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Naughty Dog, the acclaimed developer, is set to release The Last of Us Part II Remastered for the PlayStation 5 on January 19, 2024. This eagerly anticipated remaster promises to offer both new and returning players the definitive way to experience the emotional and gripping sequel to the original, which was initially released in 2020. The Last of Us Part II Remastered comes packed with exciting new features and game modes. One of the standout additions is the "No Return" mode, a roguelike survival experience that introduces randomized encounters, allowing players to test their skills in fresh, challenging scenarios. This mode offers a variety of playable characters, each with unique traits to suit different playstyles. Players will navigate a series of stealth and combat encounters against a range of enemies, with unexpected twists adding excitement to each confrontation. As you progress, you can unlock new characters, skins, and more to customize your runs and compete on a global leaderboard in the Daily Run. Fans of the original game's guitar-playing sequences will be pleased to hear about the new "Guitar Free Play" mode. This mode lets you strum the strings of various unlockable instruments, apply audio FX pedals to modulate your performance and play as different characters in different in-game locations, allowing you to create a personalized musical experience. A Deeper Dive Behind the Scenes The Last of Us Part II Remastered offers players an exclusive look behind the scenes with a new set of "Lost Levels." These levels provide insight into the game's development and include developer commentary to provide context and a deeper understanding of the creative process. This unique addition allows players to explore early-development slices of the game, offering new glimpses into the world of Part II. Additionally, director's commentary from Neil Druckmann, narrative lead Halley Gross, and actors Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Laura Bailey has been newly recorded and is included across the campaign's cutscenes. This commentary offers valuable insight into the story and characters that have captivated both the development team and fans. Enhanced Graphics and Immersive Features The remastered version takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5's capabilities. It features enhanced graphics, including native 4K output in Fidelity Mode, 1440p upscaled to 4K in Performance Mode, and an Unlocked Framerate option for VRR-supported TVs. Players can expect increased texture resolution, improved shadow quality, animation sampling rate, and more, bringing the world of The Last of Us Part II to life with greater richness and detail. The PlayStation 5's power and features are also harnessed for improved loading times. DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are integrated to further immerse players in the game's combat and exploration moments. The Last of Us Part II Remastered ensures that the award-winning suite of accessibility options from the original is retained. New additions include Descriptive Audio and Speech to Vibrations, which uses the DualSense controller to indicate character speech and cadence. Speedrun Mode, previously included in The Last of Us Part I, makes its way to Part II Remastered, allowing players to compete for the best times. Preorders and Upgrades Preorders for The Last of Us Part II Remastered will be available from December 5. Existing owners of The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4 can upgrade to the digital version of Part II Remastered for $10 USD at launch. They can also import their saves from the original game to continue their journey with Ellie and Abby. The Last of Us Part II Remastered promises to be the definitive way to experience this emotionally charged and visually stunning game. Don't miss out on the opportunity to relive or discover the captivating story of Ellie and Abby when it launches on PlayStation 5 on January 19, 2024.

Blizzard Entertainment has partnered with the popular K-pop group Le Sserafim to bring exciting new content to Overwatch 2, including special dance emotes and skins inspired by the music group. Fans of both the game and the K-pop sensation can look forward to seeing their favorite heroes showcase their dance moves in a choreographed performance, highlighting the unique collaboration between gaming and pop culture. Dance Emotes Take Center Stage In the latest update from Blizzard, a selection of Overwatch 2 heroes are set to receive new dance emotes inspired by Le Sserafim's signature moves. Characters such as Brigitte, D.Va, Kiriko, Sombra, and Tracer will be seen grooving to the choreography reminiscent of Le Sserafim’s "ANTIFRAGILE" music video. The fusion of gaming and K-pop choreography adds a dynamic and entertaining element to the Overwatch 2 experience, allowing players to connect with their favorite characters in a new and vibrant way. Alongside the dance emotes, the collaboration will introduce a collection of new skins, transforming the appearance of the five heroes to match the style of Le Sserafim. While the exact details on how to acquire these new items remain under wraps, speculation suggests that they could be available through a limited-time event challenge or as part of a special Le Sserafim bundle in the game’s shop. Players are eagerly awaiting the event's start on November 1st to discover how they can get their hands on these exclusive items and join in the celebration. Previous Dance Collaborations in Overwatch 2 This collaboration marks another instance where Blizzard has integrated dance choreography into Overwatch 2, continuing the trend of incorporating pop culture elements into the game. Previous updates have seen characters like Junkrat and Roadhog receive robotic dance emotes, complementing special robo skins available for purchase. These creative crossovers enhance the gaming experience, offering players new ways to engage with the characters and the world of Overwatch 2. With the collaboration set to launch soon, players are excited to dive into Overwatch 2 and explore the new content inspired by Le Sserafim. The combination of dance emotes, new skins, and the chance to see their favorite heroes in a new light promises to bring a fresh and entertaining twist to the game, further bridging the gap between gaming and pop culture.

