Sony In Talks To Join Bid To Buy Paramount – Report

April 19, 2024

In the race to acquire Paramount, Skydance Media still has the inside track. But there may be more players pulling up in the rearview. According to The New York Times, an investment firm, Apollo Global Management, is in talks with Sony Pictures for a joint bid to take over Paramount, the storied studio behind Mission: Impossible and several other film and TV franchises.

Officially, neither Sony nor Apollo are currently in negotiations with Paramount itself, which is only talking with Skydance. However, the potential deal with Skydance has not been well-received by many of Paramount’s investors. Via Bloomberg, Paramount investor William Riley has formally notified Paramount chairwoman Shari Redstone about his belief that the Spyglass deal is solely for her “personal gains.” Because Redstone has a controlling interest in Paramount’s stock, she is currently pushing for a sale to Spyglass without asking the rest of the shareholders to vote on it.

During an earlier stage of negotiations, Apollo extended an offer for Paramount that would have been valued at $26 billion, which included Paramount’s debt. Paramount seemingly ignored that offer because it is in the middle of an exclusivity deal for negotiations with Skydance. The New York Post recently reported that Paramount and Skydance may not close a deal before that exclusive period expires on May 3.

The dynamics of a partnership between Apollo and Sony have not been locked down, especially since no deal has been made between the two companies. If Sony does enter the picture as a potential co-owner of Paramount, it would give the studio its own streaming service with Paramount+ as well as an expanded library of film and TV shows.

However, the biggest hurdle between Apollo and Sony taking over Paramount may be the U.S. government. Following Disney’s 2019 purchase of Fox’s entertainment assets, the FCC has pushed back on large media mergers, and the combination of two major studios into a single studio may face extreme scrutiny from multiple angles. Since Skydance isn’t one of Paramount’s competitors, it may face an easier path to the FCC’s approval. But the battle for Paramount is far from over.

No Rest For The Wicked Is Brutal And Ambitious, But A Little Confused

With Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, developer Moon Studios deconstructed the fundamentals of metroidvania design and honed in on its most alluring aspects. Combined with some of the tightest platforming in the business and an entrancing visual design, the studio’s debut IP was a standout hit, leading to heightened anticipation for its next project. Yet, No Rest for the Wicked could not be more different from the enchanting veneer of Ori and the Blind Forest, trading in precise platforming for punishing combat, bright colors for a dark and foreboding medieval world, and tight gameplay for systems that struggle to reign everything in.

No Rest for the Wicked puts you in control of a member of the Cerim, a group of warriors charged with protecting the realm from a plague that turns folks into horrific, almost eldritch creatures. While sailing towards the island of Sacra, your ship is attacked by rebels from the land known as the Risen, leaving you stranded on the gloomy shores and at the doorstep of Sacra’s main town, Sanctuary. Many of No Rest for the Wicked’s main narrative pieces are moved into view within the first hour of play, setting up a tense scenario where humanity is fighting against a returning plague while an overzealous religious cult is using the ensuing chaos to carve a place for themselves in the future of the kingdom.

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Now Playing: No Rest for the Wicked – Official Steam Early Access Launch Trailer

It’s nothing particularly unique, and you can certainly tell who is presumably going to eventually end up being an antagonist (and who will end up becoming an ally) pretty quickly. But it is easy to forget this when conversing with the many characters you’ll come across, especially in Sanctuary. There’s a lot of personality in every conversation you have, punctuated by the eye-catching character designs that exaggerate facial and physical features in ways that give No Rest for the Wicked a rather unique look.

This extends to the isle of Sacra, which is divided up into visually diverse sections that house a variety of eye-catching flora and decrepit architecture. Traversing dangerous woods filled with enemies is punctuated by a lack of light, bathing the wilderness in a foreboding darkness that heightens the fear of being attacked out of nowhere. By contrast, the warm and soothing sunlight in Sanctuary accentuates how safe this small reprieve from the outside danger is, even if its streets don’t house the most pleasant citizens. Moon Studios’ has been revered for its iconic style and attention to visual detail, and No Rest for the Wicked is just another feather in its cap.

