<![CDATA[ PCGamer ]]> https://www.pcgamer.com Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:29:30 +0000 en <![CDATA[ Today's Wordle answer for Friday, October 25 ]]> Whatever sort of Wordle help you're looking for, you're sure to find it here. Maybe you're after a little general advice, or a few game-enhancing tips. Perhaps you're hoping to read a hint written especially for the October 25 (1224) game, or simply want today's answer served up without any fuss. We've got it all.

I really had to fight my way to Friday's answer. Each new row was technically filled with new clues, the only problem was the yellow letters I did find insisted on staying yellow, and I couldn't see an obvious route through the letter-soup until the very end. Even then, it was a close call.

Today's Wordle hint

(Image credit: Josh Wardle)

Wordle today: A hint for Friday, October 25

You're looking for the name of a facial expression today. You'd pull this face if you were concentrating on a tough problem, or disapproved of something. 

Is there a double letter in Wordle today? 

No, there is not a double letter in today's Wordle.

Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day 

A good starting word can be the difference between victory and defeat with the daily puzzle, but once you've got the basics, it's much easier to nail down those Wordle wins. And as there's nothing quite like a small victory to set you up for the rest of the day, here are a few tips to help set you on the right path: 

  • A good opening guess should contain a mix of unique consonants and vowels. 
  • Narrow down the pool of letters quickly with a tactical second guess.
  • Watch out for letters appearing more than once in the answer.

There's no racing against the clock with Wordle so you don't need to rush for the answer. Treating the game like a casual newspaper crossword can be a good tactic; that way, you can come back to it later if you're coming up blank. Stepping away for a while might mean the difference between a win and a line of grey squares. 

Today's Wordle answer

(Image credit: Future)

What is today's Wordle answer?

One win, right here. The answer to the October 25 (1224) Wordle is FROWN.

Previous Wordle answers

The last 10 Wordle answers 

Past Wordle answers can give you some excellent ideas for fun starting words that keep your daily puzzle-solving fresh. They are also a good way to eliminate guesses for today's Wordle, as the answer is unlikely to be repeated. 

Here are some recent Wordle answers:

  • October 24: BOSSY
  • October 23: GOOFY
  • October 22: SHOUT
  • October 21: SPOON
  • October 20: DICEY
  • October 19: FIBER
  • October 18: STINT
  • October 17: HALVE
  • October 16: GRANT
  • October 15: CORER

Learn more about Wordle 

(Image credit: Nurphoto via Getty)

Wordle gives you six rows of five boxes each day, and you'll need to work out which secret five-letter word is hiding inside them to keep up your winning streak.

You should start with a strong word like ARISE, or any other word that contains a good mix of common consonants and multiple vowels. You'll also want to avoid starting words with repeating letters, as you're wasting the chance to potentially eliminate or confirm an extra letter. Once you hit Enter, you'll see which ones you've got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you've got the right letter in the right spot.

Your second guess should compliment the starting word, using another "good" word to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer. With a bit of luck, you should have some coloured squares to work with and set you on the right path.

After that, it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there's an E). Don't forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS).

If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used you can scroll to the relevant section above. 

Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn't long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it's only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes. 

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/wordle-answer-today-october-25-2024 auWMtNo2tpZSAw8mT3Ynsh Fri, 25 Oct 2024 03:00:36 +0000
<![CDATA[ 8 'dead games' that are still very much alive ]]> To play or not to play: that is the question that friends ask me when they're thinking of picking up a multiplayer game but hear that it's "dead." The game in question is almost never actually dead, but it's understandable why they thought it was. A still-somewhat-new fixation on player counts in our hobby has made it increasingly easy for spectators to glance at a SteamDB graph, see an arrow pointing down, and begin a narrative that a game is dead or dying.

Before such an absolute label became the default vernacular for multiplayer games, we more often asked a simpler question: Can you still find a match?

That's all that really matters when I'm looking for something to play, and when it comes to this list of games, the answer is absolutely yes. You won't find them on Steam's most-played charts, but they're still alive and well, enjoyed by a sturdy community and kept fresh through seasonal updates or the occasional balance patch.

