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More Updates In Store For Battlefield Hardline, Here’s What Visceral Is Working On

Having wrapped things up with Battlefield Hardline’s first big patch last month, multiplayer designers at Visceral Games are busy preparing for future updates while working out the final details for expansion one, Criminal Activity.

Lead Multiplayer designer Thad Sasser recently took to Battlelog to share some of what the studio has been working on since last month.

According to Sasser, an ETA for Hardline’s next update has yet to be locked down, so you’ll have to hang tight for an official announcement later on. What he goes on to describe below are changes that aren’t currently in the game, but are being tested.

Check it out:

“The Rep system has received an overhaul. The Tiers are greatly reduced in cost (esp. T4, which went from 11k to 6k) and easier to obtain during a match. The trees also got some massaging to make them more interesting and better, and this was changed based on Battlelog user feedback (thanks for the input!). In addition, we’ve added the ability to Pre-Select your Rep perks so that what you want is automatically applied once you earn it.”

“We’re working on bringing you faster tick rate servers. Our engineers have implemented changes and they’ve been successfully tested in the CTE for BF4. We hope this will be the first thing tested in the BFH CTE, and pushed into the full game once we know it’s effective and working right. These plus some other fixes could greatly improve the experience for players who have had issues with latency or connection.”

“We’ve got Universal Soldier Aiming and ADS sensitivity sliders implemented for the next patch. Now you’ll be able to set this up how you like.”

“The Deployable Camera has seen massive improvements to its functionality. Now camera spots take priority over active or passive spotting, making them much more reliable. In addition, each camera shares a larger pool of raycasts, improving the number of targets they can spot while not impacting performance negatively.”

“We’re fixing the Ballistic Shield coins by changing the scoring events. Instead of 1 point per bullet (really? bad designer, no cookie), you’ll get multiple points per bullet, making these assignments and coins easier to achieve.”

“We’re working on getting details for Expansion Pack 1 Criminal Activity together. The pack has shaped up nicely, all 4 maps are playing great and give new variety to the gameplay. There are some night maps. There’s other cool stuff in there too, like new Masks, but I won’t spoil it all before the announcement.”

UPDATE 1: Sasser update his post with a few weapon tuning tweaks the studio is considering.

  • CAR-556 increased recoil
  • ACWR increased recoil
  • SPAS, Stakeout increased damage falloff start range
  • ARM gets same bullet as M16A3
  • Carbine end damage increased to 18 from 15
  • .338 magnum rounds increased OHK range
  • .338 magnum rounds much more effective vs. armored insert
  • M/45 and Uzi get a new bullet
  • M16, M416, MPX get horizontal recoil increase
  • K10 lowered start of drop off to 5m
  • MPX lowered start of bullet drop off to 10m and end damage lowered to 12
  • SG slug increased range and effectiveness vs. armored insert
  • M1911 increased damage within 10m
  • AWM and R700 OHK extended to 30m

UPDATE 2: Sasser also shared a point about health in Hardcore mode.

“Hardcore health will be set to 60 by default with the next update.”

Last week, Multiplayer Producer Zach Mumbach delivered a few new details on Hardline’s first multiplayer expansion, revealing that two of its four new maps will be night maps and that the gameplay will boast even more destruction.

Keep your sights on MP1st for more Battlefield Hardline updates and tell us in the comments what you think about some of the new tweaks Visceral is working on.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Watch Two Full-Length Matches From Blizzard’s Upcoming PC Shooter, Overwatch

Blizzard shares video footage of two full-length matches from their upcoming, “pick-up-and-play” PC shooter, Overwatch, starring Mercy, who specializes in team-based healing abilities, and Zenyatta, a powerful monk.

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The official Overwatch Beta begins this Fall. You can sign up here.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Star Wars Battlefront – Official Gameplay To Debut June 15, DICE Unveils New “Fighter Squadron” Game Mode

Star Wars fans anxious to get their first real gameplay look at DICE’s upcoming Star Wars Battlefront will have their wishes fulfilled on June 15, the studio announced today.

