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Battlefield 3’s Popular Noshahr Canals TDM Map Gets Remade For Battlefield 4 CTE

As some Community Test Environment participants already suspected when they got a taste of the reimagined Dragon Valley map last June, the classic Battlefield 2 map isn’t the only thing getting a makeover for the latest generation of Battlefield.

As it turns out, that unaccessible but clearly playable area of the map that many fans speculated could be a reimagining of Battlefield 3’s most popular Team Deathmatch map, in fact, is. As revealed in the latest update to Battlefield 4’s CTE, Noshahr Canals, or at least the layout of it, is being recreated inside the new Battlefield 4 version of Dragon Valley.

Battlefield YouTuber Matimi0 captured a few minutes of gameplay on the new area, commenting that though the layout is near exact, a few tweaks have been made, likely for the purpose of preserving balance. Check it out in action!

[youtube id=”yBE8SiibqXM”]

Is it anything like you remember? What do you think of the tweaks mentioned in the video?

Of course, when ever it does make its to Battlefield 4 retail, you’ll most probably find it under the TDM variant of Dragon Valley, as we don’t suspect it will be called Noshahr Canals 2.0, or anything like that.

Did “Nose Hair Canals” make it into your list of favorite Battlefield 3 TDM maps back in the day? There always seemed to be a bit of a love-hate thing going on with those ever-popular Canals 24/7 servers. Happy to see it return to Battlefield 4?

We’ll keep you posted on more details for Battlefield’s Classic Map Project as DICE LA announces them.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Destiny’s Trials of Osiris PvP Event Delayed, King’s Fall Hard Mode Raid Begins Next Week

Trials of Osiris, Destiny‘s end game PvP event that pits high-level fire teams against each other in gruelling elimination matches, was originally intended to return to the Crucible this Friday, October 16.

Instead, Bungie has announced that Brother Vance and his wares, along with the event itself, will return at a later, currently unannounced date. If you haven’t yet heard, there’s a nasty bug going around that the studio is looking to squash before the game’s most competitive activity goes live. (Now extend Iron Banner, pretty please!)

Meanwhile, we suggest re-assembling your raid team in preparation for Destiny’s next big challenge: King’s Fall Hard Mode. According to Bungie, the Hard Mode version of The Taken King’s 6-player raid will go live at 10AM PST on Friday, October 23. Bungie developers aren’t quite sharing any hints as to what to expect, but we do know that loot drops will range from 310 – 320 Attack/Defense. Sounds like 320 Light Level will be the new cap, as of next Friday, though the recommended range for Hard Mode is 300-320.

In the studio’s latest Weekly Update, Bungie also explained that future improvements to the game, after Update 2.0.1, include better Nightfall rewards and perhaps some more fine-tuning of Destiny’s economy. Balance between each sub-class in a PvP environment is still being looked into.

What do you think Bungie has in store for the Hard Mode version of King’s Fall Raid next week?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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SCUF Gaming Partners With Microsoft, Will License Tech To Xbox One Elite Controller

SCUF Gaming, a long-time 3rd party provider of professional Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers to eSports communities around the globe, has announced a partnership with Microsoft and its upcoming Xbox One Elite Wireless controller.

According to a recent press release, SCUF Gaming will license its technology to Microsoft and become the “official and exclusive Xbox 3rd party controller partner for professional gaming.”

“Since creating a new market space for customizable professional gaming controllers 5 years ago, our vision has always been to see the mass market benefit from the innovative features and functions we patented,” wrote a SCUF representative. “Over 90% of top professional gamers have recognized the competitive edge SCUF provides so we are delighted that Microsoft will now bring that edge to the wider market with its Xbox Elite Wireless Controller.”

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, chimed in on the announcement, stating that the company is “pleased to work with SCUF to bring this project to the masses.”

By the sounds of it, SCUF and Microsoft will continue to sell their respective Xbox One products, though, as we understand it, gamers will have the option to swap some features of the Elite Controller out for one of SCUF’s parts. We imagine SCUF’s Pro Paddles being a popular alternative to the Elite’s paddles, for example. We’ll stay on the lookout for more details.

SCUF’s latest Xbox One controller, the SCUF Infinity1, is currently in our grasp as we work provide a full product review in the near future. You won’t want to miss out on it, as we have a special announcement to make as well. For now, feel free to check out our previous product reviews of the SCUF One controller for Xbox One and SCUF 4PS controller for PlayStation 4.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Co-Op Campaign – Tactical Abilities Tutorial

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3‘s latest gameplay video walks viewers through an assortment of tactical abilities and equipment the player will have at his or her disposal in the game’s co-operative campaign.

