Action/Strategy

Players will be getting more content, improved gameplay and a revamped progression system

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the military online shooter Enlisted (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) has almost finished its Closed Beta Testing phase. The game will be ready for the influx of armies of new players from April, 8th. The updated version of Enlisted will feature a completely new meta game system, as well as new missions, vehicles and weapons.

Enlisted players control infantry squads, tank crews or aircraft pilots that fight together in the epic battles that re-enact the most famous battles from World War II. Two huge campaigns (Battle for Moscow and Invasion of Normandy) were introduced during the Closed Beta Test, and they already included dozens of air and ground military vehicles. The update will bring more interesting historically accurate war machines, i.e. US P-38J fighter, Soviet RM-50 mortar, German Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H. tank and others. Enlisted will be getting regular updates in the future, bringing new content and whole new campaigns.

Hundreds of changes were implemented in the game based on CBT player feedback and battle data. These include improving soldier AI, polishing weapons and vehicle balance, tweaking the maximum number of soldiers in various class squads. The progression system will be significantly reformed, the influence of random mechanics will be decreased and players will get more control over the leveling up process. Completing battle tasks to move forward through the Battle Pass levels will be rewarded with unique weapons and high level soldiers, as well as vehicle skins, experience boosters, in-game currency and more.

The PlayStation 5 version of Enlisted works at 4K@60FPS and is practically identical to PC and Xbox Series X|S variants.

You can follow the latest Enlisted Closed Beta Test and other news on the official website of the game: Enlisted.net.

Update 0.10.2 also brings a large-scale makeover to all in-game effects and part two of the Italian Battleships event with new combat mission rewards

Wargaming, developer and publisher of the widely popular, free to play naval combat game World of Warships (WoWS), has today revealed Update 0.10.2 for the game, launching today. The update introduces a new temporary battle type ‘Big Hunt’, updated visual effects and new rewards to be earned in part two of the Italian Battleships event.

The Big Hunt Begins!
The sea monsters are back with a vengeance in a revamped version of the Key Battle game mode which debuted last Halloween. The new battle type pits 16 players against each other and AI-controller monsters as they race to escape through the portal at the centre of the huge Polygon map. With a wide range of modules and consumables on the exclusive event ships, there are lots of build variations for players to experiment with to make an impact.

Players enter each battle solo but can build up a team of their own as the action unfolds, or if entering as part of a Division, they can find each other on the map and unite to coordinate their efforts.

By destroying monsters, other players and a new boss ship ‘Aurora’, players can earn a temporary resource—Battle Points that can be used to reinforce their ship directly in battle and exchange later for rewards in the armory.

Visual Enhancements
This new update ushers in a large-scale makeover across all in-game effects — from shell tracers and gun fire, to water splashes, fires on board ships, and all AA effects — they’ve all been enhanced and reworked to accommodate the new lighting system. This comes alongside a huge array of visual effects added for ricochets, citadel hits, incapacitated weapons and consumables. Imagery and assets related to these enhancements can be found here.

Part Two of the Italian Battleships Event
The Early Access rollout of Italian Battleships continues, as players continue to enjoy the tier IV to VI, as well as tier VIII and IX ships which hit the seas in Early Access with the release of Update 0.10.1.

Italian Battleship containers earned as combat missions rewards may now drop one of the following Premium ships: VI Leone, VII Duca degli Abruzzi, VIII Roma, or IX Marco Polo, as well as special signals, Free XP, Regia Marina expendable camouflages, days of Warships Premium Account, and Doubloons.

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

ENJOY THE OSTARA FESTIVAL UNTIL 8TH APRIL, GEAR CUSTOMISATION NOW AVAILABLE

Today, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s first major expansion, Wrath of the Druids, will be available on 29th April. In addition, Season 2, Ostara Season, features exclusive narrative content and in-game events accessible to all players. Starting today, players can celebrate Spring as part of the time-limited Ostara Festival with new challenges and rewards.

