While the big Phantom Liberty DLC is already out for Cyberpunk 2077, that doesn’t mean CD Projekt RED is stopping pushing out fixes for the game. The studio announced today that the Cyberpunk 2077 next update 2.02 will be out “soon,” and we even get a preview of the fixes incoming.
Cyberpunk 2077 Next Update 2.02 Key Fixes and Improvements:
V will no longer flatline after entering the Delamain AV in Path of Glory.
Fixed the shutters blocking entry to Black Sapphire in Run This Town.
Fixed an issue where cyberware could get downgraded to Tier 1 after updating the game to 2.01.
Fixed skill progression passives.
Rebalanced the timers in courier missions.
Note: The issue where players on Xbox Series X|S are not receiving the Quadra Sport R-7 “Vigilante” pre-order bonus is still under investigation. We’re working together with Microsoft to identify the root cause and bring you a fix as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
There’s no release date for the patch just yet, though I’d guess it’s sometime within the month.
If you haven’t played Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty, go read our review here, where we state, “It’s clear after playing through the expansion that CDPR has been listening to its fans. With Phantom Liberty, they have finally delivered the much-demanded experience players have asked for since launch.”
Now, if you don’t want to purchase the DLC, the big 2.0 update also introduced a host of new features to everyone for free.
In case you weren’t aware, Ghostrunner 2 is launching next week! With many runners preparing themselves for the onslaught of death, 505 Games has been busy working on some post-release content and has now revealed the Ghostrunner 2 DLC roadmap and Season Pass details.
Ghostrunner 2 DLC Roadmap and Season Pass Details
Key Details
Pricing: $20
Includes 4 Cosmetic DLC plus a new game mode
The first cosmetic DLC “Ice Pack” for Ghostrunner 2, drops Dec. 7. It will feature three Sword Skins, three Hand Skins, and a Motorcycle skin with a frosty theme.
A brand new game mode DLC called Endless Moto Mode will be released in 2024, with full details to be announced later.
Three additional cosmetic packs will be released, each containing three sword skins, three hand skins, and one motorcycle skin.
Roadmap Release
December 7, 2023 – Cosmetic DLC #1 “Ice Pack”
February 2024 – Cosmetic DLC #2 “Dragon Pack”
June 2024 – Cosmetic DLC #3 “Heat Pack”
September 2024 – Endless Moto Mode
October 2024 – Anniversary Pack
Season Pass Trailer
That’s everything included in the Season Pass for Ghostrunner 2. Is there anything in there that has you interested? I’m sure the Endless Moto Mode has you curious, and if the name indicates anything, we’ll assume it’s related to motorcycles! More news on that will be available later, but for now, we’ll have to enjoy everything offered in Ghostrunner 2 when it launches on October 26! Oh, and if you want to get the Brutal Edition, know you’ll also get access to the game on October 24, 48 hours before the official release.
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.
Rumors surrounding the release of the Nintendo Switch’s successor some time next year have been circling lately. These rumors, while unconfirmed, might just have been strengthened by Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser in a recent interview. Bowser also seemingly implied that Nintendo is hard at work to implement Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility.
In an interview with Inverse this morning, Doug Bowser discussed the Switch’s future and Nintendo’s general strategy for bringing games to their fans and staying in the conversation. As they got into conversation regarding Nintendo’s next console, Bowser made some intriguing comments about the company’s design philosophy:
Q. How — when you consider the idea of a successor to the Switch — do you think about helping those people who are on the console transfer to the next platform while reassuring them that the content and investment in the Switch will somehow transfer to its successor?
Doug Bowser: Well, first I can’t comment — or I won’t comment, I should say — on the rumors that are out there. But one thing we’ve done with the Switch to help with that communication and transition is the formation of the Nintendo Account. In the past, every device we transitioned to had a whole new account system. Creating the Nintendo Account will allow us to communicate with our players if and when we make a transition to a new platform, to help ease that process or transition.
Our goal is to minimize the dip you typically see in the last year of one cycle and the beginning of another. I can’t speak to the possible features of a new platform, but the Nintendo Account is a strong basis for having that communication as we make the transition.
There are a few inferences we can make here. For one, it sounds like Nintendo is putting an emphasis on ensuring that players transitioning from the Switch to the new console feel secure doing so. Calling out the Nintendo Account seems to imply that Nintendo wants the games associated with each user’s account to be accessible on their new platform, a process which would mark a first for Nintendo’s home console digital marketplace.
Second, Bowser referenced “the last year” of a console’s cycle, which hints pretty heavily at the fact that the Switch’s life cycle is coming to a close. Given that all the rumors point to a 2024 release for Nintendo’s next machine, this statement gives us a pretty strong indication that those rumors might hold water. It also lends to the idea of backwards compatibility. If Nintendo is looking to “minimize the dip” between consoles, they likely want players to feel like they can buy a Switch now without their game library being useless in a year. How can they do that? They can make their games backwards compatible.
