New Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Update Arrives Tomorrow

Capcom is back with another huge update for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Arriving for free tomorrow on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the action-RPG’s 12.01 update will add new weapon trees, a plethora of adjustments and tweaks, the Stygian Zinogre monster, and more.

The headlining feature of the 12.01 patch is the inclusion of the Stygian Zinogre, a fanged wyvern found in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Additionally, a tempered version of the Ruiner Nergigante monster is available to hunt. Of course, you’ll be able to craft weapons out of their fragments.

The 12.01 update also includes new weapon trees, armor pieces and sets, additional skills, and more. Further, you’ll get access to the Tundra Region, a new frost-covered cavern littered with frigid beasts and area-specific materials for you to hunt and gather.

Elsewhere in the patch, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will get more Horizon Zero Dawn content later this month. The second collaboration quest will open up on December 13, with the third collaboration quest following just two weeks later on December 27. These events will be available until January 9, 2020.

Check below for the full patch notes on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s upcoming update.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Full Update 12.01 Patch Notes

Required Space

  • PlayStation 4 (v. 12.01): About 2.1GB (only this update)
  • Xbox One (v. 12.0.0.1): About 2.8GB (only this update)

General

  • Added cutscene that unlocks the Tundra Region in the Guiding Lands.
  • Added new weapon trees, armor, and skills.
  • Added Stygian Zinogre (Stygian Zinogre will appear in a cutscene in the Guiding Lands, after finishing the story of Iceborne).
  • A tempered version of Ruiner Nergigante will now appear in the game.

Action

  • Removed the damage reaction from the startup of the sword & shield’s Claw Uppercut.
  • The sword & shield’s Claw Uppercut can now soften a monster’s hide.
  • Adjusted damage on the sword & shield’s Perfect Rush.
  • Adjusted design on how other players are knocked back from explosions caused by the gunlance’s Wyrmstake Blast.
  • Adjusted various dual blade actions.
  • Instead of dropping slinger ammo, the dual blades’ Spinning Rising Slash will now wound parts easier.
  • Fixed an issue where cluster bomb reload speed was normal or reload wouldn’t perform while aiming when using the heavy bowgun.
  • Adjusted design on the hunting horn’s Extended Health Recovery so health could be regained even when taking damage over time.
  • Adjusted how much ammo is used by the flinch shot when the Slinger Capacity skill is active.
  • Adjusted the Frostcraft skill so that the insect glaive will no longer consume its gauge when performing a moving mounted attack.

System

  • New decor can now be placed in your room in Seliana.
  • New BGM can now be played in your room in Seliana.
  • New designs for the Squad Card added.
  • New Pendants added.
  • Starter-friendly Defender weapon line added (forgeable at the Smithy).
  • Starter-friendly Defender α armor set added (purchasable from the Armory).
  • New feature added to upgrade armor to its maximum level automatically with the available armor spheres.
  • When obtaining analyzed special tracks in the Guiding Lands or when analysis is finished, other players in your expedition will now obtain the same special tracks.
  • The leader of the Guiding Lands expedition can now decrease specific region levels manually by speaking to the Handler.
  • New layered armor added.
  • New Weapon Pose added. Your hunter will perform different poses depending on the equipped weapon.

Miscellaneous

  • Region Level Fix option available while in the Guiding Lands.
  • Changed design so all ammo types are reloaded when exiting your tent with a bowgun equipped.
  • Red, white, and, orange Kinsect extract can now be harvested from the training area’s wagon.
  • Shining Wyvern Blade was renamed to Platinum Dawn. (This name was changed to match its appearance)
  • Lowered the frequency of the Palico’s voice playback while in standby mode.
  • The following decorations are now easier to obtain:
  • Blaze Jewel+ 4, Stream Jewel+ 4, Frost Jewel+ 4, Bolt Jewel+ 4, Dragon Jewel+ 4, Venom Jewel+ 4, Paralyzer Jewel+ 4, Sleep Jewel+ 4, Blast Jewel+ 4

Bug Fixes and Balance Adjustments

Base/Facility

  • Fixed an issue with the priority level of certain meals added to the canteen in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
  • Fixed an issue that wouldn’t allow you to create Rajang items obtained from the Guiding Lands at the Elder Melder.
  • Fixed an issue where the music player in your room in Seliana wouldn’t appear.
  • Fixed an issue where the game would freeze when displaying certain dual blades in the Equipment Display in Your Room in Seliana.
  • Fixed an issue where when placing pets via the Housekeeper, specific steps would cause an error.
  • Adjusted the conditions to unlock the BGM “The Invading Tyrant – Bazelgeuse” for the music player.
  • Fixed an issue where after eating a meal at the Canteen, the time before your stamina is reduced isn’t reset.