Ostara Festival, the first update of Ostara Season, invites players to discover an in-game event active until 8th April in a dedicated area of Ravensthorpe. Various Easter-themed festivities will be available, including:

• Settlement decoration activity
• Drinking, Archery, and Fighting mini-games
• Three new character quests: Eivor can enjoy an Egg Hunt, the May-Queen celebration, and protect the settlement against night spirits
• Three new skills: Fearless Leaper lets Eivor land a mastered falling attack atop enemies, while the Raven’s Loot and Loot Food skills increase Eivor’s efficiency when at range or fighting close-up
• Exclusive rewards including settlement decorations and customisation items

To experience the Ostara Festival, players must reach England and complete one of the first narrative arcs – either Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire. The festival will then be triggered automatically when players visit the settlement. To access the May-Queen activity, players’ settlement must have reached Level 3.

Starting today, players will be able to change Eivor’s gear appearance with visual customisation, better known as transmogrification or “Change Appearance” in-game. The original gear and armour stats remain unchanged as Eivor is visually customised, allowing players to stick to their build and unleash their inner Viking in style. Once a piece of gear or a weapon is found, its visuals can be equipped in exchange of silver by visiting the Blacksmith in Ravensthorpe if the item is from the same category.

To celebrate the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla community, players will receive Altair’s Outfit, the Yule Gear Set and cosmetics, and 300 opals for free. To claim the rewards, they must access the Animus Store.

Two future updates will add more content for Ostara Season, including:

• Mastery Challenge: A second update will add a new game mode building on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s core combat mechanics, bringing a highly replayable combat experience. A Master arrives at the settlement, inspiring Eivor to train and perfect challenges to become a Master.
• Additional rewards

In Wrath of the Druids, available on 29th April, players will journey to Ireland and unravel the mysteries of an ancient and mysterious druidic cult, tracking and discovering their members. Diving into Gaelic myths and folklores, they’ll need to fight their way through haunted forests and dazzling landscapes while gaining influence among Gaelic kings. The Wrath of the Druids expansion can be purchased as a standalone. Players can also access the expansion through the Season Pass, available now or as part of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gold, Ultimate, and Collector Editions.

With development led by Ubisoft Montreal*, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers players the captivating experience of playing as Eivor, a legendary Viking warrior, driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in ninth century AD. Players can relive the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped dual-wielding combat system and experience new gameplay features such as raids, assaults, and the settlement, as well as a revamped progression and gear upgrade system. Political alliances, combat decisions and dialogue choices can influence the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so players must choose wisely to protect their clan’s home and their future.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One consoles, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC, as well as on Stadia, Amazon Luna and Ubisoft’s subscription service, Ubisoft+.

For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com.

Dozens of new ships, tanks and jets are waiting for the players in the Ixwa Strike update.

Gaijin Entertainment announces the release of the “Ixwa Strike” major Content Update for the military online action War Thunder. Players now have a new RSA ground vehicles branch in the British tech tree, as well as dozens of other ground, air and naval military vehicles. Variable-sweep wing aircraft and aircraft HUD devices have been added to the game. Finally, the abandoned Soviet military town of Seversk-13 and its environment that will become a new battleground for the armoured vehicles and aircraft of War Thunder.

Exploring the RSA vehicles branch will give the players the unique opportunity to follow the history of original South African ground vehicle development, starting from World War II era armoured cars and going all the way to the more modern vehicles. A good example is the TTD (Tank Technology Demonstrator) project, the South African MBT designed locally and built from locally-produced components. Although TTD stayed on the prototype stage, its technological know-how have been used later for the modernization of Olifant tanks to Mk2 standard (those are also available in War Thunder).

The Su-17M2 fighter-bomber jet became the first variable-sweep wing aircraft in War Thunder .Despite its large mass, the variable sweep of the wing makes it sufficiently maneuverable at low speeds and fast enough for a top-tier attack aircraft – it can reach speeds of almost Mach 2. The payload of the Su-17M2 is 4,000 kg and it is possible to install cannon pods, bombs of 100 to 500 kg calibres, S-5, S-8, S-3 or S-24 rockets, as well as guided missiles: the R-60 air-to-air; as well as Kh-23M, Kh-25 and Kh-29L air to surface class missiles. The update also brings other legendary aircraft, like the powerful French Mirage III E and US carrier-based F8U-2 Crusader fighter with interesting variable-incidence wing mechanics, which simplifies takeoff and landing.

