Forza Horizon 4, Modern Warfare, And More Discounted In New Xbox One Games Sale

The Xbox Store has kicked off two new sales that are live for the next week: an Activision Blizzard Publisher Sale and a Forza sale. Neither sale is large, but each features some great games that are worth checking out. Now’s your chance to save big on Forza Motorsport 7, Forza Horizon 4, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and more. Both sales run through September 21.

Forza Horizon 4 ($30) and Forza Motorsport 7 ($20) are on sale for 50% off each. It’s rare to see either of these games for less, so you should grab them while you can if interested. The Deluxe and Ultimate editions of each game are also on sale.

The Activision Blizzard Publisher Sale focuses heavily on Call of Duty games. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is down to $39, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is $15, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is $30.

Other highlights include Diablo III: Eternal Collection for $19.79, Spyro Reignited Trilogy for $20, Overwatch Legendary edition for $19.79, and the Crash Bandicoot Bundle for $41.24. The bundle includes the Crash N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can save on even more games this week. This week’s Deals with Gold include Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for $30, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen for $9.89, Desperados III for $45, and more.

Kompletter Artikel: Forza Horizon 4, Modern Warfare, And More Discounted In New Xbox One Games Sale

Another Call Of Duty Cheat Site Shut Down By Activision Blizzard

Call of Duty players have complained about cheaters ever since the days of the Xbox 360, when players would illegally modify their controllers to shoot faster. Now, Activision Blizzard has filed a cease and desist letter against another Call of Duty cheats manufacturer, and it appears that the site has stopped hosting cheats for Activision Blizzard games.

According to a statement posted by GatorCheats on their Discord and obtained by CharlieIntel, Activision Blizzard first sent the site a cease and desist letter back in May 2020, but GatorCheats only closed sales of Modern Warfare and Warzone cheats to new customers, continuing to support those who had already made a purchase. In September, a person hand-delivered a second cease-and-desist letter to the owner of the site, which indicated that if they didn’t completely remove the cheats from their site, they would move forward with litigation.

Following this, the owner of GatorCheats decided to remove all Activision Blizzard products from their site, as well as urging all customers to not seek out cheats from “alternative sources.” This decision follows the similar closure of another cheats site, CXCheats, which stopped selling COD cheats back in late August.

Activision has dropped the hammer on Call of Duty cheaters before, banning more than 70,000 players back in April and promising more ban-waves to come in recent months. The cheating problem has become so rife in Warzone that some console players have taken to disabling cross-play in order to avoid PC players, since it’s much easier to use these tools on a PC than a console.

Kompletter Artikel: Another Call Of Duty Cheat Site Shut Down By Activision Blizzard

August 2020 NPD: Madden NFL 21 Tackles As Switch Continues Sales Streak

The NPD Group has released its US sales results for August 2020, which once again saw year-over-year growth and a number of new games hitting the top ten in sales figures.

Overall consumer spending in August 2020 hit $3.3 billion, representing a 37% year-over-year increase. Digital content, mobile spending, and subscription services had the largest growth. That brought year-to-date consumer spending up to $29.4 billion, which is 23% higher than the same period of time in 2019.

Hardware spending was up 37% year-over-year, while game content (like DLC and subscriptions) was up 37%, and accessories were up 42%.

Nintendo Switch set a new US August hardware sales record. That beat out the previous record set in 2008 by Nintendo Wii. NPD says that Switch unit sales more than doubled over the same period last year. That strength was reflected in software sales too, as nine of the top 20 are Switch exclusives, and that’s without counting digital sales for Switch games.

The top-selling game in August was Madden NFL 21, and this year’s entry in the annual football franchise is already #6 in the year-to-date charts. Its strong performance is no surprise, though, as NPD notes this is the 21st year in a row that a Madden NFL game has been the best-seller in its release month.

Check out the full results below. New releases are marked in bold.

