In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Arrowhead Game Studios revealed the upcoming Cutting Edge Warbond coming to Helldivers 2 on March 14. The new Warbond features what Arrowhead considers ultra-futuri??stic armor, guns that spit lightning, stylish cap??es, and epic emotes.

EX Series Prototype Armor

The Cutting Edge Warbond features three new EX Series Prototype armors. All three armors feature a sleek futuristic-style armor set Th?e three sets are:

• EX-03 Prototype 3 - Includes a rubber underlayer for insulation. Handy, really, as this prototype’s wires operate at a shocking 400,000 volts.
• EX-16 Prototype 16 - Warning: Electric arc generates a strong magnetic field. Avoid use while near stapled paperwork.
• EX-00 Prototype X - The end result of several billion Super Credits and 12 years of research into creating “the Soldier of Tomorrowâ€? Show us it was worth it.

While they look cool, I really wish Arrowhead would do some sort of drastic new models for these armor sets. It sort of? just looks like a slight reskin and ?recolor, though this is just the second warbond so maybe we'll see crazier stuff later down the line.

New weaponry in the Helldivers 2 Cutting Edge Warbond

Three new Primary Weapons are part of the C?utting Edge Warbond as well.

• LAS-16 Sickle - A sweet laser rifle that fires in short bursts. And it doesn’t need reloading. Just watch for overheating or shove a new heatsink in there.
• SG-8P Punisher Plasma - Exploding plasma rounds sound deadlyâ€?because they are, to aliens and allies! This modified Punisher shotgun is as fun as it is fearsome.
• ARC-12 Blitzer - Project an arc of close-range lightning, or charge it up to fire off powerful bolts. Good for taking out multiple targets and giving you more time to pick a celebration emote.

These are obviously cooler because the added effects aren't just cosmetic so these can end up being pretty useful on t??he battlefield. There's also a new stun grenade, G-2# Stun Gun, and LAS-7 Dagger Pistol.

The new Cutting Edge Warbond goes live in Helldivers 2 on March 14.

The post Helldivers 2 new Cutting Edge Warbond dropping next ?week appeared first on Destructoid.

You can even Mega Evolve into Mega Mewtwo X

Pokemon Unite is celebrating its two-year Anniversary with the release of the Legendary Pokemon Mewtwo.

The mysterious Pokemon will have two different Unite licenses, Unite License X: Mewtwo and Unite License Y: Mewtwo. The former will focus on melee attacks and one-on-one combat while the latter is all about ranged attacks and mobility. A license for Mega Mewtwo ??X is available now, as part of the Crystal Cave Challenge event that is cu??rrently taking place. The license for Mega Mewtwo Y will arrive in mid-august.

Players can fill Mewtwo's Mega gauge via basi?c attacks and moves. Once the gauge fills up, Mewtwo can Mega Evolve into Mega Mewtwo, gaining new attacks and increased stats before chan?ging back into his normal form.

Mewtwo will join Zacian as the only Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Unite. (Mew is in the game, but falls under the Mythical classification.) The Pokemon Company reiterated they plan to continue gradually increasing the number of Legendary Pokemon in Unite.

[caption id="attachment_392941" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via The Pokemon Company[/caption]

New battle type & Battle Pass 17

A new type of battle is also coming to Pokemon Unite as part of the Anniversa?ry event. Panic Parade ditches the standard 5v5 battle format and tasks players with working together to protect Tinkaton from a hord??e of panicking Pokemon.

Battle Pass 17 is also live now and will run from July 21 until September 11. The primary rewards from the pass are Captain Style: Greeden and Captain Style: Zacian Ho??lowear. There are also some Captain Set Trainer fashion items you can acquire from this season's pass.

The new ranked match season is also underway and will run throu?gh September 11. Players can also predict the top teams for the Pokemon World Championships 2023 and win some cool rewards for doing?? so.

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Diablo now more hellish than ever before

Activision Blizzard has announced that it will be holding a live stream presentation next week for its incoming adventure sequel Diablo IV �The stream, set for Wednesday, May 10, will focus on some of the new elements coming to the Satanic franchise, such as seasons, cosmetics??, and the Battle Pass.

None more Satanic.

While mechanics such as seasons and Battle Passes are generally reserved for multiplayer-centric titles with a daily online grind, particularly shooters and battle royale releases, these elements are been creeping further and further into other genres, such as fighting games and more single-player-centric experiences. The inclusion of a Battle Pass in particular seems an odd fit for Diablo IV, a title ?that generally consists of one/two players pushing through a narrative campaign, while earning a metric ton o??f loot and gear en route.

