Bloober Team is no stranger to its games being console-exclusive. Not only is the Silent Hill 2 remake exclusive to the PS5 in terms of a console release, but even its first current-gen title, The Medium, was a timed console exclusive to the Xbox Series X|S.
While console-exclusive games has long been a hot topic for gamers and console zealots, it seems this is something Bloober Team isn’t that concerned about, as the studio is open to it once again, and even advises other studios to take the deal if a “great opportunty arises.’ This is something Wojciech Piejko, Game Director of Cronos: The New Dawn, shared to us in an exclusive interview with MP1st.
MP1st: What does the studio think of console-exclusive releases? Is this something we can see the studio move away from? We gather, Konami is the one in charge of that for Silent Hill 2, but The Medium also saw that treatment before.
Piejko: Everything has its pros and cons, and there’s nothing wrong with doing any of the above if it helps you release your game. If a great opportunity arises, you take it—and there’s nothing wrong with that.
—
Bloober’s currently-known game, Cronos: The New Dawn, is planned for release on PC, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. In another part of our chat with Piejko, he confirmed that Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 team has already started pre-production on another project. However, he refrained from sharing any details about it. Will that game be a console-exclusive? We wouldn’t be surprised if it is given Piejko’s statement about it.
Stay tuned to our full interview hitting the site soon.
Studio Wildcard is at it again, as another Ark Survival Ascended update is available for download on consoles and PC. For PS5 owners, you’ll see the download as Ark update 1.056.017, and version 56.17 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
This is another minor patch, which slots in various technical fixes rather than implement any gameplay adjustments.
Ark Survival Ascended Update 1.056.017 Brings Bug Fixes to ModUI
v56.17 – Minor version for Clients – 10/04/2024
Bug fixes for the ModUI.
Changes to the IIS screen allow more spotlight items to be displayed in different ways.
Fixed jitter while standing on a zeppelin.
There was also a server-side patch released yesterday to plug in an exploit, and before that, a patch was released in the last week of November that implemented mod fixes, which we’ve listed below.
Mod Browser changes to support new types of Mods.
Turkey Trial event colors are live in SP until December 10th.
Photo Mode Save as painting fixed.
We should be getting a beefier patch soon, and this will add in the holiday-themed Ark festivities. Once that’s live, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
The high costs of making AAA games are nothing new. Big titles like Starfield, Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarok, and the Call of Duty series have production budgets in the hundreds of millions—sometimes even more than those of major Hollywood films. The gaming industry has been debating the sustainability of this trend for some time. Now, Shawn Layden, former boss of PlayStation Studios, has clearly stated that this approach is simply not sustainable.
Shawn Layden, who for years was one of the key figures behind Sony Interactive Entertainment, opened up about the rising costs of AAA games in a recent interview with Eurogamer. Layden argues that the audience for console gaming is not growing at a rate fast enough to justify these sky-high budgets.
Games Are Becoming Too Long and Mismatched to the Market and Reality
According to Layden, the younger generation of potential gamers is being drawn away by platforms like TikTok, leading to a situation where developers and hardware manufacturers are increasingly relying on a shrinking pool of existing gamers to support their expensive ventures. As a result, Layden believes the industry faces two critical issues that need urgent attention: the rising costs of AAA game development, and the fact that these games are becoming too long, creating a mismatch to the market and reality.
Layden explained,
We need to address two or three things specifically. One thing is the exploding cost of game development. Every generation it costs twice as much to build a game. What costs $1m on PS1, then costs two, then four, then 16. It goes exponentially. The PS4 generation, which was the last I was associated with, game dev was 150m if you want to be top of the line, and that’s before marketing. So by that math, PS5 games should eventually reach $300m to $400m – and that is just outright not sustainable.
To help reduce the rising costs, Layden suggests a possible solution: shortening the length of AAA games. He argues that it no longer makes sense to design titles that span 80, 90, or even 100 hours, especially considering that the average age of gamers has shifted to around 30 years old, as opposed to the younger audience of 18-23 that dominated the previous generation. He proposes that games should ideally have no more than 23 hours of engaging gameplay—shorter, but still captivating enough to keep players hooked.
He further explained,
It’s like we’re at the end of the 18th century, and we’re realising that building cathedrals is really expensive. Can we continue to build these massive edifices to God for this incredible amount of labour and time? Or should we just build four walls and a roof, and that’s a church, right? I’m afraid we’ve built AAA gaming into a kind of cathedral business, and it just can’t grow any further. In fact, it’s probably grown too far already.
Layden’s comments make him one of the first top industry figures to openly admit that the current way of making AAA games is not sustainable, especially when it comes to exclusive titles. This was shown by the failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which lost Warner Bros. $200 million.
Even with these signs of trouble, the trend of spending large amounts on AAA games doesn’t seem to be slowing down. As long as games like Spider-Man 2, which cost an estimated $350 million, continue to do well, many companies will likely keep following the same approach.
Visual Concepts has released another unannounced title update for WWE 2K24, which really shouldn’t surprise anyone anymore. Console gamers can download WWE 2K24 update 1.025 now, which brings new Elite persona cards.
WWE 2K24 New Update 1.025 Adds New Persona Cards and Not Much Else
Unfortunately, the devs don’t seem to have any patch notes available, as has been the case with the last few title updates. We do have info on the new Elite persona cards (thanks to Witty).
We are not expecting any gameplay-related changes or adjustments with this title update, since it looks like the devs have stopped squashing any leftover bugs to work on the game’s next iteration.
There is a new MyFaction Pack coming to WWE 2K24, and this is called the “Winter Warriors.” This houses new frames, and also a new event:
Checking on the game’s community, they haven’t noticed any gameplay changes or bug fixes. Needless to say, most aren’t happy since the updates we get are either for DLC, or just new MyFaction stuff.
