Month: August 2019

With cross-save now implemented in Destiny 2 and allowing players to seamlessly move between PS4, Xbox One, and PC (provided they own the necessary content on each), it’s an exciting time for Guardians. But as always, regardless of whatever big events might be happening, Xur checks in each weekend to sell a randomized slate of Exotic items for Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks. Here’s where to find Xur this time around, what he’s selling, and what perks those items come equipped with. However, it’s important to note that, thanks to the aforementioned cross-save, PC and Xbox One players now have an avenue for acquiring Forsaken’s PS4-exclusive Exotic, Wavesplitter.

Where Is Xur?

As of August 23, Xur is located on Nessus. To reach him, simply spawn at the Watcher’s Grave landing zone, hop on your sparrow, and head over toward Calus’s barge. Jump aboard and make your way to the back, where all of the Menagerie chests are. You’ll find Xur standing near the edge, ready to take your Legendary Shards.

What Is Xur Selling?

Xur has his standard slate, albeit with different items in the four key slots. He has an Exotic weapon–Arbalest–that is of little interest to anyone who already owns it. However, whereas there is no difference between each version of an individual Exotic weapon, there’s reason to investigate the armor more closely. Because armor features randomized rolls, you might find that what Xur is selling offers better perks than the version you might already own. At the very least, these perks might better align with your playstyle. Or, if you don’t already own these pieces, it’s an easy opportunity to fill out your collection. Beyond the items, Xur also has the Five of Swords challenge card (to modify Nightfall difficulty) and an Invitation of the Nine (which provides you with some objectives and leads to a bit of new story content). And, as noted above, PC and Xbox One players can jump on PS4 and potentially get Wavesplitter from the Fated Engram.

Xur Item Lineup (August 23-27)

• Arbalest (Exotic Linear Fusion Rifle) — 29 Legendary Shards
• Crown of Tempests (Exotic Warlock Helmet) — 23 Legendary Shards
• Shinobu’s Vow (Exotic Hunter Gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards
• Ashen Wake (Exotic Titan Gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards

Arbalest

Arbalest is a linear fusion rifle which, on the surface, doesn’t sound particularly notable. But what’s unique about it is that this is a kinetic weapon, meaning it goes in your primary weapon slot. It’s particularly effective against shields, and destroying a shield with it causes the enemy to take more damage from kinetic weapons. Plus, again: It’s a linear fusion rifle that goes in your kinetic slot, and it’s quite useful for invading in Gambit. Pick it up if you don’t own it.

Crown of Tempests

Rolls:

• Slot 1: Bow Targeting, Light Reactor, Machine Gun Targeting
• Slot 2: Fusion Rifle Reserves, Machine Gun Reserves

Shinobu’s Vow

Hunters can pick up Shinobu’s Wake. It features New Tricks, which improves the Skip Grenade and gives you an extra charge with it. Dealing damage with a Skip Grenade also returns energy for it, letting you keep the grenades flying. It might be of use right now if you’re trying to grind out grenade kills for Solstice of Heroes, which ends soon.

Rolls:

• Slot 1: Submachine Gun Loader, Fastball, Momentum Transfer
• Slot 2: Grenade Launcher Scavenger, Special Ammo Finder

Ashen Wake

Titans get Ashen Wake, a set of gauntlets that, like Shinobu’s Vow, is primarily concerned with improving a specific type of grenade. Bring the Heat causes Fusion Grenades to explode on impact, and you can throw them more quickly. It’s another item that isn’t terribly thrilling.

Rolls:

• Slot 1: Linear Fusion Rifle Loader, Submachine Gun Loader, Momentum Transfer
• Slot 2: Special Ammo Finder, Heavy Ammo Finder

The latest chapter in Battlefield V‘s Tides of War has introduced new content to the game over the past few months, including free maps, weapons, vehicles, and quality of life improvements. An adverse effect of all this new content, however, is that Chapter 4: Defying the Odds has also introduced a number of issues to the overall quality of the Battlefield V experience. As a result, the upcoming competitive 5v5 mode has become an unfortunate casualty.

In a post detailing the current status of Battlefield V, DICE senior producer Ryan McArthur has provided an update on the studio’s current commitments. “We’ve been hard at work to address these [issues] with several updates and will continue to do so until Battlefield V is where it should be,” the post says. “We’re fully committed to expanding and improving our core multiplayer experience. That’s why fixing the issues is our highest priority. This commitment will be met by keeping our focus and resources invested in producing the great content our players deserve.”

The upcoming 4.4 update contains fixes for stuttering issues, desyncs seen on hitboxes, and tweaks to the Commo Rose. It will also deliver two new infantry maps and an increase in max Rank, allowing you to go beyond Rank 50 and start earning XP on a journey to Rank 500. Improving game stability, UI communication around damage, and other items the community has flagged will also be part of future updates.

The recently released Al Sundan map is currently only available in Squad Conquest and Team Deathmatch, but will eventually make its way to large-scale modes such as Conquest. The reason for the delay is an unforeseen issue that accompanied Chapter 4, causing an unusual graphical problem when playing the larger version of the Al Sundan map. “The team is pushing to get the fix into our 4.6 release next month, but we can’t confirm that just yet, as we first want to make sure the fix is working properly and won’t create problems elsewhere, which has been the case with some past updates.”

Due to “the added focus on improving the quality of the experience and adding more of the content you want,” McArthur says the upcoming 5v5 mode has been cancelled. “Not creating this mode was a tough decision, but vital for us to more quickly reach our bug-crushing and content goals.” Despite this, DICE aims to continue building a competitive experience in Battlefield V.

In more positive news, the infantry-only maps Provence and Lofoten Islands, are set to arrive in Battlefield V’s 4.4 update. Both maps will initially feature two modes: Squad Conquest and Team Deathmatch. Looking ahead to update 4.6, meanwhile, sees the classic Operation Underground map arrive in Conquest, Team Deathmatch, Breakthrough, and Squad Conquest. The map is a reimagining of Operation Métro from 2011’s Battlefield 3 and is being worked on by its original creator.

Beyond this, DICE is returning to the Pacific in the future with two new Iwo Jima, as well as two other locations you’ll deploy to before the end of the year.

The MCU just can’t seem to stop collecting replacement Starks. First, Richard Madden signed up as Ikaris, a member of the upcoming Phase 4 movie The Eternals, as confirmed during Marvel Studios’ massive San Diego Comic-Con panel this year. Now, as D23 Expo gets rolling, yet another alumni has reportedly been added to the mix–Kit Harington is turning his sword and dire wolf in for spandex, according to Deadline.

Which project Harington is reportedly joining is a mystery, but if it’s going to happen in Marve’ls Phase 4, The Eternals seems like a likely candidate–not just because of his former on-screen brother’s involvement, but because The Eternals is the only Phase 4 project with a confirmed ensemble cast at the moment. Other projects in the lineup include solo movies for characters like Dr. Strange and Black Widow, as well as solo streaming TV shows for the upcoming Disney+ service like Hawkeye and Loki. Otherwise, the slate has been left conspicuously team-less.

However, there is of course the possibility for Harington to be a part in an as-of-yet unannounced project. After all, Marvel Studio’s panels and presence at D23 has only just begun, and already reports of new projects, like a Disney+ show centered around Kamala Khan, have come trickling in.