“I really look forward to showing you all more from the game as we get closer to release, and for you guys who are asking me when you can see gameplay, I can tell you that we have great plans for E3,” Design Director Niklas Fegraeus wrote in a new Battlefront news update.

“So tune in starting June 15, because at E3 this year, Star Wars Battlefront gameplay will make its debut and we’re all super excited to show it to you.”

Star Wars Battlefront’s official reveal trailer, which debuted for the first time last month, displayed actual in-game assets and models, but wasn’t quite the straight-up gameplay footage some fans were hoping for.

Fegraeus went on to talk about the new direction the studio is taking with the series, drawing from previous titles but also providing totally new experiences, like a new game mode DICE is calling “Fighter Squadron”.

“We have chosen to reboot the Star Wars Battlefront franchise instead of making a sequel,” he explained. “The reason is quite simple: we want to pay homage to this beloved franchise, while making our own stamp for a new generation. The way we want to do this is by taking inspiration from the old games’ foundations, like the use of both 1st and 3rd person views and the ability to play as heroes. We want to then create a new direction where we add features and capabilities you’ve never seen before.

“For example, we have created new game modes and made new maps to cater to their specific experience. You could see a tiny snippet of this in our trailer where you saw the Fighter Squadron mode, where you engage in huge Starfighter battles over canyons big enough to be truly epic. Then, for those not in the mood for large scale battles, we have created Missions where players can, for example, take on armies of AI or test their piloting skills. All our Missions can be played either alone or cooperatively, making them perfect for some quick Star Wars action when you have a friend over.”

Much more to come on Star Wars Battlefront, so keep your eyes open. We’ll have more updates as they come. The game officially launches November 17 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

We leave you with a new image of the AT-AT that Niklas also shared in his latest blog. Feel free to read more here.

image_2.img

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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First Details On Advanced Warfare’s New Royalty Elite Weapons & SAC3 Non-Akimbo Variant, Coming Tuesday To Xbox One

This Tuesday, developer Sledgehammer Games is giving Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare fans some new toys to playing with.

First up, gunslingers will soon be able to wield a new version of the SAC3 sub-machine gun that allows players to carry just one at a time and actually aim down sight with it.

“The SAC3’s signature dual hand, high-rate of fire sub machine gun profile made it deadly for those who could forsake the aim down sights feature provided with standard SMGs,” wrote Sledgehammer in a new update today. “Starting on 5/19, we’re introducing five new non-akimbo variants of the SAC3 available through both Supply Drops and Advanced Supply Drops on Xbox One (Coming soon to PS4 & PC).”

SAC3_ROYALTY_1920x1080_v01_BLOG2

Furthermore,

This Tuesday also marks the launch of a brand new class of Royalty Elite weapon variants that sport the same purple and gun-metal camo as the Grand Master Prestige armor. According to Sledgehammer, they will have “similar stats to some of the elite versions of weapons you already love.”

“Elite royalty weapons will be available through both Supply Drops and Advanced Supply Drops on Xbox One (Coming soon to PS4 & PC), with our first 10 favorites launching on May 19th,” the studio explains.

SAC3_ROYALTY_1920x1080_v01_BLOG3Which one catches your eye? Tell us in the comments!

Keep your sights on MP1st for more Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare updates.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Destiny – Bungie Drops New House of Wolves Launch Trailer And Provides Update On Patch 1.2.0

Update

According to Bungie’s latest Weekly Update, the studio is aiming to launch Patch 1.2.0 tomorrow morning, Friday, May 15.

“We’re in the final phases of testing and approval for the first update. Confidence is high. As soon as we’re ready, we’ll let you know,” Bungie Community Manager David “DeeJ” Dague wrote.

“Currently, all signs point to tomorrow (Friday) morning (Bungie time). It will be a game-time decision, so stay tuned. Patch Notes will immediately follow, and all of your questions about the world changes to come will be answered. We have a forum thread to monitor and a Twitter account that signals new information.”

A second update is still scheduled to go live on May 19, the same time that House of Wolves officially launches.

Original Story

Destiny Expansion II: House of Wolves lies in wait, mere days away from launch, and developer Bungie is getting prepared with a new gameplay launch trailer and another update on the recently delayed Patch 1.2.0.

