Author: Trafficblast

Warning: Full spoilers follow for Loki: Episode 5.

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With only one more episode of Marvel’s Loki left, the need for answers has reached a critical point!

Good thing there’s Slackin’ Off, the feature where we share our own harebrained theories and guesses about what’s going to happen next, straight from IGN’s own Loki Slack channel. Just causal questions and speculation about the next big plot twists on this super-duper Doctor Who-style series.

In the absolutely overflowing with Easter eggs Episode 5 of Loki, “Journey Into Mystery,” Loki found himself in the Void, a place where “pruned” realities wind up, waiting around to be consumed by a massive smokey Zuul-type beast called Alioth. It’s also a realm that just so happens to have more Loki Variants than anyone else because, well, Lokis tend to survive. No matter what.

Together, with a gang of only slightly devious versions of themselves, including an alligator, Loki and Sylvie figure out a way to double-enchant Alioth in order to get through it and over into the world beyond – a world seemingly being protected by the monster and which houses a huge space mansion. But who lives within those walls? Who is behind the TVA’s curtain?

Meanwhile, Judge Renslayer also claims to be after this mystery manipulator. But how much of the truth is she really telling? Is she truly in the dark about the TVA’s creation or does she know exactly who’s in that castle? With only the finale remaining, it’s time to crack open “Journey Into Mystery” and muse about where it’s all headed. Here are some of our thoughts and theories. Oh, and be sure to drop your own take on Loki’s premiere in the comments — and don’t forget to vote in our poll at the bottom of the page!

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Leftover Question: What Is Ravonna Renslayer’s Deal?

We asked this in a slightly different way last week, but what’s the Judge’s angle here? We expected Sylvie to enchant her this week and learn all of Renslayer’s secrets, but that didn’t happen. So when did Renslayer figure out the TVA was a giant con (or in the very least that the Time Keepers were now, if not always, robots)? Does she know who’s behind it, or is she actually after the shadowy puppet master just like Sylvie is? Last week, she basically presented Loki and Sylvie to the robots so that they could be killed and it seemed like she had no plan at all. How was she ever going to find out the truth if she was just going to execute those two like normal?

So because so much of her story doesn’t quite line up, and she was caught lying to Sylvie this week, we don’t know where she stands. Or even if she’s actually Renslayer. Maybe there’s a Polyjuice Potion situation happening here and Renslayer’s in that mansion!

Theory: The Cosmic Castle Being Guarded by Alioth Is a Prison… for Kang

The show has us, and our main heroes, believing that Alioth was guarding that castle because the show’s Big Bad lives there.

And while that’s a great theory, and might still be true, Alioth could have been blocking passage to that zone because the person in there is being held captive. And because of this, Loki and Sylvie may actually be about to accidentally release someone they’re not supposed to. As in, Alioth was helping contain a destructive force, and the TVA is actually an expansive galactic mechanism that was created to keep some extremely powerful tucked away.

Like Kang the Conquerer. If Kang was the villain in the first Multiversal War then the TVA may have been made to keep him locked up.

But it could go the other way too. Loki and Sylvie could stumble upon a prisoner who’s being held by a bad guy. By a Kang-type character. It stands to reason that these two heroes, who have good intentions, are going into a situation they’ve misread. Naturally, like we’ve been wondering for a few weeks now, the overall controller here could still be some sort of Loki. Especially if we’re willing to entertain that Renslayer isn’t actually who she claims to be. Heck, maybe Kang himself IS a Loki Variant of some sort.

But yeah, we’re still ringing the Kang bell. Not only will he definitely be part of the MCU when Ant-Man 3 rolls around, but this week added a whole new Kang-connected character in Alioth. And that big fortress could be his Castle Limbo.

Theory: Kang Will Be an Uneasy Ally

Okay, so maybe Kang’s coming, even as soon as next week, but… he’s not the villain.

We’re all so eager to pick out the next Thanos for the franchise, but maybe it’s not Kang (as multiverse and time travel-tethered as he is). Maybe Kang is an important, but lesser, villain. Maybe he’s a sort of chaotic neutral ally. Or a villain who becomes an ally – like Loki once did in the MCU. Or even an ally who winds up becoming a villain, or a problem, later on. So if Kang isn’t the next Thanos…who might it be?

