Overwatch League: Guangzhou Charge First of Three New Chinese Teams To Unveil Branding

Sidetrack: Chengdu Hunters just posted their first tweet welcoming Guangzhou Charge. Love the name. Looking forward to the logo!

Hi Guangzhouï¼ï¼ðŸ˜ƒ
â€” Chengdu Hunters (@ChengduHunters) November 9, 2018

They decided to call themselves the Charge, and rightly so, led the charge in unveiling their official names and colors. First reported on Twitter by @FionnOnFire just now, Team Guangzhou probably drew inspiration from the ‘Z’ in their romanized spelling when coming up with their franchise name.

Here we have the @overwatchleague‘s two newest franchises
Paris Eternal and Guangzhou Charge pic.twitter.com/5gF4AP2lUL
â€” The Esports Writer ðŸ‡°ðŸ‡· (@FionnOnFire) November 9, 2018
Compared to the earlier announced, uninspiring Paris Eternal, we actually dig the colors which Guangzhou opted for. It is unique, one of a kind and most importantly, stands out from the rest.
Can’t wait how their team jerseys are gonna turn out.
Also, imagine the rivalry coming out just by name. San Francisco Shock vs Guangzhou Charge – The Electrifying Derby?
However, we are still waiting on news about GZ’s roster. Our guess? There’s a 1/3 chance of them recruiting the whole RunAway squad, which Flowervin confirmed a while ago have agreed contracts with a new Overwatch League franchise.
We can only hope.


[Rumor] We Have Our First Glimpse of Godzilla vs. Kong

Here’s the first-ever official look at Godzilla and King Kong about to beat the crap out of each other in the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong movie which is coming out on 21st May, 2021.
The image? Why it’s on the back of the new Godzilla vs. Kong Playmates Toys figure packaging (via Kaiju News Outlet). Apparently giant aircraft carriers (from Monarch most likely) will be involved, and there will be little to no mist, fog, and artistic darkness.

Tiny and low-res, sure, but at least we get an official look. We’re hoping a teaser will be out later this year as the upcoming is mostly done for months. Godzilla vs Kong was slated for a November 2020 release, but was pushed back to May 2021 due to COVID-19.


Kojima Teases Mysterious New Death Stranding Trailer

Update: Death Stranding’s new gameplay trailer to debut 29 May. The story is updated to reflect this change.
It’s been quite a while since Hideo Kojima has released any new promotional material or reveal for his upcoming PS4 exclusive, Death Stranding. Despite being initially announced at E3 2016 over three years ago, we still know next to nothing about the mysterious game.
Earlier today, Kojima posted a new brief Death Stranding teaser trailer on Twitter. It features a handprint with the ominous-sounding words, “Create The Rope” displayed on it. The handprint might be obscuring what seems to be gameplay footage or cinematic from the game.
Feast your eyes on the enigma of a teaser below.

#deathstranding pic.twitter.com/5b470xUPnR
â€” HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) May 26, 2019
This brief teaser is a sign that a new proper trailer for Death Stranding will be out. Kojima Production’s latest tweet stated its release date: 29 May.

The countdown of #DEATHSTRANDING has started… May 29th. Create the rope. pic.twitter.com/26ynWg2m3s
— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) May 27, 2019

However, Sony won’t be present at this year’s event, which means that it’s unlikely that Kojima would reveal more of the game at the expo.
Still, nothing should stop Kojima from releasing a new Death Stranding trailer near E3 2019. The hype from the event would even help bolster excitement and anticipation, despite Sony’s absence.
In other related news, Kojima recently unveiled a black version of his company’s mascot and icon, Ludens. Check out the full story here.


Rumour: We’re Getting A Far Cry 6 Set Somewhere Exotic

This month is where gaming companies are currently making a bunch of game announcements to hype people out for next-gen gaming. It’s also the month where some people can’t shut their trap and let folks like us spread the news that may come true.
Here’s one more to add to that list (via Nibellion): Far Cry 6 will be revealed at the Ubisoft Forward digital event this week on 13th July 3am GMT+8. The game will take place at a more “exotic location”, and will be out next year for next-gen consoles and PC.
There’s nothing else apart from that, but if it’s anything like the past two Far Cry games, we’ll definitely get the following:

Open-world shooter action with crafting and allies-gathering.
A kooky-yet-evil antagonist that will spearhead the game’s narrative while ruling over the place you’re stuck open-worlding in.
Vehicles and other contraptions to muck about with.
A ton of checklists to clear and probably a tower or two to climb. I know Far Cry 5 didn’t do the latter, but I’m sure it’ll make a comeback somehow.

For more on Far Cry 5, check out ourthoughts and tips on the title.


Here’s A Despicable Way To Wipe Out An Entire Apex Legends Lobby

AnÂ Apex Legends player has discovered a cheat and exploit allowing them to crash the server to get easy kills and wipe out entire lobbies of other players.
It all started when Reddit user halo_shot noticed videos on someone’s Xbox account showing opposing players who were frozen in place, unable to react to the ruthless cheater as they tore their way through the map one body at a time.
Check it out below:
This guy somehow crashes the server on xbox to get easy kills from r/apexlegends
Within hours, the notorious cheater chillingly disappeared from the Apex Legends tracker network. There are several theories for how this player was able to crash the servers in the first place. These cheaters have apparently figured out a way to exploit the battle royale game’s recently-introduced reconnect feature alongside a crash bug.
This exploit then allows them to freely roam around the Arena while everyone else is stuck like reality have been frozen while attempting to reconnect to the game even though they might already have been eliminated by the cheater.
Apex Legends players are reporting this to the Respawn Entertainment with hopes of finding and fixing this exploit in order to prevent more cheaters from continuing to exploit it. It’s killing the game for other players, which is incredibly toxic for the community.
Reddit user jacklollz2 (via Dexerto) explained how the exploit works:

â€œApex Legends currently has a feature that allows players to reconnect to their session if their game disconnects or the server has an unexpected error.
This person is exploiting this mechanic, and also exploiting a crash bug, to be able to freely kill people.
One thing is for sure: The server instance is being killed, and the exploiter is rejoining into a new instance.â€


Elden Ring: What We Know So Far Thanks To The 2021 Trailer

Update (15 June): Added new information.
In case you missed it or weren’t awake just before 4am today for the Summer Gaming Festival Kickoff 2021, Bandai Namco announced the release date of the upcoming From Software action RPG Elden Ring. And obviously a ton of gameplay.

There’s a lot to take in. Let’s break down what’s going on in here.
There’s A Story Behind The Madness
Here’s the plot synopsis of Elden Ring: find the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.
“The Golden Order has been broken.
Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between.
In the Lands Between ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal, the Elden Ring, the source of the Erdtree, has been shattered.
Marika’s offspring, demigods all, claimed the shards of the Elden Ring known as the Great Runes, and the mad taint of their newfound strength triggered a war: The Shattering. A war that meant abandonment by the Greater Will.
And now the guidance of grace will be brought to the Tarnished who were spurned by the grace of gold and exiled from the Lands Between. Ye dead who yet live, your grace long lost, follow the path to the Lands Between beyond the foggy sea to stand before the Elden Ring.”
Horseback Riding

New to From Software’s line of action RPGing is the ability to ride a horse. Your warrior (called the Tarnished) gets to explore a now-open world kind of area with wide-open spaces. And with that comes a required traversal tool to cover more ground. Hence, horses.
This also means that enemies will have the same benefits, and they might even have faster and better mounts. This was kinda leaked a while back though, but watching it in an official capacity is pretty glorious.
There’s A Giant Glowing Tree In The Middle Of The World You’re In

We’re guessing that the giant tree in the trailer will be your hub to the surrounding area, connecting all the dungeons and overworlds you’ll be visiting in your quest for the Elden Ring.
You May Have To Climb Onto This Giant…Thing

This four-legged giant looks like a level you can explore in.
Your Tarnished Warrior Has Some Elite Magic Skills
I’m not sure what the terminology here is, but it seems that your player character will be able to kick some ass with some super-powered weapons. One of your swords has light emanating from its blade, while in one other scene the same hero is using a wand to cast a blue bolt of energy. He can also summon phantom allies to aid him.
There’s A Lot To Kill In The Game
Like with recent From Software games, Elden Ring will feature a huge number of big enemies and bosses to fight against. These include a multi-legged undead king…

…a sword-wielding werewolf,

this multi-legged mutant with a long tail and a magic club,

…this tall knight lady,

…this giant dragon who can bring lightning down,

…and this giant king with a ton of arms, and tiny arms on his body. He also has a giant axe on his right hand and a dragon’s head on the other.

There’s actually a few more from the trailer, but these big bads are the highlights. Prepare to die. A lot.
This Will Be From Software’s Largest Game Map Yet
According to a recent Famitsu interview, Elden Ring will feature a really hefty and large open-world map, though the actual dungeons do not have maps and require players to memorize the layout somehow. The game will also have a crafting system with materials which you’ll have to scour the world for.
And speaking of exploration, fall damage in Elden Ring will be low so that players can get motivated further to explore every nook and cranny of the dark landscape, horseback or no.
Multiplayer Options
Asynchronous multiplayer will be returning in Elden Ring. Players can set up groups and give their messages and their dead bodies higher priority over everyone else’s when online.
Elden Ring Will Be 30 Hours Long
That’s just the main quest stuff “without too many side trips” according to game director Hidetaka Miyazaki. We’re guessing the game will be on average about 50 hours or so with all the sidequests and the dying.
Elden Ring will be out on 21st January, 2022, for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. Oh, and famous fantasy author George R.R. Martin is behind the story of this game.Â Enjoy more screenshots of the game in the meantime.


Here Are All Of Kakuchopurei’s ESGS 2018 Videos

It’s been a few days since ESGS 2018 transpired. Boy, that was a lovely game show for Southeast Asia.
We also have exclusive one-on-ones with some of Philippines’ finest game journos and streamers, as well as some developers in the forefront.Â Here they are in one convenient post.
Riku PH

Rappler’s Nadine

PlayStation Galaxy’s Lex

Hang Up

Project Xandata


Will Smith Contributes To $46 Million Funding For Esports Team Gen.G

Esports organization Gen.G recently announced that it has managed to raise a whopping $46 million in total funding, of which the contributors comprise of many famous names in sports and entertainment industries.
The list of investors include:

Actor Will Smith
Japanese football player Keisuke Hondaâ€™s Dreamers Fund
Los Angeles Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong
Former Chairman of US Investments Alibaba Group Michael Zeisser
MasterClass Co-Founder and CEO David Rogier
New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
Conductive Ventures
Battery Ventures
Canaan Partners
SVB Capital
Stanford University

This is going to be a massive push forward for the South Korean-based esports team. Formerly known as KSV Esports, Gen.G is prominent for having esports teams like the Overwatch League’s Seoul Dynasty, as well as other teams for League of Legends, PUBG, Call of Duty Black Ops 4, and Clash Royale.

