Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s next DLC fighter, Sephiroth, officially releases tomorrow (although you can unlock the One-Winged Angel early right now), but that’s not all that’s arriving this week. Nintendo has announced it is also rolling out another update for the Switch fighting game on December 22.
The company hasn’t shared any details about the version 10.1 update, other than it will “include fighter adjustments.” Ahead of the update, you’ll need to convert any replay data by going into the game’s Vault menu, as it will become incompatible once you’ve installed the patch.
Ver. 10.1 of Super #SmashBrosUltimate will arrive tomorrow! This update will include fighter adjustments, meaning replay data from previous versions will be incompatible. Convert your replays by going to Vault -> Replays -> Replay Data -> Convert to Video, before updating. pic.twitter.com/shaBh9Aspx
As previously mentioned, Sephiroth also officially unlocks tomorrow, December 22. In the meantime, however, you can unlock the DLC fighter early through the limited-time Sephiroth Challenge event. If you defeat Sephiroth in a stamina battle (and have already purchased his challenger pack or the Fighters Pass Vol. 2), he’ll be added to your roster ahead of his official release, as will is accompanying stage: Northern Cave.
In addition to Sephiroth, a new wave of Mii Fighter costumes is coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate on December 22. These outfits are based on various Square Enix characters, including Barret, Tifa, and Aerith from Final Fantasy VII, and the oft-requested Geno from Super Mario RPG. Each costume will retail for 75 cents.
In other Smash Bros. news, Nintendo is giving away another free item pack for the game. For a limited time, Switch Online subscribers can claim the Spirit Board Challenge Pack 7, which comes with a handful of items that will make it easier to take on tough Spirit Board foes. As with previous freebies, you’ll need to have an active paid Switch Online membership to claim this free item pack.
In 2020, we spent an incredible amount of time stuck in front of our televisions. Because of a raging pandemic across the globe, we couldn’t be with the ones we loved. So we made new friends with multiple streaming services. If you had access to high-speed internet in 2020, you probably spent some time plopped down on your couch, binging everything. But with so many streaming services out on the market, what were the best ones?
This year saw the launch of three new services: NBCUniversal’s Peacock, WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, and the short-lived home for short shows Quibi. With these new additions, the streaming space got a bit more crowded, and Quibi didn’t grab the viewership it needed to survive, and ended up closing its doors. Meanwhile, Peacock and HBO Max both launched without Roku or Amazon Fire TV support, which many streamers use to access these apps.
But what were the best overall streaming services in 2020? What companies changed things up in order to provide a better product to the consumer? In no particular order, here are GameSpot’s eight best streaming services for 2020, all offering up something a little different than the others.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
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Arrow Video Channel
The Arrow Video Channel is one of the newest niche streaming services on the block, but has quickly become a must-subscribe for fans of cult movies. The UK-based Arrow Films has been restoring and releasing the best in horror, action, exploitation, and arthouse cinema for nearly 30 years, and has built up a formidable catalogue of titles. So a streaming service was the obvious next step. From classics by directors such as Dario Argento, Wes Craven, Takashii Miike, and George Romero to Japanese monster movies, spaghetti westerns, martial arts epics, and Italian slashers, there really is something for (nearly) everyone on here, and the catalogue is growing monthly. Comedian, actor, and cinephile Patton Oswalt accurately described the service as “Criterion’s weird cousin who does meth but is somehow a Harvard grad,” and at $5 a month with a month-long free trial it’s ridiculously good value. –Dan Auty
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Shudder
The streaming service market is booming, and while many focus on general content with random TV shows and movies from various genres, no one does a genre-focused streaming service better than Shudder, the king of horror. Its library of original content and exclusive rights to movies and TV shows continued to grow in 2020. Throughout the year, live stream events featuring horror movies gave subscribers the feeling like they were doing something as a group in a time where we couldn’t be around others. Shudder also delivered one of the most-talked about movies–not just horror–of the year, Host–a film about a Zoom call haunted by ghosts. Additionally, Shudder had exclusive rights to two must-see movies: the Indonesian film Impetigore and the “so bad it’s good” Verotika (directed by Glenn Danzig). To top it all off, it’s one of the cheapest services around, costing $6 a month. So if you love horror, there is no reason you shouldn’t subscribe. –Mat Elfring
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Peacock