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Theory: That’s Castle Doom

Look, it’s hard to know that the Fantastic Four is on the MCU horizon and somehow not be on the lookout for Fantastic Four clues. It’s what excited minds do. Just like how we wondered if the engineer who Monica Rambeau contacted in WandaVision was Reed Richards (that was never answered, by the way).

So, suffice to say, it’s challenging to see a medieval-styled palace, as we head toward the likely reveal of a new major character, and not wonder if it’s Victor von Doom. If we’re theorizing about big Marvel characters who someone would either want to lock up at the end of time and space, or who’s simply lording over all reality at the end of the universe, Doctor Doom is a natural go-to.

Question: Was President Loki Losing His Hand to Alligator Loki a Star Wars Reference or a Peter Pan Reference?

Given that most MCU movies contain a Star Wars reference in them, it’s fun to assume that President Loki losing his trusty backstabbin’ hand was a nod to The Empire Strikes Back. But given that the hand was lost in the chompy maw of Alligator Loki, on the orders of a kid, makes it feel more like Peter Pan.

Either way, it’s Disney, right? And hilarious.

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Question: Do the Real Life Mysteries Included on the Series Like the USS Eldridge Mean Anything?

In the first episode of Loki, we found out that famous ’70s plane hijacker “D. B. Cooper” was actually Loki himself. And that he wasn’t somehow arrested by the TVA for this crazy stunt. Loki being D. B. Cooper was apparently part of the Sacred Timeline.

But in Episode 5, the USS Eldridge and its entire crew wound up in the Void. This ship was part of a purported 1940s naval military event called The Philadelphia Experiment, where the vessel turned invisible thanks to cloaking technology. In our reality, the whole thing turned out to be a hoax, but the show is certainly playing around with these yesteryear conspiracy stories. This USS Eldridge, however, violated TVA protocol and got reset to the Void. So apparently that wasn’t meant to happen.

Do these bizarre American myths mean anything or are they just included for good fun? Will we ever find out what the bet was between Loki and Thor that made Loki go down to Earth and become a vanishing criminal?

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Do you have any remaining questions or theories? Share them below, and vote in this week’s poll too! And for more on the show, check out the Loki release schedule, find out if there are Loki post credits scenes each week, and learn about how Loki evolved from Marvel villain to agent of chaos.

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The two-episode premiere of Monsters At Work is currently available to watch on the Disney+ streaming platform.

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Ever wonder what life in Monstropolis was like after Sulley and Mike Wazowski toppled the villainous CEO, Henry J. Waternoose III, and transferred Monsters, Inc.’s power source from the children’s screams to children’s laughter? No? Oh. Well, this is awkward, because Disney has made an entire cartoon series on that premise, called Monsters At Work. Regretfully, that is just the first in a series of curious choices revealed in its two-part series premiere. 

“Welcome to Monsters, Incorporated” begins with a familiar scene: a scare lab, where a robot child in a prop bedroom serves as a training tool for an aspiring scarer. It’s a bit that this franchise had fun with in Monsters, Inc. and its prequel Monsters University. However, this time it’s given short shrift, used to rush us back through the door into this world of monsters who scare because they care (about bringing power to their hidden city of chipper creatures). It’s also employed to introduce us to the next could-be great scarer. Tylor Tuskman (Ben Feldman) is big, broad-shouldered, and bright purple with two long wildebeest horns. He cuts an imposing figure, and his professor says he has even greater potential than “the great James P. Sullivan.” It’s no surprise that Tylor’s gotten his dream job right out of Monsters U to be a scarer at Monsters, Inc. There’s just one problem: on his first day, he learns the whole company model is shifted and now he’ll have to retrain to become a “jokester.” 

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Like Mike and Sulley in Monsters University, his dreams of becoming a great scarer go up in a puff of smoke. But there’s no fraternity competition that can give him a second chance. The entire scarer industry is obsolete. So–like Mike and Sulley at the end of Monsters University–Tylor must start at the bottom at Monsters, Inc. That’s no longer the mailroom—presumably because the show’s writing team couldn’t conceive of wacky adventures sorting envelopes. Here, the bottom means MIFT: Monsters Inc. Facilities Team. It’s a motley crew of misfits in charge of fixing whatever goes awry, and naturally Tylor’s not thrilled to go from promising rookie to just another schmo toiling away, deep, deep, deep below the scare floor. Sorry, “laugh floor.” 