//www.youtube.c?om/watch?v=KsNDMHvz98M&ab_channel=Diab?lo

Regardless, we'll soon know more about the controversial implementation of these features. Blizzard has already told us that they expect it to take "around 80 hours" to complete each Battle Pass, and that a Diablo IV season is expected to last in the region of around three-to-four months. Next Wednesday's stream should finalize some of these details, a??s well as showing fans some of the cosmetic and other items that can be earned during Battle Pass progress.

The live stream will take place Wednesday, May 10 at 11:00 PT / 14:00 ET / 19:00 BST, and can be watched on the official Diablo social media channels, including YouTube and Twitch.

Diablo IV launches June 6 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Pre-order customers will be granted Early Access from?? June 1.

The post Diablo IV stream to detail how seaso??ns/battle pass systems work appeared first on Destructoid.

Putting in the hours at the demon factory

Diablo IV is set to tackle a seasonal model, which includes a battle pass system. And in a new interview over at PC Gamer, associate game director Joe Piepiora talks a bit about how much time it will take to se??e the pass through.

In the season, you'll be able to start a new seasonal character to? take from level 1 to 100. Doing activities and ticking off objectives on the "seasonal journey" will earn progress in the battle pass.

"Right now, the battle pass, when you're figuring in completing the season journey alongside doing other content in the game, you're looking at roughly 80 hours worth of time invested to complete the entirety of the battle pass," Piepiora said. "To level a character to level 100 could take a little longer than that based on ??how you pl?ay."

The battle pass will have a free track, with bonuses like XP boosts. There will also be a premium, strictly cosmetic track. Piepiora said it's likely that a player will finish the battle pass before reaching max level in the season, which adheres to Blizzard's philosophy for Diablo IV of letting players get what they wa?nt and move on. Still, 80 hours seems like a pretty high mark to clear for a seasonal pass.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RdDpqCmjb4

Stay a while and listen

The seasons also include new quests, though to what extent is a little unclear. GM Rod Fergusson noted on social media that Seasons and Expansions will be talked about later, but these Seasons are "new quest lines that help to provide context to new seasonal mechanics - not a new campaign." Additionally, these will be a part of the free season track.

Still, it seems like Diablo IV is shaping up alright. Impressions from the recent beta weekends seemed positive. Even as Activision Blizzard itself is at the center of all the Microsoft-Sony squabbling, the Diablo team seems to going full steam ahead towards its June 6 launch date. I'm not sure i??f I'm 80-hours-a-pass sold yet, but I'm certainly intrigue??d.

The post Diablo IV’s battle pass will take roughly 80 hours to fully complete appeared first on Destructoid.

Funky Monky

Today sees the launch of the second season of Activision Blizzard's arena shooter, Overwatch 2 �And in something of a minor reshuffle, the development team has announced that it will be moving i?ts newest hero, Ramattra, to Tier 45 on the season 2 battle pass, fr?om his initial sitting of Tier 55.

"Hey all! Quick update on some changes coming to Season 2," wrote OW2 director Aaron Miller on Twitter. "After re??viewing data for Season 1, we're m?oving Ramattra [to] Tier 45 of the Battle Pass and making a few more weekly challenges easier to complete. Excited for you all to see everything new in Season 2 starting tomorrow!"

//twitter.com/aaronkellerO?W/status/1599834286546644992?s=20&t=?FunV3K50ZmLJkCJKMAE0Ww

Originally, Overwatch heroes were simply added to all players' rosters as they were released. But with the arrival of Overwatch 2 and its free-to-play structure, the new heroes now reside within?? the debuting, (and hugely divisive), battle pass system. By moving the new heroes to Tier 45, it is hoped that players will unlock the characters faster, though it is, admittedly, still a pretty meaty grind to get there.

The addition of the battle pass mechanic has been met with much grumbling from the Overwatch faithful. A common complaint, (echoed by this writer), is that it is simply a dull and excitement-free way to unlock goodies, and pales in comparison to the box of goodies p?layers would receive for popping a new level. Of course, loot boxes come with their own highly negative ramifications, but, personally, I'll take the loot box animation and fistful of varied treats over grinding th?rough endless drab avatar images... while paying for the privilege.