According to a news post on the esports organization’s official website, the $46 million capital investment will “support the ongoing expansion of Gen.Gâ€™s global footprint, the development of Gen.Gâ€™s youth esports academy program; and the launch of Gen.Gâ€™s Los Angeles headquarters opening in July 2019.”
In other recent news, Gen.G has also formed another new all-female esports team for Fortnite, as well as won championships in both PUBG and Heroes of The Storm.
Honda had this to say about the massive investment in Gen.G with his partner Will Smith:

â€œI am excited that Dreamers Fund, the fund that I co-launched with Will Smith, is now investing in Gen.G. Esports is not yet big in Japan, but we are seeing tremendous growth there and globally, which is very positive.
We decided to invest in Gen. G because of their incredible team and grand vision to become a leader in the space. We truly look forward to working with Gen.G to boost the esports industry around the world.”


The Most Tweeted Games Of 2020 Will Surprise You

Gamers are dominating social media, more so in 2020 than in previous years. According to a report by Twitter Gaming, there were more than 2 billion Tweets about gaming in 2020, which is a whopping 75 percent increase from 2019.
The Countries That Tweeted Most About Gaming
Just like in previous years, Japan once again leads, which isn’t surprising in the very least. What is surprising are the several Southeast Asian countries in the list, including Thailand at number five and the Philippines at number nine.

Japan
United States
Korea
Brazil
Thailand
United Kingdom
France
India
Philippines
Spain

The Most Tweeted Games Of 2020
What were the most tweeted games of 2020? If you asked me, I would guess the first one correctly but probably not the rest. As expected, Nintendo Switch exclusive Animal Crossing New Horizons claims the number one spot, considering how many people were stuck at home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Breakout-hit Genshin Impact is also in the top ten, but most of the others are mobile games. These include Fate/Grand Order and Disney Twisted Wonderland, both of which are extremely popular in Japan, but not available in other countries. Still, it’s shocking that games like The Last Of Us Part 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t make it into the list, considering how much divisive buzz both games generated online.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (@animalcrossing)
Fate/Grand Order (@fgoproject)
Disney: Twisted-Wonderland (@twst_jp)
Final Fantasy (@FinalFantasy)
Fortnite (@fortnitegame)
Ensemble Stars! (@ensemble_stars)
Knives Out (@game_knives_out)
Genshin Impact (@GenshinImpact)
Apex Legends (@PlayApex)
Identity V (@IdentityVJP)

The Most Tweeted Gaming Events
With E3 out of the picture, other events took its place. Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards 2020 came out on top last year, with The Future Of Gaming PS5 event grabbing second place. Both events generated a lot of hype, so it’s not surprising that many tweeted about them.

The 2020 Game Awards
The Future of Gaming on PS5 Event
Tokyo Game Show 2020
Niconico Net Chokaigi 2020
Xbox Games Showcase


Skull And Bones Closed Beta Sets Sail This August

During Ubisoft Forward 2023, Ubisoft announced that the first Skull And Bones Closed Beta will take place from 25 August 2023 to 28 August 2023. You can register on the official website here.
Enter the perilous paradise of Skull And Bones, as you overcome the odds and rise from an outcast to become an infamous pirate. Assemble your very own formidable fleet and use it to build your empire in a visceral world that introduces new challenges, stories and features every season. Gather resources, craft tools and weapons, build your ships and grow your infamy. From the Coasts of Africa to the tropical islands of the East Indies, establish your pirate network and build your own empire on your journey to dominate the Indian Ocean.
Earlier this year in January 2023, Ubisoft announced that the game was delayed for the umpteenth time, as it will now only be released sometime in the next fiscal year, which is from April 2024 to March 2024.
Check out the Skull & Bones Sea Shanty video below:


Will There Be More Disney Worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3?

Most Kingdom Hearts fans (including myself) still can’t believe that we’re less than a month away from the official release of Kingdom Hearts 3.
For the past few years, Square Enix has revealed several of the Disney worlds that will be included in the upcoming game. These include new ones like Frozen’s Arendelle, Big Hero 6’s San Fransokyo, Tangled’s Corona, Toy Story, and Monster Inc., as well as returning favorites like Pirates of the Caribbean and Hercules.
In an interview with Newsweek, Kingdom Hearts 3 co-director Tai Yasue confirmed that Square Enix isn’t planning to reveal any more surprise Disney worlds. This means that fans will have to wait until the game launches to discover what else the game has in store for us all.
Yasue also explained why they chose many of Disney’s relatively newer properties instead of the classics. He states that not only do these newer worlds appeal to a wider audience, they also offer “a lot of unique and crazy things you can do with a snowman that keeps on talking after having his head removed from his body, or a princess with super long golden hair” in terms of gameplay.
Since there are still more Disney worlds to be discovered, perhaps one of these worlds could be one based on Marvel. Imagine Sora, Donald and Goofy fighting alongside the Avengers. Add in a few more unexpected Disney and Final Fantasy characters/worlds and we’ll have our most ambitious crossover of all time.
On another note, this is Square Enix we’re talking about. If the plans for Kingdom Hearts 3 are anything like Final Fantasy XV, then we should be prepared for a slew of post-launch DLC. I do hope that won’t happen though.
I recently had the opportunity of playing a demo of Kingdom Hearts 3, which contained short segments from two worlds; Toy Story and Hercules. Check out my full hands-on preview here.
In the meantime, rewatch the Kingdom Hearts 3 Final Battle trailer below to tide you over until the game releases worldwide on January 29, 2019.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz1w_uW3lSE&w=560&h=315]


Resist The Dark Side With These Adidas Star Wars X-Wing Shoes

Leaked pictures (via SneakerFreaker) have revealed that a special edition set of Adidas Ultraboost shoes will be released to commemorate the upcoming Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker in December 2019.
The design of the new Adidas Ultraboost shoes is based on the iconic X-Wing starfighter from the franchise, specifically the new Resistance version from the Sequel Trilogy of films that started with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
The top of the shoe is covered in grey tones accompanied by orange accents on Adidas’ Three Stripes. The unique X-Wing details can be seen on the heel counter and the white BOOST sole, along with a Jedi Order emblem.Â Star Wars fans will also appreciate that the phrase â€˜The Force Will Be With You Alwaysâ€™ is printed on the heel stripe.
Adidas has yet to officially announce the release date of these Adidas Ultraboost Star Wars X-Wing shoes. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for future updates. In the meantime, check out the kicks in all its glory below.

Personally, I’d go for the First Order shoes, which was leaked by a Twitter user below.

Crazy pic.twitter.com/sJgeteIJ2q
â€” é¬¼ç²‰ (@ayanamy001) September 13, 2019


Why Is Judgment, A PS4 Adventure Game From Sega, Being Pulled Out Of Shelves?

So this adventure game from Sega’s Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku team is doing alright in terms of reception and sales. It’s called Judgment/Judge Eye, and it’s about a guy who’s solving a mystery and has to wander around Tokyo to get to the bottom of it. An English-language version is coming soon, but that may not be likely as the Japanese version of the game is facing trouble.
Cocaine trouble, to be exact. You see, one of the voice actors of the game, Pierre Taki, has been arrested for alleged illegal drug use. According to the Mainichi News (via Kotaku), investigators searched his car and his Tokyo home thanks to anonymous tip-offs. While no cocaine was found, Taki was tested positive for cocaine and was arrested.
He has admitted to using a small amount of cocaine for undisclosed reasons. Investigators are examining his mobile phone to discern more about his alleged drug use.
Too bad Sega isn’t keen on such publicity, as it has issued a statement saying that it will stop selling the game physically and digitally while the truth is still being uncovered. The company apologizes and are figuring out the next step as we’re typing this.
In addition, Sega is also deleting past tweets about Judgment. Yikes.

?????????JUDGE EYES???????????????????????????????????????????????https://t.co/ET4m1CxJdz
— ?????????? (@SEGA_OFFICIAL) March 13, 2019

This isn’t the first time Sega had to deal with their hired actors using cocaine; actor Hiroki Narimiya was replaced in Yakuza 4 for the same allegations.
Japan has a low tolerance for illegal drugs, as you can tell. Makes you wonder what’s going to happen to Kingdom Hearts 3 as Taki also voiced Olaf in the Japanese version.


The People Who Own Gearbox Software Plans To Continue US$8 Billion Buying Spree

Embracer Group, the folks who own Gearbox Software (Borderlands 3, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands), is not done with its spending spree.
The group intends to continue with its US$8 billion acquisition spree. Since 2020, the company has made 62 acquisitions that are worth US$8.1 billion total.
CEO Lars Wingefors told the Financial Times that he plans to make a similar number of acquisitions in the next few months and years. He plans to invest in the free-to-play games space in UK, US, Poland, France, and China. His company’s philosophy so far is to target companies and entrepreneurs with a good track record, then take the hands-off approach with them.
“From a commercial standpoint, we don’t have central, commercial decision-making. Looking at other companies, they’ve struggled when they put too many layers of directors and management and start controlling creators, that’s when they start falling apart.
If you can make one game, you have a big business risk but if you make 200 games, like we do, the business risk is less.”
Embracre Group currently has a market valuation of US$9.9 billion and 115 internal game development studios & publishers. These include THQ Nordic, Koch Media/Deep Silver, Saber Interactive, and Gearbox Software. The company bought the latter for US$1.4 billion.