Once a paragon of first-person shooter (FPS) gaming, Titanfall 2 had been largely cast aside by its developer, Respawn Entertainment, in favor of their blockbuster title, Apex Legends. Players faced connectivity issues so dire that the game was barely playable on official servers. But Respawn has recently orchestrated a turnaround, releasing an update that catapulted Titanfall 2 back into Steam's top 100 games list. The Fabled Janitor Delivers For years, fans have lightheartedly speculated about an unsung hero—a janitor within Respawn—who might be secretly championing the cause of Titanfall 2. It seems their wishes have been answered. On September 9, Respawn released an update resolving many of the game's nagging issues, from matchmaking woes to hacker infiltration. The patch also introduced a new game mode, cheekily dubbed "Attack on Titanfall," reviving the player base and nearly breaking the game's all-time record for concurrent players on Steam. Teasing a Mysterious Future The latest update also offered a tantalizing glimpse of what might be on the horizon for Respawn and the Titanfall universe. A plushie mascot from Apex Legends, known as Nessie, appeared in several in-game locations. Accompanying Nessie was a cryptic message consisting of UNIX timestamps that correspond to the release dates of Titanfall, Titanfall 2, and Apex Legends. Fans have taken this as a sign—could Titanfall 3 finally be in the works? For years, rumors swirled that Respawn had been working on a third installment in the Titanfall series, only for it to morph into Apex Legends. With Respawn now heavily invested in their popular battle royale game, a Titanfall sequel has seemed more like a pipe dream. Yet, with the recent rejuvenation of Titanfall 2, hopes for a sequel are higher than ever. Fans may be reading too much into these cryptic clues, but if a "janitor" can resuscitate a beloved but beleaguered game, maybe, just maybe, he can also bring a much-anticipated sequel to life.

In what promises to be a milestone for gaming on Chromebooks, Steam is being prepared for a grand release on the Stable Channel of ChromeOS. This development is a significant leap in a journey that has been years in the making, potentially unlocking a gaming revolution for a variety of Chromebook models. In a recent report by ChromeUnboxed, developers have removed the Chrome flag which has been blocking the Stable Channel from launching Steam. Consequently, users can now anticipate the option to run Steam on supported devices right out of the box, with only a feature flag needed in the Stable Channel. Currently, Steam can be activated on the Beta Channel using a flag, but such an option had been unavailable on the Stable Channel until now. However, eager Chromebook users might want to hold their horses. The commit was merged only recently, meaning it might take a version or two before the change trickles down to the Stable Channel of ChromeOS. When the rollout does take place, all ChromeOS channels will have the capability to toggle the flag that enables Steam on Chromebooks. This should significantly expand the testing pool since many users are understandably hesitant to switch to the Beta or Developer Channels to explore new features. Although Steam might remain in a beta state and behind a flag for a few more months, recent tests have shown promising improvements. A few weeks ago, even the idea of playing any games using Steam seemed like a pipe dream, but recent trials have painted a more optimistic picture. With this upcoming rollout, the horizon looks bright for the gaming scene on Chromebooks. It signifies a monumental step forward in bringing a diverse range of gaming experiences to ChromeOS users worldwide.

