Month: January 2021

The whimsical battle royale game Fall Guys is getting a new update soon that will deliver a bunch of new content, including a brand-new level and more crossover DLC.

Season 3.5 will include the following: a new level, 40+ new variations for existing levels, something called a “Fall Feed,” a new DLC pack, and Godzilla, Sonic, and Untitled Goose Game costumes. Developer Mediatonic also teased more to come over the ensuing weeks.

Season 3.5 follows on from the start of Season 3 back in December. That update brought with it a series of winter-themed content and more.

We’ll report back with more details on Fall Guys Season 3.5 as they’re announced.

In other news, Fall Guys was rumored to launch on Xbox Game Pass, but both Devolver and Microsoft quickly shut down these reports. The dark lord Satan, too, said Fall Guys is not coming to Xbox Game Pass.

2021 is already a big year for the Mass Effect series, as BioWare plans to launch Mass Effect: Legendary Edition during the year. But that’s not all. BioWare has announced a new Garrus figure is also in the works, and it’s already generating a lot of buzz.

BioWare teased the new figure on Twitter, posting a black-and-white image of the figure. “We’re in the middle of some calibrations,” the tweet says, referencing the unfinished nature of the image and Garrus’ lines from the games. It seems all will be properly revealed in February.

“Garrus will be ready in February,” BioWare said.

There is no word yet on a price or release date for the new Garrus figure, but it will presumably be sold through BioWare’s own Gear Store.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition launches later this year on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It features improved resolutions, frame rates, textures, and more for the original three games. The game will also be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X through backwards compatibility. A release date for the Legendary Edition has not been announced yet, but it’s rumored for March.

BioWare is also working on a brand-new Mass Effect game as a follow-up to 2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda. What’s more, the studio is working on Dragon Age 4.

Ubisoft has dropped a new update for Rainbow Six Siege on the PC test servers that adjusts Ranked and tweaks operators, among other things. The full patch notes for Y5S4.3 are outlined below.

The leading features of this latest update center around tweaking the game’s many operators. Ash’s Breaching Round explosive has had its area of effect reduced to two meters, down from 3.5 meters previously. Buck’s shotgun ammo capacity has been increased from 26 to 31. Meanwhile, a number of other operators–including Ela, Kali, Lesion, Lion, and three others–have had certain pieces of equipment removed, like the angled grip from Melusi’s MP5.

The patch also makes a small but notable tweak to Ranked: increasing the cancelation time. Now, disconnected players will have more time to rejoin matches. Furthermore, certain exploits that let players end the first round before it started, which effectively prevented the other team from canceling the match, have been fixed.

Elsewhere in the update are bug fixes and gameplay improvements. This includes addressing multiple collision issues, ironing out user experience problems, fixing complications with maps like Clubhouse and Skyscraper, and implementing more operator adjustments.

Ubisoft provides a number of explanations for most of the fixes in the Designer’s Notes, which go into detail about the changes found in Rainbow Six Siege’s Y5S4.3 patch.

Rainbow Six Siege Y5S4.3 Patch Notes

Balancing

• Ash
  • Reduced Breaching Round explosive damage range to 2 meters (from 3.5 meters).
• Buck
  • Increased shotgun’s total ammo to 30+1 (from 26).
  • Added Hard Breach Charge (Removed Claymore).
• Echo
  • Reduced Yokai drone jump cooldown to 2s (from 3s).
  • Reduced drone time-out failing to stick to the ceiling to 0.5s (from 2s).
  • Reduced Sonic Burst cooldown to 16s (from 20s).
• Ela
  • Removed resistance to Concussion effects.
  • Removed “extra” mine while in DBNO.
• Kali
  • Removed 1-shot-DNBO from CSRX300.
    • CSRX300 now has base damage of 122 for 25 meters.
    • 100% damage until 25 meters and linearly falls to 80% (97.6) at 35 meters.
    • Damage to the limbs has not changed.
• Lesion
  • Removed 1.5x scope from the T-5.
• Lion
  • Added Claymore (Removed Hard Breach Charge).
• Melusi
  • Removed Angled Grip from the MP5.
• Mira
  • Removed 1.5x scope from the Vector .45 ACP.
• Zofia
  • Removed resistance to Concussion effects.
  • Removed Withstand.
  • Reduced impact grenade explosive damage range to 2m (was 3m).
• Ballistic Shields
  • Removed (set to 0) the camera penalization during the Guard Break animation.
• Hard Breach Charges
  • Reduced activation time to 5s (from 6s).
• Recoil (Console Only)
  • Improved recoil:
    • ARX
    • Spear 208
    • C8
    • Para
    • M1014
    • TCSG12