Granblue Fantasy Versus Season 2 Has Started; Here Are The Biggest Winners & Losers

The latest update to GBVS brings in new(?) character Belial into the mix, along with upcoming characters like Cagliostro. The game also gets a new story mode and a couple of new single-player challenges to tackle in case you need a break from all the salt you’ll get from online play.
Most importantly, GBVS is giving its roster a huge shake-up. This means longtime players will need to find new mains, or figure out how to get around their current character’s latest nerfs.
Here is a quick guide as to who got the shaft and who got out unscathed. Spoiler alert: Ferry players are going to be pissed.
Losers

Percival
He gets more recovery frames and less active frames in most of his safe moves, so players will need to be more cautious when employing Season 1 strategies with him.
Gran & Djeeta
Players will not feel threatened by the duo’s Rising Sword/Vorpal Blade anymore. Plus, their go-to invincible reversals are slowed down and have more recovery to them.
Ferry
The most-requested character to get nerfs finally gets a slew of them. Her go-to moves like her standing Medium are given more recovery frames, and her ghost buddy Geegee is a lot less threatening. Still, her same setups and tricks will still lead to big damage. You just cannot throw out moves as casually as last time as they’ll be punished quick by the majority of the winners below.
Middle Ground

Lancelot
He gets a damage buff for his SKybound and Super Skybound arts, as well as a super-fast crouching Medium. Otherwise, he’s pretty much the same rushdown character everyone loves.
Charlotta
She’s largely unchanged, though most of the roster are either weakened with nerfs or given buffs to bring themselves to her level.
Ladiva
Her Super Skybound Art has slower startup, but its invincibility time has been extended. Otherwise, she has no significant changes.
Narmaya
Her moves are equally buffed and nerfed, with some getting more recovery frames while others getting faster startups. She feels largely unchanged.
Winners

Lowain
His Sammy and Tommy assists have shorter cooldowns. They also disappear earlier from throws and Skybound Art, meaning they can be summoned quicker again. Lowain’s normals also gets some significant buffs, meaning he’s not just a one-trick pony with an awesome Super Skybound Art move.
Beelzebub
He has reduced recovery for his Shadowstep and also some buffs to his normals and corner damage conversions. Coupled with the universal fireball tweak, his zoning tools are pretty potent. Plus, he moves faster.
Soriz
Many of Soriz’s moves have reduced recovery.
Vaseraga
Not only does he has a reduced hurtbox on his arm area while standing, but has some good normal attack buffs and increased throw range for his Great Scythe Grynoth.
Zeta
She receives some buffs to get her out of low-tier status: less recovery for her moves and improved hitboxes. Since EX fireballs no longer knocks down opponents, she can use her fullscreen projectile Infinite Wonder just fine to win the fireball game. She is now better in mid and full-screen combat now.
Metera
This zoner now has new Aetherial Seal moves that don’t require EX. Her Super Skybound Art comes out faster too. Her damage may be toned down for some moves, but overall she comes out stronger in Season 2.
Zooey
She gets a buff to her Wyvern Gauge meter and management, which means more opportunities to start her patented mixup offense to keep her opponents in a block state.
Full patch notes are below. Let us know what you think about these changes and whether they breathe new life into GBVS or not.

