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Dragon Age: The Veilguard Choices Players Make Will Affect Different Outcomes, More Customization, Combat Details Discussed

by Alex Co

August 31, 2024 5:43 pm in News

While Dragon Age: The Veilguard looks to be a deep action-RPG that will last for dozens of hours before the curtains roll, it seems BioWare will want players to play through it more than once, as the studio has put in incentives for gamers to finish the game multiple times, and one of those is with player choice.

Same as with BioWare’s past RPGs like Mass Effect, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will offer players choices that will affect different outcomes in the game. This means that, depending on your choice, you might or might not see certain pieces of content within the game. In addition to that, from a gameplay perspective, the three classes available in the RPG will also play differently, which should further incentivize gamers to replay the game playing as a different class than the first one they chose in their first play through.

This info was revealed by BioWare during a recent Discord live Q&A. In the session, the studio also talked about combat, exploration, companions and a lot more. You can check out the discussed topics in the Q&A list below (via shinobi).

Combat

▪️Combos: Mages apply weakened/overwhelmed debuffs (“primers”), and also detonate the ‘sunder’ debuff. Rogues apply weakened/sunder and detonate ‘overwhelmed’. Warriors apply ‘sundered/overwhelmed’ and detonate ‘weakened’. This rock-paper-scissors style relationship can be one of the benefits of having one of each class. Gear/skills/runes can also break this paradigm, lots of flexibility
▪️Each class has two weapon slots and you can switch between them even mid-attack. For example mages can use a staff or orb+dagger. You can attack with the staff then switch mid-attack to orb+dagger
▪️You can also use that to your advantage with elementals, for example a fire attack then quickly switching to a necrotic orb+dagger for extra damage
▪️Bringing a ‘tank’ into battle isn’t required, even on harder difficulties. The team realized players get attached to companions and always want to bring them along every time, so they built and designed gameplay to accommodate a variety of builds and playstyles
▪️Mage class can learn abilities from all elements, not tied to any specialization (though specializations like Evoker can make it easier to get into ice spells for example)
▪️Elemental effects were a large focus while developing the game, so that meant all classes needed to be visually represented so no one felt left out (ex: rogues and warriors can seem a little more magical). Warriors were one of the least favorite classes so the team wanted them to be more visually interesting and impactful (you can make a build that’s more physical-based/not as flashy if you want to)

Story/Lore

▪️There are other griffons that show up in the game besides Assan
▪️The game doesn’t require you to have read outside lore like books, comics, etc, though these enhance the experience
▪️***SPOILER*** Maevaris Tilani confirmed to appear in the game
▪️Your faction choice will open up unique dialogue options with certain companions
▪️Your relationship and dialogue with Solas can be more friendly or more antagonistic. Companion relationships sometimes cross over with Solas (Bellara and Davrin for example have deeper thoughts on Solas)
▪️Returning characters are brought back with purpose. Morrigan for example is coming to terms with reflections about herself and her mother, accepting who she is, etc

Options/Customization

▪️You can pause during cutscenes
▪️You can choose your undergarments in the character creator, toggle nudity ON/OFF
▪️You can refund all your skill points to respect into other specializations if you want
▪️Full list of accessibility features coming in the future before launch
▪️There are a lot of ‘faction items’ (gear tied to factions) that become available as you help other factions get stronger, like armor from the Veil Jumpers faction that looks like it was made by Veil Jumpers and may be connected (like having electric damage)
▪️Full transmog system: any piece of gear you find unlocks the appearance for that gear, and some can be cosmetic only (ex: you can dress up to look like a training dummy)
▪️You can also transmog both armor and casual wear, so if you want to walk around the Lighthouse in full armor, you can
▪️You can save a character you create in the creator so you don’t have to start from scratch every time, though it is local to your console/PC as Veilguard is an offline game
▪️Lots of praise for the hair tech, there are some “incredible” beards in the character creator, like grander Dwarven style beards (braids, beads, etc)
▪️You can hide things like combat damage numbers, minimap, wayfinder markers, health bar, incoming attack indicators, and more
▪️All helmets can be worn by all races with one exception: Qunari face paint (there are many variants)
▪️Each armor piece has standard colors, but most of them have a variety of color variant cosmetics (often aligned with the different factions)
▪️Your in-game surname is based on your faction background choice and gets mentioned in dialogue a decent amount

Exploration

▪️Critical story missions are more linear so they can be highly handcrafted
▪️There are several large explorable open areas like Arlathan Forest, The Hossberg Wetlands, Crossroads, etc)
▪️Each companion has unique abilities outside of combat that can help you during exploration, puzzles, etc

Companions

▪️Taash (the female Qunari) is the youngest (early 20s), Emmerich (gray haired mage) is the oldest in his early 50s
▪️Davrin (Grey Warden companion) is stern, thoughtful and considerate but also has a soft side. He has a strong sense of pride and maybe a rivalry with certain other companions. He is also a dedicated and gifted monster hunter
▪️There are no romanceable NPCs outside of the companions as the team wanted romance to focus on them
▪️Teased that companions are having more strange abilities may have something to do with the Veil being in bad shape and more magic coming back to the world through the tears
▪️There are many organic relationships between companions that develop throughout the game, for example: Neve and Bellara form a sisterly bond, which Taash and Emmerich have great banter and don’t see eye to eye on necromancy at all
▪️There’s no ‘hug companion’ button, but there are instances where you can hug companions
▪️Gifts return, you can find items out in the world in specific locations that you can buy and very personal to companions. These gifts will also be reflected in each of their rooms
▪️All companions have a personal arc and their quests are varied
▪️Some quests can expire based on choices you make or plot progression, but generally the team doesn’t want you to miss out on stuff (ex: companions can show up in the world and spontaneously lead to adventures with them)
▪️Companion relationships with each other will develop throughout the game, like when you commit to someone romantically. There are various friendships and rivalries
▪️All the companions have favorite foods, some on the team have varied skills in cooking. Bellara and Lucanis are practically the team cooks, and this comes up in the game
▪️Companions feel like a ‘found family’, become invested in each other which shows up in many scenes, banter, hub interactions, etc. The team didn’t want the game to feel like a theme park just for the player but for companions to feel like their own person and living in the world

If you want to experience the entire Q&A, you can do so in the recorded video below.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released this October 31 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. You can check out the different editions and pre-order bonuses here.

More Dragon Age: The Veilguard Reading:

Tags: "Dragon Age" Dragon Age: The Velguard

Alex Co

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

The First Descendant Update 1.19 Deployed for Hotfix 1.1.0b; Inceases Hailey’s Research Material Drop Rates

by Alex Co

2:15 am in Title Updates and Patches

Outside of launching the big Season 1: Invasion patch this week, Nexon has now released The First Descendant update 1.19! This is available on consoles and PC, with current-gen players able to see this as version 1.019. This plugs the AFK farming exploit in Void Fusion Reactors, and more importantly, adjusts Hailey’s Research Material drop rates.

Check out the patch notes and details on some of Nexon’s plans for future updates.

Patch Details

Increased Hailey’s Research Material(Enhanced Cells, DNA, Stabilizer, Spiral Catalyst, Data Chip) drop rate in Infiltration Operation
To prevent AFK farm in Void Fusion Reactors where Vulgus Elites are spawned, at least 2 Vulgus Elites will be spawned.
Fixed an issue where the Intercept Battle Results Screen was crashed intermittently.
Fixed an issue where frame drop occurs when using [PC] Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation

In addition to that, Nexon has also talked about implementing a FGT (Focus Group Testing) when it comes to patches, which could then provide feedback to the devs before the actual patch is released onto all the players. The studio adds that they have been listening tot he “various opinions” from the community about the game’s first major update, and they will continue to respond quickly to ossies and communicate what improvements are on the way.