First, Bungie Community Manager David “DeeJ” Dague shared a few words on the current status of Destiny’s latest update, which was supposed to launch last Tuesday, May 12.

“Solutions for technical issues that have delayed the delivery of updates have been identified,” he said. “Work is ongoing and we’ll release the new content and the Patch Notes as soon as we can. Stand by for more information on timing.”

Thus far, we know Update 1.2.0 aims to improve Destiny’s PvE and PvP experiences with tweaks to Weekly Heroic and Nightfall Strikes as well as Crucible rewards and progression.

Destiny Expansion II: House of Wolves is still on course to launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on May 19. Check out the launch trailer above.

David Veselka

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New Rainbow Six Siege Trailer Reveals Official Launch Date

Alongside the release of a new cinematic trailer, Ubisoft has revealed the official launch date of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Just yesterday, the studio outlined a ton of improvements developers have made to the game since the end of the Closed Alpha. You can read the entire list here, if you missed it.

Rainbow Six Siege breaches and clears onto consoles and PC on October 13. Have a look at the new trailer above.

David Veselka

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Leaked “Gears Of War: Ultimate Edition” Xbox One Footage Surfaces

Leaked footage of the rumored “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition” has surfaced, showing off a snippet of the game running on an Xbox One.

EDIT: The video has been removed from its original location, but you should still be able to find it at this link. Scroll down to check out a handful of screen grabs.

The original video file was simply titled “Xbox One Game”, but the latest rumors suggest the new remastered shooter, which allegedly includes the original Gears of War game with improved visuals, will be called “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition”.

The original video appeared to be running at 60 frames per second.

According to earlier reports, the build currently being played is multiplayer-only and contains modes like Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, 1 Life 1V1 Shotgun TDM, 1V1 Sudden Death Gnashers Only, 4V4 TDM Single Round, and 4V4 KOTH Single Round.

We’ll surely hear more from Microsoft and developer Black Tusk Studios at E3 this year.

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Thanks, Wario64

Developing…

David Veselka

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Dirty Bomb Developer Diary Dives Into The Competitive Nature Of Splash Damage’s New Shooter

Over a round of appetizing beverages, developers behind the team-based, free-to-win, first-person PC shooter Dirty Bomb discuss the competitive nature that Splash Damage hopes to put under the spotlight in their upcoming game.

As mentioned, designers anticipate Dirty Bomb’s class-based system will encourag gamers to work as a team and even form clans to compete in the game’s ranked-based matchmaking and figure out its deep skill curve. The studio is also aiming to make the game suitable enough for eSports but plans to add features where necessary based on player feedback.

Hear it from the mouths of the developers themselves by checking out the video above. Splash Damage also introduced a new Merc, Fletcher, yesterday in another video that you can catch below:

[youtube id=”70-O4_nNgkc”]

David Veselka

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DICE LA Introduces 120Hz Tickrate To Battlefield 4 CTE, AKA ‘Really Good Netcode’

With new and notable developments constantly taking place inside Battlefield 4‘s Community Test Environment on PC, there are a few new updates that all Battlefield fans should know about.

Most significant at the moment is the improvements developer DICE LA, with the help of Visceral Games, is making to Battlefield 4’s online networking, more commonly referred to as “netcode”. Through their efforts, Battlefield 4 CTE is currently sporting the option to play on 60Hz and 120Hz tickrate servers, which, as you might guess, is comparably better than Battlefield 4 retail’s current 30Hz High Frequency Update.

In fact, it’s now much more comparable to what you would experience with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s Source Engine, which many would consider the golden standard in today’s first-person shooter scene, despite the game’s relatively dated feature list. It essentially means that Battlefield 4’s online networking will feel noticeably more responsive and will deliver updates between the client and server much quicker. This, in turn, contributes to the overall reduction in any “lag” felt by the player.

The bad news? Because this network update is merely in its early prototype stages and is quite demanding on both the hardware and internet connection required to run Battlefield 4, it means that the update might never make it to the retail version of Battlefield 4 or Battlefield Hardline. On consoles, where hardware limitations are even more strict, it’s likely we won’t see much improvement over what is already currently in place. Regardless of this, the potential breakthroughs that might surface from this type of work are what make the trouble worth it.