DNI Tactical Mode (T-Mode) pinpoints and analyzes enemies on the battlefield, providing the player with intel like enemy type, sniper locations, grenade warnings, and more. Alternatively, Enhanced Vision mode will aid the player in conditions where normal vision might fail, like in very dark areas or perhaps through smoke. By the looks of the video, players will also be able to select up to two different Tactical Rigs that supply them with additional special abilities like traversal enhancement, self-revive, or extra defense against explosives.

Give the video above a play to see these tactics in action.

Our take: With all these special Tactical and Cybercore abilities, we wonder if the dangers in Black Ops 3’s campaign won’t provide enough of a challenge to the player, especially if you have others helping out. Then again, there’s always the option of playing Realistic Mode, where even a minor flesh wound equals certain death. What’s your take on what you’ve seen of the campaign so far?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Halo 5: Guardians – All 65 Achievements Revealed, Pre-Loading Now Available on Xbox One

65 new Xbox One Achievements lay in wait for Halo fans later this month when Halo 5: Guardians officially launches.

All of ’em have recently been revealed by the folks over at 343 Industries who listed them on Halo Waypoint. If you want to have a look for yourself, keep scrolling. But, be warned: The list of campaign Achievements may contain spoilers. If you’re sensitive to that sort of stuff, we suggest scrolling past it to the multiplayer Achievement list.

The most valuable Achievement, weighing in at 100 Gamerscore, asks you to “complete every mission of the game on Legendary difficulty, by yourself.” Otherwise, you can score 60 Gamerscore for simply completing it on Legendary in general. Meanwhile, a Heroic run-through will net you 40 Gamerscore. Beyond that, there’ll also be some collectibles to find, some specific tasks to accomplish, and a handful of multiplayer challenges to complete.

Also, here’s some news for anyone who’s already pre-ordered a digital version of Halo 5: Guardians on Xbox One.

As a reminder, a multiplayer update containing “map content” for Arena and Warzone playlists will hit prior to launch, so it’s advised that you keep your Power Settings set to “Instant On.” That way, you’ll be all good to go on launch day, October 27.

Happy hunting!

Halo 5: Guardians Campaign Achievements

Into the Fire

Complete Mission 1 \\ 10

Argent Moon

Complete Mission 2 \\ 10

Glasslands

Complete Mission 3 \\ 10

Roots of the Earth

Complete Mission 4 \\ 10

Stolen Gauntlet

Complete Mission 5 \\ 10

Escape

Complete Mission 6 \\ 10

Together Again

Complete Mission 7 \\ 10

Swords

Complete Mission 8 \\ 10

Old Bones

Complete Mission 9 \\ 10

Breakthrough

Complete Mission 10 \\ 10

Stormbound

Complete Mission 11 \\ 10

Civil War

Complete Mission 12 \\ 10

Reclamation

Complete Mission 13 \\ 10

A New Dawn

Complete Mission 14 \\ 10

Sentinels

Complete Mission 15 \\ 10

Legacy

Complete every Mission of the game on Normal difficulty \\ 10

Heroes Rise

Complete every Mission of the game on Heroic difficulty \\ 40

Forging a Legend

Complete every Mission of the game on Legendary difficulty \\ 60

Lone Wolf

Complete every Mission of the game on Legendary difficulty, by yourself \\ 100

My Rules

Complete any Mission on Heroic with 3+ Skulls active \\ 20

One for All

Complete any co-op Mission on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

All for One

Complete every co-op Mission on Heroic difficulty \\ 40

Conspiracy Theory

Find and claim one piece of Intel \\ 10

Hunt the Truth

Find and claim all Intel \\ 40

Gravedigger

Find and claim a Skull \\ 10

Gravelord

Find and claim all Skulls \\ 40

Your Team is Your Weapon

Command your team of Spartans in Osiris \\ 10

Enemy of my Enemy

Help the Elite General charge the hill in Osiris on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

I Thought I’d Lost You

Escape the Hunters in the lab and fight them in the hangar in Blue Team \\ 10

On My Mark

Simultaneously Assassinate two Elites in Blue Team co-op \\ 10

Going the Distance

Complete Glassed without entering a vehicle \\ 10

Shoot from the Hip

Complete Glassed co-op without any players using Smart-Link \\ 10

Waiting on You

Kill an enemy that’s had its armor repaired in Unconfirmed \\ 10

Maverick

Team up in a vehicle to kill 30 enemies in Unconfirmed co-op \\ 10

Savior

Keep 6 miners alive at the elevator in Evacuation on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Fire Drill

Finish Evacuation within 18:00 without dying on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Take a Hike