Don’t be surprised to see another hotfix again. The Season 1 part 2 patch is expected to drop on October 10.

[Source: TFD Nexon]

Tags: the first descendant

Alex Co

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

Home > News

Monster Hunter Wilds DLC to Be Cosmetics Only and Nothing Pay-to-Win Confirms Capcom; Explains Why They Aren’t Revealing All Monsters

by Alex Co

August 30, 2024 7:23 pm in News

With how games these days are handled post-launch, it’s normal for gamers to feel a bit cautious on what kind of DLC will be slotted to make them pry their wallets open once more after buying the base game. In the case of Monster Hunter Wilds, some might be thinking that Capcom is looking to push the game’s DLC with the form of new weapons, crafting materials and the like, thus making the game essentially pay-to-win. Thankfully, that’s not the case.

In an video interview, Game Director Yuya Tokuda was asked about their plans for Monster Hunter Wilds DLC, to which the developer mentioned that they have premium armor pieces planned, and that’s about it. When prodded about gaming trends these days giving players advantages for paying, Tokuda confirmed that they won’t feature pay-to-win items.

(Note that the quotes below has gone through a translator present in the video interview)

The basic layered armor system so-called transmog will be unlocked at a certain point as you progress through the game and then once you unlock it you’ll freely be able to create any layered armor that you want and we do also have plans to make some extra special layered armor that will be made available as DLC.

When asked, “Because of the current trends in Western games, players are afraid that one day Monster Hunter DLC might include monster materials or pay- to-win items. So far Monster Hunter DLC has remained aesthetic only, can you confirm that is still going to be the case moving forward?” To which Tokuda replied with, ” yeah we’re sticking with the same direction we’ve always had.”

In the same interview Tokuda also explained why they haven’t revealed the complete monsters that will be available in the game.

I think our current style works for us; the monsters tie into to the rest of the elements of the game so closely that it isn’t just like revealing a character and that’s it. The monsters we choose to show you in advance as each trailer comes along, and we show you a new monster maybe the environment it lives in. they really give people an idea of what to expect from the game, so not just the monster design ball. I see that it lives in this area and that gives me a clue as to how the gameplay might feel, so we’re pretty happy with our current approach. The main reason we don’t show a monster in advance would be because it ties in with the storyline and the sort of final few maps you might discover, and the way the story develops towards the ending of the game and we don’t want to ruin that for people right up front, so of course you always have to h keep some things close to your chest, so that people will still enjoy discovering what happens as the story progresses. I think with Monster Hunter World we probably showed more monsters than usual, because it was something of a re-approach of the series to the West; it was a reintroduction ‘cos a lot of new players were getting on board at that time who hadn’t before, and we wanted to let you know this is what Monster Hunter is all about. This is the kind of lineup you can expect, so now that we’re where we are with our global fan base, I think that we can afford to reveal enough monsters to make you interested and excited, but to keep plenty in our pockets so that you can discover it once the game comes out.

As someone who really liked being surprised by the gargantuan monsters in MH World when I played it, I agree with Capcom’s decision not to reveal everything. I mean, almost every game and even movie these days reveal a little too much when it comes to the plot and even shock factor. Wouldn’t it be nice to be surprised by a giant horned monster charging at you without you knowing?

Monster Hunter Wilds is set to launch sometime in 2025 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and there’s even a demo out now as well which runs at 30fps.

Tags: Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Wilds Yuya Tokuda

Alex Co

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

Home > News

Black Ops 6 Beta Servers Down After Going Live Due to Overcapacity Issues, Treyarch Adding More

by Alex Co

1:37 pm in News

The Black Ops 6 servers are live! While that might be the case, players are having issues logging in, and are seeing the servers down on all platforms. Thankfully, Treyarch is aware of this and working on a fix as we speak.

Are the Black Ops 6 Beta Servers Up?

While the servers have technically gone live this August 30, multiplayer reports have surfaced of players having connection issues, which Treyarch has acknowledged as an overcapacity issue.

More servers? More servers!

We’re working on getting everyone into the #BlackOps6 Open Beta Early Access as soon as possible.

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) August 30, 2024

Note that this is the first time a Call of Duty beta has gone live on all platforms and at the same time. With the beta also free for Game Pass members, well, you can do the math.

In case you didn’t know, there was a patch released for the Call of Duty HQ app today, which you can read about here. Stay tuned to our beta impressions hitting the site soon! If we get an update on the server situation, we’ll be sure to add the info in the article.

For the full beta schedule, head on below:

Weekend One: Early Access

Available to players who have preordered the game across all platforms (consoles and PC), as well as Game Pass subscribers, the first Beta weekend is scheduled to begin on Friday, August 30 at 10AM PT/1 pm ET/1 am HKT, and end on Wednesday, September 4 at 10AM PT1 pm ET/1 am HKT.

Weekend Two: Open Beta

The second Beta weekend is for all players on all platforms, regardless of their preorder status, as well as Game Pass subscribers. The second Beta weekend is scheduled to begin on Friday, September 6 at 10AM PT,/1 pm ET/1 am HKT and end on Monday, September 9 at 10AM PT/1 pm ET/1 am HKT.

Black Ops 6 will be released this October 25 on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Tags: Call of Duty Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Alex Co

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

Home > News

New Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris Rewards and Map This Week August 30

by Salman Haider Zaidi

1:37 pm in News

Destiny‘s Trials of Osiris weekly PvP mode has returned this Friday with a new map and rewards. If you’re wondering about the current rotation, we’ve got you covered: MP1st’s new Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris rewards and map this week August 30, 2024 post lists down all that information in full below.

New Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris Rewards This Week August 30, 2024:

Trials of Osiris Map:

Eventide Labs

Rewards

Reputation Rank 4: Upgrade Module (2)
Reputation Rank 7: Enhancement Prism (3)
Reputation Rank 10: Trials Weapon (Changes for each rank reset)
Reputation Rank 13: Upgrade Module (2)
Reputation Rank 16: Trials Weapon (Changes for each rank reset)
Flawless Reward: The Summoner (Adept)

Reputation System, Trials Engrams, and Adept Farming

Win individual rounds within each match to gain Trials reputation. The amount of reputation you gain increases with each round you’ve won on your card. Earn enough reputation, and you’ll be able to claim a Trials Engramfrom Saint-14! This engram can be focused into any currently available Trials loot you have previously obtained, or it can be redeemed for a random Trials drop. Your reputation increases after every match completion, based on the number of round-wins on your card, regardless of the result of that match itself (win or lose, 0-5 or 5-4).

Once you have gone Flawless, keep playing! Every win you achieve while at the 7-win level, even if you lose your Flawless, has a chance to drop bonus Trials Engrams, adept weapons, prisms, and even Ascendant Shards. There is no penalty for losing once you’ve made it to the Lighthouse!

When you’re done, you can cash in your 7-win passage for one additional adept drop, granted you have gone Flawless that week. This resets your card so you can start anew.

Passages

Name	Perk	Cost
Passage of Persistence	Reaching seven wins rewards the weekly Adept weapon. When you are not in a full fireteam, losses following a win remove the win from the card. Reaching seven wins without losing a match grants access to the Lighthouse.	1500 Glimmer
Passage of Ferocity	Your third match win grants a bonus win.	1500 Glimmer
Passage of Mercy	Forgives one loss per run. Forgives a second loss if you have not yet been flawless this week.	1500 Glimmer
Passage of Wealth	Increased reputation from match wins on a ticket.	2500 Glimmer
Passage of Confidence	Grants bonus rewards from Flawless Chest.	5000 Glimmer

(Thanks again, /r/DestinyTheGame!)

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Salman Haider Zaidi

That's a nice argument, Senator.