Uncrowned Gaming, our gaming and esports platform, is delighted to announce the launch of our new Clubs feature in conjunction with a significant overhaul of our existing main forum. This tandem introduction aims to provide an enhanced and clutter-free environment for users to engage, communicate, and grow their gaming knowledge. Uncrowned Gaming's Clubs feature creates dedicated mini-communities centered on individual games, giving users the opportunity to interact with like-minded gamers. Alongside the Clubs feature, the revitalized main forum aims to streamline general gaming discussions and present a more organized and user-friendly interface for broader gaming topics. Our forum revamp and the new Clubs feature go hand-in-hand, while the Clubs offer a focused space for specific game discussions, our refreshed main forum provides a more structured, easy-to-navigate environment for broader gaming debates. By doing this, we're ensuring that our platform remains a vibrant and engaging hub for all things gaming. The renovation of the main forum reflects Uncrowned Gaming's commitment to providing an engaging and user-focused platform, with improved categorization and a refreshed interface for ease of navigation. At the same time, the new Clubs feature game-specific discussions in dedicated spaces, reducing clutter on the main forum. Both the Clubs feature and the forum revamp represent our commitment to continually enhancing the Uncrowned Gaming experience. Our aim is to ensure that our platform remains the top destination for gamers worldwide who wish to engage, share, and learn in a clutter-free and highly organized environment. Feedback is always welcome and we can't wait to see your there! Join your favorite game's club here: https://www.uncrownedgaming.com/clubs/ Or check out our new forum layout: https://www.uncrownedgaming.com/forums/ Read on Uncrowned Empire

Toronto Ultra has emerged as the champions of Major III event in Arlington, TX. The team, consisting of Jamie “Insight” Craven, Tobias “CleanX” Jønsson, Thomas “Scrap” Ernst, and rookie Charlie “Hicksy” Hicks, won the tournament with a 4-2 victory against OpTic Texas in front of their home crowd. This also marked the first time the team won a championship in a LAN tournament in front of a live audience. Thomas “Scrap” Ernst was named the tournament MVP. According to Esports Charts, the final match against OpTic Texas broke viewership records with a peak viewership of over 332,000, the highest in Call of Duty League history. The tournament win earned the team USD $200,000 in prize money and 65 championship points, positioning them well for the next stage of the season. The Toronto Ultra roster’s recent addition of Charlie “Hicksy” Hicks from his substitute position has proven to be a successful move, making him the first player since 2011 to win a championship in their first LAN tournament. Adam Adamou, Interim CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of OverActive Media expressed his satisfaction with the team’s achievement, stating that winning a major championship is incredibly gratifying and will be celebrated across the organization. He also acknowledged the importance of investing in talent development, strong coaching, and holistic performance, including physical and mental health, in the team's success. The team expressed their gratitude to their fans and partners, thanking them for their unwavering support. As Toronto Ultra celebrates their victory, they are determined to continue their winning streak and cement their place in Call of Duty League history. Toronto Ultra is set to host the Call of Duty League Major V Tournament from May 25-28, 2023, and fans and partners are invited to follow them on Twitter and Instagram for venue and ticketing details.

The Call of Duty franchise is facing choppy seas as another seasonal update fails to impress, and a new contender enters the first-person shooter (FPS) arena. With numerous titles circling like hungry sharks, the first game to strike appears to have already sunk its teeth into Call of Duty's weakening grip. Ubisoft's XDefiant, supported by former Call of Duty designers, has quickly earned the nickname "CoD killer" as its Closed Beta test wows FPS veterans. Led by ex-Treyarch luminary Mark Rubin and eight Call of Duty esports stars, XDefiant brings back fan-favorite features that have been sorely missed in recent iterations. Boasting vibrant visuals, red dots on mini-maps, 14 mode-specific maps with a voting system, and a classic weapon lineup featuring fan-favorite guns, XDefiant has swiftly captured the hearts of CoD enthusiasts. Remarkably, the beta version of XDefiant offers more maps than Modern Warfare 2, despite being three seasons into its lifecycle. Gamers are already hailing XDefiant as a superior alternative to the current Call of Duty model. This free-to-play title further outshines its rival by excluding skill-based matchmaking and promising a Ranked mode in Season 1. However, only time will tell if XDefiant truly becomes the next big thing or simply away like past games that tried to overtake the throne. XDefiant leads the charge in the emerging wave of arcade shooters, with Deadrop receiving mixed feedback in its pre-Alpha stage, 100Thieves developing their own FPS, and another former Call of Duty studio (Wildlight Entertainment) crafting a potential challenger. As the FPS landscape shifts, it remains to be seen if Call of Duty can regain its footing or succumb to the rising tide of competition.