The Heads-Up Display (HUD) device is a must for all modern aircraft. It is located right in front of the pilot’s eyes, displaying the most important information about the current condition and attitude of the aircraft or helicopter and can even show the impact points for shells, rockets or bombs, calculated by the ballistic computer. War Thunder players have already seen modern helicopter HUDs, while the “Ixwa Strike” update brings similar devices for the aircraft, i.e. F-4 Phantom II and Harrier family war machines. This new feature is especially important for players that prefer realistic or simulation modes of War Thunder that do not use markers for target assisting, so that the fighting feels as close to the real thing as possible.

Finally, naval fans also got several cool vessels of various classes for different nations. A good example is the Japanese light cruiser Isuzu that took part in the invasion of Hong Kong and Guadalcanal battles. It’s volley of eight long range Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes could become a serious argument in fierce War Thunder blue-water navy battles.

For full information on the changes brought by the “Ixwa Strike” update is available at the official website.

Update 0.10.1 features the debut of the new Italian Battleships, an updated Taranto port, as well as new format of Ranked Battles, new Clan Battles and updated Brawls

Wargaming, developer and publisher of the widely popular, free to play naval combat game World of Warships (WoWS), has today revealed update 0.10.1 for the game that will launch on February 18th 2021.

The headline addition is the maiden voyage of the long awaited, Tier IV–IX Italian Battleships. Players can now set sail for battle with these all new vessels, available in Early Access on the Live Server.

The Italian Battleships
The new update adds six all-new Italian Battleships to the game listed below and imagery for these vessels can be found here:

• Dante Alighieri (Tier IV)
• Conte di Cavour Tier V)
• Andrea Doria (Tier VI)
• Francesco Caracciolo (Tier VII)
• Vittorio Veneto (Tier VIII)
• Lepanto (Tier IX)

The Italian Battleships come armed with a host of interesting features for players to try out. These include semi-armor-piercing shells to deal significant damage to weakly protected targets, and a large number of guns, balanced by their shorter range and lower accuracy. The new ships also feature higher maneuverability and armour protection for the ship itself. Tier VIII–X ships also can deploy the Exhaust Smoke Generator consumable, which allows them to hide from the enemy without having to reduce their speed.

Players in the early access can obtain the majority of these new ships by earning a new temporary resource, the Italian Tokens. These can be acquired by completing combat mission groups including a special chain of combat missions, as well as from random bundles purchased with dubloons, free random bundles, Recruitment Point bundles in the armory and by completing combat missions from the official WoWS streams.

The number of tokens that can be obtained by completing combat mission groups will be enough to obtain Tier IV-VI Battleships, with VII Francesco Caracciolo available as the final reward for completing the last combat mission group and IX Lepanto obtainable from random bundles purchased with Dubloons. Full details can be found here in the Italian BB overview article.

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

Today, Ubisoft announced that a new update for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is now available, bringing additional free content to the game for all players: a new game mode, Jomsviking upgrades, new abilities and rewards, and two new unlockable buildings in the Settlement – the River Raid Dock and the Jomsviking Hall.

The River Raids is a permanent addition to the game and a new re-playable mode enriching the raiding experience in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The mode contains:

• Higher-stakes raids, with unique maps and rewards, in which the player can raid without impacting their main game progression and alliances in England. Unlike the original raiding feature, the raiding crew can be temporarily lost if players don’t revive them during the raid.
• A Jomsviking Crew: Recruited Jomsvikings (created by other players online) are led by the player’s personal Jomsviking Lieutenant.
• A New Longship: An all-new fully customisable longship exclusive to the game mode – whose cargo hold can be upgraded to bring more resources back from River Raids.

The new Jomsviking Hall has three levels to upgrade in Season 1, with the higher the Hall’s level the higher the ranked Jomsvikings it will attract for the player to recruit. Jomsviking also now have ranks, with the higher ranked Jomsvikings having greater survivability in River Raids.