There is room in this setup to grapple with some poignant issues, like what happens when your dream definitely won’t come true. But even with episodes that are a little over twenty minutes long, no time is made for such reflection or emotion. Tylor’s low point is instead chattered over by a crew of more clamoring characters, like plucky college dropout Val (Mindy Kaling), kindly father-figure Fritz (Henry Winkler), no-nonsense Cutter (Alanna Ubach), and the power-hungry Deputy Supervisor, Duncan (Lucas Neff). Though they are all introduced in the first episode, the second–“Meet Mift”–allows us to get to know this calamitous crew a smidge better. Still, it feels like a rehash of the Monsters University dynamic of Oozma Kappa (OK), a bunch of weirdo underdogs determined to prove their worth. Except no one at Monsters, Incorporated is questioning MIFT’s value. It’s just a less glamorous gig than scarer. (No monster is collecting trading cards of the maintenance team.) So, the stakes feel so low they’re basically non-existent. 

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Further detracting from what is the main arc of Monsters At Work is the Mike and Sulley subplot. Yes, Billy Crystal and John Goodman are back as the charming odd couple. They bring a comforting familiarity and undeniable verve to their performances. But the Mike and Sulley story is a snooze. With Waternoose out, they’ve been put in charge of the company, and must figure out how to reorganize and retrain their entire workforce to make kids laugh instead of scream. This thread allows the show to loop in previously established scarers, like the still-shaved George Sanderson and Carla “Killer Claws” Benitez, as well as silly side characters like the scowling Roz, the cooing Celia, and the goofy duo of Needleman and Smitty, who holler at each other in the style of a vaudeville act. However, whether Sully is strategizing or Mike is offering classes on comedy, there’s little fresh fun in any of this. It just feels like deleted scenes padded into a clumsy cartoon.

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Perhaps the problem is that neither Pete Docter nor Dan Scanlon (directors of the first two films respectively) have been brought on board. Instead, the “creator” of Monsters At Work is Roberts “Bobs” Gannaway, who is not credited on either movie, but has produced Disney spinoff series, including The Emperor’s New School, Timon & Pumbaa, and Lilo & Stitch: The Series. Gannaway has experience in translating the characters and aesthetics of a popular movie into a cartoon series. But in this translation, he’s lost what made the Monsters, Inc. movies feel special: the bond between Mike and Sully. 

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Here the harried heroes who made this franchise wild fun are relegated to glorified cameos. Sadly, Sully has been neutralized. The pathos and vulnerability hidden beneath a confident veneer and fluffy blue fur is eradicated with straight man/stooge setups that allow Mike to get all the laughs. Sure, kids will giggle at Crystal’s verbal explosions. But they could do that with the first two movies while actually getting a story worth watching. As if there’s no room to reflect in an emotional moment. Two episodes in, Monsters At Work on Disney+ feels more like a rerun that misses the big moments that made this beastly franchise roar.

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DICE LA is changing its name to Ripple Effect Studios, EA announced today, completing a rebranding that has been in the making for more than a year. It will be a new start for the former support studio as it sets out to develop a “yet-to-be announced project” that will follow Battlefield 2042. It will remain under the oversight of Respawn Entertainment founder and Group GM Vince Zampella, with Christian Grass continuing in his role as studio general manager.

Ripple Effect’s new name, which was chosen following a team vote, is the latest in a long legacy of rebrands dating back to the late ’90s, when EA first acquired DreamWorks Interactive. DICE LA was founded in the wake of the closure of Danger Close Games, which in turn was a rebranded version of EA Los Angeles. Since opening its doors in 2013, DICE LA has mainly provided support for various iterations of Battlefield. At the moment, Ripple Effect is taking the lead on one of Battlefield 2042’s new modes, which is set to be revealed at EA Play later this month. But behind the scenes, the studio is staffing up aggressively as it prepares to lead development of its own games.

Grass has been involved with several of the studio’s most recent iterations. He moved to Los Angeles in 2009 after eight years with DICE, where he worked on the Medal of Honor reboot with Danger Close. Following Danger Close’s closure in 2013, Grass transitioned to DICE LA, where he was eventually promoted to General Manager in 2017.

