The “Tekken Shop” has officially been announced for Tekken 8, and it’ll be coming to the game in an upcoming update. While this means that there will be further monetization added to the game, the game’s Chief Producer explains why they feel the need to add it, and what they hope it’ll accomplish in the long run.
Speaking during the Tekken Talk-Live stream, Chief Producer Yasuda Esports broke down the features of the Tekken 8 Shop, showing off some of the customization items in it, confirming that it’ll feature both free and paid (with Tekken coins) content and that it’ll be updated one to two times a month. Of course, with news of a shop coming to Tekken 8 so soon after its launch, many in the community have already begun to rally up against it. Though Ysuda Esports hears those complaints, he does go on to explain why they’re adding the shop, hoping that it’ll continue to allow them to improve the game for years to come.
“So, we hear that some people have some kind of allergic reaction when they hear “shop,” but it’s more trying to update the game and keep it fresh with new customization items. As you’ve seen what we did with Tekken 7, we tried to refresh the game and to provide a better experience overall, rather than just trying to make money off of these individual items. The thinking is the same for Tekken 8 in that we are trying to make it a better game, and this is one of the ways we plan to do that.”
It does make sense that the team would look for ways to add more revenue, as while they do have a season pass for the game, along with the title selling over two million its first month, in between character releases and such, there will be plenty of updates. Those updates come free for the users, though certainly at the studio’s own expense.
We may not like the idea of content locked behind a paid wall, especially customization, but it’s what has allowed these studios to continue supporting their games for as long as they have. Let’s just hope that eventually, those paid items will have another way of earning them besides spending on premium currency.
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.
In news that should shock no one, it looks like EA is set to announce and continue Codemaster’s F1 franchise, as the F1 24 cover for its “Champions Edition” has been unearthed via the game’s files, and the upcoming racing sim’s portal on EA’s site is also up though unofficially.
If you go to EA’s EU site, there is a already a webpage for F1 24, though there’s nothing there except “coming in 2024” and how EA Sports F1 24 is the official video game of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship.
As for the cover image which is featured up top, that was datamined from the game’s files after today’s title update. Here’s the other image from the game’s files:
There’s also an image that pops up after installing the patch that mentions how you can watch the announce trailer, and there’s a QR code as well, which when scanned, directs people to the F1 YouTube channel.
While nothing has been announced by EA, chances are, the announcement will be happening very, very soon. We wouldn’t be surprised if it’s announced tomorrow or sometime this week given F1 23 already has the files for it.
Of course, this is not surprising news, as EA’s acquisition of Codemasters also hinged on the studio’s consistency in releasing yearly F1 games. While we usually say to treat datamined info with a grain of salt and whatnot, this one is a lock and all we’re waiting for is when it’ll be announced officially.
Expect an announcement alongside a release date and the game’s various editions to race out very soon.
Helldivers 2 is currently suffering from success, facing numerous server issues as a result of immense player counts. Now that the servers seem a bit more stable, we’re excited to bring you our Helldivers 2 best stratagems guide to give you an idea of what to prioritize when heading to the frontlines in the fight for Super Earth.
Keep in mind, there are a LOT of stratagems available in this game, and while we’ve picked out a few of our favorites that we think really shine, it’s always good to find what suits your playstyle and experiment with the options. With that being said, let’s get into our picks for the best stratagems in Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2 Best Stratagems Guide
We’re going to break down the best stratagems by the categories they’re separated into in-game to make them easier to navigate. These include Support Weapons, Supply Backpacks, and Offensive and Defensive Stratagems. We’ll start with the Support Weapons.
Support Weapons
There’s a whole bunch of Support Weapon stratagems in Helldivers 2, but here are our picks for the best ones:
Machine Gun – At earlier levels, the Machine Gun is a great choice for your support weapon. You get it automatically from the start of the game, so you don’t have to do any grinding to use it. With a high rate of fire and some very respectable damage, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.
Expendable Anti-Tank Launcher – Once you’ve earned a few levels, it’s also useful to pick up the Expendable Anti-Tank launcher for help against some of the game’s larger enemies. While it only has one shot, the stratagem pod drops two of them with each call-in, meaning you can very quickly dish out some big damage every 70 seconds.
The Recoilless Rifle is another option for this slot, but with a hefty reload timer and a required backpack attachment to use it efficiently, it’s a little more of a hassle.
For more objective-based explosive handiwork, pick up the Grenade Launcher, which can make clearing out Bug Nests an absolute breeze.
Autocannon – The Autocannon is a slightly more ammo-efficient version of the Grenade Launcher, useful for quickly doing away with large enemies and destructible objectives. It requires an ammo backpack to use at full capacity, which can make things a little dicey when you’re being swarmed down on and don’t have a shield or Guard Dog pack to defend yourself, but this weapon is top tier for getting stuff done. If you have a friend willing to help you reload, it can really turn the tide of a battle.
Arc Thrower – A commonly slept-on Support Weapon is the Arc Thrower. This one’s tucked away in the Engineering Bay section of the stratagem menus. You have to be at least Level 15 to unlock it. The Arc Thrower shoots streams of electricity that jump between targets and deal a very consistent amount of damage, ignoring armor entirely. It has unlimited ammo, it’s fantastic for clearing out rabble and large amounts of small enemies, and you can take care of bigger enemies like Chargers and Devastators in a pretty reasonable chunk of time at medium difficulties as well. The main reason people avoid this weapon is because it effectively aims itself and doesn’t discriminate between friendlies and hostiles, making it very easy to accidentally fry your fellow helldivers in an attempt to clear out the battlefield. That being said, if you’re careful about your positioning, it can be extremely easy to leave a mission with the most kills on your team using this one.