As always, none of this is a hard confirmation of Nintendo’s plans, so take it all with a grain of salt. We’ll be sure to keep readers posted on any further updates or official announcements from Nintendo or elsewhere.
Even in its senior years, the Switch is still pumping out great games. You can check out our review round up for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which is apparently another instant classic from Nintendo, at this link.
In case you’re not familiar with the dialogue surrounding Call of Duty in recent years, long-time fans have been pissed at developer Infinity Ward. For years, they’ve ignored community outcry, walked back features the community liked, and even introduced pay-to-win elements to their recent games. Yesterday, Infinity Ward claimed to be listening to “feedback” in regards to Warzone’s The Haunting Event, which is live now, and players are extremely fed up with them.
For context, The Haunting introduced several world bosses to Warzone’s world map that players can defeat to earn rewards. Given that Warzone regularly supports 150 players on its biggest map, Al Mazrah, it can be difficult for a squad of players to take on these bosses without getting attacked by another squad. The player density makes it a bit of a challenge to deal with the bosses uninterrupted.
In an attempt to alleviate this issue, Infinity Ward reduced the player count to 100 and put out a tweet to address the change:
We received feedback that, with all of The Haunting activities in the mix, Massive Resurgence felt a bit too chaotic. To alleviate this, we temporarily reduced the Player count from 150 to 100. This lower Player count retains the welcome excitement of Massive Resurgence, but… https://t.co/9CpbjAKrly
Unfortunately for Infinity Ward, they chose the wrong words for this tweet. Members of the Call of Duty community were quick to jump down their throats, calling them out for effectively turning a blind eye to the countless complaints that fans and creators alike have leveled at their games in the last several years. Popular creators and sites fired back pretty quickly in the replies:
So now you’re listening to feedback?
Didn’t see people complaining about it being too chaotic anywhere I looked, just complaints that people can 3rd party the pharaoh and the Butcher.
ModernWarzone, a Call of Duty news account with nearly a million followers, pointed out that complaints about the player counts are pretty difficult to find online. CharlieIntel, another well-known Call of Duty news source, chimed in with doubts as well:
IceManIsaac, a popular Warzone content creator with over 500k subscribers on his YouTube channel, called out the players providing this so-called “feedback:”
I really appreciate the transparency (even if it's after the fact) but if players wanted less chaos, they could queue into regular BR Duos/Quads. It still has all the in game events and only 100 players.
P.S. Don't make 100 players the norm for Urzikstan. It's a snooze fest 🙂
You can see more angry replies to Infinity Ward’s statement in the tweet replies.
Unsurprisingly, Infinity Ward has not responded to any of the feedback they’ve received on the tweet itself. It fits the pattern they’ve had of ignoring significant complaints regarding Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 in the last year. Managing communication with your community is not an easy task, but when you’re in charge of one of the most popular franchises in the world, it’s vital that you stay in touch with what your audience wants to see. If you can’t keep track of the community pulse, you’re much more likely to end up with a dead game.
Thankfully, the future is looking bright for Call of Duty thanks to last week’s Modern Warfare 3 beta. You can check out our pretty positive impressions of it here.
If Infinity Ward comments on the backlash, we’ll be sure to update this story. Don’t cross your fingers.
We’re exactly one week away from the launch of Alan Wake 2, and to get PC players better prepared for this dark and twisted story, Remedy Entertainment has revealed the Alan Wake 2 PC system requirements.
Confirming in a post on X, here are the PC requirements for Alan Wake 2.
Alan Wake 2 PC System Requirements
Minimum – Graphics Low – Resolution 1080P – FPS 30 – NO RAY TRACING
GPU – GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 6600
VRAM – 6 GB
DLSS/FSR2 – Quality
CPU – Intel i5-7600K or AMD equivalent
RAM – 16 GB
OS – Windows 10/11 64-bit
STORAGE – 90 GB SSD
Recommended – Graphics Medium – Resolution 1440p/1080P – FPS 30/60 – NO RAY TRACING
Ultra – Graphics High – Resolution 2160P – FPS 60 – NO RAY TRACING
GPU – GeForce RTX 4070, Radeon RX 6700 XT
VRAM – 12 GB
DLSS/FSR2 – Performance
CPU – Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent
RAM – 16 GB
OS – Windows 10/11 64-bit
STORAGE – 90 GB SSD
Alan Wake 2 PC System Requirements for Ray Tracing
Low – Medium with Low Ray Tracing – Resolution 1080P – FPS 30
GPU – GeForce RTX 3070, Radeon RX 6800 XT
VRAM – 8 GB
DLSS/FSR2 – Quality
CPU – Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent
RAM – 16 GB
OS – Windows 10/11 64-bit
STORAGE – 90 GB SSD
Medium – Medium Ray Tracing and Path Tracing On – Resolution 1080P – FPS 60
GPU – GeForce RTX 4070
VRAM – 12 GB
DLSS/FSR2 – Quality
CPU – Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent
RAM – 16 GB
OS – Windows 10/11 64-bit
STORAGE – 90 GB SSD
High – High Ray Tracing and Path Tracing On – Resolution 2160p – FPS 60
GPU – GeForce RTX 4080
VRAM – 16GB
DLSS/FSR2 – Performance
CPU – Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent
RAM – 16 GB
OS – Windows 10/11 64-bit
STORAGE – 90 GB SSD
There are some beefy requirements on the performance and ray tracing side of things that I’m sure many PC players will need to upgrade to run Alan Wake 2 as smoothly as possible. Hopefully, it will not be a costly experience for many.