After players complete one of the first narrative arcs in England, either Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire, build their Barracks and recruit their Jomsviking Lieutenant, they will encounter a new NPC named Vagn and his crew of Jomsviking raiders, who will introduce them to the River Raids game mode. The mode introduces three new river maps set around the coastline of England full of locations to raid and treasure to loot.

Finally, the update brings additional abilities and rewards:

• The Saint George Armour set and Great Sword
• 3 new Abilities, hidden in monasteries
• 2 new Settlement Buildings
• A new set of longship and player cosmetics

The River Raids game mode update, a part of Season 1, is the latest addition as part of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla post-launch experience, with a variety of new free content for all players focused on gameplay and world evolution coming throughout 2021.

Season 2, named Ostara, will start in March 2021 with a first update bringing a festival in the Settlement, a new game mode that builds on Valhalla’s core combat experiences, new gear and cosmetic items. More information about Wrath of the Druids, the first expansion of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla releasing in Spring 2021, will come at a later time.

With development led by Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers players the captivating experience of playing as Eivor, a legendary Viking warrior, driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in ninth century AD. Players can relive the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped dual-wielding combat system and experience new gameplay features such as raids, assaults, and the settlement, as well as a revamped progression and gear upgrade system. Political alliances, combat decisions and dialogue choices can influence the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so players must choose wisely to protect their clan’s home and their future.

For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com.

Tame the Oxen in two special time-limited events

With the Lunar New Year celebrations kicking off as we welcome the Year of the Ox today, World of Tanks is unleashing a unique themed event to mark the occasion.

World of Tanks is introducing the Lunar Challenge, which will run from February 12th through 22nd. This special event will see tankers test their skills with 10 stages which offer up great rewards. There will be two ways to complete each stage: missions for commitment (available for Tier VI-X vehicles) and the more challenging missions for mastery (exclusively for Tier IX-X).

For completing all 10 stages, players will get their hands on the tanking embodiment of the Ox, the brand-new 122 TM, as well as a unique Lunar New Year 2D style, which can adorn any vehicle. Additionally, tankers who have already got their hands on the 122 MT can take on daily missions; those who complete 8 of them will be rewarded with a stunning 3D style exclusively for the Chinese medium. For more information about the Lunar Challenge, please check the dedicated article HERE.

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

The legendary free-to-play shooter is “coming soon” to the new platform

Today, Wargaming announced its plans to bring World of Tanks to Steam. Once live, both players of the regular PC version and Steam users will be able to fight side by side in the immersive PvP battles the legendary F2P strategic shooter is known for. The Steam version will be available to new accounts only but will feature everything its PC counterpart has to offer.

“We’ve always wanted to make sure World of Tanks was available to everyone, so it’s a natural step that we welcome the Steam community to our family,” states Max Chuvalov, Global Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “Soon, Steam users will be able to enjoy the hard-hitting battles only our game provides, and we really hope they enjoy them!”

For the first time, Steam players will be able to master more than 600+ vehicles, hone their tanking tactics and skills and experience World of Tanks’ unique combat. The Steam version will launch later this year. For more information, check out the Steam page.

About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

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

Featuring: Italian heavy tanks, a modified Platoon system, and interface improvements

The beginning of a new year is the right time to start a new journey with fresh content and features deploying in World of Tanks. Update 1.11.1 brings a new sub-branch of Italian heavy tanks with an improved autoloading mechanic to the game. The updated Platoon system will allow you to find gaming buddies easier (without being limited to friends and contacts), and a few interface improvements make the gameplay even more enjoyable.

The new Italian heavy branch begins with the Tier VII Carro d’assalto P.88 and consists of four vehicles with great gun depression angles, well-armored turrets, and stylish exteriors. The top animal in the pack, the Tier X Rinoceronte (‘Rhinoceros’), reminds us that Italy is famous for its automotive design traditions. A distinctive feature introduced with the new sub-branch is the improved autoloading mechanic. As well as being able to choose between firing intermittent shots or salvos, with Tier VIII–X Italian heavies you get a rebate (up to 50%) for the reloading time of your next shell—if you had to shoot just before an extra round would be fully loaded into the clip.