Mechwarrior Online

mechwarrior online

Released 2013 | Last update May 2024 | Daily players 100+

I didn't know there was an online Mechwarrior game until my friends got really into it last year. It's free-to-play with a monetization scheme that's mostly about cosmetics, but my understanding is that paid mechs can have better weapon configurations that ride the line of pay-to-win (similar to World of Tanks). Still, I've had great fun in my free mech wailing on enemies a mile away with LRMs. Expect some lag as players from around the globe often need to share servers.

For Honor

for honor

Released 2017 | Last update September 2024 | Daily players 6,000+

The quintessential Ubisoft game that you probably assumed wasn't constantly getting updates anymore. And yet, the competitive melee fighter is well into its Year 8 roadmap, complete with battle passes, map variations, and the occasional new hero.

Chivalry 2

(Image credit: Torn Banner)

Released 2021 | Last update July 2024 | Daily players 3,000+

Chivalry 2 is some of the best fun you can have swinging a sword (or an axe, or a severed head) in a videogame and it still draws a crowd. It's a bit unique on this list because, as of July 2024, Torn Banner Studios considers the game "feature complete" after essentially doubling the size of it with years of updates. That means no more major patches are planned, but it still gets little events and regular maintenance.

Deceive Inc.

Deceive Inc's Chavez pointing a pistol

(Image credit: Tripwire)

Released 2023 | Last update October 2024 | Daily players ~100

One of the most unique shooters I've ever played. Deceive Inc. is basically competitive Hitman in first-person, casting a lobby of 8-12 as spies in disguise competing to steal the same treasure. Don't let the small player counts alarm you: finding matches is not a problem, and developer Sweet Bandit studios is still adding new agents, gadgets, and the occasional map.

Foxhole

tanks crossing a dam

(Image credit: Siege Camp)

Released 2017 (early access) | Last update August 2024 | Daily players 3,000+

The most unique and enthralling MMO I've ever played, Foxhole simulates a months-long war on a gigantic map between thousands of players. Its popularity has fluctuated over the years, but there's always at least one major war happening in a shared server. If you like the idea of contributing to a team without having to pick up a gun, play this game.

Quake Champions

quake champions

Released 2017 (early access) | Last update September 2024 | Daily players 500+

They say arena shooters are dead, and they mostly are, but not this one. Quake Champions is in its lane and thriving with a core community of FPS enjoyers who like to go very fast and can't be bothered to reload.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite

(Image credit: 343 Industries)

Released 2021 | Last update October 2024 | Daily players 6,000+

Halo Infinite caught flak for years for, well, not being very good, but those days are over. The Halo game that once struggled to get new maps through the door and keep a handful of playlists functional is now a bastion of variety. It's still getting maps and modes regularly (many made in Forge by fans). You don't hear lots of folks talking about it, and I kind of like it that way. There's a small, somewhat cozy vibe to Halo Infinite that reminds me of a time when fewer people crowded into games.

BattleBit Remastered

BattleBit remastered

(Image credit: OkiDoki Games)

Released 2023 | Last update December 2023 | Daily players 2,500+

The surprise indie Battlefield hit of 2023 doesn't have a huge audience anymore, but don't let that stop you from hopping into a full server and having a good time. Long gaps between updates for this one, but the developers keep in touch about future plans.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/8-dead-games-that-are-still-very-much-alive k8cKjZGVEY2cDRw2eXDFEX Thu, 24 Oct 2024 23:41:20 +0000
<![CDATA[ Modder adds something big that's been missing from Starfield: daily routines, schedules, and inner lives for NPCs ]]> One of my favorite things about Bethesda RPGs like Oblivion and Skyrim is that NPCs have lives of their own. Yes, technically, merchants have been brought into existence specifically to stand behind store counters and buy whatever garbage you've collected on your last quest, but these shopkeepers also close their stores at a certain time each night, go to the tavern, eat meals, talk with other characters, and sleep in their beds at night.

