ExileCon isn't all about Path of Exile 2. In fact, the new league for the first game has been revealed as Path of Exile: Trial of the Ancestors, and it will launch on August 18. The current PoE league, Crucible, has gone a little longer than usual due to the timing of ExileCon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJNGeWTO5_s

Trial of the Ancestors will feature a new league mechanic where you create a team to enter gladiator-style battles in a tournament setting. Like most PoE leagues, a plethora of new content will also launch with the new league.

[caption id="attachment_394282" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Enter the Trial of the Ancestors

Gameplay-wise, the new league mechanic certainly looks unique. It appears players will set up their own team with unique skills and items to do battle against AI-controlled enemies. As you progress through the tournament your rewards will increase, urging you to create the best team for each fight.

I'll be honest, the mechanic kind of reminds me of an auto-battler like Teamfight Tactics. Path of Exile is no stranger to releasing league mechanics that are heavily inspired by existing game genres. For example, the Blight league was essentially a tower-defense minigame and the recent Lake of Kalandra league introduced roguelike mechanics.

The trailer for Trial of the Ancestors also revealed the new content coming into the league:

• The Trial of the Ancestors League mechanic
• Passive skill tattoos
• New items
• 16 new Atlas Keystones
• Itemized Sanctums
• 14 new Support Gems
• Guardian ascendancy revamp
• All-new Chieftain ascendancy

The passive skill tattoo system looks like it enhances the existing passive tree. A revamp to the Guardian ascendancy and a complete rework to the Chieftain ascendancy are definitely a good move as the two are kind of in a rough spot. More concrete details pertaining to the league should release over the next few weeks as we get closer to the new league launch.

Path of Exile: Trial of the Ancestors will launch on August 18.

The post New Path of Exile league is Trial of the Ancestors appeared first on Destructoid.

During ExileCon, Grinding Gear Games revealed that as Path of Exile 2 grew since its announcement in 2019, they realized it was no longer just an expansion to Path of Exile as originally planned. With over 100 developers working on Path of Exile 2, it has become a much bigger project than originally anticipated. Moving forward, Path of Exile 2 will now be its own standalone title. Each game will still be supported and have its own unique mechanics, leagues, and features.

However, microtransactions and cosmetics will be cross-compatible across both games unless it's not possible. For example, Druid is an ascendancy in PoE2 but not in PoE. Therefore, a Druid-specific cosmetic for PoE2 will not be available in PoE where Druid does not exist.

[caption id="attachment_394274" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Path of Exile 2 has evolved into its own standalone game

I was torn back in 2019 when Grinding Gear Games revealed Path of Exile 2 as more of an expansion that would integrate with and extend the base game. I love Path of Exile, but a big focus for PoE2 appeared to be accessibility. Therefore, it seemed counter-intuitive to me to combine the two when it seemed they would each be a unique experience.

It certainly makes sense to support the two as separate games moving forward. Here's the list of the current features for Path of Exile 2:

• 100 distinct environments
• 600 monsters
• 100 bosses
• 1,500 passive skills
• 36 ascendancy classes
• 240 active skills
• 700 equipment types
• 6 person co-op

For comparison, the base Path of Exile currently has 19 ascendancy classes, 1,325 passive skills, and 276 active skills. This is with nearly a decade of updates and expansions under its belt, as well.

Furthermore, balance would have surely become an issue when integrating the two games with each other. With each having its own separate ascendancy classes, splitting the two game should hopefully streamline any ongoing balancing.

Grinding Gear Games announced that a closed beta for Path of Exile 2 will launch on June 7, 2024. While a release date has yet to be announced, it looks like we might have to wait a while until this one's officially launched.

The post Path of Exile 2 and Path of Exile will now be separate standalone titles appeared first on Destructoid.

Just one week has passed since we last sat around the campfire for a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat with the Diablo team. This Campfire Chat primarily focuses on the upcoming 1.1.1. patch as part of their promise to provide balance changes and discussion before a patch rather than afterward.

My initial response is mostly positive. The Sorcerer changes are pretty monumental, offering improved survivability and removing some of the unnecessary annoyances the class has. But, we have to keep in mind just how disappointing patch 1.1.0 was across the board. It's never a net positive if you're taking one step forward but just recently took three steps back. Join me as we dive into the July 28 patch 1.1.1 Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap.

[caption id="attachment_394253" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

General changes

The bulk of this patch looks like it will revolve around class balance, primarily for Sorcerer. But, there are some general changes and quality-of-life improvements that are worth mentioning.

• Another Stash Tab will be available to purchase with gold. Still not enough, but we'll take all we can get.
• The pointless increase to five seconds for dungeon teleport time in patch 1.1.0 will revert back to three seconds.
• Monster density will increase in Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides.
• Respec costs are being reduced by 40%. Once again, respecs shouldn't cost anything but hey, we'll take what we can get!
• A few of the more annoying Nightmare Dungeon Affixes are being taken out of the game. Examples provided included Resource Dragin, Cold Enchanted, and Backstabber.
• Legendary item drop rates will increase in many forms of content. Dungeons will have a higher chance to drop Legendaries. Legion Events and encounters with The Butcher will drop a guaranteed Legendary. Furthermore, Treasure Goblins will have a 50% increased chance to drop a Legendary item starting at Level 35.
• Uniques will become more viable. Hopefully, this includes The Oculus.
• The effectiveness of Ultimate abilities is increased in the late game.

The team also referenced some future changes that won't be in this patch. Most of their concerns seem to revolve around increasing build diversity in the game, which I agree should be a priority.

[caption id="attachment_394254" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Changes for all classes in patch 1.1.1.

All five Diablo 4 classes are getting some changes with patch 1.1.1. Sorcerer and Barbarian definitely are getting the majority of the changes, but it's nice to see all classes getting some love.

• Most Sorcerer skills, passives, paragons, and Legendaries will see buffs. Furthermore, Sorcerer-specific Aspects will provide only benefits, and no longer have downsides. In the example provided, Serpentine Aspect will still increase the number of Hydras you can have active, but will no longer reduce their duration. Also, Sorcerers will see bolstered survivability.
• At a quick glance, the Barbarian changes seem rather paltry. I'm not sure they will have much of an effect except maybe in the early game. In a nutshell, basic skill damage is being increased and some Barbarian-specific Legendary and Unique items are receiving increased benefits. Most skill changes seem to only be increasing their Fury generation. Which, while nice, won't fix some of their current mid to late game issues.
• There weren't many Rogue changes but it seems as though the team is trying to create more favorable build possibilities other than what's currently available. Rain of Arrows, Forceful Arrow, and Invigorating Strike are all getting buffs. I'm not sure if that's enough to inspire players to try those builds.
• Druids and Necromancers are both having their minion builds increased. Minions will deal more damage and take less damage across the board. The surprise nerfs to minions when Diablo 4 released made their builds pretty unplayable until now, so I'm glad to see this change. Furthermore, Druids will have increased Spirit generation and Necromancers are finally getting a fix to their Imperfectly Balanced passive.

That pretty much wraps up the bigger points for our Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap. Patch 1.1.1 will launch on August 8. The full list of patch notes will be available almost a week earlier on August 2.

The post Diablo 4 Campfire Chat Recap – There’s hope for Sorcerer appeared first on Destructoid.

The long-awaited graphical update to Final Fantasy XIV is coming in version 7.0 with the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion. During the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed the new graphical update would include enhancements that push FF14's engine even further.

Square Enix has teased that some visual upgrades were coming as we reach a decade since the release of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. As part of the update, several graphical systems will be getting improvements that will be visible in the new expansion as well as throughout previous expansions.

[caption id="attachment_394213" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Eorzea 2.0

Plenty of enhancements are coming as part of the update, including improvements to the screen-wide aesthetic appeal. Higher-resolution textures and shadows will be used for the new assets in the expansion, and over time the team plans to go back and update previous expansions starting with FF14:ARR.

Furthermore, various materials are getting a big quality improvement. Yoshida pointed out that metals will look more metallic and have an improved shiny luster to them.

Yoshida wanted to be clear that the goal is to preserve the overall look and feel of Eorzea while providing some enhancements when available. This isn't some sort of big overhaul, but rather subtle improvements across the board.

Finally, the enhancements have allowed Square Enix to ramp up the foliage in the game. Plants have more detail than ever before, which will be noticeable in the Dawntrail.

[caption id="attachment_394218" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

New textures & dye system

The new textures will help bring every race to life with more definition. Skin will look more realistic rather than overly smooth. Of course, the Viera looks the most improved. Roegadyn and Hrothgar both looked a lot more detailed as well, though.

Also, the dye system is getting a big upgrade as well. In the new system, gear can now have two separate dyes applied to them. However, this upgrade will take some time to roll out to existing equipment, once again focusing on new content and then working its way through previous expansions.

[caption id="attachment_394217" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

System requirements are changing with the upgrade

With the improved graphics, the system requirements for the game have increased slightly.

As you can see from the provided image, the minimum system requirements still aren't that hefty. That being said, if you've been able to scrape by on an older system you may have to make some upgrades for the Dawntrail expansion.

The post Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is getting a massive graphical update appeared first on Destructoid.

Today should be a fun one with three bigger streaming events scheduled in the gaming world. I'll be watching all three and want to invite you to join me in an exciting Friday triple-header stream session!

First, the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest kicks off at 1 p.m. ET with a 1.5 hour Keynote presented by FF14 Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida. You can watch along on their Twitch or YouTube once the Fan Fest starts.

Next up we have a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat at 2 p.m. ET. Don't worry, you're not crazy. We just had one of these Campfire Chats on July 21. The Campfire Chat will be streamed on the official Diablo Twitch and YouTube channels once live.

Finally, to round out the day, ExileCon begins at 6 p.m. ET with a Keynote presented by Grinding Gear Games Producer and Developer Chris Wilson. ExileCon will be available live on the Path of Exile Twitch and YouTube channels when they begin.

Now let's take a look at what's can expect from each of the three events, so you know if there's something you might want to watch! Also, as each event starts we will update this post to include an embed of the stream so you can watch along with us.

Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--_vb2j_qDo

Fans are holding out hope we'll get at least some sort of information about update 7.0, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV. Square Enix has not confirmed or denied what we will see in the Keynote. This is the fifth annual fan festival for FF14, and is primarily a chance for fans of the MMORPG to meet up and share their passion for the game. While no date's been set, we probably won't get a new expansion until 2024. Therefore, time-wise it's possible we see some sort of reveal today, but also possible we don't until the winter months.

Surprise, expansion! Here's everything shown at today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote.

[caption id="attachment_394120" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 Campfire Chat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5N91g5uMxg

No, you're not crazy. We just had one of these Campfire Chats on July 21. But a week ago the Diablo team promised better communication moving forward, starting with a planned Campfire Chat for today to discuss the upcoming patch 1.1.1. The update will focus on Class balance changes primarily with the Sorcerer and Barbarian. Furthermore, a variety of quality-of-life updates were teased for the upcoming patch so chances are we will hear more details about them as well. Finally, last week the team confirmed the release of patch 1.1.1 would follow soon after this Campfire Chat so it's likely we will get a date for it as well.