Traverse the canyon in Reunion without a Phaeton on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

No Witnesses

Destroy the Phantom at the Covenant camp in Reunion on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

No Knock Raid

Destroy 10 walls or floors in Swords of Sanghelios \\ 10

Preying Mantis

Complete Swords of Sanghelios co-op with both Mantises on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Kraken Lackin’

Complete Enemy Lines without destroying a Kraken turret \\ 10

Emergency Boarding Procedures

Escape the doomed Kraken by jumping onto a Phaeton piloted by a Spartan \\ 10

Death from Above

Kill a Grunt and smash a grate with a Ground Pound in Battle of Sunaion \\ 10

Worms Don’t Surf

Knock two Hunters into the ocean during the Battle of Sunaion \\ 10

Tank Still Beats Everything

Finish the 13th mission without losing the Scorpion on Legendary difficulty \\ 10

Rolling Thunder

Operate four different vehicles at once in Mission 13 on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Harbinger

Complete The Breaking on Legendary difficulty without the entire fireteam dying \\ 10

Prison Break

Simultaneously kill two Wardens in The Breaking on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Icy Cool

Ground Pound an exterior power core in Guardians on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Double Stuff

Simultaneously destroy 2 cores in Guardians on Heroic difficulty \\ 10

Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Achievements

Cry Havoc

Complete 3 Warzone matchmade games \\ 10

Bringing in the Big Guns

Call in a REQ that costs 5 Energy or more \\ 10

Go for the Gold

Open a Gold REQ Pac \\ 10

Top of the Food Chain

Kill a Warzone Legendary Boss \\ 30

Warlord

Win a match on the three original Warzone maps \\ 20

Castle Crasher

Complete 5 Stronghold matchmade games \\ 20

Off to the Races

Complete 5 Breakout matchmade games \\ 20

Flag Monger

Complete 5 Capture the Flag matchmade games \\ 20

Spartan Decimation

Complete 5 Slayer matchmade games \\ 20

Valor Recognized

Qualify for a Competitive Skill Rating \\ 20

Your Style

Change your Spartan’s gear in the Spartan Hub \\ 10

Raise Your Banner

Change your Emblem in the Spartan ID card \\ 10

Make Your Mark

Change your Service Tag in the Spartan ID card \\ 10

Gamemaster

Create and save a Custom Game Type in War Games \\ 10

Benchwarmer

Spectate a game \\ 10

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Overwatch – Blizzard Announces Official Beta Start Date

Overwatch, the upcoming ‘pick-up-and-play’ multiplayer PC shooter from Blizzard, finally has a date on which we can expect its highly anticipated beta to begin.

That date is October 27, the studio announced today, though the process does require some explanation. If you’re not selected to take part in the core closed beta, it sounds like there’ll still be some opportunity to get a taste of Overwatch in other ways.

“We’re aiming to accomplish two primary goals with our public beta test,” Blizzard wrote in today’s update. “First, get tons of top-notch feedback on the gameplay—including balance, feel, and fun—to help us make Overwatch the best team-based shooter on the planet. Second, we want to hammer the heck out of our tech, including stress-testing our server infrastructure and making sure the game runs great on the widest variety of systems possible.”

To accomplish this, Blizzard is dividing participants up into two groups, each with their own specific goals and schedules.

“The Closed Beta group will form the core of our testing crew,” the studio explained. “In addition, we’ll be conducting a number of Beta Test Weekends with wider groups of players when it’s time to break out the big guns.”

So, if you haven’t already, you should probably sign up here. You’ll also find plenty more details on the two different beta groups in that link, so be sure to check it out if you’re interested. The Overwatch beta will be Windows-only and players will need a Battle.net desktop app installed in order to run it.

Good luck getting in!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Destiny Update 2.0.1 Introduces Micro-Transactions & Lets Players Re-Roll Exotic Armor, Full Patch Notes

Destiny Update 2.0.1 is here and is brining along many changes with it.

Most notably, Guardians will see the return of Tess Everis with her Eververse Trading Company and Lord Saladin with his Iron Banner to The Tower with new emotes and gear, respectively.

As you may remember, Everis will only accept Silver for her goods, which can only be purchased on the XBL or PSN stores with real life money. Here’s the cost breakdown:

  • $4.99 – 500 Silver
  • $9.99 – 1000 Silver + 100 Bonus
  • $19.99 – 2000 Silver + 300 Bonus

Note that 20,000 Silver is being rewarded to owners of Destiny: The Taken King Digital Collector’s Edition who purchased it before the digital collector’s items were sold separately. That’s in addition to the handful of free Silver everyone is receiving after today’s update.

