Infinity Ward is increasing their efforts to ban racist names from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone, the developer announced in a recent tweet. The post says that they already ban users with racist or hate-orientated names from the game but additional counter-measures are being put in place to make sure names don’t slip through the cracks.
“There is no place for racist content in our game. This is an effort we began with launch and we need to do a better job. We’re issuing thousands of daily bans of racist and hate-orientated names. But we know we have to do more – and we are,” Infinity Ward said in the statement.
The tweet goes on to say that they will be adding additional resources to monitor and ID racist content and additional in-game reporting systems to increase the number of bans per hour. They will also be adding filters and greater restrictions on name changes in addition to increasing permanent bans to root out repeat offenders.
In recent days members of the Call of Duty community have been outspoken about the issues of racism and hate-orientated names and content in the games.
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“We’re otherwise encouraging that we all take notice of what’s happening in the United States, as well as other places around the world, and ask how we can all do more, as we must do more,” DICE said in a blog post. “Racism should not exist in our society. We stand with all of our African-American / Black colleagues and partners, families and friends, and everyone around the world who is ready to see it end.”
DICE is owned by Electronic Arts, which has pledged more than $1 million to organizations including the Equal Justice Initiative and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, along with others to be announced. EA will also double-match employee donations.
The Battlefield V Summer Update goes live on Thursday, June 4 across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The update introduces a lot of new content, including two maps, nine weapons, six vehicles, five gadgets, and three types of grenades, all of which are new to Battlefield V.
The update is approximately 8.8 GB on Xbox One, 9.75 GB on PC, and 9 GB on PS4.
The new Al Marj Encampment map is set in Libya, and it’s a smaller-scale, infantry-only map for up to 64 players. Its supported modes include Conquest, Breakthrough, Squad Conquest, and Team Deathmatch.
The second “new” map is an updated version of Provence. “The play area has been extended to include the farm land, and areas around the outskirts of town, bringing tanks into this battlefield on 64-player Conquest, and Breakthrough,” DICE said.
The new weapons include in the Sjögren Shotgun (Support), Chauchat (Support), M3 Infrared (Recon), K31/43 (Recon), Welgun (Medic), M1941 Johnson (Assault), PPK/PPK Suppressed (all classes), M1911 Suppressed (all classes), and the Welrod (all classes).
The new gadgets are: Doppel-Schuss (Recon), RMN 50 Grenade Launcher (Recon), Pistol Flamethrower (Assault), Shaped Charge (Support), and the Kampfpistole (Support).
As for the new grenades, these include the Firecracker, Demolition, and Type 99 Mine for all classes. You can see the full Battlefield V Summer Update patch notes below.
The update goes live starting at midnight PT on Xbox, before coming to PC at 1 AM and PS4 at 2 AM. Check out the image below to find out when the update arrives where you live.
Aerodrome – Removed the MG turret that was placed below the ground at the edge of the map.
Aerodrome – Removed the stationary weapon fortification that was placed into the ground near Sector F.
Al Sundan – This map has temporarily been removed from rotation whilst we address an issue with incorrect VO, following a change to the playable factions on this map. It will be returned to all rotations pending a Hotfix that we’ll be releasing as soon as possible.
Marita – Fixed a hole in the wall by Zervos Farm which could be exploited.
Panzerstorm – All standard modes now feature U.S. vs. Germany (except Grand Operations).
Panzerstorm – German Army is now set as the defending force.
Twisted Steel – All standard modes now feature U.S. vs. Germany (except Grand Operations).
Twisted Steel – Outpost – Fixed the floating barrels and barbed wire near Radio Tower A.
Twisted Steel – Outpost – Players should no longer be able to get stuck between the barrels and the bridge strut near tower D.
Underground – Fixed an exploit that could disable smoke effects.
Combined Arms – Fixed the missing tab on the end of round screen.
Firestorm – Players will no longer enter a bleed out state when playing solo mode.
Practice Range – Added the missing Panzerbüchse 39 & Boys AT Rifle bi-pod when using them on the range.