Railgun – The Railgun is the king of this category. You need to hit Level 20 before you can even purchase it, so it’ll take some grinding to get your hands on, but once you do, there’s nothing quite like it. Its powerful charged shots only take a second to wind up. You do have to reload between every shot, but the reload is snappy. Its damage numbers are almost as high as some of the explosive weapons, and it penetrates armor pretty easily too, making it a must-have once you have it unlocked. Its only downside is its 20-round capacity, meaning you’ll benefit pretty heavily from frequent ammo resupplies. All things considered, however, the Railgun absolutely rips the opponents of democracy to pieces.
Supply Backpacks
Supply Backpacks can make or break your survival in Helldivers. Here are the ones we find especially helpful:
Supply Pack – The earliest (and arguably most consistently useful) Supply Backpack you can get your hands on is the Supply Pack. This backpack drops with four resupplies included and can be refilled with the regular Resupply stratagem. Being able to refill your weapons, grenades, and stims on the go is incredibly helpful. It’s also great for using certain ammo-hungry Support Weapons like the Railgun. We highly recommend unlocking this backpack at your earliest opportunity.
“Guard Dog” Rover – A little down the road, we suggest grabbing the “Guard Dog” Rover. It’s important to note that this backpack is different from the regular “Guard Dog” backpack, which uses ballistic ammo instead of laser ammo. The constant laser of the Rover variant deals very consistent damage to smaller enemies around you while you focus on taking down bigger targets. The gun attached to the Rover also never needs to reload or cool off, meaning it can dish out damage with relentless fury. This is the best backpack for taking out Terminids, hands down.
Shield Generator Pack – If you’re looking to face off against the Automatons instead, then make sure to pick up the Shield Generator Pack once you hit the proper level requirement. This thing can tank hits from all sorts of big enemies. If it goes down, it only takes about five seconds to repair itself. It can really save your skin in the more chaotic missions, making it a necessary addition to your kit once you start reaching higher difficulties. The only downside is that it takes your backpack slot away from some more utility-heavy backpacks like the Supply Pack, but it’s a sacrifice you’re going to have to make to stay alive when the going gets especially tough.
Offensive Stratagems
Offensive Stratagems are the bread and butter of Helldivers 2. Without them, you’re a squishy mound of flesh waiting to get torn apart; with them, you’re a bringer of destruction and the enemies of Super Earth’s worst nightmare. These are our personal picks for best offensive stratagems:
Orbital Precision Strike – Right off the bat, you’ll have access to the Orbital Precision Strike. While it is a starter stratagem, make no mistake: its quick cooldown and high damage can still be extremely effective. Until you have enough to buy some of the really good Offensive stratagems, we see no reason to remove this one from your loadout. It’s a great piece to keep in the arsenal early on.
The Orbital EMS Strike is a more tactical variant of this that stuns enemies who enter its AoE after it lands, which can help to create some distance or get a swarm lined up to be demolished by a different stratagem or weapon.
Eagle Airstrike – If you’re more into the Eagle stratagems, the Eagle Airstrike is a fine pick early on. It’ll cover a pretty respectable area and quickly wipe out much of the smaller enemy types in one go. Its explosive characteristics even make it viable for use on objectives.
Eagle 500kg Bomb – Otherwise, the most useful Eagle stratagems are big ones, by which we mean the Eagle 500kg Bomb. These puppies are limited use, but they can absolutely demolish larger enemies, especially when used in tandem with a teammate. The massive explosion of the 500kg bomb is also pretty to look at, which is a nice aside.
Orbital Gatling Barrage – Once you’ve leveled a bit, most any of the other Orbital stratagems can be effective in the right spots. The Orbital Gatling Barrage does a really decent job of taking out lots of small enemies in a manageable area, whereas bigger stratagems like the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage and the Orbital Airburst Strike can cover a wider area of effect (though make sure to watch out for wandering teammates!).
Orbital Laser – Personally, our favorite Orbital stratagem is the Orbital Laser, which targets the biggest enemies in its drop area and absolutely tears through them. It can also wipe out waves of smaller enemies and even occasionally hit objectives like Bug Nests or Eggs, making it the easy winner for this category.
Defensive Stratagems
Last but by no means least are the Defensive Stratagems.
Machine Gun Sentry – Early on, you can grab the Machine Gun Sentry for pretty cheap, a simple automatic turret useful for defending objectives or your extraction points. While it only takes a couple of hits from enemies to break, if you position it well it can absolutely shred through smaller enemy types and help manage larger hordes while you’re working on a terminal or waiting for the Pelican to land. It’s a solid choice early on.
Mortar Sentry – A little down the road, the Mortar Sentry can be especially useful, though it’s arguably one of the most dangerous stratagems to have. If you’re a little too close to the enemies it’s firing at, it can blow you away in a matter of seconds, so make sure to maintain distance if you’re using this.
The Gatling Sentry is a slightly safer alternative to mortars, but it has a little less raw damage output, so it might not always be the optimal choice for every situation.
