Military sci-fi campaign, terrain, weapons, vehicles, and more

What if humanity suddenly encounters extraterrestrial intelligence on Earth? Bohemia Interactive is proud to announce today’s worldwide release of the much-anticipated Arma 3 Contact spin-off expansion for its military simulation game, Arma 3. The new expansion is introduced in this launch trailer.

Declassified just a few weeks ago (watch announcement trailer), Arma 3 Contact delivers a military science fiction singleplayer campaign, in which you play as a NATO drone operator deployed to the (fictional) Eastern European country of Livonia. After the discovery of an unknown subsurface object and the sudden arrival of a massive alien vessel, you are sent out on a reconnaissance mission to investigate the extraterrestrial presence. The priority: to learn who they are and find out why they are here. However, amid all the tension and chaos, armed conflict inevitably unfolds.

Over the course of the “First Contact” campaign, players are expected to run into infantry combat encounters, but a significant portion of the campaign also features non-shooting gameplay. This involves studying strange alien anomalies by operating a mini UGV with an onboard sampling laser and biopsy probe, as well as taking control over the electromagnetic spectrum with the Spectrum Device. This tool serves as the player’s weapon of choice when it comes to electronic warfare, and can be used for gathering intel, jamming, and transmitting misinformation.

On top of the singleplayer campaign, the Arma 3 Contact expansion brings with it many additions to the wider Arma 3 platform (watch sandbox trailer). The biggest of all is a new 163 square kilometer terrain, which covers the militarized and partly abandoned Nadbór region inside the Polish-speaking country of Livonia. This temperate summer environment is composed of forests, farmland, towns, railroads, the Biela river, and various special landmarks such as an old munitions factory, an abandoned radar station, and several World War II bunkers.

Other highlights are the additional armed forces, namely the Livonian Defense Force and Russian Spetsnaz, five weapons, two vehicles, various gear, and a range of free bonus content for all Arma 3 players, including more than one hundred new decorative props and terrain objects for content creators to use in their projects. Furthermore, many of Arma 3’s official multiplayer modes can be played on the expansion’s Livonia terrain as well with new scenarios for Zeus Game Master, Combat Patrol, and Warlords.

“Looking back at Contact’s concept phase, I’m very proud of how we managed to convert the many ideas into the original experience we’re releasing today. It tackles the ‘first contact’ premise in a way not yet seen in other games, while also showcasing the diversity of the Arma 3 platform,” said Arma 3 Contact Project Lead, Joris-Jan van ‘t Land. “Beyond the campaign experience, we’re also glad to be expanding the traditional Arma 3 sandbox with loads of cool content. I’m confident our community will be able to put this expansion to good use, and we hope everyone will have a lot of fun playing. The truth is out there!”

Key Features of Arma 3 Contact

• Singleplayer campaign “First Contact” – You are a member of a NATO training deployment to a remote region of Livonia, presented with a mysterious event that will forever change the face of human history.
• 163 km2 Livonia terrain – A temperate summer environment set in a partly abandoned militarized region of the (fictional) Eastern European country of Livonia.
• 2 Factions – Livonian Defense Force and Russian Spetsnaz, equipped with their own gear, new character faces, and Polish or Russian radio protocols.
• 5 Weapons – Promet Assault Rifle, RPK-12 Light Machine Gun, AKU-12 Carbine, Mk14 Classic Hunting Rifle, and Kozlice Shotgun.
• 2 Vehicles – ED-1 Mini UGV (a small electric tracked robot with a modular chassis and swivel arm that comes in both a Science and Demining variant) plus the Tractor.
• Gear – CBRN clothing, masks and backpacks, Spectrum Device, radio backpack, blindfold, and tin foil hat.
• Multiplayer Scenarios – Additional Zeus Game Master, Combat Patrol, and Warlords scenarios for the new Livonia terrain.
• Free Bonus Content – NATO woodland camouflage, civilian clothing, 100+ decorative props and terrain objects, and more. These will be made available for free to all owners of Arma 3.