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By Grass’ own admission, DICE LA has been “pretty anonymous” since opening its doors. The rebrand is part of an effort to position Ripple Effect so that it can attract talented developers. “We’re coming out with our new social media and media presence. We’re going to talk a lot more about who we are. We’re growing,” Grass tells IGN. “We feel like we have a good culture. There’s always room for improvement, of course, but we’re going to continue to drive that. So in that sense it’s the next step on a journey, but sort of from an external point of view, it does feel like […] maybe a fresh start or a bigger start.”

Ripple Effect’s rebranding has been in the works since at least January 2020, when Zampella — who has taken a larger hand in the EA’s overall business since the success of Apex Legends — told the Los Angeles Times that the time had come to rethink DICE LA’s role

“We want to give it a new image,” Zampella said at the time. “We want people to say, ‘This is a destination you can go and make new content.'”

The change is one part of a broader restructuring at EA that includes the recent hiring of former Call of Duty general manager Byron Beede, who will articulate Battlefield’s overall development strategy going forward. Ripple Effect, meanwhile, will be going its own way when its work on Battlefield 2042 is complete.

“The experience that we are building for Battlefield 2042 […] is sort of setting us up in a way so when it’s revealed you can see there is a new future for Ripple Effect,” Grass says.

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Grass won’t confirm one way or another whether Ripple Effect will continue making shooters, but acknowledges that it’s a studio “comprised of shooter veterans” who have been working on Battlefield for a very long time. “So of course what we want to do is tap into the strengths of the studio and kind of focus on that.”

In particular, Grass talks about spearheading the Community Test Environment for Battlefield 4, which allowed players to playtest new features before they were added to the full game. Indeed, as DICE LA, Ripple Effect played a large role in rehabilitating Battlefield 4 following its rocky launch, leading the development of several expansions. These days Battlefield 4 is considered a beloved classic. “So that’s another thing that we’re really passionate about, which is working very closely with community,” Grass says.

If Ripple Effect does indeed end up making a shooter, it will be an odd historical echo. It was a little more than 10 years ago when EA opted to rebrand EA Los Angeles as Danger Close Games, tasking it with working on a reboot of Medal of Honor. The studio was closed in 2012 following the poor reception afforded Medal of Honor: Warfighter, with some of its employees transitioning over to the newly-formed DICE LA. Now it’s DICE LA trying to chart its own course under a new name.

Grass won’t say much about this period, only that he learned “a lot of things, good and bad” from Danger Close that he says he has infused into Ripple Effect. “I want a studio where everything you do is quality. We have a high-quality development process, we’re really good at leadership, we really focus on how to act and behave because that’s important. We focus on the smallest details and make sure that we drive that high quality,” Grass says. “And of course, in order to constantly improve things, you need to make mistakes. You need to see things not working well so you can learn from them. You also need to get other inputs from diverse points of view so that you can improve quality. You need to find research that drives some of those improvements.”

At the moment, Ripple Effect is preparing to move into a new office close to the current one, which Grass says is an “empty shell right now.” Grass says it is being designed with a hybrid work setup in mind — a consequence of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in which some employees will prefer to continue working from home. Grass also wants to embrace “flexibility and work location,” with an eye toward hiring developers based in other cities across North America.

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“We are on an aggressive path to grow the studio,” Grass says. “So we’re looking for every type of craft and we are going to grow so that we increase our capacity and our capabilities to do more.”

In the near term, Grass and Zampella will take part in a panel titled The Future of FPS hosted by IGN’s Stella Chung, in which they will discuss Battlefield, Apex Legends, and more alongside DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson and Apex Legends Director Chad Grenier. It will kick off July 8 at 10am PT.

When EA Play arrives on July 22, it will be a coming out party of sorts for Ripple Effect, which will be eager to make a positive first impression with its work on Battlefield 2042. As the heir to so many fresh starts, Ripple Effect understands better than most the power of a good first impression. Battlefield 2042 launches October 22 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

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Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

Akshan is the brand-new South Asian-inspired League of Legends champion arriving in patch 11.15 as part of the Sentinel of Light event. This Rogue Sentinel has a similar story to Viego, The Ruined King. They seek vengeance for their loved ones, but Akshan’s choices are focused on saving the world, not destroying it.

He has a unique ability never seen before in League of Legends where he can revive his teammates. If enemy champions kill Akshan’s teammates, the enemy gets marked as a Scoundrel. Defeating the Scoundrel gives him extra gold and resurrects those fallen teammates at the base.

