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God of War Ragnarok: Kratos Was Supposed to Die in Early Story Concept

God of War Ragnarok‘s Kratos story was originally set to be much darker, as revealed by narrative director Matt Sophos in a new interview. An early concept featured the Greek God of War’s death in the game’s first Thor fight, with Atreus pulling Kratos out of Helheim two decades later and resurrecting him.

Four-and-a-half years after the release of God of War 2018, God of War Ragnarok continued the series’ Norse saga to massive fanfare and critical acclaim. Without going into spoiler territory, Ragnarok tells a moving, positive story of compassion and redemption, but apparently that was not always the direction planned for the game.

Discussing the writing process of God of War Ragnarok and its complex themes, narrative director Matt Sophos revealed that an early concept revolved around Kratos’ death early on in the game, in line with the mural seen at the end of God of War 2018:

There was the earliest, earlier draft of an outline that we did come up with, that we took to Eric (Williams). We had Kratos die in the Thor fight at the very beginning of the game. It wasn’t a permanent death: what was gonna happen was [that] he would get pulled out of Hel[heim], essentially, by Atreus, but [at this point] 20 years have passed. There was gonna be a big time jump-type thing. […] It didn’t ultimately feel right. Eric was like, “I don’t wanna do that. Kratos has died and come back from it too many times […] The hook, the emotion isn’t really there.” And he was absolutely right; that’s why [that concept] didn’t last very long.

Sophos then explained the heartwarming reason why Kratos did get a happy ending in the game:

As we were developing the story, we knew that we wanted the story to be one about letting go and changing. […] Norse mythology is all about fate and prophecy and everything, and we wanted to say that that’s bullsh*t. Nothing is written that can’t be unwritten. As long as you’re willing to change [and] make changes in your life, you’re not bound to fate. When we landed on that, when we knew that that was the story we wanted to tell, we knew that Kratos couldn’t die. Because then it would be like, “Woah, are we gonna just say that Kratos couldn’t change?” And then that would suck. It became pretty clear to us early that [Kratos] can’t die if we want to tell the story we want to tell.

And so, the beloved father-son duo of Kratos and Atreus embarked on a challenging yet ultimately positive journey in God of War Ragnarok. Would you have liked to see the darker story idea materialize instead? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: MinnMax 

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Gotham Knights Update 3.000 Swings Out for Controller Fixes & More This Feb. 14

Gotham Knights update 3.000 has been released by WB Games Montreal on all platforms today, and this is includes various fixes to both consoles and PC! Read on for the official Gotham Knights Feb.14 patch notes.

Gotham Knights Update 3.000 Patch Notes | Gotham Knights Feb. 14 Patch Notes:

PS5

Controller

  • Adaptive Triggers implemented
    • Batcycle traversal
    • Precision Aim firing 
  • Controller Rumble updates
    • Certain actions in combat
    • Traversals
      • Grappling
      • Knighthood traversal
      • Batcycle traversal
        • Bike trials
  • Controller Speaker sounds 
    • When momentum bar is filled
    • After picking up certain collectibles and healthpacks
    • When ultimate cooldown has refreshed 

Xbox

Controller

  • Controller Rumble updates
    • Certain actions in combat
    • Traversals
      • Grappling
      • Knighthood traversal
      • Batcycle traversal
        • Bike trials

PC

Stability

  • Several fixes for crashes in the Open World
  • Fix for the crash related to using Fast Travel Points
  • Fix for the crash that could happen when returning to the main menu
  • Fix for the crash that could happen when using the Text-to-Speech functionality in some options.

Performance

  • Rendering performance improvements
  • Smoothed out delta time fluctuations with and without V-SYNC
  • Streaming time improvements
  • Optimized actor spawn time and performance
  • Various GPU and CPU hitches reduction

Graphics

  • Fix to HDR being improperly set on the not-primary monitor
  • Tweaked scalability settings for graphics settings auto-detection.
  • Fix for some materials being improperly displayed when the anti-aliasing is disabled.
  • The GPU driver check has been added.
  • Several minor fixes to the NVIDIA Ansel mode.
  • Fix for the post-processing options being improperly reset after exiting from the Photo Mode.
  • Several fixes for the shadows being improperly displayed.
  • Fix for some graphical artifacts that could be visible during the Clayface boss battle.

UI/Input

  • Fix for missing SFX in various menus.
  • Several fixes for the input in the Social Wheel menu.
  • Fix for the camera movement in the ‘Map’ submenu.
  • Fix for vanishing header prompts when crafting items
  • Fix for overlapping buttons in tutorials.
  • The ‘Add as Friend’ input has been changed in the Social menu.
  • The ‘Refresh list’ binding has been changed in the Social menu
  • The ‘Revert’ button in the Colorway section of the Styles tab should now have mouse functionality.
  • A separate binding for the Group Social menu tab has been added.
  • Fix for the issue when tutorial popup that did not required input was blocking KBM input in Crime Map
  • Several minor fixes related to the Text-to-Speech behavior in menus.

Localization

  • Several fixes for missing translations in menus.
 
That seems to be it. If there’s a new patch released, we’ll be sure to let our readers know about it.
 

Source: Gotham Knights

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Alex Co

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New Fallout 76 Atomic Shop Weekly Update for February 14, 2023

Vault Dwellers, it’s that time of the week again. That’s right, the new items in Fallout 76’s Atomic Shop have been updated!

MP1st is here to bring you the new Fallout 76 Atomic Shop weekly update today, February 14’s list of items for sale!

New Fallout 76 Atomic Shop Weekly Update for February 14:

https://imgur.com/a/IVj86Nt

Notable Items This Week:

  • Helvetia Butcher Shop Bundle – 1500
  • Fasnacht Mask and C.A.M.P. Bundle – 1200
  • Grease Goblin Bundle – 1500
  • Drive Into Love Bundle – 1400
  • Fallout First Quarterly Catch Up Bundle 5 – 1000

What is the Fallout 76 Atomic Shop?

The Atomic Shop is a microtransaction store which offers cosmetics, C.A.M.P. objects and more in exchange for a special currency called Atoms. Most purchases are unlocked account-wide, and may be accessed by any character on the account.

Some objects require an in-game plan to be learned in order to gain access, while other items are only unlocked for a single, specified character. All exclusive items are character-bound, and cannot be dropped or traded with other players.

The Atomic Shop is accessible at any time from the main menu, as well as the pause screen after leaving Vault 76 for the first time.

That’s it for this week’s reset. Is there anything in particular that interests you?

If not, there is always next week, which we’ll have covered, so be sure to check back in!

Thanks, Reddit!

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Salman Haider Zaidi

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New Destiny 2 Weekly Reset February 14, 2023 and Eververse Inventory

It’s Tuesday, and that means another heaping of activities are live for players to complete in Destiny 2 are now live! The new Destiny 2 weekly reset February 14, 2023 refresh of activities is now live along with the Eververse inventory of items for sale. Read on for the full info for this week.

New Destiny 2 Weekly Reset February 14, 2023 and Eververse Inventory:

Nightfall – The Ordeal: The Glassway

Modifiers:

  • Nightfall: Adept
    • Hot Knife: Shanks now have Solar shields
    • Double Nightfall Drops: All Nightfall loot drops are doubled.
    • Acute Void Burn: +25% Void damage dealt and +50% Void damage received.
  • Nightfall: Hero
    • All previous modifiers
    • Champion Foes: You will face [Shield-Piercing] Barrier and [Disruption] Overload Champions. You must equip Anti-Barrier and Anti-Overload mods to your arms armor to defeat them. These mods come from the Seasonal Artifact.
    • Champion Foes: You will face [Shield-Piercing] Barrier and [Disruption] Overload Champions.
    • Hero Modifiers: Extra Shields
    • Lightning Crystals: Arc and Stasis abilities recharge faster, but you receive more damage from both elements.
  • Nightfall: Legend
    • All previous modifiers
    • Equipment Locked: You will not be able to change your equipment after this activity starts.
    • Match Game: Enemy shields are highly resistant to all unmatched elemental damage.
    • Legend Modifiers: Locked Loadout Match Game Extra Shields
    • Shielded Foes: You will face combatants with [Arc] Arc, [Solar] Solar, and [Void] Void Shields.
    • Shielded Foes: [Arc] Arc, [Solar] Solar, and [Void] Void Shields
  • Nightfall: Master
    • All previous modifiers
    • Famine: All ammunition drops are significantly reduced.
    • Master Modifiers: Champions: Mob Locked Loadout Match Game Extra Shields
    • Champions: Mob: This mode contains additional Champions.
  • Nightfall: Grandmaster
    • All previous modifiers
    • Arach-NO!: When defeated, Fallen Vandals spawn a web mine at their feet.
    • Chaff: Radar is disabled.
    • Grandmaster Modifiers: Extinguish Limited Revives Contest Join In Progress Disabled Champions: Mob Locked Loadout Match Game Extra Shields
    • Grandmaster Modifiers: Contest Join In Progress Disabled Champions: Mob Locked Loadout Match Game Extra Shields
    • Extinguish: If your fireteam falls in a Restricted Zone, everyone is returned to orbit.
    • Limited Revives: Limited fireteam revives. Gain additional revives by defeating Champions.