As for Iron Banner, those looking to suit up for this week’s PvP challenge will want to take note of the new Power Curve. Remember, power still matters.

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All you really need to know is that if you are around 20 Light Levels lower than your opponent, you can expect roughly 5% in damage reduction. At higher levels, that reduction won’t be as noticeable.

Onto the rest of today’s update. You’ll notice a few weapon balance updates that have taken effect, as well as the new ability to re-roll Exotic armor with a new type of material called Glass Needle. The economy has also been adjusted with different drop rates for materials like Motes of Light and Strange Coins.

Read on for the full list of updates, as well as more details on this week’s Iron Banner event and this upcoming weekend’s Trials of Osiris playlist.

Destiny Update 2.0.1

GENERAL

  • Tess Everis has returned from her vacation and is now back at her station in the Tower
    • Added a new currency, Silver, that can be purchased from console stores
    • Tess’s booth has been given a facelift to reflect her new venture with the Eververse Trading Company
  • Lord Saladin has returned from his hiatus and brings new wares for Iron Banner challengers
  • Players who may have deleted their pre-order Ghost Shells after the Taken King Launch can now obtain them again from the Speaker
  • Fixed an issue where some Taken King Collector’s Edition purchasers did not receive their Shaders
    • They can now be obtained from the Shader Collections Kiosk
  • Fixed an issue where some of the Year 1 Special Order Emblems and Shaders were not appearing in Collections

WEAPONS

  • “Shot Package” perks have been removed and replaced on Shotguns with a non-range-boosting perk
  • Fixed an issue where Black Spindle had an unintended +20 Attack bonus
  • Fixed an issue in which Rare Sniper Rifle scope upgrades did not correctly show progress
  • Fixed an issue in which activating the “Eye of the Storm” perk was not using correct feedback when readying weapon
  • Fixed an issue in which the “Second Wind” perk was incorrectly applying on the initial spawn

ARMOR

  • Players can now reroll Stat nodes and Upgrade nodes on Exotic armor via the “Twist Fate” node
    • Twist Fate will require Glimmer, Armor materials, and a Glass Needle, which will be available from Xur during his weekly visits

Exotics

  • Fixed an issue where No Back Up Plans did not consistently trigger Force Barrier on Shotgun kills
  • Fixed an issue where the “Air Traffic Control” perk on Taikonaut Helm did not properly increase heavy ammo drop rate with a Rocket Launcher equipped
  • Smoke Bombs used with Sealed Ahamkara Grasps no longer costs two charges

QUESTS & BOUNTIES

  • Fixed an issue where Hunter and Warlock class level-up quests were not giving rewards for the correct level
  • Fixed an issue with some Year 1 Exotic Bounty items that were causing lingering waypoints to remain over various NPCs
  • Fixed several issues where some bounties were not correctly requiring players to complete Court of Oryx encounters within the stated time on the issued bounty
    • Affected Bounties: “Challenge the Court: Reciprocal Rune”, “Challenge the Court: Stolen Rune,” “Challenge the Court: Antiquated Rune”
  • Fixed an issue where some Vanguard bounties were incorrectly granting credit across entire Fireteams
    • Affected Bounties: “Heavyweight”, “Specialized Rampage”, “Enemy in Every Corner”, “Invincible”
  • Fixed an issue where it was possible to not get charges on an Agonarch Rune if another Rune was completed in the same week

STRIKES

  • Weekly Heroic Playlist now shows how many Weekly Bonus Legendary Mark awards remain
  • Fixed an issue where players were not transitioning to Return to Orbit upon Phogoth’s death
  • Fixed an issue where players were not transitioning to Return to Orbit phase upon Omnigul’s death

RAID: KING’S FALL

  • Increased the number of potential Shards and added additional materials in the first King’s Fall chest
  • Blighted Light explosion size has been changed to encompass the entire Arena

CRUCIBLE

General

  • Shaxx’s Weekly Bounties now unlock across all characters after completing the Crucible Questline on one character
  • Damage curves have been adjusted for all power-enabled playlists to account for the new Light levels in Year 2
  • Distinct audio cues have been created for teammate and enemy revives
  • Weekly Crucible bounty “Featured Matches” now properly progresses in weekly featured playlists in addition to daily featured playlists
  • Weekly Crucible bounties “Featured Matches” and “Making an Impact” now also count top 3 finishes in Rumble as wins, to be consistent with other Crucible quest and bounty steps
  • “Hold the Line” bounty now only requires being near only one of your teammates (instead of two)
    Fixed an issue where the “Largest Multi-Kill” stat on the Mayhem scoreboard did not accumulate correctly