Monsters

  • Fixed an issue where Brachydios would get stuck on top of ledges in the special arena.
  • Fixed an issue where during multiplayer, the explosions caused by Tempered Brachydios’ slime would not be synchronized between players.
  • Fixed an issue where certain monsters would always be displayed during low-rank quests in the Ancient Forest even if they don’t appear in the quest itself.
  • Tweaked the rewards upon breaking Zinogre’s head, along with adding rewards.
  • Fixed an issue where Legiana would continue to walk instead of fly after an avalanche is triggered in area 4 of the Hoarfrost Reach.
  • Fixed an issue where Nightshade Paolumu wouldn’t drop a shiny after a turf war with certain monsters.
  • Fixed an issue where Velkhana wouldn’t sustain damage in its turf war with Ruiner Nergigante.
  • Fixed an issue where stamina wouldn’t decrease while mounted on top of Gold Rathian.
  • Fixed an issue where master rank Lunastra wouldn’t use its flare attack.
  • Fixed an issue where Gold Rathian would take more time than usual to land after attacking with its hellfire breath.
  • Fixed an issue where, in the Coral Highlands, Namielle would sometimes fall into an area it isn’t designated to go.
  • Fixed an issue where certain attacks from monsters would hit twice.
  • Fixed an issue where the clutch claw would work during certain monster actions even when it shouldn’t.
  • Fixed an issue where the color of Seething Bazelgeuse’s scales wouldn’t correspond to its powered-up state.
  • Fixed an issue where Namielle’s water pools wouldn’t react to the monster’s electric attacks.
  • Fixed an issue where Gold Rathian would roar non-stop if led to a specific area of the Elder’s Recess.
  • Fixed an issue in Ver. 11.50 where analyzed special tracks could be obtained while mining from Uragaan or Radobaan’s back in the Guiding Lands. We apologize for not notifying players of this earlier.
  • Adjusted how long an elder dragon and certain monsters stay in the same area of the Guiding Lands.

