First-Person Shooters

Bullet (drop) to the head.

By David Jagneaux @ IGN

It seems weird to me that after about 20 years of military shooters, so few of them really focus on sniping. Plenty of movies have highlighted snipers as lethal and heroic soldiers, but very few game franchises go through the effort — with one of those few staples being Sniper Ghost Warrior. While Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 was a major departure for the franchise by expanding things into an open-world setting, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts scales things back to a mission-based format once again.

Read on…

Source: Blue’s News

War in the Pacific is now available for Battlefield V, adding new content to the World War II shooter. This page promises all you need to know about this along with this trailer and a reminder that another free weekend for the game kicks off tomorrow. For newcomers to the game, they also announce the availability of a new Battlefield V Year 2 Edition that includes some additions they outline below:

The Battlefield V Year 2 Edition arms you with the base game and its vast arsenal, together with a catch-up of all weapons and vehicles rewarded across year one of the Battlefield V Tides of War Chapters (Chapter 1 to 4). On top of that, you’ll get to customize your Company with two Epic soldier outfits and stand out on the battlefield with the most popular weapon and vehicle skins rewarded during the year.

Let’s break it down. Below is the content of the Battlefield V Year 2 Edition.

Battlefield V base game: WW2 as you’ve never seen it before. Deploy into all-out war multiplayer and experience gripping single-player War Stories.

In addition to all the base game weapons, vehicles, and outfits, you’ll also get these Tides of War rewards from year one:

• 17 Primary Weapons: Powerful firearms you missed during Tides of War await, including the Boys AT Rifle, MAB 38, ZK-383, and many more.
• 4 Vehicles: Pilot heavy machinery including the Archer tank destroyer and three other vehicles rewarded during the year.
• 2 Epic Soldier Outfits: Fight with flair with the Double Down and Baron von Zorn uniforms.
• 10 Weapon Skins: Adorn your arsenal with Epic skins like the Napalm and White Tiger.
• 4 Vehicle Skins: Give vehicles like the Stug IV and Spitfire Mk VB paint jobs of the Epic kind.

Over $600 Million sell-through in the game’s first three days

Source: Activision Blog

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare had more than $600 million in sell-through worldwide in its first three days of release. The title has sold more units in its first three days than any other Call of Duty game sold in its first three days in this console generation, and is the top-selling new premium game release of 2019. Modern Warfare also established a new record as the #1 top-selling digital opening in Activision history. With its blockbuster launch, in its first three days of release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare more than doubled the box office opening of Joker.

Modern Warfare set new records on the PlayStation Network for the highest digital pre-orders and highest three-day digital sales ever on PlayStation 4. Modern Warfare also has become the #1 top-selling Call of Duty PC launch ever, as opening weekend PC sales on Blizzard Battle.net were significantly up over last year.

“Through the first three days, Modern Warfare has more total players and total hours played than any Call of Duty opening release in the last six years. More importantly, our players are having a great time playing,” said Rob Kostich, president, Activision. “Congratulations to Infinity Ward and all our teams involved on an incredible game and its spectacular launch. We also want to thank the community for your incredible support. The launch of Modern Warfare is only the start. There’s much more to come.”

Source: Blue’s News

A post from Ubisoft explains a “radical and immersive” overhaul they are working on for Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Word is: “In line with this vision and the feedback we received, we are working on a more radical and immersive version of Ghost Recon Breakpoint. We also want to let you tailor your experience to the way you want to enjoy the game, since freedom of choice has always been part of the Ghost Recon DNA.” Here’s their assessment of the current state of the game that introduces the plan:

Our first priority is to improve the technical state of the game. We know many players had a difficult time with game bugs and unexpected stability issues at launch and we are making every effort possible to address these issues as soon as we can.

With Title Update 1.0.2, released on October 15, our team made numerous improvements to the game, focusing on the most pressing issues that could be addressed in this timeframe. We are working on further improvements that will be coming soon with TU1.0.3 in mid-November, including fixes on the Drone deployment, on changing the fire rate, on NVGs blocking crosshairs and on the Mission Completion notification pop-up.

Title Update 1.0.3.1, coming around end-November, will include further improvements and updates on the most pressing community feedback.

Modern Warfare is the new Call of Duty to beat, despite parts of it feeling dated.

By Morgan Park @ PC Gamer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has sold itself as a return to the setting that “started it all.” It’s a snappy marketing line that tugs the nostalgic strings of fans who remember the magic of 2007, and it’s not entirely misleading. The warfare is once again modern and, yes, Captain Price is still your likeable squad dad. Yet it’s Modern Warfare’s moments of unfamiliarity that impressed me—rebuilt weapon handling, ambitious new multiplayer modes, and characters that aren’t the cookie-cutter operatives we’ve seen in the last decade.