Of the major 2020 streaming service launches, Peacock had the quietest. Initially, it was going to host events from the 2020 Olympic Games, giving it a marquee event to build its subscriber base around. That, however, never came to pass when the games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Peacock arrived and is, at the very least, attempting to build an identity for itself. Its highest-profile original to date is the Saved By the Bell sequel series (it’s not a reboot) and it’s one that has connected with an audience. Another major stumbling block the service faced was that, much like HBO Max, it launched without support for Amazon Fire and Roku devices. However, that’s something the service remedied relatively early on. But what’s even more noteworthy about Peacock is what’s to come. While there are plenty of films and shows to choose from, the service will soon be the exclusive streaming home to The Office. If you want to binge the adventures of Dunder Mifflin and don’t own the show on DVD, this is the only way to watch commercial free. And it’s not just The Office, Peacock is already the only streaming service with shows like Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. So, really, who wouldn’t want it? — Chris E. Hayner
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Disney+
When you think of Disney+, Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar are the main things that come to mind. And on the streaming service, there is plenty of content around that. This year, Pixar dropped both Onward and Soul on the service, D+ launched its confusing and pointless Premier Access–which lets you pay extra to watch select movies earlier–and Season 2 of The Mandalorian dropped. However, within 2020, Disney+ continued to fill out its catalog, adding original content like a Taylor Swift studio session, classic movies like Big, and some great behind-the-scenes docuseries from Nat Geo, Pixar, and Star Wars. While D+ has been labeled as a streaming service for kiddies, 2020 is when they began to break free from that. And even if it is just “for kiddies,” it’s a pretty excellent kid-friendly service regardless. –Mat Elfring
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The Criterion Channel
When the much-loved Filmstruck closed down in 2018 after just two years, there was an outpouring of sorrow from movie fans and filmmakers such as Martin Scorcese and Guillermo Del Toro, who recognised the importance of a more cine-literate alternative to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Video. Filmstruck’s main draw was the Criterion Collection, the long-running and revered distributor of classic and contemporary films from around the world. Thankfully it didn’t take long for Criterion to launch its own service, and the Criterion Channel is every bit the equal of its predecessor. At any given time the platform boasts several thousand movies, with expansive revolving monthly seasons allowing film fans to explore the work of different directors, actors, genres, and countries. The last couple of months alone have included 1970s horror, Black sci-fi, Cary Grant comedies, modern South Korean cinema, Australian new wave, and spotlights on directors such as Terrence Malick, Bill Forsyth, Barbra Streisand, and Claire Denis. There are many great streaming services out there, but if I could only subscribe to one, it would be this. –Dan Auty
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Amazon Prime Video
Aside from getting free two-day delivery on stuff you buy through Amazon, being a Prime member is a pretty great thing in 2020, mainly because of Prime Video. The service’s original content continued to grow throughout the year with a new season of The Expanse and a new special from The Grand Tour–the gentlemen formerly of Top Gear. Blumhouse began their partnership with Amazon, launching four new horror movies, with four more coming in 2021. Of course, then there was the surprise release of Borat 2, filmed entirely during the pandemic, and we all could have used a laugh this year. However, Amazon’s biggest original breakout was Season 2 of The Boys, which took the world by storm, and was one of the best superhero TV shows–or movies–that came out this year. Prime Video’s catalog in 2020 has become the gold standard for original streaming content now. While Netflix may put out more original content, Amazon’s TV shows and movies, on average, are a lot higher quality. –Mat Elfring
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In the streaming age, there are plenty of choices if you want to ditch cable and watch live TV. However, most of those choices are getting more and more expensive and costing just as much as cable. While Philo is a stripped down version of cable TV, as it doesn’t offer sports or news networks, $20 is a pretty excellent deal for 63 entertainment channels–the vast majority of which you’re probably already familiar with. In 2020, Philo expanded by offering both Epix and Starz at an added price. It may not have the same name recognition as Sling or YouTube’s live TV series, but it offers a lot of what the others offer for a fraction of the price. –Mat Elfring
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Hulu
While most people think of Netflix as the king of general streaming services, Hulu continuously elevates its platform, offering content no one else can. In early 2020, FX and Hulu partnered–which isn’t entirely crazy since Disney owns FX and is a majority shareholder of Hulu. Through this partnership, full seasons of FX originals appeared on the service, Hulu got new episodes of shows the day after they aired, and FX also created original content like Devs exclusively for Hulu. In addition to FX on Hulu, the streaming service continued to pump out quality original content from the recently released revamp of Animaniacs to the Andy Samberg comedy Palm Springs. Combining high-quality original programming along with the ability to watch TV shows the day after they air on for many networks makes Hulu a must-have service. –Mat Elfring
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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company
It’s no secret that playingCyberpunk 2077, particularly on last-gen systems, can be messy,so imagining the game playing on Nintendo Switch sounds implausible. But a Nintendo enthusiast has found a way to get the open-world RPG running on Nintendo’s console-handheld hybrid–and the process involves hacking the system to access Stadia.