Reducing No Rest for the Wicked down to another action role-playing game not only does it a disservice, but also fails to capture other genres it’s attempting to blend into this familiar mold. Yes, you’re still presented with an isometric camera view, but instead of clicking to move around you have direct control of your character as you make your way around Sacra. The world itself is also more ripe for inventive exploration, with a surprising focus on verticality when it comes to some light platforming. You’ll automatically leap from ledges when sprinting, and treasures are enticingly placed on tricky to reach ledges that will have you moving around a small area in an attempt to figure out how to reach them. This does have some drawbacks, particularly given that you can’t directly control the camera. The density of environmental detail can often make it challenging to determine what is a traversable path, especially when it comes to having to hug a wall to progress forward. Additionally it’s frustrating to fall from ledges or slim beams when moving across them can feel so awkward thanks to the angled view. It’s difficult to gauge your character’s balance correctly when you have to account for the skewed angle you’re viewing them from, making many treasures at the end of these challenges not worth seeking out.

No Rest for the Wicked also drastically changes what you might expect from a combat system in an ARPG. Games like Diablo and Path of Exile revel in larger scale battles where you’re able to vaporize groups of enemies with a single spell. No Rest for the Wicked instead takes inspiration from the Souls-like genre, giving combat a much slower, purposeful feel that works well with its demanding level of challenge. Every enemy is a threat that can easily put you down if you aren’t careful, while groups will quickly overwhelm you if you don’t strategically pick each one off in a careful order. Attacks, dodges, and rolls all consume stamina, while enemy attacks will build up poise damage that can leave you open to attack, challenging you to manage both with care. As such, learning enemy attack patterns, equipping weapons with varying levels of attack speeds and poise damage, and perfecting the art of parrying are all vital. Thankfully, these all coalesce into a satisfying combat system that engages you as it teaches, creating a satisfying sense of control as you pirouette around enemies you’ve figured out.

The user-interface can get in the way of this, however. Both stamina and poise are represented with individual bars around your character, and not on the main HUD placed in the top-left of the screen. As you’re dodging and moving around in a skirmish, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine how much stamina you have left, which can mean the difference between a victory-assuring attack and a deadly overreach. This placement could be an experiment while the game is still in early access to see if keeping this vital information at the center of the battle as opposed to on the periphery is an improvement, but I would much rather see a toggle to let players choose one or the other as development progresses.

Learning enemy attack patterns, equipping weapons with varying levels of attack speeds and poise damage, and perfecting the art of parrying are all vital … Thankfully, these all coalesce into a satisfying combat system that engages you as it teaches, creating a satisfying sense of control as you pirouette around enemies you’ve figured out

No Rest for the Wicked does make some fundamental changes to some of the systems you might have assumed would be brought over from its many inspirations. When you die, you respawn at the last resting site you activated, but you don’t lose any experience. Instead, your gear will lose some durability, which only starts feeling punishing once they’re near useless. Perhaps the biggest diversion is with regards to healing items. Unlike Dark Souls, healing items are a consumable you’ll need to routinely farm. Cooked meals are the most effective way to heal in battle, but they require knowledge of a recipe and then specific ingredients to cook. Though this seems straightforward enough initially, it’s soon revealed that enemies and resources do not respawn after you die. Instead, you have to wait for portions of the map to fog over again, randomizing enemy and resource placements so that you can farm in that area once more.

There’s a tangible tug-of-war between the principles of the Souls inspirations and No Rest for the Wicked’s deviations from them. Farming ingredients for healing is problematic when facing a challenging boss that requires multiple attempts to best, and naturally there are quite a few. This means you’ll regularly have to explore new parts of the map simply to restock on healing supplies, putting yourself in danger that might ultimately require use of the same healing resources you’re trying to stockpile. Coupled with the element of randomization, this process quickly becomes frustrating, and generates friction between No Rest for the Wicked’s attempts at melding together disparate ideas from two genres.