Rewards:

  • Powerful (Tier 1) reward: Get 3 points by completing runs. Higher difficulties grant more points.
  • Pinnacle reward: Get a score of 100k. Since modifiers are fixed, this requires a high difficulty run.

Weekly Crucible Rotator: Mayhem

Achieve victory by defeating opponents. Abilities and Supers regenerate faster. Heavy ammo spawns more frequently.


Vanguard Burn: Void Singe

The other modifiers rotate daily, check out the Daily Reset Thread for them!


Raids and Dungeons

Weekly Raid and Dungeon

The weekly featured raid and dungeon have all challenges available and are infinitely farmable for loot.

  • Raid: Last Wish
  • Dungeon: The Shattered Throne

Raid Challenges

Deep Stone Crypt

  • Copies of Copies: A challenge awaits…

Garden of Salvation

  • Zero to One Hundred: A challenge awaits…

Vow of the Disciple

  • Looping Catalyst: A challenge awaits…

Vault of Glass

  • Out of Its Way: A challenge awaits…

King’s Fall

  • Devious Thievery: A challenge awaits…

Last Wish

  • Summoning Ritual: A challenge awaits…
  • Which Witch: A challenge awaits…
  • Forever Fight: A challenge awaits…
  • Keep Out: A challenge awaits…
  • Strength of Memory: A challenge awaits…

Dares of Eternity: Legend

Contestants: The Way of the Hoof

  • Round 1: Cabal
  • Round 2: Taken
  • Final Round: Crota

Loot


Savathûn’s Throne World

Campaign Mission: The Cunning

Following a lead from Fynch, search the dark corners of Savathûn’s throne world for another clue to how she stole the Light.


Legacy Activities

  • Europa
    • Eclipsed Zone: Eventide Ruins
    • Empire Hunt: The Dark Priestess: Defeat the new leader of the Fallen, Kridis, the Dark Priestess.
    • Exo Challenge: Simulation: Survival: Simulated Skill-Set Training: Survive the harsh weather as you take down the Vex.
  • Moon:
    • Campaign Mission: Beyond
    • Wandering Nightmare: Nightmare of Xortal, Sworn of Crota (Sorrow’s Harbor)
    • Trove Guardian is in Archer’s Line
  • Dreaming City: Weak Curse
    • Petra is at The Strand.
    • Weekly Mission: Broken Courier – Respond to a distress call in the Strand.
    • Ascendant Challenge: Agonarch Abyss, Bay of Drowned Wishes
    • Blind Well: Scorn, Plagues: Sikariis & Varkuuriis

Eververse Bright Dust Offerings

Name Description Type Cost
Concentrated Mattergem An Upgrade Module ionizer created from refined Mattergems. Consumable 200 Bright Dust
Glimmershard A shard with the ability to generate Glimmer during combat. Consumable 250 Bright Dust
Rolling Rulebook   Emote 700 Bright Dust
Redline Shell   Ghost Shell 2850 Bright Dust
Daito Capsule Entrance Modifications for your ship’s transmat systems, so you’ll always arrive in style. Transmat Effect 450 Bright Dust
Boreal Char Equip this shader to change the color of your gear. Shader 300 Bright Dust
Trailing Pyrotechnics   Emote 3250 Bright Dust
Wall Sneak   Emote 400 Bright Dust
Open-Sky Tourer   Vehicle 2500 Bright Dust
Dynamo Current Vest Equip this ornament on any eligible Legendary armor item to change its appearance. Once you get a universal ornament, it’s unlocked for all characters of the relevant class on your account. Hunter Universal Ornament 1200 Bright Dust
Eight-Thousander Equip this ornament to change the appearance of Fr0st-EE5. Once you get an ornament, it’s unlocked for all characters on your account. Hunter Ornament 1500 Bright Dust
Solar Astrolabe Equip this weapon ornament to change the appearance of Ticuu’s Divination. Once you get an ornament, it’s unlocked for all characters on your account. Weapon Ornament 1250 Bright Dust
Tetrahedron Projection Equip this item to change your Ghost’s projection. Ghost Projection 1500 Bright Dust
Forty-Four Steel Apply this shader to change the color of your gear. Shader 300 Bright Dust
Jungle Viper Equip this shader to change the color of your gear. Shader 300 Bright Dust
Coppertone Patina Equip this shader to change the color of your gear. Shader 300 Bright Dust
Trinity Apply this shader to change the color of your gear. Shader 300 Bright Dust
Vex Invasion Effects Modifications for your ship’s transmat systems, so you’ll always arrive in style. Transmat Effect 450 Bright Dust
Guiding Light Modifications for your ship’s transmat systems, so you’ll always arrive in style. Transmat Effect 450 Bright Dust
Capsule Gang Entrance Modifications for your ship’s transmat systems, so you’ll always arrive in style. Transmat Effect 450 Bright Dust

Weekly Bounties

Starhorse, Eternity

Name Description Cost Requirement Reward
Pins Pulled Complete the following objectives in a single run of Dares of Eternity. Objectives will reset if not completed when the activity ends. Defeat combatants with grenade abilities or Grenade Launchers, rapidly defeat combatants, and complete the activity with an impressive score. 5 Strange Coin 110 Grenade final blows & 125 Rapidly defeated & 1 {var:3447066373} Points 2 Paraversal Haul & 1 Enhancement Core & XP++ & 50 Strange Favor
Aces High Complete the following objectives in a single run of Dares of Eternity. Objectives will reset if not completed when the activity ends. Defeat combatants with precision Hand Cannon final blows, rapidly defeat combatants, and complete the activity with an impressive score. 5 Strange Coin 75 [Hand Cannon][Headshot] Hand Cannon & 125 Rapidly defeated & 1 {var:3447066373} Points 2 Paraversal Haul & 1 Enhancement Core & XP++ & 50 Strange Favor
Match Game Complete the following objectives in a single run of Dares of Eternity on Legend difficulty. Objectives will reset if not completed when the activity ends. Defeat combatants using a Void, Arc, or Solar weapon that matches your currently equipped subclass; defeat combatants with any Power weapon; and complete the activity with an incredible score. 7 Strange Coin 115 Matching weapon & 60 Power weapon & 1 {var:73817828} Points 3 Paraversal Haul & 1 Enhancement Prism & XP++ & 150 Strange Favor

Weekly Records

Name Description Objectives Rewards

No more records this season!


Notable Armor Rolls

Only notable rolls (stat total >= 59 or single stat >= 26) are listed here.

Class Name Vendor Type MOB RES REC DIS INT STR Total Cost

Thanks, Reddit!

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Salman Haider Zaidi

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Hogwarts Legacy Multiplayer Mod “HogWarp” Being Developed by Skyrim Together Team

Less than a week into the game’s launch, the Skyrim Together team is developing a Hogwarts Legacy multiplayer mod titled “HogWarp” that will let up to eight people enjoy the Hogwarts RPG experience together. Even more impressively, the team has already developed early builds of the mod that are exclusive to Patreon supporters.

Check out a few seconds of alpha HogWarp-enabled gameplay shared by the team:

Avalanche Software’s Wizarding World RPG Hogwarts Legacy was released on February 10, and immediately enjoyed immense popularity. The game broke Twitch viewership records for single-player games and came in at second place for highest concurrent player count in the same genre on Steam.

Still, the game’s lack of multiplayer is a significant omission in a world dominated by multiplayer FPS and sports games. The team behind the Skyrim Together multiplayer mod for Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is seeking to rectify that with their multiplayer mod “HogWarp.” Four days into the game’s full release, HogWarp already has live test builds that fans can check out via the Together Team’s “Grown Otter” Patreon tier ($10.50/€10 monthly) or higher.

The primary creator of the mod, Yamashi, says that the mod will tentatively allow up to eight players to play together, and does not intend to “create any multiplayer-specific content.” Instead, the focus of the mod is “co-op and roleplay,” and the team is currently figuring out “how to do the basics such as spawning characters with the player’s appearance, animations and NPCs.” While a fully-functioning version of the mod is still “months away” at least, Yamashi is planning on publicly releasing a proof-on-concept later this month.

Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. If you’re planning on picking up the game, be sure to check out our review first (where we found the game “a genuine, authentic [Wizarding World] experience like no other”) as well as our plethora of Hogwarts Legacy guides that should streamline your Hogwarts adventure.

(Yamashi’s comments were provided by PC Gamer.)

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Salman Haider Zaidi

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Destiny 2 Servers Down This Feb. 14 for Hotfix 6.3.0.9 Roll Out

Bungie has taken the Destiny 2 servers down this Feb. 14, and this is for scheduled maintenance where players will see hotfix 6.3.0.9 be released as well.

Destiny 2 Servers Down Status and Updates for Feb. 14:

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
8:00 AM PST -8 UTC
    • Destiny 2 will undergo maintenance.
    • Sign-on and game integration features will be unavailable on web, mobile, 3rd-party apps, and the Bungie Store.
    • Players who observe issues should report to the #Help forum.
8:45 AM PST -8 UTC
    • Destiny 2 will be brought offline for expected maintenance.
    • Players will be removed from activities and won’t be able to log back in until 9 AM PST.
    • Ongoing Destiny maintenance is expected to conclude at 10 AM PST.
9:00 AM PST -8 UTC
    • Hotfix 6.3.0.9 will be available across all platforms and regions.
    • Players will be able to log back into Destiny 2.
    • Players logging into the game may be placed in a queue and may experience sign-on issues as background maintenance is still ongoing.
10:00 AM PST -8 UTC
    • Destiny 2 maintenance is expected to conclude.
    • Console players who encounter issues updating to 6.3.0.9 should restart their console and try downloading the Hotfix.
    • Players who observe issues should report to the #Help forum.