August 2020 NPD Software Sales

  1. Madden NFL 21
  2. UFC 4
  3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  4. Ghost of Tsushima
  5. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  6. Ring Fit Adventure
  7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  9. Paper Mario: The Origami King
  10. Mortal Kombat 11
  11. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  12. The Last of Us: Part 2
  13. Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition
  14. PGA Tour 2K21
  15. New Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
  16. Super Mario Party
  17. Rainbow Six Siege
  18. Super Mario Odyssey
  19. Final Fantasy VII Remake
  20. Luigi’s Mansion 3

Best Selling Games Year-to-Date

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  3. The Last of Us: Part II
  4. Final Fantasy VII: Remake
  5. Ghost of Tsushima
  6. Madden NFL 21
  7. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
  8. MLB: The Show 20
  9. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
  10. Mortal Kombat 11

Kompletter Artikel: August 2020 NPD: Madden NFL 21 Tackles As Switch Continues Sales Streak

Madden NFL 21 Was August's Best-Selling Digital PS4 Game

Sony has revealed which games saw the most downloads in August, and in a repeat of 2019, Madden NFL 21 took the top spot in the US and Canadian charts. Beating Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, Madden NFL 21’s position on the chart is especially noteworthy as it only officially launched on August 28.

Ghost of Tsushima continued to see strong sales, adding to its impressive record of being the fastest-selling new IP on PlayStation 4. Fall Guys also saw positive growth by making its way to the top five thanks to PS Plus offering the game for free to subscribers, while UFC 4 and PGA Tour 2K21 filled out the fifth and sixth positions on the chart, respectively.

Grand Theft Auto V, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Minecraft, NBA 2K20 and Cuphead filled out the rest of the chart, while Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series was the most-downloaded PS VR game last month. Beat Saber came in at second place, helped in part by new Linkin Park DLC that paid tribute to the band’s greatest hits.

Hyper Scape proved to the most-popular free downloadable game of the month, followed by Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and Apex Legends. Fortnite may not have taken first place in that category, but it had multiple wins in the charts for most-downloaded DLC, grabbing half the spots in the top ten with Yellowjacket, Batman, and Summer Legends offerings. You can read the full lists below:

Most-Downloaded PS4 Games

  1. Madden NFL 21
  2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  3. Ghost of Tsushima
  4. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
  5. UFC 4
  6. PGA TOUR 2K21
  7. Minecraft
  8. Grand Theft Auto V
  9. NBA 2K20
  10. Cuphead

Most-Downloaded PS VR Games

  1. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
  2. Beat Saber
  3. SUPERHOT VR
  4. Job Simulator
  5. GORN
  6. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
  7. Pistol Whip
  8. Marvel’s Iron Man VR
  9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
  10. DOOM VFR

Most-Downloaded Free-To-Play Games

  1. Hyper Scape
  2. Call of Duty: Warzone
  3. Fortnite
  4. Apex Legends
  5. Brawlhalla
  6. Destiny 2
  7. Warframe
  8. RACING BROS
  9. Fantasy Strike
  10. Warface

Most-Downloaded DLC and Expansions

  1. Fortnite – The Yellowjacket Pack
  2. Fortnite – Derby Dynamo Challenge Pack
  3. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Fast Food Costume Pack
  4. Fortnite – Batman Caped Crusader Pack
  5. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Collector’s Pack
  6. Fortnite – Metal Team Leader Pack
  7. Call of Duty: Warzone – Starter Pack
  8. Rogue Company: Starter Founder’s Pack
  9. Fortnite – Summer Legends Pack
  10. For Honor – Warmonger Hero

Kompletter Artikel: Madden NFL 21 Was August's Best-Selling Digital PS4 Game

Operation Shadow Legacy Now Available

Operation Shadow Legacy, the third season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 5, is now available. This new season brings innovation with the addition of Sam Fisher from the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell saga as a new operator, a rework of the Chalet map, an improvement of the ping system and many other key updates.

Owners of the Year 5 Pass can play with Zero aka Sam Fisher immediately, while other players can unlock him with Renown or R6 Credits starting September 17. New seasonal content, including the Chalet map rework, are available for free to all players. Year 5 Season 3 also welcomes the Battle Pass, available now through October 19.