Alan Wake 2 releases next Friday, October 27, for PC (Epic Game Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It’ll be a digital-only title, with no current plans for a physical release.
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.
Destiny‘s Trials of Osiris weekly PvP mode is back 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 2Trials of Osiris rewards and map this week October 20, 2023post lists down all that information in full below.
New Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris Rewards This Week October 20, 2023:
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 taken to Master Rahool 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 Ferocity
Your third match win grants a bonus win.
15 Legendary Shards
Passage of Mercy
Forgives one loss per run. Forgives a second loss if you have not yet been flawless this week.
Xur has returned to Destiny this Friday with a fresh selection of Exotics, Engrams, and Legendary gear on sale only in exchange for Legendary Shards. For those seeking information about his current hideout and wares, here you go: MP1st’s new Destiny 2 Xur location today, October 20, 2023 post details both his location and full inventory until the next Weekly Reset.
New Destiny 2 Xur Location Today October 20, 2023 (And What Xur Is Selling):
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.
Heavily hinted at in the Battlefield 2042 Season 6 trailer, it seems details and even images regarding the BF2042 mid-season event has surfaced thanks to datamining! Players, prepare for Battlefield 2042 Dark Protocol!
Images have surfaced along with the first details on what players can expect from the BF2042 Dark Protocol mid-season event.
In Killswitch, secure AI nodes and use the Forge on site to create a swarm of synthetic soldiers.
Claiming and activating the forge allows your team to spawn AI soldiers (called “Geists”), which fight on your side.
Geists are made of the prosthetics you can already see on the Redacted map.
You can have a draw at the end of a round (probably when both teams secure the same amount of nodes).
According to the Battlefield 2043 Discord server where the leak first emerged, the targeted reveal date is October 26.
Of course, nothing is official just yet, so take the info above with a grain of salt. That said, the evidence is pretty significant, so it’s just a matter of time until we hear about the mode’s release, which we’re assuming won’t be far off from the Dark Protocol reveal.
Alongside the new mode, expect a host of new cosmetics to be made available that players can earn and purchase, which has been the case in every mid-season event. Given BF2042 has seen quite a resurgence with the start of Season 6 and even establishing all-time highs in Steam concurrent players, this new mid-season event couldn’t come at a better time.
Following today’s Diablo 4 update released on all platforms, it looks like connectivity issues have surfaced for the game once again. Multiple Diablo 4 down reports have surfaced this October 20, with gamers reporting that they are stuck in a “start game pending” and “queued for game” loops.
Diablo 4 Down With “Start Game Pending” Issues for October 20:
Reports have surfaced on the game’s official forums and the game’s subreddit as well, and for those wondering, yes, this is affecting PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
We’re keeping tabs on the situation and once more info is known, we’ll update the article. If you can somehow connect (or can’t), leave a comment below letting us know which platform you’re on and where you’re connecting from to keep your fellow Diablo 4 players aware.
Blizzard Entertainment has released Diablo IV update 1.21 on last-gen and current-gen platforms, and this is the game’s third client patch for the week! Read on for what’s new in the Diablo IV new update patch notes for October 20.
Update: Blizzard has released the official patch notes.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where bonus items from the Blizzcon Collection were granted early and displayed placeholder content.
Fixed an issue where the Season of Blood Battle Pass only rewarded a total of 666 Platinum instead of the intended 700 Platinum.
Fixed an issue where the Real ID name of players was displayed locally in the Clan menu by default.
Various stability improvements.
So far, Blizzard has not released any patch notes for today’s game update just yet, but we expect that to change soon. In the meantime, go over the huge Season of Blood patch right here. As for the patch released this October 18, here are the fixes included in that one:
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with cross-platform play that prevented players on PC and console from playing together.
Various Improvements to stability.
