Author: Cheri Faulkner

NME

Valheim players have been waiting for the Viking survival game’s Mistlands update, and today (December 6) it becomes live for all players.

• READ MORE: With Fresh Start Worlds, ‘RuneScape’ is reaching a new generation

Following a short test period, the Mistlands update has gone live and introduces a new biome to Valheim. It also introduces a new magic system with elemental and blood magic, non-hostile NPCs who aid in monster-fighting, and huge weapon fragments can be found around the environment which give hints to Jotunn. The roots of Yggdrasil can also be found here, where previously players could not reach them.

New monsters roam the world including Seekers, insect-like creatures that are highly aggressive, Seeker Brutes, the largest form of the seeker which flies through the air spewing acid at players, and the Seeker brood – which can be found in the Mistlands’ infested mine dungeons. As well as this, players can also fight a powerful new boss locked away in a vault. Following a quest to create a key called a Sealbreaker will enable players to face her.

The Mistlands update has also added new elements to Valheim’s building and crafting including new materials and pieces, as well as the option to create a base defense to help guard homes against monsters by utilising automated weapons.

New weapons can be crafted including an Arbalest crossbow, magical staves and armour made from Seeker materials found after slaying the monsters. As well as that, new food including Yggdrasil porridge, magecap and misthare supreme are available to fuel players as they traverse the Mistlands. Eating food with a new substance called Eitr will fuel players with magic but it isn’t easy to harvest. Be warned when using magic though as it will drain HP.

There are more details to be found in the update’s official patch notes, but this does contain some spoilers. Publisher Coffee Stain has also released an animated launch trailer for the Mistlands update of Valheim which can be viewed above.

In other news, Elden Ring has announced a new PvP-focused update, which unlocks the world’s colosseums for players to fight it out against one another in duels, team battles and free-for-alls.

The post ‘Valheim’ Mistlands update goes live after short public test period appeared first on NME.

NME

Valheim players have been waiting for the Viking survival game’s Mistlands update, and today (December 6) it becomes live for all players.

• READ MORE: With Fresh Start Worlds, ‘RuneScape’ is reaching a new generation

Following a short test period, the Mistlands update has gone live and introduces a new biome to Valheim. It also introduces a new magic system with elemental and blood magic, non-hostile NPCs who aid in monster-fighting, and huge weapon fragments can be found around the environment which give hints to Jotunn. The roots of Yggdrasil can also be found here, where previously players could not reach them.

New monsters roam the world including Seekers, insect-like creatures that are highly aggressive, Seeker Brutes, the largest form of the seeker which flies through the air spewing acid at players, and the Seeker brood – which can be found in the Mistlands’ infested mine dungeons. As well as this, players can also fight a powerful new boss locked away in a vault. Following a quest to create a key called a Sealbreaker will enable players to face her.

The Mistlands update has also added new elements to Valheim’s building and crafting including new materials and pieces, as well as the option to create a base defense to help guard homes against monsters by utilising automated weapons.

New weapons can be crafted including an Arbalest crossbow, magical staves and armour made from Seeker materials found after slaying the monsters. As well as that, new food including Yggdrasil porridge, magecap and misthare supreme are available to fuel players as they traverse the Mistlands. Eating food with a new substance called Eitr will fuel players with magic but it isn’t easy to harvest. Be warned when using magic though as it will drain HP.

There are more details to be found in the update’s official patch notes, but this does contain some spoilers. Publisher Coffee Stain has also released an animated launch trailer for the Mistlands update of Valheim which can be viewed above.

In other news, Elden Ring has announced a new PvP-focused update, which unlocks the world’s colosseums for players to fight it out against one another in duels, team battles and free-for-alls.

The post ‘Valheim’ Mistlands update goes live after short public test period appeared first on NME.

NME

Blizzard has seemingly listened to player feedback, and moved the new Overwatch 2 hero forward ten levels on the battle pass – making it easier to unlock for free.