Weapons & Gadgets
New Weapons:
Sjögren Shotgun (Support)
Chauchat (Support)
M3 Infrared (Recon)
K31/43 (Recon)
Welgun (Medic)
M1941 Johnson (Assault)
PPK/PPK Suppressed (all classes)
M1911 Suppressed (all classes)
Welrod (all classes)
New Gadgets:
Doppel-Schuss (Recon)
RMN 50 Grenade Launcher (Recon)
Pistol Flamethrower (Assault)
Shaped Charge (Support)
Kampfpistole (Support)
New Grenades:
Firecracker Grenade (all classes)
Demolition Grenade (all classes)
Type 99 Mine (all classes)
Additional Changes:
Add-on Grenade Launchers for the Tromboncino and M1 Garand now try to switch to the main ammo type instead of the pistol when the player runs out of ammo. If no primary weapon ammo is available, a switch will be made to the pistol as normal. We think that this will lead to a better combat flow when the player ends up in these scenarios.
The Breda M1935 PG’s fire switching sound can now be heard.
Fixed a bug where smoke grenades would sometimes detonate in different positions for different clients, or not detonate at all.
Unified the impact grenade’s trajectory with the other frag grenades for improved consistency of grenade throws.
Slightly increased the time an impact grenade must travel, the amount it bounces off a surface, and detonation delay after bouncing. This won’t substantially change the gameplay of the grenade, but will improve the pucker factor of having one of these thrown at you.
Fixed a bug with the Lunge Mine which would cause another knockback, when it had been selected again after a previous use.
Vehicles
New Vehicles:
A-20 bomber (U.S. Faction)
P-70 Night Fighter (U.S. Faction)
P-51D fighter plane (U.S. Faction)
P-51K fighter plane (U.S. Faction)
M8 Greyhound (U.S. Faction)
Puma Armored Car (German Faction)
Additional Changes:
Improved the transition to ragdoll when players die in a vehicle and made it so the vehicle/wreck is followed for the victim to make it a more interesting experience.
Fixed an issue with the Hachi that was causing it not to steer as well as intended when moving at higher speeds.
Smoke screen weapons on tanks and airplanes now properly block spots, and name tags.
Fixed a bug that would cause the vehicle UI to show an incorrect position of the cannon, if the player had used it, and then switched seats.
AA guns now suppress on the same level as other vehicle MGs.
Planes
500lb bombs now have lowered blast damage, and increased irreparable damage to make it a two-pass kill.
BF-109 G2
Specialization tree changes to compete with P51K.
Start loadout includes spotting flares and 2x50kg bombs.
Engine or gun upgrade at tier 1.
Defensive options or finned barrels at tier 2.
Ground attack options or leading edge for tier 3.
Finally some less critical upgrades for tier 4.
BF-109 G6
Specialization tree changes to compete with P51D.
Start loadout includes nitrous, smoke, and 2x rockets.
Explosion protection or gun upgrade at tier 1.
Defensive options or finned barrels at tier 2.
Ground attack options or leading edge for tier 3.
Nitrous now functions in the same way as the super charger for the Pacific planes.
Finally some less critical upgrades for tier 4.
Soldier
New Soldier Characters:
14 New U.S. Faction Soldiers.
2 New Japan Faction Soldiers.
Additional Changes:
Additional fixes to prevent players from getting stuck in a bleeding out state. If this does not fix the problem, we hope that it will decrease the rarity from uncommon to rare.
Fixed a bug that would in some cases play the wrong voice over when a soldier spots a bomber.
UI & Other
Fixed an issue that would cause spotted enemies to not show on the mini-map if the player walked into their own smoke.
Added the missing descriptions for the Calliope and Hachi in the statistics tab.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
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Pokemon Sword & Shield: Isle of Armor gets a release date, along with some surprise Gigantamax forms and new items. Sega announces the Game Gear Micro, which is coming to Japan this October. It’ll be released in four different colors, each with its own selection of games. Earlier this week, Sony delayed its PS5 event. This turned out to be the first of many delays, which now include Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty, Madden 21, and Fortnite.
For the next six weeks, GameSpot is hosting Play For All, a summer gaming celebration and charity event featuring special guests like Troy Baker, Danny O’Dwyer, and many familiar GameSpot faces. We are all coming together to raise money for Direct Relief in support of those fighting on the frontlines against COVID-19, as well as Black Lives Matter.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the 2012 RPG from controversial former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s ill-fated development studio 38 Studios and publisher EA, is making a comeback of sorts.