Home > News

New Destiny 2 Xur Location Today August 30, 2024 (And What Xur Is Selling)

by Salman Haider Zaidi

1:12 pm in News

Xur has returned to Destiny this Friday with a fresh set of Exotics, Engrams, and Legendary gear, all on sale only in exchange for Legendary Shards. For those seeking the eccentric merchant’s wares, MP1st’s new Destiny 2 Xur location today August 30, 2024 post lists both his location and full inventory until the next Weekly Reset.

New Destiny 2 Xur Location Today August 30, 2024 (And What Xur Is Selling):

Xûr, Agent of the Nine

A peddler of strange curios, Xûr’s motives are not his own. He bows to his distant masters, the Nine.

Location:

Bazaar, Tower, The Last City

SGA: Check Xûr’s three inventories online to ensure he is offering items at the lowest prices!

Exotic Weapons

Name	Type	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Arbalest	Kinetic Linear Fusion Rifle
Hard Light	Energy Auto Rifle
The Prospector	Heavy Grenade Launcher
Hawkmoon	Kinetic Hand Cannon	Polygonal Rifling	Quickdraw	Combat Grip

Note: Fixed perks on weapons are not displayed

Exotic Armor

Name	Type	MOB	RES	REC	DIS	INT	STR	Total	Cost
Celestial Nighthawk	Hunter Helmet	3	7	25	8	19	2	64	41 Strange Coin
Severance Enclosure	Titan Chest Armor	14	6	12	19	2	12	65	41 Strange Coin
Crown of Tempests	Warlock Helmet	17	16	3	10	6	15	67	41 Strange Coin

Exotic Ciphers

Name	Description
Xenology	Complete Vanguard or Exotic playlist activities, or win matches in Crucible or Gambit. Extra progress is awarded for more challenging activities and for succeeding with clanmates.

Currencies & Engrams

Name	Description	Cost

Other

Name	Description
Huckleberry Catalyst	When upgraded to a Masterwork, this weapon will obtain enhanced capabilities, such as increased stats and/or additional perks.
Trinity Ghoul Catalyst	Upgrades this weapon to a Masterwork. Once upgraded, the weapon will obtain enhanced capabilities, such as increased stats and/or additional perks. Defeat targets using this weapon to unlock this upgrade.
Stoicism	This item comes with randomized perks.
Exotic Engram	An engram with a predestined outcome. Contains a new Exotic if any of the possible rewards remain to be collected.

Materials

Ascendant Shard (1 for 41 Strange Coin)
Enhancement Core (11 for 11 Strange Coin)
Enhancement Core (17 for 23 Strange Coin)
Glimmer (17377 for 5 Strange Coin)
Glimmer (57077 for 11 Strange Coin)
Raid Banner (11 for 11 Strange Coin)

Legendary Weapons

Name	Type	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Masterwork
Bad Omens	Heavy Rocket Launcher	Confined Launch // Linear Compensator	Alloy Casing // Black Powder	Tracking Module	Quickdraw	Tier 6: Handling
Timelines’ Vertex	Energy Fusion Rifle	Transmission MS7 // Spark PS	Accelerated Coils // Enhanced Battery	Lead from Gold	Snapshot Sights	Tier 2: Charge Time
Dire Promise	Kinetic Hand Cannon	TrueSight HCS // Crossfire HCS	Alloy Magazine // Appended Mag	Auto-Loading Holster	Osmosis	Tier 2: Stability
Negative Space	Heavy Sword	Jagged Edge // Tempered Edge	Burst Guard // Swordmaster’s Guard	Energy Transfer	Flash Counter	Tier 2: Impact
Brass Attacks	Energy Sidearm	Polygonal Rifling // Smallbore	Appended Mag // High-Caliber Rounds	Slideways	Rampage	Tier 2: Stability
Crown-Splitter	Heavy Sword	Enduring Blade // Jagged Edge // Tempered Edge	Flash Counter	Surrounded	Tier 2: Impact
Stochastic Variable	Energy Submachine Gun	Chambered Compensator // Polygonal Rifling	Appended Mag // Light Mag // Phase Magazine	Zen Moment	Unrelenting	Tier 2: Handling
Strange Weapon Engram	Weapon Engram

Note: Fixed perks on weapons are not displayed

Legendary Armor

Name	Type	MOB	RES	REC	DIS	INT	STR	Total	Cost
Midnight Exigent Gauntlets	Titan Gauntlets	2	25	6	11	20	2	66	17 Strange Coin
Midnight Exigent Plate	Titan Chest Armor	10	12	10	26	2	6	66	17 Strange Coin
Midnight Exigent Mark	Titan Mark	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17 Strange Coin
Midnight Exigent Helm	Titan Helmet	12	7	14	6	10	17	66	17 Strange Coin
Midnight Exigent Greaves	Titan Leg Armor	20	2	10	7	14	10	63	17 Strange Coin
Yuga Sundown Gloves	Warlock Gauntlets	10	21	2	2	19	10	64	17 Strange Coin
Yuga Sundown Robes	Warlock Chest Armor	6	10	16	24	7	2	65	17 Strange Coin
Yuga Sundown Bond	Warlock Bond	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17 Strange Coin
Yuga Sundown Helmet	Warlock Helmet	7	10	15	2	15	15	64	17 Strange Coin
Yuga Sundown Boots	Warlock Leg Armor	16	6	12	10	12	10	66	17 Strange Coin
Abhorrent Imperative Grasps	Hunter Gauntlets	2	6	25	6	15	10	64	17 Strange Coin
Abhorrent Imperative Vest	Hunter Chest Armor	2	25	6	15	6	12	66	17 Strange Coin
Abhorrent Imperative Cloak	Hunter Cloak	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17 Strange Coin
Abhorrent Imperative Mask	Hunter Helmet	2	6	25	6	7	18	64	17 Strange Coin
Abhorrent Imperative Strides	Hunter Leg Armor	11	10	10	7	15	10	63	17 Strange Coin

What’s a Xûr?

Xûr, Agent of the Nine, is an eccentric merchant who randomly appears in a Public Sector on one of the Worlds. Xûr offers Exotic equipment and only takes Legendary Shards as payment.

TL;DR: He’s the Santa Claus of Destiny and every weekend is Christmas. Sometimes he brings you what you want, sometimes he brings you coal. Mostly it’s coal.

When does Xûr visit?

Xûr visits every Friday at 17:00 UTC and departs at Weekly Reset (Tuesday 17:00 UTC). If you would like to see all the live conversions of Time Zones, please follow this link here.

(Thanks as always, /r/DestinyTheGame!)

Tags:

Salman Haider Zaidi

That's a nice argument, Senator.

Home > Title Updates and Patches

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Update Version 1.53 Pushed Out for Black Ops 6 Beta This Aug. 30

by Alex Co

11:29 am in Title Updates and Patches

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 update version 1.53 is out now on consoles and PC, and this is a small download that’s for the Black Ops 6 beta that starts today for early access! Given the Call of Duty HQ’s integration with all of the COD titles, expect the overall client to get updated for any of the games that get a patch (be it for Warzone, MW3,BO6).

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Update Version 1.53 Patch Notes:

Download Size: 730MB (PS5)

Sledgehammer Games has not revealed any patch notes for Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone for today, and we suspect none will be released given the patch is for the Black Ops 6 beta, For reference, we did list the known issues for both MW3 and Warzone below (via the official Trello boards of both games).

Modern Warfare 3 Known Issues:

Multiplayer:

The “Change to Loadout #” keybinds do not function as intended
Reactive Operator Skins, Reactive Blueprints, and Operators stolen with the “Identity Theft” Finishing Move, lose their visual effects upon round change in round-based playlists
Players are encountering instances of manned killstreak UI persisting or reappearing after exiting the streak

Zombies:

Switching weapons while possessing the “Numb Foot” Passive Item in the 3rd Aether Rift removes its movement speed boost
Players are unable to interact with certain prompts while using the “Prioritize Interact” Interact/Reload Behavior setting
Exfilling from Urzikstan to any Dark Aether Rift counts as a Loss in the player’s Combat Record

Warzone:

Global:

[PC] Crashing and Stability Reports: Submit a PC Crash Report to help us identify, investigate, and resolve game crashes.
[PC] RAM Usage: We’re investigating reports of higher-than-usual memory (RAM) usage on PC platforms following a recent game update.