Sam Fisher is equipped with a new gadget called the Argus Launcher, a two-way drill camera. The cameras are launched to pierce soft or reinforced walls, windows and hatches, and can stick to any surface. The attacker can rotate the camera to see the other side of the wall and each camera is equipped with one laser charge, used to deal damage to defenders or destroy gadgets. Sam Fisher also comes with his unique weapons, the SC3000K and Karambit.

In addition to this new operator, players can explore a reimagined Chalet map, which is newly reworked. The first and the second floors are improved and the roof is now traversable, among other features. Objectives have been the focus of this rework, with a hallway added to improve rotation in the Basement, and the Trophy site has been switched for a new one in Dining.

Additional game updates include:

  • Ping 2.0
  • Map Ban
  • New Secondary Gadget: The Hard Breach Charge
  • New Optics and Sights Colors
  • New Reinforcement Pool

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit http://rainbow6.ubisoft.com.

Kompletter Artikel: Operation Shadow Legacy Now Available

NEW RAINBOW SIX SIEGE STREAMER CHARMS FOR Y5S3!

ANNOUNCING THE NEXT Y5S3 STREAMER CHARMS!

Each season will bring the release of new charms, as well as a return of the streamer’s charms from previous seasons!

NEW

Alfredoplays[www.twitch.tv]

Ad9m[www.twitch.tv]

Rubsarb[www.twitch.tv]

KittyR6[www.twitch.tv]

RETURNING


Beaulo[www.twitch.tv]

SexyCake[www.twitch.tv]

WhiteShark67[www.twitch.tv]

PaladinAmber[www.twitch.tv]

Interro[www.twitch.tv]

Pengu[www.twitch.tv]

Just9n[www.twitch.tv]

Zigueira[www.twitch.tv]

Kalera[www.twitch.tv]

Kixstar[www.twitch.tv]

Gabbo[www.twitch.tv]

LagonisR6[www.twitch.tv]

Narcoleptic Nugget[www.twitch.tv]

Bighead[www.twitch.tv]

Varsity[www.twitch.tv]

Zander[www.twitch.tv]

KingGeorge[www.twitch.tv]

Bnans[www.twitch.tv]

BikiniBodhi[www.twitch.tv]

Jinu6734[www.twitch.tv]

Punjistick[www.twitch.tv]

MacieJay[www.twitch.tv]

Tranth[www.twitch.tv]

z1ronic[www.twitch.tv]

Shorty[www.twitch.tv]

AnneMunition[www.twitch.tv]

Matimi0[www.twitch.tv]

TangyD[www.twitch.tv]

SilphTV[www.twitch.tv]

Lil_Lexi[www.twitch.tv]

Drid[www.twitch.tv]

Salty Academy[www.twitch.tv]

Tatted[www.twitch.tv]

HOW TO ACQUIRE CHARMS

These charms are only available by subscribing to the respective streamer’s Twitch channel with a linked Uplay account. For more information on how to link your Uplay and Twitch account, as well as opt in for Twitch Drops, please refer to this FAQ[support.ubi.com].

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Given the length of our production cycle for in-game content, the participants for Y5S1 S2, S3 & S4 have already been determined. We are always on the lookout for additional content creators to add to the program and will be exploring new candidates in 2020 & 2021. If your goal is to see your charm in game, we use the following criteria to begin the selection process for potential candidates:

Requirements to be considered
  • Approximately 350+ concurrent viewers – preferable.
  • Average of 10 Rainbow Six streams per month.
  • Average of 20 hours of Rainbow Six streamed per month.
  • Positive standing with Ubisoft/Rainbow Six Siege.
  • High quality level of content.
  • Rainbow Six Siege reserves the right for final decision.

Consideration for Removal
  • Less than 10 Rainbow Six Siege main streams over 3 months.
  • Level of quality dropping below an acceptable level.
  • Standing with Rainbow Six Siege/Ubisoft compromised.
  • Any actions that may negatively affect the R6S/Ubisoft brand.
  • Rainbow Six Siege reserves the right for removal of any charms.