Overwatch 2 season 2 kicks off today on all platforms. You can check out our hands-on look at its newest hero, Ramattra, in our previous report.

The post Overwatch 2 shifts new her??oes to Tier 45 on Battle Pass appeared first on Destructoid.

Overwatch 2 gets into the Halloween spirit

Halloween is indisputably the best holiday of the year, so naturally, the spookily-themed events in live service games are something I look forward to every October. Overwatch has always had the best one in my opinion, with Junkenstein's Revenge (and its annual iterations) being a welcome, stylish PvE switch up? to the usual competitive multiplayer for??mula.

I remember when the original Halloween event dropped in Overwatch, and from what I can recall it was the first event of its kind in the game. Everyone loses their collective minds over all the cool skins and other cosmetics, the retheming of the menu and usual maps, and the fun bits of story that tied it all together. It was a magical time, and we were not yet scorned by the let-down that has been Overwatch 2.

Fast forward to now, and we have the latest version of the PvE brawl mode, now known as Junkenstein's Revenge: Wrath of the Bride. Sombra takes on the r??ole of the titular bride, who has locked Reinhardt away in a castle to perform experiments on him. The mode features all the usual bosses we've seen in past Halloween events, inc?luding Junkrat (known as "Dr. Junkenstein"), Roadhog ("Junkenstein's Monster"), Reaper ("The Reaper"), Mercy ("The Witch"), and Symmetra ("The Summoner"). New bosses this time around include Bastion ("The Experiment"), Sigma ("The Unstoppable Ghost"), and obviously Sombra ("The Bride").

While the previous events have taken place in a relatively small modified version of the Eichenwalde map (called Aldersbrunn), Wrath of the Bride is the longest, most sprawling version of the Halloween game?? mode yet. Rather than taking place in a small part of the map in front of the castle, players get to traverse the entire Aldersbrunn map, which includes the tavern, the dungeons, the hallways of the castle, and a final boss fight in the throne room itself. There are also some cool set pieces, like a nightmare sequence where players face a series of evil Echo clones.

Looks great, plays okay

The whole experience is really polished, and arguably the most elaborate PvE event the game has ever seen. The interactions between the characters are a whole lot of fun, the atmosphere is on point, and having themed skins to go along with it really seals the whole deal. If this is any inkling of what Overwatch 2's single-player campaign will look like when it drops next year, I t??hink we'll have a l?ot to look forward to.

There are four heroes to play as in Wrath of the Bride, including Junker Queen, Sojourn, Ashe, and Kiriko. This is where I start to have some issues. Based on their abilities and overall synergy, I don't think this was a great combo? of heroes to choose. As a tank, Junker Queen doesn't have much by way of damage mitigation. With her shotgun and blade secondary ability, sh?e's a close-range hero, which makes the addition of the Zomnics exploding when they get too close all the more painful.

Ashe and Sojourn are both mid-to-long-range heroes, and already have fairly similar kits to begin with. I would have liked to switch one of the DPS out with someone short-to-mid range, like Tracer or Mei, but I guess they want to align the event with the heroes that are getting new skins for Halloween. They're also running out of heroes to use because, after years of Overwatch Hallo??ween events, they??'re using half of them as for bosses anyway.

Finally, there's Kiriko. I get that they want to have people try out the new healer, but I just don't think she does enough healing to be the only support character available to play. She's more of an off-healer than anything else, and when I've played her in Wrath of the Bride, I found myself holding down right trig??ger (that's the heal button for my PC gamers out there) the entire time and still struggling to mitigate enough damage to?? keep my team up.

Maybe it's just me, but I've found I can only beat Wrath of the Bride unless everyone on my team really works together. I did manage to beat Expert diff??iculty on the first try, but our Sojourn also had double the kills of all of the rest of us combined. Do I just need to git gud, so is anyone else having trouble beating this year's event compared to previous years?

You can look, but don't touch

Then finally, there's the matter of the skins. I've already expressed my distaste for the Battle Pass and move away from earning cosmetics and loot boxes as a fun, rewarding part of the gameplay loop, but now that we're in the midst of the first special event since the sequel dropped the difficulty of getting the skins without paying is even more noticeable. I used to look forward to the thrill of opening a loot box to find the hot new Halloween skin everyone wanted,? and subsequently playing as that hero to show it off. That extra bit of fun is missing, and while it doesn't keep me from playing the game by any means, it does make me a little b?it sad when I remember how things used to be.