Battle Royale, Resurgence, Plunder, Lockdown:

[All Platforms] Bunker Buster: We’ve temporarily disabled Bunker Busters while we investigate a related issue.
Torque 35: We’re aware of an issue causing incorrect ammo type to be displayed on the HUD while using the Torque 35 (new bow).
[All Platforms] Match ID: We’re aware of an issue causing the match ID in the lower left corner of the screen to appear larger than usual.
[All Platforms] Sky Piercer Parachute: This customization has been disabled until further notice.
[All Platforms] Thermobaric Grenade: Disabled damage caused by the fiery residue.
[All Platforms] Spy Drone: This contract has been disabled across all modes on Urzikstan while we investigate an issue.
[All Platforms] Final Elimination Cam: Players may notice that smoke does not appear as intended during killcams.

Ranked Play:

[All Platforms] Explosive Bolt: Disabled this Ammunition for Crossbow in Ranked Play
[All Platforms] Matchmaking: Some players that meet the Party SR Restrictions requirements are unable to matchmake with each other.

Outside of the known issues, the patch should prep the data released earlier this week for the Black Ops 6 beta, which kicks off today for early access at 1 pm ET/10 am PT/1 am HKT! For those that redeemed a platform code but seeing a “pre-order” required when accessing the title, it’s a known issue Activision is aware of.

If any notes are released, we’ll update the article.

More Call of Duty Reading:

[Source: MW3 Trello, Warzone Trello]

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Alex Co

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 & Warzone Update 1.053 Deployed for Black Ops 6 Beta Activation

by Alex Co

11:21 am in Title Updates and Patches

Heads up! Activision has released the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone update 1.053 on all platforms this August 30, and this is a small patch that activates the Black Ops 6 beta starting today! Don’t expect any new content in this download.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 & Warzone Update 1.053 Patch Notes :

Download Size: 730MB (PS5)

So far, Sledgehammer Games has not revealed any patch notes for Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone just yet. We’ll list the known issues for both MW3 and Warzone below.

Modern Warfare 3 Known Issues:

Multiplayer:

The “Change to Loadout #” keybinds do not function as intended
Reactive Operator Skins, Reactive Blueprints, and Operators stolen with the “Identity Theft” Finishing Move, lose their visual effects upon round change in round-based playlists
Players are encountering instances of manned killstreak UI persisting or reappearing after exiting the streak

Zombies:

Switching weapons while possessing the “Numb Foot” Passive Item in the 3rd Aether Rift removes its movement speed boost
Players are unable to interact with certain prompts while using the “Prioritize Interact” Interact/Reload Behavior setting
Exfilling from Urzikstan to any Dark Aether Rift counts as a Loss in the player’s Combat Record

Warzone:

Global:

[PC] Crashing and Stability Reports: Submit a PC Crash Report to help us identify, investigate, and resolve game crashes.
[PC] RAM Usage: We’re investigating reports of higher-than-usual memory (RAM) usage on PC platforms following a recent game update.

Battle Royale, Resurgence, Plunder, Lockdown:

[All Platforms] Bunker Buster: We’ve temporarily disabled Bunker Busters while we investigate a related issue.
Torque 35: We’re aware of an issue causing incorrect ammo type to be displayed on the HUD while using the Torque 35 (new bow).
[All Platforms] Match ID: We’re aware of an issue causing the match ID in the lower left corner of the screen to appear larger than usual.
[All Platforms] Sky Piercer Parachute: This customization has been disabled until further notice.
[All Platforms] Thermobaric Grenade: Disabled damage caused by the fiery residue.
[All Platforms] Spy Drone: This contract has been disabled across all modes on Urzikstan while we investigate an issue.
[All Platforms] Final Elimination Cam: Players may notice that smoke does not appear as intended during killcams.

Ranked Play:

[All Platforms] Explosive Bolt: Disabled this Ammunition for Crossbow in Ranked Play
[All Platforms] Matchmaking: Some players that meet the Party SR Restrictions requirements are unable to matchmake with each other.

If any notes are released, we’ll update the article.

More Call of Duty Reading:

[Source: MW3 Trello, Warzone Trello]

Tags: Call of Duty Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Call of Duty: Warzone

Alex Co

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

Home > News

Black Ops 6 Early Access Beta Code Redeemed But Still Shows “Pre-Order” Required Reports Acknowledged by Activision

by James Lara

August 29, 2024 8:21 pm in News

Those who either pre-ordered or received a Black Ops 6 early access beta code and redeemed it may have noticed that the in-game menu was still telling you to pre-order the title. Worry not, as this appears to be a bug, with Activision acknowledging it and confirming that players won’t have to worry this beta weekend.

In an update on the official Black Ops 6 beta Trello board, the studio confirmed that the “pre-order” text appearing in the beta is indeed a bug.

Thank you for your reports!

Players who have redeemed a code or already digitally pre-purchased/pre-ordered for Open Beta Early Access (Weekend 1) are set and no additional actions are necessary to access the Open Beta.

Make sure that your Call of Duty application is up to date to preload, and we will see you online at 10 am/PT on Friday, August 30th!

Players who previously redeemed their code, or pre-ordered Black Ops 6 were facing an issue upon booting into the Call of Duty HQ App, with it requesting players to pre-order to gain access to the beta.

Good thing, as we ourselves, we also experienced the issue, thinking to ourselves, “Didn’t we just redeem our code?” Thankfully it’s just a bug, one that is expected to disappear once the beta goes live tomorrow.

As a reminder, for those who participate in any of the beta weekends, there will be some earnable rewards that’ll transfer into the full release. For more details on what you can earn, refer to our Call of Duty Black Ops 6 beta rewards post.

More Black Ops 6 Reading:

Tags: Call of Duty Call of Duty Black Ops Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Treyarch Studios

James Lara

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.

Home > News

Report: Final Fantasy 16 Available for PlayStation Plus Premium Members Right Now

by Alex Co

7:52 pm in News

It seems someone at Sony HQ has dropped the ball, as Final Fantasy 16 is apparently free for PlayStation Plus Premium members who can download and play it in full currently!

Multiple players have verified that they can download it now (not stream) and play the full version of the game. From our understanding, and baed on our testing using PS Plus Premium, this seems to be for UK PS5 owners only. You can see it as “included” and downloadable based on the screenshot we captured just now:

Sony has not made any official announcement about Final Fantasy 16’s availability in the service, though it could very well be a surprise release incoming this September, and somebody accidentally made it available a wee bit early. While the action-RPG isn’t getting any more DLC, it is confirmed for a release on PC this September 18, and there’s even a demo for it available now on Steam.

Released in June 2023, Final Fantasy 16 is one of the most cinematic entries in the franchise, and had a combo-heavy combat system as well. Our review of it was very favorable as it snagged a 9.5/10 rating where our own James Lara said, “Those looking for the series’ return to glory, rejoice! Final Fantasy XVI is that game, and this is one fantasy you’ll want to make sure you’re a part of.”

For those who have PS Plus Premium on a UK account, we suggest downloading and playing it right now, though bear in mind that Sony might yank your permission at any time to prevent you from progressing further.