Well, that's a wrap! Check out our Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap here.

[caption id="attachment_394122" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Path of Exile at ExileCon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvah-HfhkYc

Fans of Path of Exile are in for a treat. After four years the second ExileCon ever is finally here, and it's sure to be a big one. Grinding Gear Games has confirmed Path of Exile 2 will be a big component of this year's event. It's likely we'll see some more in-depth gameplay and feature reveals, as PoE2 has been teased quite a bit over the last few months at other events like Summer Game Fest. It's even possible we'll finally get a release date. Also, patch 3.22—the new Path of Exile season—will be revealed today. We can expect a video showing off the new league mechanic as well as any new features and items being added to PoE with the update. Grinding Gear Games has admitted that this will be a big event, so who knows what else we may see.

The post Let’s watch today’s Final Fantasy XIV/Diablo 4/Path of Exile triple-header appeared first on Destructoid.

After a five-year hiatus, Telltale has returned with The Expanse: A Telltale Series. With all the drama surrounding the company's bankruptcy in 2018, followed by its acquisition by LCG Entertainment in 2019, it's fair to have some doubts. Furthermore, Deck Nine are the developers. While they have experience with narrative-driven games, will this even feel like a Telltale game? Well, I can tell you that answer is yes. And while I'd never dare try to dethrone The Wolf Among Us, I will tell you this: The Expanse is shaping up to be one of the best Telltale Games titles yet.

I should start by saying I am a huge fan of The Expanse. The SyFy/Amazon Prime series is genuinely in my top three TV shows of all time, maybe even number one. I have to admit that when I first discovered the details behind The Expanse: A Telltale Series I was a bit worried. With it taking place before the show, how could I really care about the story? Furthermore, I loved Camina Drummer in the show, but could a narrative-driven experience focused on one of her adventures really hold my interest over five episodes? Thankfully, my concerns were allayed early on in Episode 1.

[caption id="attachment_393844" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series - Episode 1 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: July 27, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Long live the Belt

In The Expanse: A Telltale Series you take on the role of Camina Drummer, XO of The Artemis, a scavenging ship skirting the uncharted edges of The Belt. Drummer is voiced by Cara Gee, who played her in the show, and she absolutely continues to prove she's perfect for the role. If you are expecting some good ol' Belter Creole, don't worry—there's plenty of it, Beratna.

The ship's captain discovers the wreckage of an Earther ship near Jupiter. Based on the fact the ship is out here alone and there's no public record as to why it would be out there, the captain thinks there has to be something valuable on board. The crew sets course for the wreckage, setting up the events that will pan out over all five episodes.

Like any Telltale game, there's a big emphasis on choices mattering. With this being just the first episode of five, most of the story threads haven't had time to result in any sort of consequences for my actions, which is understandable. However, at the end of the episode I had to make what certainly felt like a meaningful choice. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I made the right one—only time will tell.

Similar to previous Telltale titles, the choices are often not easy. It's not, "Do you want to save a puppy or drop it down a volcano?" In fact, in most cases, you can even guess what sort of consequences may arise from each choice. From there, it's up to you to decide what you think is the lesser of two evils. I'm excited to see how much player decisions actually shape the game, because it always felt a bit hit-or-miss in previous Telltale games.

Doors and corners, kid

Graphically, The Expanse is the best-looking Telltale game to date. Even though there's still the somewhat cartoony style, it looks very clean. Some of the sections of The Artemis are surprisingly detailed, and the vast expanse (hehe) of space looks incredible. Deck Nine really knocked it out of the park in this regard—deep space has never looked so beautiful. Furthermore, character facial animations of come a long way. It's fun to see Drummer react to an intense situation or banter with her crew, and actually react to it accordingly.

This is definitely still a story-driven game, but the gameplay itself has big improvements as well. Running around as Drummer feels a lot smoother and less restrictive than I remember in The Walking Dead — The Final Season. There's also a system to float around in zero-G space that reminds me a lot of the similar zero-G segments in Dead Space.

Also, there are even little side missions you can tackle while progressing through the chapter. I've yet to see if they will actually influence the game in any way, but they are a nice addition. While exploring the wreckage of the Earther ship I managed to find a laser crystal for The Artemis' medic, and a cigar for the pilot. There's even a mission log on the bridge of the ship so you can check your active mission. I also came across several areas where I could pull out my blow torch and slice through a panel to retrieve some salvage. Every time I did my crew would commend me for doing so, but I'm not sure just yet if there will be a practical use for the materials.

[caption id="attachment_393870" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I'm excited about the future, beltalowda

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with The Expanse: A Telltale Series — Episode 1. With episodic content, we really won't have a full appreciation for The Expanse until the entire story is told. New episodes will release every two weeks, so The Expanse should be complete in September. What I do know, is this is a very strong start to the adventure. I'm very excited to see what's in store for Drummer and the crew of The Artemis.

If you are a fan of The Expanse TV series, this should be a no-brainer purchase for you. Any more The Expanse material is worth checking out. That being said, this story takes place before the show, so it's not necessary to have watched it to enjoy this entry. Sure, you might not recognize a couple of easter eggs, but the narrative itself is its own. This first chapter does a great job of setting the stage for the remaining four episodes. Regardless of your previous experience, The Expanse: A Telltale Series — Episode 1 is a fun experience in a beautiful universe.

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

We know that Larian Studios' upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 is a big game. With the story-driven RPG releasing on August 3—a Thursday—how does anyone expect you to wait until the weekend? At that point, you may as well take off until Friday so you can have four full days to explore the Sword Coast.

As a service to players, Larian had their legal team draft up a special leave form. To be precise, the form is a request for Special Dispensation for the aptly titled Baldur's Day. As Larian says, just give the note to your boss—they'll understand. All we need now is a disclosure form to give to our partner explaining why they might not see us for a few days while we're glued to our PC.

As the form says, this isn't our choice, but rather fate calling.

"I, the undersigned, hereby request a Special Dispensation from my regular duties and obligations in observance of the momentous occasion of the release of Baldur's Gate 3 ("Baldur's Day"). As fate would have it, I am compelled to answer a calling to gather my party and embark on an epic adventure."

There are definitely worse reasons to miss work, right?

https://twitter.com/baldursgate3/status/1684202250363711491

The release date shuffle

Don't forget that Larian recently announced they were moving up the PC release date of Baldur's Gate 3 by almost a month. Early September was looking pretty congested, especially with the release of Starfield on September 6.

Summerfall Studios followed up by pushing the release of their musical RPG Stray Gods back by one week. As our own Eric Van Allen pointed out, an extra week can be a silver lining for last-minute polish. Especially when Stray Gods ls launching on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch all on the same day.

Baldur's Gate 3 releases on PC on August 3. PlayStation 5 players will have to wait just a little longer when BG3 releases on September 6.

The post Skip work for Baldur’s Gate 3 with Larian’s leave form appeared first on Destructoid.

The Homeworld Remastered Collection is coming to the Epic Games Store. And, to celebrate its arrival, it will be free for all players who claim it on their Epic Games Store account between July 27 and August 3. Previously the collection was only available on Steam, where it has over 10,000 reviews and a "Very Positive" consensus.

As per usual with weekly free games on EGS, once you've added a title to your account it is always available to you.

The Homeworld Remastered Collection includes:

• Homeworld Remastered Edition 
• Homeworld 2 Remastered Edition 
• The Homeworld Remastered Multiplayer Beta (including cross-store play between Epic and Steam users)

As a bonus, Homeworld Remastered Collection also includes access to:

• Homeworld Classic 
• Homeworld 2 Classic

The two bonuses are the original classic versions of Homeworld in its purest form without remastered visuals and systems.

[caption id="attachment_393702" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gearbox Publishing[/caption]

A fun tactical Sci-fi RTS epic

If you haven't had the chance to play Homeworld, this is a great opportunity to do so. It's a very formidable entry in the RTS genre with over 100 unique spaceships and more than 30 single-player missions. Those interested in multiplayer can also access the improved Homeworld Remastered Multiplayer beta. This new version of the multiplayer mixes the two, so Homeworld races can compete against Homeworld 2 races with up to eight players on 23 maps. Furthermore, the new multiplayer includes brand-new game modes.

Gearbox recently delayed Homeworld 3 to February 2024, so you have plenty of time to catch up on the series before it releases.

If you're interested in grabbing Homeworld Remastered Collection for free, simply head to its listing between July 27 and August 3 on the Epic Games Store. You will be able to add the game to your library and download it right away.

The post Grab Homeworld Remastered Collection free on Epic Games Store July 27 appeared first on Destructoid.

A new month is on the horizon, which means that it's that time again for Sony to wow us with the PlayStation Plus additions for August 2023. If you were looking for another sports game you're in luck as headlining August's lineup is PGA Tour 2K23. The other two additions for this month are digital playground Dreams and Action-Adventure RPG Death's Door.

While these new entries certainly won't change anyone's mind on the quality of the service, Dreams and Death's Door are both great and PGA Tour 2K23 isn't a bad add for the sports fans out there.

While Dreams is only available on PS4, PGA Tour 2K23 and Death's Door are both available on PS4 and PS5.

[caption id="attachment_393674" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Electronic Arts[/caption]

PGA Tour 2K23 (PS4/PS5)

After an eight-year hiatus, golf fans rejoiced with the return of PGA Tour late last year. PGA Tour 2K23 allows players to experience a realistic golf simulator as they compete against tour pros and strive to become the next FedExCup Champion. Golfers can level up their MyPLAYER character with new Skills and Archetypes and rock officially licensed gear and apparel on the green. This entry into the series even includes a Course Designer to build your own dream course.

My knowledge of golf games ends at Golf With Your Friends but I'm sure this is a great addition for fans of this type of game.

[caption id="attachment_393675" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Media Molecule[/caption]

Dreams (PS4)

The digital playground simulator Dreams comes from the creators of LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. Players create, share, and play community-made levels and games designed directly in Dreams. You have the opportunity to create whatever you want including games, music, paintings, animations, and more all within Dreams.

Furthermore, Media Molecule's latest game Tren is also available to play in Dreams. Tren puts you in the driver's seat of a toy train and tells a personal tale of growing up. We gave Dreams a near-flawless 9.5/10 when it was released back in 2020.

[caption id="attachment_393676" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Devolver Digital[/caption]

Death's Door (PS4/PS5)

Finally, we get the addition of Death's Door, a somber yet darkly comedic Action-Adventure RPG. Wield melee weapons, arrows, and magic to overcome an array of beasts and demigods in an isometric world. Like and good RPG you can gain an edge by customizing your character stats and upgrading your gear as you explore a land full of countless secrets.

We gave Death's Door a superb 9/10 when it was released back in 2021.

As always, make sure you grab July's monthly games before the leave on July 31.