Read on…

One of the most celebrated and iconic first-person action franchises is available today!

It’s here.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is an epic re-imagining of one of the most celebrated and iconic first-person action franchises in video game history. The game features three modes of play: an action-packed Multiplayer mode, a tactical and cooperative Special Ops mode, and a single-player Campaign, all wrapped into one entertainment experience. Like many blockbuster films, the game features exceptional cinematic design and it is rated for mature audiences.

The Campaign mode takes players through an immersive narrative that at times requires them to exercise thought, skill, and judgment to navigate some of the issues and challenges of warfare in the modern age. The Campaign is a fictional story that does not represent real-world events.

The main online component of Modern Warfare offers a variety of incredibly fun and competitive modes with loads of customization options. Go up against fellow Tier One Operators in the ultimate online playground!

Enter the world of Special Ops: dynamic experiences where four-player strike-teams work together to stop a new global threat that thrives within the sprawling city of Verdansk, and its surrounding environments.

Modern Warfare also features crossplay and cross progression for the first time in franchise history, allowing players to compete with their friends regardless of what platform they have.

Using a new engine, developer Infinity Ward brings a new level of authenticity through the photoreal, lifelike visuals to give players an immersive experience.

For more information and the latest intel on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, check out: www.callofduty.com.

Source: Blue’s News

Ubisoft announces the Doktor’s Curse event is now live in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege Year 4, celebrating Halloween with a little hide-and-seek. This includes the chance to unlock 28 new items for the tactical shooter, and these items can also be purchased with R6 Credits or Renown. This page has all the details along with this trailer showing off what to expect. Here’s the lowdown:

Today, Ubisoft announced the frightful, limited-time event for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege Year 4, Doktor’s Curse. This event brings an all-new game mode in a spooky, reworked, Frankenstein version of the map “Theme Park,” taken over by Doc, where he performs his disturbing, evil experiments.

This year’s Halloween event will last two weeks, beginning today, October 23rd and ending on Wednesday, November 6th. In this exciting 5-vs.-5 Monster Hunt mode, players will have to choose between fighting or embracing the darkness. Exterminators: 5 Sledges wielding only 3 unique hammers as weapons and a selection of gadgets — Eyenox Model III (Jackal), Heartbeat sensor (Pulse) and the EE-ONE-D (Lion) — will face five Monsters: a cast composed of Lesion, Frost, Kapkan, Smoke, and Ela. The Monsters have no weapons but can use traps and have a unique ability created for this mode: they can turn momentarily invisible and run faster to escape. The Monster Hunters’ (Attackers) goal is to kill all monsters, while the Monsters (Defenders) try to survive the round.

The Doktor’s Curse Collection will introduce brand new skins for five operators. Smoke, Kapkan, Frost, Lesion, and Ela each get their own set of four items, as well as Doc and Bandit, for a total of 28 items. Additionally, classic 2018 Halloween skins are once again available for a limited time.

The “Doktor’s Curse” Event includes the new Ubisoft Club Challenge that allows players to earn one of the 28 packs if they achieve 20 kills while playing the Doktor’s Curse map, and a second pack if they manage to win 13 rounds in the Doktor’s Curse playlist. In addition, any players that log-in between October 23rd and November 6th will receive one free pack. Players can also purchase the Doktor’s Curse pack for 300 R6 Credits or 12 500 Renown, with a 10% discount for Y4 Pass owners.

Iconic Maps – Iwo Jima and Wake Island – Take Players Back to Classic Battlefield All-Out War on Land, Air, and Sea Once Again

The Full Battlefield V Experience including Chapter 5: War in the Pacific Will Also Be Available as Part of the Free Trial Weekends on Consoles and PC from November 1-4

Think back to where it all started for the Battlefield™ franchise with Battlefield 1942 and more recently Battlefield 1943. The iconic battles via land, air, and sea on maps like Iwo Jima are memories that gamers have only found in Battlefield. On October 31 for the first time in ten years, DICE is bringing players back to the battle of the Pacific in World War 2 with Battlefield V Chapter 5: War in the Pacific. In this brand new trailer released today, players can relive those moments and get a glimpse at the amphibious assaults and all-out warfare coming to the game.

The first two nostalgic maps being released in Chapter 5 are Iwo Jima and Pacific Storm. Iwo Jima is a highly dynamic map that has the U.S. and Japanese forces engaged in a beach landing invasion in an all-or-nothing clash across wide-open black beaches and close-range environments. Providing more water-based combat, the Pacific Storm map takes players through treacherous weather on a set of islands as they must secure control points using boats, tanks, or aircraft.