Where No Rest for the Wicked sticks strongly to traditional ARPG tropes is in its loot. There is a significant amount of loot to pick up as you explore Sacra, with weapons, gear, resounces, and more dropped by enemies, found tucked away in chests, and otherwise randomly placed throughout the world. It doesn’t take long for your inventory to be bulging at the seams, leading to numerous trips back to Sanctuary just to unload before continuing exploration. Unfortunately, this process can become tedious quite quickly, and is even more of an issue during aforementioned runs for healing where you’ll have to choose between carrying upgrade resources or meal ingredients. It’s a cumbersome bit of resource management that adds nothing more than tedium to the loop of exploration.

However, finding new gear in the form of weapons and armor is as stimulating as most other ARPGs, and enables you to quickly change the way you play the game or approach previously challenging foes. Weapons are particularly interesting in No Rest for the Wicked, as they eschew traditional rarity tropes for a more risk-reward based system. Standard weapons have four rune slots and a gem slot on them, with the former allowing you to equip special attacks on them to vary your offensive repertoire and the latter offering the ability to boost a particular stat. You can enchant weapons via a vendor, but at a cost. Blue-tier weapons remove all but one rune slot, but augment your weapon with three stat bonuses. A purple-tier boosts these stat bonuses even further, but also introduces a negative stat that you’ll need to consider before using the weapon. A weapon I found early in my quest illustrated this well by delivering far more poise damage to enemies than before, but reducing my overall health by 25%. A sacrifice I was willing to make, and a system I am eager to see explored more with later-game weaponry.

Unfortunately, the steady stream of gear and the ways in which it allows you to change up your gameplay style also ends up contradicting the core character progression system in No Rest for the Wicked. Each time you level up, you’re given three points to spend on attributes such as health, dexterity, strength, and stamina. There is currently no way for you to change how you’ve distributed these points once spent, meaning you’re forced to direct your character progression without knowing if your build will be viable with the random loot you will encounter. There were large portions of my playtime where I was not changing weapons simply because they were less effective with the way I was prioritizing strength and stamina, soft-locking me out of numerous weapons that would otherwise eased some of the increasingly challenging areas I was being thrown into. Games like Diablo IV offer the flexibility to change your character build at any time to match the loot you’re consistently grabbing, while Dark Souls and other games in the genre carefully place gear strategically to make a variety of builds viable. No Rest for the Wicked feels stuck between these two ideals and ends up worse than both as a result. Moon Studios’ has confirmed that it is looking to add a character respec option in the near future, so there’s hope that this can be alleviated somewhat.

Gallery

Another aspect that is currently missing from No Rest for the Wicked is multiplayer. Moon Studios has stressed that single-player will remain a viable method of play and never require an internet connection, but it’s clear that the direction of the game is headed towards a continual live-service offering like most others in the genre. There’s a character in Sanctuary that offers daily and weekly quests (which, frustratingly, can only be checked out one at a time), enticing you to continually log back in and complete objectives for better loot. This repetitive gameplay loop will most likely be best with some friends in tow, much like Destiny 2’s seasonal content. It’ll be especially interesting to see how the game scales difficulty and enemy density as more players are present in skirmishes, and just how well the combat copes with the additional chaos that will likely ensue.

No Rest for the Wicked is relatively rich in terms of content for an early access title, offering over 10 hours of story content and additional late game activities to stretch your playtime well beyond that. But it’s evident that Moon Studios is looking for critical feedback, and even more so that the current state of several design decisions and gameplay systems require it. The ambition on show here is noteworthy, and some of the elements from multiple genres blended together do ultimately work to create captivating results. But there’s also a lot of friction between those that don’t fit as neatly with each other, and those that will likely occupy a lot of your time as you brush up against the game’s numerous challenges. There’s work to be done on No Rest for the Wicked right now, but it’s saying something that I want to come back for more once it’s taken place.