The post Here’s the PlayStation Plus monthly games for August 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The Evo 2023 Friday Showcase appears to be shaping up to be quite the spectacle. In a post on the Evo website, the full schedule for day one of Evo 2023 has been revealed.

The fun starts at 10:00 a.m. with what Evo calls a surprise-filled panel featuring Arc System Works. The developers are absolute monsters—in a good way—when it comes to fighting games, responsible for the Guilty Gear franchise and the popular 2022 release DNF Duel.

At 12:30 p.m., a surprise developer will go on-stage for an "exciting announcement." No details yet, but the blog say it's a first look at a special reveal. Evo co-founder Seth Killian will host an interview with Street Fighter pro MenaRD, discussing their history with the Street Fighter franchise.

Hidden Variable Studios will then show off what's next for Skullgirls at 1:10 p.m. At 1:45 p.m. we'll get a look at the upcoming Rivals of Aether 2 followed by a rapid-fire reel of indie fighting game trailers at 2:00 p.m.

Rounding out the first part of the showcase is a look at Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3's history at Evo. This looks like it's going to be a blast, especially with the host, UMVC3 Evo champion Justin Wong.

Those interested in seeing the full schedule for Evo 2023 can check it out here.

Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Killer Instinct, and Mortal Kombat 11

At 3;00 p.m. Capcom will take the stage with a Street Fighter 6 developer panel. I'm sure there will be a focus on the recently released Rashid as well as what we can look forward to in the future for SF6.

Next up, Bandai Namco will show off the upcoming Tekken 8. T8 will also be playable at Bandai Namco's booth through Evo 2023, so be sure to swing by and check it out.

As the Friday Showcase winds down, four of the best players in Killer Instinct history will face off. The KI 10-Year Anniversary Invitational will have the players compete in a special exhibition to celebrate a decade of KI.

Finally, Mortal Kombat 11 will get a proper final chapter at Evo. MK11U will be the first Top 6 of Evo 2023 as it closes out Day 1 of the event.

The post Evo 2023 Friday Showcase will have news, updates, and surprises appeared first on Destructoid.

Rare Games revealed in a video that Season 10 for Sea of Thieves will embark a little later than expected. According to the team, recent changes to the upcoming release roadmap have led to the delay. The decision was made for quality, sustainability of the development process, and the well-being of the team. The substantial Season 10 update will now set sail on October 19

While delays are never fun, it's always understandable when it's ensuring game quality. Based on the recent Sea of Thieves official podcast episode, it sounds like some heavy-hitting new systems are coming to the pirate adventure:

"As we assess the ongoing development of Season 10, looking at the work we've got remaining, and the expectation that there will still be unforeseen issues that will crop up," said Creative Director Mike Chapman. "And even though the team is working incredibly hard to pull this ambitious feature set together, ultimately we're not where we want to be in the development timeframe. So we've taken the difficult decision to delay Season 10 to October 19. This has been an incredibly hard decision for us to make on the Sea of Thieves. It's a very difficult thing for us to do with the plans that we had, but this is right for us. Especially for the ambitions that we had for Season 10."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yngSqfOsr3Q

Season 10 appears to be full of new content

Rare typically doesn't disclose SoT features ahead of time but this is shaping up to be a big update.

Typically each season comes with one headline content feature. However, with the new timeframe, the plan is for two headliner features in the first two months of Season 10. The team explains that while things may feel slow right now, Season 10 should re-energize the SoT world with multiple feature releases, events, and experiences.

Sea of Thieves Season 10 is scheduled to release October 19 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Sea of Thieves Season 10 voyage delayed to October appeared first on Destructoid.

Horror game publisher Feardemic has revealed that the 2D psychological horror adventure game Afterdream will also be coming to consoles. Afterdream will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S sometime this year.

The spooky title is in development by sole developer Jesse Makkonen. Makkonen is well known for his other 2D scary titles Heal, Distraint, and Distraint 2. Afterdream is also coming to PC via Steam, through publisher Gamera Games.

To celebrate the news, Feardemic also released a creepy console reveal trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opqd5ri1_cM

Explore lucid dreams with a spooky camera

Visually, Afterdream looks great, with eerily creepy 2D stylized pixel art. Players use a special camera to navigate a ghastly mansion that blurs the line between reality and lucid dreaming. The camera will allow you to interact with hidden objects only visible through the lens of the camera.

I love the atmosphere of Afterdream.  It's hard to pull off a scary game using pixel art, but Makkonen definitely knows what he's doing. Also, with it being somewhat of a side-scroller, Afterdream seems honestly perfect for consoles. I'm curious to see where the story can go with this one, because I know his former games left quite an impact.

Afterdream will release sometime in 2023 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Psychological horror game Afterdream is coming to consoles appeared first on Destructoid.

Sabotage Studio has revealed that the upcoming retro-inspired RPG Sea of Stars will be available as a PlayStation Plus Game Catalog title on day one of its release. The official release date for the pixel RPG is August 29. By joining the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, all PS+ Extra and Premium members will get full access to the game on launch day.

If the visuals remind you of a lot of old-school SNES RPGs don't worry, that's intentional. Sea of Stars is technically a prequel to 2D action platformer The Messenger, which was also created by Sabotage Studio. We gave The Messenger a flawless 10/10 when it was released back in 2018.

The list of games coming to PlayStation Plus for August has not been released, though I expect it will soon. The free games are added on the first Tuesday of the month which for August is actually August 1. With Sea of Stars coming to the catalog, August will already be a great one for PS+ members.

[caption id="attachment_393464" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Sabotage Studio[/caption]

Demo available now on PS4 and PS5

A demo for Sea of Stars was also released on PS4 and PS5 today. Sabotage Studio made sure to point out that while the areas in the demo will be in the final game, the exact slice of the demo does not reveal any major spoilers from the main story. The demo highlights some gameplay systems and the mechanics around dungeon crawling and combat. And, while there are no major story spoilers, it does provide a sense of tone and vibe.

The beautiful pixel RPG looks reminds me a lot of Chained Echoes. Our very own Eric Van Allen called Chained Echoes a surprise RPG hit when it was released late last year. It's possible Sea of Stars could share a similar fate when it releases next month.

Sea of Stars releases on PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on August 29.

The post Sea of Stars will be on PlayStation Plus day one appeared first on Destructoid.

The Steam Stealth Fest sale is now live through July 31. In particular, this festival highlights games with sneaking in mind. You'll find discounts aplenty, as well as some exclusive demos for upcoming games. Steam users interested in stickers can also claim a free sticker for every day of the event.

After looking through the sale, there are a ton of Ubisoft games discounted for this event. Pretty much every game in the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy, and Watch Dogs franchises are on sale for 60% off or more. I don't think I've ever quite realized just how much Ubisoft likes making stealthy games. Thanks, Steam!

Overall there are some pretty decent sales in here with most discounts being at least 75% off or more. To commemorate the start of the Stealth Fest, Steam has sneakily released a trailer for the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LzmKFJgwWg

I've gone through and found some of the more notable deals as part of the Steam Steath Fest.

Steam Stealth Fest notable sales

• A Plague Tale: Innocence— $7.99 (80% off)
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey — $11.99 (80% off)
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla — $14.99 (75% off)
• Batman: Arkham Knight — $11.99 (80% off)
• Far Cry 5 — $8.99 (85% off)
• Far Cry 6 — $14.99 (75% off)
• Generation Zero — $7.49 (70% off)
• Hitman 3 — $34.99 (50% off)
• Little Nightmares II — $9.89 (67% off)
• Sniper Elite 5 — $16.99 (66% off)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint— $11.99 (80% off)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Reson Wildlands — $9.99 (80% off)
• Watch Dogs: Legion — $8.99 (85% off)

Even if none of these titles tickle your fancy, there are a ton of games currently on sale for the Steam Stealth Fest. You can view the full list of discounted games here.

The post Stealth Fest sneaks onto Steam with some big discounts appeared first on Destructoid.

Indie studio Universal Happymaker announced their management adventure Astronaut: The Best will release for PC via Steam on August 15. In Astronaut, players have the task of managing an occult space academy in an uncanny world.

"Our team spent over eight years working to make a bizarre moral laboratory of a game, that feels truly unlike anything you've played before," said Mike Sennott, Lead Developer on Astronaut: The Best. "We hope you'll be deeply and delightedly surprised by what you find inside, and that makes all those years worth it."

Sennott was the Narrative Designer on the popular indie tactical RPG Wintermoor Tactics Club. The team also released a new launch date announcement trailer showing off Astronaut's weirdness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbkPomZBxyE

Running a culty space academy doesn't look easy

In Astronaut: The Best, it's literally your job to guide procedurally generated misfit recruits through a roguelite hodgepodge of scandals and challenges. You can guide your Astronaut team via a variety of methods including lies, witchcraft, and of course some good ole classic hard work. New recruits can be former serial killers, part-time pirates, or even members of the royal family. The team at Universal Happymaker notes that choices will actually have an impact on each recruit as well as their likelihood to succeed.

This game is definitely very weird looking, which has really piqued my interest. It's weird looking in an intriguing way. The visuals are uncanny for sure and in some aspects eerily creepy. It's sort of giving me Cultist Simulator vibes with a bit of Homestar Runner between the graphic and comedic style. I'm interested to see just how strange the game can get.

Astronaut: The Best releases on PC via Steam on August 15. It is also Steam Deck compatible.

The post Weird occult management game Astronaut: The Best blasts off August 15 appeared first on Destructoid.

Paramount Pictures and Xbox are teaming up to give you a chance to get your hands on exactly what you've been looking for: a pizza-scented Xbox controller. The cheesy (hehe) event is to celebrate the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie that releases on August 2.

The Xbox Wireless Controllers come with a built-in scent diffuser shaped like a pizza slice. There's a controller variation for each of the Turtle brothers: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michaelangelo. The announcement provided no details on the type of pizza we can smell from the controller. I mean, what exactly are we talking about here? Just cheese? Pepperoni? An aromatic supreme pie? Just say it isn't pineapple.

Those who need help getting hungry for a pizza while they game can enter to win one of the controllers pretty easily. Simply follow Xbox Game Pass on Twitter and retweet the official Xbox Game Pass sweepstakes tweet. The giveaway starts on July 24 and lasts through August 13. You can find the full list of rules and eligibility details here.

https://twitter.com/XboxGamePass/status/1683492348234199041

Cowabunga, dude!

The controllers themselves have pretty cool TMNT-themed skins, but the "pizza diffuser" looks a bit off. It kind of looks like one of those plastic doggy squeak toys. This is obviously very gimmicky but I guess it could be cool getting a whiff of pizza-y goodness while playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.

Also part of the event is a new TMNT DLC for Minecraft. The turtles-themed DLC allows you to play as any of the four turtles and explore iconic locations such as the Turtle Lair and fight baddies like Krang.

If you're not confident you will win one of these limited controllers, there's still a chance to smell the 'za. Gamers in the NYC area can head over to the Xbox Gaming Lounge at the Microsoft Experience Center on Fifth Avenue and sniff the controllers from 4-7 p.m. EST on August 2.