The Arma 3 Contact expansion is distributed as DLC for Arma 3 on Steam and is available for purchase on Steam and the Bohemia Store for 24.99 EUR / 27.99 USD / 21.99 GBP (with a temporary 10% discount until August 1). Those who are entirely new to Arma 3 are advised to pick up the Arma 3 Contact Edition or the newly introduced Arma 3 Ultimate Edition, which bundle the Arma 3 base game and downloadable content at a significant discount.

For the fans, there is also a Bohemia Store-exclusive Arma 3 Contact Collector’s Edition on sale (available here). This limited edition includes the Arma 3 base game (Deluxe Edition), Contact expansion, and several physical collector’s items such as a rugged field case, topographic map, two-way radio transceivers, tin foil hats, and more.

More information on the Arma 3 Contact spin-off expansion is available at www.arma3.com/contact.

Source: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA today rushed out the GeForce Hotfix driver version 431.68. Hotfix drivers are rushed out to address glaring bugs with a recent major driver release, and are usually beta (lack WHQL signatures). Version 431.68 Hotfix corrects a bug where the mouse pointer renders incorrectly after exiting a game. The rest of the Hotfix is based almost entirely on the 431.60 WHQL released earlier this week, which comes optimized for “Wolfestein: Youngblood.”

You can download the GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 431.68 via this NVIDIA support page.

Update 0.8.6 introduces first French Destroyers, new missions and map.

Developer and publisher Wargaming has launched the new major update 0.8.6. for its popular naval combat game World of Warships. The update gives players the opportunity to unlock the upcoming French Destroyers early through new directives and missions. The first update of the French arc also comes with a brand new map and new seasons of Clan and Ranked Battles.

A new video presenting the update and the French Destroyers is available HERE.

The update 0.8.6. celebrates the French Navy, adding dozens of missions with great rewards at stake for players who complete them, including the opportunity to unlock the Tier V Premium French Destroyer Siroco and earn exclusive containers. Alongside signals and original camouflages, these containers will have a chance to unlock a special mission which, upon completion, will award players with one of the brand new French Destroyers, available in Early Access with this month’s update: the Jaguar (Tier V), the Guépard (Tier VI), the Vauquelin (Tier VII), and Le Fantasque (Tier VIII).

This month’s update also brings a new look for the Port of Marseille, which has been redecorated for the occasion and now features a myriad of hot-air balloons bearing the French colours. Many ships will be marked with the Symbol of France, offering players either Coal or Republic Tokens, a new temporary resource, for their first victory aboard these ships. These tokens can be exchanged for four consecutive bundles featuring a wealth of in-game
items. Once players have obtained all these bundles, 30 new ones will be made available in exchange for doubloons, with one of them immediately unlocking the Tier IX French Destroyer, the Mogador.

The embodiment of naval ambush predators, French Destroyers compensate their lack of Smoke Generator by a specific distribution of HP making them surprisingly resilient, their manoeuvrability and a higher speed than their counterparts, further enhanced through an upgraded Engine Boost consumable. Agility is not the only strength of these ships, as they enjoy at high Tiers comfortable ballistics, devastating Armor Piercing shells and have access to the Main Battery Reload Booster consumable, significantly increasing their damage output for a short time. In the right conditions, the French Destroyers’ firepower and survivability allow them to inflict considerable damage to even larger ships such as cruisers, making them able to surprise and take out threats that would otherwise prove fatal.

The update 0.8.6. also introduces the brand new Crash Zone Alpha map to the game. Inspired by the white cliffs of Dover, this map is available for Tier VIII to Tier X battles in Domination mode in two versions, with three and four key areas respectively. The map will be particularly interesting to Clan Battles fans, as the home key areas of the teams will be located close to each other, inciting prospective commanders to reconsider their usual strategies.

Finally, the update comes with loads of improvements and modifications, including new seasons of Ranked and Clan Battles, a new sunny weather for the Greece map, and balance changes.

The team has also announced the long-awaited Italian Navy and its Cruiser line, as well as the upcoming launch of the new European nation in closed testing. This nation will have three ships available at first: the Viribus Unitis (Austria-Hungary, Tier V), the Błyskawica (Poland, Tier VII) and the Friesland (Netherlands, Tier IX).

Further details on the update 0.8.6. are available HERE.

Head over to the official World of Warships website now to sign up and play World of Warships for free!