Gunar

May 2, 2024

Fallout’s Jonathan Nolan Is Up For Writing More Batman Movies

Last month, Jonathan Nolan and his wife and producing partner, Lisa Joy, successfully launched Fallout on Prime Video. Prior to that, the duo co-created Westworld for HBO, and Nolan co-wrote The Dark Knight trilogy with his older brother, Christopher Nolan. It’s been 12 years since the Nolan brothers closed out their take on Batman in The Dark Knight Rises, but the younger Nolan is still willing to revisit the iconic hero.

“Wouldn’t that be a dream?” Nolan replied during an interview with the YouTube channel Showsha when asked about a potential Batman return. “That period was 10 years of my life [from] when I got the call to work on Batman Begins, and it was epic. Working with Christian [Bale], Heath [Ledger], Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and to honor an American icon. If I had the chance to go back and work on that again? Absolutely.”

Batman’s cinematic adventures are currently being overseen by writer and director Matt Reeves, who is preparing The Batman – Part II for release on October 2, 2026 and The Penguin spin-off series on Max later this year. Nolan appeared to acknowledge Reeves’ work on the franchise while noting that he already has enough work with Fallout alone.

“We’ve moved onto other things,” said Nolan. “And, of course, other people have picked up the mantel and moved on with those characters.”

Nolan was also asked about who which actor he would want to see cast as Batman in a new trilogy of films. His response was concise: “To me, it will always be Christian.”

Gunar

May 2, 2024

Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree Is “First And Last DLC,” No Other Content Planned

Elden Ring – Shadow of the Erdtree–the expansion to FromSoftware’s 2022 action-RPG–is coming next month, and it will add a new layer to the story of one of gaming’s most-recent smash hits–and GameSpot’s 2022 Game Of The Year. Unfortunately for Elden Ring fans, this extra chapter will be the only DLC expansion, as game director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed that no other new content will be coming to the game after it.

Per GamesRadar, Miyazaki made the statement while speaking with Chinese outlet Campfire Camp, where he calls Shadow of the Erdtree the “the first and last DLC” and the “only DLC” in multiple instances. However, in the same interview, Miyazaki does not rule out another game set in the Elden Ring world, though he does not confirm one either.

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Now Playing: Elden Ring Shadow Of the Erdtree Trailer Breakdown

Previously, Bandai Namco has stated that Elden Ring would be made “in a variety of other areas” beside gaming, but no other projects outside of the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC have been announced. From Software, meanwhile, has since revived a dormant franchise with last year’s Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon. No other projects from the studio are known at this time.

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for Elden Ring was first announced via a single teaser image in February 2023. One year later, a trailer for the DLC was released, which debuted gameplay, story teases, and a June 2024 release date.

Elden Ring – Shadow of the Erdtree launches June 21 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Gunar

May 2, 2024

Ubisoft’s Call Of Duty Competitor XDefiant Launches On May 21

XDefiant, Ubisoft’s Call of Duty competitor, is launching on May 21 across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. XDefiant will start with a six-week preseason before switching over to a seasonal model similar to other live-service titles.

Announced on Ubisoft’s blog, the free-to-play arena shooter will launch on May 21 in preseason. The preseason will include five factions from various Ubisoft’s games. The first four are the Cleaners, Libertad, Echelon, and Phantoms, which will be available to everyone immediately. The fifth faction, Dedsec, will be available to unlock or purchase. The preseason also includes 14 maps, five game modes, and 24 weapons. While most game modes will be 6v6, the preseason will also include a 4v4 ranked practice playlist, which includes the same rules as the real ranked mode coming in Season 1.