Kompletter Artikel: NEW RAINBOW SIX SIEGE STREAMER CHARMS FOR Y5S3!

Call Of Duty Cold War Multiplayer Hands-On: Should You Play It Over Modern Warfare?

Another year, another Call of Duty–such is the video game landscape. This year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is trying some new things on the single-player campaign side, but in terms of the multiplayer component, you might be wondering what’s in it for you this time, and whether you should leave Modern Warfare‘s robust multiplayer suite and breadth of content updates behind for something different.

I was able to experience Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer alongside other members of the media through an online hands-on preview event held by Activision. We played multiple matches that included the new VIP Escort mode and a 12-on-12 Domination mode called Combined Arms on a seafaring map. This is in addition to the expected suite of modes like Hardpoint, Team Deathmatch, Control, and Kill Confirmed. I also got a look at how loadouts have changed this time around with its roster of guns, perks, attachments, scorestreaks, and wildcards.

With all that in mind, let’s dig into what’s new with Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer, how it changes up the experience, and if it’s worth jumping into (you can also watch the video above).

Ocean Warfare

The aforementioned Combined Arms mode was a major focus during our multiplayer session since we played it three times, specifically on the map Armada. This is the map set in the ocean between battleships, where teams of 12 fight Domination-style. Here, you have sea-based vehicles like jet skis and patrol boats that help you get to and from several points on the map, otherwise you’d have to swim to traverse the waters. You can also go between ships quickly through ziplines, which is where most of the firefights take place, although there are two capture points at sea where you can expect some underwater shootouts.

It’s almost like a mini-Battlefield, akin to Modern Warfare’s Ground War mode (but on water and not on the ground of course). The map isn’t necessarily large, but it does feature multiple layers that make matches more enticing than simply holding down certain sightlines or lanes. It’s a bit more chaotic in that regard. For example, holding down capture point C is indicative of that, as it sits atop a submarine nestled within the main ship. You’re vulnerable since enemies can pick you off from the ship decks above, assault you on boats, or emerge from the water unsuspectingly.

Getting between capture points efficiently in Armada will require using sea vehicles and ziplines.

It’s good to see risks being taken, or at least a distinct change of pace. We also tried Combined Arms on Crossroads, which had a few tanks and snowmobiles on this more traditional style map with some open areas and bunkers–but this experience, while good, was quite familiar to your standard Call of Duty fare and a bit cramped for vehicles. I hope that the complete Black Ops Cold War package leans more into approaches like the fresher Armada map when it launches or as it evolves with it’s free ongoing support and content updates.

VIP Access

The other notable addition coming in this year’s game is VIP Escort, a six-on-six, one-life per round style of mode–one team transports the VIP (a player on the team who’s chosen at random) to one of two exfiltration sites, and the other team has to hunt down the VIP. Players can be revived after being knocked down, but once the VIP dies, it’s over–keep in mind that the VIP only carries a pistol and is easily identified wearing civilian clothes, too. Sides switch each round and the first team to four wins takes the match.

I found this mode to be yet another good change of pace from the chaotic big-team Domination, since VIP Escort is much more calculated and slower-paced. It’s reminiscent of Counter-Strike style of play, which requires more coordination and situational awareness. The Miami map was best suited for this mode, too; it sports an urban design washed in neon lights to emphasize the ’80s setting, but the tight corners and buildings provided more tactical considerations.

The other map, the aforementioned Crossroads, wasn’t exactly great for VIP Escort since snipers can sit in safe spots and watch exfiltration points to either take out the VIP target or call out enemy movement for quick team rotations. I did exactly that when on the offensive team and found assured success in my experience.

This is the kind of mode that lives or dies by the quality of the maps designed for it. And if there are more down the line like Miami, then this could certainly be a mode worth putting time into.

