Month: June 2020

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• AMD Offers Enthusiasts More Choice Than Ever Before with New Ryzen 3000XT Processors
• AMD B550 Chipset Motherboards Start Selling
• MSI Issues AGESA BIOS Updates Enabling Ryzen 3000 XT Processor Support
• BIOSTAR Motherboards Receive Ryzen 3000XT Compatible BIOS
• GIGABYTE AMD Motherboards Adopt the Latest AGESA BIOS
• ASUS Announces ROG Strix B550-A Gaming and TUF Gaming B550-Plus (Wi-Fi)
• Corsair iCUE LT100 Lighting Towers + Headset Stand Add Ambient Lighting to Your Desk
• NZXT Announces CRFT 06 H510 Siege PC Chassis
• More Samsung Odyssey Gaming Monitors inbound: G9 and G7 Now on Pre-Order
• CORSAIR Announces the Vengeance Range of Gaming Desktops
• Corsair Announces Corsair ONE a100 Desktop Powered by Ryzen 3000
• NETGEAR Armor Now Available on WiFi 6 Routers and Mesh Systems
• ASRock Launches No Less Than 10 B550 Motherboards
• Club3D Intros DisplayPort to HDMI 4K-120Hz Adapter
• Xiaomi Launches New Mi Gaming 1440p Gaming Display with 165Hz Refresh Rate for 299 USD
• Gigabyte Launches Compact Size Power Supplies
• EK Waterblocks Releases Stand-Alone D5 Pump With Quantum Top
• Silicon Power US70 is a New PCI-Express 4.0 x4 SSD
• ASUS Announces RT-AX86U and RT-AX82U Gaming Routers
• G.SKILL Releases DDR4-4400 CL17 Memory Kits with High-Capacity 16GB Modules
• Alphacool Announces a Trio of New Products
• EK Water Blocks EK-Quantum Power Kits Roll Out

Available for one week only, a special PvP game mode will see players unleash the full force of the widely requested Sturmtiger

The anniversary activities are ramping up as World of Tanks’ 10th birthday nears in August. Act III will introduce a fun time-limited game mode, focused on the rather special and widely requested Sturmpanzer VI Sturmtiger. Additionally, players can take on a new set of anniversary missions, which will reward them with the third act’s unique 3D style.

As late as 2015, developers were considering adding the Sturmtiger to the game, but due to its unique characteristics and features, there wasn’t a truly natural fit for it in the tech tree. Players continued to request it, but unlike in real life, it was never realized. Several years later, there still might not be a place for this German SPG in the tech tree, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be put in the game.

“The Sturmtiger is a wonderful piece of military vehicle history, but the real-life vehicle itself is rather unbalanced, which made it very hard to naturally fit in our game all those years ago,” states Dmitriy Trofimov, Game Designer for World of Tanks. “Its armor would be comparable to Tier VII or VIII, but its gun caliber… well, it’s something special. At 38cm, it’s 14cm more than anything else in our game.”

For the first time ever, players will be able to get their hands on this urban legend, and the Sturmpanzer VI Sturmtiger is unlike anything they’ll have ever seen before. This Tier X German artillery bucks some of the trends its real-life counterpart is known for: its incredible agility will leave tankers in disbelief. However, the Sturmtiger retains the devastating firepower that’s typical for top-tier vehicles and ramps it up to eleven.

These colossal beasts will battle it out in teams of 10 on 5 different maps: Ensk, Widepark, Tundra, Mines and Airfield. The Crouching Sturmtiger game mode will be available for one week only, running from 17th June through June 24th.

For more information about Act III, click HERE. For more information on World of Tanks, visit the games official website.

Matrix Games has announced that Command LIVE – Aegean in Flames is now available. The twelfth LIVE episode in the series depicts the outcomes of war in the Aegean Sea, where tensions between Greece and Turkey escalate to a point of no return.

Command LIVE – Aegean in Flames is the newest LIVE scenario for Command: Modern Operations, depicting a fictional scenario where new tensions between Greece and Turkey escalate to a point of no-return amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

KEY FEATURES

• Playable as Greece (main side) and Turkey (opponent force)
• Vast Theater of Operations covering the whole Eastern Mediterranean from Crete to the shores of Lebanon
• Spec Ops Ground Units for Reckon/Sabotage and Laser Designation (PGM Guidance) missions
• SAR script for downed pilots
• Dense IADS network on both sides including Patriot PAC-3 (MIM-104), S-300 PMU-1 (SA-20), Crotale NG, HAWK (MIM-23), Buk M1(SA-17), OSA AKM (SA-8), Tor M1 (SA-15) on the Greek side and recently delivered S-400 (SA-21b), upgraded Rapier B1X, Altigan and HAWK (MIM-23) on the Turkish side

Get more information about Command LIVE: Aegean in Flames from its official product page.

