Valorant 3.01 Patch Notes: Many Bugs Squashed

Valorant's 3.01 update is live on all platforms, and it makes some minor shifts to the game in the wake of the major changes that the game's 3.0 patch brought forth. In particular, it fixes a nasty bug that allowed Sage to place Barrier Orbs on projectiles in the air, as well as some unintended use cases across the board.

The patch also fixes a bug that allowed Skye to activate her Guiding Light flash while suppressed, as well as the ability to heal KAY/0 while he's downed as part of his NULL/CMD ultimate. Also, some griefers were apparently exploiting the chat color options to impersonate system messages, so that's been fixed as well.

Valorant patch 3.0 made a number of wide-ranging changes to the game, including changing how fast signature abilities charge and revamping the cost of most abilities in the game. It also reconfigured the accuracy of all weapons while walking and running, as well as changing the cost of many of those weapons.

Valorant 3.01 Patch Notes

BUG FIXES

Agents

    Sage’s can no longer place Barrier Orb on some projectiles while they’re in the air
    Fixed bug where Skye was able to activate the flash of Guiding Light while suppressed
    Fixed the ability to heal KAY/O while downed in NULL/CMD
    Fixed Sova’s Recon Bolt projectile from looking deployed for enemies when flying through the air

Social

    Fixed a bug where you were able to abuse text chat colors to impersonate system messages
    Fixed a bug where the invite button UI overlapped with Defender Coach UI in Custom Games
    Fixed bug where names were appearing as question marks if you had the “Use Generic Names for Players Outside my Party” setting turned on

Progression

    Fixed alignment issues in Observer view
    Fixed Account Leveling issue where some of you got a lower level than intended
        If impacted, you will receive your correct Account Level and will keep the AP gained while playing at the incorrect level.
    Fixed visual issues affecting Account Leveling at the End of Game screen

Steam Next Fest Lets You Try Hundreds Of Games

E3 2021 is technically over, and without a show floor to demo things, plenty of developers lost an opportunity to spread the word about their games. Xbox has one way around that, collecting indie game demos on home consoles, and now Valve is launching its version for PC games.

 

The latest Steam festival, Next Fest, has launched today with hundreds of demos of upcoming games to try and livestreams of playthroughs and interviews with developers if you’d rather watch than play. Running from June 16th to June 22nd, Next Fest includes a wide swath of games in a variety of genres, some of which weren’t spotlighted during last weekend’s loose collection of E3 livestreams and keynotes. Some notable games included in the fest are Sable, Chasing Static, Lake, Toem, and Norco. Valve’s been running these online festivals periodically since the pandemic started as a way to fill the void of in-person events like the Game Developers Conference. While it might be a bit more hit or miss than the big splashy showcases at E3, Next Fest seems filled to the brim with interesting ideas. Plus all the demos are free, so it doesn’t hurt to give any of them a spin.

Among Us Player Gets Game Running on a Nintendo Wii

Among Us made its console debut earlier in the month by coming to the Nintendo Switch, but that’s apparently not the only Nintendo console the game will run on. Through the proper setup, someone was able to get the game running on the Nintendo Wii, though it admittedly doesn’t run too well on the platform and is really just proof that the idea works more than anything else. The user who accomplished the feat shared a video of the project for the Among Us community to see along with an explanation for how things were done.

You can check out that video below that shows Among Us being controlled with a Wii Remote on a TV display. It’s choppy from the start and is not at all how one would want to play Among Us, but it at least works to some degree.

In an explanation provided within the comments of the post, Redditor BurritoSOFTWARE, the user responsible for this project, gave some insights on how it came to be.

“My Wii and PC are connected to my router with 2 ethernet adapters,” the user said. “Then, I used WiiVNC and TightVNC Server to stream Among Us off my PC to my Wii. This isn't practical or anything, more of a POC. It's really slow too, even with wired conns.”

The user added in a later edit that they press the “2” button on the Wii Remote to get the on-screen keyboard to appear.

To simplify the explanation, other users in the comments helpfully explained that the person basically used software to stream Among Us from the PC to the Wii which explains why the Wii Remote is controlling a mouse pointer on the display. This means that it’s technically the PC running Among Us which is then being streamed to the Wii, but considering how the console is over a decade old, this is probably as close as we’re going to get to seeing Among Us running on the Wii.

With Among Us already on the Nintendo Switch and apparently on the Wii in some capacity as well, the next console appearance to look forward to is the date it comes to Xbox consoles next year. We don’t have an exact release date for the Xbox version yet, but we know it’ll be included in Xbox Game Pass right when it launches on the Xbox family of consoles.