These NPC routines typically aren't all that deep but still do a lot to make the world feel like it's not there just to cater to your needs. That's been one of the big complaints about Starfield: it just doesn't feel alive the way Oblivion and Skyrim do, and part of that is because minor NPCs have no routines, no schedules, and no hint of inner lives.

As always, it's up to modders to pick up the slack. Modder FlippingEggs has created a mod called NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules which gives 40 NPCs things to do besides simply waiting for you to enter their shops. Now they'll actually close their stores at night and go do other stuff like real people. You can even snoop around in these NPC's lives a bit: in their shops or their homes, you can find datapads with information about them and their new schedules. 

You may see the downside to shopkeepers not being in their stores 24/7, especially since you're dropping in from space and aren't really paying attention to the local clock. No worries: the mod knows this is the sci-fi future and if you want to do some buying and selling in the middle of the night, helpful robots will be manning the front desk instead of human clerks. 

Here's a quick rundown of what the mod does:

  • 40 named characters now have daily schedules
  • 4 unnamed but unique characters now have daily schedules
  • 12 new robots work in various stores, so you can buy stuff when the store owner isn't there (Styx included)
  • 61 data slates added to various store countertops and NPCs' personal spaces. Some of these slates are simple notifications of business hours, while others offer you a window into the lives of characters and where you can find them when they aren't working.

FlippingEggs has also taken pains not to screw you over, by the way:

"I have been very careful not to interfere with vanilla quest progression. Before adding a schedule to an NPC, I looked up every single dialogue scene they were involved in. If someone was required to be in an exact location for a scene, I have either not touched them, or added conditions to ensure their custom packages will not run until the scene is done."

You'll find the mod here at Nexus Mods, and hopefully it's just the beginning of more NPC overhauls dedicated to giving more minor characters stuff to do with their lives besides ringing up your order of Chunks

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/modder-adds-something-big-thats-been-missing-from-starfield-daily-routines-schedules-and-inner-lives-for-npcs xyL6naCdai6A29MHZ76o3E Thu, 24 Oct 2024 22:57:40 +0000
<![CDATA[ Borderlands fan with terminal illness asked to see Borderlands 4 early and Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says 'we're going to do whatever we can to make something happen' ]]> Caleb McAlpine, a 37-year-old "diehard Borderlands fan" recently diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer, asked the Borderlands 3 Reddit yesterday if anyone could help him get in touch with Gearbox developers to see Borderlands 4 early.

In the post, McAlpine says the doctors estimate that he only has seven to 12 months to live, and that even if his chemotherapy treatments work, he would still have less than two years. "Is there anyone who knows how to get in touch with Gearbox to see if there is a way to play the game early?" he asked. "Long shot, but thought I would try."

Several hours later, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford wrote on X that he was sent McAlpine's post. "Caleb and I are now chatting via email and we're going to do whatever we can to make something happen," he said.

McAlpine is currently raising funds on GoFundMe to help pay for his medical expenses, the gas to drive an hour to the nearest cancer center, and for food that fits his strict liquid diet. At the time of writing, over $3,500 has been donated toward his $9,000 goal. "Anything you could possibly help with would be greatly appreciated and mean more than words can describe," he says.

Even though very little is known about Borderlands 4—it was announced earlier this year with a short trailer that was more of a wink to eager fans than a suggestion of what to expect—Gearbox is known for pulling strings to honor fans like McAlpine.

In 2019, the studio gifted a 26-year-old fan with terminal cancer an early copy of Borderlands 3 and let him name his own gun in the game, the Trevonator. And before that, in 2011, a Borderlands fan asked Gearbox for a eulogy by their late friend's favorite character, Claptrap. The studio delivered a touching tribute from the robot and named the Michael Mamaril NPC in Borderlands 2 after him.