System Changes
Cooldown Time
â€¢ Has been overhauled entirely. As a general rule, cooldowns from easy inputs have been lowered but attacks with invincibility and a few other exceptions have been made longer instead.
Standing block, standing damage taken, crouching block, crouching damage taken
â€¢ The hurtbox during movement has been enlarged in front of the character. Because of this change, there will be less inconsistencies between different characters’ combos and it should be easier to hit your opponent from a further distance.
Face up falling hurtbox
â€¢ Percival, Beelzebub, Soriz and Zooey had a bigger hurtbox around their leg area which has now been shrunk.
Face down falling hurtbox
â€¢ Metera, Ferry, Zeta, Narmaya, Djeeta and Zooey had hurtboxes placed higher than others while falling which has now been lowered in height. Because of this change, their hurtboxes should match their models more.
Forward jump
â€¢ Increased the distance travelled (except for Lancelot, Metera, Ferry and Zeta). This change only affects regular jumps and will not change anything for high jumps.
Wakeup
â€¢ When waking up and having to turn around to face your opponent, even if you inputted a crouching guard the character would first stand up briefly to turn around. It was just for a moment, but this would make your character have a higher hurtbox than intended, so in these situations the game will now prioritize crouch blocking if input.
Recovery
â€¢ For characters who don’t rise up when recovering (Percival, Ladiva, Ferry, Vaseraga) we made some changes. We made it easier to visually discern whether they’re recovering regularly or backwards when in the corner. This has no effect on the actual properties of said recovery.
Counter hits
â€¢ Changed the text color for “Counter!” and “Crush!” to red to make it easier to discern during a match.
â€¢ For moves like close lights and crouching lights which didn’t have any change in properties whether they were counter hits or regular hits, we’ve increased the hitstop on counter hits. Because of this change, it should now be easier to land followup hits when you get a counter hit even on moves such as these.
â€¢ For abilities in which counter hits had exceptionally long hitstop, we’ve toned it down and shortened it. Because of these changes, followups to counter hits may have changed in certain situations.
Close standing light, far standing light, crouching light
â€¢ The chain timing has been made faster, so for example crouching light to crouching light will now be considered a blockstring (with certain exceptions).
â€¢ Close standing lights and crouching lights can now be chained together up to twice (with certain exceptions).
Autocombos (first hit)
â€¢ Will no longer come out if inputting down light or down forward light. Because of this change, it will now be easier to get close standing light to crouching light from chaining.
Jump attacks in general
â€¢ Pushback on block has been decreased (with certain exceptions).
Throws
â€¢ Meter gain has been normalized for all characters’ throws.
â€¢ Scaling has been increased. Because of this change, moves that combo after throws will now do less damage. (There has been no change to throw damage itself)
Grounded throw teching
â€¢ Distance to opponent after a teched throw has been normalized across the cast.
â€¢ After being grabbed by the opponent, if you input “Dodge” or “Dodge Roll” during that time you will be forced into a late grab tech.
â€¢ The time window for a regular throw tech has been increased and the window for a late throw tech has been decreased. Because of this change, it will now be easier to aim for a regular throw tech. (There has been no change to the overall window of tech frames).
Air throw tech
â€¢ The distance both players are pushed back after an air tech has been decreased, leaving players closer to each other after a teched air throw.
Projectile abilities
â€¢ Easy-input projectiles have had their damage reduced (with certain exceptions).
â€¢ Recovery on whiff has been increased. Hitstun and blockstun has also been increased, so there’s no large discrepency on recovery when the projectile hits or is blocked (please look closer at each individual character for more details).
â€¢ Multi-hit projectiles have received more active frames after hitting opponents or other projectiles. Because of this change, it is now more likely that projectiles will hit all of their hits if they connect.
Abilities with invincibility
â€¢ When done via easy input damage will now be 200 lower across the board compared to the technical input version.
Skybound Art, Super Skybound Art
â€¢ The command input window has been shortened, making it less likely for the player to get these out by accident.
â€¢ The time counter will be paused from the start of a Skybound Art or Super Skybound Art until it finishes.
â€¢ Adjusted so that close hits will not be interrupted. When landing a far hit, there will be differences depending on each character’s different invulnerability properties.
â€¢ Adjusted the circumstances after landing a full animation for certain Skybound Arts and Super Skybound Arts. Also fixed an issue where characters locations would change drastically after a landed Skybound Art of Super Skybound Art.
Characters
Gran
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
Crouching Unique (Sweep)
â€¢ The hurtbox during the latter part of the move has been enlarged upwards and the move’s low profile time has been decreased.
Power Raise
â€¢ The hurtbox forward has been enlarged from the move’s startup until the beginning of its active frames.
â€¢ The Level 4 (maximum level) version’s combo limit scaling has been decreased, putting it in line with the Level 3 version.
Light Reginleiv
â€¢ Hitstop has been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. No change to frame advantage/disadvantage on hit or block.
Medium Reginleiv
â€¢ The knockback on the hit portion of the move against airborne opponents has been made smaller, making it easier for the hit to connect into the projectile against an airborne opponent.
â€¢ The projectile will now come out faster, meaning that the hit portion to the projectile portion is now considered a blockstring.
â€¢ Hitstop on the projectile portion has been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. No change to frame advantage/disadvantage on hit or block.
Heavy/EX Reginleiv
â€¢ Opponents will no longer become airborne if hit with this move while grounded.
â€¢ When hit in an airborne state by this move, opponents will now land closer but fly higher up.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Rising Sword
â€¢ Startup is now slower. Because of this change, invincibility time has been extended accordingly.
â€¢ Recovery after landing has been increased.
Heavy/EX Rising Sword
â€¢ To account for the increased recovery on the first portion of the attack, opponents will now fly higher when hit.
Light Overdrive Surge
â€¢ To account for the changes to the move’s followup, the knockback on grounded hit has been decreased and opponents will not fly as far any more on airborne hit. There has been no change to values on block.
Light Overdrive Surge (Followup)
â€¢ The forward hitbox while traveling has been shrunk and the hurtbox has been enlarged.
â€¢ Will no longer wall bounce on counter hit near the corner.
Medium Overdrive Surge
â€¢ The forward hitbox while traveling has been shrunk and the hurtbox has been enlarged.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ Opponents will no longer become airborne if hit by this move while grounded.
â€¢ Knockback has been increased.
Heavy/EX Overdrive Surge
â€¢ The forward hitbox while traveling has been shrunk and the hurtbox has been enlarged.
â€¢ Will not send the opponent flying as far anymore.
â€¢ The wall bounce timing has been made later, making it easier to follow up when landing this move on opponents in the corner.
Catastrophe
â€¢ Knockback has been decreased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Katalina
Close Standing Light
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. There has been no change to the move’s total frames.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
Autocombo (Second hit)
â€¢ The movement timing is now slower. There has been no change to movement distance.
Crouching Medium
â€¢ The hurtbox on her extended arm and sword has been increased downwards meaning it is now easier to crush with moves that have low hitboxes.
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Jumping Unique
â€¢ The hitbox on the early portion of the move has been shrunk and the hurtbox has been enlarged.
Overhead Attack
â€¢ Will now move further forward when doing this move.
â€¢ Added attacking frames on the landing portion of the move as well, increasing active frames.
Frozen Blade
â€¢ Hitstun and blockstun has been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. As a result, the overall hitstun and blockstun for Light and Medium versions has become better while the Heavy/EX version has become worse.
Heavy/EX Frozen Blade
â€¢ Opponents will no longer become airborne if hit by this move while grounded.
â€¢ Will not send opponent flying as far anymore on airborne hit.
Emerald Sword
â€¢ Startup is now slower. Because of this change, invincibility time has been increased accordingly.
Medium Emerald Sword
â€¢ The knockback on the first hit has been decreased, making it more difficult to whiff the following hits.
Heavy/EX Emerald Sword
â€¢ The knockback on the first four hits has been decreased and increased on the fifth hit.
Enchanted Lands
â€¢ When the opponent is hit or blocks, Katalina will now stop moving forward from that point.
â€¢ Pushback on block has been decreased.
â€¢ Will not send the opponent flying as far anymore.
Heavy/EX Enchanted Lands
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. There has been no change to hitstun or blockstun.
Realm of Ice
â€¢ If the first hit lands, Katalina will now pull the opponent inwards making it more difficult for the following attacks to whiff.
Charlotta
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ Hurtbox upwards has been increased at the very start of the attack’s startup but decreased right when the hitbox comes out.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
â€¢ The movement distance of the charged version has been increased.
Holy Ladder
â€¢ Will no longer come out when forward or down forward is being input, making it more difficult to accidentally get the move out.
â€¢ Pushback has been decreased.
Light Shining Onslaught
â€¢ Charlotta’s bounce-off during hit and block has been adjusted and recovery has been reduced.
Medium Shining Onslaught
â€¢ Charlotta’s bounce-off during hit and block has been adjusted and recovery has been reduced.
â€¢ Because of the hitstop change on counter hit, it became more difficult for Charlotta to follow up on this so to fix that we made the wall bounce time slower making it easier to follow up while close to the corner.
Sword of Lumiel
â€¢ The final hit will send the opponent flying higher upwards.
Medium Noble Strategy
â€¢ Changed the behavior of the move. The trajectory is now lower putting it closer in line with the Heavy/EX Version.
With Surest Strike
â€¢ The active part of Light and Medium Noble Strategy has been decreased as well as the recovery of this move, putting it closer in line with the Heavy/EX Version.
Noble Strategy Followups
â€¢ The auto-correction on these moves has been eliminated (except for in the case of With Surest Strike).
Brilliant Moon
â€¢ The upwards hitbox of the attack has been enlarged.
â€¢ The invincibility time of the move has been decreased.
â€¢ Shortened the distance in which this move will be registered as a close hit.
Noble Execution
â€¢ Startup is now slower. Invincibility time has been increased accordingly.
â€¢ Pushback has been reduced.
Lancelot
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Upwards hitbox has been enlarged making it more difficult to whiff.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ The first hit will now knock back a smaller distance, making it more difficult for the second hit to whiff.
Crouching Medium
â€¢ Damage has been reduced from 600 to 500.
â€¢ Startup is now faster.
â€¢ Attack level has been lowered.
Wirbelwind
â€¢ Each followup can now be input in advance, making it faster to get the followups out.
Wirbelwind (Cross Over)
â€¢ Hurtbox on Lancelot’s legs has been shrunk during movement, making it more difficult to crush him after he’s successfully gone behind the opponent.
â€¢ The brake after moving behind his opponent is better, meaning that Lancelot will now end up closer to his opponent after crossing them up.
â€¢ Reduced recovery after the movement’s end.
Wirbelwind (Jump)
â€¢ Invincibility time now begins earlier.
â€¢ Will now move further forward during the rising portion of the move and less forward during the falling portion of it.
â€¢ Reduced recovery after the movement’s end.
â€¢ Will now face his opponent’s direction after appearing.
Back Throw
â€¢ The knockback distance of the move has been adjusted, and Lancelot will now be less advantageous after landing this throw.
Delta Leap
â€¢ The time Lancelot is stuck to the wall has been increased, meaning the movement itself now starts slower.
â€¢ Can now input attacks in advance, getting out his moves faster once the jump happens.
Heavy/EX Wogenstrom
â€¢ Airborne damage time was slower than others, so it has now been put in line with other similar EX moves.
Medium Blade Impulse
â€¢ Damage has been reduced from 1400 to 1000.
â€¢ Opponents will now be sent flying at a lower angle.
â€¢ Recovery has been reduced.
Heavy/EX Southern Cross
â€¢ Airborne damage time was slower than others, so it has now been put in line with other similar EX moves.
â€¢ The third hit’s movement has been adjusted, so it should now be easier to connect even mid-screen.
Turbulenz (Followup Attack)
â€¢ Damage has been decreased from 1600 to 800 on easy input and from 1600 to 1000 on technical input.
â€¢ Light and Medium versions now have faster startup and Heavy/EX version now has slower startup, putting them in line with each other.
â€¢ The invincibility timing is now slower. With this change, the EX Version will now also lose invicibility for a moment between the movement and the attack.
â€¢ Can now be clashed with. Its clash level is the same as other invicible moves such as Rising Sword.
Heavy/EX Turbulenz (Followup Attack)
â€¢ Just like with the Light and Medium versions, Lancelot now has less recovery if he lands the hit.
Weiss Flugel
â€¢ Invincibility time has been shortened. Lancelot will now be invincible for the attack portions after landing the first hit.
â€¢ The technical version’s damage has been increased from 3000 to 3200.
SchÃ¶ner WinterhÃ¼gel
â€¢ Pushback has been decreased.
â€¢ The technical version’s damage has been increased from 4000 to 4200.
Grounded SchÃ¶ner WinterhÃ¼gel
â€¢ Recovery after landing has been increased.
Percival
Crouching hurtbox
â€¢ Percival’s hurtbox while crouching has been put in line with the other characters in the game.
Far Standing Light
â€¢ The effect on the attack has been adjusted. The attack itself has not been changed.
Far Standing Medium
â€¢ Startup is now slower
â€¢ Recovery has been reduced.
Crouching Medium
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Crouching Unique (Sweep)
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Jumping UniqueÂ â€¢ This was cancellable right at the point of landing, so it has been adjusted to have no cancel properties throughout the entire move.
X-Seele
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Recovery on whiff has been increased.
Light AnzÃ¼nden
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Hitstop is now shorter.
Medium AnzÃ¼nden
â€¢ Hitstop is now shorter.
â€¢ The medium version will no longer make grounded opponents airborne on hit (the TrÃ¤umerei-enhanced version will still do this).
Heavy/EX AnzÃ¼nden
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ The heavy/EX version will no longer make grounded opponents airborne on hit (the TrÃ¤umerei-enhanced version will still do this).
â€¢ The TrÃ¤umerei-enhanced version will now send opponents flying higher on hit.
Platzen
â€¢ Startup is now slower. Because of this change, invincibility time has been extended accordingly.
Heavy/EX Platzen
â€¢ The invincbility time has been reduced, and Percival will now lose invincibility during his forward movement.
Lord’s Strike (Medium and Heavy/EX Versions)
â€¢ TrÃ¤umerei icons will no longer be consumed by Lord’s Strike itself, but instead only when a followup is input.
Schneiden
â€¢ Recovery when input from a Light or Medium Lord’s Strike has been reduced.
â€¢ Recovery when input from a Heavy/EX Lord’s Strike has been increased.
Macht
â€¢ Will move forward during the move, leaving him closer to the opponent after it lands or is blocked.
Zerreisen (Clean Hit)
â€¢ On Clean Hit, Percival’s recovery has been increased and his advantageous frames have been decreased.
â€¢ There was an issue with this move where advantageous frames would be different depending on which character it was done on, so this has been adjusted to be the same for any cast member.
TrÃ¤umerei
â€¢ Counter-hit state has been changed from “when active frames end” to “when the TrÃ¤umerei buff icon appears”.
Lohenwolf
â€¢ Invincibility on the uncharged version has been decreased.
â€¢ The distance where the move will register as a close hit when used against an airborne opponent has been enlarged.
â€¢ After the first hit, opponents will now always be moved in front of Percival.
â€¢ Fixed an issue where opponents would have an extraordinarily long recovery time after trading with this move.
Feuerotte Krone
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ The knockback on the projectile portion has been decreased.
â€¢ If attacked before the projectile portion happens, Percival will no longer fire the projectile.
Ladiva
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ The active frame portion of the move has had its hitbox enlarged downward, making it so that it will now hit Dodge Rolls.
Auto-Combo (First Hit)
â€¢ Distance traveled has been reduced.
Far Standing Heavy
â€¢ Will now move forward during recovery.
Crouching Light
â€¢ Hitbox has been enlarged downwards, making it so that it will now hit Dodge Rolls. With the hitbox being enlarged, the hurtbox has also been enlarged accordingly.
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ The second hit has had its downwards hitbox enlarged, making it more difficult for it to whiff after the first hit lands.
â€¢ When hitting grounded opponents it will now force stand.
Love Grapple
â€¢ Made the throw hitbox wider. The travel distance has not been changed.
Work the Crowd
â€¢ After using it, the next Jewel Resort Screwdriver or Leg Drop of Adoration will have increased damage (only lasts for one try, including whiffs).
Jewel Resort Screwdriver
â€¢ No longer has throw invulnerability.
â€¢ Recovery on whiff increased.
â€¢ When used from a dash, will stop at the point where the move was input and perform it there.
Medium Jewel Resort Screwdriver
â€¢ Throw range decreased.
Leg Drop of Adoration
â€¢ No longer has throw invulnerability.
Heavy/EX Headbutt of Love
â€¢ Distance traveled has been decreased.
Light Elegant Lariat
â€¢ Will now send the opponent flying furher away.
Medium Elegant Lariat (Dash Version)
â€¢ Will ow send the opponent flying higher up. The regular version has not received this change.
Heavy/EX Elegant Lariat
â€¢ Will now send the opponent flying further away.
Maximum Love Bomb (Strike)
â€¢ No longer armors through projectiles but instead has projectile invincibility. However, the projectile invincibility is shorter than the armor was, meaning that it is now more difficult to make it through projectiles with this move.
Maximum Love Bomb (Throw)
â€¢ Startup is now slower. Because of this change, invincibility time has been extended accordingly.
The Shape of Love
â€¢ Startup is now slower. Because of this change, invincibility time has been extended accordingly.
Metera
Close Standing Light
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has been widened.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 400×3 to 400+300+300.
â€¢ The distance opponents are pushed back by the first and second hit has been decreased, making it more difficult for the third hit to whiff.
Crouching Light
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Far Standing Heavy
â€¢ Hitstop has been shortened.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Crouching Medium
â€¢ The hurtbox on the bow has been enlarged upwards from when the move starts.
Crouching Heavy and Down Back Heavy
â€¢ Hitstop has been shortened.
â€¢ Increased the damage time on the move. Because of hitstop being shortened, the time in which you can follow up with attacks has decreased.
Jumping Medium
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 350×2 to 300×2.
Zephyr
â€¢ The cancel timing window is now later in the move.
â€¢ Any jump move can now be input in advance, making it easier to get the cancel as fast as possible.
Overhead Attack
â€¢ A hitbox has been added to the back part of the arrow.
Starry Sky (High)
â€¢ Hitstun and blockstun has been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. There has been no change to overall hitstun or blockstun values.
Heavy/EX Starry Sky (High)
â€¢ Opponents will now be sent flying higher up on hit.
Starry Sky (Airborne)
â€¢ In the air, Metera can now use back+ability (Technical input quarter-circle-back light, medium or heavy) as well.
â€¢ The behavior of light and medium versions have been changed so that Metera can now move forwards while firing.
â€¢ On hit or block, the projectile hitting and it disappearing now happens faster. Because of this change, the cooldown icon will begin recovering faster.
Heavy/EX Starry Sky (Airborne)
â€¢ Hitstop is now shorter.
The Great Fall
â€¢ The knockback on the rising portion of the move has been adjusted to make the falling portion less likely to whiff.
â€¢ Fixed an issue where the combo limit wasn’t being properly displayed.
Light and Medium The Great Fall
â€¢ Made it so that the rising portion of the move can no longer hit grounded opponents.
Light and Medium Aetherial Seal
â€¢ Added a charged version of the move. When charged, the butterfly will fly at a curved upwards angle.
Aetherial Seal (Upwards Curved Angle)