OpTic Gaming was the favorite to win the Halo World Championship and the dominant team coming into the series with multiple strong performances in the prior tournaments and they did not disappoint. Fans were certainly expecting an OpTic Gaming Championship team to show up this day, but the sheer level of play shown by the team was nearly unmatched as they managed to advance the entirety of the winner's bracket with only a single game lost. However, a Cloud9 team that was sent to the elimination bracket very early in the event would make a showing once again to take on OpTic and gain a chance to win the Championship. Cloud9 was eliminated in the first round of the series, but stormed through the elimination bracket with a renewed drive to succeed it all and would end up defeating every team on their way to land in the grand finals with OpTic. The first series of OpTic vs Cloud9 was perhaps Cloud9's best gaming of the season and OpTic would fall 1-4 against Cloud9 who just earned a shot at the Championship title. The bracket reset match would come into play and Cloud9 would battle it out with OpTic for a final time, but this time OpTic would reign supreme and finish 4-1 over their foe. OpTic would go on to celebrate the first Halo Infinite World Championship, although they almost celebrated a bit too soon when Cloud9 pulled a last-second tie on game 4, a victory would come nonetheless for OpTic.

The Razer Edge, a new portable console, has finally announced its official launch date in the US. On January 26, the console will debut in partnership with Verizon and will be available in both 5G and Wi-Fi versions. The Razer Edge Wi-Fi will be sold for $400, while the company's Founders Edition will include the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (2021) earbuds for $500. The 5G version, exclusive to Verizon, will be sold for $600, but users can get it for $360 with a 36-month contract of $10 per month. Additionally, purchasing a 5G smartphone with the console will drop the Edge's price to $180. The Razer Edge is a potential alternative to the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, but it does have some limitations. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1, based on the Snapdragon 888, and is a mobile device, so it will not have the same gaming capabilities as the Steam Deck. However, it does have active cooling and a powerful CPU paired with up to 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, which is expandable via a microSD card up to 2 TB. The console also comes with a detachable Kishi V2 Pro controller. One of the biggest advantages of the Razer Edge is its gorgeous 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels of resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. This is compared to the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck's 7-inch screens with only a 720p resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate. The Razer Edge also offers streaming services such as Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, as well as the ability to run games from the Google Play Store. In terms of connectivity, the Razer Edge has Wi-Fi 6E and 5G support, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. It also has a 5 MP front-facing camera and 2-way speakers with THX Spatial Audio. The console's battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAh, which may not be enough for demanding tasks. The device weighs 264g without the controller and 540g with the controller. Razer has yet to announce availability in other global markets, but hopefully, other regions will have access to both Wi-Fi and 5G versions without carrier exclusivity. The Razer Edge offers a new portable gaming experience with impressive features and capabilities, but it also comes with its own set of limitations and compromises.

Over the weekend, Steam, the popular PC gaming marketplace and community, hit a new milestone of 10 million concurrent players all playing video games at the same time. This is a significant achievement, as it means that 10 million people were actively engaged in gaming, rather than just idling in the browser or storefront. Steam began tracking in-game concurrent users in 2017, and the last big spike under this measure occurred on March 30, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was driving everyone indoors. The number of players dropped off as life returned to normal, but came back to hit a high of 9.2 million concurrent in-game players over the Valentine’s Day weekend in 2022. Additionally, Steam notched 32 million concurrent online users, not necessarily in a game, on Thursday, which is also a record. The most popular games among the players were Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Apex Legends. This milestone is a testament to the continued growth of Steam's user base, which is likely helped by the release of the handheld Steam Deck, which is about to celebrate its one-year anniversary. Steam itself will turn 20 years old in September of this year, making it a long-standing and well-established platform in the gaming industry.