EMS Mortar Sentry – Once you’ve hit high levels, the EMS Mortar Sentry is an easy choice. The EMS Mortar Sentry works much like the Orbital EMS Strike and creates an area of static electricity that stuns enemies, making it phenomenal for crowd control, and if you happen to get caught in its fire, it won’t entirely obliterate you, making it much safer than its regular Mortar Sentry counterpart.
Tesla Tower – The Tesla Tower, on the other hand, works much like the Arc Thrower in a fixed area. It can gate off funnel points with ease and narrow down how many angles you have to watch when trying to launch an ICBM or realign a satellite. Just be careful not to stand too close to it: it’ll stop your helldiver’s heartbeat in a second.
Those are our picks for Helldivers 2 best stratagems. Of course, it comes down to what you find most useful for what you’re looking to accomplish. More than anything, use what you think is fun. Keep in mind that things could also change with any future updates or patches that rebalance the game’s arsenal. We hope we were able to give you a little guidance in your efforts to reclaim the galaxy for Super Earth.
We’ll have some more Helldivers 2 guide content dropping this week, so be sure to stay tuned in to us here at MP1st.
Developer Hadoque has released Ultros update 1.03 (PS5 update version 1.000.004), which brings various fixes to the metroidvania title. Read on for what’s new in the patch notes below.
Added an additional Planting Patch in Infinity Lake.
Fix so Augeas wall moss will only grow if touching the ground
Fix so branch simulation only happens in the players current area.
Fixed some audio effects, not stopping
Removed ceiling for restoring soil energy when digging up seeds.
Thruster tweaks.
Improved The feast of harvest achievement check.
Fixed other minor bugs.
There’s also a list of fixes released on PC (via Steam), which we’re guessing is part of today’s fix roll out.
Adjusted the physics for flying with the Thruster extractor, for a much smoother ride
Added a 4K resolution option. PLEASE NOTE that this only affects some of the graphics (in particular the UI) because the
artwork was created with an HD resolution in mind (1920 x 1080, or “Sharp” in the options menu). 4K will still cause your computer to use roughly twice the electricity compared to playing in HD, so we only recommend the setting if you are playing on a very large screen. Therefore, “Sharp” remains the default setting.
Removed a limitation on how far plants can grow immediately after replacing another plant.
Adjusted level design in Infinity Lake with new tools for players who may have gotten stuck, including a new planting patch and a few mushrooms for charging the Thruster
Fixed a crash that could happen when growing Augeas plants through an area transition and then returning later
Fixed a bug where music and audio could get stuck in a dampened state permanently.
Fixed a hang that could happen when breaking open a shaman pod while also carrying connection wisps
Improved registering for achievements “The pound of flesh which I demand” and “The feast of harvest”
Fixed other minor bugs
If you haven’t played the game, it has come out of nowhere to be a surprise hit! Our review can be checked out here where we state, “Platforming and combat are both solid, and while the latter isn’t perfect, there’s enough comfort to enjoy some good slashing and dodging fun, mixed with a hint of gardening and a gripping loop mechanic. The biggest fans of the genre should dive into this cryptic Sarcophagus without hesitating.”
It looks like the Tekken franchise’s relevancy hasn’t waned amid stuff competition in the fighting genre, as Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced that Tekken 8 sales have now hit two million in its first month, with one million units sold in its first day of release!
This was announced by the company via a press release, where it also mentioned that the Tekken World Tour 2024 will kick off this April 13, 2024.
“The next step in TEKKEN esports, the TEKKEN WORLD TOUR 2024, will start on April 13, 2024. After successful TEKKEN WORLD TOUR events that have accompanied the lifecycle of TEKKEN 7, now players will compete with TEKKEN 8 through TEKKEN WORLD TOUR 2024 events across the world to earn points and progress through the rankings, with the hope of reaching the TEKKEN WORLD TOUR Finals and having a chance to become the best TEKKEN 8 player worldwide.”
Will Tekken 8 Sales Slow Down?
Given how the Tekken franchise has a very loyal fanbase, and with Bandai Namco promising DLC support, which the company proved it can sustain with Tekken 7, we don’t see the game running out of steam anytime soon.
To put things in perspective how impressive this sales figure is, Tekken 7 was released back in 2017, and after six years, and against stellar fighting games like Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and newcomer Granblue: Fantasy Versus Rising, the franchise hasn’t lost its luster.
Our review of Tekken 8 speaks highly of the fighter stating, “Though the year may have just started, Tekken 8 will probably compete for fighting game of the year and barring any surprises, should be the runaway winner.”
Mundfish has pushed out Atomic Heart update 1.26 (PS5 version 1.014.300) which is tagged as patch 1.13.4.0. This new update only comes with some small changes and adjustments. Read on for the Atomic Heart February 26 patch notes down below.
Patch 1.13.4.0 for Atomic Heart is rolled out and now available on Steam.
See the list of changes for this update below:
TRAPPED IN LIMBO DLC#2:
Adjusted Teardrop’s presence logic (now it only appears during dialogues)
Corrected Goose Racing track (removed green obstacle)
Fixed an issue with localization of displayed narrative subtitles
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOLVING SOME ISSUES
We cannot guarantee or support the game if the Atomic Heart game client has been modified by any third-party software. If this happens, you should uninstall this software and reinstall the game.
If you encounter issues on Steam, first check the integrity of the game files as described here.
Codemasters has released F1 23 update 1.20 (PS5 update version 1.020) today on all platforms. Read on for the F1 23 February 26 patch notes down below.