YouTuber Nintendrew uploaded a video to his channel demonstrating how he got Cyberpunk 2077 to play on his hacked Nintendo Switch. He discusses the game’s performance, which seems to run steadily at 720p when undocked and 1080p when connected to a TV, and how Stadia allows users to stream Cyberpunk 2077 to the system. There are a few required tools, like a Stadia account and payload injector, but Cyberpunk 2077 is apparently fully playable on Switch after downloading and installing a version of Google’s Android operating system.
Once Android is installed, Switch players can download the Stadia app from the Play Store and start streaming Cyberpunk 2077. Both Joy-Con and Pro controllers are compatible with Cyberpunk 2077, with controller mapping being identical to its Xbox console inputs. And of course, once Stadia is installed on Nintendo Switch, a bunch of other AAA, non-Switch games–such as Destiny 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order–can be streamed to the system as well. It’s worth noting that while Stadia isn’t directly available on Switch, Nintendo has released a few titles through the cloud, including Remedy’s Control and IO Interactive’s Hitman 3.
Check out Nintendrew’s video below, which shows Cyberpunk 2077 running in real-time on the console-handheld hybrid.
2021 is just around the corner, and Pokemon Go developer Niantic has now detailed the game’s first Community Day of the new year. The event will take place on January 16, and the featured monster this time around will be the Fighting-type Pokemon Machop.
Throughout the event, Machop will appear in the wild much more frequently than usual, and you’ll have a chance to encounter a Shiny Machop. The Fighting Pokemon will also be able to learn an event-exclusive move. If you can evolve Machoke (Machop’s evolved form) into Machamp up to two hours after January’s Community Day ends, it will know the Dark-type attack Payback.
In addition to increased Machop spawns, a few other bonuses will be available during January’s Community Day. First, you’ll earn triple the normal amount of Stardust for catching Pokemon during the event. Any Incense that you use will also remain active for three hours, and Niantic will be selling a special item bundle in Pokemon Go’s in-game shop that contains the following:
1 Elite Charged TM
4 Incense
4 Star Pieces
30 Ultra Balls
Like recent Community Days, next month’s event will run for six hours, from 11 AM to 5 PM local time. Niantic will also offer a Community Day-exclusive Special Research line revolving around Machop during the event. You’ll need to have a ticket to gain access to the Special Research. However, if you purchase a ticket for Pokemon Go’s Kanto Tour event by January 13, you’ll also receive tickets for January and February’s Community Day Research stories as a bonus. You can read more details on Pokemon Go’s official website.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go’s annual holiday event returns this week. From December 22-31, Ice Pokemon like Jynx, Snover, and the debuting Vanillite will appear in the wild more frequently, as will festive versions of Pikachu, Cubchoo, and Delibird. There will also be a variety of event-exclusive Field Research tasks to complete and holiday-themed avatar items in the Style Shop.
The Netflix movie Enola Holmes was one of the streaming service’s biggest releases this year, but it was also the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit, brought by the estate of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle. The suit has now been settled.
The character of Sherlock Holmes has been in the public domain since 2014. However, not every story featuring Holmes is–the last 10 books published between 1923 and 1927 remain under control of the Conan Doyle Estate. The Doyle estate had argued that the Sherlock of Enola Holmes is the more “emotional” version featured in these later books.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix and the estate have reached a settlement, leading New Mexico federal court to dismiss the case. It’s unknown what the settlement involved, but it’s very likely that it will enable Netflix to make more Enola Holmes movies, based on Nancy Springer’s series of novels.
This wasn’t the first time the Doyle estate had attempted to retain some control over depictions of the character. In 2014, it sued Miramax over the movie Mr. Holmes. This suit was also settled.
Enola Holmes hit Netflix in September. It starred Stranger Things’ Millie Bobbie Brown as Enola, the younger sister of the famous detective, who was played by Henry Cavill. The movie was originally produced by Legendary Films and Warner but was sold to Netflix earlier this year.