Today marks the start of Halo’s HCS Kansas Major of 2022 happening Friday until Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri where Cloud9 will be trying to earn their 3rd Major Championship in a row! 24 teams from around the world will be trying to stop this from happening and OpTic is certainly looking for a rematch in the finals. The dates and times of the streams can be found at the bottom of this article, and we will certainly be hosting the stream on our Esports Page as teams complete for a piece of the $250,000 prize money. The event will also host a Free for All event after the main event is complete on Saturday. Fans can tune into either Twitter or YouTube (although we know you will be watching it at Uncrowned Gaming) to watch the event live. The event is a pool and therefore we do not have a bracket or more details to break down until the event starts. Twitch drops will be available during the streams for players to earn in-game loot, just be advised that you must be watching on Twitch.tv to earn the drop. We don’t have details of the drops, but it is likely you will need to watch the mainstream and partnered watch parties to earn all the loot! Broadcast Dates: Friday, Apr 29 – 12:00 AM CT Saturday, Apr 30 - 12:00 AM CT Sunday, May 01 - 12:00 AM CT Stream Information: A Stream: Twitch.tv/Halo - YouTube.com/Halo B Stream: Twitch.tv/HCS - Twitch.tv/Xbox - YouTube/HaloEsports C Stream: Twitch.tv/HCS_Red - YouTube/HaloEsports D Stream: Twitch.tv/HCS_Blue - YouTube/HaloEsports Prizing Breakdown: Total Prize Pool: $250,000 1st: $100,000 2nd: $60,000 3rd: $30,000 4th: $15,000 5th - 6th: $8,000 7th - 8th: $5,000 9th - 12th: $2,250 13th - 16th: $1,500 17th - 24th: $1,000

As the COVID pandemic has pushed many workers to remote work over the past year, offices are now beginning to open their doors to these employees, and returning to the office settings seems to be the norm once again. However, Microsoft has dropped a massive arsenal of tools to help game studios remain remote and even released these tools for small indie studies to boost their workflow outside of the office. ID@Azure is a collaboration of cloud-based initiatives to focus on team-based workflows without the need to be geographically next to each other. This project might not appear to be much different than standard work from home tools, but game developers are faced with massive file-sharing problems and continuous version tracking needs that are simply not possible within other tools. Microsoft’s Azure platform is one of the industry’s most capable and powerful cloud systems and the new ID@Azure is focused on indie game studios and allowing them to compete with much larger studios without having to generate the overhead costs of a large office and internal servers to build their games as a team. Beta testing has begun and seems to be reporting positive feedback, but many details of the system are still to be discovered and the scale at which it can operate is also an unknown. It can be assumed that the system is aimed to help studios place their games onto Xbox and the Xbox Game Pass cloud service, but details have yet to be released.

Halo’s HCS first LAN event of 2022 is happening February 11th to 13th in Anaheim, California where North America’s best teams will compete at the North American Regional Finals! 16 teams will be featured at this major with 8 being the top 8 teams from the Raleigh Kickoff Major and 8 additional teams that qualified in the days leading up to this major. Dates, times, and other details can be found at the bottom of this article and we will be hosting the stream on Uncrowned Gaming! The teams will be competing for $125,000 and fans can tune in on Twitch for the live stream of the event. Cloud9 is the favorite going into the event with a dominant performance up to this point, but eUnited and FaZe are looking to dethrone the juggernaut of a team with the 2nd and 3rd seed positions. The tournament will be setup up via 4 pools of 4 teams selected by a random drawing to compete in a bracket where the team that wins the best of 5 moves on. The tournament features an elimination bracket and the Grand Finals will be the best of 7. Twitch Drops will be available for fans and the streams will be on both Twitch and YouTube. Broadcast Dates: Friday, Feb 11 - 11:30 AM PT Saturday, Feb 12 - 11:30 AM PT Sunday, Feb 13 - 11:30 AM PT Stream Information: A Stream: Twitch.tv/Halo - YouTube.com/Halo B Stream: Twitch.tv/HCS - Twitch.tv/Xbox - YouTube/HaloEsports C Stream: Twitch.tv/HCS_Red - YouTube/HaloEsports D Stream: Twitch.tv/HCS_Blue - YouTube/HaloEsports Prizing Breakdown: Total Prize Pool: $125,000 1st: $45,000 2nd: $27,500 3rd: $14,000 4th: $7,800 5th/6th: $3,850 7th/8th: $3,000 9th - 12th: $2,500 13th - 16th: $1,750