I'd still rather have this than no Overwatch Halloween event at all, and like I've said, I've still had a pretty good time playing Wrath of the Bride. Queuing up with friends this Halloweekend should make fo??r a more pleasant time, too. At least I have my Mercy Witch skin to show off, but I don't think I'll be able to get any of the new skins this year.

The post I have mixed feelings about Overwatch’s Halloween event this year appeared first on Destructoid.

Yes, I know her name is actually Ghost-Spider

The good vibes on the Fortnite island are disappearing–and frankly, good riddance. Early this morning, Epic Games updated the battle royale to Season 4: Paradise with some pretty significant changes made to the eastern side of the is??land. Several spots have been chromed out as this mysterious liquid slowly transforms everything in its path. Not only does this alter the look of certain locations but it also changes up the gameplay. The liquid chrome allows you to apparate through the walls of some buildings that, in theory, can set you ?up for a surprise attack. With the new Chrome Splash grenade, you can cover yourself and others in the goo for a short time, giving you the ability to turn into a chrome blob when you dash. In the few games I've played so far this season, being a blob makes it pretty easy to get the drop on opponents in those chromed-out areas. It's something that reminds me of Sand Tunneling from Chapter 2: Season 5.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=miht6Lgkqb0

New Season, New Battle Pass

Chapter 3 Season 3's island is probably the least I've liked the map since I've started playing Fortnite, so I'm glad some changes are here even if they're pretty small. What I'm far more excited about is this season's Battle Pass. The big-name draw this is Gwen Stacey, aka Ghost-Spider, aka Spider-Gwen. She sits atop the Battle Pass this season, but there are other characters you'll unlock along th?e way worth taking a look at. Specifically, Grriz. Grriz is a little bear just "kranging" it inside of a bigger bear that he controls with a game controller. That's a fantastic idea and I can't wait to unlock him.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-TGoeJKYY8

While I've been playing Fortnite off and o??n for a few years now, this last season was the first time I actually put in the work to complete missions and gain enough XP to level up beyond the standard Battle Pass. With the selection of skins this time around, I can honestly see myself doing it all over this season.

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Overwatch 1 players get the first one free

Blizzard is stepping in to clarify exactly how battle pass unlocks will work for the heroes of Overwatch 2.

After leaks of its model for the upcoming free-to-play multiplayer evolution of Overwatch got out, the studio is now detailing e??xactly how players will unlock heroes in the n?ew game.

Overwatch 2 heads into free-to-play multiplayer on October 4. And as the game shifts into a seasonal content model, hero unlocks will also be part of the Battle Pass.

Loot boxes ??are going away, being replaced by an? in-game shop and a virtual currency, Overwatch Coins. The shop will offer "featured cosmetic items every week" for all players. Season one will follow a cyberpunk theme, and other seasons will have their own themes as well.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BowIDnsNvjs

Access to the Battle Pass will be free for everyone. And like other seasonal pass models, Overwatch 2 will offer a premium track as well.

Heroes will debut in new seasons, as part of the Battle Pass, starting in Season 1 with newcomer sup??port Kiriko. In general, heroes will debut at Tier 55 of the 80-tier Battle Pass for free users. Premium Pass purchasers, meanwhile, unlock that season's hero immediately upon purchase. The premium pass will go for $10, or 1000 Overwatch Coins.

In the case of Kiriko, specifically, Overwatch 1 owners will get access to her automatically, as Blizzard is giving a free Founder's Pack to Overwatch 1 owners. A new hero will arrive in Season 2, and after ??that, Blizzard plans to launch a new hero in Season 4 and Season 6.

There will be?? ways to earn heroes introduced in earlier seasons, if players miss the season they're included in or don't reach the level they need. Special challenges will be made available, or they can be directly purchased from the shop with Overwatch Coins.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Uc-kExqwd4

A new design focus

In the Blizzard blog shared today detailing all these changes, the studio says that with the launch of Overwatch 2 and 5-on-5 multiplayer, the team is shifting its hero design app?roach. Specifically, it's looking to reduce the presence of specific hard counters.

Using Cassidy and Tracer as an example, a core part of Overwatch has often been hero match-ups and, sometimes, the need to swap depending on what the other team is running. That's changing with Overwatch 2.

"While Overwatch 2 heroes w?ill each have their own clear strengths and weaknesses, and some heroes will be more effective against other?s, we believe our game plays better and is more fun with fewer hard counters and a broader range of effective hero picks. A further benefit is having your personal favorite heroes be viable more often. That philosophy will be guiding us moving forward."