We’re checking to see if this patch includes any gameplay changes, though we’re not counting on them. If we spot anything, we’ll update the article.
Visual Concepts has rolled out WWE 2K25 update 1.25 on all platforms, and this adds new Elite persona cards to the game. This is another unannounced title update from the devs, which is something we should be used to by now since it seems we won’t be getting any communication from the studio until WWE 2K25 is officially announced.
WWE 2K24 Update 1.25 New Elite Persona Cards Revealed
Unfortunately, the devs don’t seem to have any patch notes available, as has been the case with the last few title updates. We do have info on the new Elite persona cards (thanks to Witty).
We are not expecting any gameplay-related changes or adjustments with this title update, since it looks like the devs have stopped squashing any leftover bugs to work on the game’s next iteration.
There is a new MyFaction Pack coming to WWE 2K24, and this is called the “Winter Warriors.” This houses new frames, and also a new event:
Checking on the game’s community, they haven’t noticed any gameplay changes or bug fixes. Needless to say, most aren’t happy since the updates we get are either for DLC, or just new MyFaction stuff.
We’re checking to see if this patch includes any gameplay changes, though we’re not counting on them. If we spot anything, we’ll update the article.
BioWare has released Dragon Age: The Veilguard new update 1.000.005, or otherwise known as Patch 4, and this brings quality-of-life changes, a new outfit from Dragon Age 2, and of course, bug fixes.
The patch’s release today coincides with Dragon Age Day this December 4, and there are more festivities planned for players outside of the patch.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Latest Update Version 1.000.005 Houses Over 20 Bug Fixes
New Content:
Dragon Age 2 Hawke’s Iconic Outfit
Armor
Body Paint
Face Paint
Qunari Complexions
Two new complexions for the Qunari lineage
Quality of Life Changes:
In Patch 3, we introduced a line on screen showing where a Photo Mode screenshot was saved. In Patch 4, we are reverting that change due to a safety concern brought to us by some content creators. PC players can find their Photo Mode screenshots in Documents/BioWare/Dragon Age: The Veilguard/screenshots
Added an in-game Setting to turn off Bloom.
Added a “Hide/Show UI” button on the pause screen to better take screenshots on Console.
Added a “Take Photo” button on the pause screen to take screenshots during conversations and cinematics on PC.
Bug Fixes:
Fixed an issue that prevented some saves from loading properly. (PC Only)
Fixed an issue that was preventing the Frame Rate Limit setting from being saved.
Fixed an issue with Rook’s face and hair changing drastically when a save is loaded.
Fixed an issue with certain longer hairstyles that floated above Rook’s chest and shoulders.
Fixed an issue where two Neve characters could appear in the Fire and Ice quest.
Fixed a rare issue where Emmrich did not lead Rook to the next task in his recruitment Where the Dead Must Go quest.
Adjusted the spirit guides in The Warden Vault quest.
Fixed an issue that caused the Ultimate Ability to swap to the default Ultimate.
Fixed an issue where the Ultimate Ability Icon was not displayed after Bellara is recruited.
Fixed an issue where the first hit in a Warrior Rook’s shield throw may miss the target unintentionally.
Fixed an issue where the Slaughter of Pillars Revenant had no health bar.
Fixed an issue that caused Achievement Progress to reset when a new Rook was created. This will not restore Achievement Progress that was overwritten, but your Rooks will no longer compete with each other for who can kill more High Dragons.
Fixed an issue with the camera in The Demon’s Bargain quest when playing on an HDD.
Fixed an issue with the camera in the Sea of Blood quest if Rook backtracked too far.
Fixed two instances where Viago was clearly talking to Rook but was too absorbed by Teia’s beauty and staring at her instead.
Fixed an issue with Photo Mode screenshots appearing slightly blurry for some players.
Fixed an issue where taking a screenshot with the space bar in Photo Mode also toggled the highlighted setting at the same time. (PC Only)
Fixed an audio issue that caused battle music to stop playing while Rook was still fighting darkspawn in A Warden’s Best Friend quest.
Fixed an audio issue that prevented music from playing during a conversation with Lucanis in the Lighthouse.
Fixed a rare lighting issue in the One Last Breath quest
Fixed a blocking issue in the Fire and Ice quest when returning to the Lighthouse.
Fixed a blocking issue in the Blood of Arlathan quest if Rook backtracked too far.
Fixed a UI issue that caused the “New Item” highlight to get stuck on an item.
Fixed an issue with the In Lost Friendship codex that was mentioning events out of order and possibly with the wrong companion.
Fixed an issue that was causing the male British Inquisitor (Harry Hadden-Paton) to be pitched too low.
Updated several German voice line instances with corrected translations.
This is the last patch for the action-RPG this year from BioWare, though we expect another one to be released (Patch 5) sometime in January 2025. Stay tuned here on MP1st for the latest Dragon Age: The Veilguard updates and more.
Following today’s title update release for Fortnite, it seems the servers are having issues right now, as multiple gamers on social media are reporting on the Fortnite servers being down. If you’re having issues logging into any mode, don’t fret, it’s not just you.
Fortnite Servers Are Having Issues This December 4
Update: Epic Games has announced that servers are back to normal.
All Fortnite game services have returned to normal and players are able to jump back in!
This also affects account creation and just accessing anything regarding the game at the moment. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon, and we’re monitoring the situation, and if anything changes, we’ll update the article.
If you haven’t logged into the game since last week, the big Chapter 6 Season 1 patch has been released, which you can read about here. For those that can connect to the game, leave a comment below and let us know where you’re connecting from and which platform.