I remember stumbling into the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior around the time I started playing World of Warcraft and learning that it was a memorial for Michel Koiter, a Blizzard employee who passed away during the MMO's development. I've always appreciated the effort Blizzard puts into remembering its developers and community members with in-game monuments. McAlpine may not get an NPC or a gun named after him, but the fact that Gearbox is trying to honor his wish to see Borderlands 4 early is heartwarming to see.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/borderlands-fan-with-terminal-illness-asked-to-see-borderlands-4-early-and-gearbox-boss-randy-pitchford-says-were-going-to-do-whatever-we-can-to-make-something-happen ad3UBkcFkKYTwNZEVMKjj5 Thu, 24 Oct 2024 22:37:37 +0000
<![CDATA[ Do you want to go to Boston? Because CD Projekt is looking for people to come to its studio to help test some new stuff ]]> CD Projekt is a Polish company but the runaway success of The Witcher and (eventually) Cyberpunk 2077 has seen it expand beyond those borders: Polaris, better known as The Witcher 4, is being developed in Warsaw, but Orion, the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, is being made in CD Projekt's Boston studio. The Witcher spinoff game, currently codenamed Sirius, is also being developed in Boston, at CD Projekt's Molasses Flood studio.

It only makes sense, then, that the studio has now opened its in-house playtesting program to gamers in North America—specifically Boston. If you live there, or are willing to travel (on your own dime), you can now sign up for a shot at an early glimpse of what CD Projekt has cooking.

There are caveats, of course: You have to be at least 16 years old, have a CD Projekt account, and "love videogames [and] contemporary pop culture." You'll also need to sign some paperwork promising not to spill the beans.

"If your gamer profile aligns with what we’re looking for, we’ll reach out to you either through email or by phone to ask about your upcoming availability," the playtesting program FAQ states. "All playtests will be scheduled at least a few days in advance."

It's not clear what exactly CD Projekt is looking for in a "gamer profile," but the signup questionnaire digs fairly deep into factoids like age, occupation, whether you're a pro gamer or streamer, if you can attend test sessions in person (which seems pretty important for an in-person testing program), and your various gaming habits: How many games you play, preferred genre and platform, how much you read or watch game-related content, and all that sort of thing. As noted in the post on X, it's also a requirement that you not be involved in game development on a professional level.

CD Projekt's on-site playtesting program is also continuing in Poland, if you happen to be there instead of here (although for me, Boston is also a "there"), and it's possible that similar playtest opportunities will eventually come to Canada: This announcement refers specifically to Boston but the playtest FAQ says sessions are held "occasionally in Boston and Vancouver."

Even if you're not from Boston and don't plan on going there, the call for testers is exciting because it's a concrete sign that the next Cyberpunk game is approaching the point where at least parts of it are testable. That doesn't mean we're going to have our hot little hands on it anytime soon—a more detailed breakdown of the program says testing will involve "elements of our games and services at various stages of development or other related resources (e.g. drafts of promotional materials)," so you could theoretically be called in to eyeball some concept art—but it does mean that wheels have turned, and are continuing to turn. So who knows? If they're calling for testers in 2024, maybe 2025 will be the year we all get to see something.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/do-you-want-to-go-to-boston-because-cd-projekt-is-looking-for-people-to-come-to-its-studio-to-help-test-some-new-stuff 8uA8XMvAcUuwaDqGADfVSn Thu, 24 Oct 2024 22:00:27 +0000
<![CDATA[ Dragon Age: The Veilguard's launch trailer brings a summer blockbuster vibe to BioWare's newest RPG ]]>

With just one week to go before the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Electronic Arts has dropped the official Dragon Age: The Veilguard launch trailer, an action-packed extravaganza of sound and fury signifying that a videogame will definitely be arriving soon.

Also arriving soon, as seen in the trailer, is a pair of elven gods, and that's bad news all around. They were "horrific tyrants," so the story goes, and "the worst is still coming. Unless we stop them."