Playlists

  • Thieves’ Den has been removed from the Rift playlist
  • Added Twilight Gap and Asylum to Elimination playlist
  • Removed Thieves’ Den from Doubles playlist
  • Removed The Anomaly and Firebase Delphi from Inferno Salvage and Inferno Skirmish playlists

Iron Banner

  • Iron Banner is now enabled for the week of 10/13 – 10/19
  • Requires a minimum Character Level of 40
  • Recommended Light for Iron Banner is 230
  • Game completion rewards have been reworked to be a more valid source for Iron Banner rewards
  • End-of-match rewards now include both weapons and armor (including items available on Lord Saladin)
  • New Emblems have been added to Lord Saladin’s inventory
  • Lord Saladin now has three daily bounties and three weekly bounties that award Legendary Marks
  • Gear purchased from Lord Saladin now requires Legendary Marks (instead of Glimmer)
  • Tempered buff is now automatically applied to your character and continues to grow in effectiveness each day of the event week

Trials of Osiris

  • Trials of Osiris will be enabled the weekend of 10/16-10/18
  • Requires a minimum Character Level of 40
  • Requires a minimum Light of 251; Recommended Light is 290
  • Winning teams now receive Trials gear rewards directly at the end-of-match completion
  • Players that go undefeated on their Passage will continue to be invited to The Lighthouse
  • Players may continue to play in the Trials past 9 wins (but rewards are maxed out at 9 wins)
  • Trials Passages now have a Details page containing your Boons
    • Player must now purchase Boons from the Details page on their Passage instead of from Brother Vance
    • Boons can no longer be applied to Trials passages after starting a run
  • Trials gear can be purchased from Brother Vance (including some items found at the Lighthouse)
  • Brother Vance now has Bounties that award Legendary Marks
  • Crucible Bounties can now also be completed in Trials of Osiris
  • Matchmaking has been updated to make it more competitive to reach The Lighthouse

ECONOMY

  • Sources for Motes of Light have been adjusted:
    • From completing Public Events have been increased by approximately 100%
    • From earning XP post-40 have been increased from 3 -> 5
    • From Faction Rep packages have been reduced from 5 -> 4
    • From dismantling Rare and Legendary Items have been reduced by approximately 25-30%
    • From Daily Vanguard and Crucible Bounties have been reduced by approximately 50%
  • Sources for Strange Coins have been adjusted:
    • From Faction Rep packages have been reduced from 5 -> 4
    • From Daily Vanguard and Crucible Bounties have been reduced by approximately 50%
  • Weapon Parts from dismantling Uncommon or Rare Weapons have been reduced by around 25%
  • Weapon Part turn-ins at Factions increased from +50 Rep to +75 Rep per turn-in
  • Materials recovered by Ghost Extractor upgrades reduced (but still guaranteed)

INVENTORY

  • Ghost Shells will now be recovered at the Postmaster in your Lost and Found, if you don’t have inventory space for them

TECHNICAL

  • Fixed multiple situations that resulted in the game client crashing, including the “Ward of Dawn” and “Firefly” crashes
  • Fixed some issues where audio would drop

Source: Bungie

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Cybercore Tutorial – Martial

A third set of Cybercore abilities have been revealed in yet another Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 campaign tutorial video from Activision and Treyarch.

This module in particular focuses on stealth tactics and powerful melee strikes that the player can sometimes chain together in rapid succession. The Takedown ability guarantees a one-hit melee kill while Concussive Wave will knock out a group of enemies with a single blow. For a sneaky approach, Active Camo will render you invisible for a short amount of time and is most effective when not moving. Lastly, Enhanced Overdrive will grant your character faster movement speed, better aiming, and quicker equipment handling.

Check out the new Martial abilities in the video above. You can also catch the previous tutorial videos for the Chaos and Control Cybercore abilities below.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 launches November 6.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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EA Announces Star Wars Battlefront Season Pass & Ultimate Edition Bundle, New Game Modes Revealed

Like most triple-A shooters today, a healthy dose of DLC is sure to follow in the months after launch, and in the case of DICE and EA’s Star Wars Battlefront, things are no different.

In addition to the previously announced Battle of Jakku DLC, arriving shortly after launch for free, Star Wars Battlefront’s just-revealed Season Pass will also offer buyers four additional expansion packs at a single cost of $50 USD. Expansions are “coming at a later date” at will likely cost $15 USD separately, making the Season Pass a small bargain if you’re set on getting all of them anyways. Owners will also get two-weeks of early access to each DLC pack, along with the exclusive “Shoot First” emote.