F1 23 Update 1.20 Patch Notes | F1 23 Update 1.020 Patch Notes:
As of this moment, neither Codemasters nor EA have released the official patch notes for today’s update. The last update to be released for the game was patch version 1.19 and this came with a host of bug fixes.
We will update this post as soon as we can when the official patch notes are dropped sometime later today. In the meantime, you can read more about the game below from the PlayStation Store description.
Be the last to brake in EA SPORTS™ F1® 23, the official videogame of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship™.
A new chapter in the thrilling “Braking Point” story mode delivers high-speed drama and heated rivalries. Race wheel-to-wheel at new Las Vegas and Qatar circuits and earn rewards and upgrades in F1 World. New Red Flags add an authentic strategic element, and the 35% Race Distance feature delivers more action and excitement. Drive updated 2023 cars with the official F1 lineup of your favorite 20 drivers and 10 teams. Also, F2™, the ultimate training ground for F1® is now updated with the latest 2023 Season content, including the new cars and driver lineups across the paddock. Create your dream team and race to win in My Team Career Mode, compete in split-screen or in the expanded cross-platform multiplayer, and be more social with new Racenet Leagues.
Be sure to keep it locked at MP1st for more updates about F1 23 in the near future.
PUBG update 2.57 is now out on consoles, and this is to fix issues regarding freezing and crashing. Don’t expect any major changes, as we just got the big 28.1 title update this month. Read on for what’s new straight from PUBG Studios.
PUBG Update 2.57 Patch Notes:
Here’s the recent announcement from the studio regarding today’s patch:
[Console] Issue update
At 07:00 UTC today, we have taken some measures to mitigate current crash or lobby freezing issue in PlayStation devices.
Again our apologies for the inconvenience caused due to this issue. We will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary… https://t.co/y3FgGyzAe8
At 07:00 UTC today, we have taken some measures to mitigate current crash or lobby freezing issue in PlayStation devices.
Again our apologies for the inconvenience caused due to this issue. We will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to create smooth gaming environment.”
That’s about it. This is also the second patch deployed for crashing issues for PlayStation platforms. Hopefully, this one takes.
If there are any gameplay-related changes or other adjustments made that’s not about tech fixes, leave a comment below and let us know.
Square Enix has released Final Fantasy 7 Remake update 1.03, and this is a surprise patch though don’t expect much, as this doesn’t add any new content, and is most likely to market the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth out this Thursday.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Update 1.03 Patch Notes:
Update: Square Enix has revealed the “patch notes” though didn’t really divulge what was changed.
In the patch notes released on Steam, it mentions that the update “fixes several bugs.” While it isn’t specified what bugs were fixed, we now know that this patch changes Tifa’s outfit to make it more in line with FF7 Rebirth’s. Per the game’s Steam community, the change involves a Nibelheim flashback where a younger version of Tifa wearing a cowboy outfit featured, and this update adds a shirt to cover her cleavage (understandable since in the flashback, Tifa is 15 years old).
Check out the before and after images below (via HatefulMother):
Before Patch:
After Patch:
Per the PS4’s update history:
– Made various adjustments.
Square Enix hasn’t said anything about it yet as well. Chances are, this adds a marketing banner or store redirect in-game to FF7 Rebirth.
Speaking of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, we already ran our review, and it is an instant classic with our reviewer stating, “The gauntlet has already been thrown as a Game of the Year contender with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and it’s going to take one hell of a game to match its quality in 2024.”
You can check out FF7 Rebirth yourself, as there is a free demo out on PSN. What’s even better is Square Enix released an update to the demo that added more content.
If Square Enix releases anything official or if the community finds something, we’ll update the article with the info.
Aside from the new operator set to be released in Operation Deadly Omen, which is the first season of Rainbow Six Siege’s ninth year, Ubisoft also has a spread of new changes, additions, and more all scheduled for this year. Today, the studio revealed the Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 content, changes, the new features players can expect, and even the roadmap!
Bear in mind that there’s no release dates for each new season just yet, but we do have an overview of what’s set to come in each season. We’ve also included the info from the press release and videos for each topic, with added info from the game’s community.
Full Operator Status – Can appear in every playlist, can be customised (headgear/uniform)
Intended to give recruit an impact and focus on all operators across the board
Battle Pass Owners are given an operator voucher to purchase ANY operator or redeemed for R6 credits if you own every operator
Battle pass + event
SEASON 3
New Operator hailing from: Greece
Will bring a new weapon to their loadout
Battle pass + event
SEASON 4
Operator Remaster – “From the USA, has been long requested”
Hinted as being someone with a beard…!
Another operator voucher rewarded for Battle Pass owners (same as Year 9 Season 2)
Battle pass + event
PLAYER PROTECTION:
Rainbow Six Siege remains committed to fair, resonant gameplay for all players and maintains a zero-tolerance policy for toxicity and cheating. New strike teams will be able to update and reinforce anti-cheat solutions more regularly, including the QB System for PC users and Mousetrap for Console users. Year 9 continues to build on player protection features, such as new ranked playlist requirements, an update to the Reputation System, and improvements to data bans. In particular, the team improved on the machine learning-based data bans to be more effective in reducing the impact of cheaters, alongside improved account bans on PC. Mousetrap will be implemented within the Reputation System and there will be a full release of automated text chat moderation.
