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'Battlefront II' will finally make in-game progression fair next week
Electronic Arts' long, awkward nightmare over Star Wars Battlefront II's multiplayer progression might finally be over. With next week's patch, dubbed the "Progression" update, EA promises that Star Cards (power-ups) or any other item that impact gameplay will only be earned through gameplay from here on out -- not via paid loot crates. Previously, EA had adjusted and removed some of the pay-to-win aspects, saying that eventually real-money transactions would return.
Engadget giveaway: Win a pro controller package from Scuf Gaming!
Edge. That's what helps elevate pro gamers to the next level and Scuf Gaming offers a lot of it in its competitive controllers. The company has beefed-up versions for both PlayStation and Xbox, so you can focus on natural moves with custom settings that work for you. This week, Scuf has provided us with a B.O.T.G bundle along with a second Impact controller (both for PlayStation / PC). As always, these are built to spec at Scuf workshops in the US and UK. The bundle provides limited edition swag, a custom B.O.T.G. Impact controller, cabling and thumbstick and ring & lock kits. Plus, there's the additional Impact controller so you don't have to roll solo. These competitive units offer on-the-fly interchangeable thumbsticks, adjustable trigger mechanisms and four paddles for improved reach. You can play via Bluetooth or a wired set-up with improved cable retention to avoid accidental breaks in the action. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below to give your gaming a professional boost. You'll have up to three chances at winning all the edge you'll need for your next mission! Winner: Congratulations to Geo W. of Kittery, ME!
'Far Cry 5' season pass takes you to Mars and Vietnam
It's almost time to head to Hope County, Montana. In addition to Far Cry 5's American vibes, there will be more to explore if you pony up for the game's season pass. The trio of adventures will have you battling the undead in "Dead Living Zombies," the Viet Cong in "Hours of Darkness" and gigantic spiders in "Lost on Mars." Sure, aside from "Hours of Darkness" these sound pretty over-the-top, but they aren't out of the ordinary for the series. For example, Far Cry 3 had the awesome, '80s-inspired "Blood Dragon" add-on pack that starred Michael Biehn.
The ASUS 'Bezel-free Kit' is a messy multi-monitor solution
A quick trip to Asus' off-site location at CES 2018 revealed routers, gaming PCs, the NVIDIA Big Format Gaming Display and its new bezel-hiding kit. That last one helps gamers (or productivity hounds seeking an edge) to link monitors together while also using optics to hide the seam where each bezel meets. There are no filters, software or effects at play here: It's simply an optical device that refracts light around the monitors' plastic edges.
'PUBG' update makes it easy to report cheaters from replays
Cheating in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is getting to be a problem. What started on the third-person servers has started invading first-person ones as well. As such, PUBGCorp is releasing an update for the battle royale game that gives additional options for reporting nefarious players. "Starting with the current test build ... you will be able to report players directly from the replay feature of our game," according to the Steam Community page. "This means that you no longer need to be killed by a suspected cheater for you to be able to use the in-game reporting tool." As Polygon writes, when you right-click on a name in the player list or while observing them in follow mode, you'll find the new report button.
'PUBG' sets new record with three million simultaneous players
In case you needed further proof that people really, really, really like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Steam has your back. Today, the game shattered its previous concurrent-players record by more than double the amount, peaking at 3,106,358 this morning, according to Valve's game-selling platform. As of this month, PUBG had some 25 million players on PC overall. In September, the game peaked at 1,342,857 concurrent players.
As ‘PUBG’ finally exits beta, its creators look to the future
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) has been this year's biggest surprise. Since launching on Steam Early Access in late March, the game, which conceptually started life as a DayZ mod, has picked up 25 million players on PC, not to mention a marketing and publishing deal from Microsoft for an Xbox One version. This week, version 1.0 arrives on Steam, gaining a second map and new instant replay feature in the process. But for PUBG Corp CEO Chang Han Kim, even though the game is losing its beta status, work is far from finished. "When we first started this project and thought of the Early Access model, we never took it as a model where you start developing a game, you complete it, you ship it out and then be done with it," Kim said through a translator. "As long as we have fans out there playing our game, it will never be complete."
The first 'Wolfenstein II' add-on pack is available now
Killing Nazis and protesting are two of the most American things you can do. And if you need another avenue for (virtually) doing the former, that's where the first expansion for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus comes in. "The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe" changes up the base game's formula with a new protagonist who, thanks to his football skills, can run through walls and Nazis alike. Sounds good? There are two more packs incoming, and you can pick them up as part of the $25 season pass.
Next 'GTA Online' heist resets the doomsday clock
We never got the additional story mode heists for Grand Theft Auto V, but Rockstar Games seems to be making up for that with the next add-on for perennial moneymaker GTA Online. From the looks of it, "The Doomsday Heist" is going to be pretty involved. Based on the trailer below, you'll steal a surface-to-air missile truck, explore Mount Chilliad, interact with a snarky AI named Clifford, don a jetpack, take to the sky in a flying car and then use the same car to intercept a submarine. Yeah, there's a lot going on.