Once the patch is out, we’ll update a proper link out to it. If anything changes regarding the server outage, we’ll update the article to reflect this as well.

Source: Bungie

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Alex Co

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Far Cry 6 Update 1.000.013 Rolled Out This Feb. 14

Far Cry 6 update 1.000.013 has been released on all platforms by Ubisoft today. This is an unannounced patch, so don’t expect much outside of bug fixes. Check out what’s new in the FC6 Feb. 14 patch notes.

Far Cry 6 Update 1.000.013 Patch Notes | New FC6 Update Patch Notes:

So far, Ubisoft hasn’t announced anything regarding the patch outside of a free trial hitting the game this week. 

Far Cry 6 will be available to play for free from February 16-20 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. In the game, you’ll step onto the tropical island Yara and take on the role of Dani Rojas, who joins the guerrilla group Libertad and helps them work to overthrow Yara’s dictator, Antón Castillo. Dani’s work will take them all over the island, showing off its diverse regions as they take out Castillo’s army. The free weekend will give players access to all of Far Cry 6’s base game, including the crossover missions inspired by pop culture: Rambo: All the Blood, and The Vanishing, a Stranger Things mystery. If you don’t want your time in Yara to end after the weekend, Far Cry 6 will be on sale for up to 70% off for a limited time. Purchase the game after the free weekend ends, and all your progress will carry over.

During the free weekend, players can also play Far Cry 6 in co-op, joining forces with friends to liberate Yara. Everyone who plays co-op during the free weekend will receive the White Lotus Sniper Rifle, and those who play co-op but don’t own the game will receive it in their inventory when they purchase it. Far Cry 6 is also part of Ubisoft Connect’s Share Play program, a free new feature that allows you to share your screen and controls with friends virtually.

That’s about it. If Ubisoft releases the official changelog, we’ll update the article

Source: Ubisoft

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Alex Co

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Far Cry 6 Update 1.12 Sneaks Out This Feb. 14

Ubisoft has deployed Far Cry 6 update 1.12 on all platforms, and this is an unannounced title update. Given there’s no DLC incoming, don’t expect anything major from this. Read on for what’s new in the Far Cry 6 Feb. 14 patch notes.

Far Cry 6 Update 1.12 Patch Notes | Far Cry 6 Feb. 14 Patch Notes:

So far, Ubisoft hasn’t announced anything regarding the patch outside of a free trial hitting the game this week. 

Far Cry 6 will be available to play for free from February 16-20 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. In the game, you’ll step onto the tropical island Yara and take on the role of Dani Rojas, who joins the guerrilla group Libertad and helps them work to overthrow Yara’s dictator, Antón Castillo. Dani’s work will take them all over the island, showing off its diverse regions as they take out Castillo’s army. The free weekend will give players access to all of Far Cry 6’s base game, including the crossover missions inspired by pop culture: Rambo: All the Blood, and The Vanishing, a Stranger Things mystery. If you don’t want your time in Yara to end after the weekend, Far Cry 6 will be on sale for up to 70% off for a limited time. Purchase the game after the free weekend ends, and all your progress will carry over.

During the free weekend, players can also play Far Cry 6 in co-op, joining forces with friends to liberate Yara. Everyone who plays co-op during the free weekend will receive the White Lotus Sniper Rifle, and those who play co-op but don’t own the game will receive it in their inventory when they purchase it. Far Cry 6 is also part of Ubisoft Connect’s Share Play program, a free new feature that allows you to share your screen and controls with friends virtually.

That’s about it. If Ubisoft releases the official changelog, we’ll update the article

Source: Ubisoft

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Alex Co

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DayZ Update 1.47 Released for Patch 1.20 This Feb. 14

DayZ update 1.47 has just been released on all platforms today by Bohemia Interactive. This is called stability patch 1.20, and includes new mime and carnival masks, alongside a bunch of fixes. Read on for everything new in the official DayZ Feb. 14 patch notes.

DayZ Update 1.47 Patch Notes | DayZ Update 1.20 Patch Notes | DayZ Feb. 14 Patch Notes:

Console 1.20 Update 1 – Version 1.20.155766 (Released on 14.02.2022)

NOTES

GAME
ADDED

  • Mime masks
  • Carnival masks
  • Warning icons for the connection stability and server performance

FIXED

CHANGED

  • Vehicles can spawn without wheels again
  • Wheels can again be damaged
  • Reduced the eye zoom distance while sprinting
  • Reworked item weight calculation (fixing several bugged item weights)
  • Item wetness now influences their weight again
  • Weight of the carried gear now impacts player movement inertia
  • Increased the time needed to refill the car radiator
  • Checking a player’s pulse is now a continuous action
  • Increased the lifetime of improvised explosives to 5 days, which can be refreshed through a flagpole
  • The stairs of the concrete silos are now usable to access the roof
  • Adjusted the geometry of barrels and fireplaces to cause less issues when colliding with vehicles
  • Improved the surface detection for throwing impact sounds
  • Optimized the character update to environmental exposure
  • Lowered the hit points of improvised feet covers and gave them louder walking sounds (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T169140 – private)
  • Positional wind and tree creaks are more audible now
  • Tweaked the 3rd person camera collisions to reduce possibilities of exploits
  • The 3rd person camera zooms in when an obstacle is in front of the camera
  • Disconnect due to a server restart will no longer kill restrained players
  • Updated map textures to reflect recent map changes (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T163844)
  • You can now stealth-kill with the Cleaver
  • Replaced outdated dirt pile model
  • Updated textures on static pipes
  • Updated sounds for the different stages of cooking for more variety
  • Slightly increased the volume of the stealth kill
  • Improved the sun reflection on water and changed its color in quarries

CHERNARUS

  • Fixed: Green and black plate carrier vests and their attachments did not have their intended lifetimes (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T168947)
  • Tweaked: Increased chance for random positional bird, insect and tree creak sound to play
  • Tweaked: Increased audibility of the positional bird sounds during windy weather
  • Changed: Adjusted player spawn points for more even distribution

SERVER

  • Added: Server config parameters for connectivity warnings (Documentation)
  • Added: Gameplay JSON version mismatch and default value handling
  • Added: Parameter to gameplay config (JSON), that allows people to disable the behavior of influence of stamina to inertia (Documentation)
  • Added: Parameters to gameplay config (JSON) that allows control over variety of stamina consumers (combat, climbing,..) (Documentation)
  • Added: Launch parameter “storage” to define root folder for storage location (“-storage=”) (Documentation)
  • Added: Functionality which will copy over storage when a storage exists in default location (mission) but not in the custom location provided by the storage launch parameter
  • Added: Warning when DE spawns an entity with no Types entry
  • Fixed: Sawedoff18 was missing from types
  • Fixed: Deleting events.bin but not vehicles.bin would cause events composed of eventgroups to have the possibility to spawn inside each other
  • Changed: Improved error messages and error handling regarding storage location
  • Changed: Adjusted ping calculation to be more forgiving with individual spikes before kicking a player

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The character might shake when close to doors

PC Stable 1.20 Update 1 – Version 1.20.155766 (Released on 14.02.2023)

NOTES

  • Consider using the Steam client option to verify the integrity of the local game cache to avoid corrupted data after downloading this update.
  • Consider de-fragmenting your HDD after downloading large updates.
  • In case of problems, please check the Bohemia Interactive support F.A.Q., DayZ F.A.Q., or BattlEye F.A.Q.
  • You can help us to further improve the game by posting your feedback on the Feedback Tracker.

GAME

ADDED

  • Mime masks
  • Carnival masks
  • Warning icons for the connection stability and server performance

FIXED

CHANGED

  • Vehicles can spawn without wheels again
  • Wheels can again be damaged
  • Reduced the eye zoom distance while sprinting
  • Reworked item weight calculation (fixing several bugged item weights)
  • Item wetness now influences their weight again
  • Weight of the carried gear now impacts player movement inertia
  • Increased the time needed to refill the car radiator
  • Checking a player’s pulse is now a continuous action
  • Increased the lifetime of improvised explosives to 5 days, which can be refreshed through a flagpole
  • The stairs of the concrete silos are now usable to access the roof
  • Adjusted the geometry of barrels and fireplaces to cause less issues when colliding with vehicles
  • Improved the surface detection for throwing impact sounds
  • Optimized the character update to environmental exposure
  • Lowered the hit points of improvised feet covers and gave them louder walking sounds (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T169140 – private)
  • Positional wind and tree creaks are more audible now
  • Tweaked the 3rd person camera collisions to reduce possibilities of exploits
  • The 3rd person camera zooms in when an obstacle is in front of the camera
  • Disconnect due to a server restart will no longer kill restrained players
  • Updated map textures to reflect recent map changes (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T163844)
  • You can now stealth-kill with the Cleaver
  • Replaced outdated dirt pile model
  • Updated textures on static pipes
  • Updated sounds for the different stages of cooking for more variety
  • Slightly increased the volume of the stealth kill
  • Improved the sun reflection on water and changed its color in quarries
  • Skinned animals now yield more pieces of meat