“Hackers/Cheaters have no space in Siege”
Season 1: New technology, Machine Learning to ban based on data + statistics
Analyse complete Siege population, identify cheaters quickly and banned ASAP
S1 Ranked playlist: New restrictions for new and returning players
Make it tougher for cheaters to enter playlist
Toxicity:
Every season will feature an update to the reputation system
Text Chat – Automated Moderation introduced in Season 4
S2: Reputation System will leave beta
Consequences (E.g. Playlist restrictions) will be introduced for low reputation scores
S2: PC Specific – Harder for cheaters to use multiple accounts on same system
Mouse trap
S3:
Implemented into the reputation system
Will be penalised if detected as using MnK on console (E.g. playlist restriction)
S4
Automatically placed into PC matchmaking pool if detected by Mouse Trap
Season 4: Live Banning
Cheaters will be banned mid-match, match immediately cancelled with no MMR penalty
Year Long Effort:
Harden security systems; reinforcing mouse trap and QB (PC Anticheat).
Growing team dedicated to game exploits to identify them faster and eliminate ASAP
Communication:
Every two months Ubisoft will communicate with players on state of the game
BALANCING:
The objective of balancing in Rainbow Six Siege this year is to break the run and gun meta to highlight utility and strategic play through emphasizing the balance between gunplay and utility. The goal is to ensure that gunplay is not the sole option in all situations, as well as reinforcing our Attackers lineup. In Year 9, the development team is focused on delivering meaningful balancing updates, split into three categories. The first being an Operator, loadout, or gadget update, to always be on top of current gameplay needs. The second category is system updates, split into separate entities that affect the game globally like an update to shotguns or attachments. The third and significant category is a remaster, which is the most in-depth change and affects Operators’ base stats, loadouts, gadget capability, and more. An Operator remaster is a reimagining of them and their in-game use, like Tachanka in recent years. To ensure the Operator roster remains impactful to play, remastered Operators will be chosen from their pick rates, ban rates, and if previous balancing levers were ineffective.
Consequently, the team will implement remasters for two Operators, as well as balancing for Solis, Azami, Fenrir, and others. Season 1 also adds an LMG update, which along with the attachment update and new balancing levers, makes this weapon class more viable.
“TDM Meta is not here to stay”
Reinforcing Attacker Lineup – reducing the disparity between strength of attackers and defenders
Giving armoury and tools they need
Dealings with powerhouse defenders
Intent on tactical gameplay, punishing reckless gameplay
Intend on being more reactive to player feedback, instead of waiting months for changes to be introduced
Balancing Vocabulary
“Update” – E.g. Removing/Adding gadget
“System Update” – Larger changes, E.g. Updates to weapon class (I.e. Y9S1 LMG Changes)
Solis Update (Part 1) – No longer usable in prep phase, range reduction and faster battery drain
Season 3:
Solis Update (Part 2) – No further details
Dokkaebi Update – No further details
Season 4:
“Future balance update” – No further details
SIEGE CUP:
Siege Cup: Sign up your team for tournaments
Player Comfort + Long-Term Progression
Player comfort updates intend to improve the quality of life and add features for a smoother Rainbow Six Siege experience. In Season 1, these include improvements to rappel entry and exit as well as improved gadget pickup. Also coming in Operation Deadly Omen is the Locker, an easier way for players to sort, favorite, and manage their collected items. Furthermore, a new badge and career system that celebrates players’ achievements will be added, encouraging them to earn badges and using the career page to see an overview of their progress.
Players can also expect previsualization to be implemented for mechanics like projectile trajectory, drone jump, and deployable gadgets. Previsualization allows players to be more confident and precise with their gadget use, effectively onboarding new or returning players to the current state of the game. Trajectory previsualization will be available in all game modes and can be turned on or off in settings.
Additionally, Year 9 plans to introduce improvements for matches, including a new 1v1 preset for custom games and a better matchmaking system. Dynamic matchmaking will be tuned to each specific region, so players will be matched appropriately, regardless of where or when they play. The development team plans to launch After-Action Report 2.0 to provide better visibility for the end of the matches and provide more details on the match played.
Introduce long term progression system
Season 1:
Cosmetic locker (Favourite cosmetics, see most recent acquisitions)
Earn achievements/challenges and equip badges to your operator (similar to operator cards)
Career page: View stats and last match
1v1 custom game pre-set
Season 4:
Dynamic Matchmaking
More flexible matchmaking for lower population zones
Crossplay
Console and PC Crossplay
One-way only: PC players cannot opt-in to play with console
Marketplace
Aim to launch fully in Season 2.
Beta will run until then
TRAINING & ONBOARDING:
To improve how new players are introduced to Rainbow Six Siege, fully revamped onboarding features introduced in Year 8, including new Tutorials, will continue to receive updates this year. Specifically, Year 9 will expand the Versus AI and Map Training Playlist modes introduced last season. Season 1 will bring additional Operators and maps to the Versus AI mode, helping players develop in-game strategies based on the AI’s behavior. In Season 2, onboarding updates will continue to add Operators and maps. Furthermore, Season 2 will introduce a large update to Target Drill in the Map Training Playlist and more improvements.
Season 3 brings a new cover lane to Shooting Range, new Drone Drill Playlist, as well as Additional Operators and Maps to the Versus AI Playlist. These features will offer players the effective tools to improve their competitive play and train strategic efficiency. Finally, Season 4 will receive more updates for the Versus AI and Maps Training Playlists, such as additional Operators and Maps. Understanding a map is key to succeeding in gameplay, and with more maps available, players can practice and develop stronger strategies across matches.