EA is addressing the loot boxes in 'Need for Speed: Payback,' too
Most of the headlines surrounding Electronic Arts this fall have been about the loot box situation in Star Wars: Battlefront II. But Need for Speed: Payback has been dealing with the same pay-to-win progression issues since it launched a few weeks ago too. More than that, the game is an unstable mess and barely functions on Xbox hardware. Developer Ghost Games is addressing both of those with Payback's first big updates.
'Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition' is coming to PC
BioWare's Dungeons & Dragons-based RPG Neverwinter Nights (NWN) is getting an enhanced edition for PC. The revamped game from Beamdog -- a studio that cut its teeth on remasters of PC classics, such as Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment -- will be up for pre-order tomorrow for 20 bucks.
Your gaming skills could earn you a Drone Racing League contract
So you want to be a professional drone racer? Then you should probably download Drone Racing League Simulator from Steam. To coincide with the game's official launch, watchmaker Swatch has announced it's sponsoring tryouts for the 2018 season, where top prize is a spot in the 2018 DRL Allianz World Championship Season and a $75,000 contract. We've seen this type of thing with Gran Turismo before but it'll never not feel kind of Last Starfighter-y.
‘This War of Mine’ drops first episode of its story-driven DLCs
Games about war, though insanely popular, do little to illustrate the hardships faced by soldiers and civilians. With its stark design and focus on survival, This War of Mine (TWOM) set out to change that. The indie game from the devs behind the Anomaly series struck a chord, becoming an instant hit and going on to reap awards. Three years later, it seems the title still has some life left in it, with 11 Bit Studios releasing the first chapter in a TWOM DLC series.
Blizzard is making a 'StarCraft II' campaign free to play
Blizzard is taking StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty's campaign free to play. As Polygon reports, come November 14th, you'll have access to the entire narrative and if you already own that, you'll get the Protoss-themed Heart of the Swarm campaign for free. The other narratives will run you $15 each. Unlike StarCraft II: Starter Edition that included free multiplayer, the adversarial mode that comes in tow here will feature ranked play -- not just casual, unranked matches.
You won't have to pay to win in 'Battlefront II' after all
If nothing else, EA is listening to the fans for Star Wars: Battlefront II. After all, outcry was the reason the game will have a single-player campaign mode and an awful lot more depth. So, perhaps it isn't too surprising that the game company paid attention when people were up in arms over the game's loot box implementation.
'Dota 2' Dueling Fates update includes extensive gameplay changes
Dota 2 is set to receive some major gameplay changes, according to Valve's newly released Dueling Fates patch notes. The update will arrive on 1st November, bringing with it the new characters teased at Valve's International esports tournament in August. They now have names: Donté Panlin, the Pangolier, is a swashbuckling melee hero with the ability to fully negate armor, while Dark Willow Mireska Sunbreeze is a ranged fairy with magical powers that can stun and inflict fear.
'GTA Online' transforming vehicle races start today
There are plenty of new racing games to choose from this fall (Forza 7, GT Sport, Project Cars 2 and Need for Speed: Payback), but none of them will let you change vehicles mid-race. Nor are they anywhere near as crazy as what Rockstar Games has been doing with GTA Online. Today marks the debut of Transform Races, which as the name suggests, has you swapping from plane to jet ski, to stunt car to bicycles all in the course of a single circuit, and in real-time. Simply drive through a waypoint in a stunt race and your vehicle will change instantaneously and appropriately for the section ahead.
'South Park' game's main DLC items won't be available this year
After a few delays, South Park: The Fractured But Whole will finally be released next week. If you're curious what the super-hero-themed RPG's season pass offers before laying down another $30 (assuming GameStop hasn't already guilted you into buying it), we've got you covered. Come launch day on October 17th, you'll only have access two two things: a costume and perks pack and Towelie, the pothead towel, who will give you tips in-game. Both will be sold separately; the former will cost $4.99 on launch day, and the latter will be $1.99 a week later.
New 'Wolfenstein' trailer is a reminder to always fight fascism
Nazis are the perfect video game enemy because they have zero redeeming qualities. It's something the Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus development team at Machine Games knows and the marketing department at publisher Bethesda Softworks is keen to capitalize on, especially given the current political climate. Watching the latest trailer, it's hard to not feel like it's a direct response to Donald Trump's "violence on both sides" statements regarding Klansmen, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and their counter-protesters from Charlottesville last month.
'Half-Life 2' mod puts the sequel inside of the original
The chances of us getting Half-Life 3 or, hell, even Half-Life 2: Episode 3 seem about as likely as the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl at this point. To help take some of that sting off, a group of enterprising fans crafted Half-Life 2: Classic, a mod that essentially runs the game in its prequel's "Goldsrc" engine. It serves as "a way to see what Half-Life 2 could have looked like in the limits of Goldsrc, if Valve never developed the Source engine," the listing page says.
