Season 5
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Fortnite's new season features The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda
Fornite’s Marvel arc is now over after the big final event last night that saw Galactus being destroyed with the help of Iron Man, Thor and a whole lot of battle buses. Now, Season 5 begins with characters from the Mandalorian.
Video previews Wednesday's Path of Exile update 1.0.1
Players interested in Path of Exile's upcoming 1.0.1, which is hitting servers Wednesday, can get the scoop in the devs' latest update preview video. The clip highlights a sequel to the popular race mode Descent, changes in Purity, a new enhance support gem, and more. Also noted is that Season 5 will start this weekend. Additionally, PoE will be releasing seven bi-weekly content updates between now and the expansion in early March, 2014. Descent Champions, like Descent, is a special scenario separate from the storyline filled with challenging monsters. Unlike its predecessor, however, this version sports a choice in forks in the progression and a selection of unique items to pick from at the start the event. Purity has been changed so that it doesn't alter players' maximum resistances; instead players can utilize the new player purity aura gems for fire, ice, and lightning. You can get more details on all these changes (plus a spoiler for one of the five new uniques coming!) in the update video below.
Stephen D'Angelo promises 'one more surprise' for Star Trek Online in December
Star Trek Online's Stephen D'Angelo is one of the game's biggest cheerleaders, and it shows in his latest developer diary. "December has been an amazing month," he begins, citing the release of Season 5, new starships, and the Duty Officer system. He highlights the game's first holiday, Q's Winter Wonderland, and the minigames and activities in which the players can participate to get the most out of this whimsical event. Of course, it's not all fun and games when serious prizes, like a holographic bridge officer or a Jem'Hadar Attack Ship, are on the line. D'Angelo also says that a Duty Officer mini-event is on the docket for the month, as will "one more fun surprise." He concludes his letter by sharing the news that the team is now focusing on February's Dominion Episodes and ground skills/UI improvements.
New Star Trek Online developer diary explores the abandoned Jem'Hadar ships
The Dominion is, in many ways, the opposite of the Federation in Star Trek Online. Rather than being composed of several races cooperating freely for shared exploration, the Dominion features multiple races honed into single-purpose tools by the Founders. One of those tools is the Jem'Hadar, the warriors of the organization and the pilots behind the fast scarab-like attack vessels players are no doubt familiar with. And as the latest developer diary outlines, the Jem'Hadar ships are turning into a mystery -- because they're turning up empty and unharmed in the middle of Federation and Klingon space. In game terms, the ship is small and quick and mounts a heavy offensive arrangement of officers and equipment. In lore terms, however, the presence of the ships could easily be the subject of an entire set of missions (and may be in the future, in the Foundry if not from the development team). It's an interesting fictional read as well as an interesting look at a new ship type in the game, both of which should appeal to fans of Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online offering perks to subscribers before the business shift
Season 5 is now live for Star Trek Online, but the actual conversion to free-to-play is still a little further ahead. That means there's a grace period during which players can be given a few extra little perks for sticking with the game. Said perks have been outlined in the most recent Path to F2P blog entry. Until January 2nd, the classic Constitution-class ship and the Klingon Qorgh Refit are free to players who log in and claim them from the C-Store. Subscription deals are also being offered through December 19th for players who subscribe for longer than one month. Picking up a three-month subscription will come out to around $36, and a six-month subscription will run about $66, both cheaper than the regular pricing. You can also pick up a lifetime subscription as well, if you're willing to drop $200 up front. While some players will doubtlessly be taking advantage of the shift to stop subscribing and keep playing, there's certainly no shortage of deals being offered to keep subscriptions after the switch.
Star Trek Online hits warp factor Season 5 today
Hey Trekkers -- got your phasers charged to full? Have you stocked up on Romulan ale and plenty of Klingon qagh? Done all your homework by watching every Star Trek season ever made, including those weird 1970s animated episodes? Then you might, might just be ready for Star Trek Online's Season 5, which is going live today. Season 5 contains a cargo hold full of features and changes, starting with organizing what subscribers (now "Gold members") get as part of their service. The update also includes a duty officer system, an improved space skills system, a revamped tutorial, a currency consolidation, and several other events and activities. In honor of the launch, the team has put subscriptions on sale and is even offering $100 off the price of a lifetime sub. You can read up on all of Season 5's details in the release notes as Cryptic's space baby takes one more step toward its free-to-play conversion.