Tweaks and Improvements

• Game Health
  • Ranked Match Cancelation
    • Timer has been extended to allow disconnected players more time to rejoin a match in progress.
    • Fixing known abuses occurring when players end the first round prematurely, preventing the opposing team from canceling the match.
• Bug Fixes
  • Gameplay
    • FIXED – Disabling Hostage in matchmaking preferences prevents users from matchmaking into a Road to S.I. match.
    • FIXED – Players are having loadouts reset after playing an Event.
• Level Design
  • FIXED – Various LOD issues present on Bank and Stadium maps.
  • FIXED – Zero’s ARGUS Camera can pass through an indestructible floor at EXT Construction Site on Clubhouse map.
  • FIXED – Shooting the bottles and spinning a player character around quickly in a specific location at 1F Pantry can cause FPS drops for everyone in the match on the Skyscraper map.
  • FIXED – Multiple collision issues present across various maps.
  • FIXED – Exploitable line of sight present in gaps visible across various maps.
  • FIXED – Desk panels in INT Office on Skyscraper map are not currently breakable.
  • FIXED – Various gadget deployment and clipping issues present across maps.
  • FIXED – The light source on the south-west wall of 2F Penthouse can be seen on the bottom of the north-east wall in the 2F VIP Lounge on the Penthouse map.
  • FIXED – Unnecessary vault prompts are currently present on the exterior garage roof near EXT Garage of Kafe Dostoyevsky map and on a police truck at the main entrance of the Coastline map.
  • FIXED – A container in 1F Bedroom on Skyscraper map appears positioned off of the ground.
  • FIXED – Defenders that stay in the doorway at 1F Back Stairs will be detected by Attackers and receive a “You are detected” message on the Villa map.
  • FIXED – Breach Charges will sometimes not destroy the floor in the 2F Master Bathroom on the Villa map.
  • FIXED – The defuser can get stuck in 2F Front Office on Consulate map after destroying the floor or if it’s dropped between the electrical generator and metal pole in EXT West Spawn on Stadium map.
  • FIXED – Players can go out of bounds after climbing the ventilation units and dropping near EXT Ventilation Stairs or when fast rappelling down a particular tree on the Skyscraper map.
  • FIXED – Grills above the AC unit on the 3rd floor in the Cigar Room on the Kafe Dostoyevsky map are unable to be pinged.
  • FIXED – Attackers can be knocked back by Oryx’s Remah Dash through the bulletproof transparent glass in the 1F Main Lobby on the Stadium map.
  • FIXED – Bullets can penetrate through the blue barrel located at 4F Tractor Storage on the Hereford Base map.
  • FIXED – Under specific circumstances, Operators can float above the ground in EXT Main Entrance on the Bank map.
  • FIXED – The Secure Area objective clips with nearby furniture in Kids Room on Hereford Base map.
  • FIXED – Operators can spawn with their back to the house at EXT Side Street on the House map.
• Operators
  • FIXED – Maestro’s Evil Eye turret used in quick succession is occasionally causing issues with gameplay.
  • FIXED – The Bailiff .410’s crosshair elements are clipping while the Operator is crouching or prone.
  • FIXED – Improper hand animation is visible after Caveira activates Silent Step and performs a melee attack.
  • FIXED – Sprinting with Warden does not leave footsteps for Jackal’s EyeNox.
  • FIXED – Zofia has additional resistance to her concussion projectile and Ela’s GRZMOT Mine in Road to S.I. 2021 sessions.
  • FIXED – Melee butting with Tachanka’s Shumikha Launcher causes both hands to clip into the grenade launcher.
  • FIXED – Maestro’s Evil Eye can be deployed midair by placing it on Goyo’s Volcan Shield and then removing the Volcan Shield.
  • FIXED – Tachanka’s DP-27 LMG will only destroy one layer of destructible walls that have multiple layers.
  • FIXED – Audio sounds muffled when deploying a secondary Hard Breach Charge while crouching on barricades.
• User Experience
  • FIXED – Weapons customized during the Operator Selection Phase are not visually updated in the menu.
  • FIXED – The “Cosplay Guide: Operation Void Edge” Reward is currently displaying a placeholder image in the Ubisoft Connect launcher.
  • FIXED – A pop-up will appear after each game session when the player returns to the main menu.
  • FIXED – Minor visual issues are present in relation to the “Road to S.I. 2021” event.
  • FIXED – Risen Headgear syringe glows intensively.
  • FIXED – Welcome pop-up message for users is not always displaying consistent messaging.
  • FIXED – The hands-on Mute’s Swamp Trek uniform has a visual issue while holding a weapon.
  • FIXED – Inviting players to a Custom Online Game creates a Squad instead of adding players to the Custom Online Lobby.
  • FIXED – Several Renown Booster packs are missing the R6 Credits button in the purchase confirmation side panel.
  • FIXED – Players are reporting that despite winning a match, it is counting as a loss and the player can be de-Ranked.
  • FIXED – If a player leaves a Road to S.I. session, the Dynamic Play button from the Player Hub will instead initiate a new search for the event.
  • FIXED – During the MVP screen on the Stadium map, minor flickering and visual issues are present.
  • FIXED – The playlist name is missing when a player attempts to reconnect to a previous match.
  • FIXED – When hovering on 1F, the icons of the Operators, objective markers, and bomb sites are visible from 2F as a Caster on the Stadium map.
  • FIXED – The Ubisoft Connect weekly challenges are not updated from “Terrorist Hunt” to the current title of “Training Grounds.”

Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans can add two new Nintendo Switch controllers to their collections next month. The adorable controllers featuring Tom Nook and Isabelle are available to preorder now at Amazon for $25 each. Both controllers release on February 14, and Prime members can get release-day delivery just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The Tom Nook controller is blue and features a graphic of the entrepreneurial raccoon, while the Isabelle controller is yellow to match the fan favorite’s hair.

The officially licensed controllers are manufactured by PowerA, a company that has become the de facto maker of third-party Nintendo Switch controllers based on popular franchises. PowerA’s wired controllers are shaped much like the Pro controller, with an ergonomic design and identical button layout. While wired controllers aren’t for everyone, PowerA controllers have a lengthy 10-foot cable. Also, the budget price makes these controllers a great pick for those who partake in the occasional multiplayer gaming session.

The new pair of controllers are just the latest in a growing collection of Animal Crossing controllers from PowerA. Last year, PowerA released a pair of wireless controllers and a wired controller featuring the faces of a variety of island residents. If you’d prefer a wireless controller, the K.K. Slider-themed PowerA model is on sale for $39, and a Nooklings-themed gamepad is discounted to $40.

Iconic video game designer Hideo Kojima is calling for world peace. In an interview during his acceptance of the New York Game Awards’ Legend Award, Kojima said the world remains divided, just as it was before he and his team made Death Stranding.

Part of the reason he wanted to make Death Stranding was to help bring people together. During the planning stages of Death Stranding, Kojima remarked that the world was becoming increasingly divided and people were becoming isolated from one another, and he observed that this trend has only continued in the time after Death Stranding was released.

