First-Person Shooters

By Jason Schreier @ Kotaku

Next year’s Call of Duty has gone through a major upheaval, as publisher Activision informed developers this week that studios Raven and Sledgehammer, which had until now led the project, will no longer be in charge. Instead, according to three people familiar with goings-on at the companies, Treyarch will lead development on a new Black Ops for 2020.

It’s a significant shift for Activision’s massive first-person shooter franchise, which is one of the most lucrative video game series on the planet. Every fall for the past 15 years, Activision has put out a new Call of Duty game, supported by a stable of different developers who rotated duties as required. Since 2012, Activision has followed a three-year cycle for its three lead studios: Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer.

Read on…

Deep Silver and 4A Games today revealed the details of the downloadable content which will make up the Metro Exodus Expansion Pass.

There will be two major pieces of story-driven DLC for the game, following brand new stories from the world of Metro. Instead of Artyom, players will have the chance to see through the eyes of a brand new character and of one of the Spartan Rangers, the Aurora’s only American, Sam. Both of these will be available as part of the expansion pass, but will also be available for purchase separately.

A quick word of warning: if you have not yet completed the Metro Exodus campaign, the following contains spoilers.

Coming in Summer 2019, the first story that players will follow, The Two Colonels, is that of Colonel Khlebnikov, just below the surface, under the dead city of Novosibirsk, as he makes his way home to his son, Kirill, for New Year’s Eve.

But all is not well with the people here: the slime is further consuming the tunnels, mutant attacks appear to be on the rise and the precious ‘green stuff’ that protects the people from radiation poisoning is running low. In order to secure the survival of any of the people, those in charge may need to take drastic measures…

Following the journey and experiences of Khlebnikov during the last days of life in Novosibirsk, which Colonel Miller retraces a year later, players can expect the classic story-driven gameplay of the Metro series in this new linear chapter, complete with a brand new weapon, the deadly flame-thrower, claustrophobic environments, and the all-too-familiar hair-raising tension.

The second piece of DLC, Sam’s Story, coming to players in early 2020, is the brand new sandbox survival level based on Vladivostok. Sam, a US marine at the Moscow embassy before the bombs were dropped, has long dreamed of returning to his homeland, and maybe finding his family alive. The prospect seemed impossible in the darkened tunnels of the Metro, but when the Spartans discovered that Moscow was not the only city left alive after the war, holding out hope didn’t feel so foolish anymore.

Sam makes his way away from the Aurora in search of a way back to the USA, arriving at the remains of Vladivostok’s tsunami ravaged harbours, ruined industrial buildings, and crumbling residential districts. To complete his journey, Sam will discover that he needs every tactic he has learned so far to survive, as his surroundings prove to be far trickier than expected.

Players will forge Sam’s path through the sandbox survival landscape of Vladivostok, as they take a brand new journey across the wasteland of post-apocalyptic Russia.

Visit the official Metro Exodus website for more game information.

Independent developer and publisher Rebellion is celebrating today’s release of Sniper Elite V2 Remastered with a stunning new launch trailer.

Showcasing gripping gameplay, revamped visuals and new features, the trailer highlights the improvements fans old and new can look forward to in Sniper Elite V2 Remastered.  Today’s release is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered takes players to Berlin, 1945, and the heart of World War 2. As veteran sharpshooter Karl Fairburne you must use skill, patience and cunning to prevent the unthinkable. Your mission is to go behind enemy lines and prevent the cataclysmic Nazi V2 rocket technology from falling into the hands of the Red Army. Deadly aim and a stealthy approach are vital as you find yourself trapped between two armies in a race against time.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered amplifies the original’s iconic sniping and advanced ballistics with a host of improvements and added extras. In addition to impressive 4K and HDR support on available platforms, the game features stunning remastered visuals, from overhauled assets to modernized rendering and much more.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered also adds a versatile new photo mode that lets you pause and move the action frame-by-frame for that perfect X-ray Kill Cam shot. You can also play the campaign and multiplayer modes as one of 7 new characters from Rebellion’s Zombie Army series. And now multiplayer is expanded for up to 16 players online across all modes.

On top of all this, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered includes all the DLC ever released for the game including the iconic “Assassinate the Führer” mission, making it incredible value-for-money.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is now available on digital platforms across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC, including Steam and GOG. Physical editions are available from Friday 17th May on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is priced £29.99 across all platforms. Steam and GOG users who already own the original Sniper Elite V2 can upgrade to Sniper Elite V2 Remastered for just £6.99.