The preseason is set to last six weeks, after which Season 1 will kick off. Ubisoft has provided a roadmap for the first four seasons of XDefiant, with each season lasting three months. Each new season will include a new faction, three new weapons, three new maps, and a 90-tier battle pass. Ubisoft hasn’t revealed the specifics for each season, but did provide codenames for the new factions in each season. Season 1 is codename Ruby, Season 2 codename Buzz, Season 3 codename Orchard, and Season 4 codename Horde. Every faction will be based on a group from one of Ubisoft’s various series.

The launch of XDefiant comes after a report of internal issues at Ubisoft, including allegations of a constant changing of features and a toxic workplace environment, which was reported to have caused multiple delays.

Gunar

May 2, 2024

The Making Of Star Wars – See How The Original Trilogy Came To Life With These Discounted Books

Star Wars has become a multimedia empire over the past 45-plus years. The franchise is so influential that it even has its own annual holiday on May 4. If you want to go back to where it all started this Star Wars Day, a logical place to start would be by watching A New Hope, perhaps as part of a movie marathon with the convenience of a box set. But you could go back even further than that, to the creation of Star Wars. That’s where The Making of Star Wars comes in. A trilogy of books covering the first trilogy of films, these pricey hardcover volumes are discounted by $30-$39 at Amazon.

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film is the most expensive book on sale right now, but it also might be the most compelling one to long-time fans, as it takes a behind-the-scenes look at how the first film in the series was brought to life. Clocking in at nearly 400 pages and filled with script drafts from George Lucas, comments about the casting process, and issues with the filming location in Tunisia, you’ll learn about every hidden detail of A New Hope, straight from the Lucasfilm Archives. And since it’s now $54 (down from $85, it’s a great time to check it out. These are gorgeous, display-worthy books that will look great on shelves or coffee tables.

The Making of Star Wars Book Deals

To complete the original trilogy, you can check out The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. These both follow the formula laid out by the original book, giving you access to details about the script’s evolution over the years, how key characters were brought to life, and even a look at how Muppeteer Frank Oz turned Yoda into an iconic face.

For more book deals from a galaxy far, far away, check out our roundup of the best Star Wars book deals.

If you’re looking for more cool merch, be sure to check out the new Lego Star Wars TIE Interceptor Collector Series, which includes a variety of sets that range from just a few hundred blocks to nearly 2,000. For another fun activity, check out our roundup of the best Star Wars board game deals at Amazon.

Gunar

May 2, 2024

Call of Duty Warzone Season 3 Reloaded Patch Notes: Weapon Prestige Camos And Balance Changes

Call of Duty Warzone Season 3 is upon us, and that means we’ve got the full patch notes for the latest changes to the highly popular battle royale game. The biggest addition that Season 3 brings is the introduction of Weapon Prestige Camos, which allow players to earn a molten gold skin (called One Trick) for their favorite Modern Warfare 3 weapon after earning a staggering 150,000 Weapon XP. That’s a lot of kills.

Future Seasons will add more Weapon Prestige Camos to the game, giving you even more goals to work toward. Season 3 brings a number of highly varied changes to the game as a whole, and you can see them all at the link. One of the most notable is the introduction of Loaded Resurgence, which allows players to choose their preferred loadout for Insurgence. This season will also bring back Lockdown on Rebirth Island, so keep an eye out for that.

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Now Playing: Modern Warfare III – Rebirth Island Season 3 Warzone Launch Trailer

This Season 3 patch brings a number of weapon changes to the game, including the introduction of a new assault rifle, the BAL-27. Described as a bullpup prototype weapon, it increases its fire rate over time while you hold down the trigger, making it a unique addition to the game. These weapon changes are quite numerous, but several general changes include increasing the movement speed on pistols and increasing the hip-fire spread on assault rifles.

The full patch notes can be seen below. Multiplayer and Zombies patch notes can be viewed here.

Call of Duty Warzone Season 3 Reloaded Patch Notes

GLOBAL

CUSTOMIZATION

Resolved an issue preventing the Wheelson-HS Killstreak from running over enemies while the Fire Breather Skin is equipped.