Season 1, 2 and 3: Versus AI Playlist updates – New operators and maps
Season 3: Drone Drill. Cover Mode in shooting range (Target dummies take cover)
Introduction of AI Attacker Playlist
SIEGE ESPORTS:
Reintroducing Six Invitational Last Chance Qualifier
May 2024 Blast R6 Major: Manchester, United Kingdom
November 2024 Blast R6 Major: Montreal
February 2025 Six Invitational: United States, East Coast
2026: France
Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Roadmap:
YEAR 9 ROADMAP
Operation Deadly Omen, the first season of Year 9, brings the terrifying villain Deimos to players’ control. Additionally, season one will introduce important updates, such as a new inventory management menu. Known as the Locker, this system is an easier way for players to organize, view, and access their skins collection. Following the Year 8 Season 4 Test Server Lab, other updates include a revamped shield mechanic for more balanced play and an attachments & ADS upgrade. The ADS upgrade will reward and reinforce a tactical playstyle by reducing access to magnifying and supporting a methodical play style.
Season 2’s remasters will relaunch fully upgraded Operators and breathe new life into some old favorites, beginning with Recruit, the starting Operator. Additionally, Season 2 will introduce the following: the full release of the Reputation System; map filters in the Standard Playlist; new maps and new Target drills in the Map Training Playlist; and the full release of Siege Marketplace.
Season 3 will introduce a new Greek Operator, long-awaited badges and career system, access to the Shooting Range during matchmaking, the Siege Cup tournament, and a revamped versus AI mode with a full new feature: AI can control attackers, allowing players to play as Defenders this time. The upcoming badge system is intended to celebrate and recognize player achievements, allowing players to showcase players’ dedication. Additionally, the Siege Cup event, a competitive tournament system, will offer players unique rewards. The new Versus AI playlist, which uses machine learning to replicate a specific Attacker playstyle, allows players to practice their defense in preparation for matches.
Finally, Season 4 updates include remastering a beloved American Operator and a cross-play update to access matchmaking with PC for Console players. Additionally, Season 4 plans to support anti-cheat efforts by implementing a system that will automatically kick cheaters and minimize the negative impact cheaters have on matches.
There’s no word yet o when Season 1 will launch, but once we know, we’ll let our readers know.
Just two weeks ago, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt confirmed that Helldivers 2 managed to reach one million sales already, and how the game is “blowing through estimates.” Well, it seems that the Helldivers 2 sales aren’t slowing down, as the game has seemingly managed to hit the three-million sales mark already!
This was confirmed by Pilestedt once again in a response to a tweet.
Mind, the emoji is pointing “up” which we presume means that it’s even higher than three million, but we don’t want to speculate about that.
In addition to that, Pilestedt has also confirmed that Helldivers 2’s current server cap for concurrent players is at 800,000, and yes, this is for both the PS5 and PC combined, given the game shares servers for both platforms.
We expect the @helldivers2 servers to hit the 800,000 CCU max capacity in 3-4 hours. There might be light queues to get in at peak.
Also, how crazy is this message from a studio of ~100 devs? 🤟
Now, with the servers holding up, Arrowhead can now focus on game improvements. Not only that, but Pilestedt also teased that “exciting things” are upcoming for the game. Hopefully, these exciting things include the promised new enemies, biomes and more, which will be available to all players for free!
Our Take on Why Hellidivers 2 Continues to Sell
With a fun gameplay loop, a Battle Pass done right and now with the servers seemingly stable, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it sell more especially with strong word of mouth behind it. There’s a lot of things to love in the game, which we discuss in our review.
Do you think Helldivers 2 will continue to sell or has it reached its plateue? Sound off in the comments.
With another patch released this previous week for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the studio didn’t bring all the mentioned changes pertaining to Boom and Affliction Immunity. It seems that’s set to be part of the next patch for the game, as Rocksteady talks about the Suicide Squad: KTJL upcoming changes, meta and more.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Upcoming Changes and Meta:
According to Rocksteady, following a positive response, they are making the changes to Boom and Affliction Immunity in an upcoming patch.
Affliction Immunity – Will now cancel on any damage taken.
Boom – Won’t trigger Suicide Strikes and Shield Harvesting kills.
The devs also mentioned how they are looking to increase the amount of damage that Counter shots deal to Brainiac in the Mayhem mission, as this will allow players to consistently deal more damage to Brainiac in this encounter while keeping the challenging and intensity high,
Killing Time is also another thing that will get a change soon. Expect a change for it in Episode One that will keep “the mission contained to a more concentrated area, resulting in a more intense battle.”
Current Meta:
Meta, which stands for “Most Effective Tactics Available,” has also been discussed by the devs. Rocksteady is said to be keeping a close eye on Mastery level balancing, and after the fix to the Burn status effect, the studio has seen some interesting builds emerge that are allowing players to reach higher Mastery levels. With the release of the game’s first season, Rocksteady is increasing the number of Incursion missions from three to six, and gamers will only need to play three of the six missions to increase your unlocked Mastery levels.
The three additional Incursion missions are what the studio calls “Combat Incursions,” and these are “unique and intense combat encounters” that give players more freedom to experiment and explore the best way to finish a mission.