Chris from Battle(non)sense does and impeccable job explaining just exactly what is currently going on in the Battlefield 4 Community Test Environment with regards to network updates and what it might mean for the future of Battlefield games.

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If you missed the initial announcement of DICE LA’s new network update to the Community Test Environment, you can catch Chris’ previous video right here:

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As he points out, these developments might have a more tangible effect on Battlefield’s competitive scene on PC where the player count is notably smaller and servers can be customized before it impacts the retail environment. These developments are interesting to keep track of nevertheless.

As for Battlefield Hardline, Visceral Games is aiming to introduce their own Community Test Environment on PC sometime before the end of this month.

Keep your sights on MP1st for more Battlefield updates and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Destiny Update 1.2.0 Delayed, Under Investigation

Destiny Update 1.2.0, which was supposed to launch yesterday morning, has been delayed, according to developer Bungie, and is under investigation as the studio works out a few last minute kinks.

“I’ve spoken with the finest minds at Bungie about Update 1.2.0 just moments ago. They’re working to correct a late-breaking technical issue that would have impacted the way the game launches for a large portion of you,” Bungie Community Manager David “DeeJ” Dague wrote in an update to fans. “Progress is being made.”

“We’ll be sharing new details on the deployment schedule that leads to House of Wolves as soon as they become facts. At the very least, you’ll hear from me once a day about this. Hang in there, and thank you for your patience.”

Among many other things, Update 1.2.0 was meant to improve Destiny’s PvE and PvP experiences with tweaks to Weekly Heroic and Nightfall Strikes as well as Crucible rewards and progression.

Destiny Expansion II: House of Wolves launches next week on Tuesday, May 19, so hopefully Bungie can get things sorted out before then. Keep your sights on MP1st for updates.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New Rainbow Six Siege Change Log Lists Many Improvements Since Closed Alpha

With the Rainbow Six Siege Closed Alpha now in our rear view mirror, developers at Ubisoft Montreal are hard at work implementing new ideas inspired by the mountain of feedback gathered during the testing period on PC.

In a new blog post, the studio outlined an impressive amount of tweaks that designers have been experimenting with, including core changes to pacing, weapon handling, and much more.

“First, I noted how precise community feedback is. It’s really useful,” Creative Director Xavier Marquis said in a video interview with Rainbow Six Siege Community Developer Genviève Forget. “Some items on my to-do list were brought up loud and clear. Some were lower in terms of priority or not even on my radar.”

Marquis listed the game’s hit markers as an item that was initially overlooked by the studio, but became a serious topic of discussion amongst the community during and after the Closed Alpha.

“We had put it aside, forgot about it. It was center screen, but we didn’t notice it anymore! We behaved as if it wasn’t there assuming it would get fixed someday. And then… [it was] the first item identified by the community! They were right and [the removal of hit markers] completely aligned with the spirit of our game.

“Our game is a quest for information. Players have a desire for knowledge. The hit markers allowed players to cheat. I thought, ‘great, they spotted an overlooked detail that we could remove and improve the game!'”

Last week, Ubisoft shared a handful of detailed statistics gathered throughout the Closed Alpha, which you can see for yourself right here. In a new change log that the studio published earlier today alongside a new “Community Corner” video, you’ll find an example of the new hit marker tweak, along with many others.

Below is what Ubisoft Montreal has been working on since the Rainbow Six Siege Closed Alpha. Be sure to check out the full blog post for more details.

