screenshot of the error screen and post it here

When the changes on the test servers are evaluated to be stable, they will be applied to the live servers. The time for the live server update will be announced later.

Gameplay

Introduced multiple pre-match starting areas on both maps in order to optimize the server and game client performance

Removed weapons on starting island before the match start

Language

Applied new Russian, Japanese and Chinese (simplified/traditional) fonts

Bug fixes

Fixed the issue where players were able to slide-jump from prone

It’s good to see the devs pushing optimization and trying to get the game to run smoothly on all systems. PUBG may have attracted a big audience, but I bet many players still aren’t enjoying a smooth 60fps!

In other PUBG news, Xbox has said that sales for the console version are “very big,” netcode analysis shows that the game has a big problem, and the Battle Royale Trainer is here to help players improve.

Source: Steam

Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber

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Xbox Deals With Gold: Battlefront 2, Titanfall 2, NBA Live 18 & More

A new batch of Xbox Deals With Gold are now live and running through January 29. Big discounts are available on both Xbox One and Xbox 360 games.

Read on for the full list of games included in the sale:

Xbox One Deals

#KILLALLZOMBIES* Xbox One Game 70% DWG

Assault Android Cactus* Xbox One Game 25% DWG

Battlefield 1 & Titanfall 2 Ultimate Bundle* Xbox One Game 67% DWG

Battlefield 1 Premium Pass* Add-On 70% DWG

Battlefield 1 Revolution* Xbox One Game 67% DWG

Battlefield 4* Xbox One Game 75% DWG

Battlefield Anniversary Bundle* Xbox One Game 50% DWG

Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition* Xbox One Game 75% DWG

Marble Void* Xbox One Game 33% DWG

NBA LIVE 18: The One Edition* Xbox One Game 75% DWG

Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator* Xbox One Game 25% DWG

Seasons After Fall* Xbox One Game 75% DWG

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments* Xbox One Game 75% DWG

Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom* Xbox One Game 75% DWG

Slain: Back from Hell* Xbox One Game 70% DWG

Spellspire* Xbox One Game 50% DWG

STAR WARS Battlefront II* Xbox One Game 40% DWG

STAR WARS Battlefront II: Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition* Xbox One Game 50% DWG

Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition* Xbox One Game 67% DWG

Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition* Xbox One Game 67% DWG

White Night* Xbox One Game 67% DWG

Xbox 360 Deals

Blood Bowl – Dark Elves* Add-On 33% DWG

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition* Games On Demand 75% DWG

Street Fighter IV* Games On Demand 30% DWG

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition* Games On Demand 60% DWG

Ultra Street Fighter IV* Add-On 50% DWG

*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.
Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region.

Any of those games catch your eye? Let us know!

Source: Major Nelson

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Mack Ashworth

Writer of Articles, Maker of Videos, and Topper of Leaderboards. Currently attempting to conquer Westeros. Subscriber