First-Person Shooters

New World Interactive has announced a Steam Free Weekend for Day of Infamy beginning Thursday April 26th at 1pm EST, lasting until Monday April 30th at 1pm EST! This is a perfect time to try out the game if you’re a longtime Insurgency fan, and a perfect weekend to play with your friends! Our last free weekend was a huge success with over 200,000 new players joining battle over the 3 days, and this year we’re looking to make it even bigger and better!

Watch the Day of Infamy Free Steam Weekend Trailer HERE.

We’re extremely proud of our community, which won ModDB’s Community Award for 2017. It’s with your help we can make this event a success!

Steam Free Weekend (April 26-30) and massive discounts on Arma games

After already welcoming 4+ million players to its highly-rated military sandbox game, Bohemia Interactive is calling in additional reinforcements by hosting a Free Weekend for Arma 3 on Steam. The Free Weekend starts on April 26 at 19:00 CEST (all time zones) and ends on April 30 at 19:00 CEST. It provides all Steam users with the opportunity to try out the complete Arma 3 base game. Plus, if they wish to continue playing after the Free Weekend, people can pick up Arma and nearly all of its DLC packs at massive discounts of up to 66% (and 80% off previous Arma games).

Arma 3 is an authentic military shooter game, in which you enter a massive military sandbox terrain to engage in diverse tactical combat. Players have access to a wide variety of gear and weapons – and are able to operate all sorts of military vehicles such as tanks, helicopters, and jets. The game also offers a large number of singleplayer scenarios (including a story-driven campaign) and multiplayer modes. Plus, there’s a powerful yet intuitive 3D Scenario Editor for users to create their own scenarios, as well as the Arma 3 Zeus interface that lets users act as a real-time Game Master for other players in multiplayer.

On top of that, Arma 3 fully supports all types of player-created content and modifications, which can be easily shared with other players via the Arma 3 Steam Workshop. The Workshop already hosts 50,000+ publicly shared items, ranging from weapons, vehicles, and uniforms to new gameplay features, singleplayer or co-op campaigns, and community-made multiplayer modes such as the original PLAYERUNKNOWN’s Battle Royale.

Since the initial release of the Alpha version on Steam Early Access in 2013, Arma 3 has come a long way by introducing lots of additional content, new features, and improvements. The game has received 75 free platform updates and 10 DLC packs, which have helped to achieve an impressive average playtime per Arma 3 user of 150+ hours. In a new infographic poster, Bohemia Interactive provides a quick overview of Arma 3′s development and how people have engaged with the game so far.

For more information about Arma 3, please visit the official website at www.arma3.com.

By Ian Boudreau @ Wargamer

One of the things that keeps me coming back to ArmA 3 is its stern-faced commitment to realism in an unchangeably goofy video game world. There’s something David Lynchian about the whole affair – you’re never quite sure whether the developers are completely earnest or if you’ve just gotten a wry wink at the absurdity of it all.

Take the latest Tanks DLC package. I’ll run through the vital statistics later, but there’s such a funny juxtaposition of an obsessively intense focus on simulating real-world military operations with the realization that a lot of what happens in the military isn’t any fun. While I was gleefully thundering around in my Rhino MGS, a tank destroyer introduced in this new pack, some incoming mortar fire blew out my front two passenger-side tires.

The damage model is detailed enough so that this has a pretty severe impact on handling. But then I got out of the Rhino, clicked a prompt, and had the tires back in action in about 25 seconds total.

Read on…

Today, all players that own Battlefield 1 can jump into Rupture for free, which is a map featured in Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass, set during the Second Battle of the Marne and characterized by its poppies growing over rusty wrecks. In addition, the next few months will bring even more free content to all Battlefield 1 players including Soissons in May, also from Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass, to tackle one of the biggest tank assaults of World War I.

In June, bit-sized epicness is coming to Battlefield 1 in a new mode, Shock Operations. The mode supports 40 players and sees attackers and defenders battling over sectors like in fan-favorite Operations mode, but with the action focused to one single map – ideal for those that don’t have time for a full Operations match. Shock Operations will be available on five maps: Giant’s Shadow, Prise de Tahure, Lupkow Pass, Zeebrugge, and River Somme. Most of these maps are normally only available to owners of Battlefield 1 Premium Pass or standalone expansion packs. However, base game owners will be able to access them too when playing Shock Operations.

Check out the Battlefield 1 blog to stay up to date on what’s to come to Battlefield 1 in the coming months.

Starting today, Call of Duty: WWII players will have an additional ally on their side with the Call of Duty Alexa Skill. Created by Activision and available today in Beta, the Call of Duty Alexa Skill features an array of support options, including personalized player recommendations, updates on in-game achievements and the ability to stay connected with and compare your play with friends. Did you just play a match of Call of Duty: WWII and want to know how you did, as well as how to improve your chances next time? Ask Alexa how to improve your skills, and you’ll get a personalized recommendation ready for your next match. Want to know if your friends are online and playing Call of Duty: WWII? Just ask Alexa. The skill supports all platforms of Call of Duty: WWII and is available free of charge, through the Alexa companion app.