Star Trek Online's Season 5 content almost ready for prime time
Another day, another Path to F2P dev blog from Star Trek Online. The 24th entry in the series takes the wraps off the game's newest content update, and the Season 5: Call to Arms patch is almost ready to see the light of day on the holodeck server. Season 5 boasts the new Borg invasion of Defera ground combat map, reworked Borg strategic task force maps, new non-combat Federation and Klingon Academy maps, a patrol mission revamp, and more. Gameplay tweaks abound as well, with improvements to duty officers, space skills, and the leveling curve among the changes. Read the full list at the official STO website.
The Guild Season 5, Episode 6: Revolving Doors
<a data-cke-saved-href='http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/season-5-episode-6-revolving-doors/y079whq8?src=v5:embed::' href='http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/season-5-episode-6-revolving-doors/y079whq8?src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Season 5 - Episode 6 - Revolving Doors'>Video: Season 5 - Episode 6 - Revolving Doors</a> The struggles of everyguild The Knights of Good continues as Codex tries to solve the game's problems, Clara wedges her way in with the steampunk crowd, and Tinkerballa dons a weird costume replica of herself. Vork and Bladezz continue their con pirate antics with a very special guest star, as their strategy continues to bring in business and Vork rebuffs celebrities. This episode felt much more transitory than the rest, bridging the two parts of the season together, as most of the first-half conflicts have been solved for Codex, and new revelations and priorities have gripped the guild at the gaming convention. Zaboo's seat saving business is eventually going to deal with some sort of consequence, which will be pretty fun to watch as his 48-hour no-sleep binge comes to a grinding, probably catastrophic halt. Oh, how we love watching the guild in conflict.
The Guild, Season 5, Episode 02: Crash Pad is a convention nightmare
<a data-cke-saved-href='http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=y0gszpqp&from={from}' href='http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=y0gszpqp&from={from}' target='_new' title='Season 5 - Episode 2 - Crash Pad' >Video: Season 5 - Episode 2 - Crash Pad</a> Episode 2 of the fifth season of The Guild, Felicia Day's webseries about an unlikely bunch of MMO gamers and their wacky hijinks in and out of game, released this week. The Knights of Good have finally made it to the gaming convention but, as usual, things don't go very well for them. Everyone has to share the same room at the hotel (been there), with Zaboo sleeping under a coffee table (done that). Bladezz's shower spying and Vork's (amazing as usual) food theft are high moments. I am excited for more convention antics in the coming weeks. The Guild has been hitting its stride in the past few seasons, and it remains a quality watch. Check out this week's episode, with new episodes hitting Xbox Live on Tuesdays and MSN video on Thursdays.
Star Trek Online unveils plans for future improvements
The problem of dealing with a universe as expansive as the one in Star Trek Online is the simple reality of fitting more than 30 years of fiction into a single game. Still, as the latest Ask Cryptic demonstrates, the development team is trying to fit everything possible into the game, from a wider variety of pets to the whale probe from Star Trek IV. The latest batch of player-generated questions runs the gamut as usual, discussing everything from non-featured episode content to the possibility of expanded PvP arenas, and as usual Dan Stahl is on hand to give players some idea of what's coming. Among the more interesting news is how close the Foundry system is to implementation, with the current plan to release it not too long after the current featured series wraps up next week. Revised ship interiors are also potentially on the to-do list, as well as the promise of "storing" unneeded officers on a fleet-run starbase. Star Trek Online players have a number of things to look forward to with the latest round of questions, even if the answers are admittedly vague about a precise timetable.
Lost University opens registrations for BD-Live connected Losties
The fifth season of Lost comes home on Blu-ray December 8, and for anyone still enthralled bythe question of what exactly is the truth behind that freaky island it's packing a special BD-Live extra. Viewers can log into "Lost University" where they can further explore the mysteries of the island. Fans can check out LostUniversity.com right now to register early, word is the first 108 graduates will receive a hand-signed diploma from Lost University presidents Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse -- count us out of the annual Spring Break trip, just in case. [Thanks, Michael]
Should Arena rankings be determined by class?
An interesting thread popped up on the forums regarding Arena representation, noting class disparity and how it might be possible to rate performance based on a player's class. Balancing all the classes is an ongoing struggle and has been one of Blizzard's greatest headaches in PvP design. In Season 5, Holy Paladins and Death Knights dominated the Arenas, with Warriors getting the very short end of the stick and having the lowest number of Season 5 Gladiators. The original poster points out Blizzard's continual, active revision of the Arena ratings system and suggests that the system itself might be flawed. Because the rating system is "blind" to class or even classes in team compositions, for that matter, players using an "OP" class have an advantage.The poster goes on to suggest that rankings be based on the class, rather than overall Arena population. This means that the percentile used to determine end-of-season rewards will be applied on a per class basis, thereby granting all classes conceptually equal representation. Ghostcrawler gives the suggestion some merit, even going so far as to say Blizzard isn't "above iteration on the design" of the Arena system as evidenced by their proactive adjustments to it.