CHERNARUS

  • Fixed: Green and black plate carrier vests and their attachments did not have their intended lifetimes (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T168947)
  • Tweaked: Increased chance for random positional bird, insect and tree creak sound to play
  • Tweaked: Increased audibility of the positional bird sounds during windy weather
  • Changed: Adjusted player spawn points for more even distribution
  • LIVONIA
  • Added: Artwork of the winner of the GraffitiZ contest
  • Added: New props to the Dambog ammunition storage
  • Fixed: The Brena Health Care Center was not spawning paramedic infected (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T168337)
  • FixedPolice cars were not spawning loot

SERVER

  • Added: Server config parameters for connectivity warnings (Documentation)
  • Added: Gameplay JSON version mismatch and default value handling
  • Added: Parameter to gameplay config (JSON), that allows people to disable the behavior of influence of stamina to inertia (Documentation to be updated soon)
  • Added: Parameters to gameplay config (JSON) that allows control over variety of stamina consumers (combat, climbing,..) (Documentation to be updated soon)
  • Added: Launch parameter “storage” to define root folder for storage location (“-storage=”) (Documentation)
  • Added: Functionality which will copy over storage when a storage exists in default location (mission) but not in the custom location provided by the storage launch parameter
  • Added: Warning when DE spawns an entity with no Types entry
  • Fixed: Sawedoff18 was missing from types
  • Fixed: Deleting events.bin but not vehicles.bin would cause events composed of eventgroups to have the possibility to spawn inside each other
  • Changed: Improved error messages and error handling regarding storage location
  • Changed: Adjusted ping calculation to be more forgiving with individual spikes before kicking a player

MODDING

  • Added: DiagMenu script API
  • Added: Variety of new debug settings within the script section of the DiagMenu
  • Added: ScriptCaller, a stricter ScriptInvoker which is expected to hold one func
  • Added: DayZPlayer.GetKickOffReason to get the reason why a player was kicked off
  • Added: ‘EntityAI.IsSimpleHiddenSelectionVisible’
  • Added: Common script class ‘DayZCreatureAIInputController’ to control Animals and Infected movement and behaviour states
  • Added: Script method ‘InventoryItem::ForceFarBubble’ to allow items to temporarily be visible from further distances
  • Added: Added physics function ‘dGetInteractionLayer’ to check if two ‘PhxInteractionLayers’ can interact
  • Added: Collision overlap testing methods to DayZPhysics
  • Added: “$storage:” prefix can now be used to access storage through script
  • Added: Common script class ‘DayZCreatureAIInputController’ to control Animals and Infected movement and behaviour states (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T158984)
  • Added: Launch parameter for diag exe to allow window resizing ‘-resizeable’
  • Added: weightPerQuantityUnit config parameter that defines a weight of one quantity unit
  • Added: ‘Human.PhysicsEnableGravity’ for enabling/disabling gravity
  • Added: ‘dBodyIsSolid’ (and ‘Human.PhysicsIsSolid’) for checking if the entity has collision enabled
  • Added: ‘dBodySetSolid (and ‘Human.PhysicsSetSolid’) for enabling/disabling the collision checking of an entity
  • Added: Command line parameter ‘-scrDef’ to enable modding defines in script in Workbench/Diag executables
  • Added: Command Line option ‘-newErrorsAreWarnings’ to Diag/Workbench executables
  • Fixed: Buldozer crashing after selecting an object which was deleted and restored (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T169650)
  • Fixed: Base game script defines weren’t available in ‘engine’ and ‘gameLib’ script modules (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T169907)
  • Fixed: Character influences the wheel simulation of a vehicle (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T168870)
  • Fixed: On Diag exe, when one player’s hands got bloody, all nearby player’s hands would as well
  • Fixed: Conflicting synchronization of entity hierarchy with ‘IEntity.AddChild’ and ‘Human.LinkToLocalSpaceOf’
  • Fixed: ‘CollisionOverlapCallback’ destructor wasn’t being called
  • Fixed: Docs: string.Split bad usage example (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T154855)
  • Fixed: Docs: string.ToAscii bad script declaration and typo in example (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T160003)
  • Fixed: Function string.LastIndexOf was not linked (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T155602)
  • Fixed: Object::SetHealth could not be called on local objects (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T168604)
  • Fixed: Crash in TextListboxWidget::GetItemData (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T154626)
  • Fixed: ScriptCallQueue.GetRemainingTime(…) methods
  • Fixed: HumanInputController.OverrideAimChangeY was incorrectly using values from HumanInputController.OverrideAimChangeX (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T151736)
  • Fixed: DayZPhysics.RayCastBullet and DayZPhysics.SphereCastBullet would not pass the ‘hitObject’ (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T150488)
  • Fixed: ScriptCallQueue stopped working correctly after 4-5 hours of uptime (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T156746, https://feedback.bistudio.com/T151279)
  • Fixed: Scripted command method ‘PrePhys_IsTag’ would not work in the intended way (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T165933)
  • Changed: Moved and renamed certain RPCs relating to Diags to prevent conflicts and usage outside of Diag
  • Changed: ScriptInvoker now has additional flags and documentation
  • Changed: New compile errors will be displayed as Warnings outside of Diag/Workbench to minimize impact on existing mods
  • Changed: New compile Errors being displayed as Warnings will contain the text “FIX-ME” to signal the importance of fixing these
  • Changed: Improved func reliability and error messages
  • Changed: “Overriding function but not marked as override” has been changed from being a “Workbench-only warning” to an error in Workbench/Diag and Warning in regular exe
  • Changed: Weapon chamber and internal magazine changes now also trigger EntityAI.EEAmmoChanged
  • Changed: Weapon and magazine textures now contain the bullet for better optimization
  • Tweaked: Widget::GetRotation exposed
  • Tweaked: return type of ActionBase::IsEat (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T169770)
  • Removed: Incorrect usage of ‘func’ by NotificationSystem as it is only meant to be paired with proto functions, will unfortunately break compatibility with mods using the removed Bind and Unbind functions
  • Removed: Calling of super of Engine events (https://feedback.bistudio.com/T164047)

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The character might shake when close to doors

Source: DayZ Forums (1, 2)

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Alex Co

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

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Dragon Ball: The Breakers Season 2 Goes Live Feb. 16, With New Great Ape Vegeta Raider & More

Dimps and Bandai Namco Entertainment have released a Dragon Ball: The Breakers Season 2 trailer, showcasing the new playable Raider Great Ape Vegeta and his devastating Ki Blasts. Season 2 will go live on February 16, 2023, with three new Survivor skins and a new map being added to the game in the new Season as well.

Watch the Dragon Ball: The Breakers Season 2 trailer below:

The Great Ape Vegeta Raider starts the game off as base Saiyan Vegeta and transforms into his Great Ape form over the course of the match. Great Ape Vegeta is a terrifying, colossal Raider with incredibly powerful AOE destructive abilities and Ki Blasts. To have a fighting chance against him, Survivors must make use of key Transpheres or secure Shenron’s seven Dragon Balls to morph into the ultimate version of their Transpheres for the rest of the game.

Dragon Ball: The Breakers is available now on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. If you’re thinking about picking it up now, be sure to check our review of the game first, where we found it “certainly an interesting concept for a Dragon Ball game, if not a great one.”

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Salman Haider Zaidi

That's a nice argument, Senator.

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Sniper Elite 5 Update 1.21 Released This Feb. 14 (Update)

Rebellion has released Sniper Elite 5 update 1.21, and this is another unannounced title update for the game. Given we just got Season 2 a few weeks ago, don’t expect anything major from this (though we’d love to be wrong). Check in what’s new in the Sniper Elite 5 Feb. 14 patch notes.

Sniper Elite 5 Update 1.21 Patch Notes | Sniper Elite 5 Feb. 14 Patch Notes:

Update: Rebellion has released the official patch notes!

We know that war is your usual Modus Operandi, but here at HQ we’re ready to embrace the season of ‘lurrrrve’. In honour of Valentine’s Day, we’ve just dropped the FREE Cherry Hunter Weapon Skin, exclusively for the M1911 Colt.

This one goes out to the snipers among you who are oh-so dedicated in your pursuit for those all-important ‘Cherry’ shots…you know who you are 💘 🍒

Blue Viper fires her M1911 Colt pistol towards some incoming Axis soldiers.

The Cherry Hunter Skin is available for free now across all platforms! For more intel on the new skin, Dedicated Servers and Patch Sizes, check out our latest Community Update video:


As expected, Rebellion hasn’t posted the official patch notes just yet, though we’re expecting that to change within the day.

