Author: Trafficblast

Epic has rolled out another new update for Fortnite: Battle Royale. Following a slight delay, patch 10.10 is now live across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, and it brings back another classic area of the island and makes some welcome changes to the game’s overpowered mech suits. Here are the patch notes.

First, a Rift Zone has caused Mega Mall to revert to Retail Row. This time, however, the shopping center is overrun by zombie-like Fiends, making it a dangerous place to visit. This is the second area of the island to be transformed by a Rift Zone this season thus far; last week, Neo Tilted was turned into the Wild West-themed Tilted Town.

In addition to Retail Row’s return, Epic is kicking off a new limited-time mode called World Run. This Squads mode divides 16 players up into four teams, and the group that collects 30 coins the fastest will be declared the winner. Meanwhile, the legendary Infinity Blade has been unvaulted for the Sword Fight Squads and Duos LTM, although this time its environmental damage has been significantly reduced.

Finally, Epic has made an assortment of balance tweaks, most notably to the new B.R.U.T.E mechs, which fans have criticized as being overpowered since they were introduced at the start of the season. Now, a targeting laser has been added, giving both teammates and opponents a much clearer idea of where the mech is aiming. The mechs will also spawn less frequently in certain modes.

You can read what else has changed in Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode below, while the full patch notes can be found on Epic’s website.

Fortnite: Battle Royale v10.10 Patch Notes

What’s New?

Retail Row

A Rift Zone has turned Mega Mall back into Retail Row, and prices have dropped significantly. These discounts come at the cost of increased danger — bargain-crazed Fiends are spawning in the Rift Zone, and they want the shopping center all to themselves.

Limited-Time Modes

World Run LTM

Team Type: Squads | Respawning: On

• 16 Players.
• 4 Teams.
• The team to collect 30 coins fastest wins.
  • In the event that two teams collect the same amount of coins, the team that was faster will win.

Weapons & Items

• Unvaulted only in the Sword Fight Squads and Duos LTMs:
  • Infinity Blade
    • Reduced the environmental damage from 10000 to 600.
• Increased the number of resource stacks contained in Chests in Tilted Town from 1 to 3.
• B.R.U.T.E. updates:
  • Added a targeting laser that appears as players load and fire missiles.
    • In addition to the B.R.U.T.E.’s gunner, this laser is visible to opponents and teammates.
    • This is to help give clarity to all players on where a gunner is aiming their rockets before they’re fired.
  • Improved visual and audio feedback during the self-destruct sequence.
  • B.R.U.T.E.s can now be entered directly from glider mode.
  • Updated B.R.U.T.E. spawn logic for large team respawn game modes.
    • B.R.U.T.Es will now spawn intermittently throughout the match instead of waiting for Storm phases to end.
  • B.R.U.T.E.s abandoned in the Storm will self-destruct after 30 seconds.
  • B.R.U.T.E.s will reappear on the minimap after 15 seconds if no player is in either seat.
• On Saturday, August 10, we lowered the spawn rates of the B.R.U.T.E. per Storm circle in Arena and Tournament playlists. We will continue to monitor the impact of this change in advance of next weekend’s Champion Series event.
  • Beginning of Match
    • 21.5% chance that between 1-3 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
      • Previously was 100% chance that between 2-4 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
  • Storm 1
    • 44% chance that between 1-4 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
      • Previously was 100% chance that between 2-4 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
  • Storm 2
    • 40% chance that between 1-2 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
      • Previously was 100% chance that between 1-3 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
  • Storm 3
    • 40% chance that between 1-2 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
      • Previously was 66% chance that 2 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
  • Storm 4
    • 10% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E will spawn
      • Previously was 50% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E would spawn
  • Storm 5
    • 3% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E will spawn
      • Previously was 10% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E would spawn

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue in which opponents’ B.R.U.T.E.s would sometimes not be visible.
• B.R.U.T.E.s can no longer be used to traverse the map faster than intended.
• The turn rate of B.R.U.T.E.’s turret is no longer framerate-dependent.

Gameplay

• Retail Row
  • A Rift Zone has replaced the Mega Mall POI with Retail Row.
    • Retail Row now spawns hordes of Fiends who charge at players.
      • Fiends may drop a weapon, consumable, or ammo upon being eliminated.
      • Fiends cannot go outside the Retail Row Rift Zone.
• Chests and ammo containers will now open when destroyed.
  • Known issue: Destroying a Chest or ammo container by destroying the object it is placed on will not open it.
    • We plan to have this issue resolved in the v10.20 update.

