Author: Trafficblast

Developer Respawn Entertainment has implemented a new update for Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One that adjusts in-game armor. The full patch notes are outlined below.

At the start of Season 6: Boosted, Respawn tweaked how armor works in Apex Legends by making them all Evo Armor and reducing their values by 25 points. Now, the studio is reverting all armor values back to pre-Season 6, meaning the 25-point reduction has been reversed. However, the studio clarified that all armor will remain Evo. This change is now in effect on all platforms.

Design director Jason McCord detailed why Respawn made the change and the rationale for reverting it back, saying the entire point of the Season 6 change was to ensure that players getting the drop on someone gave them an advantage in battle. To that end, the Evo Armor and value adjustment was put in place to “promote strategy in battlefield positioning and map control” when confronting a team.

“However, with the introduction of the Evo Armor change, we saw (in our internal playtests) that players were achieving Red Armor (125 shields) more often, and more players were fighting at 225 total health. This started to swing the battles more than we liked, and good players were able to outplay teams more consistently, even if the enemy had worked for a much better position. By lowering the armor values, we felt we had adjusted for the Red Armor availability more than anything else.”

Alongside the armor changes, Respawn ironed out a few other issues with Apex Legends. This includes general fixes like server crashes, audio problems (like bullet sounds not playing when firing the Devotion and Volt), issues with various characters, and more.

Full Apex Legends Patch Notes (September 3)

General

• Fixed several server crashes.
• Made adjustments to the appearance of several holosprays.
• Removed an inappropriate Caustic voice line.

Audio

• Fixed an issue with audio not playing when shooting the Devotion and Volt.
• Fixed an issue where Crypto’s drone in Caustic gas would play to the whole server
• Fixed marking crafting replicators from the ship playing a “Let’s go here” VO ping.

Replicators

• Fixed an issue with Evo Shields that require exactly 100 damage not evolving when crafting the 100 points.
• Fixed an issue with Ninja controller configuration not being able to use Replicators.
• Fixed an issue with not being able to revive a teammate when they are downed while using a replicator.

Gibraltar

• Fixed an issue with Dome Shield on a Sheila allowing a player to shoot through the Dome Shield.

Rampart

• Fixed an issue with the “No Mercy” finisher spamming “Boom” to the entire server.
• Fixed an issue with amped cover walls requiring more hits from heirlooms than from normal melee to be destroyed.
• Fixed a server crash when Sheila is destroyed while someone is using it.

Crypto

• Fixed an issue with Hack not detecting players on Sheila.

Wraith

• Fixed an issue with the portal disappearing upon Wraith’s death.
• Fixed a crash with Wraith’s portal interacting with World’s Edge geysers.
• Fixed an error when Wraith’s portal is too close to a replicator and the player interacts with the replicator.

Loba

• Fixed an issue that caused Loba’s teleport to fail in certain areas.

For today only, Amazon is offering $400 off a Razer Blade laptop. That’s the best price we’ve seen on RTX 2060 equipped Razer laptop, ever. In more deal news, there’s a new Alienware Aurora PC deal that’s perfect for gamers on a budget, Super Mario 3D All-Stars just went up for preorder this morning, and you can finally watch the recently released Trolls World Tour movie for free.

Deals for September 3

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More Video Game Deals

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PS5 Preorder Guide

The PS5 is out within the year (at least, that’s what we assume) and yet preorder info has been scant. Fortunately for you, we have a preorder guide up with everything we know so far. As soon as we know exactly when preorders go up, we’ll make sure that you’ll have a chance to get your order in.

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends roughly 1/4 of his income on stuff he posts. Check out his latest Daily Deals Article and subscribe to his IGN Deals Newsletter.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2’s development team had the steep challenge of remaking a classic game more than twenty years since it launched. The original’s arcade action is just as fun as it was back then thanks to updated gameplay features and visuals.

“Playing through the newly remade levels is immensely enjoyable, and that on its own is enough to call Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 a success,” said Mat Paget in GameSpot’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 review. “However, smart additions and an engaging challenge system make it an experience that’s more than just a brief skate through Tony Hawk’s past.”

Critics from around the web have applauded Vicarious Visions and Neversoft for nailing the feeling of the original games. Modernizations, like graphics that let you actually recognize which skater you’re playing as, make the two games feel like they fit right alongside new skating games like SkateBIRD, Skater XL, and Session.