He’s an assassin which requires stealth. While camouflaged, he can follow paths that lead to the Scoundrels. He also gains speed and mana regeneration when moving closer towards the Scoundrels.

Akshan is a marksman with an action-packed kit. Avengerang deals damage when it’s thrown at the target and when it comes back. Also, while swinging with his hookshot, he can fire bullets at the closest enemy; this ability is called Heroic Swing. Another ability is Comeuppance, where Akshan channels bullet power into his gun while locking onto an enemy. He then releases all the acquired bullets towards a target. Players can use this ability with Heroic Swing.

Additionally, Akshan has a passive three-hit burst of physical damage. If the target is a champion, then Akshan gains a shield. He fires a second attack right after, but canceling the second shot gives the player a burst of speed.

Players can start swinging as Akshan on July 22.

“The Good, The Bart, and The Loki” is the latest Simpsons short to arrive on Disney+, this time roping in Loki star Tom Hiddleston to voice his villainous Marvel alter ego as he squares off against Springfield’s most famous family. 

Longtime Simpsons executive producer Al Jean spoke with IGN about the benefits of working on these shorts, how The Simpsons has survived for three decades, and more:

IGN: This is now the third short you’ve done for Disney+, and other than the obvious benefits of corporate synergy, what is the appeal of working in the short format?

Al Jean: There’s a few things for me. Starting with the first short we did –– “The Longest Daycare” in 2012 –– I just love the medium. An episode is nine months, and that’s great, I’ve worked on 700 of them, pretty much, but it’s great to be doing something where it’s a little shorter, and a little more on the fly. The Star Wars one, we got the go-ahead in January for May the 4th. 

This one, we were finishing that in April, and we said, “Well, Loki comes out in June, early-July, we’ll be able to hit that too.” So we really, we’re doing them as they went along, and with this one we actually parodied the first episode of the miniseries in one of our many post-credit sequences. Probably the most ever post-credit sequences in a four-minute short.

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IGN: The short starts and there’s the voice of Tom Hiddleston (as Loki). With the show having been around so long and being able to get any guest you want, do you have any white whale where you’re like, “Oh, I’d really love this person to be on the show”?

Al Jean: We never have had a U.S. President on the show. We’ve tried pretty hard –– we got a nice rejection letter from Reagan when he was alive, and Bill Clinton considered it. But we finally gave up and used an actual recording of Theodore Roosevelt. He was a good president, so that was our default. (laughs)

So, we never had them, and I would say that’s the biggest –– we did have Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister. But with Tom Hiddleston, I believe he was a fan. He definitely seemed really happy. Really nice, incredible actor, but genuinely happy to be on The Simpsons and hear his voice next to Homer’s. I think that was the biggest aspect of it for him. That always blows me away, when someone you think is talented is a big fan of The Simpsons. 

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IGN: When The Simpsons started (in 1989), you guys were the young rebels. Now you’re a cherished institution. When you look at the way comedy has changed, what do you see as the impact of the show over the last thirty years in shaping the comedy discourse? 

Al Jean: As you say, in the beginning, we were considered a bad role model. The President of the United States spoke out against us. But we were popular from the start. I think somebody pointed out there was a campaign to get The Simpsons off the air, that’s one of the least successful campaigns ever. (laughs)

With us, the bigger change was that there was no primetime animation existing when we started. There had been a couple of shows that had succeeded before us, but now it’s an overwhelming explosion. It’s funny because in comedy there are certain things you can’t do, which you used to be able to do, and there are certain things that were –– sex jokes that you’d never be able to make in the ‘90s that are now totally commonplace. And we’ve just tried to take our own path, to be the same thing that we’ve always been, not really trying to be dependent on the standards.

I’ll give you an example: When the Janet Jackson incident –– or I would call it the Justin Timberlake incident –– happened at the [2004] Superbowl, they said you can’t show Homer’s naked behind anymore on the show, and I was like, “I don’t see the connection.” The reruns would still have it, so you could see it Sunday at 6, but not Sunday at 8? That’s the kind of silly thing that happens in terms of standards and mores. You just try not to overreact to it or lose your sense of who you are. 