Blizzard says it believes launching heroes through the battle pass system is fair to its players due to this shift, alongside the goal of supporting Overwatch 2 service as a live service.

New maps are also in the pipeline of Overwatch 2, and will be available to everyone. A new mode? is also planned for s?ometime later in 2023.

The post Blizzard explains how Overwatch 2 battle pass hero unlo?cks will w?ork appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready to grind those pass levels

Overwatch 2 is less than a month out, and today we're getting some mixed messaging about how its new heroes will roll out. It looks like Overwatch 2's heroes will unlock via the Battle Pass.

The Watchpoint Pack, the paid version of the upcoming free-to-play multiplayer portion of Overwatch 2, includes the first season's premium Battle Pass track. And a since-removed portion of that description (via Polygon) notes unlocking heroes via the Battle Pass.

Overwatch commercial leader and Blizzard VP Jon Spector addressed this on Twitter, describing it as "incomplete info posted early" about the Battle Pass. While details will be shared ahead of launch, Spector confirms that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of?? th??e Battle Pass.

//twitter.com/Spex_J/status/1567694080909660162

This looks like heroes will be unlockable via some track of the Overwatch 2 Battle Pass. Whether they are also availabl?e via other means is unclear.

In a follow-up, one player asks whether heroes will still be unlockable even if someone doesn't reach th??eir specif??ic tier in that Battle Pass.

"We will have free paths to get new heroes in future seasons too," said Spector.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa1POCi7ugc

A new model

The shift of Overwatch 2 was always likely to entail some sort of change in how heroes are unlocked. Other free-to-play games like Valorant have hero-specific unlock tracks, where players can either grind for in-game poi??nts or purchase them.

Players have been expressing some issues with putting heroes on the unlock track of a seasonal Battle Pass, though. We knew Overwatch 2 is ditching loot boxes for the Battle Pass model. But putting playable characters on the pass?? feels rou?gh.

Blizzard seems to have more to share about its model, so we'll see what more there is to share about their new model. Overwatch 2 launches its free-to-play multiplayer for P??C and consoles on October 4.

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Season 1 kicks off in Battlefield 2042 on June 9

More tools for mayhem are arriving on the battlefield. Electronic Arts and DICE debuted a trailer today, showing what's coming in Battlefield 2042 Season 1 on June 9, 2022.

In today's trailer, the team gives us a good look at Exposure, the new map arriving i?n Season 1. It's set in the Canadian Rockies and looks to make big use of verticality, allowing aircraft and wingsuits to really get around.

Also shown ?is the new Specialist, Ewelina Lis. Lis is particularly skilled at tackling vehicles, using a remote-controlled rocket launcher to wreak havoc on?? armor.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hfeb7eIzbo

Alongside those, new vehicles and weapons are also coming in Battlefield 2042 Season 1. Two new gunships, the RAH-68 Huron and YG-99 H??annibal, take to the skies. The BSV-M Marksman Rifle offers a new mid?-range option. And the Smoke Grenade launcher offers some infantry ground cover.

But good lord, the Ghostmaker R10 Crossbow looks like a blast. Literally, because i??t has explosive ammo, alongside regular, light, and heavy ammo. The core content additions are available as part of the free Battle Pass track, though it will require playing to unlock. Additional cosmetics are in the Premium Battle Pass Track.

Seasoned veterans

There are also more fixes for stability, balance, gunplay, performance, and more. It looks like DICE is trying to make good on its commitment to improving Battlefield 2042 after its rough launch.

The focus comes at the cost of some initial pillars, like the removal of the 128-player Breakthrough variant. The team also shuttered all future content development for Hazard Zone, its Tarkov-style multiplaye??r mode, in favor of focusing on its other pillars.

With Season 1 for Battlefield 2042 finally going live, it seems like this co??uld b??e the time for DICE to rally and try to right the ship. Exploding crossbow bolts are a good start, at least.

The post Battlefield 2042 shows new map, S?p??ecialist, and more arriving in Season 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

Lone Wolves be free tonight

343 Industries are showing off the next season of Halo Infinite. Dubbed "Lone Wolves," Season 2 of Halo Infinite is due to arrive on May 3, and it's?? got some new mu?ltiplayer content in tow.

The Halo Infinite team has made the targeted launch date of May 3 known over on the Halo Waypoint blog before now, but to??da??y we got a glimpse of all the action in motion. This includes new maps, modes, and more in the upcoming Battle Pass.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=o69uckS2jlU

343 Industries has been discussing what's in store for Halo Infinite Season 2 over on the Waypoint, including some story. A m??ix of cinemat?ic, story-themed Events, and Battle Pass items are all intended to embody the "Lone Wolves" theme.

Cosmetics are one thing, and thankfully Halo Infinite's Battle Pass system means this one will stick around, rather than being time-limited. When it comes to gameplay??, however, a few updates are on the way ??too. Map-wise, an Arena map called Catalyst and Big Team Battle map called Breaker are on the way.

Bigger birthday parties

New modes are also in store for Halo Infinite Season 2. Last Spartan Standing is a free-for-all elimination mode, and another new mode called Land Grab is on the way. King of the Hill fans (not the TV ??show, sorry) will al??so be happy to see the mode return this season too, with a refresh.

343 Industries went into some more detail about what's in store with this upcoming season for Halo in another blog, ranging from weapon damage changes and odd issues to audio alterations. My personal favorite: "The volume of the Grunt Birthday P?arty sound effect will be?? increased in Campaign."

What's not in store for Halo Infinite's second season is campaign co-op. 343 has confirmed the feature is not able to ship on May 3, though it is looking at delivering Campaign network co-op sometime later in Season 2. Forge is also still on the way, and 343 has said it still aims to ship Forge in Halo Infinite Season 3.

The post Halo Infinite Season 2 trailer shows what’s in store for May 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Press X to blink?

Valve has launched the Winter Battle Pass for Dota 2, filled with shiny new cosmetics to collect and a new game mode to take part in. But amongst the usual festivities, a new feature was added to Dota 2: controller support.

The latest Dota 2 update includes experimental controller support, with an emphasis on experimental. In an FAQ about the feature, Valve notes that the option is in active development, and they're looking for feedback. So if you want to opt in, you can follow the instructions on the page ?and do so. "We don't think controller support is ready for everyone yet, but if you're curious and willing to offer feedback we'd love to hear what you think!" the FAQ reads.

Any controller supported by Steam Input should work. This includes Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch Pro, and PC gamepads, as well as the Steam Controller. (Remember the Steam Controller?)

There's a rundown of the controls on the FAQ page, and it seems reminiscent of other MOBAs with controller options. Keep in mind, Dota isn't the first to tackle this problem. But for a game like Dota 2, there are definitely a bit more modifiers and options needed to manage the breadth of potential inputs and actions called for in a Dota 2 match.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuR9Bf5-034

The FAQ specifically notes some characters, like the many-hero Meepo or complicated spellcaster Invoker, saying all of them should be playable with a controller. And you can also, at any point, drop the controller and pick up the mouse and ke??yboard to resume regular play.

It might seem a bit outlandish for a complicated game like Dota 2 to get controller support, I think it's an interesting step—at least for accessibility, if nothing else. I'd be curious to see something like the Adaptive Controller take on Dota 2, and see how it all maps out. Wil?l someone just try and hook up a flight stick or racing wheel? Yeah, probably. But the potential of this feature could be really good for some folks.

And while you're testing out Dota 2's experimental controller support, you can also work on those Battle Pass points playing through the new version of Aghanim's Labyrinth, a recurring seasonal mode that's a bit like a co-op dungeon crawler. That spectacular Drow Ranger Arcana at Level 333 and Dota: Dragon's Blood-insp??ired Mirana Persona aren't going to earn themselves.

The post Dota ?2 adds exp??erimental controller support in latest update appeared first on Destructoid.

You should be getting some more experience for those early matches

Halo Infinite has had a lot of talk around its progression. Developer 343 Industries has been vocal in acknowledging criticism and fine-tuning the model for its free-to-play multiplayer. And today, they're detailing some new changes to Halo Infinite that should bank? more XP for your first few match?es.

Halo community manager John Junyszek published a tweet thread last night, running down the update that should be going live this morning. Following the addition of a "play one game" challenge, updated weeklies, and doubled duration of 2XP Boosts, the team monitored data t?o make more changes if needed.