The Call of Duty Alexa Skill employs AI and machine learning to create personalized recommendations, including specific loadouts, play styles, maps, modes, perks and divisions for each player. Using cluster analysis, the machine learning model analyzes more than 20 factors, including accuracy, movement, engagement distance, K/D, shots, score per minute, time played and relationships to other players to make personalized recommendations for each player. The Skill then employs natural language generation to create personalized responses to 2,500 questions about the game and an individual’s performance. Using a soldier-like voice, the Skill can deliver 250,000 distinct responses that incorporate real-time statistics, status and recommendations from the game.

“The Call of Duty Alexa Skill gives every player a personal Call of Duty coach for the first time, using AI and machine learning to analyze how you play and providing tips on how to improve your gameplay based on your individual strengths, weaknesses and play style,” said Tim Ellis, Chief Marketing Officer of Activision. “We know that people play more Call of Duty as their skills improve and the more often they play with their friends. The Call of Duty Alexa Skill is designed to help players improve their Call of Duty skills, connect more easily with their friends and get to the fun faster in Call of Duty: WWII.”

The Call of Duty Alexa Skill can be used during a match, in between matches or away from the game. It serves to not only answer questions about Call of Duty: WWII matches, but also to provide insights with personalized responses, automated insights and real-time play analysis regarding Call of Duty’s blockbuster most recent release. The Skill also provides players with a complete onboarding experience for Call of Duty: WWII, providing key background details and mission objectives, as well as analysis on how to improve their skills. Gamers can also use the Skill to find out who from their friend group is also playing Call of Duty: WWII, or simply hear how they stack up against their friends.

There are 15 categories of features available in the Call of Duty Alexa Skill for Call of Duty: WWII, including:

• Personalized recommendations to improve your skills
• Match summaries, and highlights of your recent gameplay
• Social features, including whether friends are currently playing, and comparing your stats and achievements to theirs
• Contract and order status, both during and after a match, so that you see how close you are to completing the contract and earning a reward
• Latest in-game news, including events and game updates
• Game and features descriptions

For more information on the Call of Duty Alexa Skill Beta, please visit www.callofduty.com/alexa.

The Call of Duty: WWII Blitzkrieg Community Event is now underway on PS4, Xbox One, and PC!

The enemy is knocking on the door in Call of Duty: WWII, so Command has issued new Orders: gather your squad, hit the frontlines, and earn some extra rewards for your effort.

Captain Butcher is back to help, and he has six brand new weapons to use in the firefights of Ground War, a new limited-time 9-on-9 game mode. The fighting has even reached HQ – starting April 17, the HQ is a free playable map for Prop Hunt, Gun Game, and Free-For-All modes. The Blitzkrieg Event is available until Tuesday, May 8.

Watch the Official Call of Duty: WWII – Blitzkrieg Community Event Trailer HERE.

Ground War

The Ground War multiplayer game mode is the biggest battle available in Call of Duty: WWII. With 9-on-9 matches across Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination and War, the stakes are bigger, and there is more danger around every corner. Ground War is available now, and visit the Blitzkrieg page to learn how to earn 2XP for playing it.

You’ll find modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed in Ground War throughout Blitzkrieg, so keep an eye on the Featured Tab in the Public Match lobby and get ready to make new friends!

Play Party Games in HQ

Are you a Prop Hunt player? Do you run the gamut in Gun Game? If so, you’ll want to hear this: the HQ is now a free playable map for Party Games in Call of Duty: WWII. Gather your squad and test your skills in Prop Hunt, Gun Game, and Free-For-All on this new playable map. The HQ map is a free permanent addition to Call of Duty: WWII, so enjoy!

Six New Weapons

Captain Butcher made sure to bring the firepower to push back the Axis army. Starting on April 17, you can earn the Type 5, ITRA Burst, and M2 Carbine rifles, the Type 38 Sniper, the Sterling SMG, and the Baseball Bat melee weapon. Reload your arsenal with these six new weapons and experiment with them alongside the recently overhauled Divisions.

Community Challenge

The Blitzkrieg Community Challenge features new Orders from Major Howard, Contracts from Captain Butcher, as well as brand new Nazi Zombies Orders and Contracts. Knock ‘em out and you’ll unlock free rewards such as a helmet, a weapon charm, and even an exclusive “Rosie II” Grease Gun variant.

Starting on April 20, you will need to band together with your fellow players to push towards an epic goal – completing 75 million Orders and Contracts collectively in Multiplayer! But fear not, because you’ll gain rewards at each step along the way. Work your way up through the tiers with the rest of your Allies, and push towards the goal!

2XP Opportunities

The Blitzkrieg Event will offer 2XP playlists every week Multiplayer and at different intervals in Nazi Zombies. Check out the Blitzkrieg page for the full schedule of when and where you can get Double Soldier, Weapon and Divisions XP, and mark your calendar accordingly.

The enemy will retreat from Headquarters on May 8, so log on to Call of Duty: WWII now to take part in The Blitzkrieg Event and we’ll see you in Headquarters!