I'm not fully up to speed on my Dragon Age lore, but last time I looked, elves had pretty much got the short end of the stick in Thedas, reduced to poverty, enslavement, and abuse at the hands of humans following the loss of their homeland in a war with the Tevinter Imperium. In that light, I can't shake the feeling that maybe payback in the form of a little elven tyranny is only fair. To paraphrase the great Michael Madsen, they deserve their revenge, and we deserve to die.

(Yes, I chose Iorveth's path in The Witcher 3, and no, it wasn't a hard decision.)

But the obvious implication here is that this pair of pointy-eared overlords will be bad for everyone, and so it is that we're putting together a team to pump the brakes on the whole thing. It's all very dramatic and grim, with a "summer blockbuster" cinematic approach that's 100% focused on generating hype rather than saying anything of substance. I suppose that's to be expected given that by now, everyone's already made up their minds on whether The Veilguard is something they care about, but even so I was tempted to give it a bit of a hard time for that high-volume superficiality. But then I wondered: Is it really all that unusual?

Flashing back to the 1998 E3 trailer for the original Baldur's Gate rather strongly suggests that no, it is not. (Forgive the video quality—it was a long time ago.)

They're really not all that different, are they? Cinematics, dramatic music, bits of gameplay here and there, and a flash to the title card.

Comments on the Dragon Age: The Veilguard launch trailer on YouTube seem largely positive. Several people say Electronic Arts should've led with this in the first place, rather than the widely disliked reveal trailer we got, which is a sentiment we've shared previously too.

Even so, there may be some ground to make up. The launch trailer currently holds 12,000 likes on YouTube, but also 5,000 dislikes, and while that doesn't mean a whole lot on its own—it's easy to click the "dislike" button just for the hell of it—it's not an especially encouraging ratio. The Baldur's Gate 3 launch trailer, by way of comparison, has 50,000 likes and just 517 dislikes, and that's arguably as much a commentary on the benefits of early access as anything else, but the bottom line is that as expressions of goodwill go, racking up 4,400 dislikes immediately after the release of your launch trailer is a pretty sure sign you still have some convincing to do.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard comes out on October 31. A preload period on PC will not be available because of our unfortunate tendency to pirate videogames: You can start downloading when the game goes live on launch day at 9 am PT/12 pm ET.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/dragon-age-the-veilguards-launch-trailer-brings-a-summer-blockbuster-vibe-to-biowares-newest-rpg Yy5e69BEEaoj6xSFTHUd5g Thu, 24 Oct 2024 20:24:39 +0000
<![CDATA[ 'It is an affront to God': Fans react with horror and delight as Monster Hunter Wilds unveils its nastiest freak yet ]]> Monster Hunter is no stranger to outlandish creature designs. Many of the monsters we're sent to slaughter are majestic beauties, but the roster's also got its share of freaks. Standing beside the regal Teostra and imposing Zinogre are monsters like the Khezu: a flabby, drooling, lipped lamprey with wings, whose veined, rubbery flesh gains new dimensions of upsetting vascularity with every advancement of Capcom's graphics tech. But with its latest monster unveiling, Monster Hunter Wilds has set a new watermark for creature detestability. Behold the Rompopolo:

(Image credit: Capcom)

Revealed yesterday alongside the Oilwell Basin region it calls home, the Rompopolo is Monster Hunter's latest bipedal brute wyvern. However, where most other brute wyverns like the Deviljho and Anjanath have fairly traditional tyrannosaurid features, Rompopolo is, well, horrible. It's like a dinosaur-sized midpoint between a kiwi bird, a mosquito, and a thrombosed hemorrhoid.

It's purple. It's engorged. Lobes of distended, fleshy sacs pocked with lip-like apertures flank its head and trail down to the end of its tail, which terminates in a hellish barb. It's got nasty little gecko feet.

Rompopolo's design is masterfully vile, but don't worry: The sacs aren't just for show. As Capcom describes in a tweet from the official Monster Hunter X account, Rompopolo can "inject gas from the tip of its tail into the surrounding oilsilt for explosive results!" Great!