Halo Infinite’s surprise launch and solid gameplay have been loved by many gamers, both casual and competitive alike. However, the game is not perfect, as players rush to point out the game’s terrible cosmetic system and horrible XP progression, other players have noticed some oddities about the ranked play of the game. Players trying to get the most out of the competitive side of Halo have reported numerous matches where players are not all equal in rank. This has caused some uproar as it means lower-skilled players are being placed with higher-skilled players in competitive matches. Unequal player ranks also defeat a major part of the concept of having a “ranked” system if the ranks get mixed anyway. 343 has confirmed this as a feature of the game as they currently place players on ranked teams to balance the team, not the players. This concept does have a few good merits as it allows for mixed players to matchmake as a team, but for solo players, it is discouraging when you are not matched with players of your skill to make the team balanced. However, after a Twitter posting, 343’s Junyszek has posted that they are looking into making this system better and seemed to confirm that random matchmaking should not be balancing teams when it isn’t needed. We have no idea what those changes will be or how they will affect groups, but the ranked system needs numerous aid as players continue to face unequal teams, 3v4 starts, and cross-platform cheats.

Battlefield 2042 came out firing with a massive level of hype that drove it through a monstrous FPS release market coming in Holiday 2021 with the likes of Halo Infinite and Call of Duty Vanguard. However, that hype seems to have been put to the test with the recent open beta for 2042 as players got to experience the game for themselves firsthand. First came the bugs, the game was full of them to the point that players encountered problems with nearly every feature of the game, and numerous game-breaking bugs would decide the outcome for many players’ games. Dice released a statement that stated the game used in the beta was “months old” and most of the bugs were fixed already. This statement was received with a lot of question marks and confusion as the open beta was a massive marketing push for the game and they are claiming they willingly choose a bad version of the game to show off. Although the key complaints wouldn’t flood in until players started to notice some major gameplay changes from previous Battlefield games that seemed to be unanimously disliked. Destructible environments, one of the most key and enjoyed features of the series, have been removed in favor of a few scripted style destruction points in buildings and on the map. Vehicles just didn’t feel like a battlefield game and worst of all, specialists somehow added classes of characters you can play, but also removed the “classes” part of Battlefield. Squad teamwork has been such a major (and loved) focus point of Battlefield and now players have no idea who to turn towards for more ammo, healing, etc. Players can freely switch equipment between specialists, and this is nice for a Call of Duty style game but very confusing for a squad-based game like Battlefield. Gunplay was good, but seemed basic and forgiving for a Battlefield game and some players even pointed out that it felt like a fancy mobile shooter with how easy recoil was to manage. Although outside of the gunplay itself, the core gunfighting of the game itself was lacking. Revives were basically nonexistent, teamwork was reduced to simple team spawns, and the game as a whole just seemed to lack all of the glory that makes Battlefield an amazing shooter. Hopefully, these issues are not as bad as they seem. Perhaps, the destruction issues were limited to the map they released for the beta and others will be better. Also some better indication on who has ammo and more rewards to encourage reviving and other teamwork would certainly be nice.

Hazard Zone has been an unknown game mode of the upcoming Battlefield game since the game’s announcement and details of the mode itself were limited at best. However, EA has released an informative post about the mode and while we still lack many details, it clears up a lot of what the mode will include. This mode is coming as part of the Battlefield Portal experience that includes all sorts of older game assets and matchmaking options to allow players to create all kinds of custom games and lobbies. The core concept of the mode is collecting intel from drop pods within a map full of NPCs, opposing players, and raging storms. And no, it does not appear that the new mode can use older Battlefield maps at this point. The mode has a heavy focus on teamwork as it includes a pre-game lobby of sorts that allows the team to explain the map and equip items for the mission. The maps will be broken down into regions that contain the Data Drives you are searching for, but also other interactive elements (like Uplinks that allow you to request Call-ins). While it is not confirmed, images on the article suggest teams of 4 will be used and we have no idea if you must matchmake for 4 total players, or if solo and small teams can go in as-is. The mode seems focused around Dark Market Credits (DMC) that are earned in-game and allow players to purchase gear for the mission. It sounds like gear needs to be purchased per game, but that is not something we could confirm per the article as there are also character upgrades and other unlocks. DMC cannot be purchased with real money, but we do not know if any other microtransactions exist within the mode. Specialists are in the mode and come with a basic starter weapon (which is why we believe upgrades are purchased per game) and we have no idea if they will have abilities, and such without purchasing them. The mode will also reward players/teams for completing harder objectives in the map and offers streak bonuses for completing multiple maps successfully. Matches are estimated to be from 5 to 20 minutes long as players can choose when to extract and what goals to focus on and will feature up to 32 other players (24 on older-gen consoles). Inserting seems standard with most modern battle royale games and teams can revive downed players using features on the map. NPC numbers are listed as “varies” so they may be randomly set during each game or simply based on the map. Source: https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/battlefield-2042/news/battlefield-briefing-exploring-battlefield-hazard-zone Image: EA