New rights-owner THQ Nordic is re-releasing the game in August with Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. German studio Kaiko is said to be handling the re-release.
The product description on Xbox.com states Re-Reckoning will release on August 11. All the DLC from the original game–including Teeth of Naros and Legend of Dead Kel–is included with the re-release. The game also promises “improved graphical fidelity.” You can check out a series of images in the gallery above.
The Xbox product page appears to have gone live too soon, as THQ Nordic has yet to formally announce Re-Reckoning.
In September 2018, after THQ Nordic acquired the rights to Kingdoms of Amalur, the company confirmed to Eurogamer that Electronic Arts continued to hold the publishing rights to the franchise, so a re-release would require their approval. The two companies have now seemingly worked out an arrangement.
Original developer 38 Studios went bankrupt, and the fallout caused a great deal of controversy in the developer’s home state of Rhode Island. Studio founder Curt Schilling now works for the conservative website Breitbart.
Kart racing fans rejoice! KartRider: Drift‘s second closed beta is now live, and players who have been accepted can download the game and jump right into Nexon’s latest free-to-play racing game.
If you’ve been wanting to get into the beta but haven’t been able to yet, our KartRider: Drift beta code giveaway is still active for a few more hours so enter now! Players can continue registering for the game even while the beta is active—the cut-off date is June 8.
Those who experienced the first wave of beta testing for KartRider: Drift will notice a number of in-game improvements, including a totally redone UI, a cleaner HUD, a rearview mirror, and other balance changes to make your racing experience more realistic. This second wave of the closed beta also introduces a new character, Diz, and new courses for players to try out along with a variety of cosmetic upgrades.
For those who have obtained access but who are new to kart racing, there’s now a Racing School mode as well which lets you strap on your training wheels to enjoy some low-stakes practice races. Those accessing KartRider: Drift’s second closed beta will also benefit from daily login bonuses including new karts, and a White Cloud Balloon item when the game officially launches.
As of June 3, the beta is now live globally and can be accessed via the Nexon Launcher, Steam, and on Xbox One (with the exception of China and Japan). The game has cross-platform capability, which means that you and your mates don’t have to all be on same type of console to enjoy racing each other. There is no firm release date for the title yet, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled. For more information on the closed beta specifically, check out the official KartRider: Drift website.
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Gwent, the card game spin-off of The Witcher 3, has a new expansion coming. On June 30, players will be able to play the Master Mirror expansion, which brings back the ominous Gaunter O’Dimm.
As the trailer below shows, O’Dimm has been pulling the strings behind the scenes for some time now, and this expansion will bring him to the forefront in the card battling game. The trailer suggests that this will have some major implications for Gwent’s storytelling.
The expansion will add 70 new cards, including several faction-specific cards and a new Legendary card type. There are 11 new neutral cards coming, too, as well as new statuses and abilities.
If you preorder now, you can get the Gaunter O’Dimm skin and an evolving cardback. You’ll be able to equip them immediately.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
Among the new cast members for James Cameron’s Avatar sequels is Harry Potter actor David Thewlis. He’s now confirmed more details about his role in the sequels, clarifying that he’s not in Avatar 2, but he will definitely be in Avatar 3 and possibly Avatar 4 and 5 if they are made.
Speaking to Collider, Thewlis said there has been some misconception that he’s in Avatar 2. “I’m not in Avatar 2. I’m going to be in Avatar 3, which was shot at the same time as Avatar 2, and the plan is that I will be in Avatar 4 and 5, as well,” he said. “I just wanted to clear that up because somebody got that wrong recently.”
As announced previously, Avatar 2 and 3 are filming back-to-back, but whether or not Avatar 4 and 5 are produced will depend on the success of the first of the sequels.
Also in the interview, Thewlis said he was initially hesitant about working with Cameron–who he heard could be difficult to work with–but that wasn’t his experience on set.
“I loved working with Jim Cameron. I was a bit nervous ’cause I’d heard stories that he’s quite a hard task master,” Thewlis said. “I’d heard stories about the filming of Titanic, and that he could be quite difficult. He wasn’t difficult, at all. He was nothing but an absolute pleasure, and I had a great laugh with him. He’s something of a genius. He does everything. He’s an engineer, an artist, a filmmaker, and a writer. He’s just an extraordinary character.”