In the meantime, go check out the patch notes from the Jan. 24 title update to know what issues have been sorted:

  • Stationary trucks are no longer being pulled away from their fixed locations unexpectedly in Mission 1, 3 and 10.
  • Occupied Residence – Player will no longer glitch or get stuck walking up the stairs from the garden towards the chateau.
  • Festung Guernsey – User will no longer die if they get close to the debris of the blown up Sub Pen.
  • DLC Weapons – Drilling – Dropping ammo now shows the correct prompts for SMG player and vice versa.
  • Conqueror – Player is no longer able to clip through the wall in the Castle Courtyard area or walk over the climbable edge.
  • Conqueror – Castle Courtyard – Player character no longer gets stuck behind the hedgehog in the Castle Courtyard area while sprinting through the wall present near the burning barrel and AA gun.
  • Conqueror – Castle – AI will no longer get stuck inside the metal cylinder located in at the north side of Castle Courtyard 2.
  • Conqueror – Players can no longer walk-through the dilapidated walls located outside.
  • Multiplayer – Alpine Resort – Players can no longer get stuck walking on the spot behind the pile of logs.
  • Multiplayer – Players no longer get error message “Could not establish a connection to online services. (11400)” when attempting to access any multiplayer feature.
  • Survival – ‘Shoot for the Moon’ medal now tracks progression correctly after completing the 12 waves of the ‘Amongst the Rubble’ DLC map.
  • Survival – Amongst the Rubble – Armoured car no longer gets stuck in a wall at the end of Wave 6 of Operation 1.
  • Survival – Pest Control – Stables – Player is no longer able to run up collision to get stuck out of bounds.

Once the full patch notes are out, we’ll update the article.

Update: Full details for today’s patch have been added.

Source: Sniper Elite

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Alex Co

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

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The Witcher 3 Update for Feb. 14 on PC Addresses Issues Brought by Patch 4.0.1

CD Projekt RED has deployed The Witcher 3 update for Feb. 14 just for the PC version of the game. It looks like this won’t include any gameplay-related changes, and is primarily for performance issues brought by the 4.0.1 title update. Read on for The Witcher 3 new update patch notes.

The Witcher 3 Update for Feb. 14 Patch Notes:

Size: Less than 1MB (Steam)

Here’s the announcement from CDPR:

That seems to be it. Chances are, this also takes out the NSFW community mods that were accidentally included in the last title update.

For those on PC, if you notice anything that got changed, leave a comment below and let us know what they are.

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Alex Co

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

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New Battlefield 2042 Weekly Missions, Battle Pass Rewards for Season 3 Week 13 Listed (Feb. 14)

MP1st is here to bring players the new Battlefield 2042 weekly missions and store refresh for February 14. Check out the official Battlefield 2042 Season 3 Week 13 weekly missions, Battle Pass rewards, and Featured Experiences!

New Battlefield 2042 Weekly Missions, Battle Pass Rewards for Season 3 Week 13:

Week 13 Missions:

  • 10 Enemies Spotted (4)
  • 1 Objective Captured or Neutralized (4)
  • 2km Travelled in Vehicles (4)

Available After 2 Missions Completed:

  • 2000 Damage Inflicted With Explosives While on Foot (5)
  • 20 Defensive Kills and Assists (5)
  • 12 Ribbons Earned (5)

Available After 4 Missions Completed:

  • 8 Objectives Captured or Neutralized in One Round (6)
  • 3 Melee Kills Performed in One Round (6)

Available After 5 Missions Completed (Bonus Mission):

  • 2000 Damage Inflicted With Assault Rifles (10)

Portal Featured Experiences:

  • Battlefield World Tour (All Eras, Conquest & Rush, 32v32)
  • Team Deathmatch of Ages (All Eras, Team Deathmatch, 16v16)

New Store Bundles:

  • Yatagara II (4 Items, 1750 BFC)
    • “Clinical” DM7 Weapon Skin (Legendary)
    • “Spartan” Irish Specialist Set (Legendary)
    • “Neon Wings” Universal Weapon Charm (Rare)
    • “Cold Blood” G57 Weapon Skin (Rare)

That’s about it! Tune in next Tuesday for the Season 3 Week 14 new challenges and more.

Thanks, u/Dedzigs!

More Battlefield Reading:

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Salman Haider Zaidi

That's a nice argument, Senator.

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Battlefield 2042 Update 1.27 Brings Patch 3.2.1 This Feb. 14

DICE has released Battlefield 2042 update 1.27, and this is for the mid-season patch 3.2.1! While there’s no new content in it, players can expect a slew of gameplay-related adjustments. Read on for everything new in the official Battlefield 2042 Feb. 14 patch notes.

Battlefield 2042 Update 1.27 Patch Notes | Battlefield 2042 Feb. 14 Patch Notes:

Battlefield 2042 Update 3.2.1 Patch Notes:

Changelog

Gadgets

FGM-148 Javelin

  • The FGM-148 Javelin can no longer lock onto the Tracer Dart while the dart is out of line of sight.

Tracer Dart Gun

  • The Tracer Dart will now correctly drop in height dependent on the distance it has to travel.
  • Reduced the projectile speed of the Tracer Dart from 500 m/s to 250 m/s.
  • The uptime of the Tracer Dart will now last 12 seconds instead of 40 seconds.
    • Dev Comment: We’ve adjusted the trajectory and speed of the Tracer Dart to now offer a skill element to this gadget if you’re aiming to land shots from long range distances, if you wish to reliably designate targets from long distance the SOFLAM remains a tried and tested choice.

Gameplay Flow & Social Elements

  • Unlock Descriptions will now correctly show for Class Badges on the reward screen after a match.
  •  The description for Falck’s Combat Surgeon Trait now correctly states that she is able to revive faster, rather than revive to full health.

Soldier

  • Fixed an issue where the time it took for firing when leaving sprint was much longer than expected with Assault Rifles.
  • Fixed an issue where the auto deploy of the parachute did not function properly.
  • The Assault Weapon Proficiency will no longer grant extra ammunition for Underbarrel Grenade Launchers.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause projectiles to not deal damage correctly when Specialists are facing down. 
  • Fixed a minor desync issue that resulted in the player jumping in a slightly longer arch than expected. Don’t be alarmed, we didn’t put any springs in your boots!

Specialists

Angel

  • Fixed an issue that would allow players to select any Gadget with any Specialist via Angel’s Loadout Crate.

Crawford – Mounted Vulcan

  • Increased the health of Crawford’s Mounted Vulcan by 60%
    • Dev Comment: This change is to increase the survivability when up against direct gunfire. Grenades and Rocket Launchers will still cause it considerable damage.
  • Mounted Vulcan now lasts 7 seconds from the moment it begins firing to reaching its overheating point.
  • Players are no longer able to place down 4 Mounted Vulcans. One is enough!

Dozer

  • You can no longer use Dozer’s SOB-8 Ballistic Shield while also using a parachute, or whilst prone.

Weapons

As part of the recent Update 3.2 we reduced the ADS time for Drum and Extended Magazines. We’re reverting that change in this update.

Your feedback to change these attachments suggested having slower reload times, or less overall ammo due to the reduced magazine count. These are very valid areas to look at, however we believe those two would not compensate for the greater increase in combat uptime that these attachments give you.

With a shorter magazine, you have to pick your fights while weaving in and out of combat against multiple enemies, prioritizing targets based on awareness or proximity. With larger magazines, such as the case with Drum and Extended Magazines, this overhead disappears as you have the luxury of less reloading and more ammo availability.

It’s very important for us to act upon your feedback, and we’ll continue to make adjustments for Drum and Extended Magazines in a later update.

Drum and Extended Magazines 

  • ADS draw rate has been reverted to pre-update 3.2 values. You’ll now notice that the draw rate is more immediate, and less weighted than before.

MTAR-21

  • Adjusted the recoil of the MTAR-21 to be in line with other Assault Rifle weaponry.
  • MTAR-21 damage increased up to 40m from 18 -> 22

PP-2000

  • PP-2000 damage increased up to 50m from 22 -> 28

Source: EA

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Alex Co

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Fortnite Update 1.000.091 Released for v23.40 Feb. 14; Patch Notes & Datamined Content Listed (Update)

Epic Games has released Fortnite update 1.000.089 today and this is for the v23.40 patch. Read on for what’s new in the Fortnite February 14 patch notes.

Fortnite Update 1.000.091 Patch Notes | Fortnite v23.40 Patch Notes:

Update: The official patch notes have been added!

As expected, Epic hasn’t released the full patch notes just yet, though that should change within the day.

The “Cold Blooded” syndicate has taken over the Island, sealing away new Exotic weapons in highly guarded vaults. Embark on the ultimate heist, take these weapons for yourself, and become the most notorious squad during Fortnite Most Wanted.Fortnite Most Wanted 3As one of the Island’s Most Wanted, complete Most Wanted Quests to raise your Infamy and collect in-game rewards, including the Gold Blooded Ace Outfit. Fortnite Most Wanted runs until February 28, 2023, at 2 AM ET— carry out your heist while the weapons are up for the taking. 

NEW EXOTIC WEAPONS 

Cold Blooded has sealed away impressive weaponry, but the weapons’ locations are no secret. Heist them from Cold Blooded Vaults, accessible with Vault Keycards dropped from defeated Cold Blooded Bosses. Defeating these Bosses won’t end your opposition, however, as there’ll still be committed Cold Blooded members guarding the vaults. 

Once you’ve taken down all the Cold Blooded in your path, take the Exotics ready for extraction:

HEISTED BREACHER SHOTGUN

Fortnite Heisted Breacher Shotgun

Shoot your way out of a standoff! This Exotic Shotgun is perfect for destroying walls and cover.

HEISTED EXPLOSIVE ASSAULT RIFLE

Fortnite Heisted Explosive Assault Rifle

Aim down sights for a red hot impact — this Exotic Assault Rifle fires explosive projectiles.