â€¢ Increased the time before the butterfly disappears after it touches the ground.
Rapid Pulverize
â€¢ Startup is now faster. Because of this change, the invincibility time has been shortened accordingly.
Lowain
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has widened.
Far Standing Medium
â€¢ The hurtbox at the beginning of the move has been shrunk
â€¢ Startup is now faster.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ The horizontal knockback on the first hit has been decreased, making it more difficult for the second hit to whiff.
Crouching Light
â€¢ The hitbox forward has been enlarged.
Crouching Unique (Sweep)
â€¢ The distance traveled has been increased.
Jumping Unique
â€¢ The first and second hits are considered overheads, but from the 3rd hit onwards it can now be blocked low.
â€¢ Attack level has been lowered.
â€¢ Since it was possible to change the trajectory of an air grab through this move, we have now made it so this is no longer possible by causing the trajectory change to occur slightly later in the move.
Don’t Mind If I Do
â€¢ When used from a dash, Lowain will now stop at the point where the move was input and perform it there.
â€¢ Counter hit state time has been shortened.
Back Throw
â€¢ Changed the behavior after the throw had been landed so that Sammy & Tommy can be used as soon as the recovery ends. No change has been made to general advantage frames.
Sammy & Tommy
â€¢ Cooldown will now start decreasing after Sammy and/or Tommy disappear.
â€¢ Shortened the knockdown time for Sammy and/or Tommy when they get hit.
Light Come At Me, Bro!
â€¢ The active frames of this move have been increased. There has been no change to the move’s total frames.
Medium Come At Me, Bro!
â€¢ The active frames now come out faster, and the move will now counter as soon as it happens. There has been no change to the move’s total frames.
Heavy/EX Come At Me, Bro!
â€¢ The time freeze when the move is successful has been shortened.
Medium Awesome Sauce
â€¢ Distance traveled has been increased.
â€¢ The opponent will be sent flying higher from the second hit.
Heavy/EX Awesome Sauce
â€¢ The hitbox on the third hit has been enlarged upwards making it more difficult to whiff. In accordance with this, the hurtbox has also been enlarged.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ Because of the recovery increase it became more difficult to follow up after this move, so the timing in which the opponent wall bounces has been slowed down to make it easier to land followups.
Magnificent Tool of Destruction
â€¢ Lady Katapillar’s hurtbox has been extended upwards.
â€¢ Lady Katapillar will now disappear quicker. The cooldown will also start quicker, as it begins when she leaves.
â€¢ Lady Katapillar’s action before disappearing when hit has been changed.
Human! Pyramid! Attack!
â€¢ When being hit by an opponent during the move, their hitstop will now be shorter than the opponents (they will get to move slightly before the opponent gets to).
â€¢ When the move ends, Sammy and Tommy will leave faster making it possible to call them back in earlier than before.
It’s Lit, Bros
â€¢ Attack level has been heightened.
Flex On ‘Em
â€¢ When hitting a grounded opponent, it will now force crouch.
Moment of Truth
â€¢ Sammy and Tommy will leave faster making it possible to call them back earlier than before.
Ferry
Far Standing Medium
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
Far Standing Heavy
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Crouching Medium and Crouching Unique (Sweep)
â€¢ Pushback on block has been reduced.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 1000 to 900.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Crouching Unique (Sweep)
â€¢ Will now send the opponent flying higher on hit.
Jumping Light
â€¢ Attack level has been lowered.
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
Jumping Medium
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
Jumping Heavy
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 800 to 750.
â€¢ Attack level has been lowered.
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
Spectral Dive
â€¢ Attack level has been increased.
Spectral Dive (Neutral and Forward Input)
â€¢ Will now hit twice instead of once. Because of this, damage has been adjusted from a flat 600 to 300×2.
Spectral Dive (Back Input)
â€¢ Startup is now faster.
Ghostswing
â€¢ Will now be in a counter hit state during this move.
Forward Throw
â€¢ Increased Ferry’s recovery and decreased the hitstun on this move. Because of these changes, Ferry is now less advantageous after a forward throw.
Back Throw
â€¢ Decreased the opponent’s downtime.
Gespenst
â€¢ Changed the hitstop on guard and made it so attacks won’t happen after blocking.
Heavy/EX Gespenst
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Reduced Ferry’s recovery when this move is blocked. With the change to hitstop, this makes Ferry more advantageous on block.
Whip It Good (From a Medium Gespenst)
â€¢ The opponent will now fly higher from this move making followup attacks possible.
Geegee, Get ‘Em!
â€¢ Reduced the hitbox after landing, making it so that Geegee won’t hit jumping opponents while on the ground (exceptions for jumping attacks and similar situations).
Heavy/EX Geegee, Get ‘Em!
â€¢ Geegee will appear later than before but recovery after his appearance has been reduced. There have been no changes to the total frames of this move.
â€¢ Geegee will now run faster.
â€¢ Now gives a hard knockdown similar to other EX moves.
Vergiften
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ After bounding against the wall, knockback from this attack will now be in the opposite direction.
Hinrichten
â€¢ Ein Ball has been removed from the 3-time limit (For example, Far Light -> Far Medium -> Far Heavy -> Ein Ball is now possible).
Zeta
Jump
â€¢ Her hurtbox was a bit lower than other character, so it has been normalized to be in line with the rest of the cast.
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has been widened.
â€¢ Will now move forward as the move comes out making it more difficult to whiff.
Jumping Unique
â€¢ The initial start of the move is no longer considered an overhead and can be blocked crouching.
Heavy/EX Infinite Wonders
â€¢ The hitbox on the first hit has been expanded forwards.
â€¢ The second hit now has a higher attack level. However, there has been no change to its hitstop.
Spear of Arvess (Medium and Heavy/EX Version)
â€¢ Movement speed is now faster.
Spear of Arvess (Fall)
â€¢ Now shares an ability icon with “Spear of Arvess (Rise)”.
Spear of Arvess (Rise)
â€¢ Landing recovery has been reduced.
Spear of Arvess (Up Back, Up, Up Forward Versions)
â€¢ Landing recovery has been reduced.
Rhapsody
â€¢ Zeta’s hitstop when blocking projectiles has been shortened.
â€¢ The followups now do 200 less damage when performed via Easy Input instead of Technical Input. Knee Assault does 100 less damage instead of 200.
Grounded Resolute Strike
â€¢ The distance in which this would be considered a close attack against an airborne opponent has been widened.
Sirius Roar
â€¢ Will now move forward slightly at its startup, increasing this move’s range.
Vaseraga
Hurtbox
â€¢ Minimized the hurtbox on his arm area while standing (this affects standing, standing attacked, walking forward, walking back, stopping and crouching.
Close Standing Light
â€¢ Damage has been increased from 400 to 500.
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Pushback has been decreased.
Far Standing Medium
â€¢ Damage has been increased from 800 to 900.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
â€¢ Changed the effect on this attack. The general attack properties have not been changed as a result of this.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ Startup is now faster. There has been no change to the startup of the charged version.
Crouching Light
â€¢ The hitbox has been enlarged downwards making it so that it will hit Dodge Rolls. In accordance with this change, the hurtbox has also been enlarged.
Crouching Unique
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 900 to 1000.
Jumping Unique
â€¢ The hitbox has been enlarged fowards.
Dodge Roll
â€¢ Distance traveled has been increased.
Soul Forge Armor Property
â€¢ When hit during this property, Vaseraga’s hitstop will be shorter than the opponents (meaning Vaseraga gets to move slightly earlier than the opponent does).
Light and Medium Instinction
â€¢ When the projectile part of the move hits a grounded opponent they will no longer become airborne. In counter hit situations, they will still become airborne as before.
Medium and EX/Heavy Instinction
â€¢ The hit portion of the move will now make grounded opponents airborne. The move has been adjusted so that the projectile part will always hit the opponent in this situation as well.
Medium Battalions of Fear
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced. In accordance with this, movement distance has also been shortened.
â€¢ Pushback has been increased.
â€¢ Removed the guard break property on blocked opponents. There has been no change to the recovery time on block.
EX/Heavy Battalions of Fear
â€¢ Startup is now faster. There has been no change to the startup of the charged version.
â€¢ Removed the guard break property on blocked opponents. There has been no change to the recovery time on block.
Light Savage Rampage
â€¢ The transition from this to followup moves is now faster. There has been no change to the timing of the Soul Forge Armor properties to this move, however.
Savage Rampage Followups
â€¢ The auto-correct property has been removed.
â€¢ The hitstop on counter hits has been extended. There has been no change to the time alloted for followup attacks.
â€¢ It is now possible to go straight in to Great Scythe Grynoth from the start of this move, making it easier to connect Great Scythe Grynoth from a Savage Rampage.
Ravaging Stomp
â€¢ When taking a hit from an opponent in this state, the hitstop on Vaseraga will be shorter than it will on the opponent (meaning Vaseraga gets to move slightly earlier than his opponent does).
â€¢ The startup is now faster from Light and Medium Savage Rampages, putting them in line with the Heavy/EX version.
â€¢ The version from Heavy Savage Rampage now has higher damage reduction, meaning that Vasearaga will now take less damage when hit during this.
Light Great Scythe Grynoth
â€¢ Throw range has been increased.
â€¢ When used from a dash, Vaseraga will stop where the move was input and perform it there.
Medium Great Scythe Grynoth
â€¢ Throw range has been increased.
Heavy/EX Great Scythe Grynoth
â€¢ When used from a dash, Vasearaga will stop where the move was input and perform it there.
Bloody Moon
â€¢ The distance in which this would be considered a close attack against an airborne opponent has been widened.
Beelzebub
Walk (Forward and Back)
â€¢ Speed has been increased.
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has widened.
â€¢ Hitbox forward has been enlarged making it more difficult to whiff.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ The blowback on the first two hits has been decreased making it more difficult for the third hit to whiff.
Far Standing Light
â€¢ The downwards hitbox has been enlarged. In accordance, the hurtbox has also been enlarged.
Far Standing Heavy
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ The forwards hitbox on the beginning of the move has been enlarged making it easier to hit grounded opponents.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
â€¢ Airborne opponents hit by this mvoe will now be sent flying at a lower angle.
Shadowstep
â€¢ Recovery after reappearing has been reduced.
Light Black Flies
â€¢ Startup is now faster.
â€¢ Hitstop has been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. There have been no changes to the total frames of the move.
Medium Black Flies
â€¢ Projectile speed is now the same regardless of charge level. Because of this, the projectile speed is now slightly slower.
Heavy/EX Black Flies
â€¢ Startup is now faster.
â€¢ Projectile speed is now the same regardless of charge level. Because of this, the projectile speed is now slightly slower.
Langelaan Field
â€¢ Recovery has been reduced.
Light Chaoscalibur
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 200+400+400 to 200+200+600. The overall damage remains the same.
Medium Chaoscalibur
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 250+500+500 to 250+300+700. The overall damage remains the same.
Heavy/EX Chaoscalibur
â€¢ The wall bounce motion is now bigger than it used to be, making it easier to land followup attacks.
Karma
â€¢ When clashing with a fireball, Beelzebub will now gain projectile invincibility until the move’s end.
Medium Unisonic
â€¢ Forward movement has been increased.
Heavy/EX Unisonic
â€¢ Recovery on hit has been reduced.
â€¢ The second hit will now knock the opponent further away.
Black Spear
â€¢ The fireball spead is now faster.
â€¢ If Beelzebub is attacked before the projectile is launched, he will no longer fire the projectile.
Narmaya
Close Standing Medium (Dawnfly Stance)
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has been increased.
Far Standing Heavy (Dawnfly Stance)
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Crouching Heavy (Dawnfly Stance)
â€¢ Hitbox at the tip has been enlarged downwards.
â€¢ Active frames have been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased. There has been no change to the total frames of this move.
Crouching Unique (Dawnfly Stance)
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
Close Standing Medium (Freeflutter Stance)
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has been increased.
â€¢ The hitbox has been increased forward making it more difficult to whiff.
Jumping Unique (Freeflutter Stance)
â€¢ When hitting an airborne opponent, they will be sent flying a shorter distance horizontally but also higher vertically.
â€¢ The damage time on an airborne hit has been increased.
Butterfly Effect
â€¢ Fixed an issue where inputting Butterfly Effect before landing, sometimes the stance change wouldn’t occur if you didn’t return to neutral before your next input.
Setsuna
â€¢ The damage close up has been changed from 900 to 800 for Easy Input and 1000 to 900 for Technical Input.
â€¢ At the corner, changed it so that if Narmaya hits the opponent on hit or on block with the close up hitbox of this move Narmaya will no logner be pushed back (putting it in line with the longer range hit version of the move).
Medium Setsuna
â€¢ Reduced the maximum charge time.
Heavy/EX Setsuna
â€¢ Decreased the distance opponents will be sent flying on hit.
â€¢ Decreased the opponent’s hitstop. There has been no change to the hitstun or blockstun.
â€¢ Because of the hitstop change it became more difficult to land followup moves, so the wall bounce will now be slower making it easier to land followups.
Absolute Horizon
â€¢ Startup is now slower. In accordance with this, invincibility time is now also longer.
Medium Kyokasuigetsu
â€¢ Distance traveled has been increased.
â€¢ The second hit will now send the opponents flying higher up.
Heavy/EX Kyokasuigetsu
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ The third hit will now send the opponents flying higher up.
â€¢ The pushback on the third hid has been reduced.
Mugenkagura
â€¢ The active frames on the first hit have been increased, making it easier to hit airborne opponents with the first hit.
Medium Mugenkagura
â€¢ The second hit will now send the opponent flying at a lower angle than before.
Heavy/EX Mugenkagura
â€¢ The startup is now faster.
â€¢ The fourth hit will now send the opponent flying at a lower angle than before.
Heavy/EX Crescent Moon
â€¢ Startup is now slower. As a result, the frame advantage is now better.
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
Airborne Crescent Moon
â€¢ If input from a jump right after a dash, Narmaya would keep moving forward after landing. This has been fixed so that she will now stop where she lands.
Abilities During Freeflutter
â€¢ Fixed an issue where Narmaya would sometimes gain the properties of Transient even while not performing Transient.
Soriz
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has been increased.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Far Standing Light
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Far Standing Medium
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Crouching Medium
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ Shrank the upwards hurtbox on the start of the move.
â€¢ Active frames have been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased. There have been no changes to the total frames of this move.
Muscle Fury
â€¢ Heightened Soriz’ damage reduction during this move.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Reactive Muscles
â€¢ There was an issue where during hitstop after the actual hit, Soriz’ advantageous frames would decrease if a projectile was hitting him. Due to this, we’ve made it so that Soriz is fully projectile invulnerable during the hitstop animation.
Light Impact Knuckles
â€¢ During both the regular and powered up versions, there could be a big difference in distance after landing this move. We’ve adjusted Soriz’ braking properties to make it less variable how far from the opponent he is.
Medium Impact Knuckles
â€¢ When hitting a grounded opponent, this will now send them airborne.
â€¢ Damage time when hitting an airborne opponent has been increased.
â€¢ Opponents will now be sent flying at a lower angle than before.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
â€¢ During both the regular and powered up versions, there could be a big difference in distance after landing this move. We’ve adjusted Soriz’ braking properties to make it less variable how far from the opponent he is.
Heavy/EX Impact Knuckles
â€¢ When hitting a grounded opponent, this will now send them airborne.
â€¢ Startup is now slower. The powered up version is now faster than the regular version as a result, comparatively.
â€¢ Opponents will now be sent flying a shorter distance when hit by this move.
Medium Roundhouse Fang
â€¢ Recovery has been reduced.
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying at a lower angle than before.
â€¢ Damage time when hitting an airborne opponent has been reduced.
Heavy/EX Roundhouse Fang
â€¢ Distance traveled has been increased.
Punch the Stars
â€¢ The hitstop has been adjusted on each hit except the last one, making it easier to land more hits.
Tenacious Will
â€¢ Active frames have been reduced.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased. There has been no change to the total frames of this move.
Bravado Bullet
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
â€¢ When done from a Heavy/EX Punch the Stars, this move will now cause a wall bounce when at the corner.
Rock Smash
â€¢ Upwards hitbox has been enlarged (also includes the powered up version).
Light Rock Smash
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying higher.
â€¢ Recovery has been decreased.
Medium Rock Smash
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying higher.
â€¢ Damage time against airborne opponents has been increased.
Leaping Tiger, Charging Dragon
â€¢ Movement distance has been increased, leading to the first hit of this move now having longer range.
Way of the Fundoshi Fist
â€¢ Damage has been increased from 3000 to 4000 for the Easy Input version and 3500 to 4500 for the Technical Input version.
Djeeta
Crouching Medium
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Crouching Unique (Sweep)
â€¢ The hurtbox during the latter part of the move has been enlarged upwards and the move’s low profile time has been decreased.
Overdrive Surge
â€¢ When hitting a grounded opponent, it will now force crouch.
â€¢ When landed as a counter hit the opponent will now fly in a different manner making it easier to land followup attacks.
â€¢ The Level 3 charged version now sends the opponent flying a shorter distance making it easier to land followup attacks.
Reginleiv
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Light and Medium Reginleiv
â€¢ Hitstop has been increased. There has been no change to hitstun or blockstun.
Heavy/EX Reginleiv
â€¢ When hitting a grounded opponent it will no longer make them airborne.
â€¢ When hitting an airborne opponent it will now send them shorter horizontally but higher vertically.
Reginleiv: Recidive
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Light and Medium Reginleiv: Recidive
â€¢ Hitstop has been increased. There has been no change to hitstun or blockstun.
Heavy/EX Reginleiv: Recidive
â€¢ When hitting a grounded opponent it will no logner make them airborne. When landed as a counter hit, it will still make them airborne as before.
â€¢ When hitting an airborne opponent it will now send them flying higher up.
â€¢ Fixed an issue where it would sometimes have infinite projectile durability.
Rising Sword
â€¢ Recovery after landing has been increased.
Light Rising Sword
â€¢ Startup is now slower. In accordance with this, invincibility time has been extended.
Heavy/EX Rising Sword
â€¢ Startup is now slower. In accordance with this, invincibility time has been extended.
â€¢ To account for the increased recovery on the first portion of the attack, opponents will now fly higher when hit.
â€¢ The damage on the fifth hit has been reduced from 300 to 150, putting her in line with Gran.
Light Vorpal Blade (Followup)
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying a shorter distance horizontally and lower distance vertically.
Medium Vorpal Blade
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Distance traveled has been increased.
Medium Vorpal Blade (Followup)
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying a shorter distance horizontally and lower distance vertically.
Heavy/EX Vorpal Blade
â€¢ Startup is now slower.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ Opponents will now be launched higher on hit making it easier to land followup attacks.
Heavy/EX Vorpal Blade (Followup)
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ To make up for the increased recovery, the second hit will now send them flying higher.
Heavy/EX Vorpal Blade (Final Hit)
â€¢ Startup is now slower, meaning it is no longer a blockstring.
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying a shorter distance horizontally and lower distance vertically.
Eternal Ascendancy
â€¢ Invincibility time has been reduced.