• READ MORE: Why ‘Dragonflight’ is a homecoming for ‘World of Warcraft’ fans

Ramattra is a new tank coming to Overwatch 2 in its second season, which launches today (December 6). The game’s director, Aaron Keller, wrote on Twitter that following a review of the data for the first season of Overwatch 2, Blizzard would be “moving Ramattra into tier 45 of the battle pass and making a few more weekly challenges easier to complete”.

See more

Hey all! Quick update on some changes coming to Season 2. After reviewing data for Season 1, we're moving Ramattra in 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!

— Aaron Keller (@aaronkellerOW) December 5, 2022

This moves the hero unlock forward by ten tiers, or levels, on the battle pass since the new support hero, Kiriko, was introduced in season one at level 55. Players were required to continuously complete daily and weekly challenges to earn XP in order to progress through the free track of the battle pass. Players who don’t want to spend 1,000 Overwatch Coins (around £8/$10) for the premium battle pass will now face slightly less of a grind as Ramattra moves forward ten tiers.

Blizzard has said the remaining newest heroes, Sojourn, Junker Queen and Kiriko will all be available in the in-game shop for Overwatch coins if new players missed out on unlocking them in the first season. Hero challenges, which reward you for winning games, can also unlock the trio, but for anyone who played Overwatch 1, they can unlock the three heroes for free just by logging into Overwatch 2 before the end of the second season.

In other news, Destiny 2 has unveiled its new Season of the Seraph which introduces a new dungeon, new seasonal activities, weapons, ornaments, exotic quest and more. The new season, which launches today (December 6) also sees the arrival of the first-ever exotic weapon for which Guardians can unlock multiple catalysts.

The post ‘Overwatch 2’ change makes it easier to unlock the newest hero appeared first on NME.

NME

Blizzard has seemingly listened to player feedback, and moved the new Overwatch 2 hero forward ten levels on the battle pass – making it easier to unlock for free.

• READ MORE: Why ‘Dragonflight’ is a homecoming for ‘World of Warcraft’ fans

Ramattra is a new tank coming to Overwatch 2 in its second season, which launches today (December 6). The game’s director, Aaron Keller, wrote on Twitter that following a review of the data for the first season of Overwatch 2, Blizzard would be “moving Ramattra into tier 45 of the battle pass and making a few more weekly challenges easier to complete”.

See more

Hey all! Quick update on some changes coming to Season 2. After reviewing data for Season 1, we're moving Ramattra in 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!

— Aaron Keller (@aaronkellerOW) December 5, 2022

This moves the hero unlock forward by ten tiers, or levels, on the battle pass since the new support hero, Kiriko, was introduced in season one at level 55. Players were required to continuously complete daily and weekly challenges to earn XP in order to progress through the free track of the battle pass. Players who don’t want to spend 1,000 Overwatch Coins (around £8/$10) for the premium battle pass will now face slightly less of a grind as Ramattra moves forward ten tiers.

Blizzard has said the remaining newest heroes, Sojourn, Junker Queen and Kiriko will all be available in the in-game shop for Overwatch coins if new players missed out on unlocking them in the first season. Hero challenges, which reward you for winning games, can also unlock the trio, but for anyone who played Overwatch 1, they can unlock the three heroes for free just by logging into Overwatch 2 before the end of the second season.

In other news, Destiny 2 has unveiled its new Season of the Seraph which introduces a new dungeon, new seasonal activities, weapons, ornaments, exotic quest and more. The new season, which launches today (December 6) also sees the arrival of the first-ever exotic weapon for which Guardians can unlock multiple catalysts.

The post ‘Overwatch 2’ change makes it easier to unlock the newest hero appeared first on NME.

NME

Destiny 2 has revealed its new season, Season of the Seraph, which adds new seasonal activities, exotic weapons, storylines and more.

• READ MORE: ‘The Callisto Protocol’’s toilets are a disgusting masterpiece

Destiny 2 has, in the past, been renowned for slowly teasing elements of its upcoming seasons prior to release. However, in a break from form, today (December 6) Bungie gave the first glimpse of the upcoming Season of the Seraph mere hours before its launch.