Player

  • Fixed an issue where the Long Sword’s Foresight Slash or Iai Slash or the Evasion Mantle would successfully trigger an evade when the monster is knocked down, even if no attack hitbox was present.
  • Fixed an issue where Lunastra’s info in the Guiding Lands menu wouldn’t appear under certain conditions.
  • Fixed an issue where if you don’t have the Surveyor Kit, and under certain conditions talked to the Lynian Researcher, the first tutorial for the Surveyor Set wouldn’t appear and you wouldn’t be able to obtain the item.
  • Fixed an issue where in the Coral Highlands, monsters would get caught in environmental traps instead of being knocked down as a result of colliding with a wall from a clutch claw flinch shot.
  • Fixed an issue where Health Boost skill increases wouldn’t display properly to other players during multiplayer.
  • Fixed an issue where only the effect sound plays in certain situations after the heavy bowgun autoloads its ammo.
  • Fixed an issue where icon colors would not display correctly when upgrading a weapon.
  • Fixed an issue where the upgrade state of equipment wouldn’t be reflected when updating an equipment loadout.
  • Fixed an issue where in specific situations, slinger ammo would get embedded into walls, etc., when performing a clutch claw weapon attack on a monster.
  • Fixed an issue where the Master Gatherer skill effect wouldn’t activate when mining with the pickaxe.
  • Fixed an issue where auto shoutouts would display unintentionally after using the clutch claw to slam a monster into a wall.
  • Fixed an issue where the attack and control guide would not match after a backwards evade with the sword & shield.
  • Fixed an issue where skills related to draw attacks would be consumed if the draw attack came into contact with Velkhana’s frost.
  • Fixed an issue where a flinch shot would occur when grappled onto a monster, even though no button had been pressed.
  • Fixed an issue where a critical hit effect would appear when wounding a monster’s hide after hitting it with the sword & shield’s Claw Uppercut.
  • Made adjustments to the dual blades’ Spinning Rising Slash along with increasing some elemental scaling.
  • Fixed an issue where players would still be inflicted with an elemental blight even when guarding certain monster attacks.
  • Fixed an issue where the position of certain weapons while sheathed was inaccurate.
  • Fixed an issue where, while searching under specific criteria, the 2nd page of SOS flares couldn’t be viewed.
  • Fixed an issue where the effect for the charge blade’s Power Axe Mode would continue to display.
  • Fixed an issue where player character behavior would become erratic if the player becomes zombified in mid-air while close to a ledge.
  • Fixed an issue where some skin color on the player character would not display properly when the zombification status is removed.
  • Fixed an issue where the default color for the Gastodon layered armor was unnatural.
  • Fixed an issue where correct defense numbers were not being shown when defense-related skills are activated when forging or changing equipment.
  • PS4 –Fixed an issue where, when holding down the Triangle button to continue to reload while aiming the Heavy Bowgun, the reload would not continue after reloading Cluster Bombs.
  • Xbox One – Fixed an issue where, when holding down the Y button to continue to reload while aiming the Heavy Bowgun, the reload would not continue after reloading Cluster Bombs.
  • Fixed an issue where Palico commands would change places in the item window after switching Palico gadgets.
  • Fixed an issue where the hunter would not perform an action when a button is pressed after the player uses the left stick and a buffer input is recognized.

Miscellaneous

  • Fixed an issue where the directional button camera controls wouldn’t respond at times when using Item Control Settings Type 3 or Type 4.
  • Fixed an issue where the Select Ammo/Coating entry in the long-range weapon control guide would not display when using Item Control Setting Type 2.
  • [PS4] Fixed an issue where multiple actions would be performed at the same time when the player uses the Surveyor Kit, and the functionality of the L1/R1 buttons is switched in the Control Settings.
  • [XBOX] Fixed an issue where multiple actions would be performed at the same time when the player uses the Surveyor Kit, and the functionality of the LB/RB buttons is switched in the Control Settings.
  • Fixed an issue where characters could fall off the map in the Coral Highlands.
  • Fixed an issue where the analysis gauge would disappear when the player obtained analysis in progress special tracks or analyzed special tracks.
  • Fixed an issue where Molys would continue to dig into the ground.
  • Fixed an issue where activation conditions for skills that raise elemental power wouldn’t display properly when inspecting other player’s equipment.
  • Fixed an issue where the monster’s information wouldn’t sync properly between players when the monster is near death.
  • Fixed erroneous information in the “A Man and his Shield – 5” and “The Boaboa Challenge – 6” treasure tip.
  • Fixed an issue where multiple monster BGM would frequently switch and play during a quest.
  • Fixed an issue where the order of the item pouch would unintentionally change upon closing the application.
  • Fixed an issue where ranking information couldn’t be retrieved if a deleted player was registered in the rankings.
  • Updated an error message that is displayed when saved data is damaged.
  • Fixed an issue where portions of save data would be erased under certain conditions for users who have cleared the “Paean of Guidance” and “To the Guided, A Paean” quest.
  • Other minute game balance tweaks and minor bugs fixes have been made.

Now Playing: Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Video Review

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New Overwatch Patch 1.43, Winter Event Coming Next Week

Blizzard has announced a clarification for Overwatch‘s upcoming Patch 1.43. There’s been speculation that the patch will release this week, but Blizzard has confirmed that it is, in fact, scheduled for next week.

“We’ve been seeing quite a bit of misinformation being spread about our December patch (1.43),” Overwatch head Jeff Kaplan wrote in a blog post. “The patch is scheduled to go live next week. Short of some unforeseen circumstance causing a delay, we’re expecting to go live with the patch next week.”