Gotham Knights Release Date Possibly Revealed

Did Warner Bros. Montreal just reveal the Gotham Knights release date? Back in August, WB Games finally revealed the next Batman game, Gotham Knights. At the time, the game was announced for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC and given a 2021 release window. And so far, none of this has changed. In fact, we've seen nothing of the game since. However, in a new tweet celebrating Christmas, the developer seems to be hinting at something happening in July.

The tweet comes the way of the official Gotham Knights Twitter account, and on the surface level, seems to be of little significance. And this may be the case, however, fans couldn't help but notice the dates on the poster smackdown in the center of an accompanying image. More specifically, the image features an advertisement poster for a circus, which will be in town from July 16 to July 21, Tuesday through Sunday.

Now, these dates don't line up with 2021. Some fans think this a hint that the game will release sometime during this period, but it seems unlikely given that the dates don't match up. July 16, 2021 isn't a Tuesday, it's a Friday, but this is where things get a bit interesting. If you combine July 16 and July 21, you get July 16, 2021, which again is a Friday, the most common day for big games to release. As a result, some fans think this is a not-so-subtle nod and wink at the game's release date, or at the very least, something of significance, like a second trailer or a release date announcement.

For now, take all of this with a major grain of salt given that we are deep in speculative territory. That said, at the very least, it's an interesting theory, though it's hard to imagine Warner Bros. Montreal being this forward with a tease.

Nintendo Switch Leak Reveals Console's Original Design

A new Nintendo leak has revealed the original Nintendo Switch design, which looks nothing like the final product that released in 2017 and has been the best-selling console in the world ever since. 2020 has been a bad year for Nintendo from a security perspective, with leaks flying out of the Nintendo archives like crazy. The latest of these leaks reveals an early and the original design for what would end up becoming the Switch, and eventually the Switch Lite. Interestingly, not only does the original design look nothing like the final product, but it's actually closer to the Switch Lite than the traditional Switch.

As you can see below, the original design for the console boasts a screen that expands beyond the analog sticks in a way very reminiscent of a mobile phone display. In fact, the console is mostly just screen, with three small buttons at the bottom that prevents the face from being entirely a means to display.

If the design looks familiar, it's because it looks almost exactly like a "leaked" image of the console that made the rounds before it was revealed that was eventually written off as a hoax.

According to some documents that accompany the leak, the Nintendo Switch was originally going to support 3D functionality and be backward compatible with the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo was also apparently looking at utilizing a 480p screen. Thankfully, it decided against this and made the screen 720p.

Of course, take all of this -- the images and the tidbits of information -- with a grain of salt given that all of it is info of the leaked variety. At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on this leak in any capacity and it's unlikely this will change.

Cyberpunk 2077 Developer Has Bad News for Those Looking Forward to Multiplayer

It looks like Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer is tacking a backseat as CD Projekt Red scrambles to fix the single-player of the newly-released PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia game. After years of anticipation and hype, Cyberpunk 2077 finally released earlier this month and it's been weighed down by many bugs and performance issues, particularly on PS4 and Xbox One. It's been a messy situation for the Polish developer, which is working hard to fix the various problems.

In addition to this, the developer is also working on proper next-gen versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and has already promised two meaty single-player DLC releases, which are likely already in the works as well. There's a lot on the plate of the developer right now, which also has a standalone multiplayer mode for the game in the works, though it sounds like it's being put on the backburner until the single-player is in a more suitable state on all platforms.

CD Projekt Red has already confirmed it will talk more about the game's multiplayer mode sometime in early 2021. And it sounds like it's sticking by this window. However, during a recent call with investors, CDPR CEO Adam Kicinski suggested that multiplayer is far from the priority right now. In fact, it sounds like it's on the mind of nobody at the developer right now.

“At the moment please let us handle the situation, and please let us make some more assessments – that’s still ahead of us; we don’t know yet, and we’re now focused on improving Cyberpunk," said Kicinski when asked about the game's multiplayer. "We’ll discuss this early next year.”

As you can see, Kicinski is sticking to the aforementioned timetable, but he also more or less suggests we may not be playing the multiplayer anytime soon.

Of course, this isn't great news for anyone looking forward to the game's multiplayer, but it's the right call by CD Projekt Red as it's unlikely anyone will care about the multiplayer experience until the core, single-player experience is improved.

Super Smash Bros. Fans Can't Get Enough of Sephiroth Kirby

Super Smash Bros. fans just can’t get enough of Sephiroth Kirby after the announcement today. Sora president Masahiro Sakurai ran through everything involving the Final Fantasy villain. But, one of the stars of the show was his favorite creation with spiky Anime hair.