Earlier today reports started to pile in that Twitch had a massive data breach of source code, projects, sensitive information, and all sorts of data were released in a torrent file with over 100GB of data. This breach was released on 4chan and numerous sources started to confirm that items such as earnings reports and previously unknown information were legitimate information. Twitch has come out on Twitter and confirmed the leak happened and that they are trying to figure out how much information was leaked to the public and what account information was released. The Amazon-owned company has been a target of many data breaches in the past and it currently has not been noted to contain login information. However, we would strongly urge all Twitch users to change their passwords and activate two-factor authentication as well for added protection. There seems to be a vast array of internal Twitch tools that were leaked during the breach and this may allow users to bypass current anti-spam and other tools the platform uses to protect streamers. Although no one is quite sure of the damage or the potential misuse the leaked data may produce at this time. There seems to be no word on if any banking information was released, but streamers did confirm on Twitter that the earnings reports were accurate and taking actions to protect your associated bank accounts would be advised until more is known. There are no reports on if this affects anything with Amazon accounts, but it is never a bad idea to change your password and have 2FA activated no matter the reason. The information is already public and being spread out amongst the internet, so please do not wait for confirmation that your account is safe, just take the steps now even if it turns out pointless in the end. Image: prima91 - stock.adobe.com

Dolby Vision is an HDR technology that enhances the visual quality of HDR content with more vibrant colors, sharper contrasts, and other improvements compared to standard HDR and just like Dolby’s audio technologies, you may be very excited about this feature or overlook it completely depending on your UHD setup and preferences. However, Xbox is now the first gaming console to offer support for this technology in both its Series S and Series X lineup. Halo Infinite was the first game stated to be taking full advantage of this increased visual quality and Microsoft has stated that around 10 games already support Dolby Vision, with over 100 more planned. Microsoft has also been working to bring the benefits of this tech to the existing HDR10 and Auto HDR games already on the platform to improve gamers’ experience. Xbox game developers can either add Dolby Vison into their game engines or utilize Xbox’s developer platform to access the improvements offered. Of course, gamers will need a Dolby Vision compatible TV to utilize these improvements and one of the newer Series consoles as it is not supported on the older Xbox One S/X. Most TVs offer a list of supported visual enhancements somewhere in their settings if you wish to check if yours is compatible and due to how recent this technology is, you may need to update your TV’s firmware to use it.

The internet security company, Kaspersky, has sounded the alarm for PC gamers as the new BloodyStealer trojan is hunting for high-demand gaming accounts. The trojan can swipe a vast amount of sensitive information, including banking info, cookies, and logs, but gaming accounts seem to be the goal for most users of this trojan. The dark web market for gaming accounts full of games and items is in very high demand currently and gamers need to be aware that they are being actively targeted at this time. The price for BloodyStealer is remarkably low and it is easy to use, making its usage a global threat in a very short time. Most of this information is being scraped from users via logging and is sold for cheap on the dark web. This is the perfect example of why Two Factor Authentication and other advanced account security tactics are needed in our modern world (and they are simple to set up and use!). If you are concerned about this or other malicious software trying to steal your accounts, then follow a few simple tips. Make sure you are using different passwords for all your accounts, password managers are great at helping you with this goal (plus, we have a guide for them on Uncrowned Addiction!) so having one password compromised does not compromise all your accounts. 2FA (two-factor authentication) adds an additional layer of security to your accounts and is highly advised as it will nearly negate all the harm trojans like BloodyStealer can perform. And of course, be sensible with what you download and use a quality antivirus, Kaspersky will gladly get a shoutout from us as they released this info and have always performed well, but there are many other quality services (ask around our forum for opinions if you are searching for an antivirus). Source: https://usa.kaspersky.com/blog/bloodystealer-and-gaming-accounts-in-darknet/25440/ Image: Postmodern Studio - stock.adobe.com