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In a tweet, Barone highlighted a couple of key features for new farmers just starting out after the version 1.5 update goes live. Those include a new farm type, Beach Farm. According to an attached screenshot, sprinklers don’t work on a beach farm, but it’s great for foraging and fishing, and sometimes you’ll a supply crate will randomly wash up ashore. There will also be a new Advanced Game Options menu, which lets you toggle aspects like your community center bundles, mine rewards, and whether monsters will spawn on your farm.
Barone didn’t give any new timing on the update, but he said just recently that it could release on PC this year followed by consoles early next year. That suggests it’s very close to completion and could roll out anytime in roughly the next week for PC players.
If you’re a seasoned player thinking of starting a new farm when 1.5 comes out, I’d like to highlight a couple of new features. There will be a new farm type, “Beach Farm”, and a new “Advanced Game Options” menu, from which you can adjust some aspects of the game: pic.twitter.com/iMnw2uGLEO
The 1.5 update is aimed primarily at providing new endgame content for experienced farmers, but he hinted at new surprises for beginners too, and the beach farm option seems to be one. It will also feature split-screen cooperative play, and a mysterious new door has been intriguing players with the potential for secrets.
While it may have been last season of Fortnite: Battle Royale that was Marvel-themed, that doesn’t mean the game’s connections to the franchise have ended. A small new set of challenges, dubbed Wakanda Forever, have been introduced to the game for the next three weeks, and completing them will earn you the Wakandan Salute emote–and the long-awaited Black Panther skin may finally be approaching its release.
The Wakanda Forever challenges are available for free, and there are only three total you’ll need to complete. Fortunately, this just involves playing the game–you won’t need to hunt down any unmarked locations or do anything unnatural. However, one of the three challenges is mislabeled: Despite saying you only need to play five Duo or Squad matches, you actually have to do this challenge with a friend, Epic clarified on Twitter; it’s working to update the in-game text now. Each of the three challenges has a corresponding XP reward, and once you finish all three, you’ll unlock the emote, which was popularized by 2018’s Black Panther movie. You just have to do all of this by January 12 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET.
Wakanda Forever Challenges
Play Matches (10) — 10k XP
Outlast opponents (500) — 20k XP
Play Duo or Squad matches with a friend (5) — 20k XP
Coinciding with this, Epic’s ongoing Fortography event, where players submit their best Fortnite screenshots, will focus on the new emote. You can submit yours by tweeting with the #Fortography hashtag.
Fortnite’s Wakandan Salute emote
Additionally, Epic says it will release a new Fortnite trailer today, December 21, at 3:45 PM ET / 6:45 PM ET. It didn’t say what this will involve but teased there will be watch parties on Twitch with MsAshRocks, Xmiramira, Prospering, and BlackGirlGamers. Leaks have pointed to the prospect of a Black Panther skin being added to the game for months, and it’s possible this trailer could be related to the arrival of the new outfit.
The finale of The Mandalorian Season 2 last week contained not one but two big surprises. You can read about the first here, while the second was that a spin-off Star Wars show titled The Book of Boba Fett is on the way next year. Now the logo and more details have been revealed.
The Book of Boba Fett will be produced by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Robert Rodriguez, and star Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett and Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand. Favreau is the showrunner of The Mandalorian, while Filoni is an executive producer of that show, as well as being responsible for animated Star Wars series such as Rebels and The Clone Wars. Rodriguez directed one of the recent Mandalorian episodes, and helmed movies such as Alita: Battle Angel, Spy Kids, and Sin City. As for the logo, check it out below:
The Book of Boba Fett, a new Original Series, starring Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen and executive produced by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Robert Rodriguez, set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, is coming to @DisneyPlus Dec. 2021. pic.twitter.com/YT2zbLufI8
Favreau was interviewed by Good Morning America, where he revealed that The Book of Boba Fett will start production soon, ahead of its December 2021 premiere on Disney+. He also confirmed that The Mandalorian Season 3 is on the way too. However, that won’t start filming until after the Boba Fett series, so we won’t see that before 2022.
The Book of Boba Fett is the latest in a variety of new Star Wars TV shows and movies that have been confirmed in the past couple of weeks. Other upcoming series include Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and Rangers of the New Republic. In addition, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins will helm a movie titled Rogue Squadron.
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film series is packed with many beloved scenes, but one stands above all for the director, and it’s not a scene he directed.