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To get everything in one package, the pass, in addition to everything included in the Deluxe Edition, will also ship with the newly-revealed Star Wars Battlefront Ultimate Edition for $120 USD. Check out the Origin link to see everything that’s included.

1036418_LB_231x326_en_US_^_2015-09-23-08-48-57_fa4d103537db00eb0ea1da9e3e4bbd69c69548be

On top of the new package options, DICE and EA also updated the game’s official website with details on three new game modes launching with the game on November 17 called Hero Hunt, Droid Run, and Cargo. Here’s the scoop on each:

HERO HUNT

Battlefront

Hero Hunt is an asymmetrical, 1 vs. 7 game mode where, at the start of a match, a player is chosen to be a lone Hero or Villain depending on the planet you’re playing on. If one of the opposing seven players takes you out, that trooper or soldier will then spawn in as a Hero or Villain, taking your place. The goal is to remain the Hero or Villain for as long as possible.

DROID RUN

Battlefront

In Droid Run, two teams of six will fight to capture three different GNK Droids that are constantly moving around the map within the 10-minute time limit. Maps are smaller, so Heroes, Villains, and vehicles are out of the picture. To us, it sounds a lot like a Domination-style game mode, but with moving objectives.

CARGO

Battlefront

Cargo is Star Wars Battlefront’s take on the classic Capture-the-Flag game mode. Each faction, six on each side, has a base where precious cargo is stored and your goal is to add to it by capturing the enemy’s goods. Hopefully, you’ll have more than the other team by the time the 15-minute match is over. Scoring starts off 5-5, but will change to 6-4 in your favor should you make a successful capture, for example.

Which new mode are you most looking forward to trying out?

Star Wars Battlefront lands on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New Rainbow Six Siege Trailer Profiles The German GSG-9 Counter-Terrorist Unit

Rainbow Six Siege‘s latest trailer shines light on the GSG-9, a counter-terrorist unit hailing from Germany.

Comprised of operators I.Q., Blitz, Bandit, and Jäger, the GSG-9 specializes in detecting electronic signals, blinding enemies with flashbang-equipped riot shields, neutralizing incoming projectiles, and electrifying reinforces walls or barbed wire. In other words, they don’t sound very fun to go up against. You can watch how they operate in the featured footage above.

If you missed it, here’s the lowdown on a few of the other counter-terrorist units appearing in Rainbow Six Siege:

Which of the new GSG-9 members appeals to you the most? Drop a comment below and let us know!

Rainbow Six Siege hits PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on December 1.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Shadows of Evil Prologue, New Campaign & “Realistic Mode” Info

Eyes up, zombies and campaign fans. New details on both modes have surfaced today following a small Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 info blowout.

First up, Treyarch has released the official prologue for Black Ops 3’s new zombies mode called Shadows of Evil. It gives a proper introduction to each of the four new, and very shady, characters voiced by Jeff Goldblum, Heather Graham, Neal McDonough, and Ron Perlman.

[youtube id=”FN0zfNcQYaU”]

Also Zombies-related, PlayStation 4 users who took part in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Beta are getting a free Morg City dynamic theme, based on the setting of Shadows of Evil. Check it out in action:

[youtube id=”KTJfgMbeGDk”]

And here’s how to get it:

  1. Navigate to the PlayStation®Store from your PS4™ system Home Screen
  2. Press Triangle and select Search, then type in “Black Ops III”
  3. Select “Call of Duty®: Black Ops III”
  4. Scroll down to “Themes” – “Morg City Zombies Theme” and download the theme
  5. After the download is complete, navigate to the PS4 Home Screen – “Settings” – “Themes” to select the theme

Onto a few new campaign details that we’ve rounded up from multiple sources.

Tactical Mode – Tactical Mode, like many of the new mechanics in Black Ops 3’s campaign, is level agnostic. It can be switched on and off and helps highlight threats via a virtual reality ‘Threat Map’ on the ground. It can also display the blast radius of explosives and enemy types while making you aware of what lines of sight the enemy has on you.

Campaign & Level Structure – All co-op campaign levels are unlocked from the beginning, allows co-op partners to join in with others at any point in the story. Level design, enemy AI, and player abilities have all been built around co-op gameplay.

Realistic Mode – All players have one point of life, which will make relying on your co-op companions essential. According to Treyarch, it’s meant to change the way you move through a level, rewarding a more cautious approach. Lastly, the AI has also been rewritten to make independent decisions while many new types of AI will also be present.

New Images

Black Ops 3 Black Ops 3 Black Ops 3 Black Ops 3

Excited to try out Black Ops 3’s new Realistic Mode? We’re curious to know just how hardcore it is actually going to be. Sounds like you’ll need a few pals to help you thought it, if you don’t have the patience to restart checkpoints over and over.