The trailer’s first words were “Rasputin: The Warmind” confirming fans’ suspicions that Rasputin would be making a return. Rasputin is a Warmind in the Destiny 2 universe – a form of military artificial intelligence defense system, all thought to have died in a catastrophic collapse.

However, Rasputin was brought back by the Iron Lords to protect humanity. Once it became clear that it could not survive whilst fighting the game’s ever-powerful Darkness entities, it reconfigured its core programming to prioritise survival and allied with the Darkness – under the control of Xivu Arath.

Now, Guardians will be tasked with infiltrating enemy lines throughout Season of the Seraph and taking control of Rasputin’s weaponised satellites. Specialised covert operations agents known as Seraphs will assist Guardians on their mission. Align with the Seraphs to neutralise “hordes of Wrathborn” enemies in heist battlegrounds. The season focuses on the Bray family’s history and relationship with the Warmind, Rasputin, currently being compromised by Xivu Arath.

This Friday (December 9), a new dungeon will unlock for those that own The Witch Queen Deluxe Edition or Dungeon Key. Whilst no further information has been given as yet, it will likely prove to be a difficult challenge.

An Exotic mission has also been added, titled Operation: Seraph’s Shield. This will see Guardians attempt to enter “the most impenetrable facility in the solar system” in the form of a platform above the Last City. Each week a new layer of security will become available to break through in order to “awaken” Rasputin.

On December 20, the Revision Zero weapon will be added to the season and in the weeks following its arrival, multiple catalysts can be acquired which add different perks to the new Exotic’s power.

The Revision Zero isn’t the only new Exotic for Season of the Seraph, as the Exotic submachine gun The Manticore will also be joining the shooter. Bungie has made a rank-100 ornament available for the gun, as well as a catalyst.

New weapons including a bow, auto-rifle and sniper have all been introduced which can be unlocked via the Season Pass or picked up as loot from completing activities. As well as this, a reprised weapon from Destiny 1 has also been added to the new Crucible Competitive Division – the Rose hand cannon.

As Season of the Seraph is the final season before the launch of Lightfall on February 28, 2023, Guardians are also tasked with completing Moments of Triumph challenges in order to celebrate the fifth year of Destiny 2.

Finally, Guardians can also welcome the return of The Dawning – a holiday-themed special event taking place in the Tower. During the event, Eva Levante returns to bake delicious treats made with “questionable ingredients” from December 13 until January 2.

In other gaming news, Genshin Impact leakers are “locking down” activity due to the threat of legal action after a subpoena was filed requesting the identity of a prolific source.

The post ‘Destiny 2’ reveals Season of the Seraph with brand-new dungeon appeared first on NME.

NME

Genshin Impact leakers are shutting down or pausing their activities, following publisher Cognosphere’s subpoena requesting the personal information of prolific leaker Ubatcha.

• READ MORE: The 20 best games of 2022

Ubatcha is one of the most well-known sources for Genshin Impact leaks within the community, with over 460,000 Twitter followers. Ubatcha posts leaks for the game in a Discord server containing over 270,000 members, called Wangsheng Funeral Parlor (via, Eurogamer).

Cognosphere, the publisher for Genshin Impact, has since asked a law firm to file a subpoena application asking Discord to reveal Ubatcha’s name, address, telephone number and email address.

Following the actions of the action role-playing game’s publisher, other prominent leakers in the community have either completely stopped or temporarily suspended leaking activities. According to Eurogamer, two of the biggest on Twitter, hxg_diluc and SaveYourPrimos have made their accounts private, meaning their tweets cannot be viewed publicly.

SaveYourPrimos has also posted to the now-private account stating, “We’re not going anywhere, we’re just locking down for a short while until I.T. and I have figured out how to best move forward,” before following up with, “We are not in any legal trouble or facing any threats ourselves. This is a precaution in light of recent events.”