Slash Damage Tracers on the Dino Might Blueprint will now consistently play.

Improved visual effects when removing the Barrel from the Viral Ignition Blueprint.

PROGRESSION

WEAPON PRESTIGE CAMOS

In Season 3 Reloaded, we’re introducing Weapon Prestige Camos, a new progression system for players to flex mastery of their favorite weapons in Modern Warfare III.

To unlock a Weapon Prestige Camo, players must earn a set amount of Weapon XP for any weapon of choice, including those carried forward from MWII. Weapon Prestige Camos are earned on a per-weapon basis, rewarding commitment and giving those of you completionists a grind to keep you busy for Seasons to come.

Our debut Weapon Prestige Camo is One Trick. Unlocked upon earning 150,000 Weapon XP, this camo coats the entire surface of your weapon in molten gold – and yes, it’s animated.

You can expect to see a new Weapon Prestige Camo in each of the remaining Seasons ahead. We look forward to seeing which weapons you choose first for your journey to prestige!

WARZONE

MAPS

URZIKSTAN

Bunkers
[[REDACTED]]

MODES

REBIRTH ISLAND

Loaded Resurgence
- Similar to Plunder, this Resurgence variant allows players to deploy with the Loadout of their choice! Expect non-stop action with moving circles inspired by High Trip Resurgence.
Lockdown
- Customized for Rebirth Island, Lockdown will be returning to Warzone later this season!

PLAYLIST

For information about upcoming Playlists, please check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board.

GENERAL

Resurgence Champion’s Quest
- Resurgence fans may now experience the ultimate Resurgence challenge on two new maps: Fortune’s Keep and Vondel.
- Cosmetic rewards are shared between Rebirth Island, Fortune’s Keep and Vondel.
Rebirth Island Audio Improvements
- Improvements have been made to audio occlusion.
- Audio level adjustments have been made to the following:
- Ascenders
- Parachutes
- Enemy footsteps
Ascender Audio Improvements
- Enemies and allies using ascenders will now make two distinct audio sounds.
Interrogation & Revive Sounds Quality of Life
- Increased audible distance and volume of Interrogation and Revive sounds.

GAMEPLAY

NEW FEATURES

REBIRTH ISLAND | RESURGENCE

Heavy Armor Public Event
- This brand new public event raises the number of armor plates players can carry, buffing the total number of health points from 150 to 200 for the whole match.
- This event has a low chance of occuring at the beginning of each match.
Weapon Trade Station
- The Weapon Trade Station (WTS) that was introduced back in Rebirth Reinforced makes it return! It’s the perfect tool to trade undesirables for more advantageous gear.
The return for trading in a weapon is as follows:
Common Weapon
Common weapon
Uncommon Weapon
Common Weapon
Lethal & Tactical Equipment
Rare Weapon
Uncommon Field Upgrade/Utility Box/Medic Vest/Comms Vest/Stealth Vest
Gas Mask
Common Weapon
Epic Weapon
Chance between Rare/Epic Field Upgrade, Rare/Epic Killstreak
Cash
Uncommon Weapon & Extra Ammo
Legendary/Ultra Weapon
Epic Killstreak/Field Upgrade/Specialist Perk Package
Self-Revive Kit
Cash
Rare Weapon & Extra Ammo
Lethal & Tactical Equipment
Fire Sale Trade
Legendary Weapon & Extra Ammo
Cash
Durable Gas Mask/Tempered Plate Carrier
Epic Killstreak/Field Upgrade

Utility Box Field Upgrade
- The perfect combination of the armor & munition box.
Foresight Killstreak
- Foresight makes its return! This Killstreak grants intel of every future circle when used.
Can be acquired via [[REDACTED]].
Specialist Perk Package
- Specialist is finally back! Players who find Specialist will immediately receive the benefits of every Warzone Perk simultaneously.
- Can be acquired via [[REDACTED]].
[[REDACTED]] Upgrade
- With the arrival of new, excellent gear, Konni has updated [[REDACTED]] to make good use of them.