Sitting down with The Lord of the Rings super-fan Stephen Colbert, Jackson said one of the scenes that best captures the spirit of the project is one that came in late and was not originally planned. In The Two Towers, Jackson wanted to properly introduce Gollum, but the director remarked that he didn’t have a sequence that effectively demonstrated Gollum’s two-persons-in-one existence as Gollum and Smeagol. “We knew we needed it, but we had no time to shoot it,” Jackson said.
So Jackson turned to his partner in real life and on The Lord of the Rings, screenwriter Fran Walsh, to write and direct a scene that showcased Gollum’s identity. The scene from The Two Towers shows Gollum grappling with his pained existence, bouncing back and forth between what he wants and what the seduction of the One Ring is compelling him to do.
Jackson remarked that this scene, which you can re-watch below, has since become pretty famous, and it’s not hard to see why. “That was a late thought, because we thought we really needed it to sell it to the audience, who this guy is,” Jackson said of Gollum. The scene was also reportedly filmed on a budget, as Jackson said it only required a small crew, and they didn’t even need Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) for the sequence because the two are shown laying down sleeping far away from the camera. The scene does include a close-up of Wood and Astin, but this was presumably shot on a different day.
Walsh was nominated for six Academy awards for the Lord of the Rings series, and won three for The Return of the King.
While the Lord of the Rings movie series is over, Amazon is currently filming a big-budget TV show in New Zealand, and the production recently welcomed 20 new cast members. Outside of TV, there are multiple new Lord of the Rings video games in the works, including a game centered around Gollum.
Genshin Impact‘s big 1.2 update is arriving on December 23, bringing with it a huge new area, a host of new rewards and content, and some well-overdue quality-of-life updates. The update will bring two new 5-star characters across two banners–first, the sword-wielding Geo alchemist Albedo, and later in January the Cryo archer Ganyu.
Developer Mihoyo has now revealed the event banner for Albedo, showing that 4-star characters Bennett, Fischl and Sucrose will all be easier to obtain while wishing on the “Secretum Secretorum.” The new main character Albedo is a Geo sword user who seems to be designed for a support role.
Albedo’s story quest “Princeps Cretaceus Chapter” will launch at the same time as his banner and will be a pre-requisite for the Dragonspine-centered The Chalk Prince and the Dragon event. Accordingly, the story quest will temporarily be available to all players above AR20 without the need for a story key. After the event, the level requirement will be raised to AR40 and a story key will be required.
The event itself comes with some good news from Mihoyo–entering the event’s challenges will no longer require any of your precious original resin. All players can get the event-exclusive sword Festering Desire for free by participating. Like the previous Unreconciled Stars event, The Chalk Prince and the Dragon will have its own unique in-game currency and event shop to unlock rewards including primogems. The event will take place in four acts that will unlock between December 23 and December 31.
The new Dragonspine area also has a lot of new content that players will want to take part in even after the event is finished–including new daily commissions and world quests. One world quest will unlock a new recipe for Goulash, which will reduce the new temperature debuff Sheer Cold being introduced with Dragonspine. There are also new bosses in the area, as well as a new domain that will award the new cryo Blizzard Strayer and hydro Heart of Depth elemental artifact sets.
In quality-of-life updates, players will find they can now private message with friends and assign them nicknames. You’ll also be able to repeat a domain without exiting it after a successful clear, and co-op hosts will be able to end a session without kicking individual players. Mihoyo is also adding a handy new reward of one Acquaint Fate for every character ascension at level 20, 50, or 70, which can be redeemed for characters who have reached those levels prior to the update.
The new update also adds a bonus for returned players, so anyone who hasn’t logged in for over two weeks can jump back into the game for exclusive daily quests and bonuses.
Check out the full patch notes below for even more additions and changes. The 1.2 update will land on December 23, and players on PC can begin preloading the patch now from the game launcher. The game will go offline during the update, though players will get precious primogems in compensation for the downtime.
〓Update Time〓
Begins at 2020-12-23 06:00:00 (GMT+8) and will take about 5 hours
(Precise times are subject to change. Players may also experience disruption outside of this period.)
〓How to Update Game〓
PC: Close the game, re-open the launcher, and click Update.
iOS: Go to the App Store and tap Update.
Android: Open the game and follow the prompts to complete the update. (Or go to the Google Play Store and tap Update.)
PS4: Highlight Genshin Impact on the PS4 Home Screen > press the OPTIONS button > select Check for Update.
If you encounter any issues while installing the update, please contact Customer Service and we will help you solve your issue as soon as possible.