The reactions to Rompopolo's reveal have been, let's say, "enthusiastic." For many hunters, the instinctive revulsion Rompopolo evokes is the perfect call to arms. "I must be the first to slay 1,000 Rompopolo," user Palodromy declared on Reddit, "because it is an affront to God and I am His strongest soldier." Another fan on X echoed the sentiment, saying "I am going to Bully this Monster, mark my words."

For others celebrating the wretched creature and its god-awful shapes, that revulsion is a source of glee. "This guy is disgusting looking. 10/10 no notes," says one reply on X, while another says "This mf ugly asf (great design)."

I'll admit: I'm pretty eager to bring my hammer down on a few of Rompopolo's poison-filled sacs—particularly after seeing the back-breaking outcome of its turf war with fellow Oilwell Basin resident Ajarakan. As upsetting as Rompopolo is to perceive, however, it's still a design I'm glad to see. Monster Hunter: World's designs for its new monsters, while excellent, played it fairly safe—possibly in an attempt to avoid scaring off the wider audience it was trying to attract. With Rompopolo, it seems like Monster Hunter's designers are still more than willing to get weird in Wilds, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Unfortunately, while the Monster Hunter Wilds open beta arrives next week, I'll have to wait until the full release in February to meet Rompopolo face to face. Somehow, I think I'll manage.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/it-is-an-affront-to-god-fans-react-with-horror-and-delight-as-monster-hunter-wilds-unveils-its-nastiest-freak-yet Mm7mZ9nHCSvUZ9ynKkzB8J Thu, 24 Oct 2024 18:48:25 +0000
<![CDATA[ Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release date and launch times ]]> The air around me has the faint scent of gunpowder and Mountain Dew, so it must be time for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to come out. We're just hours away from the global launch of Black Ops 6, Treyarch's latest CoD that is once again co-developed by Raven Software. Raven took on the campaign and Treyarch is all over the multiplayer and zombies modes.

Side note: If you, like me, are wondering why there is no game called "Black Ops 5," that's because Activision has apparently decided to add a silent "5" to the title of 2020's Black Ops - Cold War. What a world.

What is the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release date?

Officially, Black Ops 6 comes out on October 25. That said, global launch times mean that, in many territories, it's actually coming out the night of October 24 (that's tonight). Check out the official system requirements to make sure your rig is ready for the ride—it probably is, considering how reasonable Call of Duty specs have been the last handful of years. Thanks, PS4/Xbox One backwards compatibility.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release times

black ops 6 release date and time

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

In most territories, Black Ops 6 will launch at or after midnight on October 25. For a few territories in North America, it's out tonight on October 24. See the full list of times below so you know for sure what time it unlocks in your region:

October 24

  • Pacific Daylight Time: 9 pm (Los Angeles)
  • Central Standard Time: 10 pm (Mexico City)

October 25

  • Eastern Daylight Time: 12 am (New York City)
  • Brasilia Standard Time: 1 am (São Paulo)
  • British Summer Time: 5 am (London)
  • Central European Summer Time: 6 am (Paris, Stockholm)
  • Gulf Standard Time: 8 am (Dubai)
  • Korea Standard Time: 1 pm (Seoul)
  • Japan Standard Time: 1 pm (Tokyo)
  • Australian Eastern Daylight Time: 3 pm (Sydney)

Is there a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 preload?

black ops 6 release date and time

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Yes, and it's already begun. Preload opened on all platforms (Steam, Game Pass, Xbox, PS5, PS4) on October 21. Activision says Black Ops 6 totals at just over 100GB, so it's a smart idea to download early. Just know that in some cases, unpacking that download once the game's out can take a while too (just probably not as long as downloading it from scratch).

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/black-ops-6-release-date-time SNzTDGHc8njH39rV5eeJCS Thu, 24 Oct 2024 18:26:00 +0000
<![CDATA[ Actually, 1890s Colorado is a reasonable place for the Scream guy to show up, says Hunt: Showdown developer: 'We believe the latest Ghost Face Rampage DLC fits into the dark, supernatural atmosphere' ]]> Crytek has responded to complaints about a new paid cosmetic in Hunt: Showdown 1896, saying that, actually, the mask from the Scream movies does fit into a supernatural monster-hunting game set in the 1890s.