Gameloft has released Disney Dreamlight Valley’s update for December 4 on all platforms, bringing the “Sew Delightful” content drop to players. Those on consoles will see this as Dreamlight Valley update 14.03 on last-gen, while current-gen console owners will see this as update version 14.003.
Expect a slew of new content from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas to be available, a new Star Path, and other holiday-themed items. Alongside the new content, there’s an assortment of fixes available as well, with the complete details listed in the official patch notes below.
Disney Dreamlight Valley Update 14.03 New Content and Changes in Sew Delightful Patch
NEW CONTENT (AVAILABLE TO ALL PLAYERS*):
A new character. Sally from Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas joins the Valley, bringing her signature patchwork style to her friendship quest rewards!
A new Star Path. Add some winter whimsy to your Valley with the Frost & Fairies Star Path. Dabble in fae fashions for your Avatar and decorate with crystalline furniture items and other enchanting rewards.
Even more rewards await! Players who claim all items from the Free and Premium tracks of the Frost & Fairies Star Path can continue the fun with a Bonus Rewards tab, featuring color variants and other rewards.
The Gift of Giving event returns: collect Festive Wrapping Paper to create seasonal decorations and finish your festive fish collection with rare seasonal aquatic life.
Do you want to craft a snowman? Alongside the Gift of Giving event, keep an eye out for a chest in your Plaza that will kick off a new seasonal task.
New gifts under the seasonal tree! Make sure to play in late December to claim new seasonal surprises in the Dream Castle.
Weekly rotation galore – check in each week for new DreamSnaps themes to win Moonstones – and save them up for delightful new optional content arriving in the Premium Shop.
Save up those Star Coins: Scrooge McDuck’s Store receives new stock for sale, featuring items inspired by Disney’s The Lion King, and others from Villager homes.
Olá! Disney Dreamlight Valley and The Rift in Time and The Storybook Vale will be available in Brazilian Portuguese as of the Sew Delightful update.
* Please note: Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition does not include seasonal Star Paths or the Premium Shop.
IMPROVEMENTS (AVAILABLE TO ALL PLAYERS):
DREAMSNAPS:
Added a new feature “Top DreamSnaps of the Week”. This showcase will feature the top 3 images in each weekly challenge, in order of the highest-scored points among eligible players who agreed to share the submissions. Players can choose to opt-out of this feature. Due to compliance with certain rules and standards, PlayStation players are not eligible to participate in this feature.
OTHER:
4 Floating Islands themed after the Plaza, Forest of Valor, Sunlit Plateau, and the Frosted Heights Biomes arrive! Learn more in our dedicated blog here: https://disneydreamlightvalley.com/news/FloatingIslandExplainerBlog
Give your Valley a new look with 16-point rotation! This feature allows players to rotate houses, landscaping items, and furniture to their heart’s content!
Some pond-like furniture items (Relaxing Oasis and Watering Hole) will now feature some areas where water-based furniture and landscaping items can be placed.
TOP CHANGES AND BUG FIXES:
Fixed an issue where non-bordered pathing displayed with a blunt North-most edge.
Fixed an issue where some wall items displayed at the wrong angle in Scrooge McDuck’s Store or in player houses.
Fixed an issue where Pumbaa requested pork-based recipes as gifts.
Fixed an issue where some items were missing from the Collections menu.
Fixed a variety of localization errors.
Fixed an issue where the game may not display the current device time.
Added an icon on Touch of Magic Storage furniture items in the menu to indicate if they have items in them.
Fixed an issue where Mulan can step too close to the player during the Selfie Animation.
Fixed an issue where NPC’s may turn away from the player during a discussion.
Fixed several visual issues and clipping with various clothing combinations.
Improved the texture resolution on some items in Jack Skellington’s house on iOS.
Fixed an issue where some dresses could become deformed when gliding.
Fixed several furniture highlights in edit mode that would have a visual issue in the form of grey squares.
Fixed an issue where the DreamSnaps menu would not load for some players.
“The Drawings” quest: Intended as a ‘secret’ quest (similar to the “Keycard Pieces” quest in the Monsters, Inc. Realm), a quest tracker pop-up causing confusing has been removed.
“A New Directive” quest: Fixed an issue where the BnL blanket would not spawn.
“The Infestation” quest: Fixed an issue where the Night Mite Nests and Mega Night Mites would spawn in the incorrect places.
“Archery and Archrivals” quest: Fixed an issue where players could not locate all of the Wanted Posters due to them spawning in unreachable areas.
“The Company of the Wolf” quest: Fixed an issue where players could not located all of the buried items, or they spawned in unreachable areas or areas that could not be interacted with.
“A Tale of Stone and Fire” quest: Fixed an issue where Maui would remain on Dazzle Beach.
Added a popup on PlayStation to explain that when crossplay is disabled, DreamSnaps entries cannot be submitted.
“Old Fashioned Heist” quest: Fixed an issue where Flynn would not enter fortress.
“Purchase Error #12”: Added a popup to explain when there is a Premium Shop purchase desynchronization between the online and local save files.
Fixed an issue where players were unable to cross the bridge between the Beanstalk Marshes and Mount Olympus.
Fixed an issue where Tale Cone Flowers may spawn in an unreachable section underneath The Bind bridge, causing a soft lock when players attempted to pick them up.
Fixed an issue where removing Inkies are sometimes not counted towards The Storybook Vale duties.
Fixed several issues across the Storybook Vale biomes where items could fall into unreachable places.
Fixed several issues across the Storybook Vale biomes where the player could clip into the environment.
Fixed several issues across the Storybook Vale biomes where the camera would experience unintended collisions.
Added a missing hint popup to the third Myth trial to suggest how to interact with a Royal Watering Can based puzzle.
Fixed an issue where the harvesting VFX wouldn’t play when harvesting food from trees and bushes in the Storybook Vale.