Bug Fixes

• The Week 1 and Week 2 Hidden Battle Stars can now be collected.
• Fixed an issue in which the Bush would reset its displayed equip timer if the player tried to activate it multiple times. (Players would still be able to equip the Bush at the intended time, but the displayed timer would be incorrect.)
• Fixed an issue in which Supply Drop smoke would not appear if the box was not in sight.
• Trees no longer turn into different kinds of trees upon being damaged.
  • This includes snow-covered trees no longer turning into non-snow-covered trees.
• Fixed an issue in which Chests would sometimes already be broken or opened at the start of a match.
• The “Welcome to Tilted Town” message no longer loops when players enter/exit Titled Town. It also no longer overlaps Storm warnings.
• Walking over in-motion Bottle/Fancy Flip Toys no longer causes a camera issue.

Events

• Pushed a fix on August 5 to address an Arena matchmaking issue causing players to be matched within a wider Hype range than intended.
  • Because players are now matched within a narrower Hype range, some players may experience longer queue times. This is to ensure higher-quality matches.

VGC analysis suggests that around half of the core team that worked on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the last mainline entry in the series, is still working at Retro Studios today.

Around 50 developers worked full-time on the 2007 Wii shooter, of which around 27 still remain according to LinkedIn.

This includes four contractors that were given permanent roles and five of Metroid Prime 3’s 11 designers. In an announcement earlier this year, Nintendo said it had decided to “restart development from the beginning” on Metroid Prime 4. The sequel was revealed at E3 2017 but has been quiet ever since. Producer Kensuke Tanabe called in Retro to take over development on the project from its original, unannounced developer–rumoured to be Bandai Namco–so it’s safe to assume former Metroid Prime alums will be working on the new game.

Most of the lead creators from the series have moved on, however. Mark Pacini, the lead designer for all three Metroid Prime games, left Retro in 2008 to found Armature Studio. The developer put out ReCore in 2016, and has since collaborated with Epic Games in providing development support for Fortnite: Save the World. A further seven creators departed Retro to join Bluepoint Games, which has developed the recent remake of Shadow of the Colossus, and also released remastered bundles such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.

Retro has been hiring for Metroid Prime 4 ever since Nintendo announced the studio’s work on the project.

Both Amazon and Best Buy are now selling the new and improved Nintendo Switch model, with the latter currently advertising $25 extra trade-in credit for those looking to purchase the updated console.

The star of the show for the updated Switch model is longer battery life. Nintendo’s official estimate puts the new model’s battery life between 4.5 and 9 hours, depending on the game you’re playing. This is an improvement over the original Switch, which lasted for between 2.5 and 6.5 hours, and the 3 to 7 hours offered by the upcoming Switch Lite.

Early tests run by a Hong Kong YouTube channel called MeeMeGame Channel, shows the new Switch lasting for five hours and 36 minutes while playing launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Another test shows the recently released Fire Emblem: Three Houses running for two hours in portable mode, with 60% of the battery life still remaining.

Kevin Kenson, another YouTube creator, had previously confirmed that the new Switch model has an updated screen model number, which would explain why his tests revealed that the screen is both brighter and closer to true white balance in tone. This would also fit Sharp’s announcement that its IGZO display would be used by Nintendo’s consoles in the future.

Beyond this, the updated Switch model’s Tegra X1 processor also runs cooler, which in turn keeps your Switch from heating up as much. It’s worth mentioning that despite these improvements, the new Switch model isn’t a comparable upgrade to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, so there aren’t any increases in performance other than a longer-lasting battery.

If you have one of the older Switch models and don’t want to purchase the new one outright from either Amazon or Best Buy, GameStop stores are currently running an offer where you can trade in the launch model for $225, up from the usual $200, as part of a limited-time deal. This brings the $300 Switch revision to $75, netting you a tasty saving. This offer is valid until September 15.

If you’d rather trade in your old launch model for the upcoming Switch Lite, you can use your $225 trade credit towards a pre-order for that instead. The Switch Lite costs $200 and releases on September 20, five days after this trade-in promotion ends, so you’ll need to live without your precious Switch for a few days.

For more Nintendo Switch news, stay on GameSpot:

Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.

Epic has always made a big deal out of the fact that the cosmetic items contained in Fortnite’s Battle Pass are exclusive to the pass and will never be sold separately. This provides an extra incentive for Battle Pass owners to keep coming back and playing every day, knowing that they only have one season to unlock every unique item available.

So it’s disappointing that today’s Fortnite shop update has arrived with a very familiar-looking pooch. Season 6 of the Battle Pass introduced pets to Fortnite as a type of back bling, including everything from dogs to dragons and chameleons. Bonesy was one of these pets–a small dog with a scarf–and had various styles throughout season 6, all more elaborate than this new store item.