Patch 1.43 will launch alongside Winter Wonderland, Overwatch’s annual winter holiday-themed limited-time event. “I’m guessing everyone is as excited as we are for the changes to go live as soon as possible along with Winter Wonderland,” Kaplan said.

Kaplan has admitted that players should come to expect fewer content updates for Overwatch as development on Overwatch 2 gets into full swing. Overwatch won’t have any new Archive events, for example.

Overwatch is getting somewhat of a unique sequel in Overwatch 2, as a majority of the content included in the new game (at least at launch) will also release in the original Overwatch. The two games will get the same new characters and maps and both games will feature multiplayer cross-play with each other. The content exclusive to Overwatch 2 will be all of the new Story Mode content–which doesn’t look like much at first but could possibly grow to a much more significant difference over time.

Currently, the only new playable character scheduled for Overwatch 2 is Sojourn, who’s been hinted at in the original game’s lore for quite a while now. Though they haven’t been confirmed, four additional characters have already been teased.

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What Were The Worst Games of 2019?

2019 has graced us with some great games, from the fantastic Resident Evil 2 remake earlier this year to some surprise hits in Disco Elysium and The Outer Worlds. But, for every good game, there’s a dozen more that don’t quite stack up. That’s right, we’re talking about the worst reviewed games of 2019.

Click through the gallery below, or scroll down further to see the full list of games, according to Metacritic scores.

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Zack Snyder Confirms The Existence Of The Snyder Cut

The never-ending saga of the Snyder Cut, the rumored extended, original version of DC’s 2017 Justice League, just got a bit more interesting. Today, Zack Snyder himself took to Vero–a social media website everyone thought was dead long ago–to post an apparent confirmation.

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“Is it real? Does it exist? Of course it does” written overtop of film canisters labeled “JL Director’s Cut” with a runtime of a whopping 214 minutes, which clocks in at a little over three and a half hours. For those of you playing along at home, that’s about an hour and a half longer than the theatrical cut of the movie, which was around two hours long.

Still, the confirmation of the Snyder Cut’s reality doesn’t actually mean the film will ever see the light of day. Dedicated fans have been working nonstop for two full years, even going as far as to rent out billboards and advertisements at major pop culture events like San Diego Comic-Con to beg for the movie’s release to no avail. However, with this latest development, and the recent support shown by Justice League actors like Gal Gadot on social media, it certainly seems like there might be something brewing.

Regardless of the Snyder Cut’s hypothetical potential release, DC does have a new film coming that is right around the corner. Wonder Woman 1984 is going to hit theaters on June 5, 2020. Perhaps there will be some sort of cross-promotional Justice League re-release to celebrate the release of Diana’s latest solo outing? Only time will tell.

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Here’s How Flashpoint’s Batman Survived

Batman #84 serves as the penultimate chapter of Tom King’s nearly four-year tenure on the series. Even at this very late stage, there are still some huge mysteries left to be solved. Issue #84 finally resolves some long-running questions regarding Flashpoint’s Thomas Wayne, the true mastermind villain of the series.

How did Thomas survive the destruction of Flashpoint, and why is he so hellbent on convincing his son to stop being Batman? Read on to find out the dark secrets of this twisted, mirror universe version of Batman, but beware of spoilers for Batman #85!

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FIFA 20 Removes Dutch Player After Nazi Comment

EA sports removed famous Dutch soccer player Marco van Basten from FIFA Ultimate Teams in FIFA 20 after the former Dutch national team captain said “Sieg Heil” during a recent video interview.

Van Basten is currently an analyst for Fox Sports and during an interview between Fox Sports and a manager for a German Soccer team, Van Basten can be heard saying “Sieg Heil” as the manager leaves the screen.

He said he was mocking the German accent of the reporter, and Fox Sports has suspended Van Basten for a week following the incident. EA Sports also announced the removal of Van Basten’s likeness from FIFA 20 from an in-game message that pops up when players log in.

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Here’s What Comes in Persona 5 Royal: Phantom Thieves Edition

Persona 5 Royal is set to launch in the US exclusively for PS4 on March 31, 2020. (Sorry, Switch hopefuls — still no news there). This is an expanded and enhanced version of the 2017 original game, which we awarded a 9.7 in our Persona 5 review. The upcoming Royal edition includes a new character, new story lines, the ability to customize your Thieves Den, new cutscenes, additional endings, and more.