Fixed an issue where blockers/materials could spawn over the water surfaces.
Fixed an issue where items could appear too close on the 3D preview in the Premium Shop.
Fixed an issue where there was an empty tree patch in the Everafter biome.
Fixed an issue on iPad where some textures in the Library of Lore were low resolution.
Fixed an issue where the Snippet Wings were not in the Gliders category.
Fixed an issue where several recipes resolved in a different dish than intended.
Fixed an issue where the Lorekeeper was missing some voice overs.
Fixed an issue where players could use Royal Shovel buff potions to obtain more memories than intended.
Various other bug fixes, optimizations and improvements.
As you can see with the holiday content, this should be the game’s last update of the year, barring any emergency fixes. If Gameloft releases another one, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
Last month, Larian Studios issued Hotfix 29 for consoles and this targeted mods. Unfortunately, as part of the patch, it also caused issues for players who were unable to load saves that had more than 100 mods already enabled. Today, the studio released Baldur’s Gate 3 update 1.700.500 on consoles, which should solve that problem.
According to Larian, this follow-up patch “has now gone live on consoles that will allow console players to load saves that previously had more than 100 mods enabled by disabling any mods previously active on those saves. This will give console players the opportunity to attempt to continue playing on these saves.”
For players who didn’t have a save with more than 100 mods enabled on their consoles, this fix will not affect you at all.
Larian has also made recommendations for attempting to fix an existing save.
Per the studio, “When you’re modding a game, changes to some of the files mean that particular mods are required to be enabled to ensure your save still loads correctly. This hotfix also gives you the ability to re-subscribe up to 100 of the mods you previously had enabled. Should you opt not to re-subscribe to a particular mod, you might experience crashes and other gameplay issues.”
While the patch released today aims to restore access to these saves, Larian mentions that players might still encounter instability issues due to the nature of mods. For players who want to regain access to their saves with some of the mods they’ve enabled previously and still remain under the 100-mod limit, the following mods tend to have a lower impact on saves according to the studio.
Larian recommends trying to load a save without the items listed below first:
Dice skins
Face cosmetics
Mods that add items
While this is a minor patch released to handle mods, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2025. Larian has promised the release of Patch 8, which will finally bring crossplay functionality, and even new subclasses.
Epic Games has released Fortnite update 1.000.160 on consoles and PC, and this is an unannounced patch. Given we just got the big Chapter 6 Season 1 patch a few days ago, don’t expect much from this outside of fixes. Alongside that, Epic Games has implemented XP changes to the game, which is outlined below as well.
Fortnite Update 1.000.160 Download Now Available This December 4:
Epic has not mentioned any specific when it comes to patch notes, but the developers did relay the following XP changes:
Daily Bonus Goal rewards are now higher.
LEGO Fortnite Quest XP has been fixed (now rewarding 25,000 instead of 700).
Increased weekly XP earnable in Save The World, LEGO Fortnite, Reload, and Creative experiences.
Alongside that, we’ve also included the known issues that’s currently being looked (via the official Fortnite Trello board). Note that the ones under “Fixed in Next Game Update” should be the ones included in today’s patch.
GENERAL TOP ISSUES
PC Crash With Hardware Ray Tracing
Workaround: To resolve this issue, please delete the cache file found at :
Just a few days ago, Epic Games launched the big Chapter 6 Season 1 patch for Fortnite. While that ushered in a good number of new content, it also brought in bugs. Today, Epic Games has released Fortnite update 4.49 on December 4, and this is accompanied by XP changes made.
Fortnite Update 4.49 Is Now Available for Download
Epic has not mentioned any specific when it comes to patch notes, but the developers did relay the following XP changes:
Daily Bonus Goal rewards are now higher.
LEGO Fortnite Quest XP has been fixed (now rewarding 25,000 instead of 700).
Increased weekly XP earnable in Save The World, LEGO Fortnite, Reload, and Creative experiences.
Alongside that, we’ve also included the known issues that’s currently being looked (via the official Fortnite Trello board). Note that the ones under “Fixed in Next Game Update” should be the ones included in today’s patch.
GENERAL TOP ISSUES
PC Crash With Hardware Ray Tracing
Workaround: To resolve this issue, please delete the cache file found at :
Footie fans can now download EA Sports FC 25 update 1.000.010 for PS5/Xbox Series X|S, with last-gen owners see this as Fc 25 update 1.10. This is for TItle Update #6, and what the devs call the First Frost Patch. Aside from your usual swathe of fixes, this patch also has a good load of gameplay adjustments, and Ultimate Team adjuetments as well.
EA Sports FC 25 Update 1.000.010 Out This December 4 Brings a Large List of Changes
Description
The First Frost Update (Title Update #6) will soon be available for all versions of EA SPORTS FC 25, and it will include:
New Player Roles and Focuses
Shorter Rush matches and new Player Items in Ultimate Team
Career Mode and Clubs updates
A new winter menu theme.
Gameplay
Made the following changes:
Added the Classic 10 and Wide Half Player Roles, as well as thirteen Focuses.
Slightly increased speed and consistency for the Stop And Turn (While Running) Skill Move when performed by 3 Star Skill Move players.
Slightly increased speed of Drag Backs.
Improved consistency for the Stop And Turn (While Running), Roulette, Heel To Heel, and Feint and Exit Skill Moves when performed by 2 Star Skill Move players.
Slightly increased speed and consistency of Jog Fake Shots when performed by 3 Star Skill Move players and above.
Slightly decreased the speed of Jog Body Feints.
Attacking players can now come back to an onside position quicker than before.
Slightly increased the window of time in which a Directed Run can be requested.
A Player Switch can now be requested during passes while in Player Lock.