Gunner, as the new pet is called, is a simple reskin of Bonesy. He has a slightly lighter shade of fur, is wearing a mask, and has a small skull logo on his scarf, but that’s about it. Epic isn’t fooling anyone.

Reddit user PhantomRacer32 made the following comparison to highlight the similarities or lack thereof:

Back in June, fans claimed Epic had already reneged on its self-imposed rule by selling a beachwear version of season 5 Battle Pass character Drift. However, the model had a new hairstyle, a completely new set of clothes, new accessories, and a separate back bling item, so it was somewhat justifiable. The same cannot be said of Gunner.

The Fortnite Battle Pass costs 950 in-game V-Bucks. The cheapest V-Bucks bundle you can purchase is 1000 for $9.99 / £7.99, leaving you with a few leftovers to spend. By comparison, Gunner costs a flat 1000 V-Bucks–more than a Battle Pass–for a barely noticeable reskin.

It sets a worrying precedent moving forward if Epic decides to sell previous Battle Pass cosmetics separately with only slight tweaks.

Fortnite Season X Coverage

• Fortnite Season 10 Battle Pass: Skins, Price, How It Works, And More
• Fortnite Season 10 Battle Pass Rewards: Skins, Emotes, Back Bling, Pets, And More
• Fortnite Season 10 Update Notes: BRUTE Mech, Rift Zones, And More
• Fortnite Season 10: Big Changes To How Daily & Weekly Challenges Work
• Fortnite Season 10 Map Changes: Rift Zones, Comet, Skeleton, And More
• Fortnite 10.00 Content Update: Titled Town, Automatic Sniper Rifle, And More

All four playable Vault Hunters in Borderlands 3 bring their own distinct flavor to the game, and not just in terms of their unique skill trees. In comparison to the Vault Hunters in previous games, Borderlands 3’s Zane, Moze, Amara, and FL4K talk a lot, constantly speaking their minds and responding to NPCs during conversations. Your choice of Vault Hunter won’t impact the final outcome of the main story at all, but it will influence how you perceive certain events and understand the relationships of specific characters–encouraging you to play through Borderlands 3’s campaign more than once.

“We wanted to make sure that if people said, ‘I want to play through this game all over again with a different character,’ that they would then feel rewarded,” co-lead writer Sam Winkler said in an interview with GameSpot. “Not just in terms of different mechanics but also a slightly different interpretation of some of the stories.” The emphasis on Sirens in Borderlands 3’s plot means Amara has a vested interest in the story’s events, for instance, and FL4K–a nonbinary AI–explores their growing sexual attraction to Ellie by flirting with her every chance they have.

Having played as all four of the Vault Hunters now, I love how much each one changes how many of the interactions go. Previous Vault Hunters have rarely felt like carbon copies of each other–their unique abilities mean each one handles in a distinct way. But within their respective stories, each one typically reacts to every event in a similar way to their teammates. There’s no new insight playing as Brick instead of Mordecai or Maya instead of Zer0. So it’s a nice change of pace in Borderlands 3, and I’m already eager to see how each Vault Hunter uniquely responds to the streamer-like banter and violent habits of the Calypso Twins–especially Tyreen, a Siren whose curse-like Phase Leech ability and horrifying backstory (if true) write her as somewhat of a tragic figure.

To also encourage replayability, several side quests in Borderlands 3 contain choices, allowing you to impact the game in different ways. Don’t expect world-changing events but, for example, you can influence how certain characters will appear depending on what you do. In Borderlands 3’s prologue, for instance, Claptrap loses his antenna, and–for the rest of the game–he’ll just wear whatever you decide to give him as a replacement. “Maybe it’s a tin foil hat, or a human arm, or something else,” Winkler said.

Aside from the more vocal protagonists and additional agency in how certain side quests conclude, the story of Borderlands 3 is fundamentally the same character-driven tale of crass humor, murderous mayhem, and silly puns that defined Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Tales from the Borderlands. Almost every major character from the previous four games returns in this newest installment, though many have changed in the seven in-game years since the events of Borderlands 2. Because there’s been so much history in the franchise, Gearbox wanted to avoid making any of the previously established characters–such as Tiny Tina, Sir Hammerlock, or Ellie–into playable Vault Hunters. It was important that players were forced to use characters who had never interacted with Pandora and its inhabitants before so the story would then have to reintroduce the franchise’s lore, helping out series newcomers.

“There’s that wonderful cadence of Borderlands where the previous rounds of Vault Hunters become characters in the world, and that allows you the opportunity to learn more about them and where they’re from,” co-lead writer Danny Homan said. “But as a result, with Borderlands 3, you need a new generation of Vault Hunters because you need to see an old world through a new perspective. It’s so useful when you have a new cast who have just made their way to Pandora and they’re asking all the [expositional] questions that the players may be asking, like, ‘What the heck is a Vault? What am I doing here? Who is Lilith? Why is this robot trying to insult me and also give me stuff?'”