As Morgan observed last year after being executed by Diablo 4's Lilith in Call of Duty, every successful multiplayer shooter these days eventually compromises its style and theme for the sake of wacky crossover cosmetics. The process took longer than usual for Hunt: Showdown, but to my eye it began this week with the Ghost Face Rampage DLC, which adds the iconic mask from 1996 slasher flick Scream to the supernatural, historical extraction shooter.

We like a lot about Hunt: Showdown 1896, which is the new title Hunt: Showdown adopted after a huge recent update which introduced a new map, but some players have been dissatisfied with elements of the refresh, and so were perhaps primed to react especially harshly to Ghost Face. One player declared that "Hunt's identity died" when the DLC was announced, as we reported earlier this week.

I wouldn't go that far myself, and I'm not a regular player of the game so I don't have any personal investment here, but I do find it hard to agree that the bad guy from Scream is a natural fit for the Colorado mountains of 128 years ago.

"We believe the latest Ghost Face Rampage DLC fits into the dark, supernatural atmosphere as an ageless, almost mythological figure that transcends eras," Crytek said in a statement on X today. "In the 1890s, a madman took up the mask, driven into a bloody frenzy by its foul whispers on a hunting trip in Louisiana—and the rest is history."

I'll give Crytek one thing: the mask's design does resemble Edvard Munch's The Scream, which was painted in 1893. But I don't think anyone who sees the mask from Scream thinks, 'Ah, just like that period-appropriate painting.' Crytek is coming at the issue from an in-fiction perspective—Could there be a Ghost Face in the past? Sure.—but I just see the Halloween mask from the '90s.

Some players are livid about the DLC, but not everyone thinks Ghost Face is such a big deal. One response to Crytek's tweet notes that at least he's wearing an appropriate hat: "It's not turning into Fortnite. Calm down."

It doesn't sound like this'll be the last cosmetic collab in Hunt, as Crytek laid out its philosophy around brand team-ups in its statement, saying that its goal is to blend external "IPs and personalities" with Hunt's setting seamlessly.

"The aim for us is to enrich the narrative and weave new threads into the ever-evolving mythos of Hunt in a whole new way," Crytek said. "Not to simply drop new characters into the game, but to write compelling new narratives involving these crossovers to create a richer experience for established players and invite new players into our world with a few familiar faces."

If you want the Ghost Face mask yourself, it launched today and can be had for $10.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/hunt-showdown-ghost-face-dlc-controversy-statement D3ouARQ5QCLEFy4KAQDTsR Thu, 24 Oct 2024 18:23:50 +0000
<![CDATA[ Overwatch 2 will return to 6v6 in 2 test modes next season, but Blizzard won’t keep them around if they don’t attract 'a surge of players’ ]]> A decent chunk of Overwatch 2 players have been ranting and raving about the good ol’ days of 6v6 ever since the sequel opted for the new 5v5 format. Players are incredibly passionate about this issue, so much so that they managed to make Blizzard flinch and announce upcoming 6v6 playtests, which we now know more about.

In a blog post today, game director Aaron Keller said there will be “two different 6v6 tests” in Overwatch 2’s next season, season 14. The first of these tests will be a variation of the flexible Open Queue ruleset, where each team of six must have at least one of each role and no more than three. So you can make a team that's comprised of three supports, one DPS, and two tanks, or any variation on that format.

The next 6v6 test will take place mid-season 14 and will force the original 2-2-2 team composition (two tanks, two healers, and two damage dealers), but it will still retain Overwatch 2 changes, such as less crowd control and the reworked heroes. But in both of these cases, the tanks won't be as strong as they currently are. "The power and survivability of tanks will go down in these 6v6 formats, and we'll be taking a look at whether we need many of the passives that we've added in Overwatch 2," Keller says.