Addressed the following issues:
Improved defensive logic for tracking runs during Kick Offs.
The attacking team’s center backs could have pushed too far up the pitch in some cases.
When requested, Secondary Contain was not always being performed by the player with the Next Player Switch Indicator.
Sometimes, center backs could have positioned themselves too far apart while their team had possession.
Addressed instances of Player Switching not functioning as intended.
Addressed instances of the Player Lock Input triggering an unintended Player Switch.
As a knock on effect that we are investigating, goalkeeper movement can trigger an unintended player switch.
Addressed an issue that was preventing high tackling Attribute players from being as effective as intended in specific situations.
In some instances, deep free kicks resulted in the ball not being passed to any specific receiver.
Improved referee logic when determining offside calls in situations involving the goalkeeper.
Improved referee logic when determining foul calls in some tackling situations.
In rare situations, attacking players could have crowded the center of the pitch unintentionally.
In some cases, defenders could have won the ball from behind the ball carrier easier than intended.
Addressed an issue in which a requested tackle could have moved the user controlled player towards the ball before starting the tackle animation.
Disabled the D Pad Tactics UI in Kick Off 3v3 matches as it had no impact on gameplay.
Ultimate Team
Made the following changes:
Reduced Rush match length from 7 minutes to 5 minutes.
The Squad Builder Rarity filter can now be used to search for all available rarities, similar to how search is done in the Transfer Market.
Players not actively engaging in a Rush match are now more likely to be kicked from the match.
Addressed the following issues:
Some Player Items were incorrectly showing as Loan Items when viewing them in the Season Pass.
After editing tactics, the positions of Player Items could have changed unintentionally.
Career Mode
Made the following changes:
Non academy players can now earn PlayStyes as they develop.
Goalkeeper Youth Prospects now have a chance to develop two PlayStyles+.
Updated Tactical Vision presets to account for new Player Roles and Focuses.
Added winter weather to Training Drills which can be enabled or disabled through the Weather Effects setting.
Updated list of available ICONs in Player Career.
Addressed the following issues:
In Live Starting Point, edited injuries and suspensions were not always applied to players correctly.
When creating a club in Manager Career, the default squad could have had the same facial expressions.
Trophies did not always display correctly.
In some cases, players could have earned an unlimited amount of PlayStyles through Training Drills.
Clubs
Made the following changes:
Winter weather is now present in Drop-In matches. This is a visual update only and does not impact gameplay.
Added the VR Room and Passing Drill facilities.
Addressed the following issues:
Signature celebrations could not be performed in League Matches.
Some PlayStyles would not display when viewing Avatar presets with more than six PlayStyles.
When playing as a goalkeeper at the Kenilworth Road stadium, the player’s view could have been unintentionally limited.
General, Audio, and Visual
Made the following changes:
Updated the menus with a new winter theme.
The Tactical and Possession views can now be toggled on the Team Tactic screen.
Updated some kits, stadium, celebrations, scenes, messages, button callouts, badges, tifos, gloves, balls, banners, flags, boots, ad boards, hair, tattoos, trophies, audio, UI elements, and commentary.
Addressed the following issues:
Addressed instances of stability issues occurring during co-op online matches.
Some lower rated teams were easier to play against than intended on Legendary Difficulty.
Addressed instances of placeholder text, incorrect UI elements, incorrect camera angles, and button conflicts.
When playing a tournament in Career Mode or Tournament Mode, the trophies for some leagues were not the intended trophy.
This is probably one of the biggest patches the game has seen, and should be the last major update of 2024.
V Rising update 1.010.002 is now out on PS5, and this patch was released on PC a day earlier as hotfix 9.3. This is a minor patch that doesn’t bring in any new content but instead deals with server issues more than anything else.
V Rising’s Latest Update Version 1.010.002 Brings Graphic on Server Listing
According to Stunlock, players should expect “The only change should be a graphic on the server list identifying our Trusted Server Provider, which has changed from G-Portal to PocketHost.”
While the file download might be larger than your usual hotfix, it’s due to image size more than anything else. Sadly, if you were expecting any holiday-themed goodies in this patch, that doesn’t seem to be the case. But hey, we still have a few good weeks left before the year is over, right?
The latest major patch was released last month, and players saw the Castlevania crossover content drop. Just a day later, the PS5 version got a follow-up patchto fix content access issues.
Stunlock is cooking up version 1.1, where a new biome and more will be introduced. No exact date is available for when that patch will be out, but once we know more, we’ll let our readers know.
In case you didn’t know, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded is set to assault gamers this December 5, and it brings a slew of new content in the form of new maps, weapons, modes, and more. Those playing Warzone and Zombies, there’s new stuff headed your way, too.
Remember that this is not the complete patch notes but rather a summary of new content coming our way.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded New Content Out on December 5
GENERAL (Multiplayer, Zombies, Warzone)
Gear Up: Earn three new weapons (the Maelstrom Shotgun, AMR Mod 4 Sniper Rifle, and Cleaver Melee plus burst-fire attachments for the XM4 and Kompakt 92.
New Events: Earn rewards for progressing through new in-game Events including Merry Mayhem and Archies’ Festival Frenzy.
New Store Offerings: Enter the fight as a deadly unicorn helmeted Ultra Skin, equip a clucking cool Dead Ops Arcade-inspired Mastercraft Shotgun Weapon Blueprint, and sit back with the dankest Mastercraft SMG Weapon Blueprint around. Get these and more with an epic slate of new Bundles arriving throughout the mid-season, including a pair of ugly holiday sweaters to warm you through the winter.
Free Trial: Get two weeks of free access to Multiplayer and Zombies including new maps like Nuketown Holiday and modes like Prop Hunt introduced in Season 01!