Back in 2022, EA announced a major shakeup in the Battlefield franchise by naming Respawn founder Vince Zampella to oversee the franchise. This was followed by a new DICE studio GM in Rebecka Coutaz, and the hiring of Marcus Lehto, the co-creator of the Halo franchise to spearhead the new Battlefield game’s campaign with newly-formed studio, Ridgeline Games.
While EA has yet to formally announce the new Battlefield game, it seems major changes are already underway, as Marcus Lehto has seemingly vacated his post not only as the Battlefield Game Director, but also his employment at EA. This was spotted by YouTuber DANNYonPC who screengrabbed Lehto’s before and after bio, which has since been scrubbed of anything related to Battlefield, Ridgeline and EA.
Adding fuel to the fire, Ridgeline Games co-founder and Art Director Chris Matthews has also left his post this January 2024 to join the folks over at 343 Industries.
Cofounder of @ridgelinegames and art director Chris Matthews (@plastyk78) left in Januari 2024~ to go to 343 industries
While EA, Lehto or Matthews haven’t announced anything about the departures, we’ll be sad to see Lehto leave the project, as he was very vocal in involving the community. On multiple occasions, Lehto has gone on Twitter to ask fans about various gameplay-related items about the Battlefield franchise such as destruction, map layouts, and more.
We’ve reached out to EA to ask about Lehto’s departure and will update the article if we hear anything back.
Our Take on Lehto and Matthews’ Departure from EA and What This Means for the Next Battlefield:
While Lehto’s departure from EA isn’t exactly 100% confirmed just yet, it does seem that way. We know the next Battlefield game hasn’t formally been announced yet, but we were excited to see Lehto be part of it. Not only that, but for someone to be quite vocal about the franchise’s missteps and wanting to correct it, that bodes well for the next entry.
Still, this doesn’t mean the Battlefield game in development at EA will be bad because of Lehto and Matthews’ departures, but it does raise a few questions.
We’ve reached out to EA about the situation and will update the article if we hear anything back.
Rainbow Six Siege players, Ubisoft has relayed info regarding the next major content drop for the shooter with “Operation Deadly Omen.” The Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Season 1 (R6 Siege Y9S1) new operator is named “Deimos,” and is the first villain operator in the game!
Rainbow Six Siege Year 9 Season 1 New Operator “Deimos” Gadget and Explanation:
Type: Attacker (Two-speed operator)
Operator Overview:
Operation Deadly Omen unleashes Deimos, a fearsome new Attacker equipped with the DeathMARK Tracker gadget. The gadget reveals the target’s precise location as a live ping and Deimos’ location until the gadget’s time runs out or one is killed. Tactically, this probe can be used for anti-roaming, avoiding enemy flanking and to distract enemy Operators. A brutal Operator, Deimos can control any map by pinpointing an enemy’s location. Deimos is a two speed, two health Operator, and his loadout features an AK-74M or a M5904A1 as a primary weapon, with a brand-new powerful revolver, .44 Vendetta, as a secondary weapon.
Gadget: DeathMARK Tracker
Flying miniature drone that automatically detects and marks targets
Own position is revealed while DeathMARK is active
All revealed operators can be selected as targets
Starts round without any trackers, gains them over time
Primary weapons:
AK-74M Assault Rifle
M590A1 Shotgun
Secondary weapons:
.44 Vendetta Revolver Signature Weapon
Secondary gadgets:
Frag Grenades
Hard-Breach Charge
Counters:
Disabled by Mute’s jammers and Tuberao’s canisters
Vigil remains hidden with activated cloak
Stay tuned as we have more coverage of R6 Siege Y9S1 straight from our hands-on preview from Ubisoft’s private event.
Gun Interactive has released The Texas Chainsaw Massacre update 1.14 (PS5 version 1.000.016) on all platforms this Feb. 24, and this is to bring in a fix to the Nicotero Leatherface bugs that surfaced from the free DLC title update released a few days ago. Read on for the official word regarding today’s title update.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Update 1.14 Patch Notes | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Update 1.000.016 Patch Notes:
Here’s the official announcement from Gun Interactive:
A rapid patch will be going out at 10 AM EST to fix issues with Nicotero Leatherface’s saw audio when equipped with other Leatherface variants and issues with Leatherface’s new execution audio. Restart your game to see this update.
“A rapid patch will be going out at 10 AM EST to fix issues with Nicotero Leatherface’s saw audio when equipped with other Leatherface variants and issues with Leatherface’s new execution audio. Restart your game to see this update.
ICYMI: double XP for all BBQ starts too.”
As you can see, double XP is also live right now. There’s no word on whether there are other gameplay-related fixes in this patch, but if we spot any, we’ll update the article with the info. Hopefully this patch doesn’t break anything from the game, which is what happened two weeks ago when a patch broke the game on PS5.
If you spot any major bugs or fixes from this patch, leave a comment below and let us know.
Toylogic has released Foamstars update 1.05 (PS5 version 1.005), which is a minor update adding a new skin and fixing some bugs.
Foamstars Update 1.05 Patch Notes (PS5 Update Version 1.005):
Slideboard Skin: Launch Celebration Item
Thank you for joining the FOAMSTARS party!
All players will receive a special slideboard skin to commemorate the launch.
Check out the slideboard skin “We Are FOAMSTARS” in the Customization menu.
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where you would be unable to take control of the rubber duck under certain circumstances.
Made changes to internal data ahead of the next Season update.
Foamstar is now out, and as a reminder, it is part of February’s 2024 PlayStation Plus lineup, so if you haven’t grabbed it already, be sure to because the month is almost over.