The post You can win a…TMNT pizza-scented Xbox controller appeared first on Destructoid.

And I believe it

According to Remnant 2 Principal Designer Ben Cureton, no one has seen or obtained 100% of everything the Souls-like has to offer. My 30-some hours in the game are casual numbers to some, but even still I believe this claim.

"For those that love secrets and exploring, no one has seen or obtained 100% of everything #Remnant2 has to offer," Cureton tweeted. "I'm talking about hardcore players with over 400+ hours, reviewers that had early access, even our own internal developers. No one. Remnant 2 has secrets within secrets within secrets. We made sure obtaining 100% Achievements is very player-friendly and then went far beyond that to keep the game rewarding long after you've hit that goal."

https://twitter.com/verytragic/status/1682061381141446657

Randomization probably plays a bit of a role in this

Almost everything in Remnant 2 is random. Even at the beginning of the game, the first world you adventure to is not linear. Therefore, some of the secrets in the game probably require specific parameters to be met under the right conditions. Honestly, it's one of the things that makes Remnant 2 so great. Every run is different, creating the opportunity for infinite replayability. Some of the maps also have their own unique side-zones that may hold some clues on discovering these unseen secrets.

Even though no one has seen everything just yet, I wonder how long this will hold up once the game releases. As of now, there's still a pretty small pool of players that have played.  I'm sure there will be some explorers and completionists that team up to try and hunt down everything there is to find.

Remnant 2 launches on July 25 on PC, PlayStation  5, and Xbox Series X|S. Those that pre-order the Ultimate Edition get early access and jump into the game on July 21.

The post No one has seen 100% of everything in Remnant 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Whew, what a week it has been for Diablo 4

Diablo 4 Global Community Development Director Adam Fletcher didn't mince words in the recent Campfire Chat.

"We're telling you guys now that we completely hear you loud and clear," Fletcher commented. "We don't plan on doing patches like this ever again, where we're not going to be essentially removing the fun and the player power from players drastically."

Did anyone else have that on their bingo card? Fletcher was joined by Associate Game Director Joe Piepiora and Game Director Joe Shely to tackle this Campfire Chat.

I have to be honest, I overall feel torn. In a lot of ways, the trio said the right things. This was not a great patch, and they know it. They admitted a lapse in communication leading up to such a monumental patch. They clarified the reason for the Vulnerability changes—which I agree with, by the way. Experience gains are getting another rework.

But, in some ways, it also seemed tone-deaf. They admitted we need more stash space, but are only giving us one new stash tab? I think they could double our current stash tab limit and it would still be too limited. Also, how can you admit Sorcerer's got the short end of the stick while still acting like The Oculus isn't a meme Unique?

It was just three days ago that patch 1.1.0 was released for Diablo 4 and brought a heap of nerfs. Calling the patch a disappointment would be an understatement. The purpose of this Campfire Chat was to address player feedback on the patch, and what we can expect moving forward. There's a lot to talk about, so let's jump in.

[caption id="attachment_390556" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

The Good

• An imminent patch is on the way to address some important timely issues. This includes some buffs to Sorcerers and Barbarians that are in a rough spot after patch 1.1.0. There's no exact time frame but that leads to our next good point.
• Another Developer Livestream will be held Next Friday to go over the changes for the upcoming patch, which will follow shortly after. The team admitted they have to improve communication on upcoming patches, and they plan to do so starting immediately.
• The reason behind a lot of the big nerfs and changes was explained. Essentially, the Diablo 4 mission statement is to have a wide variety of viable builds for all classes. They feel they missed the mark on this and are bringing most builds down to a base level so they can balance accordingly. Furthermore, there are some changes coming in terms of end-game difficulty that may make some aspects of Diablo 4 easier. Therefore, they didn't want the experience to become trivial. They want level 100 to feel like an achievement, not a job.
• As a follow-up to the previous point, the team admitted they shouldn't have done everything all at once. It's ok to let some builds stay overpowered while they work to increase build diversity.
• Respec costs are being decreased by 40%. I don't think there should be a cost to respec in the first place, but this is a good middle ground.
• The trio agreed Nightmare Dungeons are too difficult and will be altered so that future Tier 100 dungeons are more similar to current Tier 70 Nightmare Dungeons. A hotfix is coming later today that will decrease the higher difficult tiers.
• Experience gains from level 50-100 is getting an adjustment so that leveling is easier.

[caption id="attachment_382331" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

The "Meh"

• The massive Vulnerability and Cooldown changes—or should I say nerfs—were made because they felt they were overturned and too powerful. After hearing their explanation I do kind of agree with the changes, but that leaves us in a weird spot. Most builds focused on these two because it seemed to be what we were supposed to do at the end game. Without this, what stat are we supposed to be targeting? Lucky hit?
• Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides are getting an increased monster density. This is technically a good move, but why only in these content areas? Higher mob density is a staple for Action RPG games and a great way to feel powerful after successfully perfecting a build.
• The Elixir stack size limit is being increased to 99. This is a good step but nowhere near enough to fix our inventory issues.

[caption id="attachment_392605" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

The Ugly

• A point that was reiterated mostly by Piepiora throughout the stream is that while some of these changes may seem harsh now, it's to achieve a bigger goal in the future. I understand game development is tricky, but as a long-time World of Warcraft player, I can't trust this. Too many changes seemed out-of-touch with the players, only to be told it would make sense in the future. In most cases, this never happened, or Blizzard would backtrack and agree with the original player feedback. I understand this is technically a different team, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that this is only such a big change because Diablo 4 is a live-service game and therefore is still very early on.
• The Oculus is still the Unique Sorcerers get for this season. Sorry, I'm mad about this. This "Unique" is literally a meme.
• Blizzard admits we need more Stash space yet are only giving us one new Stash Tab. This is like someone saying they are very thirsty and you give them an ice cube.

[caption id="attachment_389570" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Future

• Leaderboards are still in the works and are planned to release in Season 3.
• Season 2 will include new ways to specifically target Unique drops.
• An all-new Endgame activity is planned for Season 2.
• More updates for Season 1 are expected after 1.1.1.
• Uber Unique drop rates will be increased in the future

Overall I'd say this can be considered a successful Campfire Chat. I still have my reservations, but I think we can at least reset the doomsday clock.

Blizzard will be hosting another Campfire Chat on July 28 to discuss the details of upcoming patch 1.1.1.

The post Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap: “We don’t plan on doing a patch like this ever again” appeared first on Destructoid.

Out of Beta, into Early Access

The online Action RPG Wayfinder is almost ready for Early Access. After a handful of beta events, Digital Extremes announced Wayfinder will be hitting Early Access on August 15. Founder's Packs will be available in several tiers with each offering access to Wayfinder as well as two seasons of unique rewards. Of course, each founder's pack has its own separate cosmetic rewards as well. The ARPG will launch on both PC (Steam) and PlayStation with full cross-play and cross-save support.

Publisher Digital Extremes and developer Airship Syndicate also unveiled an all-new playable sharpshooter class called the Venomess: here's the trailer showing off the new class and announcing the upcoming Early Access.

https://youtu.be/0TdDWdfhAMU

An interactive Battle Pass that never expires

Each founder's pack will also grant you access to the Season 1 and 2 Reward Towers. This unique battle pass will allow you to choose your own path toward earning unique seasonal rewards. Unlocks from the Rewards Tower include exclusive characters, Sprays, Charms, pets, and other cosmetics. Interestingly, each season's Battle Pass in Wayfinder never expires allowing players to grind it out how they want and when they want.

I had the chance to play in the Wayfinders beta and it definitely shows some promise. The fast-paced combat felt quite satisfying. Also, the varying playstyles of each class provide the potential for true class identity and agency. Overall it was way too mission-based for my liking, but that's exactly what Waframe fans are accustomed to. The ability to team up with friends and blast through high-intensity action in an online setting is great, even if it's not quite MMO-like. Even Warframe opened up into the more traditional MMO experience over time, so perhaps Wayfinder will do its own twist with Airship Syndicate at the helm.

Wayfinder hits early access on PC (Steam) and PlayStation on August 15.

The post Online ARPG Wayfinder hits Early Access in August appeared first on Destructoid.

Grab your popcorn and sit around the campfire

Blizzard will be addressing all the current Diablo 4 drama today in an aptly-timed Campfire Chat stream. The team confirmed that they plan to talk about the recent 1.1.0 patch that left fans unhappy with the current state of Diablo 4 and led to questions regarding the future of the popular Action RPG. I've read over your comments on various D4 posts in the last few days and want to welcome you in joining me around the campfire!

The Diablo 4 Campfire Chat will go live today at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET. You can watch along on Twitch or YouTube. In the past, these Campfire Chats typically last between an hour and an hour and a half. There's definitely a lot to talk about, so I'd expect it to be on the longer end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZuG4Yng4bY

What can we expect?

Most importantly, Diablo Global Community Development Director Adam Fletcher confirmed they plan to address player feedback regarding patch 1.1.0. There were so many changes in the recent update, so I highly doubt everything will be touched on in this stream. It's likely some of the more glaring issues like the experience and vulnerability changes will be discussed.

Also, with Diablo 4 season 1 releasing just yesterday I imagine there will be some discussion in regard to plans for the first post-season update.

I'll be sure to do a recap of the stream afterward as well. Hopefully, we'll all have some good news!

Update: Wow, what a Campfire Chat! Check out our recap of the stream here.

The post Let’s watch today’s Diablo 4 Campfire Chat appeared first on Destructoid.

You can even Mega Evolve into Mega Mewtwo X

Pokemon Unite is celebrating its two-year Anniversary with the release of the Legendary Pokemon Mewtwo.

The mysterious Pokemon will have two different Unite licenses, Unite License X: Mewtwo and Unite License Y: Mewtwo. The former will focus on melee attacks and one-on-one combat while the latter is all about ranged attacks and mobility. A license for Mega Mewtwo X is available now, as part of the Crystal Cave Challenge event that is currently taking place. The license for Mega Mewtwo Y will arrive in mid-august.

Players can fill Mewtwo's Mega gauge via basic attacks and moves. Once the gauge fills up, Mewtwo can Mega Evolve into Mega Mewtwo, gaining new attacks and increased stats before changing back into his normal form.

Mewtwo will join Zacian as the only Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Unite. (Mew is in the game, but falls under the Mythical classification.) The Pokemon Company reiterated they plan to continue gradually increasing the number of Legendary Pokemon in Unite.

[caption id="attachment_392941" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via The Pokemon Company[/caption]

New battle type & Battle Pass 17

A new type of battle is also coming to Pokemon Unite as part of the Anniversary event. Panic Parade ditches the standard 5v5 battle format and tasks players with working together to protect Tinkaton from a horde of panicking Pokemon.

Battle Pass 17 is also live now and will run from July 21 until September 11. The primary rewards from the pass are Captain Style: Greeden and Captain Style: Zacian Holowear. There are also some Captain Set Trainer fashion items you can acquire from this season's pass.