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IGN: Conan O’Brien just ended his late-night tenure, and you’ve been on record saying Conan is the funniest guy you’ve ever met [from his time writing for The Simpsons’ early seasons]. What do you think is the legacy of Conan O’Brien when we look at the late-night landscape? 

Al Jean: The thing I would say for people to see what we always saw in Conan: When he was hired, and everybody was going, “Who is this guy?” I said, “No you’re going to be surprised how great he is.” And he was for all of his shows. But one thing is, when I was not feeling great in the pandemic I would look at his TBS things –– like his trip to the American Girl store, or he visited the Israeli army, or went on Grindr and Tinder –– those things are as fall-down funny as anything anybody has ever done. Funny as any late-night host, but funny as anybody anywhere. And you can watch one after another –– there’s one where he goes to see Magic Mike XXL with his staff –– and he’s a genius. He lasted 28 years in late-night, which is only exceeded by the two best: Carson and Letterman. 

The Simpsons’ short “The Good, The Bart, and The Loki” is streaming now on Disney+.

Ubisoft has announced the planned balancing changes for Rainbow Six Siege Y6S2.2, which are coming to the test servers today and the main game later this month. The changes provide a number of balances to specific operators and the current top ban rates.

One of the biggest changes for Y6S2.2 is that the map Favela is being added into both the ranked and unranked playlists, no longer limiting the map only to casual playlists. Another big change is that the Nokk balancing rework, which has been live in the test servers, will not be put into the main game just yet. The developer said that it wanted to give Nokk immunity to some of the newer operators’ gadgets to capitalize on her invisibility, but couldn’t do so in a way that felt balanced. With the immunity, Nokk was able to get to the objective completely undetected, and removing any of her other abilities resulted in players not being happy.

Ubisoft shared the data it uses to make adjustments to the game, including the presence vs. win delta and ban rate for all operators in PC ranked play in Platinum or above. Zofia, the operator with the highest presence is getting the recoil reworked for her M762 in order to make the weapon harder to control to lower her capabilities as an attacker.

For the full list of changes, you can check Rainbow Six Siege’s official site or below:

OPERATOR BALANCING

ALIBI

• Added 2.0x scope to ACS12 (removed 1.5x scope)
• Added 1.5x scope to MX4 Storm

Population targeted by this change: Casual, Top Ranked, and Pros.

Despite having a solid mix of utility, including a solid primary weapon and secondary shotgun, deployable shield and impacts, and high speed, her presence in the Balancing Matrix is still low. By changing up her scopes, the intention is to open up new role opportunities for her.

In particular, this should make Alibi more viable in roaming scenarios and appeal to players who are more frag-focused.

FROST

• Removed 1.5x scope from C1

Population targeted by this change: Casual, Top Ranked, and Pros.

In her current state, Frost has the highest win delta of all the Defenders and possesses a very high kill/death ratio when compared against other Defenders. To prevent her from holding longer angles as comfortably and bring her more in line with other operators, we have removed the 1.5x scope from her C1.

This isn’t the only piece to the Frost puzzle, though. We know that her Welcome Mats play a role in her overall strength, but want to first understand the role her gun plays before deciding if it will be necessary to shift focus to this utility. As such, we will be keeping a close eye on her updated performance over time.

TACHANKA

• Added Deployable Shield (removed Proximity Alarm)
• Increased Shumikha Launcher total ammunition to 14 (from 10)
• Improved DP-27 destruction:
  • 0 to 4.99m: 0.3 radius hole per shot
  • 5 to 7.99m: 0.2 radius hole per shot
  • Beyond 8m: 0.2 radius hole after three shots

Population targeted by this change: Casual, Top Ranked, and Pros.

Playing Tachanka should be a blast, but as it stands he has a very low presence in the Balancing Matrix. One of the reasons for this is that his Shumikha Launcher tends to be quite situational and can be unsafe to fire since it renders him defenseless. In addition to increasing its total ammunition to encourage more active usage, Tachanka now has a Deployable Shield which will offer him more protection when using the launcher.

That’s not the only improvement Tachanka’s received to his destructive capabilities. His DP-27 is also capable of making larger holes per shot at mid-range which, when combined with the added protection of his Deployable Shield, should make him a more fearsome anchor.

ZOFIA

• Modified M762 recoil, harder to control.
  • Vertical recoil increased
  • Horizontal spread will be stronger to the left
  • Long burst recoil will start on the 8th bullet (was 12th)

Population targeted by this change: Casual, Top Ranked, and Pros.