[youtube id=”I6L745Wjf60″]

Hit Markers

  • Removed except for friendly fire and kill confirmation

Game Pacing

  • Base operator movement speed reduced by 20%
  • Implementing armor system (light, medium, heavy) with mobility vs. armor tradeoff
  • Implementing equipment and weapon weight costs to movement
  • Currently experimenting with increased round times to slow down play

armor_202300

Firearms

Recoil

  • Recoil improved for PC, with stronger initial shot kick and diamond recoil patterns doubled in size

Additional Changes

  • Greater vertical recoil on all assault rifles.
  • Greater increase in spread per shot of all submachine guns, especially the P90.
  • Increased vertical recoil on all submachine guns.
  • Increased time to ADS for assault rifles.
  • Increased time to ADS for all weapons after sprint.
  • Iterated on the equip and unequip timers on all weapon families. Heavier weapons will feel heavier.
  • Increased camera shake/intensity per shot, per weapon family.
  • Reduced the damage of the P90 and iterating on another damage pass for all weapons.
  • Shotgun damage over distance curves are being tweaked.
  • Reload times are being tweaked during animation polish.
  • Bullet penetration penalty on bullets is still being evaluated and iterated on.

Audio

  • Audio in Closed Alpha was placeholder. Will be improved across the board.

Ammo Count

  • Ammo count reduced across the board. Will be equivalent to Raven Shield values.

DBNO

  • Now limited to 2 potential occurrences per operator before dying outright. Continuing to investigate.

dbno_202301

“DBNO creates a high risk vs. high reward gameplay situation with a player close to death, but we needed to limit the number of occurrences.”

Party System & Push To Talk

  • Party system will be implemented
  • Push-to-Talk will be implemented
  • In-game text chat was already available, but wasn’t clear

textchat_202304

Lethality

  • No changes yet to damage or armor values. Other items need to be implemented/investigated before we consider changes in this area.

Lean & ADS

  • Will include a toggle option on PC for lean, aim, sprint, crouch and prone.
  • Currently investigating new designs for leaning while not in ADS.

Heartbeat Sensor

  • Range reduced from 15m to 10m detection radius

heartbeatsensor_202302

“Heartbeat Sensor was updated just before Closed Alpha based on community feedback, replacing opponent outlines with a red ripple, and reducing range to 15m. We’ve since reduced it to 10m.”

Rainbow Six Siege launches later this year on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The launch will be preceded by a Closed Beta that players can join in on by pre-ordering the game.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New ‘Royalty’ Weapons Coming To Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare [Updated]

Update

On Twitter, developer Sledgehammer Games tweeted out this image, confirming that a new Royalty class of weapons is indeed coming to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, along with new non-Akimbo variants of the SAC3 sub-machine gun.

More details are expected tomorrow.

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Original Story

Reports suggest that a new ‘Royalty’ class of weapons is coming to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in the near future.

These weapons, 12 in total according data-mined files found within the PC version of the game, will be painted in the same Royalty camo that was introduced with Advanced Warfare’s new Grand Master Prestige Gear last March.

Have a look at the 12 new ‘Royalty’ weapons, including their alleged stats, below:

Screen Shot 2015-05-12 at 12.45.46 AM

Stats and chart courtesy of the Denkirson forums and DidUknowiPwn of Reddit.

According to KDizzle340, most of the stats match up with these currently existing Elite weapons:

  • AK12 – Finger Trap
  • Ameli – N/A
  • ASM1 – Speakeasy
  • Bal-27 – Inferno
  • HBRa3 – Bear Fist
  • KF5 – Spanner
  • M1 Irons – N/A
  • MORS – The Doctor
  • Pytaek – Exploit
  • S-12 – Tiger Blood
  • SAC3 – New single SAC1.5 variant. Not equivalent to any existing weapon. +3 Damage, -3 Handling, locked-in Red Dot Sight.
  • Tac-19 – Sledgehammer

Currently, it’s not known how these new ‘Royalty’ weapons can be attained, but with the hints Sledgehammer Games Studio Head Michael Condrey has been tweeting as of late, we’re certain we’ll hear all about it soon.

Stay tuned for updates.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Halo 2 Anniversary Relic Remake Gets New Name, New Halo: MCC Playlist Updates Arrive

Along with an entirely remastered Halo: ODST campaign, Halo 2 Anniversary’s new Relic map remake is arriving in Halo: The Master Chief Collection‘s big content update later this month.

In a recent blog update, 343 Industries Community Manager Andy “Bravo” Dudynsky revealed that Relic, an original Halo 2 map, will be introduced in Halo 2 Anniversary as ‘Remnant’, so get used to addressing it by its new name. He also shared this new screenshot:

Halo

According to Bravo, the studio also has something secret to talk more about later this year. He didn’t specify whether it was related to Halo 5: Guardians, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, or something else entirely, but perhaps we’ll here something at this year’s E3.

