Tag: Update

Eve Online Improves Free to Play With Arms Race Update


Eve Online just got even more attractive for those looking to play around without dropping a wad of cash. In an update this week, CCP revealed that free accounts (dubbed alpha pilots) will have access to a wider array of ships and skills.

The update allows alpha pilots to train and pilot all sorts of new ships including the Battleship and Battlecruiser classes, among others. Daily alpha injectors can be used to grant pilots skill points on a daily basis rather than the current monthly.

“There has never been a better time to join the universe of EVE and begin your own unique space adventure, or re-join and continue your journey,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CCP’s CEO. “The increased flexibility and depth of the free Alpha Clone experience means that EVE is more accessible than ever. EVE players can return and fly their favorite ships for free, re-uniting with old corpmates or continue forging their own destiny to make their mark on the universe.”

To celebrate the update, CCP is running an even until December 12, offering free access to Battlecruisers and Battleships, with rewards themed around both classes. For more information on the update, check out https://updates.eveonline.com.

(Source: CCP Press Release)

MU Legend Launching PvP Content


Webzen today has announced the upcoming addition of PvP content for its ARPG MU Legend.

Set for launch on December 5, this content update allows players to engage in 3v3, cross server battles with other players in the same region.

“We will continue to add PVP content to MU Legend’s global version according to our production roadmaps and milestones while also maintaining our efforts into expanding PVE functionality. Even though hack-&-slash games are usually more PVE oriented, we at WEBZEN believe that MU Legend also allows players to explore the PVP aspects of the genre to the fullest degree.”

MU Legend is the follow up to MU Online and is currently in open beta and available in six languages. For more information, check out the main website.

(Source: MU Legend Press Release)

Halloween Spooks Up RuneScape and Old School RuneScape This Week


Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is actually pretty far away. If you thought Halloween was over in RuneScape, you were severely mistaken. This week marks the release of two updates for RuneScape and its Old School counterpart, to conclude the Halloween festivities. Over on the RuneScape side of things, players will assist a ghost named Closure by hunting down helping ghosts into the afterlife.

Track down nine ghosts and help them cross to the other side, then collect their last moments in The Ghastly Grimoire in exchange for a ghost treat(containing a small XP lamp or star, a toffee apple or sugar skull and various bones and ashes), this year’s Hallowe’en emote (Ghost Story) and a Headless Rider cosmetic override.

The quest includes five ghost stories from members of the community.

Over at Old School RuneScape, players are already taking part in their event. Adventurers will be enlisted to assist the Grim Reaper and head down to Sapphire Lagoon to stop the hockey mask wearing villain Jonas. Players will get their hands on a spooky mask and new skin shade as well as previous years’ Halloween items.

(RuneScape, Old School)

Ghost Recon Wildlands: Ubisoft Adds PvP, Free Weekend Coming


Player vs player combat is coming to Ghost Recon Wildlands, so what better time than the present to play host to a free week?

Gamers on PC, PS4, and Xbox One will be able to jump in to Ghost Recon from October 12 to the 15, with PC players able to preload starting today, October 9. The PvP update hits servers tomorrow, October 10, as a free update to all who already own the game.

Ghost War is a 4-versus-4 team deathmatch experience that builds on the tactical squad play from the main game, where strategy is equally as important as skill. Using one of the 12 distinct classes, each with their own varied characteristics, weapons, perks and customisation options, players will engage with enemies across eight unique maps. Ghost War also integrates new PvP mechanics, including suppressing fire and sound markers, to create a strategic and intense team-based multiplayer mode.

Further along the road, Ubisoft will expand player vs player by adding in new maps, new modes, and new classes, all of which will be free for all players (new classes will be unlocked with prestige points). Wildlands season pass owners will have one week early access to new classes.

(Source: Ubisoft press release)

ArcheAge 4.0: All The News That’s Fit To Print


ArcheAge 4.0 hits PC in the fourth quarter this year, and Trion Worlds has released a fact list showcasing some of the features coming to the titular MMO. More information will be coming at a later date, however Trion Worlds has showcased the following new features coming with the next big version update:

  • 20 player naval battleground: ArcheAge’s first PvP naval battleground. Take your crew of five and go up against three other crews. Naval Battlegrounds promise new cross-server arenas as well as new rewards.
  • Open world raid finder: Exactly as it sounds, find or advertise your raid.
  • Simplified gem system: Streamlined lunagem system purported to be more user friendly.
  • Crafting updates: A new crafting tutorial quest line, new crafting interface, and specialization.

(Source: Trion Worlds press release)

[NM] One Year Later, No Man’s Sky Explodes In Users, Positive Reviews


If No Man’s Sky can teach us anything about the industry, it’s that you’re never too late for a second chance. Launched August 12, 2016, No Man’s Sky launched in a rather horrible state: Players quickly realized that the game had effectively been launched in early access, just without the tag or many of the promised features. No Man’s Sky was slammed in reviews and more than 90% of the population who bought the game on Steam abandoned it in month #1. It also spawned a lot of memes including this video which succinctly sums up the difference between the hype and final product.