“We never want Borderlands 3 to feel like you have to know everything about the franchise in order to understand why a character is important,” Winkler added. “We want it to be accessible to both new and old players.” Not every bit of information in regards to past events could be fit into Borderlands 3’s early chapters though. As a result, Borderlands 2–which hasn’t seen a story expansion since 2013’s Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep–got new DLC earlier this summer, just ahead of Borderlands 3’s release.

“Our biggest goal with [Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary DLC] was to canonize some stuff from [Tales from the Borderlands],” Winkler said. “A lot more people played Borderlands 2 than Tales, and so we didn’t want people to ask, ‘Where’s Helios?’ when they picked up Borderlands 3.”

Tales from the Borderlands is an outlier in the franchise, the only game in the series that doesn’t star Vault Hunters as the main characters and also isn’t a first-person shooter. However, it took Borderlands’ ludicrous humor to new heights, and it’s this level of ridiculousness that Borderlands 3 strives for.

“A lot of people would say ‘Don’t do an extended five-minute gunfight without any guns,'” Winkler said. “And yet Tales did it and I still see that [finger gun fight] all the time on the internet. That’s the energy we want to bring to Borderlands 3. Have people say, ‘Did you play that one thing? It’s insane.'” In this, Borderlands 3 certainly seems to fit the bill. On Eden-6 (one of the new planets you’ll visit in the game), you meet an Ice-T-voiced AI that’s been trapped in a teddy bear by its angry ex-girlfriend. The jokes that follow in that particular chapter go to places that are as shocking and unsettling as they are morbidly amusing. Borderlands 3’s story is definitely closer to the creative weirdness and pretty-much-anything-goes tone of Tales, as opposed to the unhinged attitude of the previous mainline games.

If nothing else, the story told in Borderlands 3 seems to be somewhat of an apotheosis for the franchise up to this point–rewarding fans with the answers to many of the series’ most long-standing questions. You shouldn’t expect to have everything laid bare though, as Borderlands 3 expands upon the franchise’s lore with brand-new concepts as well. “There are definitely events from previous Borderlands games that kind of reach an interesting culmination in certain ways,” Homan said. “The focus on Lilith from Borderlands 1 to Borderlands 3–there are some interesting stories that we’re telling there. People love the Borderlands universe and there are always more stories out there, and so when we’re trying to wrap up a story, we’re always trying to see new stories.” Winkler added, “Whatever Borderlands ends up looking like after Borderlands 3, I think that people will be able to look back and see one, two, and three as maybe a trilogy. But not necessarily with walls on either side of it.”

Borderlands 3 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on September 13. On PC, Borderlands 3 has a limited-time exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store that lasts until 2020. Borderlands 3 will also be a day one title on Google Stadia, a cloud-based game streaming service scheduled to launch in November 2019.

As rumored, the actor, rapper, and heavy metal band co-founder Ice-T is voicing a character in Borderlands 3. Ice-T plays the character BALEX, an AI who is trapped inside of a teddy bear.

It’s all very strange, which is in keeping with the over-the-top and humorous themes of Borderlands 3. Check out the video above to see the section of Ice-T in Borderlands 3.

Ice-T is a longtime fan of the Borderlands franchise. Back in March, he himself started an internet rumor that he would voice a character in Borderlands 3. The game’s official Twitter account posted a joking reply, so it just a matter of time before this all became official as it now has.

It’s not immediately clear how prominent a character BALEX is to Borderlands 3’s story. GameSpot played a demo recently that introduced BALEX and saw players helping him take down his ex-wife, another AI.

One of the Borderlands franchise’s most recognizable characters, Claptrap, is now voiced by Jim Foronda (Dragon Ball Z Kai) after the original actor, David Eddings, left Gearbox amid a bitter dispute with his former employer.

Ice-T has been in the Law & Order: SVU cast in a recurring role since 2000. He also co-founded the heavy metal band Body Count.

He frequently tweets about his passion for gaming. He plays Destiny 2 on rainy days; he explores the world of Far Cry 5 while waiting in his SVU dressing room; and he believes the console wars are stupid. At E3 2011, Ice-T appeared alongside Cliff Bleszinski to hype Gears of War 3 and premiere a new song titled, you guessed it–“The Gears of War.”

Borderlands 3 launches on September 13 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The PC edition is exclusive to the Epic Games Store until April 2020.

For lots more on Borderlands 3, check out GameSpot’s brand-new preview, “Why You Might Want To Play Borderlands 3 More Than Once.”

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