Zooey
Close Standing Medium
â€¢ Proximity to get Close instead of Far has been increased.
Close Standing Heavy
â€¢ Hitbox has been extended forward making it more difficult to whiff.
Crouching Heavy
â€¢ Reduced the upwards hurtbox on the initial beginning of the attack.
Jumping Unique
â€¢ The timing in which the player can do the next Jumping Unique is now faster.
Overhead Attack
â€¢ It was difficult to see the Overhead Attack coming during a Sweeping Beam, so the effect has been changed to now be easier to visually discern.
Wyvern Gauge
â€¢ Zooey will no longer loose Wyvern Gauge while taking damage even if she has Lyrn summoned. In exchange, the gauge will now decrease while she is knocked down or performing an air recovery.
Summon Dragon – Immortal Thrust
â€¢ Now consumes less Wyvern Gauge.
â€¢ Hitstop has been increased.
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
Summon Dragon – Heavy Breath
â€¢ Will now penetrate through projectiles.
Summon Dragon – Sweeping Beam
â€¢ Will now penetrate through projectiles.
Light and Heavy/EX Spinning Slash
â€¢ Startup is now faster.
Bisection
â€¢ Recovery has been increased.
â€¢ The opponent will now be sent flying a shorter distance from this move.
Light Aerial Spinning Slash
â€¢ The descending portion of the attack is now faster. With this change, active frames have also been reduced and the move is now 3 hits.
â€¢ When done from a dash, Zooey would sometimes advance further even after landing from this move. She will now stop where she landed.
Medium Aerial Spinning Slash
â€¢ The ascending portion of the attack now knocks back a shorter distance making it easier to land all the hits.
â€¢ The horizontal movement of this move has been adjusted so Zooey should be closer to her opponent both on hit and block.
Heavy/EX Aerial Spinning Slash
â€¢ Active frames on the ascending portion of the attack have been increased. Because of this change, the invincibility of the move has also been increased.
â€¢ The ascending portion of the attack now knocks back a shorter distance making it easier to land all the hits.
â€¢ The horizontal movement of this move has been adjusted so Zooey should be closer to her opponent both on hit and block.
Airborne Thunder
â€¢ Recovery after landing has been increased.
Gamma Ray (Easy Input)
â€¢ Damage has been changed from 3500 to 3000.
Armageddon
â€¢ Made the distance where the Easy Input version would be considered a close hit wider.
â€¢ Reduced active frames. As a result of these changes, travel distance has also been shortened.
â€¢ Made the braking effect during recovery tighter, meaning she will stop at a shorter distance if blocked.