Kirby’s copy ability has been a crowd-pleaser since it debuted in the first game. But, as soon as Sephiroth was introduced, most fans immediately wondered what Nintendo would have up their sleeves for the pink puffball. He gets the trademark hair, but it looks like the mascot will keep the signature cutter blade used for the UP+B special. Altogether it’s a really funny bit when put alongside the Cloud Strife version of Kirby as well. Nintendo’s various accounts had a field day encouraging people to retweet the absurd images and add their commentary to what was going on. It’s been a banner day for the Smash community with so many details, hopefully, there’s even more fun in store.

Sephiroth was the big star of the presentation as Sakurai ran the villain through his paces on the livestream. Nintendo also made sure to announce the Sephiroth Challenge from today until December 22nd. Fans will have the chance to best the Final Fantasy character. If they prevail, they can unlock him early. However, the players will have needed to buy him outright or purchased the second Fighters Pass for the game before they can test their mettle.

Apex Legends Update Will Let Lifeline Revive Two Teammates at Once

Respawn Entertainment is giving Lifeline a big buff in an upcoming patch that’ll soon allow the support Legend to revive two teammates at once. She’ll do this by using her drone buddy, D.O.C., to revive one teammate by itself using the signature shield she already has while Lifeline herself will be able to revive another teammate. We got a hint of this ability during the EA Play event that confirmed cross-play was coming to the game and found out more about the Lifeline buff from Apex Legends design director Jason McCord who responded to users’ questions about the buff on Twitter.

If you missed the initial tease about the Lifeline buff, you can see it in effect around a minute into the video below. We see Lifeline approaching a downed Bangalore before tossing out D.O.C. to revive the teammate while Lifeline keeps her attention on the enemies.

That was our first hint of a Lifeline buff, but it didn’t tell us exactly how this ability would work and what else might be changed in Lifeline’s kit to further buff the Legend or make room for this change. We won’t know the full details until we get the patch notes for the next update, but we do at least know something new about the buff now.

McCord responded to a user on Twitter who asked about the buff. The user questioned if Lifeline would be able to revive two downed teammates at the same time, and McCord confirmed that was indeed how the buff would work.

Judging from the brief gameplay clip, it looks like Lifeline will be able to revive teammates by just throwing out her drone like she normally would if she were healing her allies. If a teammate is down, it’ll probably prioritize that player to get them up first while shielding them. How that’ll work with the normal healing mechanic it currently has and whether the shield will remain up while healing or only during revives remains to be seen.

This buff will follow another change made not long ago that gave Lifeline the ability to find more resources in select supply bins. She’s not the sole support character since you could consider Pathfinder and other Legends to be quite supportive as well, but she is the only medic-focused character and has fallen out of favor lately as other Legends received buffs.

Look for Apex Legends’ Lifeline buff in an upcoming update with patch notes released alongside it to explain what’s changing.

Halo Infinite: New Tease Has Xbox Series X Fans Excited for July Reveal

It won't be long before fans finally see gameplay for Halo Infinite because Microsoft is set to debut some brand new footage next month. And while the Xbox Series X launch title is set to debut later this year, fans still don't know much about the latest Halo sequel. But all of that will change at an upcoming games showcase for Xbox Series X titles in July. Now Halo Infinite's community director Brian Jarrad is teasing some massive reveals for the event, prompting a lot of fans to get excited for the impending return of Master Chief to the Xbox.

Taking to Twitter, Jarrard teased that E3 this year was going to be 343 Industries "big year to own the show." However, as you will know, the show was canned due to the coronavirus pandemic, delaying the proper reveal of Halo Infinite to July. That said, obviously, 343 Industries is packing some serious heat, heat that it will presumably still be packing come the aforementioned July event.

"I know it’s a trivial, meaningless thing given the state of this country and much more important issues... but in a parallel universe I’d be at e3 this week," said Jarrard. "I’m bummed. This was to be our big year to own the show. Missing all my industry friends and the annual shenanigans.

Of course, not only is Jarrard part of 343 industries, but he's their community director. In other words, his hype generating talk about the game should be taken with a grain of salt. However, despite some obvious bias, this hasn't stopped Halo and Xbox fans from getting excited. 343 Industries seems very confident about the game, and soon we will see and hear more about the title than the entirety of the last two years.

Halo Infinite is in development for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Barring any unexpected delay, it will release worldwide sometime this holiday season.

First Far Cry 6 Details Reportedly Revealed

A new Far Cry 6 rumor has surfaced online, possibly shedding new light on the alleged PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC game. As you may remember, earlier this month, a new report about Far Cry 6 was revealed with some salient details about the unconfirmed Ubisoft title. Included in this was word that the game will be revealed on July 12, release before April 2021, and that it won't be set in the United States, unlike Far Cry 5, which did so to much controversy, but also record-breaking sales. Not only did this report come from a reliable source, but it echoes what others have said about the game in the past as well.