We’re expecting the proper notes to be shared soon, so refresh this article from time to time to see the new changes made, though don’t expect anything major from it.
Update: Blizzard has released the official patch notes.
Diablo 4 update 1.022 has been pushed out by Blizzard Entertainment this October 20, and for those keeping score, this is the third client patch released for the game this week! Read on for what’s new in the D4 new update patch notes, which we’re assuming is tagged as dev version 1.2.0b.
Update: Blizzard has released the official patch notes.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where bonus items from the Blizzcon Collection were granted early and displayed placeholder content.
Fixed an issue where the Season of Blood Battle Pass only rewarded a total of 666 Platinum instead of the intended 700 Platinum.
Fixed an issue where the Real ID name of players was displayed locally in the Clan menu by default.
Various stability improvements.
So far, Blizzard has not released any patch notes for today’s game update just yet, but we expect that to change soon. In the meantime, go over the huge Season of Blood patch right here. As for the patch released this October 18, here are the fixes included in that one:
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with cross-platform play that prevented players on PC and console from playing together.
Various Improvements to stability.
We’re expecting the proper notes to be shared soon, so refresh this article from time to time to see the new changes made, though don’t expect anything major from it.
Update: Blizzard has released the official patch notes.
Visual Concepts has pushed out WWE 2K23 update 1.20 (PS5 version 1.020), and this is another unannounced patch. For those keeping score, this is the second patch released this week, with the previous one adding new characters in MyFaction.
Read on for what’s new in the WWE 2K23 patch notes for October 20.
WWE 2K23 Update 1.20 Patch Notes | WWE 2K23 Update 1.020 Patch Notes:
Size: 2GB (PS5)
Update 2: Rapper Bad Bunny has also been added to the game, as part of DLC or a new edition of WWE 2K23
Fly high with the international icon Bad Bunny. @sanbenito
The new #WWE2K23 Bad Bunny Edition features a new playable Bad Bunny character from Backlash ’23, an EVO MyFACTION card, bonus VC and more! pic.twitter.com/cy2QVifqGi
Update: According to the a WWE 2K content creator, this patch is to fix an in-game visual glitch.
– Alexa Bliss Dark hair animations were fixed.
We’re still waiting on word from the devs, and if anything surfaces, we’ll update the article again.
So far, Visual Concepts has not released any patch notes just yet, and given the studio’s history in releasing proper changelogs for their games, we wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t get a proper acknowledgement of this one either. However, we are keeping an eye on the community and will update the article if we spot any tangible change included in today’s game update.
If you can spot anything that got changed or fixed, leave a comment below and let us know. Chances are, this will once again be backend fixes or something related to MyFaction, so don’t expect much.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything substantial from the narrative-driven, prehistoric action-adventure horror game Instinction, but Hashbane Interactive has finally given a major update on it. With two years of hard work behind the team, they’ll soon be ready to show off more Instinction gameplay in a new extended demo trailer, but before then, here are some fresh story details around the game’s protagonist.
In a press statement this morning, Hashbane revealed that an extended gameplay trailer for Instinction will drop soon. There are no details as to when outside of “soon,” though we speculate this will either be before or during this year’s The Game Awards. With how much the studio has been teasing on their X account over the years with impressive lifelike dinosaur models and some of the best animations we’ve seen in a dinosaur game, we can’t wait to see how far they’ve progressed in the actual game.
We received tons of questions about our Deinonychus model, so we wanted to show a bit more of what will be showcased in the demo. We've been working on a few AI systems for this bunch, importantly combat and natural living behaviors when not engaged with the player. We love this… pic.twitter.com/wvIkPYBBJx
— Instinction, Prehistoric Action-Adventure (@InstinctionGame) September 29, 2023
But in the meantime, the studio has also revealed some new story details. Those being around the game’s protagonist, who’s name is “Isabel “Izzy” Sierra.”
“Isabel “Izzy” Sierra is a young, Mexican-American college student who is finishing up her degree when her grandmother falls ill. Her grandmother’s dying request is for Izzy to journey to her birthplace located deep within the Yucatan Peninsula and return an heirloom that belonged to her people. It doesn’t take long for Izzy to realize that she is in over her head.
Even more concerning, a mysterious organization seems to be closing in on her grandmother’s village, claiming to be trying to stop a natural disaster…”
It’s not much to go on, but at least we know who our main star is. We suspect this heirloom, as with all adventure games, will end up playing a pivotal role in the story. Regardless, you’ll be living out this story in a prehistoric world, that’ll feature 28 different beasts. Some friendly, and some deadly.
Instinction has no release date, though it is slated to come to PC and consoles. If you want to learn a bit more about Instinction, be sure to check out our interview with Hashbane from a few years back.
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.