Looking at the Balancing Matrix, Zofia continues to have a very high presence, which is due in part to the high fragging potential and ease of use of her M762. In order to bring her more in line with other operators, her M762’s recoil has been increased making it harder to control. This comes in the form of increased vertical recoil and more of a horizontal spread to the left.

What’s new about this approach (and something we’d love your feedback on), is that while the horizontal spread will be stronger than other guns, it will be more predictable and with much less randomness. This means that while it will initially be harder to control, it should be possible to master the recoil pattern over time.

Since this will require a greater degree of control over her shots to secure frags, we expect Zofia to be less of an all-around pick who has both a strong, easy-to-use primary weapon and useful gadget. Her gadget will continue to be a draw, but those looking for a more easy to use frag-focused Attacker will find Ace, Sledge, and Iana more enticing options.

NØKK

Following experimentation on the Test Server, we’ve made the decision to put Nøkk’s balancing rework on hold.

Our initial objective with this idea was to expand on the player experience of being invisible, making her more useful in a wider range of situations by addressing how her utility interacts with recent gadget and ability additions.

With her existing kit, Nøkk is already a difficult operator the detect. She is invisible to cameras, and she doesn’t make noise. If we were to add another invulnerability to detection, it would require removing something from her kit. No operator should be able to reach the bombsite totally undetected, after all.

Most recently, we tried removing the HEL Presence Reduction’s ability to muffle sounds, but found players missed this noise reduction more than they liked the immunity to proximity detectors that replaced it. This makes sense, as muffled sounds have more universal utility, whereas proximity immunity’s usefulness depends on the Defenders’ team composition.

On top of this, we feel that players should always be able to trust their gadgets. By adding this experimental immunity to proximity detection, it made a wide range of additional utility feel unreliable, which we want to avoid.

As a result, we’ve decided to put these experimental changes on hold and stick with the Nøkk you know and love as we explore other possibilities for the future.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to test out this change on the TS and shared constructive feedback with us. It’s hugely appreciated and helps guide future changes that you will truly enjoy playing with!

WEAPON BALANCING

ACS12

• Increased damage to 69 (from 59)

Population targeted by this change: Casual, Top Ranked, and Pros.

In its current state, the ACS12 has a very low pick rate. Especially when compared with the ALDA and Mx4, the ACS12’s fragging potential was more limited, so we have increased the damage of its shots. This should help to bring it more in line with its contemporaries and make it a more viable option.

Note, this change does not affect damage drop-off values, which will remain the same.

TCSG-12

• Increased damage to 63 (from 57)

Population targeted by this change: Casual, Top Ranked, and Pros.

Similar to the ACS12, the TCSG-12 has a very low pick rate. In order to make it a more viable option, its damage has been increased.

With Goyo and Kaid already being viable operators, this is not intended to further increase their fragging potential. The increase to damage, while a step up from where it was previously, brings the TCSG-12 to a state that is still weaker than it was at release. This should help keep it in balance while still offering options when it comes to selecting their loadouts.

EA has announced that its EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS stream will be airing on Thursday, July 8, 2021, and that it will give fans a new look at both Battlefield 2042 and Apex Legends.

IGN is carrying the stream and, as usual, this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the show, including when it starts, a list of places you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see at the show.

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EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS Start Time

The upcoming EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS stream takes place on Thursday, July 8, and will start at 10am PDT, 1pm EDT, 6pm BST. If you’re tuning in from Australia, that translates to Friday, July 9 at 3am AEST.

Where to Watch EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS

If you’re interested in watching EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS, we’ll be hosting the stream here and across our many channels on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here’s the full list of places you can watch EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN’s Twitch Channel
• IGN’s YouTube Channel
• IGN’s iOS App
• IGN’s Android App
• IGN’s Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN App for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• IGN1 on Samsung TV Plus
• Pluto TV

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/15/apex-legends-review-2021″]

What to Expect at the Upcoming EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS

EA Play Live 2021: The Future of FPS, which will be hosted by IGN’s own Stella Chung, will kick off EA Play’s Spotlight Series with an extensive discussion of both Battlefield 2042 and Apex Legends.