〓Compensation〓
Primogems ×300
(We will give a compensation of 60 Primogems for each hour the servers are down. If servers go back online sooner than scheduled, we will still give out the full compensation above.)
〓Eligibility〓
All Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2020-12-23 06:00:00 (GMT+8),
We will issue compensation to all Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours from the end of maintenance. Please log in to receive the mail by 2020-12-26 11:00:00 (GMT+8). The mail will be valid for 30 days, so don’t forget to claim the compensation before it expires.
〓Update Details〓
I. New Areas
New Area: Dragonspine
◇ New Area – Dragonspine: Travelers will be able to put their adventuring skills to the test in the Subzero Climate of the all-new Dragonspine area. Here, Travelers will discover a whole new exploration experience, filled with various puzzles as well as new quests and mechanisms awaiting at every turn.
◇ New Mechanics – Subzero Climate: Characters in Subzero Climate in Dragonspine will continuously accumulate Sheer Cold. When Sheer Cold reaches its limit, they will start losing HP.
New Feature of Dragonspine – Frostbearing Tree
◇ The ancient tree that should have slumbered forever under the ice and snow has sprouted scarlet sprouts anew. Offer the Crimson Agates scattered all over Dragonspine to this tree, and you may obtain just rewards in return…
◆ Level up the Frostbearing Tree to obtain rewards that include Acquaint Fate, Intertwined Fate, a wind glider, Weapon blueprints, and Gadget blueprints.
New Domain of Dragonspine – Peak in Vindagnyr
◆ Challenge the Domain to earn artifacts from the Blizzard Strayer, Heart of Depth, and other sets.
II. New Characters
5-Star Character “Kreideprinz” Albedo (Geo)
◇ Vision: Geo
◇ Weapon: Sword
◇ A genius known as the Kreideprinz, he is the Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation Team of the Knights of Favonius.
5-Star Character “Plenilune Gaze” Ganyu (Cryo)
◇ Vision: Cryo
◇ Weapon: Bow
◇ The secretary at Yuehai Pavilion. The blood of the qilin, an illuminated beast, flows within her veins.
◆ Take part in the event “The Chalk Prince and the Dragon” to claim the event-exclusive weapon Festering Desire (Sword).
◆ Explore the Dragonspine area and complete the corresponding quests to obtain the weapons Snow-Tombed Starsilver (Claymore) and Dragonspine Spear (Polearm) and their forging methods; make an offerings to the Frostbearing Tree to obtain the forging blueprint for Frostbearer (Catalyst).
◇ New Artifact Sets: Blizzard Strayer and Heart of Depth
◆ Challenge the brand new Domain of Blessing “Peak of Vindagnyr” in Dragonspine and obtain the artifact sets above.
IV. New Events (Version 1.2 Events No Longer Require Original Resin)
Version Main Event — “The Chalk Prince and the Dragon”
◆ Event Duration: After the Version 1.2 update – 2021-01-05 03:59:59 (Server time)
◆Event Rules: Original Resin is not required to enter this event. During the event, Travelers can obtain the 4-star sword Festering Desire for free. Complete various quests in Dragonspine to obtain Essences, which can be used to redeem items in the Event Shop.
◆ More events are coming soon. Stay tuned!
V. New Systems
“Stellar Reunion” Returnee Event: Return to Teyvat and obtain the sword Prototype Rancour!
After the Version 1.2 update, Travelers who meet the Returnee Eligibility conditions can activate the “Stellar Reunion” returnee event for the opportunity to get the 4-star weapon Prototype Rancour (Sword), Primogems, Fragile Resin, and other rewards.
◆Event Duration
For 14 days after the “Stellar Reunion” event is activated.
◆Returnee Eligibility
Must meet the following conditions:
-Adventure Rank 10 or above.
-At least 14 days since last game login.
-Over 45 days since last activating the “Stellar Reunion” event.
◆Event Details
The “Stellar Reunion” event comprises four parts:
● “Reunion Rewards”: During the event, returning Travelers can claim Primogems, Fragile Resin, and other rewards. Rewards can only be claimed once.
● “Passage of Time” Login Rewards: During the event, log in daily to claim Primogems, Fragile Resin, Hero’s Wit, Mystic Enhancement Ore, and other rewards.
● “Homeward Path” Quest Rewards: During the event, complete designated quests each day to claim rewards and accumulate points. When your accumulated points reach a designated value, you can claim the bonus reward Prototype Rancour (Sword). This bonus reward can only be claimed once! The quest list refreshes every day at 4:00 AM. Remember to claim your rewards in time!