EA has finally pushed out a solid chunk of information about Battlefield 2042’s progress and thankfully they have given us a lot of information this time around! The game’s open beta will be available to pre-load on Oct 05 and then playable on Oct 06 (for early access players) and Oct 08 (for everyone else) and will run until Oct 10 at 07:00 UTC. The Open Beta will feature Conquest on the Orbital map, which is one of the maps that will feature dynamic map changes that differ between games. Some of the new Battlefield’s progression system has been released in detail and will be part of the beta in at least a usable format. The game’s match XP system will feature “ribbons” that are focused on teamwork to give bonus XP for performing actions like objectives and revives. Weapons and gadgets will be unlocked via the XP system as the player gains Player Levels over time and this system seems to offer cosmetic unlocks as well as the player levels up. On top of a long list of unlockable equipment and weapons, players will be able to “master” weapons and unlock more attachments and hardware for those weapons. Mastery of weapons will also feature milestones (challenges) to unlock additional features, such as skins and player card decorations. Speaking of player cards, the game will feature a customizable Player Card that allows the player to not only show off fancy unlocked art, but also display multiple achievement badges as well. Cross-progression was also addressed, and Battlefield 2042 will not only feature cross-progression in the form of unlocks and XP but also allow players to unlock purchases made on other platforms. There are a few limits to these as special edition items and pre-order content will not carry over across devices. It also sounds like each platform will have its own Premium Currency ecosystem that will not cross over to other platforms. Overall, those are minor restrictions in our eyes but don’t forget that the core game needs to be purchased (or obtained via EA Play) for each platform you intend to play on. Cosmetics are of course coming to the game as well and the article by EA states “You’ll be able to earn cosmetics through gameplay, or by purchasing them” and does not elaborate if ALL cosmetics can be obtained with enough gameplan or if that just means some are via gameplay and others are purchased. It appears most items in the game will have cosmetics available for them but there was not much offered in terms of examples per the article. Source: https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/battlefield-2042/news/battlefield-briefing-progression-and-cosmetics?__twitter_impression=true

In a captivating battle, the Los Angeles Thieves emerged victorious against OpTic Texas, clinching their first Call of Duty championship of the season and their third since the 2022 campaign. The grand finals saw the two teams face off in a series of matches, with Los Angeles Thieves winning 4-2 overall. The opening match on Hydro witnessed Los Angeles taking the lead early on, but OpTic quickly narrowed the gap. However, the Thieves managed to hold onto their advantage, securing a 250-200 win in their third straight Hardpoint match. OpTic rebounded in the second map, Hotel SnD, with Shotzzy leading the team to victory and tying the series. As the competition moved to Expo for the first of two Control maps, Los Angeles turned the tables, taking the map 3-1 and regaining the lead. Despite their previous Hardpoint losses, OpTic found success in Fortress Hardpoint, thanks to a dominating performance by Ghosty, and a strong showing from Huke and Dashy. The El Asilo Search and Destroy saw Los Angeles on the brink of victory with a 5-1 lead. Although OpTic fought back, the Thieves ultimately triumphed 6-4. The final Control match on El Asilo saw OpTic start strong, but Kenny's exceptional play for Los Angeles helped secure their win and the championship title. The Los Angeles Thieves' latest win marks their third CDL championship in franchise history and demonstrates the team's growth since their 2021 season.

A recent Reddit AMA may have confirmed that Overwatch 2’s release will be the end of the original Overwatch as a whole. The AMA with the Overwatch dev team revealed that the game will be released in pieces as a live service game and that it will also replace the live service that is the current Overwatch. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the original Overwatch will be unplayable after its sequel releases, but it will likely result in no multiplayer or online features in the game. Of course, a lack of live services availability in Overwatch would essentially make the game dead as very little content is available as a single-player game. There is a lot of good news to counter this issue as your progress is supposed to transfer to the new game, it will be free-to-play, and the roadmap for live service content looks well done at this point. While many may be disappointed to see one of the most successful games as of late fade away like this, the OW2 setup sounds to be a smooth transition into a more modern game with additional content. The major change that players will have to face is the new 5v5 format in matches replacing the current 6v6 games. Many postings also seem to signal a more “universal” playstyle for all the hero types that sound overall disappointing to the series, but we will remain positive as the Overwatch team has done a great job so far.