Looking looking for more multiplayer details? Treyarch recently revealed a brand new map and Specialist character that you can learn more about at this link, if you missed it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 launches November 6.

Via PlayStation Access & XboxAchievements

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New Campaign Footage Revealed In Halo 5: Guardians Official Launch Trailer

Halo fans have not much longer to wait before 343 Industries lets loose unto the world the next major title to continue Master Chief’s story and provide Xbox gamers with even more arena multiplayer action and epic online battles.

Halo 5: Guardians, which officially went gold last week, launches on October 27, making the release of today’s launch trailer a fitting affair. You can watch the new footage above, which highlights more moments from the shooter’s campaign and even reveals a brief glimpse of Spartan Locke’s confrontation with the now rogue Spartan 117.

Only two weeks away now, but if you’re still looking for your Halo fix, be sure to check out all the new features coming to Halo 5: Guardian’s improved Forge mode.

David Veselka

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Star Wars Battlefront Beta Gets An Extra Day Online

Gamers enjoying the ongoing Star Wars Battlefront Beta on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC are getting an extra day of game time as EA and DICE perform additional “technical tests” on the title’s online infrastructure.

“As we get into the late stages of the beta, we will begin conducting further technical tests on our infrastructure,” Battlefront Community Manager “Sledgehammer7” wrote.

“These additional tests will start on Monday, October 12 and will run thru Tuesday, October 13th, which will add an additional day to the open Beta. These tests are to help us find some extreme scenarios, and that means some players may experience occasional issues such as being kicked from the game or losing connectivity. This is all being done in the name of shoring up our infrastructure before we launch on November 17th.”

Any favorite things about the Beta so far? Alternatively, what do you think still needs work before Battlefront’s big launch next month?

David Veselka

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Treyarch Reveals New ‘Firebreak’ Specialist & ‘Redwood’ Map For Black Ops 3 Multiplayer

New details have emerged from a recent Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 live stream conducted by members of Treyarch and Activision, revealing a new, ninth multiplayer Specialist named ‘Firebreak’ and new multiplayer map called ‘Redwood.’

As the name suggests, Firebreak douses his enemies in flames using either his Purifier flamethrower special weapon or Heat Wave special ability.

Another obvious name, Black Ops 3’s new Redwood map is based on a far-future depiction of Northern California’s Redwood forests. Treyarch promises a well-balanced layout with opportunities for all styles of play. As with other maps, there’s also an underwater flanking route that players can discover.

Big thanks to CharlieIntel for the stream images.

In addition to the new reveals, Treyarch also talked about Taunts and Gestures that players will be able to customize their Specialists with in Black Ops 3 multiplayer. They can be activated upon winning a match and range in expressions from true taunts to more “good game”-type of gestures. Design Director David Vonderhaar teased “really interesting” long-term plans for Taunts and Gestures.

There’s likely still much more to come as we approach Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s launch next month, November 6, so keep your eyes on MP1st for updates.

David Veselka

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Cybercore Tutorial – Control

Part two of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3‘s tutorial series takes a look at the “Control” set of Cybercore abilities that players will have at their disposal in the game’s co-operative campaign.

The Control set leverages the enemy’s cybernetic enhancements by turning their own strengths against them, even allowing the player to control some enemies. Protocol Override turns a robotic enemy against his own, while Remote Hijack give you direct control over hostiles. For a more aggressive approach, Surge will blow robotic enemies up from the inside, while Ravage Core sees your soldier ripping out a robot’s power cell from its core and using it like a grenade to take out additional enemies. You can see these moves in action in the video above.

If you missed it, follow this link to check out Treyarch’s last tutorial showing off moves from the Chaos Cybercore set.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 launches November 6.

David Veselka

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Shotguns Are Getting Nerfed Even Harder In Destiny’s Next Update

In Destiny’s next update, shotguns and there continuing lethality inside the game’s player-versus-player arena are being put under the looking glass in hopes of a more balanced close-quarters meta.

In the studio’s latest Weekly Update, Senior Designer Jon Weisnewski talked about the weapon’s prevalence inside the Crucible and what the rest of the multiplayer team at Bungie has up their sleeve to persuade Guardians that they’re not the only choice for backup.

“One piece of community feedback that has been unanimous is that the changes to Shotgun perks were not enough to curb their lethality at extreme ranges in the Crucible,” Senior Designer Jon Weisnewski explained. He pointed to the Shot Package perk, which tightens the weapon’s pellet spread, as being the primary source of frustration that has also “redefined the close-quarters combat experience,” and not for the better.