See more

HoYoverse has requested Discord to share Ubatcha's personal details like name, address, etc. They are a prominent leaker for #GenshinImpact content, and we can expect some action once the legal formalities are done.

— Genshin Impact: News, content & leaks (@GenshinSource) December 6, 2022

In addition to this, following the subpoena it appears that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor invite link is no longer functional, and another Discord server dedicated to Genshin Impact called GenshinBlank has locked leak-dedicated channels as well as renaming others.

The action follows a data breach that revealed new characters, quests and events as far as the 3.8 update, but also included personal information and user data for multiple HoYoverse testers. Ubatcha was involved in sharing the leaks at the time but later removed them “just to be safe” reiterating that they “do not condone whatever methods in which the data was obtained”.

It’s unclear what action will be taken as a result of the subpoena, but in the meantime it appears that the Genshin Impact leaking community has shut up shop to avoid legal repercussions.

In other news, quality assurance workers at Blizzard’s Albany office have successfully unionised, despite pushbacks from Activision leaders.

The post ‘Genshin Impact’ leakers are “locking down” activity due to threat of legal action appeared first on NME.

NME

The Pokémon Company’s collaboration with Squishmallows sees the pocket monsters being turned into plush toys which are now available.

• READ MORE: ‘Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’ Pokédex list: every confirmed Pokémon so far

The Pokémon Centre’s online stores have begun stocking the plush Pikachu and Gengar toys, and items are limited to one per customer.

The plush toys will be available in physical outlets around the world at a later date but for now, the online store is the only place to get them. At the time of writing, none were left in stock after only going on sale last night (November 22). It’s unclear whether or not these will be restocked.

The first release contains the series’ legacy Pokémon Pikachu and Gengar, but a second release that will include Snorlax is coming at some point in 2023.

The Squishmallows were released days after the launch of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet last week (November 18). The release saw the arrival of the 1000th Pokémon, Gholdengo, which is made of gold coins. In the game, its pre-evolution Gimmighoul requires 999 Gimmighoul Coins which can be collected from the open world before it will evolve into Gholdengo.

It’s not the only new Pokémon to join the series. Greavard, the haunted ghost-type dog, Bellibolt, the electric frog with strangely-positioned eyes and Wiglett, the beach-dwelling distant relative of Diglett, have all been added to the Pokédex, which now has 1,008 Pokémon.

In other news, a console version of Valorant may be in the works. While the multiplayer shooter launched as a PC exclusive in 2020, recent job listings at developer Riot Games reveal the company is developing “a vision for combat in Valorant on consoles.”

The job listings add that applicants will refine “features, modes and systems to help bring console game products to market.”

The post The first batch of ‘Pokémon’ Squishmallows have been released appeared first on NME.

NME

Valorant has been a PC exclusive since launch, but recent job listings suggest it may be coming to consoles in the future.

• READ MORE: From Sting to Lil Nas X: how musicians have found a home in ‘League of Legends’

Since launching in 2020 there’s been no publicised talk around the multiplayer shooter coming to consoles, but Riot Games could be exploring the possibility of Valorant expanding outside of its PC exclusivity according to job listings spotted on Hitmarket (via, VG247).

Both job listings specify Valorant as the game in question, and Riot is recruiting for a senior game designer for console as well as a console game design manager.

The game design manager’s responsibilities list working with team leads “to develop a vision for combat in Valorant on consoles,” whilst the senior game designer’s duties will include designing and refining “features, modes and systems to help bring console game products to market.”

Speculation around Riot Games’ products coming to consoles peaked when the developer announced a partnership with Microsoft during this year’s Xbox and Bethesda showcase. It was announced that five Riot Games titles including League of Legends, Valorant and Teamfight Tactics would be coming to Xbox Game Pass, and users would unlock all Agents in Valorant as part of their subscription.

There was no official announcement that Valorant would be coming to consoles, but the new job listings seem to confirm an arrival at some point in the future.