Alan Wake 2 features perhaps the biggest cast of characters out of any Remedy game, and despite several past actors returning, there’s one that unfortunately didn’t make the cut.
Note this may be considered a spoiler, especially to those who have theorized how this character may make a comeback in the sequel. So, if you don’t want to be spoiled in the tiniest, it may be wise to turn back. Still here? Alright.
For those who remember the lead-up to the release of the original Alan Wake back in 2010, you may (or may not) remember a live-action mini-series that was released before the game’s launch called “Bright Falls.” It was a tale that followed a novelist named Jake Fischer, played by Christopher Forsyth. We won’t get into too many details, but the mini-series events were similar to the game’s. By the end of it, Jake’s fate is never fully revealed, leaving fans to speculate all these years.
So obviously, with the sequel about to release, some fans are bringing up the character again, speculating that he’ll make an appearance in the sequel. Sadly, Sam Lake confirmed during his talk at the EGX Theatre, that Jake Fischer will not return in the sequel.
“Not at the moment,” Sam Lake said when asked if there were any plans for Jake Fischer, “And even if it might be a disappointment, we have in this game a larger character gallery than in any previous games.”
Sam explains that the reasoning all came down to budget, and creating characters these days with a high level of fidelity has gotten more and more expensive. So choices had to be made somewhere, though that doesn’t confirm Jake was ever intended to appear. Sam did say, “Never say never” leaving the door open for his possible return. Perhaps we’ll see him in some of the planned Alan Wake 2 DLC?
Either way, we hope fans get some closure for the character at some point.
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.
EA has released Madden 24 update 1.07, and this patch seems to be for the last-gen versions of the football sim, as we’ve checked the current-gen versions and there doesn’t seem to be a patch available at the time of this article’s publication. Read up on what’s new in the Madden 24 patch notes for October 20.
Chances are, this patch will also be live on current-gen platforms, and once we know more about it, we’ll update the article. As for the official patch notes, expect it to be released a few hours from now (afternoon ET), which has been the case for almost every patch.
Insomniac Games has released a Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story recap trailer, highlighting the stories of the previous two games and shining the spotlight on our beloved friendly neighborhood Spider-Men.
The trailer weaves together the major events and characters from the previous games in the franchise, providing a comprehensive overview of the story so far. It showcases a blend of action-packed sequences and emotional moments, and highlights the protagonists’ journey from their origins to becoming true heroes.
The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story recap trailer reignites the passion of long-time fans while also inviting newcomers into the web-slingers’ world. It also sets the stage for what promises to be an epic continuation of the Spider-Man saga.
A recent S-Game developer interview has given us a breakdown on Phantom Blade Zero gameplay features.
S-Game Founder Soulframe and Senior Vice President of Publishing Mike Peng spoke with IGN in an interview published today to reveal several interesting tidbits about the upcoming hack n’ slash action game. This interview builds on details we learned from the studio’s Discord Q&A back in May.
Without further ado, let’s break down the interesting details we learned from the interview:
The Phantom Blade Universe – Soulframe describes the Phantom Blade setting as a Ming Dynasty-esque China but with all sorts of “steampunk, cyberpunk, dark fantasy, and horror movie” influences. It’s a gritty place where you have to fight your way out to survive.
Combat Styles – Phantom Blade Zero won’t encourage players to go for specific playstyles in their playthrough. Instead, players can utilize tools like assassinations and combos to stealth through the game, or dive full into using the game’s Kung-Fu combat system that puts heavy emphasis on using the environment to your advantage.
Primary and Secondary Weapons – Players will have a main and secondary weapon throughout their playthrough. The main weapon will be all sorts of different blades that’ll move differently depending on the length and weight of each. Dual blades are available as well. The secondary weapons, or shachis, range from quick weapons like lances to heavy-hitters like axes and hammers.
Upgrades and Gear – As the player explores the semi open-world maps between combat encounters, they’ll find gear they can upgrade to increase their overall power. Additionally, they’ll be able to gain skills as they fight their way through each area.
Upcoming Demo – While a 30-minute demo will be available next year, Mike Peng stated that it’s “invitation only this time.” We imagine this means that press and content creators will have to reach out to the studio to get their hands on the demo.
Everything we’re hearing about Phantom Blade Zero sounds promising. So far, we’ve only seen one gameplay trailer, so whether or not the game lives up to the hype remains to be seen. Regardless, the team is clearly passionate about the project which goes a long way when it comes to game development.
Are you looking forward to hopping into Phantom Blade Zero with a friend? Let us know in the comments.
Phantom Blade Zero releases on PC and PS5 sometime next year.
Ubisoft is getting in the spirit of the season with all of its multiplayer offerings. To celebrate Halloween, the team announced the For Honor Theater of Bones event, a limited-time affair featuring a new PvE game mode and all sorts of spooky cosmetics.