Command LIVE: Aegean in Flames is part of the Command LIVE Bundle. Check it out and get 25% of discount of all the products listed.

Update 0.9.5 brings revamped Dockyard mechanics allowing players to build two German ships at the same time, as well as updates to the Soviet Cruiser branch

World of Warships will see today the release of Update 0.9.5, allowing industrious players to construct two German ships: VI Admiral Graf Spee and VIII Odin, directly within Hamburg Port Dockyard. The new update will also see a number of changes to the Soviet Cruiser branch, as well as bringing two new premium ships: Siegfried and Ägir.

A trailer for Update 0.9.5 can be viewed HERE.

The updated Dockyard mechanic is the main feature of Update 0.9.5, and allows players to construct the VI Admiral Graf Spee in “War Paint” camouflage, as well as obtain the VIII Odin heavily discounted upon completion. This ship’s construction is spread out across 20 shipbuilding phases of which 18 can be finished by completing Directives. The remaining two phases can be settled by spending Doubloons.

The Soviet Cruiser branch will see a number of changes, including the Tier X Moskva becoming a heavy cruiser obtainable by spending the in-game Coal resource. Moskva’s place in the tech tree will be taken by the light cruiser Tier X Alexander Nevsky. The Tier V Kirov becomes a premium ship with the Tier V Kotovsky replacing her as a light cruiser.

The Tier X Moskva will move up from being a light cruiser to a heavy cruiser, and as such, become a special ship, obtainable by spending the in-game Coal resource.

Update 0.9.5 also revamps the Armory interface by improving navigation between menus and combat mission d sections, and adding the possibility to preview ships and camouflages in the Port. The interface has also been updated, including the addition of new challenging “OR” conditions. This allows players to choose their own path in fulfilling mission objectives and getting rewards, for instance being able to select between earning 10,000 Base XP “or” to destroy 10 enemy ships.

Furthermore, from June 24 to July 6, the Twelfth Ranked Sprint will take place. It will be fought in an 8vs8 format, playing Tier VIII ships in Domination mode. Two new Clan Brawls will also be available.

Further details on the Update 0.9.5 can be found HERE.

Visit the official World of Warships website now for more game info and to sign up for World of Warships for free!

Source: Blue’s News

These Patch Notes have details on the latest update for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone. This adds new weapon mastery challenges, new Warzone events, and a contraband contract system. This also kicks off Season 4 in the military shooter and its free-to-play battle royale counterpart, which was delayed due to Black Lives Matter protests. Season 4 includes a new Battle Pass, Captain Price as a new Operator, a new multiplayer map, new weapons, new vehicle skins, and more. The more includes a 50 player mode for Warzone called Rumble: “Two teams of 50 players parachute and battle it out in various areas around Verdansk. This mode is high action with custom loadouts, vehicles, and quick respawns.” This is now live on all platforms, and Charlie INTEL notes that while the download is huge enough for PC and PS4 ranging from 32.5 to 45 GB, some Xbox One users need to download 84 GB, which Activision is investigating. Here’s how the new Weapon Mastery Challenges work:

Once you’ve unlocked Gold for a weapon, Mastery Challenges become available. There’s 8 Challenges per weapon, each granting their own rewards, with 4 Playercards and 4 Emblems up for grabs. You’ll need to make your way through 2 Kill Challenges, 2 Headshot Challenges, and 4 additional Challenges that must be done in order (Gold, Platinum, Damascus, Obsidian). Completing all challenges for 51 weapons unlocks a badass special Sticker and Playercard!

Massive Update Brings Improvements and Fixes on 16th June - Ahead of the Warlords of New York Season 2 Release on 23rd June

Ubisoft has announced that Title Update 10, a major update for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will go live from on 16th June, bringing massive improvements and fixes. On 23rd June, Season 2 for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Warlords of New York will be available, bringing exciting new endgame content to players. Then, soon after the deployment of Season 2, the much anticipated Second Raid will bring back players’ ultimate challenge.