As usual with high-profile releases, Persona 5 Royal is coming out in a number of editions, all of which are now available to preorder. We have details about what comes in each one below.

Persona 5 Royal: Phantom Thieves Edition Preorder

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New Plants Vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Update Out Now; Full Patch Notes Revealed

December has just begun and EA is already in the spirit of giving. The publisher’s Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville has received a holiday-themed update that includes new maps and modes, balance tweaks, and more.

The Feastivus Holiday update features a brand-new map for Team Vanquish, Ops, and Mix modes–Oozevoir. This map includes a springy pink goop that lets you bounce around for better vertical positioning. Other locations, like Giddy Park, have been reworked to fit into the holiday-theme.

You can earn seasonal costumes through Battle for Neighborville’s newly-implemented Festival Prize Map. Unlock holiday-specific wares like the Super Rare Abominable Chomper, Legendary Feastivus Master Engineer, and more by completing certain requirements on the prize map.

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Actor Patrick Stewart narrated a trailer outlining everything available in the update. EA also released the patch notes for the Feastivus Holiday update, which includes a new “Casual” setting for free-roam regions, updates to battle arenas, the opening of Rux’s Emporium, bug fixes, adjustments to things like controller settings and aim assist, and much more.

Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville Holiday Feastivus Update Full Patch Notes

General

  • Added an all-new Map: Oozevoir
  • Updated Giddy Park’s loading screen to a winter-themed version
  • Added new Grandmaster Ranks to the game so character levels now go up to 50 (current top rank is 20)
  • Updated the Social Tab to show the Grandmaster Ranks of all players in Giddy Park
  • Updated the Player Rank plates to make them easier to read
  • Moved completed Free-Roam Region Medals to the bottom of the screen
  • Updated the last Weekly Challenges so they now give Rainbow Stars instead of coins
  • Added a Vanquish/Vanquished Ratio to the end-of-round scoreboard for multiplayer games
  • Added new UI icons for Character Perks, including attack, defend, speed, and character-specific perks

Turf Takeover

  • Decreased capture time for certain objectives
  • Made it easier to hit targets on the final objective in Goopy Gully

Free-Roam Regions

  • Added new ‘Casual’ setting, reducing the amount of damage players will take when at low health
  • Added a cooldown timer to region Bounty Hunts and Gnome activities

Giddy Park

  • Added two new Festivals: Feastivus and Snowday
    • New set dressing for each festival with “snow” terrain and visual effects
  • Added three new activities in Giddy Park for Snowday Festival in January – Treasure hunt, Bounty, and Coin capture

Battle Arena

  • Updated so that the last player standing will now get a spotting and 10% speed increase buff to help them fight the enemy team

Rux’s Emporium

  • Included the ability for players to now purchase Costumes, Gestures, Emotes, and much more
  • Included the ability for players to purchase Rainbow Stars for use in Rux’s Emporium

Major Bug Fixes

  • Fixed the Scoreboard so that it can now be viewed when the player is vanquished
  • Adjusted mouse sensitivity options to have a wider range, allowing the user to adjust them to a much finer extent
  • Fixed the heal beam so that it’s no longer canceled when its target sprints
  • Fixed the issue where players could get a completed challenge after re-rolling

Controller Settings

  • Increased max aim acceleration
  • Reduced scale factor (ramp-up) for aim acceleration

Options

  • Extended our max value for controller sensitivity
  • Extended our max value for controller aiming sensitivity
  • Extended our max value for controller aim acceleration

Aim Assist

  • Adjusted assist settings when set to low
  • Adjusted acceleration thresholds
  • Reduced multiplier when facing aim assist targets
  • Reduced aim assist when pushing sticks to extremes
  • Reduced base aim assist area when aiming at a target

PC Controls

  • Adjusted ranges and step values for mouse sensitivity
  • Adjusted min mouse sensitivity value

Game Modes

  • Increased disarm time in Gnome Bomb
  • Reduced max time to be revived in Team Vanquish

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