The new ranked match season is also underway and will run through September 11. Players can also predict the top teams for the Pokemon World Championships 2023 and win some cool rewards for doing so.

The post A wild Mewtwo appears in Pokemon Unite appeared first on Destructoid.

There are even breakable body parts

Developers DECK13 have released a new trailer for their upcoming fantasy action RPG Atlas Fallen that primarily highlights its combat. And, I have to admit, it looks very impressive! The battles looks fast-paced and reminds me a lot of the combat in Monster Hunter. I'd say maybe even with a mix of God of War thrown in.

You can target specific body parts on larger enemies like their legs and feet in an effort to incapacitate them and cause them to fall to the ground. Also similar to Monster Hunter, breaking certain body parts can result in unique resources unlocking special crafting options. Here's the combat trailer for Atlas Fallen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGQfhGubWns

In Atlas Fallen, you can have two main weapons equipped at the same time and switch between them to unleash a variety of combos. Throughout the video, we see several weapons with varying styles including a cleaver, whip, and even fist weapons. You evade attacks by rolling and dashing and can even jump high into the air to keep the pressure on bigger enemies.

You also build momentum with each successful attack. Momentum grants you the ability to use special attacks and also empowers your weapon. However, the more momentum you have, the more damage you will take the next time you are hit. I'm excited to see how this risk vs. reward system actually feels in combat.

The trailer also confirmed that Atlas Fallen will be fully playable via online two-player co-op. The entire campaign can be completed with a friend, which will definitely be fun with this style of combat. I always enjoyed teaming up with friends to take down a particularly pesky beast in Monster Hunter.

Atlas Fallen releases on August 10 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post New Atlas Fallen combat trailer gives me Monster Hunter vibes appeared first on Destructoid.

Can Diablo 4's first seasonal patch be saved?

Earlier this week patch 1.1.0 for Diablo 4 dropped in preparation for the first season, Season of the Malignant. But after players resoundingly disapproved of its many changes, Blizzard is hosting a Campfire Chat to talk about all the controversial updates made in patch 1.1.0.

Diablo 4 Campfire Chat set for July 21

A Diablo 4 developer Campfire Chat will take place on July 21 at 11 AM PDT. According to community development director for Diablo Adam Fletcher, they've been hearing the feedback.

"We have been hearing feedback from players regarding some of the changes in 1.1.0 for #DiabloIV," Fletcher tweeted. "We are going to have a Campfire Chat later this week on Friday to talk more about it."

https://twitter.com/PezRadar/status/1681472781563891719

The Campfire Chat will have game director Joe Shely, associate game director Joseph Piepiora, and Flecther on the stream to discuss feedback they've received from the community, and detail what's coming for Diablo 4.

The Season of the Malignant

The first season for the ARPG had immense hype leading up to the patch. The developers had said the patch notes were over 6,600 words, giving many players hope that some big issues would be remedied.

With that big of an update, surely Necromancer minions would get a buff to have a viable summoner build. Surely, the Sorcerer class would get a proper rework to make them no longer the weakest class by far. Leveling to 100 in the pre-season proved to be quite a slog, so there had to be some experience changes on the way to make the leveling experience better, right? Well, I think the folks over on the /r/Diablo4 subreddit sum it up perfectly.

https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/154ka5q/patch_notes_summarised_in_one_line/

Then the patch notes released, and they are very disappointing. In fact, in some cases, these issues were amplified as opposed to remedied. Experience gains were nerfed across the board, including making boosting no longer a thing. The patch as a whole feels like it literally slowed the game down. Overall it feels like monsters die slower while hitting harder. All classes got a pretty hefty nerf, including the already weak Sorcerer.

In many ways, it feels like the game suddenly became less fun. But why? Players were complaining about the experience grind taking a bit too long, not that it needed to be longer. I don't think anyone felt their class was doing too much damage—except maybe this wonky Barbarian Rend Bleed build—and at least not enough to justify such sweeping nerfs. There's even a one-line patch note about increasing the time it takes to teleport out of a dungeon from three seconds to five seconds. Why?

If I've learned anything from being a Blizzard fan for as long as I can remember, it's that this sort of thing can be commonplace. Until recently, World of Warcraft decisions often seemed to be made in spite of players, not with them. The players would complain, and then changes often brought the final results somewhere in the middle. As this is essentially the first big update, we'll learn a lot about the future of Diablo 4 based on what Blizzard does now.

Hopefully, Blizzard listens to the criticism from players. I'd really like to be able to play Diablo 4 for a long time.

The post Blizzard will talk about controversial Diablo 4 patch in Campfire Chat this Friday appeared first on Destructoid.

Season of the Malignant is upon us

Players are not happy with the recent 1.1.0 patch for Diablo 4. Yet regardless of the controversy, the first season of Diablo 4, Season of the Malignant, releases later today. The patch was intended as a supplement to all the new features coming with the new season, so be sure to check out the patch notes if you're interested in the gritty changes.

However, here we're going to take a look at the new content and features introduced with Diablo 4 Season 1, Season of the Malignant.

[caption id="attachment_392606" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

All new questline

As Blizzard promised, the story will move forward with each season of Diablo 4. A new corruption has caused malignant monsters to emerge across Sanctuary. Players will team up with a former priest of the Cathedral of Light named Cormond who has a technique to capture the Hearts of the Malignant Creatures.

In order to embark on this new questline, you must have already completed the campaign. This counts whether you complete the campaign in the new season or if you have already finished it on a pre-season or Eternal Realm character.

You can find Cormond in Kyovashad to begin the new quest.

[caption id="attachment_392607" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Increase power with Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 Season 1

As you capture these corrupted creatures, they will drop their Malignant Heart. Using a new quest item, the Cage of Binding, you can capture the Malignant Heart to gain its power.

This is the primary special feature of the new season. Each Heart will correspond with one of four unique colors and types. The orange Vicious Heart focuses on offensive power, the blue Brutal Heart on defensive power, the pink Devious Heart on utility power, and the black Wrathful Heart on super power. Each Malignant Heart will have its own effect with 32 possibilities. There are four unique Hearts for each class and 12 available to all classes.

Jewelry in this season will no longer have normal sockets but instead malignant sockets. These sockets will correspond with the colors of the Hearts, with the Wrathful Heart fitting in any socket.

Finally, you will be able to salvage the Malignant Hearts that are of no use to you into Ichor. This Ichor can then be used to craft new Hearts, allowing you to try and create one more tailored to your build.

[caption id="attachment_392610" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Delve the Malignant Tunnels to find a brand new boss: Varshan the Consumed

New replayable dungeons have also popped up across Sanctuary in the form of Malignant Tunnels. There are six unique dungeons in total, each full of Malignant Monsters that need to be taken down. Inside you will come across malignant outgrowths. Using an item called Malignant Invokers, you can draw out a fully corrupted enemy from the outgrowth. Defeating the powerful creature will result in them dropping a specific type of Malignant Heart. This feature will allow you to attempt to farm a specific heart type, as opposed to relying entirely on RNG.

Once you've decimated enough Malignant Monsters you will draw out Varshan the Consumed, an all-new boss with Season of the Malignant.

[caption id="attachment_392612" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 Season 1 debuts the Season Journey and Battle Pass

Diablo III players will recognize the return of the Season Journey. This feature is broken into chapters with tasks for you to complete while playing through the season. As you progress, you will unlock season-exclusive rewards such as titles and cosmetics. You will also receive rewards for your seasonal character to help jump-start your experience including Legendary Aspects and consumables.

Completing chapters in your Season Journey will also grant you Favor used to progress the battle pass. There's a free track and a premium track of the battle pass. In total, there are 27 free tiers and 63 premium tiers. The free tiers grant Smoldering Ashes that you spend on Season Blessings which provide you with bonus experience, gold, or obols.

The premium track includes the rewards from the free track as well as some platinum and cosmetics including armor sets, mounts, and mount armor.

If you purchased the Digital Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4, you will have an unlock token for the premium Battle Pass. This token has one use, so make sure the rewards of this Battle Pass are of interest to you before using it!

That is pretty much everything that is coming in Diablo 4 Season 1. Season of the Malignant launches on July 20 at 1PM EST.

The post Breaking down everything coming in Diablo 4 season 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

A step forward in almost every way

The souls-like genre has become extremely prevalent in recent years. Despite the increased popularity, few games have been able to pull off the formula and stand toe-to-toe with Demon Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. Remnant: From the Ashes had a rather modest launch back in 2019, but in the years following acquired somewhat of a cult following. I loved the original, but definitely felt it had room for improvement. Thankfully, Remnant 2 improves on what made Remnant so much fun, while also fixing some of the more glaring flaws.

Oh yeah, and also like the original, Remnant 2 is hard.

[caption id="attachment_392524" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Remnant 2 (PC [reviewed], PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Gunfire Games
Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
Release: July 25, 2023
MSRP: $49.99

After creating a character and going through a brief tutorial, Remnant 2 introduces you to a hub called Ward 13. You'll be spending a lot of time here crafting mods, upgrading weapons, and stocking up on consumables. Here you will also encounter the first Red Crystal. These act as your checkpoints to heal, replenish ammo, and teleport between worlds. If you've played Dark Souls, this is essentially your bonfire. After exploring Ward 13 it's time to visit your first world.

[caption id="attachment_392520" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Welcome to The Labyrinth

Almost everything in Remnant 2 is randomized. I made the mistake of choosing Hunter as the archetype for my first character. Don't get me wrong, Hunter isn't bad, but as a first-choice solo option, there are definitely better picks.

I'll admit, I struggled a bit. I created a new character with the much more solo-friendly Challenger archetype and chose to skip the tutorial since I had already done it. To my surprise, the first and only world I could access from the Red Crystal was different than where I went with my Hunter.  Each world is host to several intricate zones laden with checkpoints and mini-bosses, a familiarity to this genre. At the end of each world is also a final boss that you must defeat in order to complete the world, get some coveted loot, and move on to the next.

After completing your first world you will unlock the labyrinth, an intricate maze of enemies and loot that may hold some answers as to what is going on in the world of Remnant 2. Ironically, despite the name, the Labyrinth is a non-randomized area that connects all of the worlds. As you defeat the final boss of each world you will go back to the Labyrinth and progress the main story and access other worlds.

[caption id="attachment_392521" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Many ways to customize your build

Like the original, Remnant 2 doesn't want you to just complete a world one time and be done with it. You'll want to run them again to farm better loot, while also continuing to level your character. Leveling up unlocks skills and perks specific to your archetype. You'll also receive trait points which can be used to further progress your character.

At the start, you only have a handful of traits to put your points into such as Vigor to increase your health, Endurance to increase your stamina, and Expertise to reduce your skill cooldown. But as you progress you will also unlock new traits that allow you to further specialize your build. A brand new character will look similar to those of the same archetype; with the same skill, starting weapons, and traits. However, once you're hours in, two characters of the same build will look drastically different.