Visit the official Sniper Elite website for more game information.

Source: Blue’s News

The PS4 exclusivity for Operation Spectre Rising has run out, and this new content is now also available for the Windows and Xbox One editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This includes the debut of Spectre in Multiplayer, a Wetworks map update and Bounty Hunter mode in Blackout, “Super Blood Wolf Moon” Gauntlet in Zombies, as well as new weapons and cosmetics. The Alcatraz map also returns to Blackout, and they celebrate all the news by awarding 2XP in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Blackout modes. Here’s the overview of all the changes:

The PS4 exclusivity for Operation Spectre Rising has run out, and this new content is now also available for the Windows and Xbox One editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This includes the debut of Spectre in Multiplayer, a Wetworks map update and Bounty Hunter mode in Blackout, “Super Blood Wolf Moon” Gauntlet in Zombies, as well as new weapons and cosmetics. The Alcatraz map also returns to Blackout, and they celebrate all the news by awarding 2XP in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Blackout modes. Here’s the overview of all the changes:

Multiplayer

• Spectre in MP and Blackout after unlocking Tier 1 in the Black Market (Xbox One/PC).
• 3 Black Ops Pass Multiplayer maps: Masquerade, Artifact, and WMD (Xbox One/PC).
• Prop Hunt gameplay improvements.

Featured Playlists:

• Earn 2XP in Map Pack Moshpit through 10AM PT Friday, May 10.
• PS4: Map Pack Moshpit, Prop Hunt, Barebones Moshpit, Deathmatch Domination, Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit.
• Xbox One: Map Pack Moshpit, Infected, Barebones Moshpit, Deathmatch Domination, Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit.
• PC: Map Pack Moshpit, Infected, Barebones Moshpit.

World League Hub

• Restricted Tigershark LMG.

Blackout

• “Wetworks” map update now live in Blackout, flooding large portions of the main map (Xbox One/PC).
• “Wetworks” map now available in Custom Games.
• Bounty Hunter mode now live in Blackout (Xbox One/PC).
• Earn 2X Merits in Bounty Hunter through 10AM PT Friday, May 10.
• DART now available to find and equip in Blackout (Xbox One/PC).
• Uncle Frank character now playable with the Black Ops Pass (Xbox One/PC).
• Tuning changes to Spectre in Bounty Hunter.
• Alcatraz returns to Blackout on all platforms.

Zombies

• New “Super Blood Wolf Moon” Gauntlet (Xbox One/PC).
• Earn 2XP in “Super Blood Wolf Moon” through 10AM PT Friday, May 10.
• New Tigershark LMG added to Mystery Box (Xbox One/PC).

Black Market

• 50 Tiers with new Contraband items to earn (Xbox One/PC).
• New Death Effects and Weapon Charm item types added (Xbox One/PC).
• New weapons in the Contraband stream: Tigershark LMG and Nifo’Oti melee weapon (Xbox One/PC).

For more information, fans can visit www.callofduty.com.

BECOME AN ELITE SPECIAL OPERATIONS SOLDIER BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Ubisoft has announced Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the latest installment in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise. The game will be available from October 4th 2019 on the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. After successfully rebooting the Ghost Recon formula with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Ubisoft Paris has created an entirely new adventure, putting players back in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit, but this time they are stranded behind enemy lines, facing their toughest enemy to date.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a military shooter set in a diverse and hostile open world. The game will be playable solo or in up to four-player co-op. Players will discover Auroa, a mysterious island where the most technically advanced facilities meet wild and untamed nature. Home to tech giant, Skell Technology, Auroa has fallen into the wrong hands and all contact has been lost.

The Wolves, a lethal ex-US Military unit of former Ghosts gone rogue, have taken over the island. Led by Nomad’s ex-brother-in-arms, Lt. Colonel Cole D. Walker, portrayed by Jon Bernthal, they have reprogrammed Skell’s drones into killing machines and are ready to use them, no matter the casualties. Nomad and the Ghosts are sent in on a recon mission, but their helicopters are shot down. Injured, without support, and hunted down, players will live an intense military experience as they fight to survive, take down the Wolves and regain control of Auroa.

Steep slopes, accumulating injuries, and fatigue are new challenges for players to tackle as they test their survival skills in the varied terrains of Auroa. To overcome adversity, players will enjoy total freedom to accomplish their missions and have plenty of tactical options and tools at their disposal, including a set of new military features. They will be able to carry enemies and teammates’ bodies, blend into their environment with prone camo and set up camp with teammates in the bivouac to manage equipment, change classes, and fine-tune their strategies.