HEISTED ACCELERANT SHOTGUN

Fortnite Heisted Accelerant Shotgun

Practice makes perfect. The movement speed and fire rate of this Exotic Shotgun increases as you damage enemies with it.

HEISTED RUN ‘N’ GUN SMG

Fortnite Heisted Run 'N' Gun SMG

Make a break for it! This Exotic SMG infuses you with Slap then self-reloads while you’re sprinting.

HEISTED BLINK MAG SMG

Fortnite Heisted Blink Mag SMG

They’ll blink and they’ll miss you. This Exotic SMG temporarily gives you the Zero Point Dash ability after reloading.

Breaking into vaults isn’t the only way to get your hands on these Exotic weapons, but it’s by far the most felonious. 

RETURNING FOR THE ROBBERY

Fortnite Most Wanted Unvaulted Weapons

Back in Battle Royale during Fortnite Most Wanted, make a move for these returning weapons: 

  • Hand Cannon
  • Dual Pistols
  • Heavy Sniper
  • Hop Rock Dualies
  • Suppressed Pistol
  • Boom Sniper Rifle

Note: Motorboats, Bows, and Bow-related Reality Augments will be excluded from Battle Royale/Zero Build for the duration of Fortnite Most Wanted.

THINGS HEAT UP MORE

Thought you could commit crimes without gaining notoriety?

In Fortnite Most Wanted, opening vaults and eliminating opponents will raise your “Heat” Level in a match — trackable by flame icons in your HUD. When you have any amount of Heat, Cold Blooded members will become more hostile, you’ll become visible to other players on the minimap, and you’ll be more visible to other players in the environment.

Becoming notorious isn’t necessarily negative. In fact, you may want to raise your Heat Level, since each Heat Level comes with benefits:

🔥 Eliminated opponents drop more Bars.

🔥🔥 Your movement speed increases by 15%, and you’ll regenerate up to 100 Health out of combat.

🔥🔥🔥 Your movement speed increases by 20%, and you’ll regenerate up to 100 Health and 50 Shield out of combat.

🔥🔥🔥🔥 Your movement speed increases by 25%, and you’ll regenerate up to 100 Health and 100 Shield out of combat.

Use these benefits to help your heist go off without a hitch.

GET ROLLING WITH NEW REALITY AUGMENTS

Pulling off a caper is no cakewalk, so you’ll want to take advantage of the Reality Augments that’ve made their debut in v23.40. (No unlocking required!)

EXOTIC GRAB BAG

Fortnite Exotic Grab Bag Reality Augment

Receive a random Heisted Exotic weapon. (This Reality Augment will remain until downtime for v23.50.)

SNIPER SURPLUS

Fortnite Sniper Surplus Reality Augment

Your Sniper Rifles will have 1 extra ammo in their magazine. (This Reality Augment will remain until downtime for v23.50.)

KEYMASTER

Fortnite Keymaster Reality Augment

Grants two Keys for opening Holo-Chests. (Tip: During Fortnite Most Wanted, Exotic Holo-Chests contain a Heisted Exotic!)

LAST SHOTS

Fortnite Last Shots

The last two bullets of your Pistols’ magazines deal bonus damage.

CRIME PAYS

Fortnite Most Wanted Items

Any crew can score a big payday — but few become infamous. Completing Most Wanted Quests will raise your “Infamy,” which will unlock in-game rewards like the Cash Stash Back Bling, The Vault Guardian Pickaxe, and the Gold Blooded Ace Outfit. Keep track of your Infamy and remaining rewards by navigating to the Cold Blooded logo tab in the Lobby. (All Fortnite Most Wanted rewards can be obtained without purchase.)

The Most Wanted Quests are separated into five sets that will become progressively available: “Intel & Recon,” “Going In Loud,” “Going In Quiet,” “Cracking the Vault,” and “Clean Getaway.” Completing most of the Quests in one set will unlock the next set as well as a Cold Blooded Medallion.

Collect all five Cold Blooded Medallions to unlock the progressive Solid Skull Back Bling. After unlocking it, evolve the Back Bling by completing its Solid Skull Quests. These Quests, completable until the end of Chapter 4 Season 1, will have you racking up elims.

Fortnite Solid Skull Back Bling

SECURE YOUR SPOT ON THE MOST WANTED LIST

Participate in the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge for the opportunity to earn even more rewards. How to climb the leaderboards? Crack open as many Cold Blooded Vaults as you can after the leaderboards go live! Learn more about the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge — and the rewards you can earn — from the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge Official Rules. 

The Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge website launches on February 16 ET.

Fortnite Most Wanted Leaderboards Items

All in-game rewards that can be earned from the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge: the GG Flamed Emoticon, Live to Ride Spray, Retro Rivals Wrap, and Clean Getaway Loading Screen.
 


MORE IN V23.40: INTRODUCING THE NA-CENTRAL SERVER REGION

Today we’re excited to launch the Fortnite NA-Central server region (“matchmaking region”). We’re thrilled to provide lower latency for many players residing in Mexico and the Central United States! For more information on this new server region, check out our NA-Central server region blog post.

HARDWARE IDENTIFIERS UPDATE

Starting in the v23.40 update, players who use tools that hide or alter their device’s hardware identifiers may receive an in-game warning and be removed from the match. Failure to remove these hardware alterations, or additional attempts to bypass these restrictions, may result in an account action up to and including a permanent ban from Fortnite. For more information, please see fn.gg/HardwareIdentifiers.

We will continue to evaluate tools that alter computer hardware identifiers that avoid, or are intended to avoid, a hardware ban, which is not allowed.

COMPETITIVE NOTES

  • FNCS Major 1 continues to take place over v23.40! Check the Compete tab in-game for more information.
  • Fortnite Most Wanted’s Heisted Exotic weapons, returning weapons, and Heat are not included in competitive playlists. 
  • The Exotic Grab Bag and Sniper Surplus Reality Augments are not included in competitive playlists. 

MAJOR BUG FIXES

  • Fixed the issue that caused us to disable the Shadow Striker Reality Augment. This Reality Augment is now re-enabled.

You can check out the changes to Creative and Save a World right here.

Fortnite v23.40 Datamined Content:

Here are the datamined content straight from reliable miners:

https://twitter.com/HYPEX/status/1625426395101888513

Same as always, we’ll update the article with the proper patch notes as it’s released, and we’ll also update it with the datamined content as more are found. Once it’s done, we’ll post an “Update” on the article headline to reflect that changes have been made and finalized.

Update: Post has been updated with official patch notes and datamined content.

Source: Epic Games

Damien Seeto

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BF2042 Update 1.000.030 Shoots Out for Patch 3.2.1 This Feb. 14

DICE has released BF2042 update 1.000.030 today for all platforms today. This is patch 3.21 and it comes with tons of gameplay adjustments and balancing. Check out the BF 2042 February 14 patch notes posted down below.

BF 2042 Update 1.000.030 Patch Notes | BF 2042 Update 3.2.1 Patch Notes:

Battlefield 2042 Update 3.2.1 Patch Notes:

Changelog

Gadgets

FGM-148 Javelin

  • The FGM-148 Javelin can no longer lock onto the Tracer Dart while the dart is out of line of sight.

Tracer Dart Gun

  • The Tracer Dart will now correctly drop in height dependent on the distance it has to travel.
  • Reduced the projectile speed of the Tracer Dart from 500 m/s to 250 m/s.
  • The uptime of the Tracer Dart will now last 12 seconds instead of 40 seconds.
    • Dev Comment: We’ve adjusted the trajectory and speed of the Tracer Dart to now offer a skill element to this gadget if you’re aiming to land shots from long range distances, if you wish to reliably designate targets from long distance the SOFLAM remains a tried and tested choice.

Gameplay Flow & Social Elements

  • Unlock Descriptions will now correctly show for Class Badges on the reward screen after a match.
  •  The description for Falck’s Combat Surgeon Trait now correctly states that she is able to revive faster, rather than revive to full health.

Soldier

  • Fixed an issue where the time it took for firing when leaving sprint was much longer than expected with Assault Rifles.
  • Fixed an issue where the auto deploy of the parachute did not function properly.
  • The Assault Weapon Proficiency will no longer grant extra ammunition for Underbarrel Grenade Launchers.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause projectiles to not deal damage correctly when Specialists are facing down. 
  • Fixed a minor desync issue that resulted in the player jumping in a slightly longer arch than expected. Don’t be alarmed, we didn’t put any springs in your boots!

Specialists

Angel

  • Fixed an issue that would allow players to select any Gadget with any Specialist via Angel’s Loadout Crate.

Crawford – Mounted Vulcan

  • Increased the health of Crawford’s Mounted Vulcan by 60%
    • Dev Comment: This change is to increase the survivability when up against direct gunfire. Grenades and Rocket Launchers will still cause it considerable damage.
  • Mounted Vulcan now lasts 7 seconds from the moment it begins firing to reaching its overheating point.
  • Players are no longer able to place down 4 Mounted Vulcans. One is enough!

Dozer

  • You can no longer use Dozer’s SOB-8 Ballistic Shield while also using a parachute, or whilst prone.

Weapons

As part of the recent Update 3.2 we reduced the ADS time for Drum and Extended Magazines. We’re reverting that change in this update.