Title Update 10 – Major Improvements and Fixes
In advance of Season 2, core changes and improved balancing will be introduced. These changes were tested on the game’s Public Test Server, which gathered feedback from players, allowing the development team to finetune gameplay and deliver on community requested improvements in key areas including:

Player Power

• Increased damage for nearly all weapons, including exotics
• Gear set improvements
• Brand set improvements

Loot Generosity

• Increased overall loot quality
• Improved loot quality scaling with difficulty
• Improved quality of crafted items
• Improved vendor stocks

Fixes and balancing

• Major balancing pass
• Large amount of bug fixes

The Division 2 Warlords of New York: Season 2
On 23rd June the second season of progressive endgame content will be available. Seasons are part of the Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Warlords of New York expansion and are a series of 3-month long narrative-driven mini campaigns. In Season 2 – Keener’s Legacy, Division Agents are tasked to take on a new rogue cell and stop them from continuing the plan left by Aaron Keener. Players must own The Division 2 Warlords of New York expansion in order to participate in Seasons.

Much like Season 1, Season 2 will give players the chance to unlock unique rewards, including two new exotics, a skill variant and a gearset. Players with the Warlords of New York expansion can play Season 2 for free and can purchase a Season 2 Pass to earn additional rewards for their progression. The Pass also offers more opportunities to unlock Season specific gear and exclusive vanity items such as a unique Season outfit. Players have until 15th June to complete Season 1 before Season 2 kicks off on 23rd June.

Other in-game activities will continue in Season 2 as well, including:

• Leagues: A series of challenges for players, with opportunities to unlock rewards based on players’ ability to complete challenges
• Global Events: Time-limited in-game events during which a global modifier is applied to the entire game and players will be rewarded for completing specific tasks

During each Season, players will grow their Season level to unlock various rewards by participating in seasonal activities and playing the game.

Operation Iron Horse
In the Second Raid players will face a new challenge that teams of eight must work together to overcome. Additionally, exclusive rewards will be available for both Level 30 and Level 40 players as they tackle the most challenging mission in the game thus far. The release date of Second Raid will be revealed in the near future.

More game information can be found on the official Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 website.

Ubisoft has announced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege will be available to play for free from June 11th through June 14th, depending on the platform. Those interested can join more than 60 million players in the Rainbow Six: Siege community across all platforms, including immediate access to all maps, modes, and 20 legacy Operators.

All players that participate in the free weekend may carry over their progression, acquired in-game content, and continue to play uninterrupted if they purchase the game. Players will also benefit from a discount up to 67% off on the Base game (available on PC only), Deluxe, Gold and Ultimate Editions between June 11th and June 14th, depending on SKU and platform. Players may also benefit from an additional 20% discount on PC if purchased through the Ubisoft Store.

Additionally, any player that owns Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and participates in the June free weekend will unlock a 5-piece “Thermite Outfit” for their agent in The Division 2. Division 2 players who don’t own R6S or haven’t previously participated in a past FWE may still unlock the reward during the June FWE. Any existing R6S player that already owns TCTD2 will already unlock the reward in Ubisoft Club. Also, as a continuing promotion from April, Rainbow Six: Siege players can still earn the Ela The Division 2 Set by playing a free trial or the full The Division 2 game.

Become part of a story soaked in soldiers’ blood, full of bravery, sacrifice, and determination in Medic: Pacific Corpsman – a single-player FPP adventure simulation game offering a unique take on the Pacific War.

Save soldiers’ lives and face the horrors of the Pacific War from a different perspective. Step onto the battlefield not as a sharpshooter, but as an American medic, also known as a corpsman, serving in the US military. Instead of spreading death and terror among your enemies, bring help, comfort, and hope to wounded soldiers from your unit. It is your job to save your fallen brothers in arms from certain death, or at least recover their remains. Try to rescue as many troops as you can and learn that being a true hero has more than just one meaning.

Watch the Medic: Pacific War announcement trailer HERE and enter the battlefield of the Pacific War.

ABOUT MEDIC: PACIFIC WAR

Medic: Pacific War is a single-player FPP adventure simulation game offering a unique take on the Pacific War, inspired by historic events, movies, and TV series such as Pearl Harbor, Hacksaw Ridge, Midway, Saving Private Ryan, and The Pacific. Become a true hero. Survive the horrors of the battlefield, dodge bullets, and bring salvation to the wounded. Be their last hope in the chaotic reality of the Pacific Front. Resuscitate, patch up, and carry soldiers to safety, all to change the course of the battle. Most importantly, be ready for the hardest choice every medic must make: decide who lives and who dies. Resources are limited, time is running out, and not everyone’s chances of survival are equal.