Along with the new branch, four sets of battle missions are being introduced, each one dedicated to a separate tank in the sub-branch and giving out an Ancient Roman-themed emblem, inscription, and decal as rewards, with the Rinoceronte set also yielding the “Testudo Formation” 2D style. The style fits Italian vehicles only, and all other customization elements can be applied to any vehicle. Each mission set is to be completed by its ‘own’ new Italian heavy, but all of them are also doable in the Rinoceronte or in the Tier VIII Premium tank, the Bisonte C45.

“Around 3 years ago, in May 2018, we revealed the Italian tech tree, with Gianluigi Buffon as an ambassador,” says Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Publishing Director. “The players spent some time mastering the new mechanic, and they really liked the Italian tanks. Now we’re adding new researchable vehicles that not only complement the Italian tree, but bring their own distinctive features, in order to make the experience even more diverse and exciting. Take these awesome machines for a spin and enjoy the highly-tactical gameplay!”

Also coming with Update 1.11.1 is the Platoon 2.0 system. Available for Random Battles, it allows you to find battle buddies with ease: it’s fully automated, and the search can be performed using filters you apply. Moreover, you can team up with a friend the old-fashioned way and find a third partner using the new system if you want, and once the Platoon is complete, you’ll see the allied vehicles side by side with your current ride in your Garage.

The interface improvements that will arrive along with the update continue the tradition of integrating the best solutions from popular UI mods into the client. In the game settings, you can now activate such options as the Proximity spotting circle (showing the radius of ‘unconditional’ spotting on the mini-map) and a repair timer for damaged vehicle modules.
Fight tactically in the new Italians alongside your new buds, earn the new Roman style and don’t let any brutes stab you in the back! If you need more info on Update 1.11.1, take a look HERE.

Get ready to take on Chuck’s Challenge as part of Holiday Ops 2021

2020 might have been a bit of a strange year, but it’s nice to see a familiar face: Holiday Ops in World of Tanks! This Christmas and New Year celebration will see players focused on two things: battles and baubles. From 9th December to 11th January, a cosy little mountain town will be ready for tankers to decorate as they wish, all while earning great and valuable rewards. But that’s not all… This town has an extra special resident: Chuck Norris!

Chuck has crafted his own challenge for every tanker: one which will test their resolve and mettle. Every day, a new mission will become available with 32 to take on in total. While all valuable, some of the rewards are extra special so players won’t want to miss out on them, including a special vehicle slot for Holiday Ops—which will allow players to choose their own vehicle bonuses—and Commander Chuck himself!

“Players like to say I must have been on the other side when they lose a battle; well, now it might just be true,” says Chuck Norris, World of Tanks Ambassador. “As you all know, even when the chips are down, I’m not one to shy away from a challenge and I hope that my fellow tankers do me proud when they take on Chuck’s Challenge!”

Just like last year, Holiday Ops is all about earning a collection of ornaments while decorating the special festive garage. There’s plenty to find in this snow-laden town, from a pianist performing for the residents to an enormous Christmas tree which takes center-stage. By dressing up the town, players will increase their festive atmosphere and their present yield. Tankers will be rewarded with various ornaments and decorations for creating their own firework displays (albeit, using enemy vehicles) and completing special missions. There are hundreds of ornaments to collect and 4 collections to complete so players will be able to decorate to their heart’s content.

Additionally, the Snow Maidens are back and are giving out special gifts daily. Each of the four Snow Maidens is responsible for a specific collection: Christmas, New Year, Lunar New Year or Magic New Year. By selecting rewards from the same collection each day, a special meter will fill up and lower-tiered ornaments will be excluded from your daily gifts.

“2020 is drawing to a close and we want to give the community something to remember,” states Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Global Publishing Director. “Holiday Ops is always our biggest in-game event and it’s the perfect way to see off the year! We hope that this will really get everyone in the festive spirit!”

And finally, the holidays are a time for giving and this year, while crazy, is no different. All players—whether they’re on the Nice List or Naughty List—will be find a token of appreciation when they log in: the brand-new Pz.Sfl. IC, a Tier IV German tank destroyer with an autoloader! Thanks, Santa!

Watch the Holiday Ops: Presents, Bonuses, and Missions From Chuck Norris video HERE.

For more information about Holiday Ops 2021, click HERE.