Your feedback to change these attachments suggested having slower reload times, or less overall ammo due to the reduced magazine count. These are very valid areas to look at, however we believe those two would not compensate for the greater increase in combat uptime that these attachments give you.

With a shorter magazine, you have to pick your fights while weaving in and out of combat against multiple enemies, prioritizing targets based on awareness or proximity. With larger magazines, such as the case with Drum and Extended Magazines, this overhead disappears as you have the luxury of less reloading and more ammo availability.

It’s very important for us to act upon your feedback, and we’ll continue to make adjustments for Drum and Extended Magazines in a later update.

Drum and Extended Magazines 

  • ADS draw rate has been reverted to pre-update 3.2 values. You’ll now notice that the draw rate is more immediate, and less weighted than before.

MTAR-21

  • Adjusted the recoil of the MTAR-21 to be in line with other Assault Rifle weaponry.
  • MTAR-21 damage increased up to 40m from 18 -> 22

PP-2000

  • PP-2000 damage increased up to 50m from 22 -> 28

Source: EA

Damien Seeto

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Fortnite Update 3.81 Drops for v23.40 This Feb. 14, Patch Notes & Datamined Content Listed (Update)

Epic Games has released Fortnite update 3.81, and this is for the v23.40 content drop! Players can once again expect new cosmetics and gameplay changes. Same as before, you can read the Fortnite v23.40 patch notes below alongside the datamined content.

Fortnite Update 3.81 Patch Notes | Fortnite Update v23.40 Patch Notes:

Update: The official patch notes have been added!

As expected, Epic hasn’t released the full patch notes just yet, though that should change within the day.

The “Cold Blooded” syndicate has taken over the Island, sealing away new Exotic weapons in highly guarded vaults. Embark on the ultimate heist, take these weapons for yourself, and become the most notorious squad during Fortnite Most Wanted.Fortnite Most Wanted 3

As one of the Island’s Most Wanted, complete Most Wanted Quests to raise your Infamy and collect in-game rewards, including the Gold Blooded Ace Outfit. Fortnite Most Wanted runs until February 28, 2023, at 2 AM ET— carry out your heist while the weapons are up for the taking. 

NEW EXOTIC WEAPONS 

Cold Blooded has sealed away impressive weaponry, but the weapons’ locations are no secret. Heist them from Cold Blooded Vaults, accessible with Vault Keycards dropped from defeated Cold Blooded Bosses. Defeating these Bosses won’t end your opposition, however, as there’ll still be committed Cold Blooded members guarding the vaults. 

Once you’ve taken down all the Cold Blooded in your path, take the Exotics ready for extraction:

HEISTED BREACHER SHOTGUN

Fortnite Heisted Breacher Shotgun

Shoot your way out of a standoff! This Exotic Shotgun is perfect for destroying walls and cover.

HEISTED EXPLOSIVE ASSAULT RIFLE

Fortnite Heisted Explosive Assault Rifle

Aim down sights for a red hot impact — this Exotic Assault Rifle fires explosive projectiles.

HEISTED ACCELERANT SHOTGUN

Fortnite Heisted Accelerant Shotgun

Practice makes perfect. The movement speed and fire rate of this Exotic Shotgun increases as you damage enemies with it.

HEISTED RUN ‘N’ GUN SMG

Fortnite Heisted Run 'N' Gun SMG

Make a break for it! This Exotic SMG infuses you with Slap then self-reloads while you’re sprinting.

HEISTED BLINK MAG SMG

Fortnite Heisted Blink Mag SMG

They’ll blink and they’ll miss you. This Exotic SMG temporarily gives you the Zero Point Dash ability after reloading.

Breaking into vaults isn’t the only way to get your hands on these Exotic weapons, but it’s by far the most felonious. 

RETURNING FOR THE ROBBERY

Fortnite Most Wanted Unvaulted Weapons

Back in Battle Royale during Fortnite Most Wanted, make a move for these returning weapons: 

  • Hand Cannon
  • Dual Pistols
  • Heavy Sniper
  • Hop Rock Dualies
  • Suppressed Pistol
  • Boom Sniper Rifle

Note: Motorboats, Bows, and Bow-related Reality Augments will be excluded from Battle Royale/Zero Build for the duration of Fortnite Most Wanted.

THINGS HEAT UP MORE

Thought you could commit crimes without gaining notoriety?

In Fortnite Most Wanted, opening vaults and eliminating opponents will raise your “Heat” Level in a match — trackable by flame icons in your HUD. When you have any amount of Heat, Cold Blooded members will become more hostile, you’ll become visible to other players on the minimap, and you’ll be more visible to other players in the environment.

Becoming notorious isn’t necessarily negative. In fact, you may want to raise your Heat Level, since each Heat Level comes with benefits:

🔥 Eliminated opponents drop more Bars.

🔥🔥 Your movement speed increases by 15%, and you’ll regenerate up to 100 Health out of combat.

🔥🔥🔥 Your movement speed increases by 20%, and you’ll regenerate up to 100 Health and 50 Shield out of combat.

🔥🔥🔥🔥 Your movement speed increases by 25%, and you’ll regenerate up to 100 Health and 100 Shield out of combat.

Use these benefits to help your heist go off without a hitch.

GET ROLLING WITH NEW REALITY AUGMENTS

Pulling off a caper is no cakewalk, so you’ll want to take advantage of the Reality Augments that’ve made their debut in v23.40. (No unlocking required!)

EXOTIC GRAB BAG

Fortnite Exotic Grab Bag Reality Augment

Receive a random Heisted Exotic weapon. (This Reality Augment will remain until downtime for v23.50.)

SNIPER SURPLUS

Fortnite Sniper Surplus Reality Augment

Your Sniper Rifles will have 1 extra ammo in their magazine. (This Reality Augment will remain until downtime for v23.50.)

KEYMASTER

Fortnite Keymaster Reality Augment

Grants two Keys for opening Holo-Chests. (Tip: During Fortnite Most Wanted, Exotic Holo-Chests contain a Heisted Exotic!)

LAST SHOTS

Fortnite Last Shots

The last two bullets of your Pistols’ magazines deal bonus damage.

CRIME PAYS

Fortnite Most Wanted Items

Any crew can score a big payday — but few become infamous. Completing Most Wanted Quests will raise your “Infamy,” which will unlock in-game rewards like the Cash Stash Back Bling, The Vault Guardian Pickaxe, and the Gold Blooded Ace Outfit. Keep track of your Infamy and remaining rewards by navigating to the Cold Blooded logo tab in the Lobby. (All Fortnite Most Wanted rewards can be obtained without purchase.)

The Most Wanted Quests are separated into five sets that will become progressively available: “Intel & Recon,” “Going In Loud,” “Going In Quiet,” “Cracking the Vault,” and “Clean Getaway.” Completing most of the Quests in one set will unlock the next set as well as a Cold Blooded Medallion.

Collect all five Cold Blooded Medallions to unlock the progressive Solid Skull Back Bling. After unlocking it, evolve the Back Bling by completing its Solid Skull Quests. These Quests, completable until the end of Chapter 4 Season 1, will have you racking up elims.

Fortnite Solid Skull Back Bling

SECURE YOUR SPOT ON THE MOST WANTED LIST

Participate in the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge for the opportunity to earn even more rewards. How to climb the leaderboards? Crack open as many Cold Blooded Vaults as you can after the leaderboards go live! Learn more about the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge — and the rewards you can earn — from the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge Official Rules. 

The Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge website launches on February 16 ET.

Fortnite Most Wanted Leaderboards Items

All in-game rewards that can be earned from the Most Wanted Leaderboards Challenge: the GG Flamed Emoticon, Live to Ride Spray, Retro Rivals Wrap, and Clean Getaway Loading Screen.
 


MORE IN V23.40: INTRODUCING THE NA-CENTRAL SERVER REGION

Today we’re excited to launch the Fortnite NA-Central server region (“matchmaking region”). We’re thrilled to provide lower latency for many players residing in Mexico and the Central United States! For more information on this new server region, check out our NA-Central server region blog post.

HARDWARE IDENTIFIERS UPDATE

Starting in the v23.40 update, players who use tools that hide or alter their device’s hardware identifiers may receive an in-game warning and be removed from the match. Failure to remove these hardware alterations, or additional attempts to bypass these restrictions, may result in an account action up to and including a permanent ban from Fortnite. For more information, please see fn.gg/HardwareIdentifiers.

We will continue to evaluate tools that alter computer hardware identifiers that avoid, or are intended to avoid, a hardware ban, which is not allowed.

COMPETITIVE NOTES

  • FNCS Major 1 continues to take place over v23.40! Check the Compete tab in-game for more information.
  • Fortnite Most Wanted’s Heisted Exotic weapons, returning weapons, and Heat are not included in competitive playlists. 
  • The Exotic Grab Bag and Sniper Surplus Reality Augments are not included in competitive playlists. 

MAJOR BUG FIXES

  • Fixed the issue that caused us to disable the Shadow Striker Reality Augment. This Reality Augment is now re-enabled.

You can check out the changes to Creative and Save a World right here.

Fortnite v23.40 Datamined Content:

Here are the datamined content straight from reliable miners:

https://twitter.com/HYPEX/status/1625426395101888513

Same as always, we’ll update the article with the proper patch notes as it’s released, and we’ll also update it with the datamined content as more are found. Once it’s done, we’ll post an “Update” on the article headline to reflect that changes have been made and finalized.