• Game: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Developer: Vicarious Visions, Neversoft
• Release date: September 4
• Price: $40

GameSpot — 9

“Because it nails so much about that original Tony Hawk experience, it’s really hard to be mad at Pro Skater 1 + 2 for any of its downsides. The load times aren’t enough to keep you away from the plethora of satisfying combos, and the lack of level goals for every skater isn’t enough to keep you from jumping back in with a new character. Playing through the newly remade levels is immensely enjoyable, and that on its own is enough to call Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 a success. However, smart additions and an engaging challenge system make it an experience that’s more than just a brief skate through Tony Hawk’s past.” — Mat Paget [Full Review]

The Verge — Unscored

“THPS1+2 both honors the legacy of the original games and updates it in smart ways. What made those first games so special is the care and attention they put into representing skate culture, whether it was the music, the clothing, or the gameplay itself. That’s all intact here, with all of the modern upgrades you’d expect, from realistic visuals to new music to online support.” — Andrew Webster [Full Review]

IGN — 9

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is such a tremendous turnaround from 2015’s disastrously dismal Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 that it’s difficult to believe they share even a shred of DNA. The accessible yet tricky skating is earnest and old-school fun, the wonderful looking levels are lovingly designed odes to the past, and the music is like the hearty embrace of an old childhood buddy. It’s pretty easy to be cynical about how rapidly selling us our favourite games again became a central pillar of Activision’s business strategy, but when it’s this much fun I’m finding it impossible to be sour about it. It turns out going backwards has been the best step forward Activision has taken with the Tony Hawk series in nearly 15 years.” — Luke Reilly [Full Review]

Polygon — Unscored (Recommended)

“After a few hours, I even got the same dull ache in the same parts of my hands, the parts that most other games don’t tax quite so severely as Tony Hawk’s games do. Everything I love about the original is still here; it’s just a little older, a little kinder, and a lot better looking.” — Ben Kuchera [Full Review]

GamesBeat — 90

“For video games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 still shows us what games are capable of. You’ll find sad dads in books. Movies will have equally moving stories. Music can show us that emotions are not necessarily tied to language. But only video games can re-create skateboarding.” — Jeff Grubb [Full Review]

Fortnite Chapter 2’s Season 4 has a lot of content packed into its battle pass. Each Marvel skin, including Thor, She-Hulk, Mystique, Storm, Groot, Wolverine, and Iron Man, comes with a set of Awakening Challenges that unlock special emotes. Many of these unlockables come with Easter Eggs that give you special cosmetic abilities. They don’t make you better at getting victory royales, but they’re still cool.

You’ll need to complete each challenge below while wearing the relevant skin. Be sure to take it easy on other players you find at the challenge locations; they’re trying to do the same thing you are. Here is a breakdown of all the Fortnite Awakening Challenges for each of the Season 4 battle pass heroes.

Thor: Fortnite Thor Awakening Challenges

Thor unlocks as soon as you purchase the battle pass. He comes with an additional harvesting challenge that unlocks his legendary Mjolnir hammer as a harvesting tool. All you need to do is visit Mjolnir, located near Weeping Woods, while wearing the skin.

• Stage 1 of 3 – Visit Bifrost marks as Thor
• Stage 2 of 3 – Deal Damage to Opponents Using Mjolnir as Thor (100)
• Stage 3 of 3 – Emote as Thor at Mountain Top Ruins

Thor’s challenges are fairly straightforward. First, you’ll need to visit the Bifrost Marks located near the Sentinel Graveyard and Weeping Woods on the E5 tile on the map. After that you’ll need to hit people with Mjolnir for 100 damage. Lastly, visit the mountaintop ruins on the snowy peak next to Misty Meadows. Emote and you’ll unlock the God of Thunder emote.

She-Hulk: Fortnite She-Hulk Awakening Challenges

She-Hulk’s Awakening Challenges unlock at level 29 and will earn you the Gamma Overload emote that transforms Jennifer Walters into She-Hulk.