REBIRTH ISLAND | LIMITED-TIME MODES

Variable Time of Day
- Although most matches will remain Sunny, Rebirth Island can now be experienced in 3 alternative different times of day:
Sunset
Overcast
Foggy
- Similar to Vondel, the time of day may change during one specific match. Keep an eye on smart displays to stay informed about the forecast.

ADJUSTED FEATURES

ALL MAPS | ALL MODES

Ascender Improvements Quality of Life
- Minor adjustments to the use range and angles for ascenders. This change primarily helps with circumstances where ascenders in elevators would not provide a prompt at certain angles and ranges.
Elevator Ascenders Quality of Life
- Ascenders at elevator locations will now be easier to interact with

» REBIRTH ISLAND | RESURGENCE «

High Stakes Public Event

High Stakes crates now give a Utility Box instead of an Ammo & Armor box

Medicine Cabinet

These containers will now drop 1 Stim, down from 2.

Spy Drone Contract

Reduced the drone count in a swarm to 7, down from 9

Substantially reduced Spy Drones health.

Slightly lowered Spy Drones base altitude.

Shortened the minimum and maximum Spy Drones spawn distance from player.

Biometric Scanners

Reduced the animation time when interacting with the Biometric Scanner.

» URZIKSTAN | WARZONE BOOTCAMP «

Warzone Bootcamp Loot

The following items have been removed from the Warzone Bootcamp loot pool:

PDS

Loadout Drop Marker

Loadout Chests

WEAPONS

NEW WEAPON

BAL-27 Assault Rifle

A bullpup prototype weapon designed to increase fire rate over time while the trigger is squeezed. The first 4 shots are slower to fire but highly accurate.

Available via a new Sector in the Season 3 Battle Pass.

NEW AFTERMARKET PARTS

JAK Patriot

Compatibility: M16 (Assault Rifle)

Converts the M16 into a fully automatic rifle with a heavy ported barrel built to provide superior recoil control and firing aim stability.

JAK Wardens

Compatibility: Lockwood Mk2 (Marksman Rifle)

Become the enemy’s biggest nightmare with this AMP allowing akimbo use of the powerful lever-action Shotgun.

JAK Atlas Kit

Compatibility: AMR9 (SMG)

Converts the AMR9 into an extremely lethal and accurate 5-round burst carbine chambered in 556.

WEAPON ADJUSTMENTS

Assault Rifles

Weapon

Adjustments

BP50

Increased hipfire spread minimum to 3deg/s, up from 2.4deg/s.

Increased hipfire spread maximum to 7.2deg/s, up from 6.7deg/s.

Increased moving hipfire spread maximum to 5.2deg/s, up from 4.7deg/s.

SVA 545

Increased hipfire spread minimum to 3.3deg/s, up from 2.6deg/s.

Increased hipfire spread maximum to 7.8deg/s, up from 7.3deg/s.

Increased moving hipfire spread maximum to 5.8deg/s, up from 5.3deg/s.

RAM-7

Max Damage decreased to 28, down from 32.

Near-Mid Damage decreased to 26, down from 28.

Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 39.37 meters, down from 43.18.

Mid Damage Range decreased to 49.53 meters, down from 53.34.

Increased hipfire spread minimum to 3deg/s, up from 2.6deg/s.

MTZ-556

Increased hipfire spread minimum to 3.1deg/s, up from 2.6deg/s.

Increased hipfire spread maximum to 7.4deg/s, up from 7deg/s.

Increased moving hipfire spread maximum to 5.4deg/s, up from 5.3deg/s.

HOLGER 556

Increased hipfire spread minimum to 3.4deg/s, up from 2.6deg/s.

Increased hipfire spread maximum to 7.8deg/s, up from 7.5deg/s.

Increased moving hipfire spread maximum to 5.8deg/s, up from 5.5deg/s.