MEDIC: PACIFIC WAR – MAIN FEATURES

• A unique take on the war – become part of a story full of bravery, sacrifice, and determination, all soaked in soldiers’ blood.
• An ever changing battlefield – act fast, be cautious, avoid the enemy, hide from bombshells, and dodge bullets.
• Strategic thinking, smart foresight, and resourcefulness are a must – choose your methods and how to distribute the available supplies, but most of all, think before you act.
• Make hard choices – remember that you are one, and they are many. Assess the injured, determine the seriousness of the wounds, and have the final word on who gets to live and who dies.
• Experience the unthinkable – view the horrors of war with your own eyes. Hear your fellow soldiers screaming in agony. Witness the gore covering the ground. Feel the pain of those knowing they will never see their loved ones again.

Medic: Pacific War is currently under development for PC.

More information about the game can be found on Steam.

Increase Your Power in Latest Expansion to Paradox Classic

Power for the sake of power is empty. No truly great ruler seeks a legacy of selfish adoration. Do it to raise the people. Do it to shield the faith. Do it to preserve centuries of tradition. Rule as the Emperor to rewrite history and remake the world. Rule in Europa Universalis IV: Emperor.

Emperor is the latest expansion to Paradox Development Studio’s flagship series, Europa Universalis IV. This add-on to the best-selling grand strategy game about the Early Modern world returns its focus to Europe, with changes and additions to game concepts familiar to players. The Catholic Church is given new energy, the Holy Roman Empire is more interactive and Revolutions spread from hotbeds of discontent.

Watch the Europa Universalis IV: Emperor Release Trailer HERE.

Features of Europa Universalis IV: Emperor include:

• A Powerful Pope: Appoint cardinals, publish Papal Bulls and gather tithes. The Vatican and Papal Controller now have new abilities to sway the souls of Christendom.
• New Holy Roman Empire Systems: Imperial Incidents provide new challenges to the Emperor’s power and authority. Will your empire follow a course to a centralized monarchy or decentralized federation?
• Revolutions Revamped: The spirit of Revolution is a contagion that must be either embraced or vigorously opposed. Use the zeal of revolutionary guard units to fight reactionaries at home and abroad.
• The Hussite Faith: Bohemia has an early game chance to embrace heresy and stand alone against the Pope until The Reformation.
• Hegemonies: Seize the mantle of global leadership if you accumulate great wealth and armies, but be prepared to face great opposition from those who question your right to rule.
• New Missions: Over 20 new unique mission trees for a variety of European nations
• Defender of Faith: With great responsibility comes great power. Defending a major religion should be different from defending an insignificant one. Now it is!
• The Council of Trent and Counter-Reformation: Join other Catholic rulers to slow down the spread of the Reformation by making concessions to the unruly mob or harshly imposing the will of God.
• Provoke Rebellions: Risk a larger rebellion now while you think you can manage it instead of waiting for discontent to take its course

As is customary, Emperor is released alongside a major update to Europa Universalis IV, freely available to all players. This update makes changes to the game map, how estates work, mercenary recruitment and much more.

Europa Universalis IV: Emperor is now available at the Paradox store and major online retail outlets for the suggested retail price of $19.99/ £15.49/ €19.99.

Update 1.9.1 introduces an accurate reproduction of 1945′s Berlin, vehicle customization and much more

As summer approaches, World of Tanks is excited to announce that Update 1.9.1 will be launching on June 11 at 11:30 BST. The new update will add a realistic Berlin map, which boasts four main battle areas, finely detailed environments and instantly recognizable historic buildings, to the Random Battles pool.

The update will also give tankers the chance to enjoy several new visual customization options, from progressive decals that become flashier as the player completes special objectives on specific tanks, to adjustable styles coming as sets of individual elements to be applied separately. Additionally, a ton of cool decals which were previously only for vehicles of certain nations and tiers are now available to all.

Additionally, Update 1.9.1’s release coincides with the launch of Season 2 of Battle Pass, which will see players blast through event Stages by earning Progression Points in Random Battles – and will start at 14:00 BST on June 11. Two top-tier tanks, the U.S. M48A5 and the Czechoslovak TVP T 50/51, will be the stars of the show and will earn players more points. Awarded for completing Stage 45, this season’s main prizes are an exclusive 3D style for one of the Tier X vehicles, chosen by the player, and either of the commanders who’ve been battling it out all season.

Rewards will also include days of Premium Account, Credits, blueprint fragments, and two new types of Bounty Equipment.

“Battle Pass Season 1 finishes its three-month run tomorrow, and the community really appreciated the experience and rewards,” says Max Chuvalov, Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “We began gathering feedback as soon as the first season commenced so we’re able to seamlessly phase into the Season 2. We’re sure when it kicks off again in two days’ time, players will really like what they can get their hands on!”

Click here for more information on the update.

For more information on World of Tanks, visit the games official website.