In the future, Kojima said he hopes people can make peace and come together.

“The world was becoming divided. People were becoming isolated. So we made Death Stranding,” Kojima said. “Then, after it was released, the coronavirus hit, Brexit became a reality, and there was another [US] presidential election. The world is still very divided. But I hope that people can come together, like they do in the game. I hope the world comes together and that we can all live in peace.”

The full interview is fascinating and illuminating, with Kojima touching on numerous other subjects like next-gen consoles, the first game he ever worked on, and what his late mother might have thought about Death Stranding. Check it out in the video above.

This is just one of the high-profile interviews coming out of the New York Game Awards festivities. Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime will appear alongside former executives from PlayStation and Xbox for a roundtable interview soon.

Kojima Productions is working on a new game now, but it remains to be seen if it’s a Death Stranding sequel or something else entirely.

Composers Jesper Kyd and Sarah Schachner, who both worked on the music for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, will drop two new soundtrack albums this Friday on Spotify that are comprised of previously unreleased songs from the open-world Viking adventure, Game Informer reports.

Titled Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Sons of the Great North (Kyd) and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Twilight of the Gods (Schachner), the two albums offer 61 songs that will transport players all across England to further flesh out Valhalla’s soundscape and world.

Composed by the BAFTA Award-winning Kyd, who has also done the music for Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Trilogy, Sons of the Great North packs two-and-a-half hours of music that Kyd said “reflects the brutality of the era infused with the spirituality of Norse mythology,” according to Game Informer. The album is 29-tracks long of “previously unreleased” music with natural environmental sounds punctuated by live instruments and “mixed with a modern electronic approach which gives the score a unique sound,” Kyd said.

Twilight of the Gods, composed by the Anthem and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare music engineer Schachner, will whisk players “from the fjords of Norway, through the hillsides of England, and everywhere in between,” Schachner told Game Informer. At 32-tracks in length, the album is an amalgam of Scandanavian and Anglo-Saxon cultures with “hints of Norse mythology woven throughout [to] create a deep and emotional backdrop for Eivor’s journey.”

Both soundtracks hit Spotify on January 29, with Game Informer previewing two songs before they drop this Friday: Kyd’s Nightfall of Wessex track and Schachner’s Voices of Fornburg.

In other Assassin’s Creed Valhalla news, Ubisoft released Title Update 1.1.1 earlier this month that addresses a large number of graphical bugs and adds various gameplay fixes.

The Medium is one of the first Microsoft published titles that will be exclusive to the company’s new consoles, with developer Bloober Team assuring fans that the horror with run well on the Xbox Series S.

In an interview with VG24/7, lead designer Wojciech Piejko and producer Jacek Zięba spoke about the experience of playing The Medium on Microsoft’s less powerful Xbox Series S. The pair agreed that the experience was identical, and that only small graphical differences really separate the two in almost indistinguishable ways.

“Yeah, so the graphics are still nice because we’ve got a really cool graphic art style and I love the art style of the game,” said Piejko. “It’s in lower resolution, but it’s still the same great experience.”

“Yeah, I even played the whole game on Series S like one week ago and I was blown away because I thought I played on Series X,” added Zięba. “Somebody told me, ‘man, this is Series S.’ What! Awesome, wonderful. Of course, you know, there will not be 4K because S does not support 4K, and of course it will maybe look different a little to Series X because X is twice as powerful, but the overall experience and fun from the game, it is the same.”

Considering the similarities between the Xbox Series S and last generation’s Xbox One X, the pair were asked whether The Medium could’ve worked on older consoles. They tended to agree that it might have been possible but not without significant changes to its structure, which they didn’t want to compromise on.

Bloober Team is also not talking about the possibility of The Medium coming to other consoles, with Zięba saying, “For now we are just focusing on Xbox and PC.” The Medium launches on Xbox Series S, Series X, and PC on January 28. It will also be part of Games Pass on Xbox and PC.