By Steven @ GamingIntel

Activision including Black Ops 4 Battle Royale Mode in the next Call of Duty title seems a strong likelihood to us. Back in March we reported it would not be a surprise to see Battle Royale introduced, this was for many reasons.

WHY BLACK OPS 4 BATTLE ROYALE MAKES SENSE

• The success of Fortnite and PUBG
• Huge revenue generated in Fortnite from Microtransactions
• Battle Royale concept is still fresh and in-demand
• Call of Duty is stagnating as a franchise

A recent report from Polygon states “Black Ops 4 won’t have traditional single-player campaign, will instead focus on Multiplayer and Zombies”. On top of this Charlie INTEL recently tweeted a report stating “a tipster also informed CI that Raven Software has reportedly been tasked with adding a Battle Royale mode to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 to fill the content gap of no campaign”.

This sounds to be the making of an extremely shrewd business decision by Activision on multiple levels. I’m sure a previous Activision meeting went along the lines of “Why include a campaign which takes up a considerable portion of the budget and development time, when you can include a new hyped game mode which has the potential to generate huge amounts through micro-transactions”. This ties in with our earlier article where a report suggested “Activision is keenly aware of how other publishers have benefited from releasing titles in the popular Battle Royale genre”.

With no single player campaign, this also allows Activision to use the established and popular ‘Black Ops’ brand without having to tie it into the storyline. The setting and mechanics do not have to corroborate with the timeline of Black Ops 3, which is important given the general dislike of boost jumps and Exo Suits. Of course we expect Easter Eggs and references back to the previous series but this is much less of an undertaking than fitting in a whole new storyline.

Read on…

New armored vehicles, mini-campaign, showcase scenario, major free platform update

Celebrated with a new launch trailer, Bohemia Interactive today released Arma 3 Tanks DLC – a new downloadable content pack for the PC-exclusive tactical military shooter game Arma 3. Tanks DLC features 3 new armored vehicles (which come in multiple variants with various liveries), as well as a singleplayer mini-campaign and a showcase scenario starring the new vehicles.

Aside from the new premium content, the package is also accompanied by a major platform update. This update is free for everyone who owns Arma 3. It significantly enhances the experience of operating an armored vehicle, introduces new targeting features, and adds free new bonus content such as a competitive multiplayer mode, time trial races, new anti-tank weapons, additional vehicle variants, decorative objects, and more.

Key Features

• T-140 Angara Main Battle Tank
• Nyx Armored Weapons Carrier
• Rhino Mobile Gun System
• “Altis Requiem” Mini-Campaign
• Showcase “Tank Destroyers”

Free Platform Update Highlights

• Enhanced Armored Vehicle Experience (applies to ALL armored vehicles in Arma 3)
• 3D Interiors
• Improved Handling
• Extended Damage Model
• Vehicle Customization
• Upgraded Audio

And more:

• Fire-Control System
• New Missile Flight Profiles
• “Vanguard” Multiplayer Mode
• 3 Time Trial Challenges
• 2 Anti-Tank Launchers
• Additional (Anti-Tank) Vehicle Variants
• Decorative Objects
• Official Soundtrack
• Steam Achievements

Arma 3 Tanks DLC is now available for purchase on the Bohemia Store and Steam at € 9.99 / $ 11.99 / £ 8.99. It is also included in Arma 3′s DLC Bundle 2, which is available on the Bohemia Store and Steam at € 22.99 / $ 24.99 / £ 19.99, and saves more than 25% over purchasing Arma 3 Jets, Laws of War, Tac-Ops Mission Pack, and Tanks DLC separately.

For a complete overview of the new content and features, please visit www.arma3.com/dlc/tanks.

Source: GameSpot

Activision has rolled out a big new patch for Call of Duty: WWII. The update is available to download now on all platforms–PS4, Xbox One, and PC–and is one of the most dramatic the game has received to date, making sweeping changes to its full range of playable classes.

With the update, developer Sledgehammer has overhauled every one of Call of Duty: WWII’s Divisions. Each class has received a number of tweaks, ranging from swapping out gear perks to increasing certain stats. Sledgehammer has also made some general changes across all Divisions; for instance, each class now has unlimited sprint, although the sprint speed has been reduced.

In addition to that, all Divisions now carry least one Lethal and one Tactical equipment. As a result, the Armored Division has received a particularly big buff, taking much less explosive and fire damage. Armored players are also now immune to Shell Shock and have reduced flinch when shot. You can find the full patch notes for the update, as taken from Sledgehammer’s official forums, HERE.

New War mission and the next chapter of Nazi Zombies

Tensions escalate in DLC Pack 2 for Call of Duty: WWII – The War Machine. Join the Allies and stop the powerful Axis advance in three new Multiplayer maps that illustrate the might and global reach of the Nazi War Machine. Strike back and take part in the Allied invasion of Sicily in Operation Husky, the all new objective-based War Mode mission. Plus, experience the latest Nazi Zombies chapter: The Shadowed Throne.

The War Machine DLC Pack 2 for Call of Duty: WWII arrives 10th April, first on PlayStation 4. Release for Xbox One, and PC will come at a later date.

Learn more about the second Call of Duty: WWII DLC pack HERE.

You can view the trailer HERE.