That said, adding to this, more details about the game have been revealed, though the source in question isn't quite as reputable. The details come way of prominent Reset Era user Okabe, who is trusted by some as a reliable industry insider and who has been correct in the past. That said, take everything below with a grain of salt.

According to the new rumor, Far Cry 6 is returning to a tropical setting, or more specifically, a tropical-ish setting. Accompanying this will be a "Narcos" vibe, plus the following: co-op, jetpacks, horseback riding, shooting while on horseback, and helping zoos.

Now, I know what you're thinking: this sounds all over the place, but that's been the way the series has been trending for a while. That said, the most interesting detail here is word of a "Narcos" vibe and style of the game, which may suggest a Caribbean or South American setting, as well as a date set in the previous century.

Again, take all of these details, and the speculation derived from them, with a grain of salt. However, we should be seeing and hear more about the game next month at Ubisoft's July showcase.

Marvel's Avengers Reveals New Thor Skin

Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix's have revealed a new Marvel's Avengers Thor skin, offering up a brand new look at the hero who will be playable this September via the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia alongside Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Hulk, and Black Widow. More specifically, the game's official Twitter account shared a new image of the game featuring Thor in his casual outfit, which apparently every hero will have.

As you can see in the image below, while Thor still wields his mighty hammer, the skin transforms from the superhero into your run-of-the-mill, super-jacked Scandinavian. Meanwhile, the screenshot also shows off some robotic looking enemies, who are presumably some type of AIM henchmen, plus a big machine that looks like it could be a level boss.

Unfortunately, this is all the Twitter account revealed, though it did take the opportunity to once again remind fans that a new slab of the game will be revealed on June 24.

Marvel's Avengers is set to release worldwide on September 4, 2020, and it will be available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia at launch. At the moment of publishing, there's been no word of a Nintendo Switch port, or PS5 and Xbox Series X ports.

"Marvel’s Avengers begins at A-Day, where Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor are unveiling a hi-tech Avengers Headquarters in San Francisco — including the reveal of their own helicarrier powered by an experimental energy source," reads an official description of the game. "The celebration turns deadly when a catastrophic accident results in massive devastation. Blamed for the tragedy, the Avengers disband. Five years later, with all Super Heroes outlawed and the world in peril, the only hope is to reassemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes."

Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road Release Date Revealed

Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road, the new video game set to explore the past of Xenahort and Eraqus as well as several new characters, is officially set to last tomorrow, June 22nd, according to Square Enix. The mobile game will be available through the already existing title Kingdom Hearts Union χ, which is an unusual step for the franchise. This comes after the game was delayed from its intended Spring 2020 release window.

"[F]ans can explore the mysteries of a teenage Xehanort in KINGDOM HEARTS Dark Road, a brand-new, original story experience for mobile devices," Square Enix's press release announcing the release date states in part. "Players can uncover new secrets from this untold part of the KINGDOM HEARTS story, using accessible card-based gameplay mechanics within Disney worlds."

As the above trailer indicates, the release date for Dark Road is not the only Kingdom Hearts-related news of late. Square Enix also announced Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, a new rhythm-action game which offers fans "an unmissable opportunity to relive their favorite moments like never before." Melody of Memory is set to release later this year for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, which marks the first time the franchise has appeared on the latter console.

As noted above, Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road is scheduled to release tomorrow, June 22nd. Unlike other Kingdom Hearts games, Dark Road does not appear to be a standalone title and instead can be accessed via the previously released Kingdom Hearts Union χ mobile game. It will be available that way for iOS, Android, and Amazon devices upon release. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the Kingdom Hearts franchise right here.

Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team Comic Series Announced

Dark Horse Comics and CD Projekt Red have announced a new Cyberpunk 2077 comic book series called Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team. The comic, or so the name implies, would appear to focus on Trauma Team International, a known faction in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 that is effectively a combination of paramedics and PMCs. The comic series is being written by Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, Uncanny X-Men) with art by Miguel Valderrama (Giants) and colors by Jason Wordie.

Notably, it would appear that the comic will be the first official piece of Cyberpunk 2077 that folks will actually be able to interact with as the video game itself was recently delayed even further to November 19th. Had it launched on September 17th as previously announced, there would have been a gap of about a week between them, but now folks will have a couple of months left to go when Trauma Team #1 releases in early September.

Here is how Dark Horse Comics describes the upcoming comic book series:

"Nadia, an assistant EMT for a privately-owned business known as Trauma Team International, is the sole survivor of a failed rescue mission turned shootout. After she agrees to continue work for an upcoming extraction mission, Nadia and her new team find themselves in an even more dangerous and life-threatening situation."

The first issue of Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team from Dark Horse Comics is expected to release on September 9th. Cyberpunk 2077 is now scheduled to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 19th. Whatever the upcoming "Night City Wire" event actually is, we will all find out together on June 25th. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the upcoming video game right here.