He went on to update fans on Halo: MCC’s most recent playlist changes.

Last week, the Halo 2 Anniversary playlist was updated to 4v4 while Rumble Pit was adjusted to 6-8 players. Upping Big Team Battles to 8v8 remains “a top priority” for 343, says Bravo, while the studio ensures 16-player matches are functioning correctly.

This week, Team Objective was introduced as the new Featured Playlist, containing modes from Halo: CE, Halo 2, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4. SWAT is now a permanent playlist and Halo: CE voting has been adjusted to increase the variety of of Slayer game types.

New maps have been added to a handful of playlists and the frequency of Team Slayer BR on Warlord showing up in the Halo 2 Anniversary playlist has been reduced. Here’s what maps were added and where:

  • Burial Mounds -> Halo 2 Classic (and Team Objective)
  • Exile and Harvest CTF -> Halo 4 playlist,
  • Longest -> Team Slayer

The Halo Championship Series playlist has also been updated to the latest tournament settings and Halo 3 map variants like Pit Stop, Sand Tarp, Epilogue, Boundless, and more will now appear in regular matchmaking. Lastly, Bravo also noted that 343 is aware of a bug that incorrectly added motion tracker to Halo: CE and is currently working on a fix.

Moving onward, a new playlist update in May aims to make improvements to Halo: MCC’s ranking system. Though an exact date is TBA, 343 also plans to add ranks to Halo: CE, Halo 2 Classic, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Team Hardcore playlists shortly after. Also on the way, in addition to 8v8 BTB, is the return of Team Doubles as a permanent playlist and Halo 3 Hardcore game types.

From there, 343 will mix up ranked and unranked playlists in order to best accommodate Halo: MCC’s player base. “For example, if a certain playlist begins to have a larger player base than others, we’ll start to think about making changes and ensuring that an appropriate amount of content – both ranked and unranked – is available for the audience,” Bravo wrote. “Similarly, if we find that future featured playlists perform particularly well, we’ll work on how to best integrate these game types and/or similar experiences into the lineup.”

Keep your sights on MP1st for more Halo updates.

Source: Halo Community Update

David Veselka

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Tour Destiny Expansion II: House of Wolves’ New Vendor & Faction Gear

With the launch of Destiny Expansion II: House of Wolves right around the corner, expect your favorite Tower vendors to receive a fresh batch of stock, offering new weapons, armor, and class items.

All of the new Vendor and Faction gear will be available to both DLC and non-DLC buyers, according to Bungie, so as long as you have enough Vanguard or Crucible marks in your pocket, you’ll be able to equip your Guardian with a new look. The new gear will also be Ascend- and Reforge-ready, meaning you’ll be able to upgrade items to maximum level or re-roll for better perks for a cost.

Thanks to a handful of Destiny YouTubers, you can get a look at the new gear ahead of time and plan out your purchases right now. Check out the videos below showing off all of the new Vendor and Faction gear.

Tell us in the comments what you plan on picking up first once House of Wolves arrives on May 19!

House of Wolves Vanguard & Crucible Vendor Gear

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House of Wolves Faction Gear

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Footage courtesy of DPJ

David Veselka

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PayDay 2: Crimewave Edition Dated For PS4 & Xbox One, New Gameplay Surfaces

Overkill Software’s co-op heist game, PayDay 2, is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 16 in North America and June 12 in Europe, the studio announced recently.

The current-generation version of the shooter, called PayDay 2: Crimewave Edition, will launch with over one year of additional post-release content along with a handful of technical improvements, including enhanced textures and a 1080p display.

Pre-ordering the game will also net players the “Hard Time Loot Bag”, which contains a number of in-game bonuses, including:

  • Red dot weapon sight modification available for use on all rifle weapons
  • Exclusive Skull mask
  • PlayStation 4 or Xbox One exclusive mask
  • Unique mask pattern titled “I LOVE OVERKILL”
  • Unique color pattern, only available with this unlock
  • Bundle of in-game cash

Overkill says it is also offering a 25% discount on all digital versions of the game that are pre-ordered between now and launch.

