Apex Legends update 1.000.030 has been released on all platforms (last-gen and next-gen) this February 2, and while this is a sizable download, don’t expect much from it outside of fixes. Read on for the new Apex Legends update patch notes for today.
Apex Legends Update 1.000.030 Patch Notes | New Apex Legends Update Patch Notes for Today:
Size: 1.1GB (PS5)
Update: No official patch notes from Respawn yet, but Reddit user XHelperZ mentioned that the studio added a new API with the patch:
Respawn hasn’t revealed the official patch notes yet, though we’re expecting that to change within the day, In the meantime, go check out what’s being worked on by the studio in the official Apex Legends Trello board:
Fixes Coming in a Future Patch:
List of bugs that are scheduled to be fixed in an upcoming server or client patch.
UI Images error when playing Olympus
Players at certain ranks not receiving the correct ranked rewards for certain seasons.
Don’t be surprised if the three issues listed above are included as part of today’s patch notes. Once the official patch notes are released, we’ll update the article.
Respawn Entertainment has pushed out Apex Legends update 2.16 which is an unannounced title update for the game. Don’t expect new content from this title update though. Read on for what’s new in the Apex Legends Feb. 2 patch notes.
Update: No official patch notes from Respawn yet, but Reddit user XHelperZ mentioned that the studio added a new API with the patch:
Respawn hasn’t revealed the official patch notes yet, though we’re expecting that to change within the day, In the meantime, go check out what’s being worked on by the studio in the official Apex Legends Trello board:
Fixes Coming in a Future Patch:
List of bugs that are scheduled to be fixed in an upcoming server or client patch.
UI Images error when playing Olympus
Players at certain ranks not receiving the correct ranked rewards for certain seasons.
Don’t be surprised if the three issues listed above are included as part of today’s patch notes. Once the official patch notes are released, we’ll update the article.
Three expansions in, Turtle Rock Studios has announced that Back 4 Blood support is now ending, and no new content will be developed for the game as the studio diverts resources towards a new game project. The studio has cited a lack of manpower as the main reason, and promises to return “bigger, bolder and better than ever.”
Considered by many as a spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series, the zombie FPS Back 4 Blood was released in October 2021. Weeks into release, Back 4 Blood had already amassed a player count of over six million, and its success led Turtle Rock to release three full-fledged expansions over the last year. The latest expansion, River of Blood, was released on December 6, 2022 with a new story campaign, missions, and exclusive character and weapon skins.
However, Turtle Rock is terminating support for the game to focus on its “next big thing:”
With three expansions – Tunnels of Terror, Children of the Worm, and River of Blood – we’ve traveled on a fantastic adventure together beyond the walls of Fort Hope. This phase of our war against the Ridden now comes to a close.
Turtle Rock Studios is actually pretty small for a studio making AAA games. We don’t have quite enough folks to continue working on Back 4 Blood content while we spin up another game – yes, another game! Given this, it’s time for us to put our heads down, get back in the lab, and get to work on the next big thing. […]
Back 4 Blood will continue to operate, of course. In fact, Back 4 Blood is currently offered on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium tiers and available as part of Xbox Game Pass. […]
While we may be a bit quieter in the short-term, we promise that we’ll be Back, bigger, bolder and better than ever!
While Back 4 Blood support may have ended, the game is still available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. If you’re wondering what the hype is all about, check out our review of the game where we found it “nearly everything (you could want) in a Left 4 Dead 3 and then some.”
Ahead of the game’s February 10 release, Avalanche Software and Warner Bros. Games have announced that their Wizarding World RPG Hogwarts Legacy’s 72-hour early access period will begin February 7 on both console and PC.
Those who have pre-ordered Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S will obtain 72 hours’ worth of early access to the game starting February 7 at midnight in their local region:
Canada: 00:00 (local)
United States:
New York: 00:00 ET
Los Angeles: February 6 at 9:00PM PT
Mexico: 00:00 (local)
Colombia: 00:00 (local)
Brazil: 00:00 (local)
United Kingdom: 00:00 (local)
Italy: 00:00 (local)
Spain: 00:00 (local)
South Africa: 00:00 (local)
India: 00:00 (local)
China: 00:00 (local)
Japan: 00:00 (local)
Phillippines: 00:00 (local)
Australia: 00:00 (local)
New Zealand: 00:00 (local)
Meanwhile, PC players’ 72-hour early access period will begin globally at 10am PT/1PM ET/2am HKT (February 8) on February 7.
Hogwarts Legacy shoots out February 10 on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The PS4 and Xbox One versions go live on April 4, followed by the Switch version on July 2 in the summer. Stay tuned to our review of the game hitting around launch.
Turtle Beach has announced that its VelocityOne Flight Universal Control System was the best-selling flight controller in both the U.S. and U.K. in 2022.
Debuted during E3 2021 and released in November that same year, the VelocityOne Flight controller was developed under the supervision of aeronautical industry experts. Its success led Turtle Beach to expand the VelocityOne flight-sim hardware line with the release of products such as the VelocityOne Rudder, the VelocityOne Stand, and the VelocityOne Flightstick over the last year.
Sales data reported by The NPD Group and GfK Entertainment has found that the VelocityOne Flight Universal Control System was the best-selling flight controller in both U.S. and U.K. markets. Juergen Stark, chairman and CEO of Turtle Beach Corporation, celebrated the success of the VelocityOne line:
VelocityOne Flight has impressed the flight sim community since the moment we unveiled it at E3 in 2021 and we are thrilled to see it become the best-selling product in its class in the U.S. and UK in its first full year of sales. With VelocityOne Flight, Turtle Beach redefined the flight controller category, and we’ve recently expanded the immersive VelocityOne experience further with the new VelocityOne Rudder and VelocityOne Stand, along with the VelocityOne Flightstick, and each of these new products are following a similar path earning strong praise from the community, plus top review scores and accolades.
VelocityOne Flight ($379.95), VelocityOne Rudder ($299.99), VelocityOne Stand ($199.99), and VelocityOne Flightstick ($129.99) are now available at Turtle Beach’s website and participating retailers worldwide.
Techland has released Dying Light 2 update 1.26 (PS5 version 1.026), which addresses a leveling bug that players were having, as well as some PC performance-related issues.
PC performance – NVIDIA Reflex setting will be turned OFF by default until further investigation
Legend Levels – fixed bug that granted all 250 levels immediately
That’s all for now, though, seeing that Techland is investigating issues on the PC related to NVIDIA Reflex we’re sure another patch will be dropping soon. We’ll keep you updated once that patch has dropped, so stay tuned!
A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.
Rockstar Games has rolled out the new GTA Onlineweekly update reset of activities alongside the discounts, GTA Plus bonuses and more for February 2! Check out the complete highlights and recap in one handy list below.
New GTA Online Weekly Update Reset for February 2 – Discounts, GTA Plus & More:
As the Los Santos Drug Wars wage on, demand for the newest product has Acid Lab Sell Missions paying 1.5X the usual GTA$ and RP, and Acid Lab Resupply Missions yielding double the usual Supplies.
Meanwhile, Warstock Cache & Carry is offering 30% off the MTL Brickade with the Acid Lab installed, making it easier than ever for players to dive into the booming psychedelics trade.
Full details include:
1.5X GTA$ and RP on Acid Lab Sell Missions
Double Supplies in Acid Lab Resupply Missions
30% off the MTL Brickade 6×6 with the Acid Lab installed
Double GTA$ and RP on Hasta La Vista
The Hard Mode First Dose Event Ends February 8:
Complete any First Dose mission on Hard Mode to receive the Green Fooliganz livery for the MTL Brickade 6X6
Complete three different First Dose missions on Hard Mode to receive the Safari Ranger Livery for the Överflöd Entity MT
Complete all 6 First Dose missions on Hard Mode to receive an exclusive Pump Shotgun tint
Complete any First Dose mission on Hard Mode in less than 10 minutes to receive the Speed Demon livery for the Übermacht Cypher
Complete any First Dose mission on Hard Mode without dying to receive the Kisama Drifter livery for the Annis 300R
Double GTA$ on Taxi Job Tips and additional Taxi Bonuses:
Free Downtown Cab Co. Revere Collar Shirt for owning a Taxi
Complete 1 successful fare during Taxi Work to receive GTA$100,000
Earn GTA$20,000 from Taxi Work and receive an additional GTA$100,000
Additional GTA$100,000 bonus, free Mustard Vinyl and Mustard Vinyl Cut Jackets for earning GTA$40,000 from Taxi Work
Only on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
Free Manor Geo Track Pants for earning GTA$20,000 from Taxi Work
Free Manor Geo Hat and Hoodie for earning GTA$40,000 from Taxi Work
HSW Test Ride: Übermacht Sentinel XS
This week’s HSW Time Trial is from Terminal to Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness
This week in Simeon’s Premium Deluxe Motorsport: The Karin Everon (Off-road), Ocelot Penetrator (Super), Gallivanter Baller ST (SUV), Declasse Tulip (Muscle, 30% off), and Bravado Youga Classic (Van, 50% off)
On Display at the Luxury Autos Showroom: The Invetero Coquette D10 (Sports) and the Grotti Turismo R (Super)
Lucky Wheel Top Prize: The Grotti Stinger GT
LS Car Meet Prize Ride: players who place Top 5 in the LS Car Meet Series for three days in a row will earn the keys to a Declasse Lifeguard
LS Car Meet Test Rides: The Pegassi Monroe (Sport), Sentinel Classic (Sport), and the Lampadati Tropos Rallye (Sport, 30% off)
This week’s Gun Van offerings:
Precision Rifle – 50% off
Weapons – 10% off (20% off for GTA+ Members)
Throwables – 15% off (30% off for GTA+ Members)
Armor – 20% off (40% off for GTA+ Members)
Grenade Launcher – 40% off (exclusively for GTA+ Members)
Vehicle Discounts: 50% off the Bravado Youga Classic, 30% off the Lampadati Tropos Rallye and Declasse Tulip
Ongoing GTA+ Benefits: Free Taxi, double GTA$ on Taxi Work, free Acid Lab Equipment Upgrade, Lunar New Year Gifts: Yeti Year of the Rabbit Tee and Noh Painted Rabbit Mask, complimentary drinks at all bars and nightclubs, and more
Prime Gaming Bonuses:GTA Online players who connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account with Prime Gaming will receive a lump sum of GTA$125K for playing anytime this week, and players who connect before February 23 will receive the Twilight Painted Rabbit Mask to help bring in the Year of the Rabbit in style
GTA+:
Driver’s seat, passenger’s seat, backseat — whichever seat you’re in, GTA+ Members are poised to succeed with the following rewards and bonuses through February 15:
Claim the Taxi from Warstock Cache & Carry and use Downtown Cab Co.’s services for free
Earn 2X GTA$ on Tips for completing Taxi Work
A free Equipment Upgrade for your Acid Lab
Exclusive Gun Van weapon skins: the Trippy Knife skin and Trippy Baseball Bat skin
Lunar New Year Gifts: Yeti Year of the Rabbit Tee and Noh Painted Rabbit mask
Complimentary drinks at all bars and nightclubs citywide
All of this, and more, for just $5.99 a month, including a bonus of GTA$500,000 delivered upon billing and deposited automatically into your Maze Bank account. For full details, visit the GTA+ website.
Discounts:
Join the psychedelic underground by taking advantage of 30% off the retail price of the MTL Brickade 6×6 — which includes Acid Lab installation — plus deals on other coveted vehicles:
Ubisoft has released For Honor update 2.41, which is what the devs call patch version 2.41.0! This brings a host of adjustments to fighters and the overall game. Read on for the full For Honor Feb. 2 patch notes.
For Honor Update 2.41 Patch Notes | For Honor Update 2.41.0 Patch Notes | For Honor Feb. 2 Patch Notes:
Size: PS4: 1.8 Gb, Xbox One: 2.2 Gb, PC: 2.2 Gb
IMPROVEMENTS
FIGHTERS
Defensive Stance abilities
Some heroes that have Defensive Stance abilities that rely on holding the Stance control downwards have had their abilities adjusted to ensure their abilities are keeping up with the game’s evolution with regards to Stamina Consumption. The full list is below:
Conqueror
No longer pauses Stamina Regeneration when blocking attacks while in Full Block Stance
Black Prior
No longer costs Stamina to block attacks in Bulwark Stance
No longer gains lowered Revenge while blocking attacks in Bulwark Stance
No longer pauses Stamina Regeneration while holding Bulwark Stance
Valkyrie
No longer pauses Stamina Regeneration when holding Shield Tackle
Warlord
No longer drains Stamina when holding Full Block Stance
No longer costs Stamina or pause Stamina Regeneration when blocking attacks in Full Block Stance
No longer gains lowered Revenge when blocking attacks in Full Block Stance
Kyoshin
Entering Kaze Stance now costs 10 Stamina
No longer pauses Stamina Regeneration when holding Kaze Stance
No longer costs Stamina or pause Stamina Regeneration when blocking attacks in Kaze Stance
No longer gains lowered Revenge when blocking attacks in Kaze Stance
Nobushi
No longer pauses Stamina Regeneration when holding Hidden Stance
Developer’s Comment: These changes are aimed at leveling the playing field while using these defensive abilities and not feel punishing for correctly using them as their Stamina usage was high and would often leave some of these heroes stranded after blocking several attacks.
Berserker
Can now cancel the recovery of every attack with a Dodge at 300ms during the recovery
o This now applies to every attack, including ones that could be cancelled with a Dodge on Miss (Some attacks could be cancelled from 100ms to 300ms, some from 200ms to 400ms)
Developer’s Comment: Berserker already could cancel the recovery of many of their attacks with a Dodge, but only on miss – this limited the hero’s ability to be safer while attacking, and with this change Berserker should be able to have both more mobility and safety in outnumbered situations.
Kensei
Chained Light Attacks now cause a Medium Hit Reaction (up from Light)
Chained Light Attacks chain link timing to Light Finishers are now from 366ms to 400ms (up from 200ms to 300ms)
Chained Light Attacks chain link timing to Heavy Finishers are now from 166ms to 400ms (from 100ms to 300ms for Top Heavy Finishers and 200ms to 300ms for Side Heavy Finishers)
Developer’s Comment: Kensei should now have Heavy Finishers that are properly uninterruptible after a Chained Light attack, giving the hero more chain pressure. We’ve also adjusted the chain link timings from the Chained Light attack so that Kensei’s Light Finishers are still dodgeable after a Chained Light Attack.
Shaman
Left and Right Raven’s Claw and Raven’s Bile are now 400ms (from 466ms)
Developer’s Comment: With this change, Shaman should have stronger pressure and an easier time applying Bleed with Raven’s Claw and Raven’s Bile.
Kyoshin
Hakaze and Mujounokaze now cost 6 Stamina when performed without first blocking an attack (down from 12)
Developer’s Comment: Kyoshin’s Stamina costs were still too high while in Kaze Stance, and with this change the hero should have better Stamina economy and be able to attack more often.
Black Prior
Light Finishers now cause a Medium Hit Reaction (from Light Hit Reaction)
Light Finisher hit recovery is now 833ms (up from 700ms)
Light Finisher Block recovery while in Revenge or facing an opponent that is Out of Stamina is now 733ms (up from 700ms)
Can now cancel Tenebris Thrust’s recoveries with Bulwark Stance
Developer’s Comment: Black Prior’s Light Finishers causing a Medium Hit Reaction allows Black Prior to perform the attack, then cancel the recovery into a Bulwark Counter then Bulwark Slash without being interrupted by opponents, which should give the hero much better flow and options out their usual combat options. We’ve also adjusted the recoveries of these Light Finishers to ensure they follow the usual Frame Advantage rules introduced with the Core Combat Update. We’ve also addressed a long-standing issue with Black Prior in that the hero could not cancel the recovery of Tenebris Thrust with Bulwark Counter, as is present in the rest of the hero’s kit. This should help make the move safer and give it more options.
Warmonger
Beast of Prey’s Guard Break vulnerability window is now 0ms to 433ms (was 0ms to 400ms)
Beast of Prey now has the Extended Dodge property (Tracking Break from 100ms to 500ms and Invulnerability Frames from 100ms to 500ms)
Developer’s Comment: Warmonger’s Beast of Prey attack is slow and mostly used to reposition the hero around the battlefield and pressure opponents but did not have enough invulnerability to be able to use it effectively.
Gryphon
Helm Cleaver is now Enhanced
Developer’s Comment: Gryphon needs a bit more pressure from neutral to enter their chains, and with this change the hero should be able to get into their chain pressure more effectively.
Valkyrie
Shield Tackle no longer causes Stamina Damage (was 30)
Nobushi
Can now perform Viper’s Retreat at 100ms during Stance Change
Can now perform Hidden Stance at 100ms during Stance Change
VOICE CHAT
Added a new option to deactivate all voice chat from players
BUG FIXES
FIGHTERS
Valkyrie
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Valkyrie “Spear Sweep” Punish to pin opponents that are in an unpinnable state
Nobushi
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Nobushi Guard Break after a Heavy to not track in certain circumstances (FH-3506)
Tiandi
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Tiandi’s “Dragon Kick” feint animation to cause an unnatural movement (FH-4550)
Aramusha
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Aramusha to perform a back walking Heavy after a back throw (FH-4777)
FEATS
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Zhanhu’s “Qilin’s Ruse” and the Kyoshin’s “Mugen Houyou” opponents to become invulnerable to attacks (FH-2874)
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Warmonger’s “Corruption Blade”‘ feat to immediately enters cooldown after being countered by Black Prior’s Bulwark Counter (FH-310)
MAP
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that allowed Players to break collision near Defender spawn point during Breach second gate phase on Hollowed Bastion map (FH-4599)
CUSTOMIZATION
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Kyoshin’s scabbard to be offset during the animation of neutral dodges (not chained into any attack) (FH-4709)
[Bug Fix]] Fixed an issue that caused the Samurai Crab Symbols to be missing (FH-4604)
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Gladiator “Saburra” Chest to have visual glitch on the thigh when moving (FH-4359)
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Berserker’s arm variants to be clippings on the hands (FH-4374)
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Kyoshin to be missing the “In ChaRAHcter” emote (FH-4178)
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused some Nobushi Chests pieces like Sangoshou upper body area glitches with the outer layer clothes (FH-3597)
UI
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Horkos Masquerade Event Weapons to be missing their unlock conditions (FH-4722)
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused Champion Status XP to be missing on the summary screen at the end of the match
The annual release of 2K’s WWE video game franchise is set to release on March 17, 2023, and on January 28th, I was invited to a special press event in San Antonio, Texas, to try out WWE 2K23 and attend the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble on behalf of MP1st. After spending a few hours with the game, I think fans should be really excited about the progress Visual Concepts Austin has made entering into their third fully developed release of the WWE 2K franchise.
A New Kind of War
After taking a year’s hiatus, WWE 2K22 was a return to glory for the wrestling simulator, delivering on many of the aspects of a wrestling game fans had grown to love. With WWE 2K23, Visual Concepts is coming back “Even Stronger” as the game’s slogan suggests. This is definitely going to be the best-looking wrestling game ever made, and the gameplay is every bit as smooth as the graphics are gorgeous.
We had access to a select part of the roster and features, and the big one people will be excited about is War Games. In War Games, there are two wrestling rings side by side, surrounded by a steel cage. You can compete in 3v3 matches or 4v4, though in this build, we could only do 3v3. One wrestler for each team starts in the ring, and, like the Royal Rumble, other wrestlers will come to the ring one at a time during set periods. This can create disadvantages. However, the match can only end once all participants enter the ring.
This game mode is fresh and exciting enjoyed it quite a bit. I had a few matches, each being from the men’s and women’s divisions, and it was pretty interesting to see how the AI worked with me and against me. The gameplay was smooth, even with all the extra screen space needed to see what was going on in two different rings. Upon entering the ring, I was given the choice of bringing weapons into the ring, as the match had no disqualifications. This is a fantastic new addition to the WWE 2K franchise, and I have a feeling people will love it.
One of my favorite things to do in WWE 2K22 was have Royal Rumble matches on stream and sit back and commentate on them. I would download a lot of created wrestlers from all sorts of realms of entertainment like Marvel, DC, anime, etc., and that feature is back in WWE 2K23. I was able to play a few 10-man Royal Rumbles with the 11 male superstars we had available in this build, and they were every bit as fun as they were in last year’s title. The 11 male superstars we had access to were Roman Reigns, Edge, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesnar, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Cody Rhodes, Bron Breakker, Drew McIntyre, and the cover superstar for WWE 2K23, John Cena.
Speaking of John Cena, he Showcase series is back in WWE 2K23, and this year, it focuses on the career of John Cena. Last year’s title featured some of the greatest matches of Rey Mysterio Jr’s career, and beating them and achieving all the objectives would unlock new gear for Rey, and the same will be true with John Cena in WWE 2K23. One area of difference, though, is that you will not have to play as only John Cena. Because John Cena understands the complex relationship he has with the fans and how some love him, and others hate him, in this year’s Showcase series, fans will actually be able to fight against John Cena in some of his most legendary matches.
For this build, we relived the one-of-a-kind match at ECW One Night Stand on June 11th, 2006, against Rob Van Dam. Completing the match unlocks Rob Van Dam himself as a playable character as well as other things that we weren’t able to see at this time. The Showcase was not my strong suit in WWE 2K22, as I had my brother Eric ghost-play them for my videos because he is really good at the game, so I struggled a little with it. In the Showcase mode, you have to meet specific objectives to advance the story of the match, and there were 17 to reach in this match. Of course, because I was busy trying to hit specific moves at specific times, I ended up taking a beating, ultimately losing my match. But this is one of the biggest challenges that fans look forward to with this game.
What I love about Showcase is that it shows John Cena as a narrator. There is a video of him talking about the match, and when you reach certain “checkpoints” in matches, it actually cuts to real footage of the match itself seamlessly. Showcase promises to let fans relive many of John Cena’s most famous matches, so I have a feeling we’ll be seeing some legendary moments with The Rock, HHH, Edge, Kurt Angle, Sean Michals, and many more. I doubt we will get to relive the legendary match against CM Punk, though. Just a hunch.
We also had the opportunity to do more basic 1v1 matches. These are not the only game modes that will be available in the game, but it was quite a bit to work with for an early build ahead of the full release. WWE and 2K have a fun process they go through in revealing all of the wrestlers that will be in the game along with their ratings, so we didn’t get to see the entire roster and were asked not to discuss any character ratings, but I will say when Seth Rollins stopped by the event, he didn’t seem too please with his rating compared to his wife, Becky Lynch.
Other female wrestlers we could use at the event included Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Asuka, Ronda Rousey, Liv Morgan, Shotzi, Rhea Ripley, and Shayna Baszler. For some reason, the build did not allow me to do a Royal Rumble with the women, but I got to play some War Games, which was great.
One of the things that stood out to me while playing was just how much care and effort went into the animations. The entrances were incredible, and it felt like we were watching real life, not a video game. I also noticed that many of the ring’s motions and mannerisms were succinct. This stood out to me in a singles match between Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. Hair can be tricky in video games, and Bianca Belair is known for her signature braid, which is almost as long as she is tall, and it moves to perfection. I also noticed how accurate the look of disgust on Rhea Ripley’s face was when I kicked out of a pin. It was quite impressive.
Speaking of pins, one of the most notable changes I noticed in the gameplay itself was the pin break minigame. Flicking up on the right analog stick will now help you break out while being pinned, although there is an option in the menu to switch to the legacy option from WWE 2K22.
I was a bit rusty with my gameplay and wished I had performed better, but I had a blast playing the game and being a part of the event. 2K invited some of the biggest WWE Superstars to the event, and we got to meet and chat with Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Omos and The New Day Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E. I am happy to say Big E was looking great on his way to recovering from neck surgery last year.
At the Royal Rumble itself at the Alamodome, we got to sit in the press box and watch Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley with their respective Royal Rumble matches, as well as Roman Reigns defending his World Title against Kevin Owens. After the event, I participated in a post-show press conference where we got to hear from Rhea Ripley, Bray Wyatt, Cody Rhodes, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque. The whole night was a dream come true as I have always wanted to attend the Royal Rumble.
WWE 2K23 will be released on March 17, 2023, with a few different versions (which you can read about here).
I would like to thank MP1sts.com for collaborating with me on this project. My name is Jason Joseph, and I am a 2K Nextmaker known as JayShockblast on YouTube. All accommodations for the event were provided by 2K.
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.
Following a reported game code leak, a third-party gameplay demonstration of the cancelled Portal prequel “F-Stop” has been released to the public. The video, released with Valve‘s permission, showcases a reworking of Portal’s gravity manipulation mechanics, introducing a camera device used to duplicate in-game objects.
The demo was created using a recreation of the project’s assets, and you can watch it below:
F-Stop, the cancelled sequel to Portal, has had it's game code leak. My friend @litevxx has put together a showcase of some of the working mechanics, using recreated assets.
F-Stop was designed as a prequel to the original Portal, replacing or altogether omitting a number of Portal’s plot devices and characters: the series’ overarching antagonist Cave Johnson was to feature in the game in a similar role to GlaDOS, and the first game’s iconic portal gun was to be replaced with the camera object seen in the above gameplay footage.
F-Stop was eventually rebooted as a Portal sequel sometime in 2008, transforming into Portal 2. While the original prequel idea never came to fruition, the unique, refreshing mechanics of the project will leave many fans of the franchise wishing for a proper release of F-Stop.
Saber Interactive has released the Evil Dead: The Game update 1.40 (PS5 version 1.400) for all platforms. This new update comes with the Splatter Royale mode. Check out the Evil Dead: The Game February 2 patch notes below.
Evil Dead: The Game Update 1.40 Patch Notes | Evil Dead: The Game Update 1.400 Patch Notes | Evil Dead: The Game February 2 Patch Notes:
Update 2: Saber updated the patch notes after publishing it, and we’ve included the additional changes made to Survivors and Demons.
Update: Full patch notes are now available.
New Features
New Mode: Splatter Royale.
Splatter Royale is our newest game mode and our spin on battle royale! You’ll be fighting against up to 40 players as Deadites versions of your favorite characters, and it’s all a bloody mess.
New Free Content
New Weapons: Grenade Launcher and Scythe.
New Free Outfit: Pablo’s Kandarian Facelift.
New Premium Content
You can purchase the following in the Immortal Power Bundle DLC:
New Survivor: Ruby.
Pablo’s Fish and Chips Outfit.
Ash’s Party Animal Outfit.
Kelly’s Scourge of Evil Outfit.
Puppeteer Demon Class: King of the White Frost Outfit.
Balance Changes
Thank you all for the constructive feedback, as it is crucial to help make Evil Dead: The Game the grooviest experience possible! Please keep it coming.
The vehicle health bars have been reduced by 100 points to make them easier to break.
Survivors
Upgraded Survivors Fear Reduction has increased by an additional 5% from Levels 1 to 5 for a maximum of 55%.
Ash’s Support Reassuring Presence range increased to 6m from 5m.
Blacksmith’s Weapon Master melee damage decreased to .2 from .25.
Mia’s Uncontrollable Level 1 damage decreased to 0.1 from 0.2.
Mia’s Uncontrollable Level 2 damage decreased to .15 from .25.
Cheryl’s Contact Courage fear reduction by Shemps decreased from 25 to 15.
Demons
Warlord Possession upgrade balance bar’s strength increased by an additional 10% from Levels 3 to 5 for a maximum of 45%.
Puppeteer Possession upgrade balance bar’s strength increased by an additional 5% from Levels 3 to 5 for a maximum of 40%.
Necromancer Possession upgrade balance bar’s strength increased by an additional 5% from Levels 3 to 5 for a maximum of 25%.
Plaguebringer Possession upgrade balance bar’s strength increased by an additional 5% from Levels 3 to 5 for a maximum of 40%.
Demon Vision has changed to Demon Powers.
Upgrading Demon Powers costs an additional 5 points at Level 2 and 10 points at Level 3.
Increased chance for Pit Deadite AI to use Filthy splatter.
Increased chance for Plagued Skeleton AI to use Vicious circle.
Increased chance for Plagued Skeleton AI to use Double pierce.
Increased invulnerability time for units after spawning them from a portal from 0.5s to 1s.
Henrietta can now cancel basic attacks with a meteor attack.
NEW Demonic Dash energy gain at Level 1 (15), Level 2 (30), and Level 3 (50).
NEW Demonic Dash extra fear produced at Level 1 (5), Level 2 (10), and Level 3 (25).
NEW Demonic Dash Cooldown Reduction at Level 1 (5%), Level 2 (10%), and Level 3 (20%).
Warlord’s attack frequency total (active ability max level) increased to 0.35 from 0.25.
Henrietta’s health increased to 5600 from 5000.
Henrietta’s balance increased to 1000 from 900.
Henrietta’s Meteor Attack CD decreased to 15s from 20s.
Henrietta’s damage to the book decreased to 0.65 from 0.75.
Deadite Elite Possessed health increased to 3300 from 3000.
Deadite Elite Possessed balance increased to 600 from 525.
Deadite Elite Possessed damage to book decreased to 0.65 from 0.75.
Plagued Skeleton Double Pierce Attack Base Damage increased to 220 from 200.
Cauldron energy cost increased to 0.25 from 0.2.
General
Players will no longer be able to remove the foliage. Note: Editing game files is against our Terms of Service. This action could lead to being suspended or permanently banned.
Portraits are updated in the match and lobby according to the player’s outfit.
If the player presses the X button when accepting the invitation in the collection, the “Show character” screen can no longer be locked.
It will no longer be possible to display a placeholder text when the Demon player gains experience after the survivors have collected each Objective.
AI Survivors now move more smoothly around objects and fences in standalone mode.
AI Survivors will better target the enemies in the Necronomicon phase.
The pieces of the map will now have the correct illumination.
The Storm now displays correctly on the minimap.
The “cost” string in challenge skip is now translated to all languages.
The Survivor model no longer rags when shot during the demon possession animation.
The player no longer partially loses input when getting in a car before Art Scene begins in Mission 4.
Mia’s active ability is now blocked during possession and can not be activated by the Demon.
Deadites’ counter-attack does damage again.
The Demon can no longer activate Mia’s active ability if she presses the ability button simultaneously with the possession animation.
Deadites will no longer spawn outside the map borders while collecting Objective on the Remington Rapids Map.
“Spend spirit points” input will no longer get stuck if the player navigates to another tab while pressing it.
Now, after finishing a special attack while pressing another input, the camera blends more smoothly.
Now, Survivors vault windows with the correct animation in the Army of Darkness map.
Improved animations for Survivors while aiming.
Various fixes for picking up items and getting stuck.
While no patch notes have been released so far, the official Twitter page for the game announced the following below.
Are you ready to spray the walls and wipe the floors with your enemies’ blood? Splatter Royale is imminent! On February 2nd, battle up to 40 Deadites in an all-new bonus game mode to see who will be the last demon standing.
Additionally, the character of Ruby will also be playable on this date. Details on the Twitter page below.
You’ve asked for her, and now she’s almost here! Play as the newest survivor, Ruby, in Evil Dead: The Game on Feb 2nd! A former Dark One herself, she is a natural leader who can still use her evil abilities to consume the souls of her enemies to receive unique perks.
We will update this post as soon as we can when official patch notes are released. Please refresh this page when new details are out.
Update: Full patch notes have been released and we’ve updated the article.
CD Projekt RED has released The Witcher 3 update 4.01 (PS5 version 4.010) on all platforms, and this ushers in a list of fixes. Players can expect fixes to combat, quests and more! Read on for the full The Witcher 3 Feb. 2 patch notes.
The Witcher 3 Update 4.01 Patch Notes | The Witcher 3 Update 4.010 Patch Notes | The Witcher 3 Feb. 2 Patch Notes:
Size: 2.7GB (PS5)
PC-SPECIFIC
Fixed an issue where the Screen Space Reflections setting wasn’t working on PC despite being turned on. Players who had previously set their SSR setting to high may notice a performance impact.
Added a new performance mode for ray-traced global illumination, which can be toggled by players with compatible hardware. It improves frame rate by prioritizing performance over range and precision.
CONSOLE-SPECIFIC
Fixed an issue where consoles could create a higher amount of saves than their set limit, resulting in various issues with saving the game or user settings being reset.
Improved Screen Space Reflections quality on next-gen consoles.
Optimized ray-traced global illumination on next-gen consoles to improve the performance of Ray Tracing Mode.
QUESTS & GAMEPLAY – Available on all platforms
Battle Preparations – Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to interact with Avallac’h during the objective “Let Avallac’h know everything’s ready.”
Family Matters – Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash during the transition to Ciri’s Story: Out of the Shadows when speaking to the Bloody Baron.
King’s Gambit – Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to participate in the fistfight with the second Vildkaarl due to an invisible obstacle.
Wine Wars: Belgaard – Added a retrofix for the issue we fixed in 4.00, where the quest couldn’t be completed if the player destroyed one of the required monster nests during exploration.
A Dangerous Game – The armor in Caesar’s room should now change its appearance when the Alternate Nilfgaardian Armor is turned on.
Axii Puppet – Increased the health and damage dealt by the puppet.
Adrenaline Rush mutation should now work according to its description.
Various small fixes to quests and cutscenes.
LOCALIZATION – Available on all platforms
Fixed various issues with Arabic localization.
Added the localized versions of Orianna’s song “Lullaby of Woe” in Korean and Simplified Chinese.
Adjusted Priscilla’s lip-sync animation to match her voice-over in Simplified Chinese during the song “The Wolven Storm”.
Please note: these are only the most notable changes. The patch contains other minor fixes that didn’t make it into this list.
That’s about it. CD Projekt RED’s other big game, Cyberpunk 2077, just got an update for PC yesterday, which you can read about here.
If you still haven’t picked up The Witcher 3 yet, go read our review for the next-gen versions where we state, “One of the best role-playing games of the last generation and one of my all-time favorite games, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s next-gen update/port makes what many considered to be a perfect game even better.”
Sony’s recent financial report, which covers Q3 of the company’s 2022 fiscal year, revealed some interesting numbers regarding the PlayStation 5 as well as its games and services.
The total number of PS5 sales throughout Q3, which covers October to December of last year, came in at 7.1 million units sold. This is higher than the console’s total sales during Q1 and Q2 of the same year, which only reported 2.4 and 3.3 million units sold, respectively.
There are also some interesting statistics for the PS Plus subscription and the platform’s software downloads. PS Plus users totaled 46.4 million, which is higher than last quarter by a full million users, and “full game software” sales reached 86.5 million, 20.8 of which were first-party titles. The digital download ratio of games was also the lowest it’s ever been at 62%, meaning that more people decided to purchase physical copies of games during Q3.
One other interesting statistic from the financial report was the total number of active users of the PlayStation Network. This refers to the “estimated total number of unique accounts that played games or used services on the PlayStation Network during the past month of the quarter and is based on company research.” The total amount adds up to a whopping 112 million users, the highest it’s ever been for a quarter since the PS5’s release. For reference, the second-highest count since Fiscal Year 2021 was recorded during Q3 of that year at 111 million monthly active users.
For those interested in checking out the full financial report, you can find it here.
EA Sports has released FIFA 23 update 1.000.010 today for next-gen platforms. This is title update number 7 and it includes bug fixes and improvements. Check out the FIFA 23 February 2 patch notes down below.
FIFA 23 Update 1.000.010 Patch Notes | FIFA 23 February 2 Patch Notes:
FIFA Ultimate Team™
Addressed the following issues:
When returning from Transfer Market Live Search Results after performing a search using search filters, those filters could have incorrectly returned to their default settings.
This issue was previously listed on the EASF Tracker.
Player Items sometimes displayed incorrectly on the Transfer Recommendations tile.
Gameplay
Made the following change:
Adjusted corner kick positioning for the attacking team so that taller players are more likely to place themselves in attack-oriented positions.
Addressed the following issues:
Improved referee logic when deciding to call for an offside when the offending player was outside of the pitch’s playing area.
In some rare situations, a requested pass would not be performed by the ball carrier.
In rare cases, some tackling animations did not play correctly.
Sometimes, an Outside Of The Foot Shot animation did not occur when the shot was requested correctly.
General, Audio, and Visual
Made the following changes:
Added the ability for players to automatically download the latest visual assets such as balls, kits, and more, without a Title Update.
An automatic download can occur when starting the title or when entering modes.
When a download is taking place, a message will appear on screen.
Downloads can be manually canceled by following the on screen button prompt, but note that some downloads may be required for online play.
Update some kits, badges, player portraits, and tifos.
Addressed the following issues:
Playtime Match Limit messages could not be closed when a set limit was reached.
This issue was previously listed on the EASF Tracker.
[PC Only] Addressed instances of an EA anticheat stability issue that could have prevented the title from launching in some cases.
On some save screens, EA Social was unintentionally available.
[PC Only] Known issue: Please note that cross-play will be unavailable until this Title Update is released to other platforms in the near future.
Stay tuned as a patch for PS4 and Xbox One consoles should be out soon. That’s it for today’s patch notes.
Sony has announced that the PS5 next update beta is rolling out to select gamers, and this is one feature-packed update! This firmware update will finally introduce Discord voice chat integration, VRR support for 1440p and so much more! Read on to find out the other improvements incoming.
Invited beta participants from the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany and France will receive an email with instructions on how to download the beta. Same as with previous betas, some features mentioned might not make it into the final version, or may see significant changes when the final system update releases worldwide “in the coming months.”
Join a Discord Voice Chat on Your PS5 Console. You can now join Discord voice chats on your PS5 console and easily chat with friends on most other gaming platforms. To start, link your Discord and PlayStation Network accounts from your PS5 console following these steps*. Then, use the Discord app on your mobile device or computer to get a Discord voice chat going on your PS5 console (make sure your Discord app is updated to the latest version). You can also let your Discord friends see when you’re online and what you’re playing.
Note: if you’ve linked your PlayStation Network and Discord accounts in the past to display what game you’re playing, you’ll need to link your accounts again on your PS5 console to grant the new permissions needed for Discord voice chat.
Start or Request a Share Screen from Your Friend’s Profile. You can now send a Share Screen request or start sharing your screen with a friend, directly from their profile. Simply select the Share Screen icon on your friend’s profile to start a new session.
New “Join Game” Icon in Party Chats. On the voice chat card, a joinable icon will be displayed for party members playing a game you can join. You can join the game directly by selecting the player, and then selecting [Join Game] from the menu.
New “Friends Who Play” Tile. In game hubs, you can now see which of your friends have the game, who is currently online, and who is currently playing the game. By selecting the tile, you can see what your friends are doing now, and you can also access your friends’ profiles, where you’ll be given more interaction options.
Manually Upload Game Captures to PlayStation App. You can now manually select and upload individual screenshots or game clips to PS App from your PS5 console, then easily share them on social media or with your friends.** This feature complements the auto-upload functionality that currently exists on PS App.
New Gameplay and Personalization Options
Variable Refresh Rate support for 1440p. You can now enjoy smoother visual performance when using a VRR-compatible HDMI 2.1 display at 1440p resolution, when playing a game that supports VRR.***
We’ve also made some updates to the parameters of the PS5 console’s 1440p output test, enabling 1440p support for a wider range of HDMI displays.
To check if your HDMI device is compatible, go to [Settings] > [Screen and Video] > [Video Output] > [Test 1440p Output].
Game Library Enhancements.
You can now also sort and filter games when adding games to a gamelist.
You can use filters in your library to easily find PS VR games, as well as PS VR2 titles when PS VR2 launches later this month.
Game Presets for Multiplayer Session Preferences. You can set your preferences to manage who can join and who can invite other players to multiplayer sessions you’ve created for supported games.
Go to [Settings] > [Saved Data and Game/App Settings] > [Game Presets] > [Online Multiplayer Sessions], and select your preferences in [Who Can Join] and [Who Can Invite].
New Accessibility and Ease-of-use Features
PS4 to PS5 Saved Data Migration. We’re making it easier for you to access your PS4 saved data on your PS5 console through two ways:
When you download or install a PS4 game on your PS5 console, a notification that PS4 saved data is available in your PlayStation Network cloud storage will appear (if your PS5 console doesn’t already have saved data for the game). Simply select the notification to download your saved data.
When you download or install a PS5 game that can load PS4 saved data, such as the PS5 version of a game that was also released on PS4, the same notification will appear (if the game supports this feature).
(Note: online storage for saved data requires a PlayStation Plus subscription)
PS5 to PS5 Data Transfer. You can now easily transfer the data on your PS5 console, including games, saved data, user profiles, settings, screenshots, and videos, to another PS5 console using a local Wi-Fi network or a LAN cable. You can either transfer the data during the initial PS5 console setup or later from the settings menu. This process doesn’t remove or modify the data on your original PS5 console.
Screen Reader Improvements. The screen reader now gives more detailed guidance when navigating the console. It will now tell you which direction you can move from the currently selected component, as well as your current position in a component with multiple items. Additionally, when using the screen reader to view web pages, you’ll now see borders around the section that’s being read aloud.
Wireless Device Update for DualSense Wireless Controller. You can now update the DualSense wireless controller device software with a wireless connection. If you have trouble updating the device software wirelessly, connect your controller to your PS5 console using the USB cable to update it. You’ll be able to update wirelessly for the next update.
Game Capture Using Voice Command (Preview): U.S. and U.K. limited release
Voice Command now supports using your voice to save video clips of your gameplay.
Say “Hey PlayStation, capture that!” to save a video clip of your recent gameplay. The default duration saved is based on your settings.
You can also save a specific duration of your gameplay, from 15 seconds to 60 minutes. For example, to save 5 minutes, say “Hey PlayStation, capture the last 5 minutes”.
Say “Hey PlayStation, start recording” to manually start a new gameplay recording. You can then say “Hey PlayStation, stop recording” to end the recording and save the video clip.
Voice Command (Preview) is currently available in English for beta participants with accounts registered to the U.S. and U.K.
There’s no release window set for this new firmware update yet, nor is there a version number for it mentioned a well. Once we know more details about it, we’ll let our readers know.
Crema has released Temtem update 2.000.007, which is for patch version 1.2.2. This update includes a host of bug fixes and improvements. Check out the Temtem February 2 patch notes posted down below.
We’ve taken this chance to re-synchronize the status of the Tempedia and the Kudos. This should improve, and hopefully eradicate, any discrepancy between the Kudos that involve capturing Tems and Lumas, and your actual Tempedia number. This is an issue we’ve been after for a while, so please let us know if you still experience any bug with it.
We’ve improved the issue with crashes on the Switch.
Most of the crashes on Switch were happening due to memory issues. The game would use up all the memory available in the console (the amount varies depending on the console), and then it’d crash. We’ve implemented a series of optimization changes that will substantially ameliorate the current issues.
Crashes will still happen from time to time, but now that we’ve dived deep into the issue we will be carrying out more optimization in future patches, so as to improve performance even more.
We have made some improvements and changes to the dye system:
We’ve added a confirmation pop-up when trying to apply a dye to a cosmetic.
We have added a confirmation pop-up when trying to remove a dye from a cosmetic.
Players cannot use the same dye twice in the same slot of a cosmetic; the game will now show a pop-up error when attempting to do so.
A preview of the dyes will now be shown at the Tamer Pass UI and the Premium Store UI.
We have added a new label to dyes in the Tamer Pass UI and Premium Store UI to clarify they’re a one-time use item.
Dyes were the source of a lot of community feedback and unrest. With these changes we hope to make the experience better and easier to navigate. This doesn’t mean dyes are coming back to the Premium Store, as we’re still deciding whether that’s the right place form them or not.
We have reworked Skail’s animations so they look better and our little dude has more prep in its step.
The Dulcimer instrument now has a new texture.
PvE
Stowaway no longer has a Temtem with the Straw Shield gear in their Archtamer pool.
We have reduced the Co-op bonus experience from 20% to 15%.
Since launch we’ve been monitoring the experience gained by playing alone and the experience gained by playing in Co-op, and we’ve come to realize the initial bonus we implemented was a bit too strong, and was causing an imbalance between the two. Tamers playing in Co-op were over-leveled and had an advantage over Tamers playing solo. We want to offer all playstyles a balanced and fair experience, so we’ve tweaked the percentage a little bit.
Wild Umishi and Ukama no longer have Water Blade in their move pool, following the changes made to these Tems in 1.2.1.
Fixed a softlock when defeating the Digilair boss.
Fixed a case where players could get stuck in a black screen after a battle in some places, for example at The Highbelow.
Fixed the chat automatically swapping to the Local tab when entering buildings or leaving combat.
Fixed the Tamer Pass’ Weekly Challenge about buying or selling at the Trade House for a value of 10k Pansuns, that could not be completed by buying before the fix.
Fixed that Temtem on the fourth, fifth and sixth slot of a player’s Squad were receiving EXP and TVs through the Co-op Bonus even when that Temtem had the Ignoramus Cloak equipped.
Fixed not being able to clear the notifications that were sent manually by using the “Clear all notifications” button.
Fixed the scroll in the Cosmetics’ menu not working properly if there was an empty row at the end.
Fixed Tihani having two Temtem with the Sweatband gear.
Fixed the props of some emotes not being displayed in the Shop preview.
Fixed the emote Hear Ye not playing when being used.
Fixed the Settings’ UI overlapping with the Ranked UI that appears after a Ranked match if the Player had Settings opened while their opponent conceded.
Fixed that the Club Banner colors were being changed just by hovering over their icons instead of by clicking the buttons.
Fixed that, when changing cosmetics, the new one was keeping the old one’s dye colors for a few frames.
Fixed the description of the technique Lifeful Sap to better explain that it gives 5 turns of regeneration.
Fixed the description of the technique Hallucination showing the wrong status condition in the description.
Changed the name of the Magma Eruption seal to something that better reflects the seal animation.
Fixed the Subscribe prompt appearing in sections of the Trade House where it doesn’t have functionality.
Fixed a typo in the title Surferfolk in English.
Fixed some localization bugs in dialogues with NPCs in Portuguese
Fixed level numbers overlapping the “Lv.” text when playing in French or Chinese.
Fixed that the “Ready for Picnic” table furniture was not localized in English.
Rumbleverse shuts down on February 28, giving players only a month to brawl it out against other players. The free-to-play wrestling-themed battle royale game first launched on August 11 last year, meaning that it won’t even be a year before the game finally sunsets.
As the game won’t be around for much longer, Iron Galaxy will be giving a free Battle Pass to anyone who’s playing during its final month in a new update, and XP gains will be doubled to make it easier to progress through the pass itself. There will also be some accessories and emotes that you can get for free as they’ll be unlocked for everybody.
Throughout February, players will be able to join the developers and play games with them, where the devs will also share some behind-the-scenes information regarding the game.
If you’ve ever spent money on Rumbleverse, then don’t worry, as you’ll also be eligible for refunds. Iron Galaxy will share a FAQ page soon regarding the refund details.
It’s been a rough past few months for Microsoft’s 343 Industries, with mass layoffs and veteran developers leaving the studio. This has resulted in an effective 343 Industries reboot of sorts, and the Halo franchise is set to receive some major changes in the future.
According to a report from Bloomberg, at least 95 people from 343 Industries were affected by the Microsoft layoffs, effectively hollowing out the company. Some of these developers were apparently the same ones who were working on Unreal Engine prototypes of Halo, as reported last year. This is an interesting development given the claim that 343’s own Slipspace engine was part of the reason why the popular Extraction and Assault game modes never arrived in Halo Infinite.
Questions arose regarding 343’s role in the Halo franchise moving forward due to the layoffs and key figure departures, but it seems as though the studio will continue to work on Halo for the time being. 343 made a statement that it will continue to make Halo games following negative press surrounding the company, and Xbox CEO Phil Spencer reiterated this in an interview with IGN.
Still, with fewer developers in 343 to work on Halo, the studio has reportedly decided to rely on outside support. The upcoming Tatanka game mode that was reported last year will be made alongside Certain Affinity, a Texas-based game studio.
With the remaining 343 Industries staff left to build upon one of the largest FPS franchises in history, and Xbox’s commitment to keeping the franchise alive, this soft reset of sorts should hopefully provide the opportunity to let Halo return to its prime.
E3’s finally returning to physical events this year, but it appears as though some major names won’t be present during the show. A recent report has revealed that gaming giants Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo won’t participate in E3 2023, which may disappoint would-be attendees who join solely for the platforms’ showcases.
In an IGN article, a source claims that Nintendo won’t appear in E3 this year. The company would usually have a booth on the showfloor during the event despite having its own showcase in the form of Nintendo Direct during previous years, though this may not be the case anymore. Sony has already been a no-show for years since 2019 after disagreements with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
If there was one of the “Big Three” that would have shown up, it’d be Xbox, as the platform has games slated for launch this year, including Redfall and Starfield. And while Xbox CEO Phil Spencer did praise the event for its community-fostering nature, IGN stated that Xbox “won’t have a booth on the showfloor.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean Xbox won’t be presenting any of its titles later this year. A showcase is planned for sometime in June, the same month as E3 2023, but Spencer states that it will occur at a time when it’ll be “convenient for press and even consumers.”
Soon after IGN’s original report on the E3 no-shows, the ESA apparently responded with a statement, claiming that E3 was “always going to have its challenges.” Here’s the full statement:
As you have likely seen, IGN published an article last night about E3. While we are not able to comment on the specific claims in the article, we wanted to share our commitment to moving forward with E3.
E3 has a rich history within our industry, and we are always heartened to feel the passion for the show and hear what it means to different people. Reviving a tradeshow after a three-year hiatus and a global pandemic was always going to have its challenges, which is why we conducted an extensive search (in consultation with the ESA member companies) to identify the best partner to produce E3. In selecting ReedPOP as our partner, we have been able to tap into their rich history of hosting popular industry events, like PAX, and broader consumer shows, like Comic Con.
They have made strong progress in reshaping the event and have received tremendous support from industry companies of all sizes who are not only thinking about E3 2023, but how E3 fits into marketing plans for 2024 and beyond.
It’s important to note that even as the show evolves and adapts, it will not impact the core of ESA’s work for its member companies. Our priority remains advocating for your policy interests on the state and federal level.
We will share news and developments regarding E3 as they are available. If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me. Thank you for your ongoing support.
It’s worth noting that the statement does not validate the claims presented by IGN’s article, so we don’t know for sure if the reasons provided were true, or if they companies aren’t going to show up at all.
Since 2008, Marvel has dominated the box office with its high-flying, sometimes comedic movies that don’t seem to have an end in sight. Video game studios have since partnered with the massive IP in hopes of dominating the games industry, with the latest release being Firaxis’ Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
Unlike other Marvel games like Spider-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy, Midnight Suns is a tactical RPG that takes a lot of notes from XCOM (understandable given it’s from the same studio). With a wide range of heroes to choose from, you must prevent Lilith from taking over the world and summoning Cthon. Do you have what it takes to stop the Mother of Demons?
Midnight Suns…Assemble!
The game begins with Iron Man and Doctor Strange trying to enlist the help of Johnny Blaze. The elderly Ghost Rider isn’t interested in helping the two Avengers, and just when he’s about to ride off, fiery demons emerge from the ground. These are only a taste of the enemies you’ll fight against trying to stop Lilith. The game has several different enemy types, ranging from simple Hydra agents to 12-foot-tall demon witches.
This isn’t Lilith’s first attempt to take over the world. She was defeated several years ago by her child, known as the Hunter. With the threat of Lilith once again threatening reality, members of the Midnight Suns are forced to reawaken the Hunter to assist them in battle. But before you hop into battle, you’ll first need to create your Hunter. The character customization is pretty extensive and does an excellent job of letting you have the freedom to create a unique Marvel hero.
Besides the Hunter, Marvel’s Midnight Suns have 12 different Marvel heroes that will take up arms in the battle against Lilith: Blade, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Iron Man, Magik, Nico, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. Each of them has their unique abilities that you’ll need to fully understand to get the most out of them. You’ll choose three heroes for each mission, and their abilities can be paired together to make defeating enemies and complete objectives easier.
The Heart Of the Cards
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is heavily inspired by XCOM’s gameplay. You’ll start each mission with a handful of cards from each of your heroes, and you’ll need to strategically play, move, and discard them to succeed. You’ll only have three card plays each round, but certain plays can refund card plays, so it’s vital that you understand what each card does. On top of the general card plays, certain cards require Heroism Points to use.
Each hero’s decks contain eight cards divided between Attacks, Skills, and Heroic abilities. Attack and Skill cards are free to use, and you will gain Heroism Points that you can stock up for Heroic ability cards. Generally, Heroic cards offer more damage or support results but don’t overlook the Attack and Skill cards. In addition, Heroism Points are used to interact with environmental objects that can also damage enemies. Using environmental objects will not use up a card play, so utilizing environmental objects is also key to clearing missions. Cards can be upgraded in the Yard using Essence gained throughout the game.
Another aspect of Marvel’s Midnight Suns that you don’t want to overlook is Friendship Levels. Whenever you’re not on a mission, you’ll have the opportunity to talk with other heroes and get to know them better. Having conversations with them will lead to them wanting to hang out with you more, which will increase their abilities in missions. You can also give heroes gifts that can greatly increase their Friendship with you.
Exploring the Abbey
When you’re not on a mission or hanging out with anyone, it’s recommended to explore the Abbey grounds. Marvel’s Midnight Suns have a ton of content, and some secrets can be discovered around the Abbey that only enhance the story. You’ll learn more about Lilith and the Elder Gods, find new hangout locations and uncover side missions for other heroes.
To make exploring more accessible, you can fast travel to practically any location on the map, whether it’s the Abbey or somewhere on the grounds. You’ll also find Arcane Chests that contain cosmetic upgrades and other rewards. Once you find them, they’ll appear on the map, and you’ll be able to return to these chests periodically.
Verdict
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a massive game that contains plenty of goodies for any Marvel enthusiast to go bananas over. The story is presented very well, with memorable character performances. The combat system can seem a bit tedious, and missions might take a bit of time, but it’s well executed once you get the hang of it. There’s plenty of customization in the game, from character costumes to what cards you use in missions. Even if you’re not a fan of tactical strategy games, we recommend checking out Marvel’s Midnight Suns if you’re a fan of the superhero genre.
We have made some improvements and changes to the dye system:
