Fragpunk, a new first-person shooter in the Hero Shooter genre, has an ongoing playtest that you can join. Getting access to it is pretty easy, but if ?you're unaware, here's how you can get your invite.

How to join the Fragpunk beta test

The main way to get into the playtest is to Request Access through the Fragpunk Steam Store page. Using this method, ??you won't need a code or get into it. Instead, all you need is some patience and luck. The developers are actively inviting players to the test, so you probably won't have ??to wait long to get in (took me about a day). Keep in mind that you are not guaranteed access using this method.

Another method of getting access to the Fragpunk closed beta is by being an Xbox Insider. If you are already a subscriber of this service, you do n??ot need to do anything extra. By being an Xbox Insider, you will automatically have a chance to receive an invite/code.

The third way of getting a code for the Fragpunk test is by, ironically, playing the game. Weirdly enough, you can earn a few codes by playing Ranked, which is certainly an incentive if you're looking to play with a few friends. Of cour?se, this method assumes you already have access to the playtest, so it may not yet apply to you.

The final way to get into the Fragpunk playtest is to for giveaways. The developer?s are constantly sharing keys on their Official Discord, so you may be able to snag one this way ?if you're lucky.

The post How to get into the Fragpunk playtest appeared first on Destructoid.

Blizzard recently announced that sign ups for the beta to World of Warcraft: The War Within are now open, with the beta going live soon. Once it does, s??elected players will be able to test out the new expansion conten?t before it officially releases this summer.

The War Within is the MMO's next expansion, and the beginning of what they're calling "The Worldsoul Trilogy." Two more expansions, Midnight and The Last Titan, are planned to continue a larger overarching story. One of the new features of this expansion is a new playable Allied race, The Earthen Dwarves. These sturdy stone-folks will be available for both?? factions.

You'll also be able to go on Delves to hunt additional loot. Each? spec will have new Hero Talents to engage with. The incredibly popular Dragon Riding will be called Dynamic Flying and will be available with most flying mounts already in the game. There are also tons of new dungeons, zones, stories,? quests, and more.

How to sign up for The War Within's beta

First, you'll need to sign up here at Blizzard's website.

Once the beta goes live, selections will be made in waves. Blizzard even offers an explainer on its official FAQ to outline how it selects both alp?ha and beta testing access. To make sure you're ready for when you're selected, follow Blizzard's steps for installing the game below:

• Update your graphic drivers and Battle.net desktop app
• Select World of Warcraft from the Battle.net library
• Install The War Within under the Play option
• Click play and select a Test Server
• Create a new test character or import a Dragonflight character

The post World of Warcraft: The War Wi??thin beta sign-ups are now live appeared first on Destructoid.

Fellow Traveller and Copychaser games have announced a closed beta for their upcoming robot journalist game, Times & Galaxy. The beta will run from Febr??uary 26 to March 11 ??and consists of the first 30% of the final game.

Times & Galaxy was first revealed last year. It’s an adventure game where you play as a robot and the brand new intern at the titular news outlet. You’re sent to scenes of happenings and must gather information to create your articles. The great twist here is that crafting your article is actually a part of gameplay. The flow has you first checking out the scene and interviewing witnesses and gossip?s about what happened. Once you think you have the full story (or can at least throw together something passable), you pick your headline and content based on the information you gathered.

I had early access to the beta and was hoping to have more time with it, but I didn’t get much further than the opening section. Obviously, that part wasn’t very difficult. I was able to crack the case before even the police had any clue what was going on and left with a hot scoop. Then Times & Galaxy t??old me to meet my co-workers, but that’s something I typically avoid.

I crafted my exclusive investigative article with a human? (robot) angle, but i??t made me curious to see how far I could get if I just did the absolute bare minimum. Can I speedrun the game with bad journalism?

This is going to sound weird, but part of what stopped me from playing further was the fact that the game would crash whenever? I minimized it. Not only does the game’s startup have (a lot of) unskippable logos and disclaimers, but having?? the game crash gives me a clear out to go and do something else. However, I checked, and a recent patch has fixed the alt+tab problem, so you’re good to go. There’s no escape.

According to Copychaser, the beta will provide 4-6 hours of gameplay and consists of the first six cycles. The goal is to gather “player feedback on what works, what doesn’t, what feels good, and of course squishing bugs and ironing out hardware compatibility issues.�/p>

The beta is PC-only (that’s the only confirmed platform for the game) through Steam. You need to fill out a form over here to get in, but it doesn’t ask a lot of questions. If you’re not interested in such a sizeable early slice of game, there’s a normal demo for Times & Galaxy available. The finished game is set to drop s??ometime this year.

The post Robo-reporting Times & Galaxy?? offers early scoop with a closed beta appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's be honest, Kingdom Hearts 4 isn't coming anytime soon. So fans of the series may want to look elsewhere to get their fix of the Disney-verse. Luckily, with closed beta recruiting beginning today, Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link may not be all that far away.

Square Enix confirmed that Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link is arriving in 2024. Also, between today and November 19, iOS and Android users in the UK and Australia can sign up to potentially be cho?sen for the title's upcoming closed beta. In total, roughly 3,000 participants will be selected across the two platforms. To commemorate the announcement, the publisher also dropped a new trailer for the game:

As for the Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link closed beta schedule, iOS users are up first. Square Enix revealed that invitation emails will be going out around November 28, with the closed beta spanning from November 29 to December 8. Selected Android users will follow, with their closed beta launching at some point in January 2024. Square Enix recommends following the Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link X account for future news on the Android beta.

Not much is known about the new mobile title to this point. At the game's initial reveal, we were told that the adventure would depart from Scala ad Caelum and instead take place in the real world. The Heartless would once again be a focal point as players experience a brand new story. And if these words mean nothing to you, feel free to check out Destructoid's full Kingdom Hearts timeline explained.

Today's trailer describes the ??upcoming game as a "GPS Action RPG". It's unclear how exactly GPS is i??ncorporated, but you do see a real-world global map with various chests scattered about. Though the trailer also states you can "travel the world without stepping outside".

The trailer also teases the ability ??to adventure through various Disney worlds and collect Disney characters to aid you. ?In a couple of quick battle clips, we can see Mickey, Pinocchio, Winnie the Pooh, Ariel, Woody, Aladdin, Rapunzel, Tinker Bell, Simba, and a few others.

As far as Kingdom Hearts 4 goes, we don't know much about that project either, aside from a teaser trailer. We do know a general timeframe that we will have Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link on our phones. Square Enix states in today's new trailer that the game will release sometime in 2024. Unless, of course, you're one of the lucky 3,000 that gets to try the game out ea??rly.

The post Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link launches in 2024, closed beta sign-ups live ??now appeared first on Destructoid.

Last month we got to see gameplay for the upcoming social MMO Palia, and it left me feeling excited. The developers at Singularity 6 invited me to jump in and take a look at Palia ahead of its closed beta launch today. Excite??d for the opp??ortunity to make some friends and go fishing, I pounced on the offer.

After a few days of casually exploring and immersing myself in the world of Palia, I've come to the following conclusion: Palia is exactly what it advertises it is. A cozy experience that focuses on the social ??aspects of playing a community-driven game.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYI7HGeCF_s

Palia is not your traditional MMO

If you're looking to choose a class and venture out and slay some beasts or delve into a dungeon, that is not Palia. In fact, the only type of combat you will encounter is? a system to hunt crea?tures for meat and furs. Instead, you'll be doing a plethora of life skills including chopping down trees, mining minerals, and best of all: fishing.

After agreeing to be a responsible, ?kind, and helpful neighbor, you will create your character and enter the world. The character creation offers a variety of options standard in MMO titles today.

From a lore perspective, your journey into Palia is pretty remarkable. Humans are considered a ??legendary species, having disappeared thousands of years ago. Nobody knows where they went, but you and your fellow players are the first Humans to be seen in a long time. You're not quite sure how you got here, but thankfully the inhabitants welcome you with open arms. From here it's your task to learn about the world, while also working to make a home in it.

You'll soon stumble upon the community in Palia: Kilima Village. If you've played games like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, you'll recognize the NPC interactions here. You have a separate reputation with each NPC which you can improve by chatting with them and giving them gifts. Of course, every NPC?? has their own likes and dislikes, so it's up to you to get to know them and befriend them?.

[caption id="attachment_394775" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Eight life skills to level

Once you've mingled with the denizens of Kilima Village, they will grant you your own plot of land. Like any good farming sim, your plot's overrun with debris and foliage that needs to be taken care of. This is where you are introduced to the eight different life skills in Palia: bug catching, cooking, fishing, foraging, furniture making, gardening, hunting, and mining. Each skill has its own level that you will increase as you perform the skill. In general, the skills in Palia are ver?y similar to professions?? in a more traditional MMO.

Also, you'll find NPCs that represent each of the eight skills. As you rise in levels, you c??an visit the NPC that specializes in that skill to buy better tools or learn new recipes to craft pertaining to that skill. Most of these upgrades will make you more efficient at that job, like earning a better axe will lets you chop down trees in fewer hits. Furthermore, some recipes will further increase what you can craft pertaining to each skill. For example, at level 2 foraging?? you can learn to make a sawmill that will turn your chopped wood into planks. Mining has a similar recipe for a Smelter to turn your stone into bricks and metals into ingots.

It's important to note that some aspects of ?the game require some time to pass to complete. For example, it takes 60 seconds to turn a piece of wood into a plank, and two minutes to turn a stone into a brick. At first, I was a ?bit put off by this premise, but it's not so bad. You can queue up a bunch of crafting orders at your sawmill and smelter then head back out and keep chopping, hunting, fishing, etc.

[caption id="attachment_394777" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Socialization is paramount

It's very important that you interact with your fellow inhabitants at Kilima Village. With my early access to Palia being limited to only the press, I admittedly did not run into many others. However, that should obviously change once the game is open to the public. It looks like by default when you are runn?ing around Kilima Village and the surrounding areas, it will randomly put other players on your instance of the game wor??ld.

However, I did find an option to create a Community t??hat allowed me to give my specific community a name, motto, and description. From there it looked like I could invite and accept others into my community. I'm not 100% sure, but it appears this may be a way to set up your own specific instance for your friends ?or community, thus making sure you are neighbors. Furthermore, it looks like you can request specific items from friends and fellow community members, which can be crucial to get some final materials required to finish a building or craft at your plot of land.

Aside from other players, it's doubly important to socialize with the NPCs of Kilima Village. Like similar games, these NPCs have their own shops that you'll want to buy and sell from. Furthermore, they each have their own quest line that starts upon first joining Palia. As you progress through the quests you'll not only learn how to play the game, but receive ??some pretty important rew??ards including consumables, tools, and recipes. Sometimes, they will even send you mail that can be collected at your mailbox in your personal land plot.

[caption id="attachment_394784" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I am slightly worried about the Premium Shop

The only real concerns I had was with some of the pricing of the cosmetic microtransactions. As Palia is a free-to-play game, I completely understand th?e need to sell cosmetics. However, the pricing seemed pretty expensive. The premium currency, Palia coi?ns, is offered in various bundles ranging between $4.99 for 425 coins and $99.99 for 11,000 coins.

Single cosmetics ranged from 850 coins up to 2,550 coins, which is essentially $8-$25. Most items are in bundles cost anywhere from 1,700 coins all the way up to 5,100 coins, which is essentially $17-$51. There are also some? questionable practices going on here. For example, you can buy 425 coins for $4.99, but there's literally nothing available for that cheap. I'm not sure if the pricing here is final, so this could certainly change during the beta periods. This is purely based on what I saw in the Premium Shop ahead of the beta testing period.

To be clear here, I understand the need for a cosmetic shop in a free-to-play MMO game like Palia. My real concern here?? is that the microtransactions might be overpriced, which could lead to a lack of sales, which is not good for the future of the game for obvious reasons. Of course, I'm not an expert in this regard, and this is purely my opinion based on what I've seen.

[caption id="attachment_394778" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Palia feels very polished as it enters its beta stages

I had a very smooth experience during my brief time in Palia, especially for an MMO. The few bugs I had disappeared with a restart or even just loading into a new zone. I didn't experience any sort of lag or disconne??cts either, which is important for an online-centric game.

It was a very cozy experience heading out at dawn to do some fishing, bumping into several NPCs to interact with along the way, before heading back to my plot to tidy it up further and check how things were faring. Once I have the opportunity to also intermingle with other players I imagine the experience will only be even better, as community is a big aspect of Palia.

Those interested in experiencing Palia can sign up on the website for a chance to join the closed beta. On August 10, Palia will enter its open beta phase for all to join. There are no more wipes moving forward, so despite being in a beta state, this is essentially a soft launch. Palia will also come to Switch later this year.

The post Palia is oh?? so cozy: My first impressions with the social MMO appeared first on Destructoid.

It'll be extremely limited

Bandai Namco announced today that fans can now sign up (right here) for the limited Tekken 8 Closed Network Test. The announcement indicates participants will be chosen based on a first-come, first-served basis, b??ut also mentions it will be a very limited test.

While all platforms will have access to the Closed Network Test from July 28th at 10AM until July 31st at 9AM CEST, Playstation 5 participants only will get an extra weekend from July 21st at 10AM until July 24th at 9AM CEST. Those playing on a console will not require an online subscription service (like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold) to participat?e in the? test.

In anticipation of the test, Bandai Namco released a new trailer

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh5udl01YXc

If you were lucky enough to play in the clo??sed alpha tests in March, you will notice an all-new "Heat" battle system has been implemented based on fe??edback from the alpha. This new system removes the old "Heat Energy" mechanic and adds a whole new element to the action.

All playable characters will have a new "Heat Smash"?? command for use with the new system.

[caption id="attachment_385624" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

The July closed network test will have all currently announced content - here's a recap and where to sign up

For the first time, you will be able to play as any of the 16 announced characters, including the recently revealed Bryan Fury. You will also be able to face off on all five revealed stages: Urban Square, Yakushima, Rebel Hangar, Sanctum and Arena. The Closed Network Test will feature online head-to-head rank??ed matches and?? cross-platform matchmaking.

Not only does Tekken 8 look like a lot of fun, but the new Heat battle system also sounds interesting. The recently released Street Fighter 6 has been consumi?ng a lot of my time lately, but who can't make a little room in their schedule t??o practice Nina?

Again, the signup link is right here!

The post Sign up for a chance to join the limited July Tek??ken 8 Closed Network Test appeared first on Destructoid.

Dumb it down for me

One of the most significant and recognizable changes in my gaming habits over the past 30 years has been my slow retreat from the fighting game genre. Mind you, I was never really into the FGC, having participated in one entire tournament in my life when I was very young. But like many of those who came of age during the original console wars, Street Fighter II and its various iterations integrated itself into my life, my leisure time, and my many playground conversations with friends. We shared strategies, talked up our favorite characters (Cammy here), and convinced each other that the lies of secret characters we heard from the older kids were totally true but we just weren’t skilled enough to acc??ess them.

I spent many of my school years attempting to get good at Street Fighter, Tekken, and TMNT Tournament Fighters. I never really did, maxing out at what I’d label “adequate.�And I was fine with adequate, really. That was a decent middle ground for somebody who knew the controls and some combos but didn’t have th??e time to fully sink his teeth in.

To actually maintain my adequate level, I’d have to play with some regularity. But as I traded velcro shoes and Mead Peechee folders for dorm rooms and an eventual career, I discovered I no longer had the time to actually learn how to play a game. I didn’t have it in me to spend weekends remastering a six-button control scheme while learning intricate new combos and often confusing specials. I needed games to come ready to play for me, where everything I needed to know could be picked up in a matter of minutes rather than a matter of days. I guess that’s why I played a lot of Mortal Kombat in those years.

It was pretty easy for me to forget about fighters in the aughts as the genre seemed to be limping along on its last leg. It was a dire time, those days, but when Street Fighter 4 hit, al??l those schoolyard memories shot to the forefront of my mind. Seeing the trailers for it made me feel like a fearless eight-year-old again, but when I dared to give it a shot on the 360, I realized I’d never be able to capture the youthful energy I once had for the genre. I was a working man at that point with an often unpredictable schedule. As much as I loved the look of characters like Sakura and C. Viper, I knew I wouldn’t have the time to work my way back up to an adequate level again.

6-buttons! In this economy?!

The first traditional fighting game to pull me back into the fray was 2010’s Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. Unlike the 2D fighters I remember from my past, it dropped the six-button set-up in favor of an impossible-to-forget three-button scheme. I know other games, like Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, took steps to simplify the fighting game formula, but there was something about TvC’s schematic that clicked with me in a way no other fighter had. For the first time in a long time, I found a way to build myself up to adequate once again. Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom changed my entire outlook on fighting games and opened my eyes to the other titles? on the market that were attempting to make the genre more approachabl?e.

Games like Dragon Ball FighterZ or Melty Blood: Type Lumina or Them’s Fightin�Herds all eschewed traditional fighting game controls in favor of something that could be labeled “Easy to Learn, Hard to Master,�which is exactly what I’m looking for these days. Games featuring these simplified controls are the ones I’m going to gravitate toward, even if those titles never go mainstream or I don’t really care for the IP they’re attac?hed to. I guess that’s why I’m so damn happy that arguably the biggest fighter in the world is modernizing its controls for a filthy casual like me.

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to try out the closed beta for Street Fighter 6. Our own Chris Moyse has already rattled off a list of the big and little things that made the beta so great, and I would parrot every single entry on his listicle. I loved doing the spinning bird kick off the second floor, changing up my New Challenger screen (which not enough people did), and really appreciated being able to bow out of a match with a poor connection. I think the hub area itself has a lot of potential with everything from event concerts to seasonal p??hoto booths being possible if that’s what Capcom has in sto??re.

All of that was fine and dandy, dandy and fine, but the highlight of the weekend was getting to test out the new Modern Controls option. With the Classic Controls, you have the standard Street Fighter set-up that I imagine most long-time players won’t stray away from. With Modern Controls, almost everything has been simplified into four buttons: light attack, medium attack, heavy attack, and special attack. Once I actually realized the beta made Modern Controls the standard, it didn’t take long for me to gel with each available fighter. I got my first win with Guile and then quickly racked up more dubs with Juri, Jamie, and Chun-li. Jamie actually ended up as my favorite fighter of the weekend as the flow of his moveset worked so well with?? the Modern Controls, though I did try my best with Kimberly because her design is overflowing with personality.

Because of how the controls simplified the experience, I was more eager to try out all the fighters than I would have been otherwise. Being able to jump from Ken to Jamie wasn’t as significant of a leap as it might have been in the past with the traditional set-up, and certainly not something I would have been all that keen to do in such a short window. If not for the Modern Controls, I would have p?robably just spent the entire?? weekend playing as the first character I picked up. In fact, without the approachable controls, I doubt I would have won any fights at all, let alone the dozen or so I did.

Modern or Classic, I'm still garbage at the game

Don’t get me wrong, I got my ass thoroughl??y kicked throughout the weekend. People playing with Classic Controls, which is noted by a little icon next to their fighter portrait, routinely wiped the floor with m??e. One even managed to get a perfect round in, which wasn’t a high point of the beta. But even when I lost, in a majority of the matches, I was able to hold my own with each of the available fighters. I didn’t have to stick with who I was best at—Juri, in case you’re wondering. Instead, I felt encouraged to sample; to shop around a bit until I found out just who complimented my abilities the best.

And that’s what I love about Modern Controls. When this game launches next year, I’ll be able to go through the entire cast without feeling lost whenever I pick a new fighter. As long as I have the basics for one, I have an understanding of them all. That right there is the difference betwe??en me buying this game down the line and buying it on day one.

It should be noted that while much of your fighter’s repertoire has been condensed to the face buttons on your controller when using Street Fighter 6’s Modern Controls, there is va?riety in how you actually pull off their moves. For some fighters, attacking with a special is as easy as pressing the Triangle Button and a direction on the control pad. Others are slightly more involved. Guile, for instance, will require you to hold back for a short time if you want to throw a Sonic Boom, just as you do with the Classic Controls. Chun-li’s Kikoken is the same way. Characters may also have moves that don’t use the special button, like Kimberly??’s paint-bomb shurikens or Chun-li’s Spinning Bird Kick. Those require a traditional input even with the new configuration.

Like I said above, I need my games to come to me ready to play. I don’t have enough spare time to invest in a traditional fighting game because I’m the idiot who keeps volunteering to review 50-hour JRPGs on this website. Don't get me wrong, I still buy the traditional fighters, especially with all the compilations Capcom keeps shoving out. I just don't play them. If I'm playing a fighter these days, it has to be pick-up-and-play. Street Fighter 6 isn’t something I’m going to play so I can make it into tournam??ents or wedge myself into the FGC. It’s going to be a game I play? for fun, to complete the single-player mode, to make an avatar that is hot AF, and maybe take it online one or two nights a week.

As a fil??thy casual, that’s all I need from this game. And if you’re someone who takes their fighting games very seriously, don’t worry: you’ll still kick my ass if we’re ever paired up online. At least until I learn how to use that glowy body thingie or that color woosh smash move that people kept using again??st me. ‘Cause that shit was annoying and I can't wait to spam it against y'all.

The post Street Fighter 6’s modern con??trols are a blessing, says I, a filthy ??casual appeared first on Destructoid.

I ain't never backin' down

This weekend, we can expect a helluva lot of fists and feet to be spinning through the air and planting on the domes of some unfortunate skulls, as Capcom has finally opened the doors to its upcoming scrapper, Street Fighter 6 �A closed beta kicks off today on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, giving the online au?dience its first taste of the new sequel.

From today until Monday, October 10, the lucky players chosen to participate in the beta will get the opportunity to duke it out, both online and offline, in the dazzling new fighting title. A total of eight playable characters are available (Ryu, Ken, Luke, Jamie, Juri, Kimberly, Chun-Li, and Guile) and several limited modes can be enjoyed, from classic one-on-one battles to the chaotic new "Extreme" mode, and the infamous "lab" itself, Traini??ng. The undeniable key?? tool to player success.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4qAARQdHO4

In addition, players can check out the new "Battle Hub", complete with a rudimentary version of its character designer. This closed beta period will let players savor the ?sights and sounds that Capcom has been showing off at trade events across the summer, just without a queue of eager players crowding them or an opponent who, rather than sparring, is playing like they're in Top Eight at EVO, (I experienced this A Lot.) This weekend, players can check out the title at their own pace, and we can all get an earlier heads-up on the quality of the sequel's online capabilities.

It should be noted that, as a beta, the whole point of t??his weekend is to stress test servers, dig out, flaws, find bugs, and identify issues. Thus, don't lose yourself if things are a little rocky. There is still plenty of time until the game's eventual launch in 2023 for Capcom to iron out the creases. And, if you were unfortunate enough not to get in, take heart, as I'm in no doubt that Capcom will relaunch this beta in open form before too long, in order to really get? a feel for the title's server strengths under intense worldwide pressure.

We will all get a turn in the ring, maybe today, maybe in a month or two, or maybe come launch day. Street Fighter 6, hopefully, has a long and fruitful life ahead of it, to be enjoyed ?by any and all World Warriors who wish to knuckle up and step to the plate.

Street Fighter 6 launches 2?023 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The post Street Fighter 6 closed beta ??kicks off (and in) today appeared first on Destructoid.

Who loves you, and who do you love?

Developer Embark Studio and publisher Nexon have released a "pre-alpha" gameplay video for its upcoming multiplayer shooter, The Finals �Following its grand debut at Gamescom Opening Night Live, the new video g?ives us our first look at the deadly competition's hyper-violent rat-a-tat-tat action.

The Finals, which is currently in development for PC, will see contestants from all over the world compete in a chaotic and explosive virtual universe, laying waste to one another with all manner of ranged and melee weaponry. Featuring fast-paced world traversal, rapid-fire guns, razor-sharp blades, and all manner of explosive devices, The Finals will challenge its hapless party of contestants to be the last person standing??, bagging themselves big cash prizes while they wow the bloodthirsty audiences watching from home. Get me the Justice Department, Entertainment Division.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxloMQgfoYI&t

The core gameplay construct of The Finals is to allow players to adopt their own form of strategy, be it an acrobatic knife-wielder, a stealthy assassin hiding in the shadows, a rooftop running crack shot sniper, or a rocket-launcher-toting building leveler, The Finals hopes that players will find their own particular combat style with which to survive until each show's end credits. Environmental destruction is another key element of The Finals' makeup?, with collapsing buildings, smashed ceilings, and hiding places be??ing reduced to rubble all a required part of the action.

Hmm... This would seem to su?ggest that? power players will be favored over stealthy types, but we'll see.

If you fancy joining the green room for The Finals, then you can register for a playtest over on the game's official Steam page. The playtest kicks off tomorrow, September 29, so move fast, aim straight, and be sure to smile for the cameras. After all, audience connection i??s the key to modern-day survival.

Parasocial relationships and all that.

The post Tu?ne into the bombastic action of violent gameshow The Finals appeared first on Destructoid.

Silent No-Scope

Infinity Ward has addressed complaints from the Call of Duty player community about its Modern Warfare 2 closed beta, which took place ove??r the past weekend. Many veteran players were frustra?ted by an �understandably odd �new tweak that has been made to the in-game mini-map.

It's all a question of noise location. In Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, the soun??d of players firing their weapons does not register as a red dot on the?? mini-map, giving away their position. This baffling choice has been implemented in order to force players to source out enemy positions via sound only. Unfortunately, it has had a very negative response from the playerbase, who find the change not only unnecessary but even problematic.

"The design reason for this is that we do not want to punish players for firing their weapons," said I?nfinity Ward, responding to player complaints. "We also want players to actively search out the origin of a gunshot versus just traveling directly to where the dot is on the mini-map. We continue to?? gather feedback on how the game is playing in regards to this topic."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnsOrbljnK0

Part of the threat of pulling the trigger in CoD is that you expose yourself, whether through sound, or bullet tracers. That's part of the battle, part of the strategy, part of the game. Often, the revealing red dot is the only way you can track down a frustrating camper, or long-distance sniper. Additionally, there is already a counterpoint for the red dot in CoD in the form of weapon silencers or perks that makes your chosen character lighter on their feet. Th?is is why these items and loadout choice??s exist.

This, in itself, is the point of noise in Call of Duty. It? makes the shots matter. It makes having an exit strategy important, it allows for ambushes and stealth attacks. And, if you choose to play more silently, you have those options at the cost of oth??er boons, such as damage or range. Removing the red dot from the mini-map when a player fires an automatic rifle won't make the game any more enjoyable than it will reduce the need for strategy �from both the noisemaker and their opponent.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will launch on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms October? 28.

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Four characters and the madcap Extreme Match

Capcom brought the goods to Tokyo Game Show this morning, not only revealing four classic characters for its upcoming scrapper Street Fighter 6, but also lifting the lid on its multiplayer-based Battle Hub, its custom-character World Tour mode, ??and a wide variety of other features coming to the seque?l.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4qAARQdHO4

World Tour mode will see players develop their own fighter from scratch, fully customizing their bespoke fighter's height, weight, look, style, and personality, before embarking on a journey around the Street Fighter universe, honing their abilities at the tutelage of some faithful SF World Warriors. Players can then pit their cu??stom fighters against other characters within this world, or enter the Battle Hub to challenge other players from across the globe.

Said Battle Hub, as expected, will play host to most multiplayer options. Alongside standard one-on-one matches, players can also engage in the goofy new "Extreme Match" mode, which adds hazards, buffs, debuffs, traps, and other silly hurdles to the battleground. In addition, when not rocking the ring, players can sit down and enjoy some old-school Capcom classics, such as Street Fighter II and Final Fight, from within the hub's own arcade.

A Closed Beta was also announced, which will take place on all platforms for the weekend October 7 �October 10. You can throw your name in the hat and/or ring over on the official website. (The servers are currently crazy busy, and Capcom has assured people that it is not "first come first se?rved".)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAuqFEE3ttU

Street Fighter 6 launches 2023 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. In the meantime, be sure to check out our other reports on the game’s mechanics, our look at Juri and Kimberly, as well as our thoughts on the leaked character roster, and a list of Do’s and Do Not Do’s for the new sequel.

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The smallest little siege you ever did see

Rainbow Six Siege, one of the most successful shooters in the history of the genre, is preparing to go pint-sized today, with the launch of the first closed beta for Rainbow Six Mobile, whic??h go live pres?ently on Android devices in select territories.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceKBhaJD41k&t

Rainbow Six Mobile, essentially a scaled-down edition of the excellent tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege, hopes to replicate the nail-biting five-on-five action as teams of Attackers and Defenders battle it out in order to protect or capture numerous objectives, all taking place against the backdrop of meticulously designed maps, where a single foot wrong will put your chosen operator out of commission. Siege is renowned for its exceedingly tense gamepla??y and reliance on strategy, teamwor??k, and lightning-fast reactions, which developer Ubisoft hopes will be reflected even on the smallest of screens.

Anyone willing to jump in on the action can sign up over at Google Play, in hopes of being invited to the?? party. It should be reiterated that the beta is currently on Android devices only, though an iOS equivalent ??is expected in the near future. The Rainbow Six Mobile beta is currently accepting players from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, Singapore, and the Philippines. So, unfortunately, European fans will have to stay frosty for the time being.

The post Ra??inbow Six Mobile closed beta launches today in sel??ect territories appeared first on Destructoid.

Ever Crisis' closed beta is on the way

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is something we've been looking forward to for a while -- initially announced last year, this new title will bring the entirety of the Final Fantasy VII timeline to mobile platforms as a single-player, episodic experience. That's right, we're getting the story of the original Final Fantasy VII game, as well as all of its companion titles in one ?little p??ackage, as well as some new story elements surrounding the foundation of SOLDIER, as written by Kazushige Nojima. How fun!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=G53XnZSzRRU

During the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary stream today, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is getting a closed beta sometime this year. The game?? will be free-to-play with in-game purchases.

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Jinkies!

Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive has released a very fun cinematic trailer for its upcoming platform brawler MultiVersus. The star-studded fighter is currently in deve??lopment for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms, with an expected release date of late-2022.

The very fun near three-minute cinematic sees a selection of characters from franchises such as Scooby-Doo!, DC Comics, Game of Thrones, Looney Tunes, and Steven Universe coming togeth?er to throw down in a sunny-funny meadow. This is one of? those affairs where it's better if you just sit back and enjoy the trailer, rather than have me over-explain every last element of it like those awful YouTube videos.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvborgKG7fw

MultiVersus will receive its first closed alpha test later this week, running between May 19 and May 27. This will be followed by an open beta in July, ahead of the title's official launch later in 2022. MultiVersus will support crossplay on all platforms, and will sport rollback netcode on exclu?sive game servers. It will launch as a free-to-play title, so expect microtransactions and other in-game purchases.

I really enjoyed this trailer, and I think the concept of MultiVersus shows a lot of promise, even though the Smash Bros. gameplay style is very much not for me. But the potential for some utterly ridiculous showdowns �fights that will see GoT characters crossing swords with frikkin' Tom and Jerry �is very inviting, and I'll definitely be keeping this silly sla?pfest on my radar. Let's go, Velma.

MultiVersus is currently in development for PlayStatio??n, PC, and Xbox platform?s.

The post Bats vs. Bugs ?vs. Shaggy vs. Taz vs. Ar??ya vs. Harley in wild MultiVersus trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Last SOLDIER standing

If you've thought of yourself as SOLDIER material, the chance to virtually prove your mettle is coming. Registration is open right now for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier's closed beta.

Square Enix has sign-ups open through May 27 at 8 a.m. PDT, after which a play period of June 1 through 7 will follow for those selected. You can pre-register on the Google Play Store, and you'll be notified if you make the cut—though Square Enix mentions that registering does not guarantee a closed beta invite. It's also only open for Android users; sorry, Apple fans.

If you need a refresher, Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is a battle royale set in the universe of Final Fantasy VII, where SOLDIER candidates compete to be the last one standing across Midgar. While there are certainly guns, there's also plenty of more Final Fantasy options, like sum?moning Ifrit for help or using materia to get the upper h?and.

It's a curious-looking battle royale, but between the chocobo attire and the Midgar locales these candidates are fighting in, it at least seems faithful. Those looking for more traditional Final Fantasy VII Remake content can instead look towards the most recent Intergrade trailer. The PS5 upgrade of Final Fantasy VII Remake goes live on June 10, not long after First Soldier's closed beta closes.

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