They will also be able to choose among thousands of customization combinations to create their perfect Ghost, and keep their character and progression through the game, in both the main campaign and Player-versus-Player (PvP), available at launch.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will include a robust post-launch content support plan, with regular updates after launch. New story arcs, classes and features will be continuously added, and for the first time in a Ghost Recon game, a new type of endgame content: Raids.

Watch the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint official announcement Trailer HERE.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, visit ghostrecon.com.

Source: Blue’s News

Operation Oracle is now underway in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, offering new free content for the tactical shooter. Those who don’t own the game can still check this out, as the launch kicks off with a free weekend on all platforms, and this page has all the details on how to get in on the action. This trailer (NSFW) shows that Operation Oracle introduces a new character played by actor Jon Bernthal, who’s set to hand out some punishment. Here’s the announcement:

Today, Ubisoft announced that Operation Oracle and a free weekend for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands are available starting May 2 through May 5 on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC.

Playable in single-player or co-op, Operation Oracle sends the Ghosts on a rescue mission for a Skell Tech engineer taken hostage by Unidad. This typical rescue mission will soon turn into something much bigger. Forget what you know about your enemies and friends as you meet Cole D. Walker, a Ghost Team Leader on the hunt for the truth.

Operation Oracle comes after two years of substantial post-launch support for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands and follows the completion of Year 2, which brought four free major updates to the game further expanding the Ghost Recon universe.

Go back behind enemy lines with this stunning remaster

Independent developer and publisher Rebellion today released a new trailer for Sniper Elite V2 Remastered, detailing ‘7 Reasons to Upgrade’ to the hotly anticipated remaster of the studio’s 2012 classic.

On top of 4K and HDR support on available platforms, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered features beautifully updated environments, characters, weapons and vehicles, modernized rendering and post-processing effects, enhanced texturing and level geometry, a revamped lighting system, and dozens upon dozens of improvements and refinements.

In addition to visual upgrades, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered introduces a brand new frame-by-frame photo mode, seven new playable characters from Rebellion’s Zombie Army series, expanded multiplayer for up to 16 players online*, and all the additional content ever released for the game, FREE.

• Incredible Remastered Visuals – Sniper Elite V2 Remastered features beautifully updated environments, characters, weapons and vehicles, modernized rendering and post-processing effects, enhanced texturing and level geometry, a revamped lighting system, and dozens upon dozens of improvements and refinements.
• New Frame-by-frame Photo Mode – Pause and step through the action frame-by-frame, position the camera, apply a filter, adjust the lighting and take stunning photos to share with the community. Including your epic X-Ray kill camera shots.
• New Playable Characters – For the first time, play the campaign and multiplayer modes as one of 8 new characters from Rebellion’s Zombie Army series.
• Optional 60fps Performance Mode – On supported platforms, enjoy Sniper Elite V2 Remastered’s epic campaign in super smooth 60 frames-per-second.
• All DLC Included – Experience the infamous “Kill Hitler” mission. Take the fight to new fronts in three new campaign levels. Hunt your foes with a variety of iconic weapons including the Lee Enfield MK III, M1D Garrand, M1 Carbine and more.
• Multiplayer & Co-Op – Gather your squad and compete in 7 uniquely tense multiplayer modes, now for up to 16 players online. Including Deathmatch, Distance King, Dogtag Harvest and Capture the Flag
• 4K and HDR support – Stunning 4K HDR support transports you to the front line

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered will launch May 14th, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. The game is available to pre-order now for £29.99, with a special 10% discount on digital purchases available across all platforms. Steam users who already own the original edition of Sniper Elite V2 can upgrade to Sniper Elite V2 Remastered for just £6.99.

Bohemia Interactive and Vertexmacht are proud to announce today’s release of the first Arma 3 Creator DLC: Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany. This new content pack for Arma 3, which is made by third-party developer Vertexmacht and published by Bohemia Interactive, is further introduced in a trailer (watch on YouTube).

Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany takes Arma back to the 1980s, and deploys players to northern Germany. Besides a massive terrain, the DLC features tons of new vehicles, weapons, clothing and gear, plus a singleplayer campaign and a range of multiplayer scenarios. Its developer, Vertexmacht, consists of a two-man team with extensive experience in both professional game development and military service, as well as a longstanding history of participating in the Arma modding community.