//twitter.com/Unyshek/status/1465550995627249677

Junyszek says that with those changes, players were still starting out their play sessions with slower payouts. The fix is boosting up the XP payout for the first six matches each day. The Halo Infinite XP payout with today's update is as follows:

• First game: 300 XP
• Second and third game: 200 XP
• Fourth through sixth game: 100 XP
• Seventh and beyond: 50 XP

These definitely seem like a pretty hefty boost to early progression each day, while metering back down once you're hitting a bunch of games played. For a battle pass season that's set to run until May 2022, at least, it should hopefully give plenty of time for people to pop in and out?, getting ??the rewards they want.

It's also nice that Halo Infinite is pretty fun to play, even just going by multiplayer alone. I spent the long weekend away from my setup and came back eager to dive back into Fiesta and Big Team Battle, and was still loving the chaos and action. Progression is definitely important, especially for folks who want to make their Spartans look distinct and personalized. But I'm also all about just playing some more Halo Infinite.

Maybe that's the days of playing the Halo PC demo over and over talking. But with t?hese changes and their preceding efforts, 343 Industries has at least shown they're paying attention and turning knobs to address areas where people feel there could be more reward.

The post Halo Infinite gets increased XP payout f??or first few matches of ?the day appeared first on Destructoid.

The Battle Pass updates are already arriving

After the surprise launch of Halo Infinite multiplayer earlier this week, players rushed onto the servers. Only, they soon found that their progression in Halo Infinite wasn't really going ahead at a steady rate.

343 Industries acknowledged this pretty fast, and just as quick, they've already released the first updates to Halo Infinite progression. And after spending a lit?tle time with it last night and speaking to others, it's a conflicting result for me.

//twitter.com/Unyshek/status/1461124062021763072

A "Play 1 Game" Daily Challenge has been implemented for 50 XP, letting you get some experience regardless of results. And the doubling of 2XP? Boosts is nice, as it makes those 30 minutes feel less like a struggle to maximize winnings. Big Team Battle shouldn't be stressful, y'know?

Alongside the "first match of the day" bonus, and in exchange for challenge rewards swapping around a bit, the week's current Ultimate Reward—the Sigil Mark VII Visor—will be given away for free to everyone who logs in between Nov. 23 and 30.

So, it's a start. In my own experience, it felt like I was moving forward a little faster, or at least seeing the bar tick up a bit more often. As for the actual math? Users on forums like ResetEra ??are putting it together? and well, the numbers are a little iffy.

The trickiest part of all of this is that the first season of Halo Infinite is running until May 2022. While quick progression is good, I do also wonder how much of a consideration is being put into having an extra-long first season compared to ?their goal of seasons running for three months.

It's a start, at least, and a sign that 343 Industries is paying attention. The nice part is that Halo Infinite multiplayer is really, really fun to play. So even if I'm not raking in new cosmetics with each match, I'm honestly just keen to keep playing matches of Halo Infinite, whether the progression feels off or not.

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The Community Director for Halo Infinite says 343 is keeping an eye on the Battle Pass

Halo Infinite multiplayer shadow-dropped yesterday, as part of the Xbox 20th Anniversary celebration. Many players took to the field, ?and I can personally attest that folks stayed up late getting in lots of matches. How well those matche?s translated into Battle Pass progression, however, has been the subject of discussion.

The Battle Pass progression in Halo Infinite relies on completing challenges. You get sets of daily and weekly parameters to complete in order to gain XP, and that's what builds up your Battle Pass. Some aren't too difficult; a few of mine were just for participating in or winning matches. Others were, well, a little specific. And other players had some similar qualms.

If you look around at the social and early media response to Halo Infinite, the Battle Pass frequently comes up. And it's rarely the content, but the grind itself for it. It's a problem 343 Industries, a little over 24 hours into the shadow-drop launch of Halo Infinite, seems aware of at the least.

//twitter.com/ske7ch/status/1460680004090548226

"FYI the team is looking at Battle Pass progression and gathering data from yesterday's sessions and we'll share updates as we have them," said Community Director Brian Jarrard on Twitter. "Please continue to share feedback a?nd raise flags as you see them."

That's something, at the least. Hopefully progression can get a little bit more reasonable, because otherwise, the Battle Pass system 343 Industries has in place is pretty good. I really li?ke the approach of not locking out previous seasons, so if I ever lapse in Halo Infinite pl??ay I can still come back and clear an old Battle Pass or two.

At the very least, we've got some time with Halo Infinite Season One. 343 confirmed yesterday that it will be extending its first season of Halo Infinite out to May 2022, so? there's plenty of time to fine-tune and grind. And hey, the game itself is pretty fun too.

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