Since then, something miraculous has been happening with rather little fanfare: Hello Games has released quite a large number of updates, tweaking the game and adding in a metric ton of new content. The Foundation update added in new game modes, the Pathfinder update improved visuals, introduced permadeath, and gave more of a reason to build yourself a base. This is also alongside numerous patches adding quality of life improvements, and other new features to give players a reason to keep going. Most recently, Hello Games deployed the Atlas Rises update, bringing 30 hours of story content, new worlds, and more.

And the result? The population has exploded. As of this writing, recent reviews of No Man’s Sky show a 75% approval rating and there are over 10,000 people playing at 11 a.m. on a Monday morning. As more and more people return to, or try out No Man’s Sky for the first time, it looks like No Man’s Sky is finally turning into the game that Hello Games promised it would be more than a year ago.

Just goes to show what can be done when a developer focuses on improving a product rather than immediately abandoning it after a bad launch.

H1Z1: King of the Kill Releases Producer’s Letter


Daybreak Game Company has released its latest producer’s letter for H1Z1: King of the Kill, detailing upcoming updates to the arena shooter. The combat update, set to hit the test server soon, will improve how weapons handle with a reticle offering an accurate idea of where your bullets will go. In addition, each weapon will be tuned to provide a more specific use at different ranges.

In addition to the weapon changes, new points of interest are being added to the map along with an updated bleed mechanic, a deathmatch mode, as well as a battle royale mode that gives each player the same random weapon with infinite ammo, with no weapons spawning in the map.

Check out the full letter at the link below.

(Source: H1Z1)

LeVar Burton Joins the Star Trek Online Cast


Star Trek Online is attaining a growing cast of voice actors from the various series shows, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that the folks at Perfect World Entertainment have managed to snag LeVar Burton, voice of Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Burton joins the cast of actors voicing online versions of their television personas, in two special episodes coming to PC and console later this year. The first episode, coming in September, releases alongside the 30th anniversary of The Next Generation. The second episode will kick off Season 14 in October.

Players will join La Forge and his crew as they investigate a distress call from a Galaxy-class ship whose crew is being mind-controlled by a mysterious energy source. The episode marks the release of a fully realized Galaxy-class interior available for purchase and includes server-wide giveaways to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Players will be able to claim the highly requested skant uniform from Season One, as well as the Type 7 shuttle that was also featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Skant designs from The Next Generation can be found here.

(Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release)

Star Trek Online Season 13.5: Escape From Prison


Star Trek Online is launching its mid-season update to season 13. Live today and coming soon to PS4 and Xbox, Escalation reunites players with General Rodek (voiced by Tony Todd) who joins our heroes as they enact a search and rescue mission for none other than the Klingon General Martok (voiced by J.G. Hertzler who played Martok on Deep Space Nine). The Federation is once again going to have to team up with the Klingon if they want to fend off the Tzenkethi who have been drawn to the general.

The mid-season update to Season 13 – Escalation sends players on a rescue mission for the captured Klingon General Martok, played by J.G. Hertzler from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Season 13.5 also introduces a new Ferengi Trade Alliance Admiralty and the Endeavor System, which provides challenges players can complete throughout the week for bonus rewards.

  • New Featured Episode – Players will team up with the Klingons to free legendary General Martok from a secret prison in the episode, “Brushfire.”
  • The Endeavor System – Level 60 captains can earn rewards throughout each week by completing challenges with the new Endeavor System.
  • Ferengi Trade Alliance Admiralty – The game’s Admiralty System has been updated to include a new campaign helping captains acquire trades and goods with the aid of the Ferengi Trade Alliance. This new feature is available to all captains Level 52 and above.

Menaphos Expansion Will Be RuneScape’s One and Only


Menaphos was meant to be the first RuneScape expansion, big content packages dropped on players every three months introducing new mechanics, new areas, and new quest lines. By estimations, the second expansion should be on its way for a September release, however recent news has revealed that Jagex is scrapping the development style after one go. While there will be larger content packs released in the future, there won’t be a release structure similar to the planned 3 month release window.

In a post on the official RuneScape website, Jagex revealed that while the idea was sound, the development of expansions had taken an unexpectedly high amount of focus away from other aspects of the game, which suffered as a result.

For the foreseeable future, content plans include bringing back polling to gauge player feedback for updates. Additionally, the content teams will be working on updates that have been in the works for quite some time, such as the bank rework, mining and smithing updates, and invention batch 2. The team is also taking a look at other community issues such as reducing the “dailyscape” daily task grind.

Finally, the big RuneScape 2018 poll is available for players. Jagex polls the community every year and uses that information to plan the next year’s content. Check it out at the link below.

(Source: RuneScape)