More Final Fantasy 16 Reading:

Tags: Final Fantasy final fantasy xvi PlayStation Playstation Plus Report

Alex Co

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

Home > News

Street Fighter 6 Terry Bogard Update Hands-on Preview – Fatal Fury Returns

by Paulmichael Contreras

6:00 pm in News

Late last week, we were invited to Capcom’s private showing of their gamescom lineup in Los Angeles. We sampled a handful of upcoming games and DLC, not least of which was the latest update for Street Fighter 6. We fought both as and against Fatal Fury guest character Terry Bogard, as well as spent some time in the new modes arriving with this update. Read on to learn what’s noteworthy in this DLC.

Meet the King of Fighters

One of the most notable inclusions in this update is Street Fighter 6’s first guest character. Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury has joined the fray, and is rendered fairly accurately, with a detailed character model and smooth animations. He has a fireball attack called Power Wave which has different effects depending upon how long the attack button was held, along with three Super Art moves, one of which can be upgraded mid-move if so desired. He’s a fast-moving, loud-talking, buff and blonde ‘Murican street fighter ripped from the ‘90s and plopped right into the present day, some thirty-odd years later. It’s hilarious and yet amazing at the same time.

Besides Terry, there are a core set of new, exciting features coming to Street Fighter 6 via this latest update. First up, a new V-Rivals mode lets you play against CPU-controlled opponents, which are trained on an actual player’s play record and style. You can fight against any other character, and choose which tier to draw opponents from. All levels of players are represented here, starting with the Rookie rank and moving up from there. This should help new players before they hop online with actual human opponents, and it will also help those who are more skilled in ranking up their own abilities.

Learn by Overtaking

Not content with one key new feature, Capcom is also shipping the new Replay Takeover functionality with this content drop. As the name implies, soon players will be able to view game replays, whether theirs, a friend’s, or a leaderboard player’s, and pick a spot in the replay to take over control. This will help players who are looking for an edge in specific scenarios that may come up during competitive games. Other fighting games have this feature, so it’s great to see its inclusion in Street Fighter 6.

Terry feels like a sensible tie-in for Street Fighter 6. Fans of Fatal Fury should be pleased to see Terry rendered in such exquisite detail. He brings a unique moveset, and of course brings a fresh play style for veteran players to master. V-Rivals promises to help players at all levels of the game to improve their game with human-trained CPU opponents, while Replay takeover options will no doubt help competitive fighters in training against certain strategically-important scenarios which can sometimes be difficult to replicate in training mode. Get ready, because Terry Bogard and the latest DLC for Street Fighter 6 is currently slated for release on September 24, 2024.

Tags: Capcom Fatal Fury Street Fighter Street Fighter 6 terry bogard

Paulmichael Contreras

Paulmichael has been writing in the gaming industry since 2008. Living just outside of Los Angeles, he has been lucky enough to attend numerous gaming events around the world, including the last ten E3 shows (RIP)! A thoughtful reviewer, every game you see scored by PmC has been given careful attention. Paulmichael is also an aviation fan and an avid snowboarder. Favorite games include: No Man's Sky, Gran Turismo 7, skate., CloverPit.

Home > News

Report: Black Myth Wukong Not on Xbox Yet Due to Exclusivity Deal With Sony

by Alex Co

5:19 pm in News

For those on Xbox bummed out that they can’t play Black Myth Wukong, you’re not alone. While Microsoft’s statement on why the game isn’t available on Xbox was a bit vague, it seems there are some truth to it.

Contrary to earlier reports that GameScience faced technical issues in the Xbox version of Black Myth Wukong, multiple reports have surfaced today stating that the reason why we haven’t seen the action-game based on the Chinese folklore is due to an exclusivity agreement with Sony.

Forbes has mentioned this exclusivity deal which IGN’s own sources have corroborated. Per the report, there are no tech issues that would delay Black Myth Wukong for Xbox, and describes the memory issue being the cause as “inaccurate.” While GameScience has remained mum on the issue, the official statement released previously mentions optimization issues as the cause, “We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won’t release simultaneously with the other platforms. We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards.”

When asked about the Xbox version of the game and what’s happening with it, this is what Microsoft said in June, “”“We’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms. We can’t comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that.”

We’ve reached out to Sony and GameScience to ask for any comment about this, and if we hear anything back, we’ll update the article with the info. What’s interesting here is, most of the time (if not all the time), Sony’s marketing deal with games consist of it being mentioned in trailers and other marketing materials, which Wukong doesn’t have any.

With Black Myth Wukong already selling over 10 million copies in its first few days of availability, imagine if this was available on Xbox as well. That would surely add a bit more to the overall total, no? Let’s hope we get clarification on this sooner rather than later to put all these rumors to rest.

Black Myth Wukong is available now on PS5 and PC, and it got a patch today that nerfed a boss and several other adjustments as well.

Update: Reliable leaker from Giant Bomb Jeff Grub has said that there is no marketing deal keeping Black Myth Wukong from releasing on Xbox per a new video. In addition to that, Shpeshal_Nick who’s also a known insider for Xbox info corroborates this and says there is no exclusivity deal and that Sony only paid to get the port done.

That’s not what I heard.

I heard there was a misunderstanding around this stuff.

I heard Sony only paid to help get the port done. No exclusivity https://t.co/ZNxMFi3X8j

— Business Class Nick  (@Shpeshal_Nick) August 29, 2024

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

Related Reading:

Tags: Black Myth Wukong Report Xbox

Alex Co

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

Crime Boss: Rockay City Update 1.025 for Patch 11.2 Released for Bug Fixes

by Alex Co

5:17 pm in Title Updates and Patches

Crime Boss: Rockay City update 1.025 is live for consoles and PC, and this is for patch 11.2 that brings a short list of fixes to the game. Exoect daily rewards to properly show in the debrief screen with the fix, and zipties in multiplayer should no longer break host controls. There are more fixes listed in the patch notes below.

Crime Boss: Rockay City Update 1.025 Patch Notes for August 29:

Daily reward should properly show in debriefing screen
Zipties in MP should no longer break hosts controls
All urban legends should be started as expected now
Perk name Sturdy III is now correctly named as Sturdy III in Chinese HK language – was incorrectly named as Sturdy II
Rejoin of Gold Cup should now not result in losing controls
Electric fence should no longer prevent regeneration of health
Main menu prompt to visit the store to purchase Cagnali’s order on Epic version should now work properly

There was a patch released last week which included more fixes, tunes difficulty balance and more.

[Source: Crime Boss]

Tags: crime boss: rockay city

Alex Co

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

Home > News

Visions of Mana Review – Heading for the Mana Tree

by Cameron Teague

3:25 pm in News

The Mana series of games have been around since way back in 1991, with the release of Final Fantasy Adventure on the Gameboy. Developed by Square Enix and released across a myriad of different platforms, it has been a series that has stood the test of time and continued to churn out solid and fun games. Visions of Mana is the latest in the series and aims to continue that tradition. As the first mainline game in the series since 2006, does Visions of Mana continue in that same vein? We tackle that and more in the review below.

An Exciting Return

Visions of Mana puts players into the role of Val, a soul guard whose job it is to protect the Alms on their pilgrimage to the Mana Tree. Alms are those that have been selected by a fairy and must then make the trip with Van to offer up their life in exchange for keeping the world in balance. Val is a strong character who has no qualms with his job and puts his all into it. Along with Val, you start the journey with his childhood friend Hina, who happens to be the Alm of Fire. Together, you set out to reach the Mana Tree and set things right.

The characters in Visions of Mana are where this game really shines. Each person you recruit has a good backstory, which helps to shape who they are in the game, and everyone gets a fair amount of screen time here to get their point of view across. The dialogue isn’t always the best, and there are a few story beats that feel like they sped past you, but overall you have a vibrant world full of likable characters and a plot that does enough to push you forward. The story, while not overly deep in its complexity, does present interesting topics such as giving your life for a specific goal, being a part of something bigger than yourself, and what it truly is to sacrifice for others. It often has you wondering if the plight of the alms is one of blind acceptance or a noble cause. It’s not only the main characters that are well developed either, as there are a handful of side characters that aren’t shoehorned in and provide good depth to the experience.