Alongside the traits, you also have equipment slots to help create the build you want. This includes four different armor types, a primary, secondary, and melee weapon, an amulet, and four rings. Obviously weapons are important, but your amulet and rings can really change up your playstyle based on what you find. You can also find and customize new relics which act as your healing potion with some added effects.

Of course, what you acquire to build around will be random. This can be both a pro and a con in my opinion. It's an added difficulty to adapt to what the game gives you. But on the downside, it can really cause some tedium when you're trying to build your character a certain way but simply aren't getting the drops that resonate accordingly.

[caption id="attachment_392523" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Still better with a friend

If you played Remnant: From the Ashes you'll probably agree that as fun as the game is solo, it's infinitely better co-op. Remnant 2 makes the solo experience a lot more interesting—and possible, for that matter—but the multiplayer is still where the game shines. Any time you are at a Red Crystal you can join a multiplayer session. There's even a quick match option to get you right into the action.

Even though the gunplay in Remnant 2 is fair for the most part, there are definitely encounters and even areas that feel tuned for a co-op setting. The game certainly doesn't require you to play with others, but it definitely makes it easier and usually even more fun! I can't tell you how many times I just got surrounded due to a horde of enemies beelining me before I could thin their numbers a bit.

Some archetypes even specialize in co-op gameplay. For example, the Hunter can be a powerhouse in terms of damage if given the ability to sit at a range and lineup shots. As you can imagine, this is much easier to do when playing with others. But if you're all alone like I was with my first character, it's almost a guarantee you're going to find yourself overwhelmed and unable to take advantage of your strengths.

[caption id="attachment_392526" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Incredible world(s) design and score

As much as I enjoyed the cinematography and scope of the world design in Remnant: From the Ashes, the team really knocked it out of the park with Remnant 2. There are multiple worlds you'll find yourself progressing through, each with a unique setting and story that really immersed me.

My personal favorite is probably N'Erud. A technologically advanced species called the Drzyr mastered time and space and constructed N'Erud as part home and part spacefaring craft. However, before finding other sentient life they encountered the center of the universe. Here they found a supermassive black hole. Determined that the secrets to the universe lie on the other side, the Drzyr entered the black hole only to find their civilization destroyed immediately. Only Tal'Ratha the Astropath survived the event and helps guide you through the now derelict N'Erud as you try to salvage what's left.

Throughout Remnant 2 you will also encounter a few familiar worlds including Yaesha, home of the Root invasion. While the Root definitely plays a role in Remnant 2, it isn't the only sinister force at play. The storytelling in Remnant 2 shines brightest when focusing on the individual happenings in each world. The overarching main storyline, unfortunately, does not hold up as well. It moves along at a snail's pace and due to the systematic structure of replaying worlds to progress, the main story quickly feels like it's not going anywhere.

Also, I just want to point out how awesome the music is in Remnant 2. Each world has its own sort of underlying musical theme, and the intense battle music often got me pumped for battle. Even the main menu music is top-notch. I accidentally left the game open while working on this review and kept it that way just to enjoy the epic track.

[caption id="attachment_392528" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Overall, Remnant 2 is a sequel done right

As I said, Remnant 2 does have some flaws. The main story feels very lackluster, and the randomization can very easily lead to a not-so-fun experience. But these are essentially the same flaws that Remnant: From the Ashes had on a lesser scale. Gunfire Games took the highlights from the original game—the gunplay, the boss fights, the build variety—and amplified them.

I can honestly say I can't wait to jump in with friends and work together to try and optimize each other's builds as a coherent team.

If you were a fan of Remnant: From the Ashes, chances are you already planned to pick up Remnant 2. If you haven't played the original but are a fan of souls-like games, or even rogue-likes like Risk of Rain 2 or Returnal, this will be right up your alley. At times it can be an extremely challenging experience, even on the easiest difficulty. But that's also what makes it so rewarding when you finally kill that boss and obtain its loot. Even if, as is likely, it's not something you plan on using.

The post Review: Remnant 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Palia gameplay first look shows off fishing, hunting, gardening, and more

The term "social MMO" is always a scary one for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea. But in practicality, many games have tried but none have quite succeeded in creating a fun social MMO. I've been following Palia since it got announced a couple of years ago. The developer, Singularity 6, is made up of industry veterans from companies like Blizzard, Riot, Zynga, and Sony. With that sort of track record, it seems like this team is well-set to pull off their goal.

Earlier today Singularity 6 gave the world an official first look at the gameplay in Palia. And while I certainly still have some questions, I can at least say I'm excited to move into Kilima Village and explore the world of Palia.

[caption id="attachment_392344" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Singularity 6/YouTube[/caption]

Did you say fishing?

There's an old saying, that an MMO is only as good as its fishing system. Not really, but there's clearly something really fun about a well-done fishing mechanic in an MMO. Even Destiny 2 recently added fishing with their Season of the Deep. The fishing in Palia looks very chill and relaxing, especially when you add the social component.

You see, fishing with friends isn't just for the camaraderie in Palia. Fishing near friends causes you both to receive a buff to angling over time. Furthermore, if you spot someone struggling to reel in a tough catch, you can literally cheer them on, helping them successfully bag the fish. Apparently, more than one person can offer encouragement. I can't wait to have a crowd around me cheering me on as I wipe the sweat from my brow and hoist a small sunfish over my head.

[caption id="attachment_392353" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Singularity 6/YouTube[/caption]

It's not all about the fish

As excited as I am to get the friends together and go fishing, that's not all Palia showed off in its first gameplay reveal. Palia isn't your traditional MMO where you slay monsters for experience while leveling up and acquiring loot. Instead, you will enhance a variety of life skills like fishing, hunting, gardening, cooking, crafting, and more. All of this, while in a social setting where you can play in a world of up to 25 total players.

The gameplay reminds me a lot of games like Animal Crossing and even Stardew Valley, with the player tackling mini-games to successfully complete tasks like cooking up a new recipe or crafting a new piece of furniture. As you continue to practice your craft you will level up and unlock new things to do as well as more efficient methods of completing such tasks.

Look, I know Palia isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's certainly not the next World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV. But is that really such a bad thing? If World of Warcraft Classic or FF14 has taught me anything, it's that the social aspects of an MMO are often what makes the experience so great. And in a game focused on that exact thing? All I can say is sign me up. I'll meet you on the pier with a rod in hand.

If you're interested in checking out Palia, PC players can sign up to join their closed beta test on August 2. An open beta takes place on August 10.

The post Social MMO Palia’s gameplay reveal left me excited to fish appeared first on Destructoid.

How HD will the Lombax be?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is finally coming to PC via Steam on July 26. In preparation for the launch, the team responsible for the port posted the adventure platformer's PC specs in a PlayStation Blog post. With the port, Nixxes Software is also adding some new features to enhance the game.

In an effort to enable quick loading and instant transition between areas, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will include DirectStorage. This technology allows NVMe Solid State Drives, SATA Solid State Drives, and some traditional hard disk drives to quickly decompress and load textures.

Furthermore, the PC port will also feature Ray-Traced Ambient Occlusion with multiple quality levels to choose from. Finally, Nixxes Software has implemented Intel's XeGTAO technology.

“XeGTAO generates a very high-resolution ambient occlusion that shows even the smallest details in geometry,” says Nixxes Software Graphics Programmer Menno Bil. “Overall, the output quality of XeGTAO is very high and results in a pleasant look.”

[caption id="attachment_392284" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nixxes Software[/caption]

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart PC System Requirements

These are the recommended system requirements for all the graphics settings from Very Low to High with Ray-tracing.

1. Very Low (Minimum)
   • Average Performance: 720p @ 30 FPS
   • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 470
   • CPU: Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100
   • RAM: 8GB
   • OS: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1909 or higher)
   • Storage: 75 GB HDD Space (SSD Recommended)
2. Medium (Recommended)
   • Average Performance: 1080p @ 60 FPS
   • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700
   • CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
   • RAM: 16GB
   • OS: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1909 or higher)
   • Storage: 75 GB SSD space
3. High
   • Average Performance: 1440p @ 60 FPS (4K @ 30 FPS)
   • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800
   • CPU: Intel Core i5-11400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600
   • RAM: 16GB
   • OS: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1909 or higher)
   • Storage: 75 GB SSD space
4. High (with Amazing Ray Tracing)
   • Average Performance: 1440p @ 60FPS (4K @ 30 FPS)
   • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
   • CPU: Intel Core i5-11600K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
   • RAM: 16GB
   • OS: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1909 or higher)
   • Storage: 75 GB SSD space
5. High (with Ultimate Ray Tracing)
   • Average Performance: 4K @ 60 FPS
   • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
   • CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
   • RAM: 32GB
   • OS: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1909 or higher)
   • Storage: 75 GB SSD space

The post also states that details regarding ray-tracing support for AMD GPUs will be coming soon.

The post Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart PC specs revealed appeared first on Destructoid.

New Uniques, Legendary Aspects, and more

Diablo 4's season 1, Season of the Malignant, is just around the corner. We already knew the first season planned to bring some pretty big changes, but with the Diablo 4 version 1.1.0 patch notes releasing on July 18 we can now see the full scope of the update. Alongside the release of the patch notes, you can also now download Patch 1.1.0 on all platforms. The update is 9GB on PC and 11GB on consoles.

First and foremost, six new Unique items—including one Uber Unique—and seven new Legendary Aspects are in the update. Each class will receive its own new Unique alongside the Ahavarion Spear of Lycander, a super rare drop Uber Unique Staff from World Tier 4. The staff grants you a random shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. This effect can only occur once every 30 seconds.

Furthermore, there are a ton of bug fixes and overall gameplay updates. There are some pretty big quality-of-life updates here including Altar of Lilith unlocks and Map discoveries being account wide. Support has been added to the PC version for the PS5 Dual Sense controller. Experience gains, gold drops, and item drops have been increased across the board.

Finally, all of the classes have had a balance check resulting in some nerfs and buffs. Most of this stuff will have to be playtested to get a full idea how the changes will play out, but at a glance it looks like a rough day to be a Rogue and a disappointing day to be a Sorcerer.

[caption id="attachment_392308" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 1.1.0 patch notes for July 18th update

This is a big update with a ton of patch notes. You can view the full list of patch notes here. If you want to see the exact changes, we've included them below.

New Unique Items and Legendary Aspects

New Unique items and Legendary Aspects have been discovered in Sanctuary. Use them to enhance your characters in the Eternal or Seasonal Realm. These Unique items can be obtained from World Tier IV and the Legendary Aspects can be obtained from any World Tier.

6 Unique Items

General

• Ahavarion Spear of Lycander (Uber Unique Staff – World Tier 4): Gain a random Shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. Can only occur once every 30 seconds.

Barbarian

• Azurewrath (Unique Sword): Lucky Hit - Your Core Skills have up to a 20% chance to Freeze enemies for 3 seconds and deal 0.75-1.5 Cold damage to them.

Druid

• Fleshrender (Unique One-Hand Mace): Debilitating Roar and Blood Howl deal 0.5-1.0 damage to Nearby Poisoned enemies.