The Art of War(craft): Arena Season 6, rise of the Casual Gladiator
I know, I know, most of you hate Arenas. I've been writing for WoW Insider -- ahem, I mean WoW.com -- long enough to know that you guys probably aren't the most avid of PvP players. But the fun thing about it is that at least I'm not preaching to the choir, right? Anyway, I have to admit that I've gotten pretty tired of Arenas myself. Aside from two to three weeks worth of games in Season 5, I skipped the season altogether, unhappy with the balance then and the constantly changing rating and matchmaking system.That wasn't even the heart of it, really. In the past seasons where I'd had the most success, I played with particular classes and specs that were viable in that season's environment. More importantly, I teamed up with players who were focused on PvP and were expectedly competent at it. The downside was that our success as a team was proportional to my loathing of the players on my team, particularly our team leader who was prone to excessive nerd rage and finger pointing. It sometimes happens that the best PvP players aren't necessarily your friends, and working together towards high ratings is sometimes a marriage of convenience. At a certain point when the stakes were extremely high, where wins would net us measly gains and losses would tank us badly enough for us to lose titles, Arenas became more stressful than fun.
Ghostcrawler respondes to balance questions
Our buddy Ghostcrawler has appeared on the forums answering (or re-answering, as he says) a few concerns about the balance of the game. Most of his answer is about PvP: he says that Death Knights and Holy Pallies are overpowered, but that while Blizzard does believe there are more imbalances, debate is still raging about exactly where they are. And he does say that while burst damage is still a concern, he feels that Blizzard did a lot to combat that when they started Season 5, and that the bigger concern now is getting mana pools under control. Too many fights now have healers just going and going, and while they don't want fights to end super fast, they can't all drag out, either.He also talks more in-depth about the balance between gear you can get from PvP and PvE and how it needs to be fixed: he straight out says that 25-man Naxx is too easy to PuG, and agrees that Ulduar and future PvP weapons "should ideally require the same amount of investment." Likewise, when Blizzard tried to reset the resilience stacking at the start of Season 5, they had players facing very powerful weapons from the PvE raids like Kel'thuzad, which lead to, as he says, "a perfect storm for fast Arena deaths." Which is probably why so many players left the Arenas.The plan for the future? Ulduar's hard modes will be way tougher than Heroic Naxx, so players won't be able to PuG PvE and then go kill in PvP right away. Of course Death Knights are still cruising for a nerfing, if patch 3.1 doesn't bring them down off their high Deathcharger. And GC suggests that in the future, starter PvP gear may beef up resilience at the cost of offensive stats, so that players don't begin with gear that has great defense and offense right away.
Arena Season 5 to end as soon as April 14
Bornakk posted a tentative date for the announced end of Arena Season 5, indicating that the season can end "as early as April 14" or a week after. It should be noted that the first four Arena seasons had no breaks in between, with one season beginning immediately after the last ended. Arena seasons were only suspended upon the release of Patch 3.0 leading up to Wrath of the Lich King, with the first season of Level 80 Arena play beginning on December 16. This time around, however, Bornakk makes it clear that the next Arena season will not begin immediately but have at least a one week break before Season 6 begins.This should also be taken as an indication of when Patch 3.1 will be released. Blizzard has stated that they plan to unleash Season 6 almost simultaneously with the new raid content, so if Season 5 ends within two or three weeks, it should be expected that Patch 3.1 is just around the corner. It might even come sooner rather than later, as Blizzard has noted that Season 5 would "end with or shortly after" Patch 3.1 goes live. All of the necessary files such as Season 6 items are contained in the patch, so this only makes sense.Bornakk reminds all players who feel they will be eligible for end of season rewards, such as titles and the Deadly Gladiator's Frostwyrm, should refrain from transfering their characters to another realm until after Season 5 ends (or until rewards have been handed out to be safe). During the break between seasons, all ranked matches will be disabled and all Arena points and ratings will be wiped [EDIT: Arena points and ratings will continue to be available during the one week break to allow players to spend their points, but will be wiped when Season 6 begins.]. However, players will retain their matchmaking ratings and Honor points.