• Stage 1 of 3 – Visit Jennifer Walters’ office as Jennifer Walters
• Stage 2 of 3 – Eliminate Doctor Doom’s henchmen as Jennifer Walters (3)
• Stage 3 of 3 – Emote as Jennifer Walters after smashing Vases

Jennifer Walters’ office is located in Retail Row. It’s distinguishable by the big sign out front. Once you do that you’ll need to head to Doom’s Domain and eliminate Doctor Doom henchman. Lastly you’ll need to emote after smashing vases somewhere on the map. There are plenty of locations with vases, including Retail Row and Holly Hedges.

Groot: Fortnite Groot Awakening Challenges

Groot’s Awakening Challenges unlock when you reach level 46 on the battle pass. His emote Battle Brother brings out his best bud, Rocket.

• Rescue Sapling Groot from Holly Hedges Nursery
• Stage 1 of 2 – Plant a seed on a heart-shaped island as Groot
• Stage 2 of 2 – Emote as Groot at a Friendship monument

This challenge starts off with a Baby Groot rescue. You’ll need to go to the Nursery at Holly Hedges and pick Baby Groot up, who is hiding between three plants. Next you’ll need to head off the coast of the left hand side of the map and plant a seed on the heart shape island located in the A4 tile on the map. Lastly you need to emote at the friendship monument, the high-fiving Hay Man and Pipe Man statues, located west of Sweaty Sands and east of Fort Crumpet.

Storm: Fortnite Storm Awakening Challenges

Storm’s Awakening Challenges unlock at level 60.

• Stage 1 of 3 – Visit the Weather Station as Storm
• Stage 2 of 3 – Ride the Steamy Stacks in the storm as Storm
• Stage 3 of 3 – Emote as Storm at the center of the eye of the storm

Storm’s Awakening Challenges are more difficult than the other heroes. Head to the weather station south of Catty Corner to complete the first stage. After that you’ll need to head to Steamy Stacks and use the steam there to glide through the storm. Lastly, players need to emote while standing on one of the robots in the Sentinel Graveyard in order to complete stage three. A prompt will show up when you’re in the right location.

Doctor Doom: Fortnite Doctor Doom Awakening Challenges

Dr. Doom’s Awakening Challenges unlock at level 74. His Victory Von Doom emote brings out a huge throne for him to sit in.

• Stage 1 of 3 – Visit Doctor Doom’s statue as Doctor Doom
• Stage 2 of 3 – Visit a giant throne as Doctor Doom
• Stage 3 of 3 – Emote as Doctor Doom during a Victory Royale

Players will need to visit Doctor Doom’s statue, located in the center of Doom’s Domain, to start this series of challenges off. Once that’s finished head over to the mountains to the east of Retail Row to visit a giant throne. Lastly, players need to emote as Doctor Doom after winning a match.

Mystique: Fortnite Mystique Awakening Challenges

Mystique’s Awakening Challenges unlock at level 86. Her Shapeshifter emote lets players copy the skins of players they eliminate.

• Stage 1 of 3 – Use a Phone Booth as Mystique
• Stage 2 of 3 – Deal damage with different rarity pistols as Mystique (3)
• Stage 3 of 3 – Emote as Mystique after eliminating an opponent

Players will need to start these challenges by entering a phone booth as Mystique. There are ones in Doom’s Domain, Catty Corner, and elsewhere on the map. Next players will need to do damage with three different colored pistols throughout different matches. Once players do that they’ll need to eliminate someone and then take her new emote for a spin.

Iron Man: Fortnite Tony Stark Awakening Challenges

Iron Man is the last hero you’ll unlock in the battle pass. His Awakening Challenges, and the Suit Up Emote, become available at level 100

• Stage 1 of 3 – Reach 88 on the speedometer in a Whiplash as Tony Stark
• Stage 2 of 3 – Use an Upgrade Bench as Tony Stark
• Stage 3 of 3 – Emote as Tony Stark in the Stark Workshop

Players will need to find the Whiplash sports car and speed up to 88 MPH while driving to complete the first challenge. After that they’ll need to upgrade a weapon at one of the many Upgrade Benches scattered around the map. Lastly players will need to emote as Tony Stark in the Stark Workshop located east of The Authority right on the other side of the river.