Nearly A Million Players Are On Forza Horizon 5 Even Though It’s Technically Not Out Yet [Update]

Update: it’s now over 4 million players. Wow!

Forza Horizon 5 now at 4 million players on day one. pic.twitter.com/JQULggbtFS
— Stallion ver.2.28 (@Stallion83) November 9, 2021

Original story
Forza Horizon 5 will be available on 9th November. Unless you happen to have purchased the game’s Premium Edition and Add-On Bundles, in which case you’ve played the game starting 5th November.
Turns out a lot of people went for it, despite the fact that they can play it for free via Xbox Game Pass tomorrow. Forza Horizon 5’s in-game Hall of Fame leaderboard already has more than 800,000 people playing it on Day One(?). It’s safe to assume that Xbox’s premier racing game of 2021 has netted about US$79 million in sales before its official release (via VGC). For the record, the game costs US$99 in its Premium Edition form (or US$45 for the Premium Edition add-on).
Right now, the racing game is the highest-rated 2021 title on OpenCritic (100% recommendation from critics) and also a pretty high average of 91 on Metacritic. For more on the game, check out our review. We totally dig it.


Netflix’s Red Notice Boasts Big Stars, Drops This November

Netflix has officially announced the release date for its mega action Rawson Marshall Thurber-directed feature Red Notice. It will premiere globally on 12 November 2021.
In the movie, an Interpol-issued Red Notice goes out. Thatâ€™s a global alert to hunt and capture the worldâ€™s most wanted. Johnson stars as the FBIâ€™s top profiler and Wonder Womanâ€˜s Gal Gadot and Deadpoolâ€˜s Ryan Reynolds as two rival criminals who are all brought together for a daring heist.
RED NOTICE – (L-R) RYAN REYNOLDS, GAL GADOT and DWAYNE â€˜THE ROCKâ€™ JOHNSON STAR IN NETFLIXâ€™S RED NOTICE RELEASING NOVEMBER 12, 2021. DIRECTED BY RAWSON MARSHALL THURBER. Cr: Frank Masi/NETFLIX Â© 2021
The synopsis reads:
An Interpol-issued Red Notice is a global alert to hunt and capture the worldâ€™s most wanted.
But when a daring heist brings together the FBIâ€™s top profiler (Johnson) and two rival criminals (Gadot, Reynolds), thereâ€™s no telling what will happen.
According to Deadline, Red Notice is one of Netflix’s most expensive movies, with a budget of a whopping US$130 million. We’ll have to wait and see if the movie is worth the streaming giant’s investment.

?You’re officially on notice?@Netflix’s biggest movie ever #REDNOTICE premieres in your living rooms around the globe on NOV 12??
FBI’s top profiler.World’s most wanted art thief.And the greatest conman the world has never seen…@GalGadot@VancityReynolds#REDNOTICE ? pic.twitter.com/O0mqkYCqGy
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 8, 2021


Infinite Carnage To Host SoulCalibur VI Online Tournament This Weekend

The soul still burns, even during COVID-19.
Malaysian fighting game community group & tournament organizers Infinite Carnage will be hosting a SoulCalibur VI online tournament. Here are the details:
Date: 9th May
Time: 8pm GMT+8
Platform: PC
Registration: LINK
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/infinitecarnagemy
Discord: https://discord.gg/q57eVye
Rules:
– PC (Steam).
– Double Elimination format.
– Player cap: 32.
– First to 2 – Top 32 onward.
– First to 3 – Winner Finals, Loser Finals & Grand Finals.
– Stages are determined randomly.
– The loser is allowed to change characters and choose random stage again.
– The winner is not allowed to change character.
While there is no fee to join the online tournament, you can choose to chip in money to support this tournament and all future SoulCalibur tournaments run by the group.


Fortnite Nexus War Assembles Marvel’s Heroes Against Galactus

ForÂ Fortniteâ€™s newest Chapter 2 Season 4,Â Epic Games and Marvel have unitedÂ to bring some of the biggest heroes and villains from the Marvel universe to theÂ FortniteÂ island to fight in the Nexus War.
Unlike mostÂ Fortnite seasons, this one comes with a whole backstory for the entire season. Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds and one of the Marvel Universeâ€™s most powerful villains, is heading to theÂ FortniteÂ island intent on consuming it, and Thor has gathered a team of heroes and villains so stop him.
This is where the seasonâ€™s launch trailer picks up, introducing us to each of the Marvel characters that will be joiningÂ FortniteÂ this season.
The new roster of heroes and villains (seen so far) includes Thor, Iron Man, Wolverine, Storm, Mystique, Doctor Doom, She-Hulk, and Groot.
However, itâ€™s currently unclear how all of these characters will fit into the battle royale gameplay ofÂ Fortnite, but in the battle pass trailer, we can see sections where it looks like players can actually control of each of the heroes and use their signature powers against what seems to be NPC soldiers around the map.
The new season will also include an update to the map, which means Marvel-themed locations. The biggest addition is Doomâ€™s Domain, a dark and mysterious area thatâ€™s been taken over by Victor Von Doom, as well as smaller points of interest, like the Sentinelâ€™s Graveyard and the Helicarrier.

FortniteÂ Chapter 2 Season 4 will also include a new battle pass, with 100 unlockable rewards. The pass will include skins for all of the heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe that are joiningÂ Fortnite.
According to Epic, there will also be special quests for Marvel Legends skins which will unlock a built-in emote that â€œreveals the Hero or Villain within.â€ Whatever that means.
In the comics, Thor is currently not only the King of Asgard, but also the Herald of Galactus, so it will be interesting to see how the events in Fortnite Nexus War will affect the source material.


Monster Hunter Stories 2 Gets 1.3.0 Update With, You Guessed It, More Monsters

The hunt lives on!
Capcom will be releasing a new 1.3.0 update for its hit RPG spin-off title Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, slated for 2nd September on both Nintendo Switch and PC.
The update adds in some fan favourite monsters: Soulseer Mizutsune (from Monster Hunter Rise), Elderfrost Gammoth, and Oroshi Kirin. This addition also comes with new co-op quests and subquests. Check out the giant monster-filled video below.

For more on Monster Hunter Stories 2, check out our video review and guide.


The Last Of Us Part 1 PC Specs Revealed By Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog has revealed the PC specs for The Last Of Us Part 1 PC version, which will launch on 28 March 2023 on Steam and Epic Games Store.
The Last Of Us Part I’s PC iteration will bring with it the same main content as its PS5 counterpart, but with plenty of PC features to bring Joel and Ellie’s tense and unforgettable journey to life. This version of The Last of Us Part I is optimized for PC with PC-centric quality-of-life enhancements. Part I will feature AMD FSR 2.2 support, Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution support, VSync and frame rate cap options, and a host of features designed specifically for PC, including adjustable Texture Quality, Shadows, Reflections, Ambient Occlusion, and more.

This includes 4K and Ultra-Wide Monitor Support for both 21:9 Ultrawide and 32:9 Super Ultrawide aspect ratios, as well as 3D audio support. The Last Of Us Part I on PC also features DualSense support through a wired connection so players can experience haptic feedback and dynamic triggers. With support for the DualShock 4 controller, a wide range of other gamepads, and keyboard and mouse, players can adjust their playstyle to suit their preferences. The PC release includes a number of new control customization options including full control remapping, primary and secondary bindings for keyboard and mouse control, an adaptive mode that allows players to combine keyboard and controller inputs, and more.
The Last of Us Part I PC Digital Deluxe Edition: Steam | Epic Games Store
The Last of Us Part I PC: Steam | Epic Games Store
Check out the trailer below:


The ASUS ROG Ally Handheld Comes To Malaysia This July

ASUS Malaysia has officially announced that the handheld gaming device ASUS ROG Ally will be available in Malaysia starting sometime in July 2023.
While they did not reveal the official price yet, ASUS Malaysia teases that the ASUS ROG Ally’s official price will be surprising “in a good way”. That might mean that it will be cheaper than the ones currently imported from overseas and sold online.
For specs, the ASUS ROG Ally features a 7-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD 1080p resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. The panel cranks out up to 500 nits of brightness and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. It comes with two chipset versions – AMD’s new Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme chips. The Z1 model features a six-core Zen 4 CPU with twelve threads while the GPU side is covered by four RDNA 3 cores, while the Z1 Extreme model packs an eight-core Zen 4 CPU with sixteen threads and twelve RDNA 3 GPU cores with 24MB cache.
Both ROG Ally models feature 16GB LPDDR5 dual-channel memory and 256/512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD of the 2230 size, as well as a 40Wh battery pack and a 65W PD charger. In addition, the ASUS ROG Ally features an aluminium chassis and weighs 608 grams. The exact device dimensions are 280 x 111 x 21.2mm. It runs full-fledged Windows 11 Home with a special edition of Asus Armoury Crate on top.
The device can run Xbox Game Pass, as well as from any other major game launcher and game streaming services. As for controls, the ASUS ROG Ally offers two analogue thumb sticks with capacitive touch and RGB lighting, a D-pad, ABXY face buttons, left and right Hall Effect triggers and bumpers as well as two assignable grip buttons on the back. The screen is flanked by the command centre and view buttons on the left and menu and Armoury Crate buttons on the right.
Last but not least, the ASUS ROG Ally comes with a  Type-C combo port with support for USB 3.2 Gen2, and a port for connecting external GPUs as well as a microSD card slot that supports up to UHS-II cards and a headphone/mic combo jack. It also features dual-firing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio support, as well as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
https://www.facebook.com/asusrogmalaysia/posts/pfbid0RkHQkxqvUiKLHDosgUpcwSgaCh15kEQq5kTktfWcX6X22yiRJzwP5cAvcF64SAhUl
https://www.facebook.com/asusrogmalaysia/photos/pcb.6204420489613123/6204406572947848


The Top 6 Highlights Of Southeast Asia Major 2019

Southeast Asia’s premier fighting game tournament is done and over with, and it’s quite a spectacle for Asian fighting fans. There’s also the last edition of a Southeast Asian video game event called GameStart Asia, but one can argue that the crowd was mostly in it for the annual tournament. And probably for the RetroDNA booth.
Regardless, here are the highlights:
Tokido & Fuudo part XIV (Street Fighter 5)