The Colosseum: Helpless in the Twisting Nether
The Colosseum takes us inside the world of the Gladiator (Brutal, Vengeful, Merciless, and otherwise), to interview some of the top Arena fighters in the battlegroups. Our goal is to bring a better understanding of the strategy, makeup, and work that goes into dueling it out for fame, fortune, and Netherdrakes.Season 5 is winding down to a close, even if we don't know the official start date for Season 6. Patch 3.1 is somewhere around the corner, with Ulduar and class changes both lurking in the shadows like devilish rogues. If there's one thing we can expect to be different between seasons, however, it's that Holy Paladins are going to perform radically different from how they do now.In recognition of the Season of the Holy Pally (for better or for worse), we have one last interview with a wielder of light, a barista of bubble, a Shonuff of Shock! Helpless, from Twisting Nether, is rated highly in all three team formats. Check out what Helpless had to say about her tactics behind the cut.
Arena Season 6 details revealed
Blizzard Europe poster Ancilorn posted the lowdown on Arena Season 6 (Bornakk posted the same on the US forums), which is slated to begin at around the same time that Patch 3.1 is released. There will be some key changes to this season, the biggest of which will be that all teams will start at 0 rating instead of the traditional 1500. This way, players will generally have an upward progression throughout the season before plateauing at their estimated skill level.Another change is that Blizzard has reevaluated the item requirements, feeling that many of them were too difficult to obtain. The lowest rating requirement for an item is currently set at 1250, which may seem low but considering players will be progressing from 0, that's a 1250 point spread. In Season 5, the lowest rating requirement is 1615, which is a mere 115 points from the starting point of 1500. It remains to be seen how much of the continually changing Arena system will award points and how easy or hard it will be to move upwards from 0. More details on the ratings after the jump.
65% fewer Arena teams in Season 5
Roma Victor over at Gameriot had an eye-opening entry recently that gives some hard numbers to a phenomenon that I'm sure a lot of players have known for a while... fewer people are playing Arenas lately. A lot fewer. About 65% fewer. He perused the Season 5 ArenaJunkies title calculator which allows players to see the cutoff for titles according to Battlegroup and compared the numbers to Season 4 -- a season already notable for having low participation due to its proximity to Wrath of the Lich King and steeper ratings requirements on gear.The numbers were, as Roma Victor put it, "not pretty". Actually, the numbers were downright ugly. Take, for example, the cutoffs for the Bloodlust Battlegroup, the notorious BG9 where Arena participation has historically been intense. Last season, the top 235 teams in 2v2, top 92 in 3v3, and top 27 in 5v5 brackets were eligible to earn the Gladiator title. This season, those numbers dropped to 93, 36, and 8 respectively. That's a whopping decline in participation across the board in the most active Battlegroup in the US! ArenaJunkies also has numbers from Europe, Korea, and Taiwan and all of them show the same thing -- there are fewer players participating in Arenas than probably ever.
The Queue: Glory of the Hero
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Hey, everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to remind all of you that Adam and I are not the same entity, even if we both have A names and contribute to the same column. There's been a lot of confusion over the last year, so let me repeat: Adam Holisky and Alex Ziebart are two different people. Adam is not Alex, Alex is not Adam. And when you throw Allison into the mix, Allison is neither Adam nor Alex and they are not she. Are we on the same page here? Great.Herumor asked... "As things are now without the Maelstrom, is there any point to adding the upcoming water mounts without a large water based area? I don't really see a use for them other than showing off, and even that's kind of difficult to do."
The evolutionary design of Arena gear
When we reported on MMO Champion's sneak peek at the new Furious Gladiator gear, you might have found that new Arena sets were somewhat familiar. They should be. Arena Season 6 item sets are slight variations on a theme. Most of the pieces are recolored versions of the Season 5 multi-tier sets, but the head and shoulder pieces are entirely new models.What many players who don't like the sets seem to miss on is that this is something entirely new in the game. Blizzard has always done recolored versions of armor, but this is the first time by my reckoning that they have done evolutionary tier gear. [EDIT: This isn't entirely true. Reader Suzaku pointed out that the leather armor from Level 60 PvP sets evolved. My bad on missing out on that.] When I first encountered Blizzard's new multi-tiered PvP gear system, I was apprehensive about the next season's gear because I was afraid it would be difficult to match pieces visually. Arena gear had, prior to Season 5, been mere recolors of PvE raid sets, so there was no contuity from the one season to the next.The problem with that was upgrading from one season's set to the other created visual clashes. As much as we like to min/max, PvPers like to look good, too. Enter Season 5 and the multi-tier gear system. There were three different sets of gear but all of them melded seamlessly into the other, with minor discrepancies in color. The introduction of an entirely new set of gear with completely different designs in Season 6 would have invalidated not just one but three sets of gear. However, the new design philosophy builds upon the older models, evolving -- as Alex put it -- like Azerothian Pokemon.