Necromancer

• Lidless Wall (Unique Shield): Lucky Hit - While you have an active Bone Storm, hitting an enemy outside of a Bone Storm has up to a 5-25% chance to spawn an additional Bone Storm at their location. Each of your active Sacrifice bonuses increases the chance by 25% and the total number of additional Bone Storms you can have by +1.

Rogue

• Eaglehorn (Unique Bow): Penetrating Shot has a 30-80% chance to fire an arrow that bounces off walls and scenery. Hitting enemies from behind with Penetrating Shot will make them Vulnerable for 3 seconds.

Sorcerer

• The Oculus (Unique Wand): Gain the effect of the Teleport Enchantment for free. When you Evade using Teleport Enchantment, you are taken to a random location.

7 New Legendary Aspects

General

• Audacity (Utility Aspect): When there are at least 5 Close enemies, Stun them for 2-4 seconds. This can only occur once every 20 seconds.
• Craven (Mobility Aspect): You gain 20-40% increased Movement Speed when moving away from Slowed or Chilled enemies.

Barbarian

• Ancestral Charge (Offensive Aspect): Charge calls forth 4 Ancients who also Charge, dealing 50-100% of normal damage.

Druid

• Subterranean (Offensive Aspect): Poison Creeper’s active also casts Landslide in a circle around you. Earth Skills deal 10-20% increased damage to Poisoned enemies.

Necromancer

• Gore Quills (Offensive Aspect): Blood Lance will consume Blood Orbs to also conjure lances from them. Each additional Blood Lance deals 20-50% of normal damage and prioritizes targeting un-lanced enemies.

Rogue

• Pestilent Points (Offensive Aspect): Every third cast of Puncture is Poison Imbued with 100-150% of normal potency.

Sorcerer

• Searing Wards (Offensive Aspect): After spending 200-100 Mana your next Firewall is free to cast and will destroy incoming Small Missiles.

Bug Fixes

Accessibility

• Made various improvements from an accessibility perspective—primarily, many fixes to the Screen Reader where it failed to read specific elements.

Challenges

• Fixed multiple issues where specific Challenges wouldn’t provide the proper rewards or could not be completed.
• Fixed multiple issues where certain Challenges could be progressed through unintended means.
• Fixed multiple issues where players could gain progress for certain Challenges through the actions of other nearby players.
• Fixed multiple instances where activities that should count towards the criteria for some Challenges were not counted.
• Fixed an issue where players would not receive notifications for when one of their friends completed a Challenge.
• Fixed an issue where Feats of Strength were not accounted for when calculating Challenge completion percentage.
• The Feat of Strength, Final Slayer of the First Mother, now requires you to slay the Level 100 Pinnacle boss solo. The Silence is Hellish challenge remains unchanged.
• Fixed an issue where The Feats of Strength, One of the First and Earliest Experience, did not display all the titles they rewarded.

Cooperative Play

• Fixed an issue where the camera wasn’t functioning properly when players were far apart in Local Co-Op.
• Fixed an issue where NPC conversation boxes would overlap if multiple Local Co-Op players talked to the same NPC at the same time.
• Fixed an issue where the Rogue's Inner Sight would only fill up for one of the players in a Co-Op session.
• Fixed an issue where the Dark Potential challenge would be granted to both players when either player completed it, regardless of the other player's progress.
• Fixed multiple instances where quest progress would not properly synchronize, or quest progression could be blocked for Local Co-Op players.
• Fixed multiple issues that occurred during cutscenes for Co-Op players.

Dungeons

• Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to receive enough animus to progress through the Hallowed Ossuary dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Stone carving in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon would duplicate.
• Fixed an issue where the Monster Regen affix in a Nightmare Dungeon would also affect structures in that dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Goatman and Shambling Corpse enemies would continuously respawn in the Forsaken Quarry dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Sentinel enemies would not have weapons in the Bastion of Faith dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Bastion of Faith dungeon could sometimes not be completed.
• Fixed an issue where the player could respawn behind a barrier in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the map for the Crusader's Cathedral dungeon was incomplete.
• Fixed an issue where the Curse of Indolence and the Curse of the Weak would stack even while the player was dead in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon.
• Fixed multiple instances where the Fog Door could not be progressed through in some dungeons.
• Fixed an issue where the Monster Thorns affix in Nightmare Dungeons was reflecting Physical damage, it will now properly reflect non-physical damage.
• Fixed an issue where Blood Boils would not properly spawn in the Kor Dragan Barracks dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where Traps would deal more damage than intended.
• Fixed an issue where level scaling in the Level 100 Pinnacle dungeon was inconsistent.
• Fixed an issue where the Awakened Glyphstone wouldn’t spawn if the party leader left the dungeon before the dungeon was completed.

Gameplay

Barbarian

• Fixed an issue where the number of enemies to defeat for the Barbarian Class quest Masters of Battle was not displayed.
• Fixed an issue where Iron Maelstrom could be cast more than 3 times rapidly casting War Cry.
• Fixed an issue where stacking the Berserk Ripping, Skullbreaker, and Anemia aspects would allow the player to deal extreme amounts of damage.
• Fixed an issue where the outer edge of the quakes granted to Hammer of the Ancients via The Aspect of Ancestral Echoes was dealing far more damage than intended.

Druid

• Fixed an issue where Earth skills and the Pulverize skill would consume two Overpower buffs simultaneously.
• Fixed an issue where the bonus effect on Blood Howl from Nighthowler's Aspect would apply twice to Wolf companions but not at all for Ravens.
• Fixed an issue where Provocation passive stacks wouldn't update properly after adding more points to it.
• Fixed an issue where the automatic transformation from Insatiable Fury would cause the Ursine Strength key passive to not proc consistently.
• Fixed an issue where the Enhanced Pulverize buff would not remove itself while in town.
• Fixed an issue where seeking Tornados produced by Stormchaser's Aspect would not deal damage.
• Fixed an issue where Ravens' passive damage did not improve after the skill was upgraded.
• Fixed an issue where Rabies would deal no damage while standing very close to an enemy.
• Fixed an issue where Stormclaw's Aspect allowed Shred to do extreme amounts of damage.

Necromancer

• Fixed an issue where Necromancers could not obtain daggers from the Purveyor of Curiosities.
• Fixed an issue where the Necromancer’s Minions would have their life bonuses deactivated while in town.
• Fixed an issue where Bone Spear cast through Chilling Wind from an Elite enemy would increase the number of generated Echoes for that cast.
• Fixed an issue where Enhanced Bone Spear could cause erratic movement.
• Fixed an issue where cancelling Blood Mist when it's already off Cooldown would immediately recast it.

Rogue

• Fixed an issue where Shadow Step wouldn’t trigger the Aspect of Uncanny Treachery if the target was killed.
• Fixed an issue where Advanced Penetrating shot would not knock down other players in PvP play.
• Fixed an issue where Twisting Blades would not come back when the ability killed a Bloated Corpsefiend enemy.
• Fixed an issue where the Dash skill would not move the full distance if targeting an enemy while using a controller.
• Fixed an issue where the Eldritch Bounty Paragon node granted bonus resistances incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where Rapid Fire had an extra arrow VFX that behaved erratically.
• Fixed an issue where the Awakened Glyphstone wouldn't spawn for Rogue players using Improved Barrage.

Sorcerer

• Fixed an issue where the Firebolt Enchantment effect did not contribute to the Combustion key passive.
• Fixed an issue where the passive stacks generated by Align the Elements could partially reset in an unexpected way.
• Fixed an issue where casting Deep Freeze would prevent the Ice Shard Enchantment effect from triggering.
• Fixed an issue where Aspect of Control was applying its damage bonus 3 times for Staggered bosses.
• Fixed an issue where the Gravitational Aspect was appearing weaker on two-handed weapons or amulets.
• Fixed an issue where the Enchantment effect for Chain Lightning had no visual tracking bonus and could also unexpectedly drop off.
• Fixed an issue where Incinerate would immediately cost 30 mana when cast in addition to the consistent channeling mana cost. Incinerate now properly only costs mana as it is being channeled.

General

• Fixed multiple instances where players could unnaturally teleport during boss encounters.
• Fixed an issue where a chest in the Western Ways could be interacted with infinitely.
• Fixed an issue where the Eriman NPC couldn’t be interacted with in certain situations.
• Fixed an issue where otherwise breakable objects in the world would not be broken when evading through them.
• Fixed multiple instances where the player could avoid damage from bosses if they positioned themselves in a specific location.
• Fixed an issue where Forged Relics could not be interacted with.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with a Cold, Bleeding, Burning, or Corruption affix would freeze players in 1 hit in Nightmare Dungeons with the Cold Enchanted affix.
• Fixed an issue where Cold Enchanted monsters froze players more often than intended in higher World Tiers.
• Fixed an issue where a chest could spawn that would provide infinite loot.

Helltide and the Fields of Hatred

• Fixed an issue where the player could be damaged by the Helltide firestorm while standing in Jirandai.
• Fixed an issue where enemies resurrected by Shamans would continuously drop Aberrant Cinders in Helltide.
• Fixed an issue where Chain Lightning could bounce infinitely between the caster and other player characters standing in a Fields of Hatred town.
• Fixed an issue where Crackling Energy could hit other players in a Fields of Hatred town. (We know, shocking!)
• Fixed an issue where players could not see other players that they should when re-entering the Alzuuda Fields of Hatred Zone.
• Fixed an issue where certain areas in the Fields of Hatred would be incorrectly flagged as a Town, rendering players unable to cast Skills while still being able to be damaged.

Items and Aspects

• Fixed an issue where the Cost reduction bonus from the Ring of Starless Skies could unexpectedly drop off.
• Fixed an issue where the Aspect of the Protector would trigger its barrier effect after destroying a breakable object.
• Fixed an issue where the Ring of Misfortune had incorrect stats.
• Fixed an issue where the Ember Staff weapon didn’t apply the bonus damage to Crowd Controlled enemies, which is inherent for all Stave-type weapons.
• Fixed an issue where any character menu interaction would reset the bonus granted by the Inner Calm aspect.
• Fixed an issue where the Maximum Life affix on the Mark of the Conclave quest item was scaling improperly.
• Fixed an issue where Aspect power would also increase when upgrading an item at the Blacksmith.
• The level requirement for Sacred Items will now cap at level 60.
• The level requirement for Ancestral Items will now cap at level 80.
• Fixed an issue where the Mother's Embrace Unique Ring did not trigger properly with several abilities.

Monsters

• Fixed an issue where items of higher power than intended were dropping from rare monsters.
• Fixed an issue where the Warg's jumping attack dealt no damage when passing through the player.
• Fixed an issue where the Pitiless Gur monster would endlessly run around in circles.
• Fixed an issue where the lightning-enhanced Champion Goatman would fail to deal damage to the player.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with the Suppressor Affix would be immune to damage from abilities that started initially outside the immunity circle (Ex: when a Barbarian started a Whirlwind cast before getting within proper range of the Suppressor monster).
• Fixed an issue where clones of a monster with the Suppressor affix could also have the Suppressor affix.
• Fixed an issue where Treasure Goblins would behave erratically if initially engaged from a long distance.
• Fixed multiple other issues where monster behavior could not perform properly and could be exploited in some cases.