Source: Blue’s News

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is now available for Windows on Steam, offering the newest installment in this alternate-history first-person shooter series. Here’s yesterday’s Launch Trailer and here is a description of the game and its co-op support:

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the first modern co-op Wolfenstein adventure.

Nineteen years after the events of Wolfenstein II, BJ Blazkowicz has disappeared after a mission into Nazi-occupied Paris. Now, after years of training from their battle-hardened father, BJ’s twin daughters, Jess and Soph Blazkowicz, are forced into action.

Team up with a friend or play alone. Level up, explore, and complete missions to unlock new abilities, weapons, gadgets, cosmetics, and more to complement your playstyle and customize your appearance.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood features the most open-ended Wolfenstein experience to date. From a new base of operations located deep in the heart of the Paris catacombs, plan how and when to attack and dismantle the Nazi regime.

I do Nazi this as a step in the right direction for Wolfenstein.

By Dan Stapleton @ IGN

Most parents hope that their kids will one day surpass them, but failing that we’ll settle for staying out of prison and not asking for money too often. So if I were in the shoes of legendary run-and-gun shooter protagonist William “BJ” Blazkowicz, I wouldn’t be mad about my twin daughters’ debut performance in Wolfenstein: Youngblood, but I would be disappointed. The young Blazkowiczs’ approach to co-op is, on the whole, serviceable but does cramp the style of its inherited trust fund of combat and stealth gameplay. Without a similarly outlandish cast of characters to liven up the alternate-history setting in which Nazis won WWII with the help of fire-breathing robot dogs, it’s perfunctory compared to the extremely high standard set by Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.

Read on…

By Nathan Kirsch @ Legit Reviews

As we wait for our AMD Ryzen 5 3600X processor to arrive for testing we wanted to and take a look at its main competitor, the Intel Core i5-9600K 6-core processor. The Intel Core i5-9600K is currently priced at $249.89 shipped, which is slightly lower than the $279 price tag it had when it first came out in November 2018. The Intel Core i5-9600K that we are going to be looking at today is a retail boxed processor that was ordered in from Amazon and shipped directly to us. This specific CPU has six cores/six threads (no Hyper-Threading), a base frequency of 3.7 GHz, a max turbo frequency of 4.6 GHz, and a TDP of 95W. It supports up to 128GB of RAM and has Intel UHD Graphics 630 integrated graphics built-in.

Read The Review Here

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD today posted the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition. Version 19.7.3 beta comes in the nick of time with optimization for “Wolfenstein: Youngblood,” with up to 13 percent higher frame-rates on offer compared to 19.7.2. The release also adds Radeon GPU Profiler and Microsoft PIX for Radeon RX 5700 series. AMD also expanded its Vulkan API support by adding six new extensions, two of which are AMD-exclusive, and four standard. These include VK_EXT_display_surface_counter, VK_AMD_pipeline_compiler_control, VK_AMD_shader_core_properties2, VK_EXT_subgroup_size_control, VK_KHR_imageless_framebuffer, and VK_KHR_variable_pointers.

Among the fixed issues are “League of Legends” failing to launch with RX 5700-series on Windows 7; RX 5700 series experiencing application crashes with DirectX 9 applications after an Express Upgrade, Windows Mixed Reality not launching with Radeon Image Sharpening enabled on RX 5700-series; out-of-sync audio with ReLive VR; incorrect Radeon Wattman power gauge values for Radeon VII; AMD Log Utility not correctly installing; performance drops with Radeon Anti-Lag; minor stutter noticed in the first few minutes of “Fotnite” gameplay on RX 5700-series; Radeon Overlay flickering over Vulkan apps with Image Sharpening enabled; and some corruption noticed when running Adobe Premier Pro 2019 benchmarks.

The new Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.7.3 beta drivers are available online at the AMD driver download page.

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.