Fully automatic shotgun. Good range and handling. High recoil and large hip spread.
Clear rooms with this fast firing full-auto Shotgun that overwhelms enemies with a hail of lead. The perfect weapon for the new Racket Strike map and in any confined area, the Maelstrom requires getting up close, its heavy recoil and large hip spread quickly losing effectiveness at range. If you can close the distance first, they’re toast.
Primary Weapon: AMR Mod 4 (In-Season)
Sniper Rifle, Event Reward (Archie’s Festival Frenzy)
Semi-auto sniper rifle. One-shot kill to torso, arms, hands, and upper legs. Very high recoil and slow rate of fire. You can steady your aim while ADSing.
Down enemies fast with this powerful Sniper Rifle providing a one-shot elimination across the upper body not accounting for armor. Its high damage is balanced by slow aim speed and heavy recoil, though these drawbacks can be alleviated with the right attachments. However you customize it, this thing is guaranteed to hit hard.
One-hit kill. Short-medium range. Medium attack speed.
Go ham with the close-quarters Cleaver Melee weapon. Chop and slice with a mix of heavy and light attacks. Equally useful for enemy Operators and the undead.
New: Weapon Attachments
Available: Unlocked reward as part of the Merry Mayhem and Archie’s Festival Frenzy Events
3-Round Burst Mod Conversion (In-Season)
XM4 Assault Rifle, Fire Mod, Merry Mayhem Event Reward
Convert the XM4 Assault Rifle’s primary firing mode into a three-round burst, conserving ammo and supporting a steadier aim through sustained combat.
3-Round Burst Mod Conversion (In-Season)
Kompakt 92 SMG, Fire Mod, Archie’s Festive Frenzy Event Reward
Add some control to the rapid-fire Kompakt 92 SMG with a three-round burst primary firing mode. Each burst cycles quickly to the next, allowing you to still pump out damage when it’s needed most.
MULTIPLAYER
Three Maps: Return to the fan-favorite Hacienda, hit the Luttazzi crime family where it hurts in the brand-new Racket Strike map, and celebrate the holiday season with Nuketown Holiday.
Two Festive LTMs: Satisfy your cravings in Ran-Snack and show some holiday spirit alongside the undead in Infectious Holiday.
Additional Content: Blast enemies onto the minimap with the new Shrapnel Radar Perk and add a fourth Scorestreak via the High Roller Wildcard.
WARZONE
Introducing BR Ranked Play: Compete for placement and exclusive rewards with the arrival of BR Ranked Play for Call of Duty: Warzone. Deploy to Urzikstan using a competitive ruleset including new innovations and updates for the best possible experience.
CODMAS LTMs: Celebrate the arrival of two holiday-themed LTMs. Get in snowball fights and fight for loot in tree hot zones as you deploy to Area 99 in Holiday Rush and Urzikstan in Slay Ride Resurgence.
New Perk: Shrug off enemy traps with the new Reflexes Perk. Nothing can stop you now.
ZOMBIES
Citadelle des Morts: Encounter an unexpected ally and investigate an ominous medieval fortress in Avalon, as the zombie hordes threaten to overwhelm you!
Additional Equipment: Research and utilize new powers courtesy of four elemental Wonder Weapons, the Vulture Aid Perk-a-Cola, Light Mend Ammo Mod, and Tesla Storm Field Upgrade. Plus, new GobbleGums and more!
Modes Aplenty: Liberty Falls gets hellishly festive, Directed Mode comes to Citadelle des Morts later in-season, and the Zombies Training Course arrives for new players to cut their teeth on.
Expect the PS4 and PS5 versions to be able to pre-load the patch a good 12 or even 24 hours before it goes live. The patch notes should be available a few hours before the new content can be installed.
You can read more about the Season 1 Reloaded content here.
Despite previously addressing the rumors of potential shutdowns, and saying that the game would continue on past Season 4, Ubisoft today officially announced that XDefiant will be shutting down June next year, with Season 3 being the last season.
XDefiant Servers Will Be Closing After Its 1st Anniversary
After seeing countless delays, XDefiant finally saw its release back in May, opening up to some impressive launch day numbers. Though everything seemed to be going well for the newest free-to-play title, it wouldn’t be very long after launch that the game began seeing trouble. A lot of that trouble stemmed from technical issues that have continued to plague the game since its release, which in turn, began to see players flocking away to other titles. Recently, rumors began swirling that the title would shut down, though that would soon be addressed by Mark Rubin, executive producer on the title, noting that they were having meetings for Year 2 already.
“To be crystal clear there are NO plans to shut down after season 4. I’ve literally been in meetings as of last week to discuss our Year 2 plans. But, right now we are super focused on improving the technical experience (which includes netcode) and adding more content for Seasons 3 & 4. We have done very little marketing so yes our numbers are down but that is just to give the team the time to get the game in a better place before we do bigger spends on marketing to bring new players to the game and to bring back players that have left.”
This comment was made almost two months back, which brings us to today, where Ubisoft officially announced that the title is shutting down next year.
“Today, I wanted to share with you that we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue development on XDefiant,
Despite an encouraging start, the team’s passionate work, and a committed fan base, we’ve not been able to attract and retain enough players in the long run to compete at the level we aim for in the very demanding free-to-play FPS market. As a result, the game is too far away from reaching the results required to enable further significant investment, and we are announcing that we will be sunsetting it.
Concretely, that means that as of today, new downloads, player registrations and purchases will no longer be available. Season 3 will still launch, and the servers will remain active until June 3, 2025, out of appreciation for both our dev teams who worked on it and for XDefiant’s active players.