Key features of Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany DLC:

• 419 km2 “Weferlingen” terrain
• West and East Germany factions
• 42 vehicles and vehicle variants
• 21 weapons including variants
• Various infantry clothing and gear
• 10-mission singleplayer campaign
• 17 multiplayer scenarios

A more detailed product description can be found on Global Mobilization’s Steam or Bohemia Store page, where the DLC is available for purchase for 19.99 EUR / 22.99 USD / 16.99 GBP (with a 10% early bird discount this entire week).

With Creator DLC such as Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany, Bohemia Interactive aims to provide more original quality content to Arma 3 players, create an opportunity for outside talent to earn a financial reward, while also making it possible to invest more into the Arma series’ long-term future. For more information, please feel welcome to read the latest Arma 3 blog post, and be sure to visit the Creator DLC webpage, which includes answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding this new initiative.

Alongside today’s release, Bohemia Interactive announces a permanent price drop for the Arma 3 base game and previously released Arma 3 DLC packs. The Arma base game will now sell for 27.99 EUR / 29.99 USD / 23.99 GBP (previously 34.99 EUR / 39.99 USD / 29.99 GBP), while most Arma 3 DLC packs (except for Karts and Tac-Ops) have been dropped in price to 8.99 EUR / 9.99 USD / 7.49 GBP. The prices of Arma 3 editions and bundles have also been adjusted to be in line with these changes.

For more the latest news and information about Arma 3, please visit the games official website, or via the Arma 3 page on Steam.

Explosive New DLC Content Available Now

“Dare Devils of Destruction,” the first pack in the “Dare Devils, Demons and Danger Expansion Pass” for Just Cause 4, is available now on Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC/Steam.

Watch the Just Cause 4  “Dare Devils of Destruction” Launch Trailer HERE.

Extreme vehicular mayhem is the order of the day, as you take on a completely new gameplay experience in “Dare Devils of Destruction.” The DLC will introduce a new island, factions, and missions that will take your driving skills to the max.

“Dare Devils of Destruction” introduces a new island, three new factions, and three new vehicle based challenge modes across 15 high-octane missions.

• Survival: Speed through a gauntlet of landmines, wrecking balls, and rings of fire in this ultimate drive for survival. Destroy obstacles along the way and race toward the checkpoints to secure victory.
• Run: Drive through extreme weather and master high-speed stunts. Obliterate your rivals with a variety of weapons as you sprint to the finish line!
• Rampage: Master the art of destruction and create carnage within this explosive arena. Reduce targets and rival drivers to scrap metal and earn the high score!

Owners of the Just Cause 4 Gold Edition or expansion pass will receive 7 days early access to each DLC pack in the Just Cause 4 “Dare Devils, Demons and Danger Expansion Pass.”

For more information on the Gold Edition visit: http://justcause.com/buy-now

Destroy. Drive. Survive.

Gear up for an adrenaline fueled adventure in the all-new Dare Devils of Destruction DLC for Just Cause 4, releasing April 30th, 2019, on XBOX ONE®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Watch the Just Cause 4 Dare Devils of Destruction Trailer HERE.

Complete new missions to unlock over 16 all-new weaponized vehicles that you can drop in at a moment’s notice. Experience new levels of destruction, attack missions in never before seen ways, employ new tactics against the forces of the Black Hand and cause pure mayhem in the world of Solis.

Put the pedal to the metal, earn the respect of rival gangs and take on three deadly challenge modes across 15 explosive new missions.

Survival: Speed through a gauntlet of landmines, wrecking balls and rings of fire in this ultimate drive for survival. Destroy obstacles along the way and race towards the checkpoints to secure victory.

Run: Drive through extreme weather and master high-speed stunts in Run. Obliterate your rivals with a variety of weapons as you try to cross the finish line!

Rampage: Master the art of destruction and create carnage within this explosive arena. Reduce targets and rival drivers to scrap metal to achieve the high score!

“This is the first of three explosive over-the-top DLC packs in the ‘Dare Devils, Demons and Danger Expansion Pass’. Each pack will bring more vehicles, new modes, weapons and activities that continue to make the Just Cause 4 sandbox richer, crazier and even more extreme. Every pack will integrate seamlessly with the main game and add new experiences and more amazing tools of destruction.” Said Victoria Setian, Senior Producer at Avalanche Studios. “It’s a privilege to be able to continue to expand our massive action sandbox in Just Cause 4. Thank you for all the support so far!”

Gold Edition purchasers will receive 7 days early access to the Just Cause 4 Dare Devils of Destruction DLC.

For more information on the Gold Edition, visit the Just Cause 4 website.