Season 13 will also see some new modes added, but these will be for 5v5 and will be aimed at "testing the flexibility within this format," according to Keller. A new Quick Play: Hacked event, named "Limit 2," will be like Open Queue, except the maximum in each role will be limited to two. "This includes Tanks, but they will be tuned to Open Queue balance, meaning they will have less health," Keller says. "You can freely switch heroes and roles as long as the new role doesn’t already have two players."

The next 5v5 test is codenamed "Kingmaker" and will be like "Limit 2," except this time, the role that just has one player will get some bonuses. "Quick Play: Hacked, “Limit 2”, and “Kingmaker” will provide an excellent benchmark and framework for us going into the 6v6 tests," Keller says. "We’re looking forward to seeing what statistics we can gather as you dive into these modes, alongside your feedback, which is one of our strongest data points!"

"Part of this series of tests is to not only judge our player's appetite for larger team sizes, but for us to explore different ways that we might implement a change without running into the same problems we had previously," Keller says. One of the biggest issues that Keller previously mentioned in the first 6v6 blog post was that this format negatively affected queue times. Very few players queue for tank compared to other roles, meaning that it was harder to fill this role, and most DPS and support players would have disproportionately long wait times between matches.

It will be interesting to see if these tests fall into the same pitfalls or even if they negatively affect queue times for regular Role and Open Queues, as it'll effectively split the playerbase in half. With that in mind, it's important to understand that when these tests are taking place, you're effectively a guinea pig for Blizzard to experiment on, and any number of things you do in them, or say online, could shape what these potential new modes might look like.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

It sounds like Blizzard will make an informed decision based on popularity, player count, and whatever other analytics it tracks internally for balance and player behaviour.

"In a world where a surge of players is in this mode and continuously play it, then we have the signal we need to do more with it," Keller says. "I think what that 'more' is depends on the level of excitement. Is there a world where both 5v5 and 6v6 exist permanently in Overwatch 2? If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have said no. As we've discussed Overwatch 2's future in light of making the game that our players want to play, we know our players can want more than one experience, and it would be something we'd need to consider moving forward."

Try out the different modes so you can form an opinion on what you prefer, and once you come to that decision, try to make that known, either by spreading the word or just playing more of that specific mode. It sounds like Blizzard will make an informed decision based on popularity, player count, and whatever other analytics it tracks internally for balance and player behaviour.

I'm excited to see what both of these tests will be like, although that does mean digging out my team's second tank and sixth member, who we sent into exile back in 2022. But Overwatch 2 can only have so many different versions of the game running at one time, and I was really hoping that Junkenstein's Lab would stick around because that's the closest thing we'll probably ever get to the intended PvE experience.

That being said, I'd love the 6v6 tests to work out if they're genuinely good and benefit the community, but I'm not convinced that enough players actually want 6v6 for this to benefit anyone. I could just be living under a 5v5 rock, but over the last couple of years, it's increasingly felt like most of the 6v6 discourse exists as a way to focus everyone's frustration at Overwatch 2's failings and disappointments.

At Overwatch 2's release, it felt like there was too much to be angry about for everyone to rally around one war cry—players were frustrated with increased shop prices, no loot boxes, a new battle pass, no PvE, and the change to 5v5 just to name a few. Players were on so many different crusades that none of them ended up amounting to anything, and the anger just kind of fizzled out as fans settled for the new reality of Overwatch 2, except for the 6v6 vs. 5v5 debate.

This has managed to live on well past any of the other grievances and is often brought up as the frontrunner when players are asked what's so wrong with Overwatch 2. It sticks out like a sore thumb and is something simple enough for a lot of people to rally around. So it'll be interesting to see how much of the community ends up playing the upcoming 6v6 tests and if this is something that players genuinely want and not just an easy punching bag.

]]>
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/overwatch-2-will-return-to-6v6-for-two-test-modes-next-season-but-blizzard-wont-keep-them-around-if-they-dont-attract-a-surge-of-players oSxENRiuVro4e6YR6ZPsuh Thu, 24 Oct 2024 18:01:00 +0000