Whenever there’s a Street Fighter tournament, you can’t count Tokido and Fuudo out. The two veterans have been duking it out with their Akuma and R.Mika/Birdie plays respectively, and they didn’t disappoint.
Shen Chan Still Maintaining Asia SC Dominance (SoulCalibur VI)
Singapore mainstay SoulCalibur player Shen Chan still persevered with Cervantes (with a bit of Kilik) and placed pretty high in a tournament full of top players like Yuttoto, Keev, and Shiwapon. At the very least, the little red dot of a country still maintains its fighting game esports dominance in Southeast Asia.
The Obligatory Season 2 Tease (SoulCalibur VI)

No hard release date yet, but the fighting game crowd was hyped at seeing new moves for their characters. Highlights include a fast long-ranged move for Cervantes, a lightning follow-up for Sophitia, and a nice follow-up juggle for Maxi.
That Yamcha Comeback From Kazunoko & More Top 8 Highlights (Dragon Ball FighterZ)

The top 5 DragonBall FighterZ players were who you expected: Fenrich, Kazunoko, Japan, and an outlier in the form of Philippines’ Xanxus.
Two Singaporeans Claim Samurai Shodown Top 5 Spot

It’s rare to find players outside of Japan and US who are good at taking risks in a damage-heavy game like Samurai Shodown. Leave it to Singapore’s Snowdrop and VGD to fight their hardest using an assortment of characters like Kyoshiro (now a decent character) and Shiki (now top tier).
Alas, the force that is Japan’s Kazunoko is too strong and proceeds to claim the top spot for the tournament. Placing top three is still a valiant effort though; props to the Singaporean duo for fighting hard in one of this year’s more “patient” title.
Singaporean Claims Top Tekken 7 Spot…
…though there weren’t any notable Korean or Pakistani players in this particular ballpit. Hey, whatever nets you the win, Singapore.
Results
Street Fighter 5 Asia Finals
1. FD|Fujimura (Ibuki)
2. Rohto|Tokido (Akuma)
3. CYG|Fuudo (Birdie)
4. RB|Bonchan (Karin, Sagat)
5. Liquid|Nemo (Urien)
5. YOG|Machabo (Necalli)
7. RZR|Xian (Ibuki)
7. UYU|OilKing (Rashid)
Street Fighter 5 Open Premier (Points Aplenty)
1. CYG|Fuudo (Birdie, R. Mika)
2. RB|Gachikun (Rashid)
3. AZ|Kichipa-mu (Zangief)
4. Mago (Karin, Cammmy)
5. Talon|HotDog29 (M. Bison)
5. RB|Luffy (R. Mika)
7. FD|Fujimura (Ibuki)
7. CO|Dogura (M. Bison)
Dragon Ball FighterZ
1. CO|Fenrich (Cell, Kid Goku, Vegeta)
2. PG|BNBBN (Kid Buu, Bardock, Kid Goku)
3. FT|B (Kid Buu, Adult Gohan, Yamcha)
4. BC|Kazunoko (Kid Buu, Kid Goku, Yamcha)
5. EHADA|Xanxus (Vegito, Blue Vegeta, Vegeta)
5. Matoi (Android 21, Goku, Bardock)
7. Kawamatsu (Kid Buu, Bardock, Trunks)
7. Maddo (Kid Buu, Yamcha, Kid Goku)
SoulCalibur VI
1. Yuttoto (Voldo, Azwel)
2. PG|Shen Chan (Cervantes, Kilik)
3. ShenLin (Siegfried)
4. PGW|Kamizono (Seong Mi-Na)
5. 575 (Nightmare, Cassandra)
5. Plruto7 (Nightmare)
7. FlashGawd (2B, Azwel)
7. Cipher0613 (Geralt)
Samurai Shodown
1. BC|Kazunoko (Yoshitora)
2. SnowDrop (Jubei, Yashamaru, Shiki, Rimururu)
3. VGD (Earthquake, Kyoshiro, Tam Tam)
4. ASM|MisterCrimson (Genjuro, Charlotte)
Tekken 7
1. Lan94 (Julia)
2. MadRush (Eliza, Geese)
3. GM|SideStepLance (Lee)
4. CJB Medan (Lars, Shaheen)


Xavier Woods & The New Day Are Appearing In Gears 5

You thought Batista in Gears 5 isn’t enough rasslin’ for you? Try adding in The New Day.
According to Xbox, the WWE three-man team The New Day will be featured as DLC characters in Gears 5. These include legend Kofi Kingston, Big E, and the guy whose ass I kicked in Tekken 3, Xavier Woods*.
Obviously the latter is overjoyed at being a character in Gears 5. Who wouldn’t?

“After playing [Gears of War] for years (& reading the books) Iâ€™m happy to announce that myself[, Kofi Kingston, & Big E] somehow convinced them to make us playable DLC characters in [Gears 5,]. If you thought getting popped by gnashers got on your nerves, wait until [it’s] us doing it[!]”

After playing @GearsOfWar for years (& reading the books ?) I’m happy to announce that myself @TrueKofi & @WWEBigE somehow convinced them make us playable dlc characters in #Gears5 @Xbox
If you thought getting popped by gnashers got on your nerves, wait until its us doing it ? pic.twitter.com/nweuRLSzi7
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) November 17, 2020

In addition to that, Gears 5’s latest season, Operation 5, features battles from Gears 2 and Gears 3, the addition of characters like Dizzy Wallin and Skorge, a new Imulsion-themed map called Nexus, and the old weapon Scorcher making a return.
Check out the fun vids we did with one-third of the New Day.

https://www.facebook.com/1217891358315277/videos/2887406354606623/
*obviously a lie; it was a draw.Â


Iceborne Completes Monster Hunter World, First And Final Expansion

In an interview with Game Informer, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne‘s director Daisuke Ichihara and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto answered 79 rapid-fire questions about the upcoming expansion.
There were a lot of funny and quirky questions but one of the serious ones was: Is Iceborne the final expansion for Monster Hunter World (MHW)?

“Yes, Iceborne basically completes World so it will be the last expansion.”

Answered MHW: Iceborne producer Ryozo Tsujimoto
Seeing as how the expansion will rival the base game in terms of size and scale, it’s not too big of a surprise. New monsters, armor and weapon sets, and even new combat mechanics will be introduced.
No official numbers yet if you’re wondering how many GB you need but judging from the interview, it’s gonna be… *makes a space between my hands like I’m carrying a big box* this big.


The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Important Tips For Beginners

So you’ve just finished watching The Witcher on Netflix and you want more monster-slaying adventures. You’ve been hearing people sing praises about that one particular video game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so you really want to try it out.
However, everyone tells you it’s one of those games that will take at least dozens of hours to beat. It all seems pretty daunting, doesn’t it? Worry not, my friend. Here are 7 tips to help you brave The Continent in your quest to find Ciri.
1. Repair Your Equipment

Your equipment in the game isn’t made of adamantium. Every time you attack enemies and get attacked by them, the condition of your armour and swords degrade. Lower equipment condition means lower defence and damage.
Before you venture out to complete a Witcher contract, make sure you visit the local blacksmith or armourer first. Asking them to do the repairs will cost you some coin so make sure to sell all the junk in your inventory beforehand.
If you find your equipment getting nearly broken mid-quest, you can use repair kits to do the repairs yourself. Repair kits can be bought from merchants or found in treasure chests. Some human enemies drop them too.
2. Use Grindstones And Workbenches

You’ll usually find grindstones near blacksmiths and workbenches near armourers. Some of them have both nearby. Grindstones give you a temporary 20% attack power boost while workbenches give you a temporary 20% armour bonus.
You can use grindstones and workbenches for free as many times as you like so make full use of them.
3. Check Out Each Location’s Notice Board

Early on, the game will tell you that you can find side quests and Witcher contracts through the notice boards. What it doesn’t tell you is that reading notice boards will also populate your map with question marks.
Exploring points of interest such as Places of Power, guarded treasure, monster nests, and so on will reward you with skill points, experience, and loot. So it’s always worth your time going to those question marks.
4. Negotiate For Better Pay

Being a Witcher basically means you’re a monster-slaying freelancer. You’re risking your neck out there so you better set your own rates!
When talking to the person who posted a Witcher contract, you’ll usually have the option to negotiate for a higher monetary reward. Always ask for a bit higher than what you’re initially offered.
Do beware that people can get annoyed if you ask for too much. If you fill up the annoyance level meter to the max, you won’t be able to negotiate anymore. My advice: Aim for a bit higher past the halfway point of the reward amount.
5. Brew Potions And Oils

If you’re playing the game on either Blood and Broken Bones (hard) or Death March (very hard), then you better do all proper Witcher prep work. Study that alchemy page and get ready to brew.
All those herbs you gather aren’t just there to fulfil your unhealthy hoarding tendencies. They’re used to make potions and oils. Drinking potions grant you stat bonuses and applying oils to your swords will give you damage boosts against specific enemies.
You only need to brew potions and oils once, after that they’ll always be in your inventory. Just make sure to replenish your potions by meditating. Oils don’t need to be replenished, just reapplied.
5. Read The Bestiary

“How do I know which oil or potion to drink?” I hear you asking. That’s where the Bestiary comes in. It’s progressively updated with entries detailing the various creatures you meet in The Continent.
Aside from the interesting lore, the Bestiary tells you the weaknesses of each monster you face. This is how you know which potion, oil, bomb, and sign to use against them.
6. Study Your Skills

If you’re playing the game on the tougher difficulties, it pays to plan your build early on in the game. However, respec-ing is still possible. It’s just very expensive when you’re just starting out.
The skill system in The Witcher 3 is a combination of matching skills and mutagens to your playstyle. Skill and mutagen slots are progressively unlocked and higher branches of your skill tree require you to invest a certain amount of points before you get them.
Just take some time to read up on all the skills available. Trust me, it won’t take that long and it will spare you from the eventual “Ah crap, I should’ve invested into another skill” moment.
To respec your skill points, you need to buy or find a Potion of Clearance.
7. Play Gwent

A lot of players ignore Gwent. I did too, on my first playthrough. When I decided to give it a try, I immediately regretted that I didn’t get into it sooner.
Gwent is the card game within the game. One of the primary reasons why people ignore it is because card games are usually complicated but Gwent is actually pretty simple. You’ll be able to play through a tutorial right after you arrive at the White Orchard Inn so make sure you do that.
Even if you don’t want to trouble your brain arranging decks and learning tactics, you can still make a decent amount of money and have a bit of fun playing Gwent. Just set Gwent difficulty to easy in the options menu and play it mindlessly.

The Witcher 3 is a massive game. Still, it’s an adventure that’s well worth experiencing. It’s my personal RPG of the decade for many reasons, one of them is the sheer amount of content it lets the players enjoy.
Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED’s next project, is going to be out in just a few months so it’s a great time to get into one of their best games. In case you haven’t watched The Witcher on Netflix, you should. You can read our review of the show here.