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Warframe registers 10 million space-ninjas, adopts space-pets
Warframe has surpassed 10 million registered users, according to a recent press release, and developer Digital Extremes is celebrating the free-to-play game about exoskeletal space ninjas' success with a new patch. Dubbed simply "Update 14," the update revamps several areas of the game while adding to others. Highlights include: An overhauled user interface Pets New Warframe, Mirage - a trickster-style character who can create copies of herself to fool enemies Pets New weapons Seriously, did we mention pets? Because there are pets now. Look, we're not sure you understand, so feel free to check out the behind-the-scenes video above to see what we're talking about. They're like little bat-wolf-bears! So cute! While Update 14 is already available for PC users, Digital Extremes notes that PS4 players will have to wait "a few more weeks" to get their hands on the patch, as the revamped UI requires additional tweaking to work with the DualShock 4. It's not clear if Update 14 will be applied before or after Warframe makes its way to Xbox One later this year. [Image: Digital Extremes]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite LotRO update or expansion?
I'm kinda slow-poking my way through Blackroot Vale in Lord of the Rings Online's latest update. So far it's pretty standard fantasy themepark fare, but I'm enjoying it well enough thanks to the setting (Gondor!) and the general ease with which I can wander through it. As far as LotRO updates go, I think my favorite would have to be the Riders of Rohan expansion, both because of its sweeping vistas and a delightful soundtrack. What about you, Massively readers? What's your favorite major update or LotRO expansion? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Lord of the Rings Online has a free epic battle and story in store for Update 15
With Update 14 fresh out of the door, Lord of the Rings Online is free to fully focus on developing Update 15. Executive Producer Aaron Campbell teased a few more details about the upcoming patch during a recent stream. Update 15 will be adding on at least one more zone, with a new part of the epic story and an epic battle that will be free for all players. Players will be teaming up with Aragorn to retake Pelargir and fighting the Haradrim in Gondor. Campbell said that the decision to nix the level cap increase to 105 allowed the team to work on the legendary item revamp instead. Between Updates 14 and 15, the team will release a smaller patch with four session play encounters in the Dead Marshes.
LotRO Update 14 is now live
Today marks the official release of Lord of the Rings Online's Update 14, and with it comes the highly anticipated West Gondor content, as well as Epic Story Volume IV, the new Essence System, the level 100 cap, inventory tweaks, class balancing, bug fixes, and more. While none of this is a surprise to players, what did come as a surprise was some changes mentioned in executive producer Aaron "Rowan" Campbell's letter in the forums. First off, there will be no more level cap increases for this year to allow players to take their time and explore the new content. In addition, a new advancement system is being added to legendary items allowing them to grow with you without deconstruction for a new item at level cap. And lastly, the upcoming Beorning class will start at level 1 and include its own starting experience through Eriador. Be sure to check out the complete Update 14 patch notes as well as Rowan's Producer's Letter in the official forums.
LotRO's Paths of the Dead coming July 14
Got MMO plans for next week? If you're a Tolkien buff you might want to reconsider them, since Turbine is publishing Lord of the Rings Online's Paths of the Dead update on Monday. The firm has unveiled a new section of the game's official website that details all the Update 14 content. It includes a level cap bump to 100, the continuation of the epic story, a new essence system, and three new regions that expand the game's footprint into Gondor. Paths of the Dead is free for VIP players or available for purchase via the West Gondor quest pack in the game's cash shop. Don't forget to check out Massively's hands-on preview for more specifics!
The Road to Mordor: A tour of LotRO's update 14 and majestic Gondor
With Update 13, Volume III, and the good nation of Rohan in our rear-view mirrors, we now turn ahead to see Gondor, next six exits, straight ahead. Lord of the Rings Online players have a lot to be excited for when Update 14 arrives, not the least of which is a new country that was central to the events of The Return of the King. Update 14 is scheduled to release on Monday, July 14th, because marketers always get a special little thrill when they match up similar numbers. It's a pretty sizable content patch that's almost a mini-expansion, with five additional levels, a new epic book, three questing regions, well over 100 quests, and a new essence system for gear. This past week I sat down with Turbine to get a whirlwind tour of what lies beyond Rohan, and after seeing it, I think that LotRO fans have good reason to hope for an exciting summer.
Take a tour of LotRO's Update 14
Yesterday we reported that Turbine had begun testing Lord of the Rings Online's Update 14. It didn't take long at all for the industrious folks over at LOTRO Players to hop on the test server and record videos of the new zones. The five videos cover the areas of Belfas, the Paths of the Dead, Blackroot Dale, and Lamedon. Check them all out after the break! [Thanks to Cithryth and Andang for the tip!]
DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders
Speaking of Guinness World Records for video games, I wonder whether Dungeons and Dragons Online would be eligible for "Longest time between game release and launch of its first expansion?" Six years may just be the longest we've ever witnessed, as DDO released in 2006, and it wasn't until 2012 that Menace of the Underdark was revealed. The good news is that come June 25th, the drought will be over. We asked Turbine why now seemed like a good time for an expansion. The devs said that Atari had made some noise back in the day about one, but it never came to fruition. With the success of free-to-play, Turbine wanted to see whether the expansion model was still viable, so Lord of the Rings Online was chosen as a test subject. When Rise of Isengard became the best-selling expansion for the company, the company felt secure letting DDO have a chance, although there was quite a lot of wrangling with Wizards of the Coast about the details and permissions. Record or no, it's an exciting event for DDO players, and the today, Turbine has announced the two biggest details for the expansion's schedule. The first is that Menace of the Underdark has a release date, and the second is the opening of pre-orders. Read on to get all of the juicy infos.