Joining Stella will be DICE’s general manager Oskar Gabrielson, DICE LA’s Christian Grass, Apex Legends’ game director Chad Grenier, and co-founder and CEO of Respawn Entertainment Vince Zampella.

EA teased that fans will be treated to an in-depth discussion of Battlefield 2042’s reveal, a look at what to expect from both games at the EA Play Live Showcase on July 22, and a chat about “the future of FPS games as a whole.”

While the EA Play Live Showcase will most likely feature the biggest announcements, there should be plenty to look forward to in this discussion with key members of the teams who bring these games to life.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Sony has announced that a new State of Play will air on Thursday, July 8, 2021, and that it will give us an extended look at Deathloop and updates on indies and third-party titles.

IGN is carrying the stream and, as usual, this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the show, including when it starts, a list of places you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/19/deathloop-preview-it-isnt-a-roguelike-its-supernatural-hitman”]

Sony State of Play July 2021 Start Time

The upcoming State of Play takes place on Thursday, July 8, and will start at 2pm PDT, 5pm EDT, 10pm BST. If you’re tuning in from Australia, that translates to Friday, July 9, at 7am AEST.

The State of Play is set to be about 30 minutes, with nine minutes of the show focused entirely on Deathloop.

Where to Watch the PlayStation State of Play July 2021

If you’re interested in watching the upcoming State of Play, we’ll be hosting the stream here and across our many channels on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the State of Play July 2021:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN’s Twitch Channel
• IGN’s YouTube Channel
• IGN’s iOS App
• IGN’s Android App
• IGN’s Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN App for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• IGN1 on Samsung TV Plus
• Pluto TV

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What to Expect at the Upcoming Sony State of Play July 2021

Sony has already revealed that we will be getting a “nine-minute look at Deathloop’s time-twisted world,” where players will see “Cole use his abilities to stealthily skulk across rooftops… or go in guns blazing to create a whole lot of mayhem. Lots of options available on Blackreef Island.”

Those expecting news on the sequel to 2018’s God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, or the next generation PlayStation VR should know that Sony specifically said that these will not be part of the show. However, it did tease that there will be more updates soon and that fans should “stay tuned throughout the summer.”

As for these potential indies and third-party titles, the sky is the limit. However, if we look at some past State of Plays, there is a chance we could see more of games like Final Fantasy XVI, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Sifu, GhostWire: Tokyo, Pragmata, Forspoken, Stray, Jett: The Far Shore, and many more.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Konami has ended its contract with soccer player Antoine Griezmann after a controversial video appeared to show him and his teammate Ousmane Dembele mocking an Asian staff member while in Japan. As reported by ESPN, Griezmann, who plays for Barcelona, was an ambassador for Yu-Gi-Oh–both the card game and the anime for Konami.

The video was recorded by Dembele in 2019 during Barcelona’s tour of Japan and appears to show both players laughing at technicians attempting to fix a hotel TV. Griezmann does not speak in the video but Dembele makes racist comments about the hotel staff to him. Both are laughing during the video.

Konami said in an official statement, “Konami Digital Entertainment believes, as is the philosophy of sports, that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable. We had announced Griezmann as our Yu-Gi-Oh! content ambassador, however in light of recent events we have decided to cancel the contract.”

The CEO of Rakuten Hiroshi Mikitani, one of the club’s main sponsors, also demanded a full explanation from the club for the video. Both Griezmann and Dembele have made public apologies but have denied any racist intent. Griezmann also has personally apologized to Mikitani.

In his statement, Griezmann said he is “completely against all forms of discrimination” and that he “refuted the accusations made against me and I’m sorry if I have offended any of my Japanese friends.”

Dembele was less apologetic in his statement, saying, “It all took place in Japan, but it could have taken place anywhere on the planet and I would have used the same expression. I was therefore not targeting any community. I just happened to use this type of expression with my friends regardless of their origins.”

Konami has also requested that Barcelona, one of its partners for the PES game series, gives a full briefing about the case and any future actions the club might take against the two players. Barcelona released a statement saying, “FC Barcelona deeply regret the displeasure amongst Japanese and Asian fans and partners of our Club caused by a video that appeared a few days ago on social media in which two first-team players (Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann) displayed a lack of respect in their attitude towards several employees in the hotel in which they were staying.”

Barcelona continued to say that while both players have already publicly apologized, the club reserves the right to take internal disciplinary action against them.