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.
If you’re trying to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone but find yourself unable to join matches, or if you do, the servers are acting up or it’s not a full match, it’s due to both games being down and having issues this Feb. 23.
COD Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Down Status This Feb. 23:
Since early this morning, multiple gamers have chimed in on the server issues, and what’s more, even if players do manage to get into matches, there seems to be issues with progression. Some are seeing their ranks reset, while others are not saving whatever progress they make in matches.
We’re working on a fix for a known issue that appeared overnight that is preventing progress from being tracked in various areas of the game including but not limited to events, challenges, Battle Pass, and SR.
Players may also notice unusual behavior related to account level and loadouts.
#ModernWarfare2
We are also aware that #MWII players may be impacted by this outage. Teams continue to be actively working to resolve this issue.”
Based on what the community is saying, some people are managing to get back in, but progression is still broken. Once we have more news about the situation, we’ll update the article. Chances are, there’s no need to download a patch for this, but don’t be surprised if we do see one in the coming days to help mitigate any security issues.
Developer NetherRealm Studios is set to deliver one of the most requested features for Mortal Kombat 1, and that’s crossplay (or cross-platform play)! This will be one of the items included in next week’s title update which will be released alongside premium DLC character, Peacemaker.
This was revealed by NetherRealm themselves over on Twitter/X:
Aside from crossplay, we are expecting a host of bug fixes and adjustments to be part of the title update, which we’re assuming will also be released on February 28 — the same day Peacemaker is available for early access. Speaking of which, go check out the official gameplay trailer for the character to see how he’ll play out in the game.
Who Is Peacemaker?
Not familiar who the character is portrayed by the delightful John Cena in the hit TV series?
Christopher “Chris” Smith, also known as the Peacemaker, is a violent vigilante who believes in achieving peace at any cost no matter how many people he has to kill for it in the process. He was also a member of the second Task Force X strike team sent on a mission to Corto Maltese. While he struck up a rapport with the team, he eventually turned on them to complete their intended mission when they learned it was all a cover-up for the U.S. government’s mistake. In the attempt to complete the mission, Smith murdered team leader Rick Flag, and was sent into a coma by teammate and rival Bloodsport.
Once the patch is out, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
With a lukewarm reception from its gameplay reveal that never managed to sway the mind of gamers, coupled with middling reviews from critics, it’s not really surprising to hear that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League hasn’t performed to what its publisher, Warner Bros. is expecting.
This was confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels in the company’s quarterly financial earnings call where the exec said that the game “has fallen short of our expectations.”
Unfortunately, Warner Bros. didn’t say what the projected sales figures were, or how many copies the game has sold since it launched on February 2. However, Suicide Squad’s failure seems to have dragged down WB’s bottom line, as Wiedenfels also confirmed their game business was in for a “tough” year-on-year comparison. For reference, last year’s game sales from Warner Bros. went very well and mostly due to Hogwarts Legacy — a game that managed to be the best-selling game of 2023 (yes, even beating Call of Duty).
“This year, Suicide Squad, one of our key video game releases in 2024, has fallen short of our expectations since its release earlier in the quarter, setting our games business up for a tough year-over-year comp in Q1 – Gunnar Wiedenfels, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Financial Officer“
While Rocksteady Studios has been communicative enough when it comes to the game’s post-launch support and whatnot, it seems to be fighting a losing battle, as the game’s subreddit now fails to even have over 1,000 active people at any given time (with a subreddit subscriber count of over 25,000 at the time of this writing). Not only that, but on Steam, the game can’t even break 1,000 players concurrently either, as the game only has a 24-hour peak of 863 for today, with an all-time peak of 13,459 (data via Steam Charts).
Of course, there is the chance that Suicide Squad’s console player base is higher by a lot, but even if you factor it in, I suspect that number won’t go past five digits.
There is a chance Rocksteady can turn things around though. We’ve seen it happen multiple times when it comes to live service games, with the most recent game that was able to pull it off being Battlefield 2042.
Will Rocksteady Manage to Turn Things Around for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?
We can’t say for sure. Unfortunately, Rocksteady and WB can’t really count on word of mouth right now, as the game is sitting on a Metacritic average of 60, with the user average even lower at 3.7. There is a lot of stuff planned for the game’s first year (which could very well be its last). This March, Rocksteady is bringing over the Joker as a new playable character, with content planned up to Season 4.Will this be enough to entice gamers? Maybe with a price reduction, proper support from devs and whatnot, it could, but it is an uphill battle.
If you’re curious what we thought of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, head on over here for our review where our reviewer states,”I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. Disappointed by the potential of what this game could have been, and disappointed by what we got.”
Xur has returned to Destiny this Friday with a fresh set of Exotics, Engrams, and Legendary gear on sale only in exchange for Legendary Shards. For those curious about his current hideout and offerings, MP1st’s new Destiny 2 Xur location today, February 23, 2024 post lists down both his location and full inventory until the next Weekly Reset.
New Destiny 2 Xur Location Today February 23, 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.
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.
Engrams
Name
Description
Cost
Exotic Engram
An engram with a predestined outcome. Contains a new Exotic if any of the possible rewards remain to be collected. Preview contents for possible rewards.
Xûr, Agent of the Nine, is a strange vendor who randomly appears in a Public Sector on one of the Worlds. Xûr sells Exotic equipment and only takes Legendary Shards in exchange for them.
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.