You can watch the event’s trailer below to get a taste of what’s to come:
So what can players expect to encounter in this update? Here’s the rundown from Ubisoft’s blog:
For Honor Theater of Bones Halloween Event Details:
White Bone Spirit Battle
The battle with the White Bone Spirit – available from October 26 until November 16 – unfolds as a new, narrative-driven PvE game mode set in a Chinese opera-inspired theater. Players will battle through four theatrical scenarios – each featuring a different set design, as well as special lighting and visual effects – before facing the true form of the White Bone Spirit herself.
Event Pass and Monkey King Wukong
Players can also purchase the Monkey King Wukong as a new Hero Skin for the Shaolin, and grab a new, free Event Pass to unlock a new ornament, battle outfit, and mood effect.
Hero Fest and Armor Variations
This phase of Year 7 Season 3 will also feature new armor variations, as well as Hero Fests – during which players can try a Hero for free (and purchase them at a discount) for a week – for the Shaolin, Zhanhu, and Aramusha. A unique execution is also released at the beginning of each Hero Fest, and the Zhanhu Hero Fest will also coincide with the return of the Zhanhu’s Gambit game mode, which will be available from November 23-30.
The event will run from October 26 to November 16. It will be available to all players on all platforms including PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Once the patch for the event is live, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.
To check out the game’s latest patch notes, click here. To keep up to date on For Honor, stay tuned in to us here at MP1st.
EA Sports has unveiled the UFC5 top 5 fighters from all classes, providing an exciting glimpse into the top talent that will be a part of the upcoming game. Check out the complete list below sorted by weight classes and skills.
UFC 5 Top 5 Fighters:
UFC 5 Top 5 Women’s Strawweight Fighters
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
‘Magnum’ Zhang Weili
‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas
Mackenzie Dern
Amanda Lemos
UFC 5 Top 5 Flyweight Fighters
Men
‘The Cannibal’ Alexandre Pantoja
‘The Assassin Baby’ Brandon Moreno
‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson
‘Triple C’ Henry Cejudo
‘Deus DA Guerra’ Deiveson Figueiredo
Women
‘Bullet’ Valentina Shevchenko
Alexa Grasso
‘Cold Blooded’ Erin Blanchfield
Taila Santos
Joanna Jedrezejczyk
UFC 5 Top 5 BantamweightFighters
Men
‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley
‘Funk master’ Aljamain Sterling
Cory Sandhagen
‘Chito’ Marlo Vera
‘The Machine’ Merab Dvalishvili
Women
‘The Lioness’ Amanda Nunes
‘Bullet’ Valentina Shevchenko
‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ Holly Holm
‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ Julianna Pena
‘Cupcake’ Mesha Tate
UFC 5 Top 5 Men’s FeatherweightFighters
‘The Great’ Alexander Volkanovski
‘Blessed’ Max Holloway
‘The Notorious’ Connor McGregor
‘El Matador’ Ilia Topuria
‘Junior’ Jose Aldo
UFC 5 Top 5 Men’s WelterweightFighters
‘Rush’ Georges St-Pierre
‘Rocky’ Leon Edwards
‘Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman
‘Chaos’ Colby Covington
‘Nomad’ Shavkat Rakhmonov
UFC 5 Top 5 Men’s Lightweight
‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov
Islam Makhachev
‘Do Bronxs’ Charles Oliveira
‘The Highlight’ Justin Gaethje
‘The Diamond’ Dustin Poirier
UFC 5 Top 5 Men’s Light HeavyweightFighters
‘Bones’ Jon Jones
‘DC’ Daniel Cormier
Jiri Prochazka
‘Sweet Dreams’ Jamahal Hill
‘Poatan’ Alex Pereira
UFC 5 Top 5 Men’s MiddleweightFighters
‘The Last Stylebender’ Israel Adesanya
‘The Spider’ Anderson Silva
‘Tarzan’ Sean Strickland
‘The Count’ Michael Bisping
‘Stillknocks’ Dricus Du Plessis
UFC 5 Top 5 Men’s HeavyweightFighters
‘Bones’ Jon Jones
‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko
Stipe Miocic
‘DC’ Daniel Comier
Tom Aspinall
UFC 5 Top 5 Kick Power Fighters
‘Junior’ Edson Barboza
‘The Highlight’ Justin Gaethje
‘Junior’ Jose Aldo
‘Poatan’ Alex Pereira
Jan Blachowicz
UFC 5 Top 5 Takedown Fighters
Islam Makhachev
‘Rush’ Georges St-Pierre
‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov
Bo Nickal
‘Borz’ Khamzat Chimaev
UFC 5 Top 5 Punch Power Fighters
‘The Black Beast’ Derrick Lewis
‘Iron’ Mike Tyson (1988)
Sergei Pavlovich
‘Sweet Dreams’ Jamahal Hill
‘Rumble’ Anthony Johnson
The roster of UFC 5 is shaping up nicely, and with a three-year gap in between, fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of the upcoming installment. The game is set to launch next week on October 27, 2023 for Xbox Series X|S and PS5.