Unfortunately, the discontinuation of XDefiant brings difficult consequences for the teams working on this game. Even if almost half of the XDefiant team worldwide will be transitioning to other roles within Ubisoft, this decision also leads to the closing of our San Francisco and Osaka production studios and to the ramp down of our Sydney production site, with 143 people departing in San Francisco and 134 people likely to depart in Osaka and Sydney. To those team members leaving Ubisoft, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your work and contributions. Please know that we are committed to supporting you during this transition.
Developing Games-as-a-Service experiences remains a pillar of our strategy, and we’ve achieved significant successes, like Rainbow Six, The Crew, and For Honor, among others. It’s a highly competitive market, and we will apply the lessons learned with XDefiant to our future live titles.
Globally, we are determined to take the necessary steps to put the company back on a path to growth, innovation and creativity and make sure we can set you up for success. This means continuing to radically evolve our mindset for Production and Business practices, which we will share more about soon, and doing targeted restructuring when necessary. I know that the situation brings questions and expectations, and we will share regular and transparent updates.
My sincere thanks for your continued dedication as we navigate these trying times together.
Marie-Sophie de Waubert, Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer”
This is absolutely devastating news. Not only is the game shutting down next year, but Ubisoft is also closing down the studios and laying off hundreds of employees in the process. Our prayers go out to everyone affected by these layoffs.
As for XDefiant, we can’t say we are surprised by the news given the previous rumors, and how the fan base seemed to have been dwindling in numbers over the last months. Anyone in the community could probably tell you that things weren’t looking too bright, and it’s just unfortunate this happened so soon in its lifespan.
A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.
Even if it’s not latest Diablo game released, Blizzard is continuing support for Diablo 2 Resurrected, as a new patch for it is available to download now. Tagged by Blizzard as patch 2.8.0, gamers will see this as Diablo 2 Resurrected update 1.31 (1.031 on PS5/XSX), and this brings the data for Ladder Season 9.
Blizzard states that Ladder Season 9 starts on December 8, though the data for it should be available for download now.
Fixed a bug that occurs when a monster and a player or mercenary have the same level of aura.
User Interface and User Experience
Move Directions are now bindable.
Ladder Season 9
Ladder Season 9 will usher in a new opportunity for brave adventurers to blitz to Level 99 and amass powerful loot along the way. We can’t wait to see which determined souls carve their name into the Leaderboard this time.
Ladder Season 9 Launch Timing:
North America
December 6, 5 p.m. PST
Europe
December 7, 2 a.m. CEST
Asia
December 7, 10 a.m. KST
As with previous seasons, Ladder Season 9 will feature different modes:
Version
Description
Pre-Expansion Ladder
The standard version of Ladder play that encompasses only the original four acts.
Pre-Expansion Hardcore Ladder
The hardcore (only one life) version of Ladder play that encompasses only the original four acts.
Ladder
The standard version of Ladder play that encompasses five acts, as it includes the “Lord of Destruction” expansion content.
Hardcore Ladder
The hardcore (only one life) version of Ladder play that encompasses five acts, as it includes the “Lord of Destruction” expansion content.
If you’re new to Ladder Seasons, you might be scratching your head and wondering what happens to your Shared Stash once the season is over. Here’s Blizzard’s explanation, “Once Ladder Season 8 ends, all Ladder characters will be transferred to their respective non-ladder group. All items in that character group’s Shared Stash go into a new Withdraw Only set of Shared Stash tabs, denoted by a check marked Past box. Any items from Ladder Season 7 stored in the Withdraw Only tabs will be lost at this time. You will have all of Ladder Season 9 to withdraw any items you would like to keep from Season 8. When Ladder Season 9 ends, this withdraw only set of Stash Tabs will be overridden with any items in the Ladder Season 8 Shared Stash. Be sure to get any items out before then or they will be forever lost!”
This is the last patch for Diablo 2 Resurrected for 2024, and if we get another in the coming months once another season is about to start, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
Announced last month, Rockstar has now shared our first look at GTA Online’s next update titled “Agents of Sabotage” which will be released this December 10. There’s a new story trailer for it that’s available now giving us a sneak peek at what to expect.
GTA Online’s Agents of Sabotage Update Now Has a Date
Rockstar has also shared details on the update’s plot: Former FIB operative turned rogue agent Jodi Marshall has a serious grudge against her former handlers. She’s maintained backdoor access to the Bureau’s files, and is not above exploiting this privileged information for personal gain.
Players can expect a new covert ops installation with the Darnell Bros. Garment Factory being introduced as part of the update. Other stuff to expect include:
Dispatch Work missions
New rides
Job Creator updates
New upgrades for your Benefactor Terrobyte, including a Collectible Scanner to help pinpoint a wide range of treasures whenever they are in close proximity such as Action Figures, Movie Props, G’s Cache drops and more.
Compared to your usual weekly update, this should be a client-side patch, with the patch notes bound to be released within the same day the patch is rolled out. Once it’s out, expect MP1st to have it up ASAP.
This should be the last client-side update for GTA Online (and in extension, Grand Theft Auto 5). Will we see more updates drop for the online mode even if GTA 6 is looming over it? We’ll know for sure once 2025 rolls around.
Saber has released SnowRunner update 1.56 (PS5.XSX version 1.037), and this is for the premium Kentworth DLC, though it also houses bug fixes and vehicle improvements for owners of the base game.
SnowRunner Update 1.56 Brings New Fixes
This update introduces 2 new trucks to your garage, each with a unique vinyl wrap:
the Highway-class T880
the Heavy Duty-class C500.
The T880 excels on roads with excellent fuel efficiency, high speed, permanent differential lock, and access to high suspensions. Meanwhile, the C500 offers outstanding off-road maneuverability, though limited to stock suspensions! Additionally, the pack includes custom sideboards tailored for each truck, with 3 cargo slots for the T880 and 2 for the C500.