• Teamgroup Releases T-Force Cardea Liquid M.2 SSD and T-Force Captain RGB Controller
• Palit Announces the RTX 2080 Super White GameRock Premium
• SilentiumPC Launches the Navis EVO ARGB AIO Cooler with Threadripper Support
• FSP Announces the Hydro G Pro Series Power Supplies
• Deepcool Launches Gammaxx V2 Series Liquid Cooler
• BIOSTAR Unveils Racing X470GTA Motherboard: Ryzen 3000 Support and Legacy PCI
• Deepcool Launches MACUBE 550 Case
• NZXT H510 Elite Compact Premium Mid-Tower ATX Case Now Available
• MSI Announces AMD AM4 300- and 400- series MAX Motherboards

Free expansion for Tannenberg – new squad, weapons and Baltic map!

Blackmill Games and M2H announce that a new free expansion for their WW1 Eastern Front shooter Tannenberg has been released. Join the Latvian Riflemen in their battle against German invaders on a swampy new map set along the Baltic coast, wielding new weapons including smoke and gas grenades!

Watch the trailer and get a look at the marshes and dunes of the new Baltic region.

Players can buy Tannenberg now on Steam for 50% off!

Free expansion introduces Latvia
The latest free expansion for Tannenberg introduces the Latvian Riflemen, a marshy Baltic map, and new weapons for Russian and German forces – including special grenades which will allow players to deploy smoke and gas without waiting for an artillery barrage for the first time in the WW1 Game Series.

In 1915, as the Germans advanced into Latvian territory, the Russian Tsar gave his approval for the creation of Latvian Riflemen units. Despite Russian efforts, there was still a strong nationalist streak in the Latvian people, and Latvian politicians argued that all-Latvian formations would fight hard to push back the Germans. They were proved right – due to the high number of volunteers, three battalions were formed rather than two as had been originally planned.

Meet the Latvian Riflemen
In Tannenberg, the Latvian Riflemen are a support squad equipped primarily with Japanese import rifles and older Winchesters. They are renowned for their composure under fire, and their NCO ability can remove weapon sway at key moments in battle, allowing perfect shots by skilled marksmen. For trench assaults they carry plenty of grenades and a few squad members carry the iconic US M1911 pistol.
Several weapons have been added to the game – Latvian troops will be able to use the newly added Japanese Arisaka Type 38 and Colt 1911 pistol, while Russian squads get the Vetterli M1870/87 and chemical gas grenades. German troops gain access to the Type N Nebelbombe smoke grenade. These last two special gas grenades are a first for the WW1 Game Series, and will give players new tactical options for attack and defense.

Brave the new Baltic map
Arriving along with the Latvian Riflemen is a new map set in their home region! The Baltic map features distinctive wooden fortifications built on and around the lakes and swamps. Lead assaults across pontoon bridges, or scramble for cover amidst the sand dunes and pine forests surrounding the marshes. The variety in terrain will challenge even the most seasoned Tannenberg players!

Lead Developer Jos Hoebe said: ‘Creating a map for the Baltic regions was especially interesting due to the swampy terrain, which isn’t something we’ve represented in the WW1 Game Series so far – the Flanders map in our earlier game Verdun probably comes closest. Combining the different landscapes found in the Baltic region into a single map was challenging, but we’re very happy with the result, bringing a novel battlefield to the game.’

Find out more about Tannenberg on Steam or on the games official website.

Source: Blue’s News

Here’s the Official Launch Trailer for Wolfenstein: Youngblood, the new installment in the alternate-history shooter series. The description notes this is due on Friday, though a tweet from Bethesda has already stated the OC version will be available tomorrow, just in time for the launch of QuakeCon 2019. Here’s more on the game from the description:

The world is full of monsters—but as a Blazkowicz, killing monsters is what you do. Embark on an action-packed, blood-soaked journey as Jess and Soph Blazkowicz to find your missing father, BJ, and kill every Nazi in Paris.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the biggest and most open-ended Wolfenstein game in the series, and the first Wolfenstein game that can be played in online multiplayer co-op or single player with an AI companion.

Get the Wolfenstein: Youngblood Deluxe Edition and receive the Buddy Pass, which lets you invite a friend to play the entire game alongside you, even if they don’t own the game! You’ll also receive the Cyborg Pack which comes with cosmetic skins for your Power Suit and weapons. Pre-order now and receive the Legacy Pack, featuring skins inspired by BJ Blazkowicz!

Get more information about Wolfenstein: Youngblood at the games official website.