Stay tuned to our review of UFC 5, which should hit the site near launch.
Omega Strikers update 3.01 (PS5 version 3.001) is out now, and this is for patch version 3.1.0 that adds a new character in Nao, a new map called the Clarion Test Chamber and more! Read on for the complete Omega Strikers patch notes for October 19.
To: All Staff
From: Rasmus – President, Clarion Corp.
Subject: Omega Strikers Patch 3.1.0
Hello my loyal and dedicated Clarion Corp employees! I am writing you all to inform you of a couple changes coming to Clarion Corp.
First, I would like to announce that our very own Director of Special Projects, Nao, will be joining the roster of Omega Strikers. Please send congratulations to her office.
Second, we are proud to announce the opening of Clarion Corp Test Chamber. This new map will rotate between 5 “submaps” each game. We are very excited to observe this new map and monitor the strikers.
Finally, we will be hosting a New Event to help us determine which of the temporary “superpowers” is most favorable among the audience. We will analyze the data with Nao’s assistance.
Also, on a personal note, I recently picked up a new hobby. If you see me, Magician Rasmus, around, let me perform an illusion for you.
Find the details of all the changes below. Thank you. SYSTEM CHANGES
MAPS AND MODES
[NEW] Clarion Test Chamber
Deep underground below Clarion Corp HQ hides Rasmus’ private Corestrike Arena. However, there’s more to this technological marvel than a simple love for the sport. Here is where Rasmus and Clarion Corp’s Director of Special Projects, Nao are testing the effects of Omega energy on humans. They’ve found a way to replicate the magic and technologies of some of the League’s strongest strikers, and now they’re using those powers to push the players to their limit…
The Test Chamber is an indoor Arena with 5 different ‘variants.’ Before each round, the Arena morphs into a new variant, changing its terrain and incorporating a new mechanic based on the powers of other strikers. After each Set, the variants reset!
Use invisibility vents to surprise your enemies on Project XENO
Knock enemies into the crippling auras of Project OBSCURA
Trigger the cosmic power of Atlas on ProjectEXPANSE
Use high-speed bumpers to send the core (and enemies) flying on Project BASS DROP
Fight with your team to secure a massive size buff on Project MAELSTROM
Maps Rotation
Like Awakenings, we’ll now rotate maps in and out on occasion to highlight new options and improve the meta.
Rotated Out: Oni Village, Atlas’s Lab
Active Rotation: We’re reducing the number of maps in the active rotation from 6 to 5. We expect to rotate maps in and out more frequently during future patches and micropatches. The standard rule is that all maps have an equal chance to be selected.
Clarion Test Weekend: In Normal and Quick Play queues, Clarion Test Chamber will have a heightened (50%) chance to be selected this weekend. On Monday, Normal and Quick Play queues will be changed back to have an equal chance for all maps in the active rotation to be selected. Ranked queue percentage will be unchanged and follow the standard rule.
UI / Systems
USE ENERGY BURST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something long requested – we’ve finally be able to add in some more callouts for all of your in-game communication needs
7 Total pings!
KO Them!
Get Orbs!
Sorry!
Use Energy Burst!
Spread Out!
Let Me Defend!
no more “help help help…” sorry.
Custom Games
We’ve overhauled custom games. It’s now MUCH easier to join/host custom games with a bunch of new features.
Choose lobby size
Enable/Disable spectators
Premade lobby codes
Lobby owner can rearrange teams (drag and drop)
Map selection
Game mode selection (Normal, Quickplay, Tea Time Tussle)
Server selection
Skins/Content
Not only Rasmus, Zentaro gets a skin too. Lookin’ a little cyberpunk over there, dude.
Magician Rasmus
Neon Soul Zentaro
STRIKERS
[NEW] Nao
Nao is Clarion Corp’s Director of Special Projects; a calculating businesswoman who uses drones to support her allies and create zones of power on the field. While her offensive capabilities are limited, this supportive striker offers players a high skill ceiling and a suite of utility and core control tools. To make the most out of Nao’s kit, you’ll have to think two steps ahead by placing her long-lasting creations in strategic spots, and know when to warp into the action to take matters into your own hands.
SENTRY DRONE [PRIMARY]
Launch a drone that hits the first enemy struck. At max range or upon recast, it halts and creates unstable energy that increases in power and size over time, hitting the first enemy struck in the direction cast.