Destiny 2’s new Stasis sub-classes are set to shake up Bungie’s sandbox in a big way when they’re introduced in November’s Beyond Light expansion, offering players more options for teamwork as opposed to using overwhelming force to tear through enemies. Earlier this week, Bungie detailed how the new Warlock Shadebinder sub-class can immobilize foes from afar and then move in close for the kill with staff-based melee attacks.

Today’s update on the Bungie blog revealed how Titans will become Behemoths when players harness the power of the Darkness. While Warlock Shadebinders are specialists at freezing opponents and Hunter Revenants can slow enemies down, the Behemoth sub-class can use Stasis for both offense and defense.

Behemoths can control the battlefield by creating crystalline walls to block enemy gunfire, or they can stop adversaries in their tracks with their new Super ability. Called Glacial Quake, the Titan Behemoth’s new attack first forms a crystalline gauntlet around their fist that is then slammed into the ground and freezes enemies in place. Crystal armor then encases the Behemoth, allowing them to run faster, jump higher, and hit harder.

Bungie says that these new Titan Stasis abilities do allow for some finesse, as players can cancel a slide and use that momentum to launch into a massive Stasis-powered leap, which can also be canceled and transformed into a devastating slam attack.

A new Fragment and Aspect was also shown off for the Behemoth. One of the Titan’s class-specific Fragments is the Tectonic Harvest, which creates Stasis shards whenever a crystal is shattered. Grabbing one of these shards up will grant you or your allies more melee energy when picked up. The Whisper of Durance Fragment can also be slotted into the Aspect, granting Titans increased strength and extending the duration of effects that slow enemies down.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be able to add Beyond Light to their collection when it releases, along with the Forsaken and Shadowkeep expansions. These will also be arriving “soon” according to the September update for Xbox Game Pass.

CD Projekt has revealed gameplay for its upcoming mobile AR game, The Witcher: Monster Slayer, showing off melee combat, magic, and more.

In a video on Twitter, we’re shown a variety of Witcher monsters in real-life locations, as well as a digital silver sword being used to both attack and block.

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We also see how the game will place monsters on the real-world map, before being selected to fight.

Inside combat, we see player health and stamina bars, an enemy health bar, and buttons to activate abilities. It appears you can use bombs that deal different damage types, and can draw Signs to activate the Witcher’s brand of magic.

There are also quieter activities – we see quests taken from NPCs, and investigation sequences. Ever wanted to look up close at a digital horse’s head? Now’s your chance!

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Announced last week, The Witcher: Monster Slayer is a free-to-play AR game developed by Spokko, and will take into acccount weather and time of day to present you with your various quarry.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Twitch has rolled out its Watch Parties feature to all creators worldwide, allowing the platform’s streamers and subscribers to watch Amazon Prime Video together.

The Verge reports that anyone with an Amazon Prime Video account can now host a public Watch Party when accessing Twitch via a desktop, with other Amazon Prime Video account holders invited to participate and watch the stream. It adds, “Watch Parties is currently not available on mobile devices, but Twitch is working on it and expects to roll out said feature in the coming months.”

It is also important to note that Amazon’s library of movies and TV shows will be restricted based on an individual user’s geographical location despite the feature now being globally accessible. Amazon’s catalogue varies between regions, therefore the streaming of licensed content will be prohibited on titles that are unavailable in the host country. For instance, US residents will not be allowed to stream or watch UK-only titles, such as Star Trek: Picard.

Twitch started rolling out the Watch Party feature in October of last year, allowing some creators to test out the function and come together with their viewers to watch, react, and discuss any movie or TV show that is available with their Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. Twitch made the feature more widely available to users in the US this year, before making the move to roll out Watch Parties to streamers and subscribers worldwide.

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While movie theaters were forced to temporarily close their doors during the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, streaming services witnessed a surge in online traffic, as consumers searched for alternative ways to connect with family and friends. Some turned to Netflix Party, a Google Chrome extension that allows multiple users to stream a Netflix show or movie together at the same time.

The global expansion of Twitch’s new Watch Party feature offers additional entertainment options for those hosting or attending virtual gatherings, with Amazon originals like The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Homecoming all available to stream. Plus, Amazon Prime Video is due to debut the highly anticipated second season of The Boys on September 4, with a special three-episode premiere.

For the latest on the streaming service, read our rundown of all the new movies and shows coming to Amazon Prime Video in September.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.