Quests and Events

• Fixed an issue where the progress bar could not fill during the Caravan Under Siege event.
• Fixed an issue where the Putrid Remains enemies could remain idle during the Defiled Ground event.
• Fixed an issue where Champion enemies could not spawn during the Ancient Obelisk event.
• Fixed multiple issues where using Traversals could cause Elite and Boss monsters to disappear during multiple events.
• Fixed an issue where Radiant and Greater Radiant chests would not spawn when completing the Fearful Bones event.
• Fixed an issue where the Cursed Chest event could not be completed.
• Fixed an issue where the Defiled Ground even in Hawezar would have a respawn point much further away than intended.
• Fixed an issue where unique drowned enemies spawned during events in the Forgotten Coastline could be invulnerable to damage.
• Fixed an issue where the Suppressor Monster Affix's effects would be active on containers and furniture inside the dungeon during the Remnants quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player could teleport through the Ancient Gate and block progression during the Storming the Gates quest.
• Fixed an issue where progression could be blocked during the Flesh and Blood quest.
• Fixed an issue where quest dungeons did not reset if the associated quest was abandoned.
• Fixed an issue where the quest tracker would be missing if the player re-entered the game during the Picking Through the Bones quest.
• Fixed an issue where not enough monsters would spawn to fulfill the requirements for completing the Hungering Necrolyte's Cache quest.
• Fixed an issue where an enemy was missing when progressing through the Lost Archives dungeon during the Legacy of the Magi quest.
• Fixed an issue where the Immemorial Inscription could not be read during the Augury of Bones quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player character couldn’t face to speak to an NPC when initiating dialogue for multiple quests.
• Fixed an issue where the ghost body of Bakira could remain visible after being defeated during the True Potential Rogue class quest.
• Fixed an issue where outside party members could influence the progression of the Bad Blood quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player could be blocked from reentering the boss’ area after dying during the fight against Elias in the Piercing the Veil quest.
• Fixed various other issues where quest progression could be blocked.

User interface and User Experience

• Fixed an issue where the mini-map didn’t accurately depict the game world during the The Blind Eye quest.
• Fixed an issue where the map was incomplete for the Loch Raeth region in Scosglen.
• Fixed an issue where a portion of the map was invisible in the Exalter Terrace dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Mad Bomber title would not display for enemies encountered through the Whisper of the same name.
• Fixed an issue where articles in the News Feed could not be opened using Mouse & Keyboard.
• Fixed an issue where the You have cross network play enabled message was being sent to chat each time a campaign quest objective was completed.
• The Cult Leader Paragon passive no longer appears above hostile Minions in PvP.
• Fixed an issue where the bonus from the Ballistic Aspect displayed +0 to skills instead of +2 on the bonus bar.
• Fixed an issue where Sigil sorting was inconsistent between Inventory and the Stash.
• Fixed an issue where the Social tab on the Action Wheel editing window would be skipped when navigating on Controller.
• Fixed an issue where the amount of gold would not properly display when trading gold in large quantities.
• Fixed an issue where item comparison numbers would be inaccurate if the item in question had a Gem socketed that granted a stat that was also present on the base of the item.
• Fixed an issue where images would not properly load in the News Feed on the main menu.
• Fixed multiple issues with Map Pin functionality.
• Fixed multiple issues where Quest and Whisper markers weren't displaying properly.
• Various improvements to the consistency and clarity of Messaging, Skill description, and Tooltips.
• Various other UI and UX Improvements.

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where the Completion music for defeating Avarice could start playing before the boss was defeated. (Always confirm your kills before celebrating, wanderers)
• Fixed an issue where players couldn't send Battle.net friend requests to friends playing on console.
• Fixed an issue where players could confirm if Hardcore mode was enabled after logging in with a new character.
• Fixed an issue where players that haven't unlocked a higher World Tier could be invited into a higher World Tier party.
• Fixed an issue where players couldn't transfer leadership of a Clan.
• Fixed an issue where the sender of the party invite would not be informed that the invite failed due to incompatibility with campaign prologue progress.
• Fixed an issue where Nafain's spear would duplicate in the cutscene where the player picks it up.
• Fixed an issue where Meshif's camel made no noises.
• Fixed an issue where there was no sound when Lorath kicks Meshif awake.
• Various other Improvements.

Loading Screen Updates

We've added more dynamic loading screens with the release of Season of the Malignant. This includes adding more assets to the loading screen, such as your player character.

Gameplay Updates

General

• Altar of Lilith Unlocks are now account wide.
• Map discovery is now account wide.
• Whispers will no longer reward Sigil Dust.
• Overall loot quality has been significantly improved for Silent Chests.
• The channel time for the Leave Dungeon ability has been increased from 3 to 5 seconds.
• We have generally reduced the tendency for many monsters to move around in combat, so that melee characters don't have to chase down their enemies as much.
• Added PS5 Dual Sense Edge Wireless controller support for PC.

World Tier

• World Tier II has had the following bonuses added:
  • Bonus Gold: Increased from 15% to 20%.
  • Monsters now drop 15% more items.
• Level scaling inside dungeons and most overworld territories has been adjusted in World Tiers III and IV. Monsters will begin to trail behind the player in Level after a certain point (up to a maximum of 5 Levels behind). This change does not affect World Bosses, Legion Events, Fields of Hatred, Helltide, or Nightmare Dungeons.

World Tier III Example:

• If the the player's Level is below 55, the monster's Level is 55.
• If the player’s Level is 56-60, the monster’s Level is 55.
• If the player’s Level is 61, the monster’s Level is 56.
• If the player’s Level is 62, the monster’s Level is 57, etc. (from this point the monsters will always be -5 until World Tier III's max monster Level of 70).

World Tier IV Example:

• If the player’s Level is below 75, the monster’s Level is 75.
• If the player’s Level is 76-80, the monster Level is 75.
• If the player’s Level is 81, the monster’s Level is 76.
• If the player’s Level is 82, the monster’s Level is 77, etc. (from this point the monsters will always be -5).

Experience

• Reward experience for completing Whispers in World Tiers III and IV has been significantly increased.
• We are adjusting bonus experience rewards for killing monsters that are a higher Level than the player.
  • Pre-Season of the Malignant bonuses:
    • 1 Level higher: +15%.
    • 2 Levels higher: +20%.
    • 3+ Levels higher: +25%.
  • Post-Season of the Malignant:
    • 1.5% bonus per Level up to 10 Levels.
      • Ex:
        • +1 level: +1.5%.
        • +2 levels: +3%.
        • +10 levels: +15%.
• We are also adjusting experience rewards for monster Level offsets for higher World Tiers.
  • Current World Tier Level offsets
    • World Tier II: Up to +3.
    • World Tier III: Up to +10.
    • World Tier IV: Up to +100.
  • We are changing this to
    • World Tier II: Up to +3 (Unchanged).
    • World Tier III: Up to +6.
    • World Tier IV: Up to +10.
  • For Example:
    • You are Level 1. Your friends bring you to World Tier IV and leave you at the entrance of a dungeon. They start killing Level 100 monsters.
      • Prior to Season of the Malignant, you get:
        • (Level 100 Monster XP) * (1 + 25%)
      • After Season of the Malignant, you get:
        • (Level 11 Monster XP) * (1 + 15%)

Helltide

• Helltide monsters are now 3 Levels higher than the player instead of 2.
• The Tortured Gift of Mysteries chest has had its cost increased to 250 Aberrant Cinders from 175.
• All interactable objects in Helltide zones now have a small chance of dropping Aberrant Cinders.

The post Diablo 4 1.1.0 patch notes are live ahead of Season 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

No more item drops way over your level

Diablo 4 Season 1 is already full of updates aimed at improving the overall quality of life for players. But a recent tweet by the Associate Game Director of Diablo 4, Joseph Piepora, indicates another big change is coming. Starting in Season of the Malignant, Sacred Items will have a level requirement cap of 60, and Ancestral Items will have a level requirement cap of 80.

In the current system, these items have no such cap meaning you can be level 55 and get a Sacred Item drop that requires level 65. Levels don't come quite so easily in Diablo 4, so it makes it hard to get excited about something you can't use for potentially days. It's always bittersweet when you see a cool drop, only to realize you won't be using it any time soon.

[caption id="attachment_388914" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Why is this such a big deal?

With the improved item level requirement caps, it will be a more streamlined process of gearing. Each item tier will now essentially have its own bracket. Sacred Items will essentially be used up to level 60, after which you will begin looking for Ancestral Items.

It will also be a lot easier to obtain endgame gear for alt characters. If you are on a level 100 character in the existing format, you can get a nice Ancestral Item drop for another character, but it may require level 100. With the new system, the absolute highest item level requirement for such an item would be 80.

Honestly, the existing item-level cap system doesn't make much sense. It was probably more of an overlook on the part of Blizzard rather than an intended feature. This is just another overall win in the quality of life department for Diablo 4. Now all I want to see is some Sorcerer reworks.

Diablo 4's first seasonal update, Season of the Malignant, launches on all platforms on July 20.

The post Diablo 4 season 1 bringing a big change to item level requirements appeared first on Destructoid.

The second half of Xbox Game Pass for July brings mostly indie games

While the first half of July saw Xbox Game Pass add some bigger titles like Grand Theft Auto V and Exoprimal, the second half update looks to be mostly indie games.

Today specifically will see three new games added including Techtonica as a day one release. The wholesome photography game TOEM is also available starting today, which our own Editor-at-Large CJ Andriessen considers a well-crafted jaunt through a charming world.

At the end of the month, the narrative cooking game Venba will also be added to Game Pass as a day one release. On August 1, the challenging platformer Celeste will appear, which Destructoid scored a 10 back when it was released in 2018.

Additionally, Game Pass owners can grab some DLC this month. With Naraka: Bladepoint going free-to-play, all Game Pass members get a free upgrade to the Deluxe Edition.

I'm personally excited to check out the city-building simulation game The Wandering Village. I missed out on it when it launched, but something about building a settlement on the back of a roaming colossal creature just sounds like a good time.

Here’s the full list of games added to Xbox Game Pass in the second half of July.

[caption id="attachment_392266" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Stray Fawn Studio[/caption]

Added today to Xbox Game Pass (July 18, 2023):

• Techtonica (Cloud, Console, and PC) * Day one with Game Pass
• Toem (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Cave (Cloud and Console)

Heading to Xbox Game Pass the week of July 19, 2023:

• Maquette, July 19 (Console and PC)
• Figment 2: Creed Valley, July 20 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Wandering Village, July 20 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Heading to Xbox Game Pass the week of July 26, 2023:

• Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, July 25 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
• Venba, July 31 (Console and PC) * Day one with Game Pass
• Celeste, August 1 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post Xbox Game Pass July update adds Toem, Venba and more appeared first on Destructoid.