Update: Post has been updated with official patch notes and datamined content.

Source: Epic Games

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Alex Co

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

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Fortnite Servers Down for v23.40 Release This Feb. 14

Epic Games has taken the Fortnite servers down this Feb. 14, and this is a planned outage. During this time, players will be prompted to download the v23.40 title update.

Fortnite Servers Down Status and Updates for Feb. 14:

Here’s the announcement from Epic Games regarding today’s server outage:

While no timeframe has been given, the server downtime connected with these patch roll out usually lasts for about a few hours, so we’re expecting players will be back playing before 6 am ET. If there are any changes to the downtime, we’ll be sure to let our readers know by updating the article.

Once the patch is out, we’ll provide a link out to it, or you can visit our Fortnite game hub to see it posted once it’s live.

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Alex Co

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

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Teslagrad 2 Hands-On Preview – Playing with Electricity

Teslagrad 2 is the follow-up to the hugely popular electromagnetic puzzle platformer released in 2013. The upcoming Modus Games’ adventure aims to expand on the captivating concept that mixes a Metroidvania template with a steady supply of puzzles and some riveting boss battles, to create what could be described as the world’s first ever Electrovania franchise. Remaining faithful to the current topic, my hands-on time with Teslagrad 2 only confirmed that we are in store for a shockingly amazing journey.

With Great Power Comes Great Electricity

Following on the path set by classic titles such as Another World or Limbo, Teslagrad 2 employs a minimalistic tone that works wonders when ingeniously conceived by talented individuals. Ditching words in favor of meaningful character gestures, emotion displays, and world exposition through subtle visual cues, it is deliberately open to interpretation and ultimately all the better for that.

Hand-drawn with noticeable heart and soul, your journey is enticingly cinematic and inspirational. Pay close attention to what unfolds in the various layers, as these events aren’t just enjoyable to follow, they also add some depth to this world-building and hint at what’s to come right around the corner. If you spot a grim creature pouncing about and lurking from a distance, it may be foreshadowing a frantic chase or confrontation; other times, this mysterious and apparently friendly presence shows up and provides some guidance. Even when it seems like pure eye-candy as videogames often attempt to convey, make sure you welcome it with a sizable dose of caution.

Teslagrad 2 Preview

Your ears should enjoy Teslagrad 2 as much as your eyes will. It’s a true delight to the senses, with beautiful, mystical-sounding Scandinavian folk tunes marked by choirs and contagious beats, sometimes leaning on the tribal side of musicality. It’s catchier than it has any right to be, and they work like a tremendous part in some boss fights.

Non-linear both in storytelling and gameplay execution, Teslagrad 2 wastes no time and showcases this rule right during the first minutes of the adventure. Lumina, our young Teslamancer, sees her airship shot down and is now stranded in Wyrmheim, a remote land to the North. Featuring a flamboyant steampunk style but with relentless raiders and malevolent creatures hinting at a potentially unruly state, this land is ripe for exploration as you reach your first village. Going left or right is the question – will you explore the treacherous surrounding caves or head straight to the imposing and deadly tower looming as far as the eye can see?

Teslagrad 2 allows you to carve your path up to a certain point, as this freedom is halted by the need to discover and master new skills. Lumina can only go so far until she is forced to backtrack and unlock abilities such as blink, sliding, magnetizing, water blink, wire fast travel, and more. When you reach a location that may seem impossible to overcome after pondering for a while, there’s a real possibility that you need to go elsewhere and defeat some boss or find a new power, sometimes one as the outcome to the other.

Teslagrad Preview

You’ll often be tasked with creating combos on-the-fly to surmount some obstacles with flawless timing, much in the spirit of the great platformers, with magnetism playing a major role in the process – walking on walls or on the ceiling is something that you must master and execute with precision, but thankfully the checkpoints lean on the sympathetic side, so any deaths shouldn’t frustrate you. Handily, electric wires are found across the land or shot from a cannon, allowing Lumina to travel long distances and save some time and effort backtracking to an already explored area.

While not the focus of the adventure, bosses are the guarantee of epic showdowns finely crafted to test your skills. Technically, Lumina may be disarmed, but her blink ability can be used to literally shock her enemies, potentially clearing the way of smaller foes and deal damage to bosses, some of them quite impressive and in sync with the theme of the game, such as the marvelous electric moose. The clashes that I faced during this session were challenging but feasible, as you learn the patterns and moments of respite before conveniently charging in.

Positively Great

Teslagrad Preview

With Teslagrad 2 and Afterimage, Modus Games has two upcoming Metroidvania entries that look similar on the surface but couldn’t be more different mechanics-wise. Teslagrad 2 is more about the physics puzzles, but it does so with a knack for relentless and captivating platforming action. Some character animations may occasionally fail to chain as smoothly as one could desire, but this is a small price to pay for such an alluring and colorful hand-crafted steampunk world.

Lumina’s trip back home may be filled with danger and shocking events, but it’s shaping up to be a worthwhile journey that will both test your dexterity and your reasoning, and hopefully will deliver jolts of satisfaction all over the world when it launches spring 2023.


MP1st was given access to a preview build of Teslagrad 2 for our hands-on session. Teslagrad 2 is set to release spring 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch.

Vitor Braz

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The Last of Us HBO Episode 5 Review: The New Bar

The Last of Us has always promised to be an emotional story about loss and love in a post apocalyptic world and Episode 5, titled Endure and Survive is not only that but an excellent reminder of why the world is in such ruin now with a spectacular and horrific climax.

Spoilers for episode 5 below

Typical for the show at this point, episode 5 flashes back a few weeks to introduce us to Henry and his little brother, Sam, as they escape and evade capture from the Kansas City resistance. We see the attic they were hole up in, aided by the doctor Kathleen executed last week, and we see they had a front row seat to the shootout Joel got into with the resistance members that tried to kill them. After this brief prologue of sorts we pick up right where we left off with Joel and Ellie being held at gunpoint by the brothers. From here the two pairs decide to team up and escape the QZ (Quarantine Zone) that is under the rule of Kathleen’s resistance.

Last week we didn’t know much about Kathleen other than she was the leader of the resistance, she’s desperately looking for Henry, and will kill anyone who has helped him. This week we get more insight into her motivations and understand how she became the leader of the Kansas City resistance. It seems Henry killed her brother for FEDREA, leaving her to step up and lead. And while her brother was more of a benevolent leader, Kathleen has proven to be more ruthless doing what her and her followers feel need to be done to get out from under FEDRA’s oppressive, violent rule. As a result she has garnered much more loyal followers such as Perry (played by the original Tommy, Jeffrey Pierce) who will gun down unarmed civilians at Kathleen’s behest and without hesitation.

We already know Kathleen and her resistance are new additions to the story but another key change from the game, and one that really works, is Sam (played by newcomer Keivonn Woodard) is deaf. This lends itself more to how much Sam needs his brother’s protection. Henry, (played by Lamar Johnson) is the only one that can communicate with Sam making his dependence on Henry all the more important. We learn that the reason Henry killed Kathleen’s brother in a conversation with Joel and it’s clearly something that Joel understands, despite his rough exterior that won’t allow him to express how much he relates to Henry. It’s good character moments like this that push Joel on his inevitable path as it pertains to Ellie.

Ellie seems to see Sam as a little brother. They play games together, read comics together and have an overall bond that feels real despite the limited screen time mostly due to Bella Ramsey’s (continues to be) stellar performance. When we get to the moment where she sees Sam has been bitten so so badly wants her immunity to means something important that you can almost understand why she doesn’t tell anyone Sam has been bitten. She believes her blood will cure him.

Let’s talk about the events that lead up to that reveal, shall we? Holy shit! That was awesome.

We get an extremely short version of the game’s set piece of Joel making his way through the houses to reach the sniper and at first I was a little bummed it was so short because it’s probably my favorite section of the game. But after Joel takes out the sniper I understand why they did it this way. Because we were going to get a massive action set piece as Ellie, Henry and Sam are chased down by Kathleen and her cronies and a massive snow plow barreling down on them.

This gives way to an even better set-piece when the infected rise from a hole beneath the ground (assuming over the sewers) and attack everyone. It’s an awesome spectacle of horror, action and violence. The clicker that follows Ellie into the car is all-time creepy and seeing that same Clicker return when Ellie, Henry and Sam are confronted by Kathleen is a great example of how the writing pays off even the tiniest of threads.

Going back to Henry and Sam, in the game we spend a little bit more time with the brothers as part of the group which meant a lot more for me when they meet their tragic end, but such is the nature of adaptations. [It worked like crazy on my girlfriend who told me she cried so mission accomplished, I guess]. It’s a minor complaint on my end because it still worked and that’s really all that matters.

Episode 5, Endure and Survive, reset the whole bar in terms of how great this show can be. It also most closely follows the game’s story with a seminal set piece that manages to surpass even that of the game. The emotional gut-punch at the end might be somewhat muted due to the truncated pacing of a TV show vs the game, but it provides a powerful evolution of the character’s of Joel and Ellie.

Score: 10/10

Pros:

  • Henry and Sam are great for the limited time we get with them
  • Kathleen is given more depth
  • The climax is incredible

Cons:

  • We don’t get as much time with Henry and Sam as I would like

Sean Mesler

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