“With the deployment of Update 2.0.1, we will wholesale remove the Shot Package perk from all Shotguns,” he added. “Any shotgun with Shot Package (depending on the exact weapon) will now have Close and/or Personal, Crowd Control, or Knee Pads. This change has not negatively impacted our PVE playtests.”

Sound reasonable? Hopefully the change will open up a wider palette of options for the Special Weapon slot.

Destiny’s next update will also bring back Tess Everis and her new Eververse Trading Company, supplying Guardians with new dance moves and other emotes for an offering of real life coin. In other words, micro-transactions are coming to Destiny as means to fund future game updates, according to Bungie.

Keep your sights on MP1st for more on Destiny.

David Veselka

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Star Wars Battlefront Beta Kicks Off On PlayStation 4, Xbox One, & PC Today

Grab your blasters and don’t forget to wear your helmet. The Force is calling you, imploring you to take part in the open beta for EA and DICE’s new Star Wars-themed shooter, Star Wars Battlefront.

It’s now live on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and you can find it at the following download links.

The beta ends this Monday, October 12.

In it, you’ll get to play as either Rebel or Imperial factions in three different game modes on three different maps — Walker Assault on Hoth, Drop Zone on Sullust, and Survival on Tatooine. The latter can be played co-operatively, both online and via split-screen against six waves of computer-controlled opponents. The infantry-focused Drop Zone ups the player count to 16 players, while Walker Assault offers the full Battlefront experience — AT-ATs, X-Wings, Jedi Warriors and all — with up to 40 players.

As you rank up, you’ll explore the new Star Card system, equipping your Rebel Fighter or Storm Trooper with abilities like the Ion Shot, Jump Pack, or Personal Shield. You’ll also be able to unlock iconic arms like the DK-17 Blaster Pistol and DLT-19 Heavy Blaster. Don’t forget to buddy-up to have someone to support and spawn on as well.

Give it a shot and let us know what you think in the comments!

Star Wars Battlefront launches November 17.

David Veselka

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Resident Evil Shooter Umbrella Corp Gets New 3v3 Gameplay & Developer Commentary

Umbrella Corps, a third-person shooter set in the Resident Evil Universe, is all about claustrophobic battles inside compact, zombie-filled arenas, mixing the frightening mood of the series with competitive player-versus-player action.

To demonstrate this, developers at Capcom Japan have recently put together a 5-minute, 60 FPS gameplay presentation of the shooter’s 3v3 One Life Match Mode. Without the option to respawn, players must work together to defeat the enemy team within three minutes, all while steering clear of the zombie threat.

You’ll see a few equipment options in use, like the “Zombie Jammer,” which keeps zombies from attacking unless damaged. Check it out above and be sure to tell us what you think in the comments.

Umbrella Corps is coming to PlayStation 4 and PC as a $30 USD title in early 2016.

David Veselka

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Halo 5: Guardians Goes Gold, Digital Pre-Load Begins Next Week

Halo 5: Guardians has officially gone gold, developer 343 Industries has announced today.

In a recent Halo Waypoint update, the studio shared the news, as well as a sleek infographic explaining Halo 5: Guardians by the numbers. In addition, Studio Head Josh Holmes also wrote a small note for fans, mainly to do with launch day and digital pre-orders.

“We will have a multiplayer content update, prior to launch, that will supplement the online multiplayer goodness with map content for Arena Multiplayer and our all new massive-scale 12v12 Warzone Multiplayer,” he said.

“Make sure you have the Power Setting for your Xbox One set to ‘Instant On’ so that you’ll automatically download the online multiplayer update prior to October 27th and be ready on launch day. Those that buy a physical copy will download the online multiplayer update automatically after you install the game on your Xbox One.”

“Next week, the game will be available to pre-download for digital customers, so follow @Halo and we’ll keep you posted when that is ready to go.”

Halo 5: Guardians officially launches on October 27. Here it is by the numbers.

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David Veselka

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Cybercore Tutorial – Chaos

Activision and Treyarch have dropped yet another Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 gameplay tutorial, this time demonstrating what your Black Ops soldier is capable of in the game’s 1-4 player co-op campaign.

Players will have access to multiple sets of Cybercores, each with their own set of abilities tied to the Cybercore’s theme, which can be selected from an in-game radial menu. The Chaos set, showcased in the video above, is a “a set of abilities that are designed to throw the enemy into a total state of confusion while you attack,” says Trayarch. It includes moves like Mass Overload, Adaptive Immolation, Firefly Swarm, and Enhanced Sonic A.P.

More tutorial videos are sure to come, so keep your sights on MP1st for more Black Ops 3 updates.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 launches November 6, but without the story campaign in PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber