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Final Fantasy XIV 5.4 patch notes list new content and changes

It's the big FF14 update fans have been waiting. Final Fantasy XIV patch 5.4 – titled "Futures Rewritten" – is out now on PC and PS4, beefing up Square's mega-popular MMO with new features and content for players to explore.

Final Fantasy XIV patch 5.4 introduces new story quests as well as additional content in the form of a new raid, dungeon, trials, and much more. These arrive alongside a series of smaller mechanical changes, reworks, and rebalances all of which are detailed in Square's extensive patch notes.

Here's a rundown of all the content being added as part of Futures Rewritten:

New Main Scenario Quests – With the fate of the First secured, the Scions make their long-awaited return to the Source. But in the new future they now look towards, will that which is written upon the pages of history be an anthem of hope…or a dirge of despair?
New Raid Dungeon: Eden's Promise – The third chapter of this 8-player raid series continues the story of Ryne and her mysterious counterpart Gaia, who have succeeded in restoring balance to the elements of the Empty. Patch 5.4 brings new challenging battles—including a new boss designed by KINGDOM HEARTS® director and FINAL FANTASY series veteran, Tetsuya Nomura—available in both normal and savage difficulties.
Chronicles of a New Era – The Sorrow of Werlyt Updates – Players can continue their attempt to thwart the Empire's warmachina development project alongside Gaius after vanquishing the Sapphire Weapon. However, newly unearthed information alludes to another foe lurking in the shadows: The Emerald Weapon.
New Trial: Castrum Marinum – With the existence of a warmachina code-named "Emerald" confirmed, it falls to Warriors of Light to spearhead a pre-emptive strike before this menace can be unleashed upon the world. Players can challenge Emerald Weapon in both normal and extreme difficulties.
New Dungeon: Matoya's Relict – Players can explore the former workshop of the Archon Matoya alongside fellow adventurers, or a party of non-player characters using the Trust system.
New Unreal Trial: The Navel (Unreal) – The next powered-up version of an existing primal, Titan, will be unleashed upon level 80 adventurers in Patch 5.4, providing a new challenge and a chance to earn unique prizes.
New "Explorer Mode" – This new gameplay mode will allow players to take screenshots as they traverse Shadowbringers dungeons, without the danger of enemies. Players can also summon mounts and minions within dungeons using this mode to further enhance their screenshots.
Ocean Fishing Updates – Two new fishing routes in the Black Shroud and Dravania regions will be added alongside other updates.
Performance Action Update – Playable instruments have been expanded to include the violin.
Triple Triad Updates – The popular card game has received a variety of updates and improvements, including UI updates, eased deckbuilding rules for newcomers, and new tournaments. Additionally, players will now have the ability to create their own custom tournaments for up to 8 players, in which they can customize the game rules.
Crafter and Gatherer Updates – Adjustments to certain crafter actions and a revamp of the collectable and aetherical reduction systems for gatherers, and more will arrive in Patch 5.4.
Ishgardian Restoration Update (Patch 5.41) – The fourth and final stage of the Restoration of the Holy See of Ishgard will commence, with players working together to help their World complete the restoration.
"Save the Queen" Update (Patch 5.45) – The next chapter of "Save the Queen" continues the story penned by renowned game designer Yasumi Matsuno (FINAL FANTASY Tactics, FINAL FANTASY XII). The update will also introduce Delubrum Reginae—new large-scale battle content with both a 24-player normal mode and high-difficulty 48-player savage mode for players to undertake.
Resistance Weapon Updates (Patch 5.45) – Players who complete the Save the Queen questline in Patch 5.45 will be able to further upgrade their Resistance Weapons an additional two tiers. The second upgrade tier will also allow players to customise certain parameters on the weapon to match their playstyle.
Blue Mage Update (Patch 5.45) – The limited job will receive a number of new updates, including an increased level cap to 70, new blue magic to learn from enemies, new job-specific equipment, and additions to the Blue Mage Log.
Skysteel Tool Update (Patch 5.45) – Disciples of the Land and Hand can further upgrade their Skysteel Tools to aid in crafting and gathering.
Adjustments to PvE and PvP actions, the addition of quick matches to Doman Mahjong, a new treasure hunt dungeon, new UI skins, and more.

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.4 will take players into 2021 where they can expect more announcements. Square Enix have confirmed that a showcase for the MMO will take place in February which has led many to believe this in where they'll announce fourth expansion for Final Fantasy XIV.

Source: Press Release

Avengers update 1.17 finally adds Kate Bishop DLC

It's the big Marvel's Avengers update fans have been waiting for. After being pushed back from its original release date, the "Taking Aim" expansion is now live on all available platforms, completely free.

Marvel's Avengers patch 1.17 (officially referred to as version 1.4.0) is ready to download, it's biggest addition to the co-op brawler being a new playable hero: Kate Bishop. For those who don't pay much attention to the Marvel comics or MCU blockbusters, Kate Bishop is the protégé of underrated bow-slinging Avengers, Hawkeye.

Developer Crystal Dynamics have confirmed that you won't need to have finished the Avengers campaign to play as the archer's apprentice. Launch into the game and you'll be met with a pop-up that directs you to the new Kate Bishop content. If you somehow miss this then you can find her missions via the Avengers Initiative menu.

Although naturally adept at long ranged combat, Kate possesses a robust suite of melee and traversal powers too. Here's a taste of what she can do in the hands of Avengers players:

Tranquilizer Arrow: Quickly switch to the bow and fire an arrow that applies the Snared debuff. While affected by the debuff, enemies have reduced impact resistance, making them easier to interrupt.
Demolition Blast Arrow: Enabled after any Signature or Power Attack, fire an arrow that attaches to surfaces with a time delayed, proximity explosive that launches targets into the air when detonated.
Warp Arrow: Fire an arrow that teleports the wielder on impact. Teleporting to the arrow creates a quantum explosion that deals damage to all nearby enemies, launching them into the air. The teleport effect can also be triggered while the arrow is in flight.
Blade Dancer's Strike: A melee combo move that breaks through enemy defenses, slamming them into the ground and leaving them vulnerable to additional attacks.
Blink: Teleport towards nearby ledges or poles. Teleporting to a pole will trigger a swing, while teleporting to ledges will trigger a quick vault over or onto nearby ledges.
Smoke Screen Arrow: Perform an evasive bow attack, firing an arrow that creates a cloud of smoke and inflicts additional Stun damage to enemies inside the smoke
Decoy: Throw a miniature hologram projector that displays a hologram of the wielder, distracting enemies from attacking actual Heroes. Through an infusion of quantum energy, the projector can create actual Quantum Arrows that it shoots at nearby targets, providing additional offensive support.

Of course, Avengers update 1.17 comes packed with a multitude of fixes and improvements, ironing out issues flagged by the community. Click the tab below to get the full patch notes.

Marvel's Avengers Update 1.17 Patch Notes

New Features

New Hero: Kate Bishop (No additional cost) – Please see our "Everything You Need To Know About Kate Bishop" blog for more information on how to unlock Kate along with an explanation on her abilities.
New Operation: Marvel's Avengers Operation: Kate Bishop – Taking Aim (No additional cost).
Please Note: Hero Operations introduced with Kate Bishop: Taking Aim do not support random matchmaking. However, players can still invite their friends to play the Operation in co-op mode by doing so in an outpost or the Quinjet.
New Cosmetics: Kate Bishop Challenge Card.
Ability to enable and disable Takedowns.
High Contrast Mode: Available in the settings menu!

Reassemble Campaign & Avengers Initiative

Fixed a rare issue where the cinematic would freeze during the transition from Hulk to Captain America on The Light that Failed.
Fixed an issue where some missions would sometimes point to multiple regions on the War Table.
Fixed an issue where Alisande Morales would be missing from Substation Zero.
Fixed an issue where Kamala Khan would fall during the Hulk chase sequence in The Road Back.
Fixed an issue where during the game finale, companions would not attempt to revive a fallen Captain America.
Fixed an issue where companions were left behind after players loaded into the match against Taskmaster.
Fixed an issue that would cause companions to get locked behind doors.
The second wave of drones now properly enters the room in House Call.
Fixed an issue where Captain America would not speak in end cinematic of Global Presence.
Mistaken Identity – Morales now plays correct VO when returning to outpost.
Fixed a rare issue on Finding Olympia where Hulk jumps up and stands above Abomination, preventing him from fighting Abomination, and blocking progress.
Fixed an issue where switching Profile from the Main Menu to an account without a save prevents a new Campaign from progressing through A-Day.
Fixed an issue where the user could crash upon repeatedly selecting faction missions.
Fixed a rare issue where some users could not interact with their War Table.
Fixed an issue where Hulk as a companion would sometimes be missing when in a Warzone.
Fixed multiple instances of characters becoming stuck in the terrain.
Fixed multiple instances of players, companions and NPCs going out of world.
Addressed various crash and black screen issues.

Art & Animations

Fixed Thor's "Unworthy outfit" incorrectly featuring his long hair.

Multiplayer & Matchmaking

Fixed an issue where in Tachyon Rift: Along Came a Spider, the mission failed for remaining players if the host would change after completing the first objective.
Fixed an issue where the Tachyon Rift timer sometimes reappeared in the Quinjet.
Fixed an issue in Rocket's Red Glare where Kamala's hits on yellow targets before entering the elevator didn't always register.
Fixed an issue where the Tachyon: Breakout mission showed more than one region pinpointed on the War Table.
Fixed an issue where issues would arise with AI companions in elevators when the host would change.
Fixed a rare issue that would result in a prolonged black screen following a mission's completion.
Fixed an issue where players are sometimes facing the wrong direction upon checkpoint reload.
Fixed a rare multiplayer issue where after reloading a checkpoint, previously opened/smashed doors would appear closed.
Fixed an issue where a former host is unable to matchmake again with a Strike Team they just left if the Strike Team was formed via invites/joining.
Player matchmaking no longer breaks for group members when the host player closes the game after failing a mission.
Multiplayer stability improvements.

User Interface

MODOK codex entry now properly unlocks when players defeat him.
Codex "Manhattan Evacuation Zone" can now be acquired when completing Mayhem Over Manhattan.
Fixed an issue where icons to smash walls/doors would sometimes not show up.
Fixed various High Contrast Mode UI issues.
Removed the ability to ping while in flight to avoid erroneous marker placements.
Marketplace items in the locked section let you purchase them from that screen without having to go to the marketplace.
Updated the visual messaging of the act of upgrading and dismantling an item to help reduce mistakes and broadcast what action is happening.
Stronger visual messaging about the Operation mission icons on the war table and in UI elements (its pulses).
Various text and subtitle fixes.
Fixed various language and localization text/issues.

Gear, Challenge, & Rewards

Fixed a crash that would occur when swapping gear at the War Table.
Fixed issue where loot rewards were inconsistent with required Power Level required for the mission.
Threat Sector loot tables have better rewards at higher Power Level.
Hives give more focused rewards and can include named sets of Epic Gear.
Minor adjustments to existing challenge completion amounts.

It's fair to say that Marvel's Avengers hasn't made as huge of an impact as publisher Square Enix were hoping for. A huge amount of money has been lost though they're confident future updates and the addition of more missions and characters will help it succeed in the long run. It's a live service game, after all.

Source: Marvel's Avengers

Spider-Man: Miles Morales update 1.007 adds "Performance RT" graphics mode on PS5 for 60fps with ray tracing

Insomniac Games have released another update for Spider-Man: Miles Morales, bringing the game up to version 1.007.001. While we're waiting for official patch notes to appear, one change has already been noticed with a new graphics mode to choose in the game settings: Performance RT.

In addition to Fidelity, which feature ray tracing visuals at 30fps, and Performance, which ditches the ray tracing and uses temporal upscaling from below 4K to give 60fps gaming instead, there's now a Performance RT.

The description in-game reads:

This is an alternate version of the 60 frames per second "Performance" mode, adding ray-tracing by adjusting the scene resolution, reflection quality, and pedestrian density.

It sounds like Insomniac have been able to balance the various graphical fidelity options to offer this additional option. We'll have to wait and see what the actual resolution now drops to, and it will certainly be lower than that found in the regular Performance mode, but temporal upscaling techniques have come a long, long way in the last few years. Meanwhile, the cost of the computationally expensive ray tracing of the Fidelity mode can be reduced in many ways, such as through rendering reflections at lower resolutions, reducing the number of rays used for them, reducing the areas in which ray tracing is used.

Reducing pedestrian density will also help with that, when pedestrians and street traffic are included in Miles Morales' comprehensive reflections – dipping into the game quickly to check out the new settings, you can definitely tell that the volume of pedestrians has been reduced by at least 50%.

All in all, it's a great addition for the game and one that hopefully gives the best of both worlds. It's definitely true that 60fps gameplay feels much slicker than 30fps for a game like Spider-Man, filled as it is with fast web-swinging and fluid combat, but once you've got used to New York with accurate ray tracing, it's almost difficult to go back to the game rendered without. Now you can have both!

We'll update this post with patch notes as soon as they're available to see if there are any other changes.

Source: my PS5!

Gears 5: Hivebusters campaign expansion launches next week, and it's in Game Pass Ultimate

The Hivebusters DLC campaign expansion for Gears 5 will launch next week on 15th December, adding a 3 hour side story that features the three heroes of Gears 5's co-op Escape mode.

The expansion will be available for $19.99 separately, as part of a $59.99 GOTY bundle with the base game or, in a kind of first for the subscription service, for no added cost as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (not regular Game Pass).

The expansion follows Lahni, Keegan and Mac (AKA Scorpio Squad) as they go on a suicide mission to destroy a Swarm hive that might just save the planet of Sera as well. It's a three hour campaign set on the volcanic islands of Galangi, with lava flows and sandy beaches adding a rather different setting to usual. It's all based on the Gears of War: Hivebusters comics by Kurtis Wiebe, who returned to write this story.

The characters each have their Ultimate Abilities from Escape Mode, which have been folded into a campaign for the first time, and there's support for up to three player co-op, both in local split screen or online.

16 new achievements will be added for 210 Gamerscore:

Name	Description	Gamerscore
Designation: Scorpio	Unlock during the DLC Campaign	5
Out of the Frying Pan	Unlock during the DLC Campaign	5
New Island, New Mission	Unlock during the DLC Campaign	5
A Breath of Fresh Air	Unlock during the DLC Campaign	5
The Spirit Walk	Unlock during the DLC Campaign	5
Face the Creature	Unlock during the DLC Campaign	5
The Awakening	Activate Keegan, Lahni and Mac's Abilities in the Hivebuster Campaign Expansion	5
Electroblade	Kill 50 enemies using Lahni's Electroblade Ability as Lahni in the Hivebuster Campaign Expansion	5
Ready to Frontline	Kill 50 enemies as Mac through your Barrier Ability in the Hivebuster Campaign Expansion	5
Supplies for the Effort	As Keegan, activate Resupply ability 25 times in the Hivebuster Campaign Expansion	5
Enter Hivebusters	Complete all Chapters of the Hivebusters DLC (any difficulty)	5
Rite of passage	Complete all Chapters of the Hivebusters DLC on Insane	15
Renewed, not consumed	Find all Character Ability upgrades in the Hivebusters DLC	5
Operation: Ride the Snatcher	Complete the Hivebusters DLC in 3-Player Co-Op (Scorpio squad, dupes not allowed)	10
Searching for answers	Collect all Campaign Collectibles in the Hivebusters DLC	5
Class Act	Reach level five on any one Assault, one Tank and one Support	5
The Centaur Set	Max out each of the Anchor, Gunner, Pilot, Veteran, Brawler classes	10
A Gear of many talents	Complete a Versus match in each of Regency, River, Nexus, Clocktower, and Gridlock	5

All of this will be built on the foundations of Gears 5, which was updated over the last couple of months to have dedicated support for Xbox Series X|S. This saw the campaign frame rate bumped up to 60fps on the new consoles, an option for 120fps multiplayer on supported screens, and The Coalition going back into the game to layer on new and higher quality visual effects.

This was then followed a week later by a "relaunch" of the game's multiplayer, throwing five new and returning maps into the rotation and launching Operation 5: Hollow Storm.

Source: Xbox

Worms Rumble launch stats revealed as player count approaches 1.5 million

Having launched last week on December 1st, Worms Rumble has clocked close to one and a half million players developer Team17 have confirmed.

Following the game's release, the British studio have posted some interesting stats for their latest entry in the Worms series. They note that Worms Rumble has gathered more than 1.48 million players with close to a quarter of a million matches played.

#WormsRumble Launch Week Stats!

1.48 million unique players
🪦38.4 million Worms killed
232,547 matches played
5.17 billion damage points dealt
384,577 Worms revived

Thank you to everyone for making this an incredible launch week! pic.twitter.com/spMn2JCCMx

— Worms (@WormsTeam17) December 8, 2020

Other statistics include 38.4 million worms deaths (R.I.P), 384,577 worms revived, and a whopping 5.17 billion points worth of damage dealt.

In our review of Worms Rumble, Gareth scored the manic multiplayer title a solid 7 out of 10. Here's what he had to say:

Although purists may balk at Worms Rumble, I found Team17's reinvention to be a welcome change in direction for the series. Real-time action wrapped around the battle royale genre works a treat here when combined with the zany, explosive world of Worms, but in order to become a multiple mainstay it needs more depth both in terms of strategy and player progression.

Worms Rumble is currently available via PC on Steam as well as PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 with online crossplay enabled between all three platforms. Anyone with an active PlayStation Plus subscription can grab a free copy of the game throughout December. Worms Rumble is one of three games you can redeem in December via PS+ alongside Just Cause 4 and Rocket Arena.

So far we've been having great fun with Worms Rumble and the way it twists the series' tactical 2D formula into an explosive multiplayer shooter.

Source: Twitter (@WormsTeam17)

Insurgency: Sandstorm gets new map and weapons in free Cold Blood update

Tactical first person shooter, Insurgency: Sandstorm, has a meaty new update to close out the year. Operations Cold Blood is free to all players, adding a bundle of new content alongside a fresh selection of cosmetic DLC.

Headlining Insurgency: Sandstorm's latest Operation we have "Bab", a winter map that will have security and insurgent forces clash in a maze of mountain paths and alleyways that comprise this new mountainside battleground.

The Marksman class has been expanded with more weapon choices and attachments. Speaking of attachments, the update adds a new feature allowing players to toggle scopes and sights attached to their guns, making them more adaptable.

Here's the official breakdown of what to expect from Insurgency's new content drop via developer New World Interactive:

Cold Blood introduces 'Bab' – a brand new winter map. Bab is set in a snowy mountain village built around an ancient citadel. It's perfect for snipers with long sightlines and an open layout. Tight alleyways and indoor combat mark the areas between them. Bab is a brand new and unique layout, offering players something really different to get stuck into.

On the gun side, the Marksman class now has two new high caliber semi-automatic battle rifles to play with. The M110 SASS on Security, and for Insurgents, an older Army issue and WWII classic, the M1 Garand. As with everything in Sandstorm, they come with a wide selection of attachments and scopes to let every player customise how they wish.

Earlier this year, Insurgency: Sandstorm was expanded via the Operation Nightfall update. This included a new map and weapons as well as night vision equipment and premium skins.

As Insurgency continues to grow, those first person shooter fans on PlayStation and Xbox have been waiting patiently for updates on a console release date. Missing their August 2020 launch, Insurgency: Sandstorm has been delayed on PS4 and Xbox One, though hopefully we'll have more news on this soon.

Source: Press Release

Forza Horizon 4 update adds Super7 mode for community created content

Playground Games have dropped a surprisingly big update for Forza Horizon 4, adding the Super7 mode that gives players the building blocks to create bombastic challenges for others to play. It greatly expands on the Route Creator that was added to the game shortly after launch.

As a player, Super7 will dip into a growing library of community-created challenges, giving you a string of seven to take on, and giving you a reward if you manage to beat all of them in a row. These rewards include the 1924 Austin Seven and 1979 Triumph TR7 Roadster.

These are all Challenge Cards that have been created by players, and mix up races with skill-based challenges to take on. The creator simply sets a target score or goal, and can then share that custom challenge with a friend or the wider Horizon playerbase. You'll encounter the challenges in Freeroam or as part of Super7 itself.

However, this goes further than Playground Games have gone before, as Super7 seems to take a leaf out of GTA Online's book. The Blueprint Builder lets you tailor the game world to your needs, placing stunts, structures and scenery in your challenge. These can float in the sky, so you can really let your imagination run wild with the possibilities, before tuning the season, weather, time of day and music to set the mood. If you thought the rolling, swooping tracks of the Hot Wheels DLC for Forza Horizon 3 was wild, brace yourself for what Super7 allows players to do.

Forza Horizon 4 came out in 2018 to plenty of critical acclaim for its arcade racing and its adaptation of the British landscape. In our review, Dom said, "Beautiful, British and bold, Forza Horizon 4 sets a new benchmark for open-world arcade racing."

Since then the game has received plenty of updates, as well as two major expansions, heading to Fortune Island and then on to the rather awesome Lego Speed Champions DLC, before getting a Battle Royale-style Eliminator mode. Already a showcase on Xbox One X and PC, it was the perfect candidate for Microsoft to revisit and update for Xbox Series X as well, giving straight up 60fps performance without having to settle for a performance mode (though the outsourced port does make some visual cutbacks to get there).

It's great to see continued support and experimentation within this game, potentially laying the foundations for what's to come in Forza Horizon 5 and beyond.

Source: Xbox

Dauntless Reforged is a huge game changer for this F2P favourite

Dauntless was already having a great year in 2020. Having only just rebuilt the game's social hub, Ramsgate, in the summer summer, developers Phoenix Labs broke the news that their monster hunting online RPG would undergo an extensive top-to-bottom overhaul.

Available now on all major platforms (including PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backwards compatibility) Dauntless Reforged is the biggest, most ambitious update in the game's history. Not only does it significantly shake up player and gear progression, it completely strips out those individual hunts that have been its bread and butter for years now.

For those new to Dauntless and any lapsed Slayers out there, hunting monsters (or Behemoths) would involve queuing for specific "Patrols" or "Pursuits", transporting you and up to three other players to a map where you'd square off against your foe before beaming back to Ramsgate.

Now we have something much better: the Hunting Grounds. These are bigger biomes where multiple Behemoths roam in their own sections of the map amongst smaller creatures and collectable resources that you might forage for. Each session can now house up to six players in total, whether teaming with friends or rolling with randoms.

Once you've touched down you're free to explore, investigating the '?' icons on your compass to find Behemoths, each Hunting Ground also having its own selection of world events that will often draw Slayers together for big reward drops.

Phoenix Labs have done an impressive job in completely changing the way players interact with Dauntless's huge spread of content, making everything easier to access without compromising its action-heavy core. "Stay and Slay" is the motto behind this core pillar of the redesign and it sticks.

This is also thanks to the way they've moved the goalposts when it comes to player progression. At first it may all look pretty confusing, especially if you've spent some time away from Dauntless. The Reforged update charts your feats and milestones via the Slayer's Path, a character development screen that isn't too far removed from being a skill tree. Here you can spend resources to unlock permanent bonuses and stat increases for your Slayer though they'll only unlock as you gradually progress, complete quests, and fulfil bounties.

The way gear works has also been rerolled. In truth, I wasn't too hot on these changes to begin with, as Weapons are treated more like classes now, each one having 20 levels to power through as you slay Behemoths and earn experience. What's new here is that you can exchange athersparks (a new form of currency) to Reforge a weapon. This is somewhat similar to how Call of Duty's "Prestige" system works. You'll revert back to level zero with your attack and defence powers dropping accordingly, but doing so will reward you with an aetherheart. Take this to the forge and you can supercharge any weapon or piece of armour to permanently boost its raw stats.

The idea here is that Slayers will work their way from the lower level Hunting Grounds to those at the top tier, Reforging, and then beginning the cycle anew. It also means that you aren't stuck fighting the same cluster of endgame enemies, though the time it takes to raise a weapon's skill level and then Reforge a piece of gear is far from a breeze.

Phoenix Labs have taken a bold leap with Dauntless Reforged, breaking their flagship game down and rearranging the peices into a mosaic that is without doubt more intuitive and engaging, even if returning players may find it somewhat… daunting. It's mad to think you can still enjoy everything this game has to offer for free, without spending a penny. Dauntless is a true champion of the free-to-play genre.

PS5 and Xbox Series X players experiencing screen tearing in Destiny 2 there's a fix, details here

Suffice to say the launch of the next-gen versions of Destiny 2: Beyond light were a little rocky with network issues and a ridiculously complicated way of getting hold of the PS5 version of the game. Once players had managed to log in there were many reports of a very nasty screen tear issue on both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Thankfully there is an easy fix:

Console players experiencing screen tearing and performance issues can use the following workaround: •Within Destiny 2, go to Settings > Video and choose "Reset to Default".

Bungie have also tweeted that some next-gen players who are buying Beyond Light for the first time on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S are finding that despite forking out the cash, they don't have access to the expansion. As usual Bungie say they are "investigating the issue" and we should all stay tuned for when it's fixed.

There's also yet another issue for PS4 players, "Due to a recent fix for PS4 friends lists, PS4 players will be unable to view their online friends in their Roster until December 14 when the issue will be resolved in a hotfix," say Bungie. "As a workaround, players can use their PS4 Friends List from their PS4 home screen or Quick Menu."

They do specifically say this is a PS4 issue when I logged in on PS5 last night I had my friends but the clan list was completely empty, and as most of my Destiny chums are in the TSA clan there seems to be an issue there as well.

Last night both PlayStation and Xbox players we're reporting Weasel error codes which are related to network issues, Bungie were, once again, "investigating" but never confirmed the issue has been fixed. Players do see to be able to log in to the game at the moment so hopefully the Weasel error has been fixed.

Source: Twitter

New PS5 System Software includes a DualSense firmware update

Sony have dropped a new system software update for the PlayStation 5, bumping it up to version 20.02-02.30, but this is more involved than just a standard "more stability" update, as it also includes an update for the DualSense controller's firmware. Whatever could this do?

System Software Update 20.02-02.30 is 868.1MB in size, as all PlayStation 5 updates seem to be, and if you do bother to check the update notes, you'll find a standard nondescript single line patch note:

This system update improves system performance

Sticking with the classics, I see.

What that doesn't tell you is that the update will also target the DualSense controller. Once the console has gone through the update process, the next time you turn on a DualSense controller you will be prompted to update its software. This requires you to connect the controller via USB, though it's not forced and you can skip the update to do it later.

The update screen reads:

A new version of the wireless controller device software is available.
Your console won't need to restart for this update.

Connect your controller using the USB cable and then select [Update Now]

The DualSense firmware update takes roughly 15-20 seconds to process, after which your DualSense will be… more stable, or something? Sony don't say what the update does, but they'll surely be rounding out some rough edges with the controller's performance as opposed to enabling some remarkable secret new feature.

While not related to the DualSense or this update, we have seen some odd connectivity issues crop up recently, most notably with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War having a connection bug that would turn off your DualShock 4 controller during the third mission of the campaign. Even with seven years experience with the PlayStation 4, new and unusual bugs are always capable of sneaking up on developers and users.

Source: My PS5

JBL Quantum 800 Gaming Headset Review

It's wonderful to see the push of new technology into the gaming space. Iteration and evolution go hand in hand across every aspect of our hobby, and while new consoles or GPUs and CPUs dominate the headlines, you can find that same push throughout the gaming sphere. The JBL Quantum 800 is a perfect example of that impetus, as a gaming headset that packs in pretty much every modern convenience you could possibly want. The question then becomes whether or not all of those aspects come together to make the Quantum 800 an era-defining peripheral, or an unfocussed mess. I'll give you a hint: it's the first one.

The JBL Quantum 800 is an over-ear headset, capable of connecting to pretty much anything ever designed to have audio come out of it. You've got a USB-A 2.4Ghz wireless dongle that works across PC, PS4, PS5, Switch and Mac, while its 3.5mm connection mops up everything else from Xbox Series X through to Google's Stadia. If that's not quite enough, it also has Bluetooth 5.0 meaning you can hook them up to your phone as well. The JBL Quantum 800 wants to be your only headset, and its connectivity means it might just manage it.

It certainly looks like a modern gaming headset, having been forged from a mixture of all-black matte and gloss plastics, with some highlights provided by its exposed black and orange wiring. Comfort is provided by leatherette-covered memory foam beneath the headband and across the thick earpads.

They sit towards the upper end of the spectrum with their weight, jumping the neck-bracing heft of the Astro A50s and carrying more than Steelseries' Arctis range. The comfort options are so good though that I certainly didn't have any problems wearing them for many hours of gaming, watching and listening, but you won't forget you're wearing them.

Since they pack in every modern convenience a headset "needs", that also includes RGB lighting.The Quantum 800 features a glowing JBL logo on each earpiece, as well as a further ring of the colourful stuff around it. Much as we've come to expect you can do all sorts of things with them, from pulsating to following the pace of whatever you're listening to.

Of course, there's also the welcome option to turn them off. If you do so you'll get around the full 14 hours of battery life that JBL promises, while the lights will drain things a good bit quicker. I still didn't find I had to reach for the charger very often during the weeks, even if I had with them lit up like an ear-based festive spruce.

I'd normally jump onto the controls at this point and mop up the remaining visual elements, but I really need to talk about how good the Quantum 800 sounds. Certified for Hi-Res Audio, the 50mm drivers are capable of bringing every element of games, music or movies to life in a way that only the very best headsets do. There's a pleasing roundness to the bass, while top end details literally sing out through the mix. I cannot fault the audio output this headset is capable of, and I'm excessively demanding these days when it comes to headphones.

The JBL QuantumEngine software lets you dig even deeper into the 800's capabilities, and it comes with DTS Headphone X v2.0 alongside JBL's own virtual surround sound option. DTS is the clear winner here, adding depth and spacing to just the right degree to stretch your listening experience to a 360-degree field. Besides all of the surround sound shenanigans you'll find EQ settings and access to some of the 800's other features including active noise cancellation. I wasn't lying when I said this thing did everything.

Now, the noise cancellation isn't as accomplished as you'll find from Bose or Sony's top-end headphones, and it's limited to either wireless or Bluetooth connections meaning that if you're wired the old-fashioned way you're going to miss out. With no signal pumped through it certainly doesn't have that same other-worldly feel of cutting you off from one of your senses.

ANC also bumps the bass elements up to help mask the outside world, which isn't exactly what we've come to expect from the technology. That said, it's a welcome addition that will mean there's even less chance of hearing that it's time to stop playing games because it's time for tea, or that your wife is threatening to leave you because you don't listen to her. Please note, this is not autobiographical.

The Quantum 800 puts plenty of control at your fingertips, with each earcup housing a set of controls. The right-hand side features the power switch, as well as the Bluetooth toggle for pairing. The left meanwhile hosts a pair of dials, one for the volume and one for the game/chat mix, as well as a button to activate the ANC and a mic-muting button. The last one is slightly redundant since the mic sits at the end of a flip-up mic arm, and mutes itself when you flip it up, but if you're the sort that wants to see their mic and know it's off, well, the option's there.

The mic does a great job as well, coming in with Discord, Teamspeak and Skype certification. Other than the easily-lost furry mic shield, it's exactly what you need when you're heading online to chat to friends and enemies alike.

The Quantum 800 are undoubtedly a premium headset – you can tell that the moment you take them out of the box – but their £179.99 price-point is surprisingly realistic given what you're getting. They boast far more connection options than the Astro A50 and have an audio response akin to the Steelseries Arctis Pro, while undercutting both by at least £100.

Halo Infinite's new launch window set for Fall 2021

343 Industries have opened up about Halo Infinite and its delayed launch, revealing that the game now has a launch window of Fall 2021. That's effectively a year-long delay from the original intended launch alongside the Xbox Series X|S on 10th November.

The update was given by Joseph Staten, one of the figures from Bungie and the Halo franchise early years who returned to the studio earlier this year around the time. He's indelibly linked to the series as the voice of the Grunts.

He writes:

I joined 343i right as the team was wrestling with feedback from the July campaign demo. This discussion boiled down to one fundamental truth: we needed more time to do things right. That included pushing hard in the Fall, giving the team time to recharge over the Holidays, and then coming back in January to finish the game at a healthy pace.

Because Halo Infinite in the Fall of 2021… is just the beginning of the adventure.

It is, of course, a huge delay for what was meant to be a tentpole launch title, and leaves gamers wondering what Microsoft can offer in terms of first party exclusives through the start of 2021 to stack up against Sony's plans for PlayStaiton 5, but importantly, this sounds like the right way of doing things.

Instead of forcing the developers to roll from one extended period of crunch to another, Staten clearly explains that they were "pushing hard" over the last few months, which could be read to mean crunch or simply hard work, and that they will now take a regular break over the holiday period to then continue development at "a healthy pace."

Good.

Further good news is that the campaign is already ready to complete. Staten says:

My first week on the job, I played the entire Infinite campaign. Twice. I was, in a word, stunned—in the best possible way—by what the team had done. Infinite is, by far, the most expansive and vertical Halo world, ever. Why did the team do this? Because they understand that wonder and freedom are key to the Halo experience. […]

It encapsulates all the excitement and curiosity and joy I felt on my first journey through Zeta Halo, the most mysterious, dangerous, and possibility-rich place in the entire Halo universe. Everywhere I looked, I saw choices.

You'll obviously excuse a little bias on his part, but it's an encouraging sign that it can be completed, and that the year ahead will be spent fleshing out that vision, crafting the extensive multiplayer options and ensuring that it looks as good as it possibly can on all platforms.

Source: Halo Waypoint

Cyberpunk 2077 "Braindances" trigger epileptic seizures – CD Projekt Red promise more warnings & update [Updated]

Cyberpunk 2077 has been getting plaudits left, right and centre from reviewers (on PC), but Game Informer Associate Editor Liana Ruppert has highlighted a very serious issue for those with photosensitive epilepsy. UK charity Epilepsy Action has now called for developer CD Projekt Red to issue an update for the game as a matter of public safety.

UPDATE 19:30 GMT: CDPR have now responded. "We're working on adding a separate warning in the game, aside from the one that exists in the EULA," they say. "Regarding a more permanent solution, Dev team is currently exploring that and will be implementing it as soon as possible."

The original article continues…

While many games feature disclaimers and warnings when they load up, highlighting that they may contain flashing imagery, Cyberpunk 2077 seems to be a game that could be especially triggering for epileptics. It's something to bear in mind when playing, but also something that game streamers need to be aware of.

On a base level, the game's visuals and cyberpunk vision of the future are heavily influenced by visual glitches. The character Johnny Silverhand is often surrounded by a blue flickering glitch effect, the game's menus and computer interface features red glitching animations (which are a particular trigger), and there are plenty of clubs and bars that feature strobing and flashing lights.

Ruppert explains that these moments can be managed through the use of TV and computer monitor colour adjustments, but one particular effect cannot: the Braindance.

This gameplay mechanic sees V given a headset that allows them to step into recorded memories of other. The in-game headset covers the view and then rapidly flashes white and red LEDs. This is an effect that neurologists use in real life to trigger seizures, and seems to have been mimicked for the game. It is a direct trigger that actually caught Ruppert unaware and cause her to have a seizure while playing the game to assist in Game Informer's review. That's furthered by Braindances then featuring a lot of overlapping, glitchy effects that, as explained above, can be triggering in their own right.

As of now, CD Projekt Red have not responded about the issue, but the charity Epilepsy Action has called for an update to the game. CDPR could do a lot to lessen the glitchiness of the visual effects through the user interface, but the most important point would be to remove the flashing LED effects when entering a Braindance.

In a press release, Louise Cousins, Epilepsy Action's director of external affairs, said:

We are alarmed and saddened that a game reviewer had a seizure triggered by Cyperpunk 2077, before it was even launched. The game features rapidly blinking lights and other animations that could cause seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. These features are unsafe and should have been avoided to make the game more accessible. With huge demand and excitement building for its release, it may pose a serious risk to people with photosensitive epilepsy. The developers CD Projekt RED should consider how they can update the game to make it safer. A disclaimer warning at the beginning isn't enough.

87 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day, and their first seizure can often come out of nowhere. Many people living with epilepsy can strive for many years to gain seizure control and it is devastating to have a breakthrough seizure. Seizures can cause injury and impact on things like driving, employment and education. In the worst cases, they can be fatal. For further information, visit https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photosensitive-epilepsy.

Hopefully CDPR will be able to respond and react to this issue in the coming days. Cyberpunk 2077 is out on 10th December for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia, with support for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility.

Source: Game Informer, press release

Destiny 2 suffering from Weasel network errors and disconnects as the next-gen versions go live

UPDATE: Bungie have not said anything about this being fixed but the game seems to be working now.

Original story below…

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but it seems like a launch for Destiny 2 is not going smoothly. Earlier this evening the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game went live but you really had to mess around to get the PS5 version. Those who did manage to get everything installed happily logged on.. and then got kicked off.

The servers seem to be having problems and many people are reporting the Weasel error code, which is related to network issues. The issue is occurring on both PlayStation and Xbox and both Reddit and Twitter are full of people reporting the error code.

"We are currently investigating various error codes related to connection issues. These issues may be causing Destiny 2 characters to not appear through the API. Stay tuned for updates," tweeted Bungie.

That's not the only issue, "Due to a recent fix for PS4 friends lists, PS4 players will be unable to view their online friends in their Roster until December 14th when the issue will be resolved in a hotfix," add Bungie, "As a workaround, players can use their PS4 Friends List from their PS4 home screen or Quick Menu."

There also seems to be a fun bug with the trophies as spotted by TSA Destiny Clan member Posem who can claim the world record for the fastest PS5 Platinum trophy ever. As you can see from the picture below he got it by starting the game and earned it in less than five seconds.

If you are having trouble getting hold of the PlayStation 5 version of the game then you're not alone, Sony's awful store system has got a lot of people confused. Click this link for full details on how to get the upgrade.

We will keep an eye on the servers and let you know when things are back online.

Unto The End Review

When it comes down to it, Unto The End is a game about patience. Yes, there are fights and there's an overarching theme of exploration as you guide a man home after he got lost while hunting, but patience is the key. Your character may be armed with a sword, but one wrong block or swing and things are over, so anyone who goes in swinging mindlessly will be punished. Unto The End is not an easy game, but it is only as hard as you make it for yourself.

Setting off from his home at the base of a mountain to hunt food for his family, it soon becomes a trek for survival after he falls through a crevice in the woods and down into a cave system, a system that is far from uninhabited. In this world humans are not the only creatures with a society, as Woads living in the caves and mountain range. These Woads are not particularly welcoming to your arrival, and you will have to fight in order to survive and make it home.

At the beginning of the game, 2 Ton studios tell players that Unto The End is not like other fighting experiences, and that you have to be aware of everything. That includes the fact that in battle a strong enough hit can make your drop your sword leaving you defenceless, that even after a battle your character can bleed to death if any wounds are not tended too with supplies, which you can easily run out of. While that is quite significant difference, the core fighting is quite similar to other games in that you need to be aware of your opponent's attacks, and how to counter them.

The fighting itself is quite simple. One button does a low attack while another a high attack, you block using the analogue stick, and you can shoulder charge enemies to knock them down and get some hits in. Even though it is simple to learn you will likely die a lot.

Within the cave system and the mountain range there are different enemy types. Some will come up close with their own swords to fight, others will stand back and throw rocks or spears at you. There are also some boss like characters who can be much tougher to beat and can take you down in one or two hits.

Most fights will only involve one or two enemies but keeping an eye on each one and learning when to strike is key. It's not numbers that will overwhelm you here, but rather that they do not have set pattern attacks. You must learn how they will strike depending on their poses. Even then in some cases you need to be quick to change how you are blocking, or duck and roll away from danger. As you get used to the system some fights will feel easier, but the game is never without challenge for long. Some fights can be frustrating but the game does have an assist setting you can activate that slows enemy attacks down so you have more time to work out what to do.

You can avoid some fights entirely, not by running and hiding, but by offering up supplies to enemies as you get close to them. Do this successfully and you can move on. Like I said, you aren't faced with mindless fighters and as you make your way through the world you gain insight into what is happening below the surface. These creatures are at war with each other, so they really cannot be wasting fighters on you all the time.

The supplies you find include herbs that can help slow bleeding or be mixed into a tonic, leather, bones, and sticks. The leather, bones, and sticks can be used to craft a small throwable knife and armour improvements, though armour only has so much durability. You can find much better armour in the world if you explore instead of always pushing forward. Crafting has to take place at the campfires that litter the world of Unto The End, where you can also heal your wounds fully or do some light sparring to practice the combat methods of the game.

Unto The End has been described as a cinematic experience, and it is in a way. While playing it felt like the game had some inspiration from the film The Revenant combined with the atmosphere of games like Limbo. Its 2D art looks really nice with the environments being quite stark, though the times where foreground scenery blocks your view of an encounter are not exactly ideal.

My first run through the game took around five hours, though I missed one or two areas that could extend that a little. It's relatively concise, though some fights can be frustrating and hold you up but the pacing felt perfect.

Farming Simulator 19 free DLC dials up the realism

Focus Home Interactive and GIANTS Software have officially launched their newest update for Farming Simulator 19, introducing the Precision Farming DLC.

Available on all platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, this content is completely free to download for anyone who owns a copy of Farming Simulator 19.

The main focus in this "EU-approved" DLC is to promote eco-friendly friendly through the use of advanced technology. Virtual farmers will now have an extended set of tools available to them in-game as explained in the tutorial video.

You can now purchase equipment to help analyse your fields and generate a soil map, showing exactly where your crops will have the best yield. Analysis can be costly – especially on higher difficulty – though will reward patient players with valuable intel.

Players can also monitor the pH values of their soil as well as the Nitrogen levels of growing crops, reviewing even more data than ever via the game's map/menus. In short, Farming Simulator 19 has layered on some extra realism for those die-hard fans.

"We're excited to elevate the aspect of realism in Farming Simulator with the expertise of our partner John Deere while contributing to the solution of an agricultural challenge. We hope the new gameplay features will please our fans while spreading awareness of modern agricultural technology", says Christian Ammann, CEO of GIANTS Software.

At launch we awarded Farming Simulator 19 a respectable 7 out of 10:

I have mixed feelings about Farming Simulator 2019. For a biennial release, I would initially have expected more, so this might start off feeling like a large expansion rather than a new game. Get further into the game, you'll start to enjoy the new features and vehicles, and the little improvements build up to what is still an enjoyable farming game at heart. For newcomers, the initial grind might be off putting to some, but the wealth of things you can do in the game will keep you entertained for hours.

Source: Press Release

Rust PS4 and Xbox One versions delayed into 2021

Rust, the hugely popular sandbox survival game, has had its console release date pushed back into 2021 it's publisher has announced. The game is still coming, however.

Originally, Double Eleven and developer Facepunch Studios had planned to launch Rust on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year, the game having released on PC in 2018 after several years in Steam Early Access.

Double Eleven cite development difficulties as the cause for the delay with staff having to collaborate remotely from home, a necessary shift for safety reasons though one that came as a hurdle for Rust's development cycle.

You can read their full statement here:

It's been a while since we shared anything in the public domain and as the end of 2020 is nigh, we want to confirm that Rust is still coming to console, just a little later than planned.

We love making great games and bringing them to new audiences, but that sometimes means taking a bit longer to get it right than we originally planned and comes at the unfortunate cost of the disappointment and trust of those who were so keen to play it upon launch.

Why have we been so quiet for so long? The world of games dev is a fickle beast; you never have the full picture up front and the development process often becomes more of a journey of discovery when bringing a PC title to console. As much as engaging with players is extremely important, we believe it also has to be meaningful and as we've been working away behind the scenes, we haven't felt ready to share anything with you yet.

As a company in 2020, a year that has brought very challenging times for many, we've felt very fortunate to be able to keep doing what we love. We've always had some remote workers but moving the entire company home to keep everyone safe has presented challenges as we've found new ways to work with each other in the new normal that this year had in store for us.

We're sorry that we haven't been able to bring you Rust on console in 2020 as planned. We know from all of the messages that you're excited to play it and we hope that with the dawn of 2021 we can restore your trust as we edge closer to being able to share something with you.

Source: Double Eleven

Predator Hunting: Grounds update 2.11 adds new class, "Beast Mode" DLC

Predator: Hunting Grounds has a new update available on both PlayStation 4 and PC, adding even more new content to the movie based multiplayer game.

You'll need to download and install patch 2.11 before you're able to hop in a match of Predator: Hunting Grounds. Before you do, you might want to check out some of the new content and features the developers at Illfonic have added.

American football fans can draft in Dante "Beast Mode" Jefferson as a new playable character, voiced and modelled by Marshawn Lynch. Chucking money at this new premium DLC will also get you early access to the B34S-T, Predator's first rocket launcher.

There's free content for everyone with this newest update, too. Chief among these additions in a new Fireteam character class, the OWLF Operative. With their own thermal suit, this class has been designed to confront the Predator while also being tough to track.

The Operative will be unlocked at level 40. The PDL (Proximity Detector Launcher) weapon will pop at level 43, the EMP Mine at 80, the Predator's Battle Axe at 85, and finally the Plasma Rifle Prototype at 135.

Illfonic have promised we'll be seeing even more of Predator: Hunting Grounds in 2011. If you're considering a romp through the jungle then make sure you read our Predator: Hunting Grounds review first. As for the latest patch notes you can grab them just below.

Predator: Hunting Grounds Update 2.11 Patch Notes

General

Fixed an issue where CrossPlay Linked Accounts that were searching for coming out of a Quickplay match would sometimes become stuck in the "Connecting" state
Fixed an issue where match can become desynced when host pauses during cinematic
Fixed an issue where the AI would sometimes have their full head covering display incorrectly
Fixed a crash that would sometimes occur when using the Field Syrette and another item in a specific way

Clash

Fixed an issue where the Predator selection countdown would sometimes display an incorrect timer

Fireteam

General
- Fixed an issue where the Fireteam weapons and perks may sometimes reset after round cycling
- Fixed an issue where the minimap icons would sometimes appear to be inconsistent between teammates
- Fixed an issue where firing an impact grenade from the Hammerhead would cause the ammo functionality to change when playing as the support class
Gear
- Grenade
  - Fixed an issue where the grenade projectile would not deal direct damage
  - Fixed an issue where the animation would not play correctly when throwing a grenade while crouched
Weapons
- General
  - Significantly increased max range of all shotguns
- CS-12
  - Increased damage of close ranged shots
  - Increased ammo pickups
  - Significantly increased max ammo
- XDB-12
  - Reduced damage
- Hammerhead
  - Reduced magazine size for grenade launcher attachment
- Mercenary ('87)
  - Reduced magazine size for grenade launcher attachment
- Grimtech 19
  - Increased damage
  - Increased ammo pickups
- 1011-12
  - Increased ammo pickups
- D34-D
  - Increased damage
  - Reduced splash damage range
  - Reduced ammo pickups

Predator

General
- Increased armor of all Predators
- Fixed an issue where the "Want some candy?" VO could be heard from anywhere on the map
- Fixed an issue where the dead boar icons were smaller than intended on the minimap
- Fixed an issue where the Predator was not holding weapons correctly in the loadout screen
Perks
- [NEW] Ironside (Level 80)
  - Take reduced damage from behind while moving, healing, claiming, or performing a stealth kill
- Dithered Lens
  - Increased cost from 2 to 5
- Modified Reserves
  - Significantly increased energy regeneration gained from Modified Reserves
- Impenetrable Resistance
  - Significantly increased the amount of damage resistance gained from Impenetrable Resistance
  - Increased cost from 5 to 6
Gear
- Audio Decoy
  - Added Predator healing sounds
  - Added Predator eating sounds
  - Removed Predator pouncing sounds
Weapons
- Plasma Caster
  - Reduced energy cost of fully charged Plasma Caster shots

Source: Illfonic

Predator: Hunting Grounds guides and more from TheSixthAxis

How to get the PlayStation 5 upgrade for Destiny 2: Beyond Light

Confusion abounds this afternoon as the expected release of the PlayStation 5 version of Destiny 2 seemed to go a little awry. Those who are already playing on PS5 got the 1.03 update but it was only 1.8gb, they were downloading the standard patch for the PS4 version and not the full PS5 upgrade.

With just minutes of the maintenance window to go and after many people had already downloaded the updated, Bungie clarified that the full PS5 version would not be available until 5pm GMT and you will need to do a manual update.

To get the PS5 version of the game you must go to the Destiny 2 page on the PlayStation 5 Store, click the three dots, and then select the PS5 upgrade.

If you do not have Destiny 2 already installed, the game now has a combined store page for Destiny 2 PS4 & PS5. In a dumb quirk of the PS Store on PS5, downloading Destiny 2 from this page will queue downloads for both PS4 and PS5 versions of the game, and both have very, very similar install sizes – in the UK the game on PS5 is 60.519GB, while on PS4 the download is 60.703GB.

You obviously don't want two version of the same game on your PS5, so to figure out which download is which, start the download and then bring up the Destiny 2 game hub from the main menu or Game Library. You can tell which version of the game you are viewing from the top left corner of the screen. If it says 'Destiny 2' it's the PS5 version, if it says 'Destiny 2 | PS4' it… isn't.

Tap on the download progress bar and note the total file size of the versions, then open the download queue via the PS button > Downloads/Uploads and cancel the relevant download.

Or cancel both downloads once they've started, find Destiny 2 in your Game Library, make sure it's the PS5 version page and tell it to download.

On Xbox Series X|S, the enhanced update will automatically download via Smart Delivery.

UPDATE: If you have not already installed Destiny 2 on your PS5 you will have to start downloading the 'free' version of the PS4 game, then click on the triple dots when it's downloading and select the "FULL PS4" version to download, and then from the full version you can then click on the three dots and download the PS5 version. What a mess!

Here are the next gen enhancements that have been introduced for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Feature	Xbox Series X	PlayStation 5	Xbox Series S
Resolution	4K	4K	1080p
Framerate	60fps	60fps	60fps
120hz Crucible Support	Supported*	Supported*	Not Supported
Field of View Slider	Yes	Yes	Yes
Faster Load Times	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cross-Generation Play	Yes	Yes	Yes
Next-Generation Upgrade Free	Xbox Smart Delivery	Yes	Xbox Smart Delivery

Option for customizable Field of View (FOV) has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
Option for 120Hz Crucible Mode has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
Updated controller rumble feel on the DualSense Controller.

The full patch notes for update 3.01 have now been released and you can read them all here. While Destiny 2 was offline Bungie dropped news of what is to come next year and the big ticket item is that cross-platform play is confirmed for 2021. They are also going to add DDOS protection for Destiny 2 players on all consoles during Season 13, along with two new strikes, Fallen S.A.B.E.R. and Devil's Lair. Legendary and Master Lost Sector rotation will be also e expanded during that season to include Lost Sectors on the moon, and there will be three new pieces of Exotic armour to collect. For more on that, click here.

Source: Bungie

Cross-platform and more confirmed for Destiny 2 during 2021

While Destiny 2 is offline for an hour as Bungie get things ready for today's big next-gen version they have dropped news of what is to come next year and the big ticket item is that cross-platform play is confirmed for 2021. There's no details on how that would work but I would assume it would be PlayStation, Xbox and PC, and possibly those on Google Stadia as well. However, most other games restrict matchmaking against with PC players who are not using a controller, so I expect in game events like The Crucible to be restricted in some way.

Bungie are also going to add DDOS protection for Destiny 2 players on all consoles during Season 13, along with two new strikes, Fallen S.A.B.E.R. and Devil's Lair. Legendary and Master Lost Sector rotation will be also e expanded during that season to include Lost Sectors on the moon, and there will be three new pieces of Exotic armour to collect.

The Vault of Glass raid will also be returning but no date has been give, and Transmog will arrive in Season 14. This is a new feature that will allow you to customise any piece of existing armour so it looks like another piece, but retains the stats. Basically it's a nicer version of the Armour 2.0 system that is already in place.

Bungie have also detailed how weapons drops will work in Season 13.

In Season 13 we will continue to allow all players to gain Season 11 and Season 12 weapons in the world drop pool while Season 10 weapons will be obtainable through a more prescriptive source. This means that Legendary engrams will no longer reward these soon-to-expire weapons. If you want to chase a specific piece of soon-to-be-capped loot, you'll find it with the Gunsmith. This is all part of our larger commitment to making sure that players can always earn anything they might need to take on challenging activities. That said, this will require a few exceptions and some updates to the live game.

As far as exceptions, we don't plan on adding methods for players to acquire holiday weapons like the Braytech Werewolf outside of participating in those yearly celebrations. For updates, this does mean in Season 13 we will be adding limited time quest weapons like Felwinter's Lie, Whisper of the Worm, and Outbreak Perfected to the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.

There's also some good news for those who like new guns…

Even as Season 12, the Deep Stone Crypt, and the full breadth of Europa weapons came online, the total count of weapons in Beyond Light is lower than we want. So, we're making the commitment now that our future annual releases will have more weapon rewards than Beyond Light or Shadowkeep.

Source: Bungie

Planet Zoo: Aquatic Pack and update 1.4 are out now

Frontier Developments have released the Aquatic Pack and update 1.4 for Planet Zoo, adding a bunch of new watery content into the game, Animal Talks and more. The expansion is out now and cost £7.99 / $9.99 / €9.99, but the free update has plenty to offer as well!

As you'd expect, the Aquatic Pack adds some fantastic new watery animals to the mix, with five of them in particular. There's the Diamondback Terrapin, the Giant Otter, Curvier's Swarf Calman, Grey Seal and King Penguin.

Obviously, you'll be trying to design watery enclosures for each of these, with foliage, scenery and zoo construction pieces that will all meet that. You can adorn the areas with new murals to depict wild jungles and icy tundra, reflective materials, animal sculptures and cascading waterfalls. There's over 170 pieces to combine to create your perfect park.

A new timed scenario is also be included, set in Oregon, USA and tasking you with creating a zoo based in a drained riverbed. It's water-centric, but will challenge players with space restrictions and lots of elevation.

Alongside the paid DLC, there will is free content added in update 1.4 for the game – actually, Frontier have skipped 1.4 and released 1.4.1 with some additional fixes. This includes new foliage and enrichment items, educational animal talks for visitors to go on, quality of life updates, and a free new timed scenario set in the Philippines.

Here's the full update notes:

Planet Zoo update 1.4.1 patch notes

Animals

NEW* – Deep Swimming

- Brand new for 1.4 is the deep swimming system. All habitat animals in the Aquatic pack are equipped with the ability to deep swim, additionally we have also added deep swimming to the Saltwater Crocodile.
- Deep swimming animals are able to swim smoothly underwater, using a combination of a flexible spine and subtle animations. Each species will balance their need to swim against other types of behaviour, such as those on land. They are also capable of eating from the new underwater feeding station.

NEW* – Deep Water

- Deep swimming animals require a minimum area size and depth in their habitat, and will only display deep swimming behaviour if this requirement is fulfilled. Specific species may have their welfare affected if these space requirements are not met.
- This information is located in the animal info UI and related information panels:
  - Water depth requirements are present on info panels next to the existing land and surface area requirements.
    - Zoopedia: Natural Habitat section
    - Animal info panel: Terrain tab
    - Habitat info panel: Terrain tab

NEW* – Underwater Feeder

- The Underwater Box Feeder, a new feeding station, will be available for everyone as part of the 1.4.0 update. All deep swimming animals (Saltwater Crocodile from the base game and the Aquatic Pack animals) will be able to use this in game.
- When using this feeder, like any other food enrichment, its Information Panel will provide you with details on its food capacity, usage by animals, and food suitability.
- Additionally, there will be a status bar that will tell you if the feeder has been placed in deep enough water for the fish particles to appear. If the feeder has not been placed deep enough keepers will not fill the feeder and animals will be unable to use it.

General Animal Bug Fixes and Improvements

- Fixed incorrect numbers displayed on lifetime stats for exhibits.
- Updated the Red Eyed Tree Frog and Golden Poison Frog population numbers to reduce rapid breeding into low welfare. Players should find these 2 species easier to use.
- Fixed an issue where the animal storage would allow exceeding the 50 animal limit which could lead to performance issues.
- Adjusted Polar Bear, Arctic Wolf, and Reindeer info boards so that the maps now reflect distinct areas between Arctic and Antarctic.
- Exhibits – Humidity is now set to the ambient temperature automatically on exhibit placement, instead of being variable to ambient until set. This should make feedback more consistent and obvious.
- Added detail on bonding information inside the Social tab for animals that have a single mate. If an animal is currently mourning for their missing mate, it will temporarily prevent a new bond from being formed.
- Extended biomes for some animals based on player feedback and research:
  - Desert:
    - Cheetah
    - African Wild Dog
    - Common ostrich
  - Taiga:
    - Giant Panda
    - Formosan Black Bear
- Made the small ball enrichment's available to the Arctic wolf.
- The Indian rhino will now sometimes prefer to walk in shallow water, in addition to its usual land-based walking and surface swimming behaviours.
- Fixed Dingo disappearing when moving camera closer to the body while using the Water Pool Enrichment.
- Fixed a bug where social grouping and follow behaviours sometimes ended prematurely, resulting in diminished herding.
- General audio bug fixes and improvements

New Content

Timed Scenario

- A new timed scenario set in the mountains of Luzon. Help push conservational awareness by transforming disused rice terraces into a beacon of conservation ready for the grand opening ceremonies. Available in the free 1.4 update.

Animal Talks

- As a new way to educate and entertain your guests, Animal Talks can now be scheduled in your zoos. Guests will gather at the designated talk point to watch a live presentation held by an Educator to learn about the animals in your zoo.
- Animal Talk points are purchased from the Education facilities menu and can be freely placed around paths in your zoos.
- Animal Talks can be customized and scheduled on the point's info panel.
  - Select a nearby species as the target of the presentation.
  - Schedule at which time of the year the Animal Talk will be held.
  - Set the mood for upcoming talks by selecting music to play while not active.
- Clever placement of Animal Talk points next to habitats with low enough barriers will allow the Educator to feed some animals during their presentation.
- Some of the more curious animals in your zoos will be interested to check out just what your guests are looking at. Keep an eye out for some bold individuals showing off!
- A new staff type, the Educator, has been added to the game to tend to Animal Talks.
  - Educators can be hired through the staff panel like any other staff member.
  - They can be assigned specific Animal Talks via the workzone manager, or will take care of Animal Talks autonomously.
  - Like other staff members, Educators can be trained to maximise the impact Animal Talks have on your guests.
- The new Animal Talks management UI helps you keep an overview of all talks scheduled and available in your zoo.
- New Animal Talk animations and audio have been added to a select list of adult animals, which have a chance to play during an Animal Talk in their habitat:
  - African Elephant
  - African Wild Dog
  - Arctic Wolf
  - Bengal Tiger
  - Bonobo
  - Bornean Orangutan
  - Colombian White-faced Capuchin Monkey
  - Common Ostrich
  - Common Warthog
  - Dingo
  - Giant Otter
  - Giant Panda
  - Grey Seal
  - Grizzly Bear
  - Himalayan Brown Bear
  - Hippopotamus
  - Indian Elephant
  - Indian Peafowl
  - Indian Rhinoceros
  - Japanese Macaque
  - King Penguin
  - Mandrill
  - Polar Bear
  - Pygmy Hippo
  - Red Ruffed Lemur
  - Ring Tailed Lemur
  - Saltwater Crocodile
  - Siberian Tiger
  - Snow Leopard
  - Spotted Hyena
  - Timber Wolf
  - West African Lion
  - Western Lowland Gorilla

Water Temperature Regulator

With Update 1.4, we'll be adding a new Water Temperature Regulator facility that will allow you to customise the temperature of all water volumes within its range. This will help you have full control over the welfare of animals that like to spend a lot of time in the water, which will allow you to ensure your animals have maximum comfort in your care.

Using the Water Temperature Regulator Information Info Panel, the facility can be customised to suit the layout and requirements in your zoos, as you'll be able to:

- Adjust the Regulator's effective range
- Adjust the target temperature all water volumes in range should be regulated to
- There will also be a new Heat map mode added to the Water overview for the Water Temperature Regulator, that will show you:

- - The current range of each Water Temperature Regulator in your zoo
  - The temperature each Water Temperature Regulator is set to

- The temperature of each volume of water in your zoo

Transport ride management screen

Update 1.4 will include a new management screen that will summarise all of the Transport rides in the zoo. This screen will enable you to make faster and more accurate decisions about your transport rides to better manage your zoo.
The new Overview Tab will inform you on:
- The number of different rides
- The most popular ride in your zoo
- The most popular station in your zoo
- The total annual profit for all rides
- The total number of guests that have used the rides in the current year
- The lifetime profit from the rides
The Stats tab will break down each individual ride into more detailed information for you, by showing you:
- Annual profit
- Annual guests
- Total track length
- What stations guests are using
- Each station's scenery rating
The Management Tab will allow you to edit:
- The number of trains (only while the ride is closed)
- The number of cars per train (only while the ride is closed)
- Maximum speed
- Ticket price (per station)
- The status of the ride (overall and per station)

New Scenery

Font: Noto Sans Alphabet (Large, Small, and Planes)
Font: Boogaloo (Planes)
Decals Set (11 assets)
Barriers
- New glass barrier variant with glass habitat gate
  - Features flexi colour posts to enable blending into faux rocks and terrain textures
Paths
- 2 x New guest paths:
  - Natural Path
  - Water Path
- 3 x New Queues Paths:
  - NEW – Wooden Queue Path (horizontal and vertical variants).
  - NEW – Duplicated "beach board" guest paths to the ride queue paths (horizontal and vertical variants).
  - NEW – Duplicated "natural" guest paths to the ride queue paths.
Foliage
- Eel Grass (3x variants)
- Weeping Willow (3x variants)
- Lotus (3x variants)
- Hydrangea (3x variants)
- Temple Plant (6x variants)
- Water Banana Plant (3x variants)
- Virginia Creeper (5x variants)

General bug fixes
- Fixed the Alpine Currant Small foliage displaying a black texture on its lower leaves when light is shined on it
- Fixed Indian Street Light 01 & New World Decorative Lights Bracket adding to power cost when they do not produce light
- The following three lights no longer require power as they use flames as a light source
  - African Lamp Post 01
  - East Asia Lamp Post 02
  - Indian Wall Light Metal 02
- 33 new flipped quarter circle roof pieces to address this issue: https://www.reddit.com/r/PlanetZoo/comments/ecvpqy/how_do_you_rotate_the_pattern_in_floor_quarter/ Flipped versions are part of content packs, you'll receive the flipped versions for the content pack you've purchased

Game Modes

Sandbox

Staff are now fully trained staff on placement in Sandbox Mode.

Staff

Cash and Conservation Credit settings have been simplified when an unlimited amount is disabled.
Fixed Keeper tablet having a red screen when in use.

Guests

Fixed the missing clipboard from the Reporter who appears in some scenarios.
Updated a fix to the slim adult male guest shirts to all fit over trousers.
Fixed an issue where some users were reporting Protesters were still refusing to leave zoos.
Fixed dark and dim textures appearing on the protestor signs.

Zoo Construction

Fixed a bug where security cameras would not incur a yearly power cost.
Visual tweaks on clean water density and caustic values.

UI

Main Browser

- Added a new category for lettering and decal scenery assets in the main browser.
- Updated text for better clarity on the Education Menu categories.
- Fixed issues with the path edit align to grid button being in the wrong state.

Franchise Mode

- Multi-Select for Franchise Mode Animal Storage and rewards – Something that has been requested for a long time now, we're proud to bring you the multi-select tool to Franchise Mode Animal Storage! This will make it easier for you to manage your animals when the peacock breeding gets out of hand!

Info panels

- Added "Out of Range" status to heaters and coolers. Heaters and coolers are limited so they can't go below / above the ambient temperature respectively, so the UI now shows this.
- Habitat info panel – Fixed the value next to the food icon under 'Maintenance' on the not showing the correct value.
- Shop info panel have been updated with minor improvements including new shop brand images.
- Info panel tabs are now saved when switching between different animals.

Heatmaps

- Vandalised objects for DLC 2-4 will now appear in heatmap.
- Added lights found missing from the power heatmap.
  - South American Wall Light 02
  - Koala Light
  - Australian Wall Light
- Added a specific water temperature heat map to the game.

Help Topics

- New help topics for:
  - Animal talks
  - Educator
  - Water temperature regulators
  - Water temperature heat map
  - Water depth
  - Reporters
- Updated help topics for:
  - Inspectors

Management Screens

- Added "deselect all" support to animal storage tabs.
- Fixed Animal Market list displaying the first entry cut in half.
- Fixed the Salary slider in the Zoo Management > Staff not allowing the player to click and hold.
- Fixed the Guest Facilities menu not displaying running costs.
- Fixed No highlights used in management and animal list.

Settings

- Fixed heatmap temperature units remaining in Celsius when game units changed to Fahrenheit in the settings interface.
- Fixed FXAA option to provide correct visual effect.

Localisation

Fixed some of the Rusted and Painted Metal Rods having incorrect sizes in their name.
Fixed Glass Pane Rectangle 4m x 4m and 4m x 2m being mislabelled.
Fixed Inconsistent terms in the Animal trading/Habitat trading when accessing the same menu from object browser or trade centre UI.
Various localisation fixes.

Stability

Further crash and stability fixes.

Known Issues

Plant assets will disappear when placed in water if it has been duplicated from an existing asset.
In Franchise and Challenge modes the new "Thick Glass" barrier type is not available to research if you load a save where the barrier research is already fully completed. The new "Thick Glass" barrier type is available in sandbox mode.

We gave the base game on PC a glowing review last year, with Dom writing in our Planet Zoo review:

Planet Zoo is simply wonderful; a bright and breezy park builder that gushes with enthusiasm for its charges. There's depth to spare here, pushing further than either of Frontier's most recent management games have, and it leans into its own identity, with a keen eye for the importance of education, animal welfare and preservation.

If you're after a park management sim, and have a PC, it's a fine option, and the Aquatics Pack will only expand it further.

Source: press release, Frontier

[UPDATE] Destiny 2 update 3.0.1 is rolling out bringing next-gen upgrades, patch notes here!

UPDATE: The next gen upgrade will not be available until 5pm GMT, full patch notes released and at the end of this post! If you are on PS5 you will not automatically get the PS5 update, details on how you can get it are here.

Destiny 2 is about to get a little bit prettier as the next-gen upgrades should be rolling our right now, along with a new patch. Here's the timetable for today's events, remember UTC is the same as GMT.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

7:00 AM PST	1500 UTC	Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 maintenance is scheduled to begin. Some Destiny Companion features may be unavailable on Web, Mobile, and Third-Party Apps.
8:00 AM PST	1600 UTC	Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 will be brought offline for expected maintenance. Players will be removed from activities and won't be able to log back into Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 until 9 AM PST on December 8. Destiny 2 Update 3.0.1 will begin rolling out across all platforms and regions.
9:00 AM PST	1700 UTC	Players will be able to log back into Destiny 1 and 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	1800 UTC	Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 maintenance is expected to conclude. Console players who encounter issues updating to Update 3.0.1 should restart their console and try downloading the update. Players who observe issues should report to the #Help forum.

Bungie have revealed that it will require a full re-download of the game, albeit handled through the regular update process. This won't affect the PS4, Xbox One or PC versions of the game, but will be a big old install for the new machines.

The estimated patch sizes for Update 3.0.1 based on platforms are as follows:

Xbox Series X|S 3.0.1's patch download size: ~70.0 GB
PlayStation 5 3.0.1's patch download size: ~67.0 GB
Xbox One 3.0.1's patch download size: ~2.35 GB
PlayStation 4 3.0.1's patch download size: ~2.09 GB
Steam 3.0.1's patch download size: ~1.5 GB

The download will be worth it though. Xbox Series X and PS5 will both run at 4K, while Xbox Series S will be at 1080p, but all will now run at 60fps, with PS5 and Series X both supporting 120Hz in the Crucible. Then there's the Field of View slide and even faster loading times with the full download enabling to adapt the file storage to the SSDs.

Here are the full patch notes!

NEXT GEN

Next-gen enhancements have been introduced for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Feature	Xbox Series X	PlayStation 5	Xbox Series S
Resolution	4K	4K	1080p
Framerate	60fps	60fps	60fps
120hz Crucible Support	Supported*	Supported*	Not Supported
Field of View Slider	Yes	Yes	Yes
Faster Load Times	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cross-Generation Play	Yes	Yes	Yes
Next-Generation Upgrade Free	Xbox Smart Delivery	Yes	Xbox Smart Delivery

General

On Xbox Series X|S, the enhanced update will automatically download.
On PlayStation 5, players need to manually download the enhanced update.
Option for customizable Field of View (FOV) has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
Option for 120Hz Crucible Mode has been added to the Settings > Video menu.
Updated controller rumble feel on the DualSense Controller.

DESTINY COMPANION APP

Bounties

Players may acquire bounties from Destiny 2 vendors using the Destiny Companion App.
Bounties may only be acquired when players are offline, In orbit, or in t the Tower.
For additional information, please see this Help article.

SANDBOX

Exotic Armor

Fixed an issue where being killed by the effects of Necrotic Grip would show as being "Killed by the Architects."
Fixed an issue where players with Stronghold Gauntlets couldn't block any Super damage with Swords despite the Exotic maximizing the Guard stats.
Improved the readability of the visual effects when another player wearing Mask of Bakris shifts directly toward you.
Updated the description string of Mask of Bakris's perk to correctly describe its damage bonus, which applies only to combatants and affects all arc weapon damage and all damage against slowed or encased enemies.
Additionally, fixed a bug where this damage bonus was applying to players who are slowed or encased in Crucible and Gambit.

Stasis Abilities

Fragments
- - Tuned "Whisper of Bonds" to grant a flat 2.5% Super energy per trigger.

Weapons

Duality
- - Duality's icon didn't match correct weapon tray icon.
  - Fixed an issue where Duality's custom ADS fire audio wasn't playing.
The Lament
- - The Lament icon did not appear appropriately in Crucible feeds.

ACTIVITIES

Beyond Light Campaign

Beyond Light Exotic quest missions now properly display recommended Power Level on their map nodes.
Kridis no longer spawns before players have completed the previous mission objective.

New Light

Fixed an issue where veteran players could not access the Tower while Mission Advent was available.
Fixed an issue with the New Light subclass quest where Ikora's waypoint was suppressed.
Fixed an issue where the descent cinematic did not play for The Disgraced strike.
Fixed an issue where veteran players with two characters of the same class were blocked from acquiring their subclasses.
Fixed a bug where a step on the New Light pursuit was not granting experience.
Fixed an issue where abandoned Memory quests were not available in the Quest Archive vendor in the Tower.
Fixed an issue where players who skip the Shotgun chest in M0 did not receive Special ammo when the Shotgun was granted.
Fixed an issue where players could reacquire Riskrunner during the Risk/Reward mission.

Deep Stone Crypt

Fixed an issue where Taniks could go into hellfire phase early before any fireteam member could collect an augment.
Fixed an issue where players would not get a third DPS phase on the second loop of dunking all four cores.
Fixed an issue where the Short Circuit Triumph was not possible.
Fixed an issue that could cause an unintended wipe during the second hellfire cast.

Last Wish Raid

Fixed an issue where the final encounter was not rewarding Spoils of Conquest.
Fixed an issue where Kalli teleported out of the environment after a plate was captured.
Fixed various networking behaviors that were observed when playing through encounter transitions.

Garden of Salvation Raid

Fixed an issue where text notifications would not appear when players initiated/completed puzzles.
Fixed an issue where tethers did not appropriately disrupt the boss under certain circumstances.
Fixed an issue where the Consecrated Mind drops its Minotaur at the beginning of the raid.

Pit of Heresy

Fixed an issue where the Ghost flashlight projection volume had no effect, making it hard to navigate the passage without light.
Fixed an issue where players could encounter back screens and hard wipes between encounters.
Fixed an issue where players could be killed transitioning between two areas.

Prophecy

Prophecy is once again available.
Powerful rewards may be earned from each checkpoint once per week.
Players may complete the dungeon once per week to obtain a pinnacle-powered reward.
Previously featured weapon and armor rewards are available once more.

Lost Sectors

Master and Legend Lost Sector tooltips are easier to comprehend.

Stasis quests

Aspects
- - Fixed an issue where "Tectonic Harvest" was not consistently generating shards for allies when destroying their crystals.

Nightmare Hunts

Hard-wiping and defeating the boss at the same time will leave players in the Hunt after respawning.

Exotic quests

Fixed an issue where the first line of dialogue played was muted at the beginning of the Malfeasance quest strike.

Crucible and Iron Banner

Fixed an issue where the "Survivor" medal could be awarded to players who were defeated during the round.
Fixed an issue where the "Untouchable" medal could not be earned.
Updated the mercy rule for Control and Clash to prevent it from triggering too early in the match.
Fixed an issue where some map intro cinematics were taking place outside of the combat zone.

Strikes

Fixed an issue where Outlaws were no longer spawned in Nightfall: The Ordeal.
Fixed an issue where Lurkers did not spawn after the counterweight encounter in the Hallowed Lair.
Fixed an issue where Super energy was drained when taking a lift in the Warden of Nothing.
Fixed an issue where Guardians were unable to respawn if they died while in the process of destroying Protheon, Modular Mind, very quickly.
Fixed an issue where counterweights would reset if a player died after pushing them down.
Fixed an issue where combatants would disappear abruptly if a Guardian decided to speed run the Hallowed Lair strike while others were trying to complete bounties in previous encounters.
Fixed an issue where the Tank would despawn during the Arms Dealer strike when trying to enter another combat area.

Gambit

Fixed an issue where the high-value target spawned too early.
Fixed an issue where catch-up targets would respawn too quickly after being cleared.
Fixed an issue where combatants would sometimes not move from spawn areas.

DESTINATIONS

Europa

Fixed a rare case where the Conflux Watch Servitor in the public encounter for Empire Hunt: The Technocrat could become permanently immune.
Fixed an issue where players with full quest inventories could still purchase Fallen Empire and weapon quests from Variks.
Fixed an issue where flickering snow transitions could be seen when playing with a multi-GPU setup (Crossfire/SLI) PC (Crossfire/SLI).

Cosmodrome

Added destination material spawns.
Added destination materials to Cosmodrome region chests.
Fixed an issue where Scorch Cannons were not respawning during the Heroic version of the Spider Tank public event.
Fixed an issue where flickering grass transitions could be seen when playing with a multi-GPU setup (Crossfire/SLI) PC (Crossfire/SLI).

Moon

Fixed an issue where some combat encounters would not trigger appropriately.
Fixed an issue where a smaller number of players were able to matchmake in to certain areas than intended.
The terminals for the "tire game" appear disabled even when active.
Fixed an issue where Toland would not reappear if players moved away from a totem to complete the activity.
Fixed an issue where high-value targets had forgotten their names.
Names now appear above high-value targets appropriately.

Dreaming City

Blind Well
- - Fixed an issue where the safety bubble would pop to its smallest size when a round was done instead of shrinking over time.
Fixed an issue where quest step notification for Petra's quest missions were showing a blank icon.
Fixed an issue where players could sometimes not interact with rally flags before public events.

Nessus

Fixed an issue where the "Half Empty" patrol on Nessus is missing description text.

General

Fixed an issue where Memory Fragment, Drone, and Ghost Story collectibles were still present on some destinations.
Fixed an issue where Hive crystal shields could cause a crash.

REWARDS

General

Europa and Cosmodrome strikes now award destination materials upon completion.
Lunar Ghost Bundle no longer pops an erroneous "out of space" warning when opening.
Exotic armor awarded in solo PED Lost Sectors now drops on a knockout list.
Removed misleading "Limited Time" augment from Devrim Kay and Failsafe vendor items.
Fixed a bug preventing Rahool's icon from flashing when Beyond Light bonus items were available to claim.
Fixed a bug where some new armor mods had incorrect sources listed in Collections.
Fixed a bug where the Evasive Maneuvers raid perk would sometimes fail to activate if you switched to the mod in the middle of an encounter.
Fixed a bug where Icefall Mantle's description did not mention the slow field it generates when activated.

MISCELLANEOUS

Triumphs

Fixed an issue where The Hit List was not unlocking properly.
Fixed an issue where players would not receive appropriate Triumphs after defeating the Fanatic.

Monument to Lost Light

Fixed an issue where the waypoint on the Exotic Archive vendor continues to flash for players who own all Exotics.

Collections

Badges and Armor sets in Collections correctly select player's class.
Fixed an issue where the UI would forget which page the player was on after previewing an item in Collections.

Aspects and Fragments on the Stasis Subclass screen now appropriately display "Currently Applied" when they're applied in another slot.

Graphics

Fix inverted colors in some dark areas when playing in HDR.

Source: Bungie

Hitman 3's latest trailer shows off the series' opportunistic gameplay

IO Interctive have released a new gameplay trailer for Hitman 3, showcasing the many opportunities you'll have as Agent 47 to get to your target.

Featuring footage from the new Dubai, Dartmoor and Chongqing locations, the voice over goes over the gameplay that the World of Assassination trilogy has excelled at, emphasising the need to take a patient, opportunistic approach to each level.

There will be new weapons and tools, such as a new camera that can open locks, while IOI are bringing back the Playstyles rating system that evaluates your, well, playstyle and approach.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game will support 4K visuals at 60fps with HDR, and get into levels quicker than ever thanks to SSD-powered load times. The Glacier game engine has been enhanced further to refine interaction animations and AI, while crowds now support up to 300 NPCs in a single location.

As with Hitman 2, Hitman 3 will gobble up the rest of the trilogy that has gone before. If you own Hitman and/or Hitman 2, you can import those levels for free into Hitman 3 and play through those levels and story with the enhanced graphics and gameplay.

Hitman 3 also supports PlayStation VR in a PlayStation exclusive, letting you play through the whole trilogy from a completely new perspective for the series.

Looking back at Hitman 2, I wrote in our review:

Building on the foundations of the 2016 game, Hitman 2 is full of the best Hitman stealth action yet. Yes, it's evolutionary in some ways, and you have to accept the series' idiosyncratic take on the genre, but there's space for it to keep growing with the return of Escalation missions and continuing Elusive Contracts. Whether you're a blackmailing pink flamingo, throwing briefcases at people, or getting robots to do your dirty work, the satisfaction of an expertly planned and executed hit is like nothing else.

You can read the full Hitman 2 review here.

Hitman 3 will be available on 20th January 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Google Stadia and PC. It will be coming to Switch via game streaming at a later date.

Source: press release

Zombie Army 4: Season 2's second mission, Alpine Blitz, is out now

After all that zombie battling through the Zombie Army series, it's high time for the deadhunters to get a bit of time to relax on a lovely train ride up into the Alps.

What's that, you say? The train is also zombie infested? And there's a zeppelin hovering above that's probably going to blow you to smithereens unless you can get to an airfield and escape? Cool.

Alpine Blitz, the second mission for Zombie Army 4: Season 2, is out now for all platforms – PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AanSA82wjU

Alongside the new mission, this episode also includes some festive cheer with some new skins and weapons:

Holiday Season Headgear Bundle
Holiday Weapon Skins
Berserker Boris Outfit
SVT-38 Rifle Bundle
Sten MK2 SMG Bundle
Holiday Season Charm Pack

The third and final mission from Season 2 is expected in January 2021, though that's obviously subject to change. The teaser art on DLC Season 2's content roadmap hinting at an assault on the aforementioned zeppelin. We can also expect a few little extras in early 2021, such as a new Horde map that will be free for all.

We had a grand old time with our Zombie Army 4: Dead War review when it came out all the way back in February. With new player abilities and weapon mods, alongside more refined level design, I said:

"If you like shooting zombies with friends, then Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the game for you. There's a few new twists and several layers of progression now thrown into the mix, as you battle undead Nazis once again, but this is classic undead sniping action through and through."

Source: press release

The Wild Eight Review

Did you ever find yourself screaming at the TV during a particularly tense/confusing/baffling episode of the hit series Lost? Would you often shout at Jack, Sayid or Kate, "No you absolute numpties! Don't do that, you'll be sure to die!"? Deep down, do you believe you'd do a much better job of surviving on a very weird island? If so, then The Wild Eight is the chance for you to prove your survival abilities. Rather than a mysterious tropical island, The Wild Eight instead abandons its survivors, alone and scared, on the frozen tundra that is Alaska. Best bring a nice cable-knit jumper.

The Wild Eight is a survival game with a top down view and a polygonal visual aesthetic. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of survival games. I find many of them them dreadfully tedious, the chores of having to ensure my player character eats, sleeps, keeps warm and hydrated not being my idea of fun. I have enough trouble providing for my own body and keeping myself alive, so why would I want to have to keep a virtual entity from kicking the bucket too? I also get confused with the genre's penchant for having far too many stats to monitor and meters to routinely check. It's all very stressful and far too much like real work.

If you're like me, then you'll probably rather like The Wild Eight, it is without doubt the most accessible survival game I've very played. If you're not like me and you bloomin' love surviving virtually, then there's still a lot to like about The Wild Eight too.

There are three main elements you need to keep in the green to ensure your characters survival as they explore the icy wastes of their new home: health, food and temperature. It's an efficient focus and one that sums up the developer's accessible approach to survival. This isn't crazy complicated stuff, you just need to gather food and find resources to make fire; the challenge doesn't come from figuring out what you need to do, instead it's all about actually doing it, which is much more my thing.

The doing of it proves mighty challenging, as the desolate landscape is prone to being battered by terrifying blizzards that force you to desperately seek shelter and warmth before you freeze to death. There's also packs of wolves to avoid and, deeper into the game, far more terrifying fantastical creatures lurking in the dark. Suffice to say, surviving this foreboding land proved far too much for me on occasion – my avatar's corpses soon littered the snow like McDonald's packaging outside a drive thru.

Fortunately, death proves remarkably flexible in The Wild Eight. Your character will be reborn with all the skills they've acquired up until that point and, even better, you can go find your dead self to reacquire all your resources. Survivalist aficionados may well sniff their nose at this hand holding mechanic, but I found the speed that I could get back into the game remarkably refreshing. There was no punishing fail state to push through, instead I could get back to where I left off before a severe case of premature death with relative ease. In my opinion, it made this entry in the survival genre far more addictive than its peers.

There's a massive map to explore consisting of many grids. These grids are reshuffled at the start of each playthrough, so you can be guaranteed a new world to survive on each subsequent adventure. More importantly, each grid has something interesting in it. There's no long stretches of aimless wondering and there's always something new to discover, be that exploring sinister labs, restoring the lights in an underground bunker, or simply following power lines in a desperate attempt to find an escape. There's a nice variety of mission objectives to provide a purposeful structure to proceedings too. In short, The Wild Eight creates a lovely sense of mystery, there's a secret around every corner as you uncover the many, many weird goings on.

This all sounds very positive, but if you peaked at the final score before reading this review then you'll know that there's some problems here too. First and foremost is the torrid combat, which pretty much devolves into holding down the attack button whilst you and your opponent's health bars gradually diminish. I suppose you could run away, but that's really a waste of time, your stamina will quickly diminish and you're more likely to stumble across another group of enemies than actually escape. The game is at its best when you can avoid the deadly foes lurking in the shadows, but far too often though you're forced into a fight – any tension or drama is lost as your avatar stands still and wails away with an axe until they win or die.

Then there's the controls themselves which are overly finicky, resulting in confused fingers and muddled menu navigating. The transition from the mouse and keyboard set-up of the PC version to console controller hasn't been successfully handled and leaves you with a game that simply isn't intuitive to pick up. It's a tremendous problem in and of itself, things certainly get easier with practise, but the failure to light a fire because you couldn't access the right menu in time before a snow blizzard hits is immensely frustrating.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has some bloody high minimum PC requirements

Respawn Entertainment have revealed the minimum PC requirements for Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond and, well…. I hope you're up for a bit of a giggle. They're pretty extreme, going well beyond the requirements of any major VR game release thus far.

Here's Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond minimum requirements:

Intel i7 9700K (or comparable AMD)
16 GB DDR4 RAM
Nvidia RTX 2080 or higher
340+ GB of space to unpack/install; 170 GB once installed; SSD or NVMe recommended

By contrast, here's Half-Life Alyx's recommended requirements:

Intel i7 9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
16 GB DDR4 RAM
Nvidia RTX 2070 Super or AMD RX 5700 XT

That game, however, can run much lower, dropping to a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 8GB for the GPU and pairing that with a Cor i5 7500 or Ryzen 5 1600. Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond goes, well, above and beyond that by a lot.

The key sticking point won't be the CPU or RAM – a 9700K is from late 2018 and per Half-Life Alyx, the incredibly popular Ryzen 3600 will be a comparable CPU thanks.

Even if you insist on an 8-core CPU, Steam's hardware survey reports that a little over 10% of PC gamers (Steam having 90 million monthly users) have an 8-core CPU, and we can extrapolate that a decent slice of those will have an appropriate CPU. There will be a healthy overlap between high-end PCs and VR gamers as well, so even though only 1.96% of Steam users have VR, you can probably bet on a decent mid-high-end PC powering it.

No, the real problem is the GPU requirement.

The Nvidia RTX 20 series was already not that popular amongst gamers, not really giving a major step forward in performance over the 10 series that went before and its headline ray tracing features coming at a high cost in performance. The RTX 30 series that has just been released is seemingly much more in demand (going by how difficult it is to find stock!).

Going by Steam's November survey, just 2.77% of their PC gamers have an RTX 2080, RTX 2080 Super, RTX 2080 Ti or RTX 3080 – the RTX 3090 does not chart. That number will have climbed with the release of the RTX 3070 on 29th October, but it's still a tiny percentage of gamers to target.

In fairness, the barrier for entry is coming down. While the RTX 2080 debuted as a $699 card in late 2018, it was superceded at the same price point by the speedier 2080 Super a year later. The RTX 30 series has made a huge leap forward in performance, such that the RTX 3060 Ti is a match for the 2080 Super performance but costs $399. Still almost the price of a PS5 or Xbox Series X on its own, but a whole lot cheaper…. if you can find one in stock.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will be coming to PC VR via Oculus and Steam on 12th December.

Source: Polygon

Warhammer 40,000 Darktide gameplay reveal set for The Game Awards

With The Game Awards taking place in just a couple of days, the show's line-up is steadily coming into focus.

While the awards show is likely to be crammed with surprise reveals and announcements, some developers have gotten out ahead of the event to confirm their (virtual) attendance.

Swedish studio Fatshark have revealed that Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will be making its gameplay debut during The Game Awards 2020. They haven't confirmed exactly what Warhammer fans will get to see though it's very likely the trailer will present a slice of grimdark co-op survival action.

After all, Fatshark is the same team that brought us the very popular Warhammer: Vermintide and its sequel. Both titles are focused on first person hack n' slash gameplay as groups of four carefully tread through levels overrun with hordes of fodder enemies and tougher elites. Darktide could well be a sci-fi counterpart to this, swapping mages and Skaven, for guardsmen and chaos horrors.

If you're looking for more Darktide clues, here's the game's official blurb:

Fight together with your friends against hordes of enemies in this new Warhammer 40,000 experience. From the developers of the best-selling and award-winning co-op action franchise Vermintide, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a visceral 4-player co-op action game set in the hive city of Tertium.

In the depths of the hive, the seeds of corruption threaten an overwhelming tide of darkness. A heretical cult known as the Admonition seeks to seize control of the planet Atoma Prime and lay waste to its inhabitants. It is up to you and your allies in the Inquisition to root out the enemy before the city succumbs to Chaos.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is currently planned for release in "2021" and will appear on both PC and Xbox Series X|S as a timed exclusive.

The Game Awards will be streaming on December 10th at 11:30PM UK time. Here are more details on where you can watch.

Source: Steam

Hood: Outlaws & Legends gets four new story trailers

Announced back in August, Hood: Outlaws & Legends was revealed in the State of Play stream. The game will be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2021 and ahead of The Game Awards, where new details on the game will be released, we have four trailers giving us some background on the four characters you can play in the game.

Following the legend of Robin Hood, you will create your own character and assemble a team of outlaws to steal from the oppressive State. You aren't alone, however, with this PvPvE game pitting two teams of four Outlaws against each other in an attempt to pull of a heist in a world filled with enemy AI guards.

The official description reads:

Faced with a merciless, unchecked state, rebels and rogues from every corner battle to claim their place among legends. To win influence with an oppressed people, rival gangs now compete in daring heists to hit the wealthy where it hurts. Folk hero or gold-hungry outlaw, only the best will escape with hard-earned riches. Gather your team of outlaws and attempt to steal treasure from an oppressive government in a dark and violent, medieval world. Two teams of players compete to execute the perfect heist, in environments patrolled by deadly AI guards. Utilise the unique skills and mystical abilities of each character, moving in stealth to steal treasures unseen or dominating through loud and brutal combat.

Announced in the State of Play stream and featured on the PS Blog, they're naturally going to praise the advantages of the next-gen hardware. The game will make use of the DualSense controllers improve haptic feedback, and given the setting, plenty of emphasis will be put on how drawing back on a bow and arrow will feel compared to a DualShock 4. However, they also say, "we'll have more details to share later on how the game will be optimised for each platform," and that will include plenty of optimisations for Xbox Series X.

Source: YouTube

DIRT 5 wheel support, more Online events & next-gen visual improvements coming in update 2.00

Codemasters are gearing up for a major update for their bombastic arcade racer DIRT 5. Update 2.00 is "right around the corner", bringing with it wheel support, further optimisations for next-gen consoles, more Online game modes, and more.

While it's absolutely an arcade racer and one that you can fully enjoy with a gamepad in hand, there's a certain cachet of racing fans that will always want to put their hands on their racing wheel peripherals.

Dirt 5 will be "using data and feedback from previous Codemasters titles", most specifically from GRID. If you've got a current Thrustmaster or Logitech wheel, chances are you'll be fully supported, while Fanatec wheels might be a little trickier, given their modularity, and support will grow after initial support has been added. On PC, Fanatec peripherals will typically work when connected to the wheel itself.

Head here for the list of supported wheels for GRID, to get a rough idea.

Beyond that, Codemasters will be adding more Online race events, including some multi-class races. They're also making adjustments to the handling of Sprint cars, and will be tweaking the discoverability in Playgrounds so that you can find the best content quicker.

Codemasters also have some work to do with the graphics settings, and will be adding V-Sync options on PS4. They're also making another pass on the next-gen versions of the game – this will likely be to address the disparity between PS5 and Xbox Series X in 120Hz mode, with Series X seeming to have lower quality visual settings compared to PS5, but having a steadier 120fps as a consequence.

There's no word on if update 2.00 will also feature the revised haptic and trigger feedback for DualSense controller that was promised around the launch of the PS5.

We expect patch notes to be available around the time of the update's release.

Dirt 5 is out now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Source: Codemasters

Spider-Man: Miles Morales update 1.06 is out, here's what it does

Insomniac Games have released a new patch for Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a small update that fixes the issue when selecting Day in the weather menu plus the usual performance tweaks. Here are the rather small patch notes:

New Features

Added messaging if player is playing PS4 app on PS5

General Fixes & Polish

Moved "Upgrade to Ultimate Edition" one menu up to the save selection screen. (PS5 only)
Fixed issue with selecting "Day" in weather selection
Improved stability
Performance improvements
Various additional fixes

In case you missed, Version 1.05 was also recently released and like the current patch, just had some small fixes:

General Fixes & Polish

Fixed various issues where the screen could go black while changing Time of Day
Fixed an issue where players could not change Suits in Photo Mode
Fixed an issue where the weather did not change correctly when selected by the player
Improved stability

We gave Spider-Man: Miles Morales 8/10 in our review. "Spider-Man: Miles Morales feels like more of a sequel than it is a stopgap, entangling players within its web of cleverly refined mechanics while delivering some familiar web-slinging thrills," said Jim. "A heroic technical showcase for PS5 owners picking up their consoles on day one, this meaty side story in the Spider-Man saga has us even more excited than before to see what Insomniac Games have planned next."

You can read the full review here.

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Source: Insomniac

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