Combat in Visions of Mana plays out similar to what you might see in a Tales of game, with real time combat taking place in a circular area. Players will control one of three field combatants, with the ability to switch between the three, along with options to set up how the AI-controlled members react when you aren’t controlling them. The combat is smooth and works, though it oftentimes feels a bit stiff in its movements. There are also times when you are fighting six plus enemies at a time, and between their abilities and your parties, there can sometimes be a bit too much going on at a given time. All that being said, the combat is enjoyable and rather deep. As you progress the story, you will recruit new members and also find new elemental vessels, which when equipped will gain you access to new abilities. Along with the vessels, you can also equip characters with ability seeds, which have various effects such as boosting your attack, resistances, and more. Each character also has three different weapon types they can use, which changes depending on the vessel you have equipped. This makes trying all the different elemental styles and weapons rather fun, trying to nail down the best combination for your playstyle.

Boss battles provide good value as well here, with plenty of larger than life baddies to get through. These fights can get rather lengthy, as you are often dodging multiple area attacks and switching between different party characters. The difficulty in these fights, and really fights in general felt solid. Like I mention later, I didn’t partake in a ton of side quests and would say I was pretty minimal with a lot of extra battles, but I never felt particularly over or under powered in any fight.

Exploration is a lot more open-ended than I remember in past games (truthfully, I’ve only played Secret of Mana and Legend of Mana). The world provides you with various different things to collect or activate on your journey from point A to point B. It’s not really an expansive world full of lots to do, but what it gives you is enough to keep you occupied and interested in collecting next item. One problem I did find though was just like the combat, exploration can also be a bit stiff at times. There were a few times when my jump or path just didn’t feel fluid enough, but this was really a minor gripe that didn’t pop up all that often. Enemies you find across your travels are also easy to skip past if you don’t feel like fighting at that moment, and the game gives you lots of vertical elements to make the world map feel a bit bigger.

Visually speaking, Visions of Mana is a good looking game, full of colorful and well-designed characters, with plenty of charm to be found everywhere you look. Each person you met was well thought out and for the most part, characters’ voices matched what you were seeing on screen, with a few strange exceptions (looking at you Careena). I do wish that some of the world itself had a little bit more to it, as the open world can look a little barren at times. Enemies are also given a fair amount of polish, with both grunts and bosses looking great. The soundtrack, on the other hand, was neither memorable nor ear-destroying, so I guess we can call that a wash.

At the end of it all, Visions of Mana is a well-crafted game full of vibrant characters, good combat, and a lot of experimentation with the elemental vessel system. The story is solid enough to carry you through, and with a few surprises I didn’t see coming, but it isn’t anything world-breaking. Clocking in at over 25 hours with minimal time spent on side quests, the game didn’t feel short and also didn’t overstay its welcome. In my opinion, this is a game I think could be enjoyed by veterans of the series or newbies straight off the street. Visions of Mana is well worth the price of admission for anyone looking for a good RPG to add to their backlog.

Score: 7.5/10

Pros:

Characters are well-crafted and full of life.
Combat is full of enjoying moments.
The story does enough to keep you interested.

Cons:

Exploration/Combat can feel rather stiff.
The world map can be a drag to navigate.
Parts of the story feel rushed.

Vision of Mana review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.

Tags: Square Enix Visions of Mana

Cameron Teague

Home > News

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Performance Info, Multiplayer & Launch FAQ Preps You for the Fight

by Alex Co

2:57 pm in News

With Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 almost upon us, Saber Interactive has blown the lid wide open when it comes to the game’s performance, whether it’ll be on Xbox Game Pass, how will multiplayer co-op and PvE work and more.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Performance Info:

On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, is there a performance mode, quality mode, and what FPS can we expect? And other specific details.

Quality Mode: 4K resolution at 30FPS.
Performance Mode: Up to 60FPS at 1080p.
Please note that on Xbox Series S, the Quality Mode will allow for 1440p at 30FPS and the Performance Mode will not be available.

Multiplayer and about playing with teammates in all 3 different modes…

Will my progression be saved when playing offline?

Be reassured, in Campaign Mode, your progression will be saved on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S while playing offline.

For Operations Mode (PvE), you will need to be online to ensure your progress in PvE is saved. Offline progression will not carry over to your next session, so make sure you’re connected to keep all earned perks, skins, and other rewards.

Does cross-platform save work well?

➡️ Yes, cross-platform saves are fully functional through the platform Prism Ray Online Services (PROS).

Is PvE/PvP playable via LAN?

➡️ LAN play will not be supported.

Will the game support crossplay, and can it be toggled off?

➡️ Yes, full crossplay between Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players will be supported from Day One.

You will be able to play the Campaign and PvE modes without any restriction, but note that for fairness and balancing purposes, crossplay for the PvP mode “Eternal War” will be split between PC players in one pool (Steam & EGS) and console players in the other one (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S).

You will also have the option to disable crossplay functionality if you prefer to only play with those using the same platform as yours.

Are there any restrictions for what classes can be played in Operations mode (PvE)? What about Eternal War (PvP)?

➡️ Your squad may only include one Space Marine of each class in Operations mode. In Eternal War mode, there is a limit of two players per class and per team.

No all-Sniper teams, but you’ll have plenty of strategic variety! 🎯

Is there friendly fire when playing Campaign, Operations or Eternal War modes?

➡️ There is no friendly fire in either of the 3 game modes.

FAQ on Pre-Load, Anti-Cheat, and More

Will I be able to pre-load the game, and if so, when will pre-load be available?

➡️ Your ability to pre-load Space Marine 2 depends on your platform of choice:

On Xbox Series X|S: Pre-loading is already available. You will download the full game as soon as you pre-order either of the game’s versions. The game will unlock on September 5 or September 9 depending on whether you purchased the Standard, Gold or Ultra Edition.
On PlayStation 5: Pre-loading will be available on September 3 at 11:00 AM UTC if you have pre-ordered the Gold or Ultra Edition, to allow you to play up to 4 days before the official release. If you have pre-ordered the Standard Edition, pre-loading will start on September 7 at 4:00 PM UTC and the game will unlock on September 9, the day of release.
On PC: Pre-loading will not be available.

What kind of communication tools will we have in-game?

➡️ There is a Voice Chat, a Communication Wheel with preset messages and a Text Chat (exclusive to PC versions) to facilitate your exchanges with your teammates.

Does the game support the haptic features of the DualSense controller?

➡️ We support force triggers on the DualSense controller, but not haptic feedback at launch.

What about RayTracing, DLSS, and other PC-specific technologies?

DLSS2 / FSR2: Available at launch.
DLSS3 / FSR3: Planned for post-launch.
RayTracing / HDR: Not supported.

Is the game compatible with wide screens?

➡️ Wide screen support is planned. While it won’t be available right at launch, we’re working on implementing it by the end of September.

Will the game be playable on Steam Deck?

➡️ We are working on official Steam Deck support, but it’s not ready yet. We’re currently targeting the end of the year for full Steam Deck support.

Will the game have official mod support (e.g., NexusMods, mod.io)?

➡️ We currently have no plans for official mod support.

What anti-cheat system is in place?

➡️ We will be using Easy Anti Cheat on PC at launch.

Does the game use DRM software (ie. Denuvo…)?

➡️ No.

Will the game be available Day One on GeForce Now?

➡️ Yes.

Will the game be available through the Xbox Game Pass?

➡️ No.

Can the HUD elements be removed? Is there a “Cinematic” mode available?

➡️ Though there is no actual “Cinematic” mode available where all of the UI elements can be turned off at once, all of them can be individually displayed or removed through the Settings menu. Only the crosshair, enemy attacks and missions objective pop-ups will be visible.

Three options are available: ON, OFF or DYNAMIC, with “Dynamic” meaning that the UI elements you’ve chosen will appear when you need it most (for example, during combat) and disappear otherwise.

Do I need to have played the first Space Marine to enjoy Space Marine 2?

➡️ Having played Space Marine is absolutely not a requirement for playing and enjoying Space Marine 2. Both games’ storylines can be enjoyed individually, and both offer brutal third-person action gameplay. You may be missing some very specific references, but that won’t stop you from enjoying the bigger picture at all.

What are the game’s accessibility options?

➡️ You can enlarge the size of subtitles to make them easier to read, as well as 3 different colour blind modes.

Which languages will be available?

➡️ The game is fully voiced in 7 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.

➡️ All the texts are available in no less than 17 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Czech, Polish, Ukrainian, Spanish, Spanish (Latino-American), Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Thai and Turkish.

At what time does the game release?

➡️ Mark your calendars:

Outside of the launch plans, Saber Interactive has also shared details on the Space Marine 2 roadmap which promises a load of free content incoming post-launch for free!

Warharmmer 40K: Space Marine 2 will shoot out this September 9 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and you can look forward to our review at launch.

[Source: Focus Entertainment]

Tags: Warhammer Warhammer 40k Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2

Alex Co

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

Home > News

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Roadmap for Year 1 and Post-Launch Content Revealed

by Alex Co

1:37 pm in News

KT Racing has designed Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (TDUSC ) to be a live service game, and that means regular updates, content drops and the like. For those planning to pick up the racing game, Nacon and KT Racing have revealed the complete Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown roadmap for its first year, alongside the planned post-launch content incoming for racers.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Roadmap for Year 1:

Season 1 – Launch content from September 12, 2024
The Solar Crown competition opens its doors! Once the game is released, the most competitive players will be able to embark on a series of races and frantic challenges to climb the ranks, collect Solar Points and climb to the top of the leaderboard in the hope of becoming the next Solar King/Queen. This first season also includes 60 player levels, 50 Sharps/Streets clan progression levels and a free 25-level Solar Pass featuring various rewards, including cosmetics and an exclusive car.

Season 2 – Ibiza city makes its comeback
This second season marks the return of a familiar location that TDU2 fans have known for 13 years: Ibiza (Eivissa in Catalan) is back in TDUSC, more splendid than ever. Players will be able to discover the city and its outskirts, recreated at 1:1 scale in the KT Engine, offering players a different and complementary experience to Hong Kong Island, 3 months after the game’s release. The season will be accompanied by an island-exclusive clan progression with 20 new levels, a Solar Pass, new rewards and exclusive cars, including 5 car models revisited for the occasion.

Season 3 – Clan War, a constantly evolving game mode
This third season revolves around a clash between the Sharps (whose members consider themselves the elite of sophistication and luxury) and the Streets (provocative and sometimes extreme, seeking to make their mark) across Hong Kong Island and Ibiza/Eivissa, with the arrival of the clan war. This season will also feature 30 new clan progression levels and seasonal content additions.

Season 4 – The Casino, an iconic location in the Unlimited series
The fourth and final season of Year 1 marks the grand return of the Casino, a favorite of Test Drive Unlimited 2 fans. This new Solar Crown version of the Casino will offer players the chance to wager their virtual currency through a variety of activities, including poker and slot machines. In addition to bringing 50 player levels, the Casino will allow players to win exclusive new cars, cosmetics and rewards.

In addition to the four seasons already announced, KT Racing will also release updates “designed to enhance the gameplay” which includes ongoing work on cameras and steering wheel animations in first-person view. The TDUSC team is said to be “committed to keeping the game active for many years to come.”

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown races out this September 12 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Check out the latest gameplay feature here.

Tags: kt racing Test Drive Unlimited test drive unlimited solar crown

Alex Co

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

MultiVersus Update 1.41 for Version 1.2.3 Enables All Fighters in Local Play and More

by Alex Co

1:02 pm in Title Updates and Patches

Player First Games has pushed out MultiVersus update 1.41 on last-gen, update version 1.041 on current-gen this August 29. This title update enables all fighters to be playable in local play game modes and also introduces a host of fighter balance adjustments,

Patch Notes:

General

All fighters are now available for play in local play game modes

General Combat

With the Ground Bounce Auto-Tech system now in place, we’re able to start bringing back more ground bounces and improve combo routes and approach options. This is the beginning of this effort.

Air Down and Air Down-Forward Dodges will now more reliably land on platforms
Certain air attacks now maintain less momentum when executed as part of a dodge off of a platform

General Bugfixes

Fixed an issue where controller rumble was not properly playing
Fixed an issue where the Marceline Ringout was disabled
Fixed an issue where Voice Lines were not playing for some characters

Rifts

Rift Updates

“In The Shadows” gem is now re-enabled
Fixed issues with the camera preventing progression during the co-op golf mini-game

Characters

Legend:

+ = Buff
– = Nerf
~ = Change
* = Bugfix
Note: Attacks callouts reference default controls.

Agent Smith

Ground Up Attack
- + On-hit cancel window advanced 2 frames
Air Up Attack
- + Repeat-move lockout reduced to 13 frames from 18 frames
Air Neutral Special
- + Start-up window before charge reduced 4 frames

Beetlejuice

Ground Dash Attack
- + Knockback scaling increased to 20 from 18
- + Damage increased to 9 from 8
Ground Side Attack 2
- + On-hit cancel window advanced 1 frame
- – Hitstun reduced
Ground Side Attack 3
- + Start-up window reduced 3 frames
Ground Down Attack
- + Start-up window before charge reduced 4 frames
Ground Up Attack
- + On-hit cancel window advanced 5 frames
- ~ Hitbox updated to better match the fist on up attack
Air Side Attack
- + Damage increased to 8 from 7
- + Knockback scaling increased to 15 from 13.5
Air Up Attack
- + Damage increased to 7 from 6
- + Knockback scaling increased to 9 from 8
Ground Down Special
- * Fixed an issue where the bomb visuals would stay on screen if the ground disappeared underneath Beetlejuice
Air Side Special
- + Sour Spot Hitbox Damage increased to 7 from 5
- – Sour Spot Hitbox Knockback reduced to 2650 from 2800
- + Knockback Scaling to 15 from 9

Garnet

“Marker” Perk
- ~ Gauntlets no longer spawn a star if the gauntlets are too close to the edge of the arena

Jake

Air/Ground Side Special
- * Fixed an issue where Jake wouldn’t look like he was running while moving as a horse

LeBron

Air Down Attack (Basketball and No Basketball Versions)
- + Now allows fast-fall during attack start-up
Air Neutral Attack
- ~ More upward aerial momentum is maintained on attack start-up

Morty

This is a revert to the Air Side Attack 1 changes from patch 1.2.0. This should make the Air Side Attack more reliable connecting into Air Side Attack 2 and it should bring back its ground bounce properties due to the knockback angle popping up less.

Air Side Attack 1
- – Knockback reduced to 1000 from 1300
- – Knockback scaling reduced to 5 from 6
- + Knockback angle made more horizontal allows for more ground bouncing
Air Down Attack
- + Hitbox start-up time advanced 1 frame; Hitbox active duration increased 1 frame
- ~ Visual effects now better match attack properties
Ground Up Attack
- + Gun tip Hitbox damage increased to 6 from 1
- + Knockback increased to 1350 from 750

Reindog

Ground Side Attack 1
- – Hitstun reduced
Air Side Attack
- + Knockback made more downwards to allow ground bounce combos
Air Neutral Attack
- + Projectile start-up time reduced 1 frame

Shaggy

Rage Air Side Special
- * Fixed an issue where this attack was breaking armor unintentionally

Taz

Dodge Land
- * Fixed an issue where Taz’s dodge land would not slide off of platforms

Once another MultiVersus patch is out, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.

[Source: MultiVersus]

Tags: MultiVersus

Alex Co

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

Home > News

GTA Online New Weekly Update for Aug. 29 – Gunrunning Bonuses, Discounts, GTA+ and More

by Alex Co

10:11 am in News

Rockstar Games has just released the GTA Online new weekly update for August 29 with fresh activities and discounts, GTA+ benefits and more! Read on below for the full highlights and details in one handy list below.

GTA Online New Weekly Update for Aug. 29:

Double GTA$ and RP on Bunker Sell Missions, Fooligan Jobs, and Deadline
Double GTA$, RP, and Research Progress on Bunker Research Missions
A GTA$100,000 bonus and free Warstock Tee for completing three Bunker Research Missions
Double Bunker Research Speed
30% off Bunker Properties, their Upgrades & Modifications
Premium Deluxe Motorsport Vehicles: The Lampadati Tigon, Dewbauchee Rapid GT Classic, Bravado Verlierer, Pegassi Vacca, and Nagasaki Hot Rod Blazer
Luxury Autos Vehicles: The Annis Euros X32 and Överflöd Pipistrello
LS Car Meet Prize Ride: Place Top 2 in the LS Car Meet Series two days in a row to win a Principe Lectro
LS Car Meet Test Rides: The Vysser Neo, Invetero Coquette BlackFin, and Dewbauchee Rapid GT Cabrio
Vehicle Discounts: 40% off the Lampadati Tigon, plus 30% off the Nagasaki Shotaro, Progen T20, BF Dune FAV, HVY Nightshark, Declasse Weaponized Tampa, and Vapid Flash GT
Gun Van Discounts: 30% off the Grenade Launcher and Vintage Pistol (for GTA+ Members)
GTA+ Benefits: Last month to get an additional GTA$1,000,000 bonus alongside the standard

DISCOUNTS

Bunker Properties – 30% off
Bunker Upgrades and Modifications – 30% off
Nagasaki Shotaro (Motorcycle) – 30% off
Lampadati Tigon (Super) – 40% off
Progen T20 (Super) – 30% off
BF Dune FAV (Off-Road) – 30% off
HVY Nightshark (Off-Road) – 30% off
Declasse Weaponized Tampa (Muscle) – 30% off
Vapid Flash GT (Sports) – 30% off

Gun Van Inventory and Discounts

GTA+

Navigate the obstacles of Bullworth Academy as mischievous teenager Jimmy Hopkins in Bully — now part of the GTA+ Games Library included with GTA+ Membership. Members can also claim the following through September 4:

Free Benefactor Vorschlaghammer (Sedan)
Free Vorschlaghammer Drift Tuning Upgrade at the LS Car Meet
Nightclub Management and Casino Story Mission Bonuses
And More…

That’s it for this week!

Tags: GTA Online

Alex Co

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

Hunt Showdown 1896 Update 1.000.004 Brings Blurry Scope Fix and More This Aug. 29

by Alex Co

9:52 am in Title Updates and Patches

Crytek has deployed Hunt Showdown 1896 update 1.000.004, which is available for download now on consoles and PC. This is a minor update that seeks to address various issues that have affected players since the launch of the current-gen game engine upgrade for the game. Note that there is associated server downtime with the patch as well.

Hunt Showdown 1896 Update 1.000.004 Patch Notes for Aug. 29:

Here’s the announcement from Crytek:

Hunters,

We will be bringing the PC and PS5 servers down at 14:00 CEST to deploy a patch addressing several issues that have occurred since the release, including fixes for various crash scenarios, blurry scope, and more.

The estimated downtime is 90 minutes.

We apologize for the late notice. Thank you for your patience.

Please note, Xbox servers will also be affected during this process.

After the downtime, Xbox players can still matchmake with updated PS5 players. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to get this update rolled out swiftly.
Stay tuned for more updates!

Update: Added the official patch notes from Crytek!

BUG FIXES:

Fixed a bug that caused the game to freeze or crash when opening the map during banishment in Bounty Hunt.
Fixed a bug that caused the game to crash when triggering multiple light sources (such as alert trips or fuses).
Fixed a bug that caused a crash when adjusting any HDR setting on consoles.
Fixed a bug that caused the game to get stuck on an indefinite loading screen after resuming from a suspended state during a multiplayer session.
Fixed a bug that prevented the “Recently Played With” list from populating after completing a Bounty Hunt session.
Fixed a bug that caused scopes to appear blurred.
Fixed a bug that caused the mission summary to be missing after completing Soul Survivor or Bounty Hunt.
Fixed a bug where the “Filter On” and “Sell” buttons shared the same shortcut on the gear screen.
Fixed a bug that allowed regions with a ping above the limit to still be selected and applied.
Fixed a bug where the region was not displayed in the mission stats.

KNOWN ISSUES:

Users of AMD Vega and Polaris (500) GPUs experiencing issues with shadows not rendering correctly, causing excessive darkness within a 20 meter range.
Consoles occasionally overheating during specific menu interactions and gameplay situations.
Stuttering when activating Dark Sight near a clue, upon being killed and when the death screen UI loads, during fights with Hellborn, and/or when entering compounds.
A black screen may occur when launching the game for the first time.
Statistics and last match screens may be unavailable at certain points.
Filtering of equipment is not always working reliably.
Occasional crashes.

No word yet whether we’ll be getting a proper changelog, but if we do spot one, we’ll update the article to reflect it. Hunt Showdown 1896 is out now and is the game engine upgrade version of Hunt Showdown. If you owned the game before, you should be able to upgrade for free.

Tags: Hunt: Showdown Hunt: Showdown 1896

Alex Co

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

TopSpin 2K25 Update 1.14 Servers Patch 3.1 and Here Are the Patch Notes

by Alex Co

6:45 am in Title Updates and Patches

Hangar 13 has released a new update for TopSpin 2K25 today on all platforms, and this rolls out the return of serve with Flat Control shots, updates the attribute requirements for Shot Counter and more. This will show up as TopSpin 2K25 update 1.14 (PS5 version 1.014), and the patch notes are available below, as well as what the devs have planned in terms of future updates.

TopSpin 2K25 Update 1.14 Patch Notes for Aug. 29:

Here’s what got share by 2K over o Discord:

What’s New:

The Refer-A-Friend Program is LIVE NOW

Invite your friends to play TopSpin 2K25 and earn up to 3 rewards! Your referred friends will also receive in-game rewards! This new game feature went live today! Learn more about it HERE!

Game Updates:
Our next patch, Patch 3.1:

Updated returns of serve with Flat Control shots to be better in terms of power and aiming.
This change benefits all players regardless of their Reflexes attribute, but is more noticeable for players with a higher Reflexes attribute, making them able to hit better returns with Flat Control shots, even when receiving fast serves.
Rebalanced the impact of the Return Service Counter skill to make it more noticeable when returning fast serves with Flat Control shots
Rebalanced the impact of Shot Counter, Monster Defense and Longer, Better! skills to make them more noticeable
Updated the Attribute requirement for Shot Counter skill to be Reflexes>=50 (was Forehand>=50)

Future Patch Considerations Hangar 13 Is Looking Into:

Rebalanced serves performed by Al players at higher difficulty levels to have better power and aiming output when their Serve attribute is high
Investigating the ability for “bad” shots to aim closer to the line on rare occasions to add more variety
Investigating tweaks to the Fatigue system in MyCAREER
Rebalancing the impact of the Forehand and Backhand attribute and how they influence where the ball lands on the court
Rebalancing the impact of slice shots to be more impactful in neutralizing the opponent’s shots (power and aiming)

If we get another changelog from the devs with more fixes, we’ll update the article.

Tags: TopSpin 2K TopSpin 2K25

Alex Co

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