The Standard Warfare

As I mentioned, the suite of standard issue modes are featured in Black Ops Cold War as well. Kill Confirmed, where you have to collect the tags of those you kill before counting towards your team’s score, provides familiar and reliable thrills. Hardpoint, which has constantly shifting control points a la King of the Hill, makes for some really intense, hard-fought battles. Control, where respawns are limited and one team has to hold onto two capture points, gets you those butt-clenching moments if you’re not completely overrun by the enemy team.

They’re all safe bets if you just want straight-forward FPS multiplayer action. It’s Call of Duty’s bread and butter, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. One standout map was called Satellite, which takes place on a desert with caves, trenches, and open areas which was a bit different from basic Call of Duty designs, and the city-based Moscow map has a dense atmosphere.

No Caption Provided

Loadouts Of The Era

Your arsenal of weapons to create a class with are reflective of the era in which Black Ops Cold War takes place, with low-tech being front and center. The AK-47, XM4, M16, AK-74u, and Type 63 rifle, among many others, make up the core firearms, but it’s the dynamic range of attachments that will make your guns a deciding factor in a match. By default, you can select five attachments from the eight slots available; scopes, grips, stocks, magazines, sights, and barrels are among those options. Each attachment has their specific stats communicated in-menu with percentages on how much it affects attributes like ADS speed, effective range, recoil, stability, reload speed, magazine capacity, etc. With clear gains and trade-offs, leaning into the Gunsmith meta in loadouts could be a fun aspect for tinkering.

Furthermore, wildcards return to grant players one passive ability for their class. From what I saw, you have options to carry two primary weapons, open all eight gun attachment slots, or even equip six perks in total. Speaking of perks, series staples like Cold-Blooded, Ninja, Ghost, Scavenger, and are also mixed into the fold to help customize your playstyle further.

No Caption Provided

And the last notable feature included in your loadout options is scorestreaks; the other form of killstreaks but instead tied to the match score earned to encourage objective play. From what I saw, these were your standard set of streak-style abilities like the Spy Plane (basically a UAV), Artillery, Attack Helicopter, and Napalm Strikes (the inclusion of which will no doubt require further scrutiny given Cold War’s post-Vietnam War setting for multiplayer).

The Smaller Details And The Big Takeaway

With all that said, Black Ops Cold War is, well, reliable–it’s Call of Duty with some new features and a few twists backed by a solid FPS foundation. Its audio/sound cues for enemy activity seem sharper than Modern Warfare, while offering similar quick time-to-kill that feels tuned for a slightly more tactical approach to combat. Health regeneration is part of the game, but without a stim-like ability. You also have unlimited sprint at all times, there’s no mounting your weapon on corners, and you won’t be peeking through or kicking down doors. It’s as if the game is streamlining gameplay variables to place a bit more emphasis on how you build your guns and class abilities.

It doesn’t set out to reinvent the series, but in a world where Modern Warfare built itself as a strong service-style game, Black Ops Cold War has a lot of work to prove that it’s worth your time and money. Some folks play Call of Duty routinely every year like it’s Madden or NBA 2K, and that’s fine, but if you’re on the fence, Black Ops Cold War hasn’t provided a clear reason to leave last year’s experience behind just yet.

No Caption Provided

Keep in mind that while I had about 3 hours with the game, there’s still more in store for the full release. We still haven’t seen the objective-based Fireteam mode that pits 10 teams of four against each other in land-sea-air combat scenarios. And there are sure to be more maps that could bring out the best in its game modes. Currently, we’re a bit unclear on the details of how this new game will integrate with Warzone too, other than the fact that there is cross-progression, exclusive items, and narrative tie-ins for the free-to-play battle royale, but these could be neat incentives.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 13 and for next-gen Xbox Series X/S and PS5 sometime this Holiday as well. And we have much more coverage of the game to tide you over, such as all the details of the conspiracy-laden single-player campaign that looks to be doing some new, wild things for the franchise.

Kompletter Artikel: Call Of Duty Cold War Multiplayer Hands-On: Should You Play It Over Modern Warfare?