PROXIMITY DRONE [SECONDARY]
Deploy a drone at a target location that lasts up to 15s and detonates on contact with a friendly player, hitting enemies away. Nearby allies restore 20% max stagger and gain a 50% Haste BUFF for 1.25s. Enemies can disarm the drone by briefly standing on it.
LIFELINE [SPECIAL]
Become ELUSIVE and BLINK to a target location near yourself or an ally, restoring 50% of nearby allies’ missing stagger on arrival. Within the next 3.25s, recast to BLINK back to your starting position.
Ai.Mi
Ai.Mi simps, erm, players I mean, were KOing others too easily with her combo. This will make it just a tad trickier to pull it off.
As we mentioned previously, Finii has struggled to find her footing despite living it up in buff city. We’ve decided to give her whole kit some love with QOL changes, numbers buffs, and a mini ability rework! We expect she’ll now sit at Finii percent win rate.
Missile speed increased (ability resolves about 10% faster)
Initial forward speed :: 2900 → 3000
Minimum speed going forward :: 0 → 500
Backwards speed :: 6000 → 6125
[BUGFIX] Attempted to fix a bug where Finii PRIMARY occasionally fizzled out without switching directions
BIG FINISH [SPECIAL]
Improved ability to initially capture the Core
Ability to hold captured Cores unchanged
Cores that have recently been boosted by Core Burst will more consistently escape.
Recast lockout :: 0.5s → 0.25s
Recast channel time :: 0.15s → 0.1s
PvP Slow reduced :: 25% → 15%
Juno
Juno can now consistently strike the Core at ALL points of her jump.
BLOB BOUNCE [SECONDARY]
[BUGFIX] Juno can now consistently strike the Core at ALL points of her jump.
Kazan
Kazan has been underperforming in win rate in most tiers of play. We’re giving him a slight nudge to his most devastating, but also most fair, ability.
Everyone is banning Rune. Stop it. This should make him less annoying to play against in the goal but keep him relatively the same Forward.
UNSTABLE ANOMALY [PRIMARY]
Pillar duration :: 1.75 → 1.6
SHADOW SWAP [SECONDARY]
Pillar duration :: 1.75 → 1.6
X
In many tiers of play, X is not a popular choice! Why? I mean look at him, he is so fine and so cool. His hair is so rad. I am glad I am getting this buff. I mean he is getting this buff. haha.
Gain 20% Speed for 1.5s whenever you hit something or get hit. Refresh your SECONDARY ability whenever you stagger an enemy or become staggered.
[NEW] Knife’s Edge
Gain 40 Power and 30% Speed whenever you’re within 400 range of the Arena’s edge.
[NEW] Demolitionist
Gain 25% Size. Whenever you destroy or assist in destroying an enemy barrier, your cooldowns are reduced by 8s.
[ROTATED OUT] :: Catalyst, Fire Up!, Rapid Fire
Hotshot
The era of hotshot is coming to an end. Cores in general have been flyin’ that we need to slow it down. Just a lil’
Core Hit amplifier :: 15% → 14%
CD reduction :: 35% → 30%
Max CD refund: 3.5s → 3.0s
One-Two Punch
As with Hotshot, we want to slow down cores a bit with One-Two Punch as well.
Hit amplifier for second hit within 2.5s :: 30% → 28%
Core Hit amplifier :: 15% → 14%
Pummelers
Overshadowed by the other schmoovement picks, Pummelers wasn’t giving players what they needed!
Speed boost during power plays :: 20% → 30%
Spark of Resilience
We undid the “base” stagger buff from the last patch but are looking to have this particular spark scale better.
Base stagger :: 150 → 100
Stagger Bonus per spark :: 250 → 350
Strike Shot
Strike Shot has been underperforming other options as of late, so we’re giving it a decently large bump in the right direction.
Missile Speed :: 1750 → 2000
Range increased by 75
Cooldown :: 11s → 10s
Timeless Creator
Strikers with creations were leaving them on the playing field timelessly. This will make them a little less timeless and smaller, but still effective.
Duration increase :: 70% → 65%
Size increase :: 50% → 40%
Vicious Vambrace
An unpopular choice, Vambrace was only kinda good on a small subset of characters. This will make it a better choice for anyone in the cast to pick.
Healing from hitting core :: 4% → 10% of damage dealt
(Ex: Healing from strike on Core 54 → 135) (Yes striking the Core counts as damage. The core feels pain. Think about that when you play.)
BUG FIXES
Kai no longer cancels his PRIMARY when his SPECIAL hits something.
Strike Shot indicator no longer disappears.
Sakura Wildstyle Rune now shows correct model when using in-game expressions.
Finii’s Misdirection projectile will no longer disappear when it reverses course.
Kazan can no longer hit elusive allies with his Open-Form PRIMARY
Inky’s Splash Zone water cannon audio will no longer sometimes play indefinitely