According to an agreement between Overkill Software owner Starbreeze and publisher 505 Games, even more content and support is in store for PayDay 2 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, so there’s still plenty more to look forward to.

New PlayStation 4 gameplay for the updated shooter recently surfaced. Check out the official overview and additional footage below:

Overview Video

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Gameplay Footage

Thanks, MattTheMusketeer!

[youtube id=”0AJB_4gWZT4″]

David Veselka

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The Division Launch Moves To Early 2016

Update

The Division Community Development Lead Antoine Emond wrote a letter to fans on the game’s official website, further confirming its new launch date of early 2016:

Agents,

We have decided to release the game on Xbox One, PS4 and PC during the first quarter of calendar year 2016.

All of us at Massive, Reflections, Red Storm Entertainment and Ubisoft Annecy want to ensure the game not only meets our high expectations but also those of our fans and players alike. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and can’t wait to show you more next month at E3!

Thanks for your support,

The Dev Team

Original Story

Since the announcement of The Division’s first delay just over one year ago, publisher Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment have kept awfully quiet about the revised launch date for their open-world shooter.

Now, the company’s latest earnings report suggests The Division won’t see a 2015 release after all and will instead hit shelves sometime between the beginning of January and end of March of 2016.

The section of the report in question reads as follows:

Screen Shot 2015-05-12 at 10.03.59 AM
As you can tell, the report puts The Division, along with another “unannounced title”, at a fiscal year 2016 fourth quarter launch, which translates to the first quarter of calendar year 2016. It release platforms still include PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Rainbow Six Siege, however, is still on track to launch before the end of this year, says Ubisoft.

Source, Ubisoft 1 & Ubisoft 2

David Veselka

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This Week’s Xbox & PlayStation Deals Include Destiny At Half Price [Updated]

Update 2

PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 versions of Destiny and Destiny: Digital Guardian Edition are now 50% off and 30% off, respectively, on the PlayStation store until May 18.

PlayStation 4

PlayStation 3

Update 1

Destiny is also currently half price on Amazon for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, though we’re not certain for how long.

Original Story

Just in time for the launch of Expansion II: House of Wolves next week, Bungie’s shared-world shooter, Destiny, is now half off for Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One and Xbox 360. Destiny’s Digital Guardian Edition is also discounted on Xbox One.

Xbox One

Xbox 360

You’ll also find deals on Gears of War: Judgment DLC and Saints Row games. You can check out the full list of items on sale in this week’s Deals With Gold right here, which will end on May 18.

Even if you opt out of purchasing any additional Destiny downloadable content, non-Season Pass and non-Expansion owners will be getting a big update on May 19, including a new social space called the Reef and new maps in competitive multiplayer.

If you’re curious, you can watch a 5-minute long overview of Destiny’s second expansion, House of Wolves, right here.

David Veselka

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Xbox One’s May Update Is Here – Includes Voice Messages And New Power Settings

The Xbox One May update is finally here for those who aren’t in the Xbox Preview Program.

While this month’s improvements include the new voice message feature and new power settings, dedicated servers for party chat are still undergoing some fine-tuning, but will soon be rolled out to additional testers outside of the Preview Program.

You can read about the full update details below and check out the video above to see it in action.

Voice Messages

“You can now send and receive voice messages from the Xbox One messages app. This is the No. 1 feature requested in the Friends and Parties area on the Xbox Feedback site > ‘Add audio message …’

Power On/Off from Xbox One SmartGlass

“The Xbox One SmartGlass app for Windows, Windows Phone, iOS and Android are being updated to let you power your Xbox One on and off when your devices are on the same home network as your console.”

User Selectable Power Mode

“We are also altering the initial setup experience on Xbox One worldwide to enable you to select your preferred power mode between Instant-on or Energy-saving mode.”

Dedicated Servers for Party Chat

“We will start to expand the availability of the party chat relay services beyond preview members to a broader audience as we continue to fine tune the feature and scale out the servers needed to support party chat relay services.”