New content: [DLC]
New trucks:
– Kenworth T880
– Kenworth C500
[DLC] New add-ons and trailers:
– Flatbed add-ons for Kenworths
Vehicles improvements:
– Fixed the issue with flares on EarthRoamer LTi and EarthRoamer SX trucks
– Fixed reflections in the rearview mirror on EarthRoamer LTi and EarthRoamer SX trucks
– Fixed the two of the same ‘Hood Ornaments’ items in the list for the EarthRoamer SX truck in the garage
– Fixed the rearview mirror shakes while driving with any ‘Accessories’ upgrade installed on the Futom 7290RA truck
– Fixed the display of some windshield and interior stickers on the GMC MH9500 and Ankatra 1160 trucks
– Updated texture for AAC-58 DW spare wheel
– Fixed issues with the visual display of different cargo packed on add-ons Improved visuals of some cranes
Other Changes:
– Fixed the issue with chaotically moving Hori Force Feedback Racing Wheel DLX steering wheel
Maxis is bringing some holiday treats to simmers with today’s The Sims 4 update 2.04 available for PC and consoles. Players can expect the Sims Delivery Express to bring two new items in the form of the Cozy Hot Cocoa Tray, and there’s also the Comfy Blankets Quilt Stand that should fit snugly into any room.
Alongside the two new items, there’s a good list of bug fixes affecting the base game, the Life & Death expansion, and the Dine Out DLC.
The Sims 4 New Update for December 3 Brings New Items and Bug Fixes
Update 12/03/2024
PC: 1.111.102.1030 / Mac: 1.111.102.1230
Console: Version: 2.04
What’s New?
This season, the Sims Delivery Express brings you two new items along with culturally inspired Create a Sim assets and recipes. Your Sims can enjoy the charming Cozy Hot Cocoa Tray, offering six delightful hot drinks, and the Comfy Blankets Quilt Stand, which adds a cozy touch to any room. Dress your Sims in Romanian-inspired clothing for the whole family, plus a new hair scarf and a full-body outerwear coat.
Enjoy creating two new dishes with your Sims! Mămăligă is a beloved traditional dish enjoyed in many Eastern European countries, while Mucenici is a festive treat that brings families together to honor the past and welcome spring.
Starting today, not only will you have access to some new festive Sims Delivery Express content but we are starting the Cozy Celebrations Event with three weeks of all new rewards and some global tradition based quests to take part in. One of the quests will even have you make use of the Cozy Hot Cocoa Tray from the Sims Delivery Express to help complete your Event track so be sure to grab one of those from Build Mode. For more information and help for The Sims 4 Events, be sure to check out our help page.
Bug Fixes
Base Game
Simmers running DirectX 11 should no longer see the sky causing the game to shut down unexpectedly.
Addressed a crash that was identified when certain mods were active.
Switching between Pack filters on the Store screen is more performant for Simmers on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Live Events are no longer referenced as Discovery Quests, although you might still discover new things while unlocking rewards in the Live Events.
Stairs from Snowy Escape, Jungle Adventure, and Journey to Batuu will now have supporting walls beneath them.
Small stud and hoop earrings from Base Game can now be found in more categories.
A number of adult and child tops from Base Game have been added to the Cold Weather category.
Life & Death
[AHQ] In new saves, Nyon Specter has the proper Grimborn trait.
[AHQ] Mermaid hair will no longer get cut off in Create a Sim.
Dine Out
[AHQ] When going out on a date, it is important for everything to go just right. Sims will now actually go through with requesting a table instead of backing down and canceling the interaction.
This should be the final update of the year for The Sims 4 released by Maxis, though if we get new one, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
GSC Game World has released the latest Stalker 2 update for December 3, and this is for what the studio calls patch version 1.0.3. This brings resolution to memory leak issues, controller adjustments and a good load of mission fixes (main and side).
Stalker 2 New Update for December 3 Implements a Good Number of Fixes
Crashes and memory leaks:
Multiple ACCESS_VIOLATION_ERROR fixes.
Multiple LowLevelFatalError crash fixes.
Controls adjustments:
According to your feedback, we adjusted following parameters/values to decrease input lag on keyboard+mouse input:
Mouse Smoothing is disabled by default.
Mouse Acceleration is disabled by default.
Additionally, default values of mouse sensitivity were updated to allow a predictable default experience for our players with new values of two parameters mentioned bellow:
Camera sensitivity: 25%.
Aim sensitivity: 15%.
Main and Side missions:
Fixed issue with Monolithians that were able to chase player outside the X-5 lab during the In Search of Past Glory mission.
Fixed an issue where the NPCs Hamster and Ricochet would die after trying to enter a building during the mission On the Edge.
Fixed issue with Bayun cat which could despawn before player loots a collar from it during In the Name of Science mission.
Fixed issue with player potentially locking oneself during Dangerous Liaisons mission.
Fixed issue with Roosevelt becoming hostile upon noticing a player going stealthily through the Commissary during King of the Hill mission.
Fixed an issue when Sava despawns in front of the player after the dialog in the bunker during A Heavy Burden mission.
Fixed issue with NPC’s despawning when player successfully finishes Legends of the Zone mission.
AI:
Fixed an issue with mutant bodies stretching after a shot from an automatic weapon.
Fixed an issue that caused NPCs to block the doors during the Back to the Slag Heap mission.
Balance:
Fixed issue with Sidorovich not selling certain ammo types.
Saves:
Fixed issues with missing player saves after a hard reboot of the PC/Xbox.
If you think this patch doesn’t have enough fixes, go read up on the previous one released a few days ago that housed over 650 improvements. If you’re curious what we thought of the game, go read our review here.