Battlefield V Chapter 5: War in the Pacific includes:

• New maps: Iwo Jima, Pacific Storm, and, coming in December, Wake Island.
• New factions: The U.S. and Japan.
• New weapons including the M1 Garand and M1919A6.
• New vehicles including the M4 Sherman tank and the F4U Corsair plane.
• New stationary weapons.
• New gadgets like the Katana and Flamethrower Battle Pickups.
• New Chapter Rewards including weapons, soldier sets, weapon skins, and melee weapons.

For the full details on what’s included in Chapter 5: War in the Pacific, head to the official web page HERE.

First time players looking to check out Battlefield V including Chapter 5: War in the Pacifc on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC can do so during the Free Trials* that run over the next two weekends. Battlefield V’s narrative-driven flagship and multiplayer experience Grand Operations, where teams battle through several different maps and modes, will be available for all to jump into from Thursday, October 24 to Monday, October 28. Then, the new Chapter 5: War of the Pacific content will become available in the free trial weekend from Friday, November 1 through Monday, November 4.

Source: Blue’s News

A post to the Activision Games Blog explains the Call of Duty team’s approach to releasing new content for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Admitting there are “still questions around how the economy will evolve throughout the post-launch, live seasons,” they say that Battle Passes for the shooter will not be sold upon launch to allow players to work through the unlocks, and that all functional content can be unlocked by playing. They are also removing multiplayer map packs to allow everyone to play together, and making other changes to create an even playing field:

A message from the Call of Duty team.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is almost here. From the moment this project began three years ago, the energy has been extraordinary.

We’ve set our sights on not only creating the best game possible this year, but also on breaking down walls and bringing the community together. Starting with Modern Warfare, we will be:

• Introducing crossplay to unite the community across platforms for the first time.
• Removing Season Pass and a la carte DLC multiplayer map packs to ensure everyone can play together.
• Delivering free post-launch multiplayer maps and modes for all players.
• Releasing post-launch multiplayer maps and modes simultaneously on all platforms.

We are excited about what these changes will bring to Call of Duty players. That said, we also recognize there is one more topic that many fans are interested to learn more about.

Today, let’s address the basics for the in-game economy coming in Modern Warfare.

• We are introducing a new Battle Pass system, not a loot box system.
• All functional content that has an impact on game balance, such as base weapons and attachments, can be unlocked simply by playing the game.
• The new Battle Pass system will allow players to see the content that they are earning or buying. Battle Passes will launch timed to new, post-launch live seasons, so you can unlock cool new Modern Warfare-themed content that matches each season.
• With the new Battle Pass system, players will be able to earn COD Points by playing the game.
• There will be both a Free Stream and a Premium Stream of content in the Battle Pass System in Modern Warfare. New base weapons will be earned through gameplay, simply by playing Modern Warfare. Functional attachments for base weapons can be unlocked through gameplay as well just like in the game’s Beta.
• The Battle Pass and the In-Game Store will feature a variety of cosmetic content that does not impact game balance.

The Battle Pass System for Modern Warfare will not launch when the game releases on October 25th. Here’s why: First and foremost, we are all focused on making the Day One experience awesome. Second, it’s important to us that everyone who is playing Modern Warfare has the chance to work their way through the new game and unlock all the rewards that are waiting for you. We expect to launch this system for Modern Warfare later this year.

Understandably there are still questions around how the economy will evolve throughout the post-launch, live seasons. We recognize this will take time to fully demonstrate. Please know we are committed to delivering a fair system guided by the principles we’ve outlined here, and will continue to monitor feedback and player engagement to help us achieve that goal.

Please look for more information on the live seasons and post-release content plans for Modern Warfare throughout the year and beyond.

We are looking forward to playing in just a few days.

Thank you.

New map for Tannenberg features the ‘breadbasket of the empire’!

A new map is live now for WW1 Eastern Front shooter Tannenberg!

Join the battle across the border in the Ukraine!

Ukraine was not yet an independent nation at the time of the First World War. Instead the territory was split between the Russian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ukrainians fought on both sides in the conflict, with 3,500,000 fighting for Russia and 250,000 for Austria-Hungary. A great cost was paid by the civilian population, who were distrusted by both Russia and Austria-Hungary and often became victims of harsh reprisals for opposition real or imagined.

M2H co-founder Matt Hergaarden said: “We’re pleased to release a free new battlefield for all Tannenberg players today! The Ukraine map is inspired by a key section of the Eastern Front which saw heavy fighting during the Brusilov Offensive, Kerensky Offensive, and major counter-attacks by the Central Powers. Our mappers did a great job turning the reference material into a playable map while keeping the authentic historical feel of the location.”

In Tannenberg, Ukraine is an open map, with good sight lines for heavy machine guns. Between the lines of trenches and barbed wire are areas of limited cover. NCO smoke barrages and the recently added smoke grenades are highly recommended when assaulting across such exposed terrain!

Watch the trailer and get a look at the trenches and gun pits of the new Ukraine map!

Tannenberg is available on Steam!