Thewlis also spoke about the unique nature of the Avatar sequels being very CG-focused films that required him to wear a motion-capture suit. “I didn’t really know what I was doing because I’d never shot in that way before,” he said.
“It’s not really like making a film, at all. It doesn’t resemble it, in any way,” Thewlis added. “Everything was completely new to me. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. There were lots of younger actors on set, who had to tell me what to do next because I felt like an old man. It was a great challenge, and I look forward to doing more of it.”
Avatar 2 is scheduled to come to theatres in December 2021, with Avatar 3 following in 2023. Should those movies succeed at the box office, Avatar 4 will follow in 2025 and Avatar 5 in 2027.
Calling all those who are fans of both Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Tiger King. Yes, that’s not a typo. There’s a new Star Wars Battlefront 2 Mod that reskins Han Solo as the infamous Joe Exotic from Netflix’s hit show.
Tiger King made our list of the biggest Netflix exclusives in 2020 and Joe Exotic’s popularity has skyrocketed accordingly. While a controversial figure amongst viewers, there’s no doubt that he’s made it into this year’s pop culture lexicon, so this Star Wars Battlefront 2 mod doesn’t come completely out of left field.
This mod is currently available on Nexus Mods, and it reskins the in-game Han Solo model to look just like Joe Exotic. We’re talking hairstyle changes, fashion faux pas, and more. Users who have downloaded the mod have been leaving comments requesting a Carol Baskin skin for another Star Wars Battlefront 2 character, but it doesn’t look like the original creator has delivered on that particular front.
The most popular mods for Star Wars Battlefront 2 now appear to be related to lightsabers and clone variations, but this Tiger King reskin has recently jumped to eighth place on the popularity list for now. It remains to be seen if Joe Exotic’s appeal will have any longevity for those wanting to do battle on Tatooine but for now, it’s a light-hearted addition to EA’s multiplayer space opera action shooter.
For those who haven’t kept up with the title in a while, the latest set of updates to Star Wars Battlefront 2 have been the original trilogy updates, adding new locations from the same set of movies as well Palpatine and Chewbecca as playable heroes in select game modes.
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Days of Thunder, the 1990 Tom Cruise film, received a spin-off game on NES back in 1990–but a different game based on the movie that was in development was scrapped, and never saw the light of day. Now, 30 years later, this alternate version of Days of Thunder has been reconstructed into a playable title by video game historians.
Chris Oberth was working as a programmer at Mindscape in 1990, and thanks to The Video Game History Foundation a never-before-seen game by him has been reborn. Oberth passed away in 2012, and the VGHF was later approached by a friend of Oberth’s family asking if its members could “make sense” of some of the materials Oberth left behind. In early 2020, the foundation was granted access to Oberth’s materials, in which they discovered a disc labelled “NINTENDO HOT ROD TAXI FINAL”.
Oberth was known to have worked on an unreleased Days of Thunder game, thanks to a three-part interview with The Retrogaming Times, and after some investigation and sorting through materials the team found close to 40 floppy disks, containing multiple encrypted and split files that would need to be reconstructed to get the game properly running.
The full read is fascinating, but the long-story-short version is that they got the game up and running–you can check out footage from it below.
While the game’s source code will eventually be published, and you’ll likely eventually be able to play a ROM of the title, the game also received a short publishing run with the permission of Oberth’s family; those copies sold out very quickly.
If you want to support game preservation and history, The Video Game History Foundation has a Patreon and a donation page.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
Borderlands developer Gearbox Software has joined the chorus in supporting Black Lives Matter and pushing back some of its scheduled plans for Borderlands 3 in solidarity with the movement. In a statement on Twitter, the developer said it’s delaying the release of the Takedown at the Guardian Breach update.
Additionally, the studio is muting its Twitter channel–with the exception of this announcement–out of respect for “what’s going on in the world right now.”
2K Games, which publishes the Borderlands series, said it’s adding another $1 million USD to the 2K Foundations Program and expanding its scope to include fighting racial injustice and inequalities in black communities around the world.
“Black lives matter,” the statement says.
Gearbox also confirmed that the ongoing Revenge of the Cartels event in Borderlands 3 will be extended until the Takedown at the Guardian Breach update arrives.
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