Source: Major Nelson

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New Star Wars Battlefront Image And Info – Hero System, Bots, Customization, Co-Op, & More

As Star Wars fans wait patiently for their next serving of Battlefront announcements, a few new details about DICE’s upcoming shooter have trickled out here and there.

Answering a handful of questions on Reddit, EA Community Manager Mathew Everett dropped a few bits of info on Star Wars Battlefront’s Hero system, Missions, players customization, and more.

First off, we learned that Battlefront’s Missions, which can be tackled solo or co-operatively, will send gamers off on adventures that take place on the same planets and environments that will act as the backdrops of the game’s multiplayer battles. Earlier this week, we learned Battlefront would ship with 12 multiplayer maps in total, presumably with three maps in each of the game’s four distinct locations: Tatooine, Hoth, Endor’s moon, and Sullust.

However, Everett promises a mix of locations that cater to specific Missions.

“Missions will take place within the same planetary offerings as the Multiplayer maps,” he said. “But will include a mix of locations that cater to the specific Missions.”

On Twitter, Gameplay Director Gustav Halling added that “There will be a variety of missions which includes a lot of bot target practice and others with bots and objectives.”

Gamers will enjoy a large selection of player customization as well, though DICE hopes to keep the look and feel of Battlefront as authentic as possible, meaning you won’t be able to paint your Stormtrooper purple, nor will you ever catch Darth Vader wearing an orange enviro-suit.

“Yes, you will be able to customize your characters in a number of ways, from selecting various character models and loadouts to choose your emotes that best suit your playing style,” Everett explained. “We’re going for an authentic, immersive Star Wars experience that makes you feel like you’re a part of this galaxy.

“That said, we won’t be letting players create purple Stormtroopers or change Darth Vader’s suit to orange. The team wants to maintain a level of immersion that they are striving to create.

“We will be jumping into further detail around customization in the near future.”

In another thread, Everett confirmed that Battlefront’s Hero system, which will allow you to play as your favorite iconic Star Wars characters like Boba Fett, will be a staple feature across multiple game modes.

“I think everyone is going to like how the hero system works across multiple game modes and types,” he said. “Stay tuned for the full details.”

Star Wars Battlefront’s official Twitter account was able to confirm that while the game will run at 60 frames per second, co-op will drop to 30, likely for performance reasons.

“Star Wars Battlefront will run at 60fps, except during split-screen co-op when it runs at 30fps,” the studio commented.

We saw our first glimpse of Battlefront’s co-op screen last month, which you can check out here if you missed it.

Lastly, DICE shared this new image of Battlefront’s AT-ST, which was also confirmed to be playable just a few days ago, marching through the forests of Endor’s moon, .

Battlefront

Keep your sights on MP1st for more Star Wars Battlefront news.

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

David Veselka

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New Ubisoft Studio Joins The Division Development Team

Developer Massive Entertainment is welcoming fellow Ubisoft studio Annecy to their current project in-progress, an open-world, third-person shooter survival game introduced to the world back in 2013 as The Division.

“We are very happy that Ubisoft Annecy is part of The Division’s family,” Managing Director David Polfeldt announced earlier today. “They are highly experienced and talented developers, adding much value to the project. Being able to work with other studios offers fantastic creative opportunities during development and, in the end, strongly benefits the overall quality of the game.”

Earlier last year, Ubisoft Massive announced a collaboration with Red Storm to help deliver “the most accurate weapons of any videogame,” as well as with Reflections, who are best known for their work on the Driver series as well as The Crew.

“We are bringing our previous experience in multiplayer online games and this project is allowing us to build our technical knowledge in other areas and become experts on this incredible brand,” Annecy Studio Manager Rebecka Coutaz said. “The collaboration with the other studios is going very smoothly, and we’re working together to ensure we meet and exceed the high expectations players have for this new title.”

Annecy previously delivered multiplayer experiences in a number of Splinter Cell titles, including Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory, and Double Agent, though many might be more familiar with their work on Assassin’s Creed II multiplayer.

What exactly Annecy is currently working on with regards to The Division is being kept secret, but Ubisoft says it will have more to share soon.

Thanks, Gameinformer

David Veselka

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