● “Reunion Blessing” Double Drops: Returning Travelers receive three extra opportunities each day to gain double drops. These can be used to obtain double the rewards from Petrified Trees in Domains, Blossoms of Wealth, and Blossoms of Revelation using Original Resin. The amount of double drop opportunities refreshes every day at 4:00 AM. Remember to use the opportunities in time!
● After the event ends, event progress will be cleared and any unclaimed rewards will be lost. Remember to claim your rewards in time!
※ The refresh times above are based on the time of the server you play on.
VI. New Quests
1. New Story Quests
After the Version 1.2 update，Albedo’s Story Quest “Princeps Cretaceus Chapter: Act I” will be available.
◆ Ganyu’s Story Quest “Sinae Unicornis Chapter: Act I” will also become available at a later date.
2. New World Quests
◆ New World Quests in Dragonspine: “In the Mountains,” “The Festering Fang,” “The Great Mountain Survey,” “A Land Entombed,” “Lost in the Snow,” and “Ah, Fresh Meat!”
*By finishing “Ah, Fresh Meat!”, Travelers can obtain the recipe for Goulash. Eating this hearty dish slightly reduces the rate of Sheer Cold accumulation for all party members for a duration of time.
◆ New World Quest: “Return of the Jade Chamber?”
*The Story Quest “Fishing for Jade” will also become available at a later date.
3. New Commission Quests
◆ New Commission Quests in Dragonspine: “Floral Fresh,” “Fresh Flora,” “Emergency Supplies,” “Only Half-Frozen,” and “Eat It While It’s Hot”
2. New Animals: Snowboar, Cryo Crystalfly, and Snow Fox
3. New Recipes: Universal Peace, Jueyun Guoba, Sunshine Sprat, and Goulash
4. New Harvestable Resources and Materials: Starsilver and Chilled Meat
5. New Achievements “Challenger – Series III,” “Visitors on the Icy Mountain,” and more
6. New Namecard Styles: “Achievement: Challenger III,” “Achievement: Snowy Summit,” “Ganyu: Qilin,” “Albedo: Sun Blossom,” “Travel Notes: Chalk,” “Frostbearing: Ancient Tree,” and “Celebration: Hypostasis”
7. Spiral Abyss:
◆ Floor 9: Characters on the field will continuously accumulate Sheer Cold and will continually lose HP after Sheer Cold reaches its limit. There will also be a Ruin Brazier on the field. While the Ruin Brazier is activated, getting close to it will reduce Sheer Cold. Enemies will attack the Ruin Brazier on the field to stop it. After having stopped for a period of time, the Ruin Brazier will restart automatically.
◆ Floor 10: Characters on the field will continuously accumulate Sheer Cold and will continually lose HP after Sheer Cold reaches its limit. There will be a Warming Seelie on the field that will help reduce Sheer Cold for the surrounding characters.
◆ Floor 11: Your character will be periodically be inflicted with Engulfing Storm, which continuously drains your Elemental Energy until the inflicted Electro is removed. All party members deal increased Cryo DMG.
◆ Floor 12: All party members deal increased Geo DMG.
• System
1. Adds private chats with friends.
2. Adds function to edit friends’ names.
3. New Gadget: Kamera – When equipped, Travelers can take snapshots. Obtained via the World Quest “Snapshots.”
4. Adds camera height adjustment function and character expressions to the photo-taking system.
5. Adds Travel Log to the Archive system: Stories of all the completed Archon Quests and Story Quests can be reviewed in the Travel Log.
6. Adds character portraits to the Character Archive system.
7. Adds trackable map pins function to the Map.
8. Adds the option to repeat a Domain challenge from inside the Domain.
9. New character ascension reward: Travelers will be rewarded with 1 Acquaint Fate each time their character completes an ascension at Lv. 20, 50, or 70.
10. Adds element tutorial stage “Elemental Trial” to the domain “Temple of the Lion.” After completing the trial, Travelers can claim Weapon Enhancement Materials and Character EXP Materials.
11. Adds the new functions BP Animation Skip, Quest Story Auto-Play, and NPC Dialogue Auto-Play.
12. Adds new controller customization option in the Paimon Menu > Settings > Controls > Vibration.
13. Adds new weapon details display to the weapon event wish on the Wish screen. Travelers can view details about the 4-star and 5-star weapons with drop-rate boosts.