In other Riot Games news, the developer has teamed up with Ubisoft to tackle toxicity in multiplayer games. The duo are looking to explore “artificial intelligence-based solutions” to combat harassment and toxic communications.

Elsewhere in gaming, Marvel’s Avengers designer Brian Waggoner has been removed as a studio spokesman for Crystal Dynamics after tweeting a series of offensive statements as far back as 2010.

The post ‘Valorant’ job listings suggest Riot’s shooter is coming to console appeared first on NME.

NME

Based on job listings posted on its website, Netflix Games Studio is seeking staff for a brand-new AAA third-person action role-playing game (RPG).

• READ MORE: How ‘Total War: Warhammer 3’ carved out an empire

The newly-formed Los Angeles game developer, Netflix Games Studio, was announced in October and is headed by the former Overwatch executive producer, Chacko Sonny.

Currently, the studio’s job listings show that it is looking for a game director, art director, senior producer and more (mobilegamer.biz, via Eurogamer) for a “brand-new AAA PC game”. Required skills include bringing “industry-leading” experience as well as developing a game with a narrative “worthy of a Netflix film/TV series.”

Netflix Game Studio is seeking a “small, but ambitious team of creators” to create the game in Unreal Engine 5. Described as a third-person action RPG, the game aims to “create memorable game moments that leave players telling their own stories for years to come,” according to the lead engineer’s job description.

Back in September, Netflix announced that Zynga’s Marko Lastikka would be partnering with the streaming giant to offer “a variety of delightful and deeply engaging original games” in its new studio in Helsinki. Lastikka is head of operations as the studio director and working with Netflix following its acquisition of Night School Studio, Next Games and Boss Fight Entertainment.

“This will be a games studio that we build from scratch,” said Netflix’s vice president of game studios, Amir Rahimi. Rahimi added that it will be Netflix’s “second games studio in Helsinki alongside Next Games, which became part of Netflix earlier this year.”

Elsewhere in gaming, The Witcher 3 is getting a next-gen makeover. CD Projekt Red has announced a stream to reveal exactly what’s coming to the game in the update. Here’s when and where you can watch the stream live.

The post Netflix to create “AAA PC game” with former ‘Overwatch’ producer appeared first on NME.

NME

Based on job listings posted on its website, Netflix Games Studio is seeking staff for a brand-new AAA third-person action role-playing game (RPG).

• READ MORE: How ‘Total War: Warhammer 3’ carved out an empire

The newly-formed Los Angeles game developer, Netflix Games Studio, was announced in October and is headed by the former Overwatch executive producer, Chacko Sonny.

Currently, the studio’s job listings show that it is looking for a game director, art director, senior producer and more (mobilegamer.biz, via Eurogamer) for a “brand-new AAA PC game”. Required skills include bringing “industry-leading” experience as well as developing a game with a narrative “worthy of a Netflix film/TV series.”

Netflix Game Studio is seeking a “small, but ambitious team of creators” to create the game in Unreal Engine 5. Described as a third-person action RPG, the game aims to “create memorable game moments that leave players telling their own stories for years to come,” according to the lead engineer’s job description.

Back in September, Netflix announced that Zynga’s Marko Lastikka would be partnering with the streaming giant to offer “a variety of delightful and deeply engaging original games” in its new studio in Helsinki. Lastikka is head of operations as the studio director and working with Netflix following its acquisition of Night School Studio, Next Games and Boss Fight Entertainment.

“This will be a games studio that we build from scratch,” said Netflix’s vice president of game studios, Amir Rahimi. Rahimi added that it will be Netflix’s “second games studio in Helsinki alongside Next Games, which became part of Netflix earlier this year.”

Elsewhere in gaming, The Witcher 3 is getting a next-gen makeover. CD Projekt Red has announced a stream to reveal exactly what’s coming to the game in the update. Here’s when and where you can watch the stream live.

The post Netflix to create “AAA PC game” with former ‘Overwatch’ producer appeared first on NME.