14. Adds a new BP Weekly Mission: Complete the Golden House challenge.
VIII. Adjustments & Optimizations
• System
1. Optimizes the Paimon’s Bargains page in the Shop: “Purchase with Primogems” has been moved to the last tab.
2. Optimizes the Domain and Ley Line Outcrop rewards system: Dropped items are directly added to the Inventory.
3. Optimizes Co-Op Mode:
◆ The host can disband the Co-Op team.
◆ In Co-Op Domains, guests and the host can both quit the Co-Op anytime without affecting other Travelers in the game.
• Other
1. Adjusted the order of voice-over entries in character profiles. (Only the displayed order was affected, not the unlock status.)
2. Standardizes the description of infusion effects for some characters or mechanics. (Actual effects remain unchanged.)
Within 5s of recasting Stellar Restoration while a Lightning Stiletto is present, Keqing’s Normal, Charged and Plunging Attacks are converted to Electro DMG.
New Description:
After recasting Stellar Restoration while a Lightning Stiletto is present, Keqing’s weapon gains an Electro Infusion for 5s.
◆ Diluc’s Elemental Burst “Dawn”
Original Description:
Releases intense flames to knock nearby opponents back, dealing Pyro DMG. The flames then converge into the weapon, summoning a Phoenix that flies forward and deals massive Pyro DMG to all opponents in its path. The Phoenix explodes upon reaching its destination, causing a large amount of AoE Pyro DMG.
The searing flames that run down his blade cause Diluc’s Normal, Charged and Plunging Attacks to deal Pyro DMG.
New Description:
Releases intense flames to knock nearby opponents back, dealing Pyro DMG. The flames then converge into the weapon, summoning a Phoenix that flies forward and deals massive Pyro DMG to all opponents in its path. The Phoenix explodes upon reaching its destination, causing a large amount of AoE Pyro DMG.
The searing flames that run down his blade cause it to be infused with Pyro.
Chongyun strikes the ground with his greatsword, causing a Cryo explosion in a circular AoE in front of him that deals Cryo DMG.
After a short delay, the cold air created by the Cryo explosion will coalesce into a Chonghua Frost Field, within which all DMG done through Normal, Charged and Plunging Attacks by Sword, Greatsword and Polearm wielding Characters will be converted to Cryo DMG.
New Description:
Chongyun strikes the ground with his greatsword, causing a Cryo explosion in a circular AoE in front of him that deals Cryo DMG.
After a short delay, the cold air created by the Cryo explosion will coalesce into a Chonghua Frost Field, within which all Sword, Claymore and Polearm-wielding characters’ weapons will be infused with Cryo.
◆ Bennett’s Lv. 6 Constellation “Fire Ventures with Me”
Original Description:
Sword, Claymore, or Polearm-wielding characters inside Fantastic Voyage’s radius gain a 15% Pyro DMG Bonus. Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks now do Pyro DMG.
New Description:
Sword, Claymore, or Polearm-wielding characters inside Fantastic Voyage’s radius gain a 15% Pyro DMG Bonus and their weapons are infused with Pyro.
…In this Stance, Tartaglia’s Normal and Charged Attacks change as follows:…
New Description:
…Tartaglia’s Normal and Charged Attacks are converted to Hydro DMG that cannot be overridden by any other elemental infusion and change as follows:…
3. Updates the description of Ningguang’s Passive Talent “Trove of Marvelous Treasures” by adding Starsilver to the list of displayed ore veins. The new description reads: “Displays the location of nearby ore veins (Iron Ore, White Iron Ore, Crystal Ore, Magical Crystal Ore, and Starsilver) on the mini-map.”
4. Adjusts the Exploration Progress for “Galesong Hill,” “Windwail Highland,” “Bishui Plains,” and “Lisha.” Travelers that already had a certain amount of Exploration Progress at these locations will obtain a slight increase in their Exploration Progress. Those who have already reached 100% in Exploration Progress will not be affected.
5. Adjusts the daily rotation criteria of Domain of Forgery and Domain of Mastery: From Monday to Saturday, rewards will not change, and dropped items will rotate among the three types each day. On Sundays, the drop type will no longer be random. Instead, all three types of drops will now be available for Travelers to select for their challenges. (For example, in the Domain of Mastery “Forsaken Rift,” Monday and Thursday drops will be Talent Level-Up Materials of the Freedom type. On Tuesdays and Fridays, Resistance-type materials will be dropped. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, Ballad-type materials will be dropped. On Sundays, Travelers can select which of the three types of materials will be dropped during the challenges.)
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