MCW

Mid Damage increased to 24, up from 23.

Min Damage increased to 20, up from 18.

Max Damage Range increased to 30.48 meters, up from 26.67.

Increased hipfire spread minimum to 3.2deg/s, up from 2.6deg/s.

Increased moving hipfire spread maximum to 5.6deg/s, up from 5.3deg/s.

FR 5.56

Increased aim down sight movement speed to 2.9m/s, up from 2.7m/s.

Increased bullet velocity to 720m/s, up from 680m/s.

Upper Torso and Upper Arm Modifier increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

600mm FR Longbore Barrel

Removed hipfire spread minimum benefit.

Decreased hipfire spread penalty by 8%.

Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 20%.

Replaced aiming idle sway penalty with benefit.

435mm FR 435 Barrel

Removed movement speed penalties.

Removed hipfire spread penalties and benefits.

Increased recoil control benefit by 5%.

Added firing aim stability benefit.

Removed bullet velocity benefit.

Removed damage range penalty.

Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 2%.

Decreased aim down sight movement speed penalty by 3%.

Removed aiming idle sway penalty.

395 FR Minibore Barrel

Replaced hipfire spread minimum penalty with benefit.

Added sprint to fire speed benefit.

Removed aiming idle sway penalty.

FR Sprinter Stock

Removed tactical sprint speed benefit.

Added aim down sight speed benefit.

Decreased aiming idle sway penalty.

Added flinch resistance benefit.

Recon Stock Pad

Removed crouch movement speed benefit.

Added movement speed benefit.

Replaced hipfire spread penalty with benefit.

Added sprint to fire speed benefit.

Removed aim down sight speed benefit.

FR Anchor Comb

Removed tactical sprint speed penalty.

Decreased sprint to fire speed penalty by 3%.

Added aiming idle sway benefit.

FR TON-618 Comb

Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 18%.

Removed aiming idle sway benefit.

Added firing aim stability benefit.

FR Giga Comb

Increased aim down sight speed benefit by 2%.

Removed aim down sight movement speed penalty.

Added flinch resistance penalty.

RMT Rear Grip

Increased aim down sight speed benefit by 2%.

45 Round Magazine

Decreased movement speed penalties.

Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 4%.

60 Round Magazine

Decreased movement speed penalties.

Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 7%.

Many FR 5.56 Attachments have been reworked to increase their appeal and the overall viability of the Weapon.

M13B (MWII)

Max Damage increased to 24, up from 23.

Headshot Modifier decreased to 1.4x, down from 1.5x.

Upper Torso Modifier increased to 1.2x, up from 1.1x.

Arm and Hand Modifiers increased to 1.2x, up from 1x.

TEMPUS RAZBORBACK (MWII)

Near-Mid Damage increased to 26, up from 22.

Min Damage increased to 22, up from 18.

FR AVANCER (MWII)

Near-Mid Damage increased to 22, up from 20.

Mid Damage increased to 20, up from 17.

Min Damage increased to 18, up from 16.

Battle Rifles Weapon Adjustments

SOA Subverter

Min Damage decreased to 25, down from 28.

Max Damage Range decreased to 20.57 meters, down from 22.86.

MTZ-762

Decreased aim down sight time to 260ms, down from 280ms.

JAK Thunder LMG Kit

Decreased aim down sight time benefit by 20ms.

SO-14 (MWII)

Fire Type: Full-Auto

Decreased sprint to fire time to 261ms, down from 307ms.

Decreased aim down sight time to 270ms, down from 290ms.

Submachine Guns Weapon Adjustments

HRM-9

Max Damage decreased to 28, down from 31.

Near-Mid Damage decreased to 24, down from 28.

Mid Damage decreased to 22, down from 24.

Max Damage Range decreased to 10.41 meters, down from 11.3.

RAM-9

Increased horizontal recoil to 17.6deg/s, up from 16.9deg/s..

Increased vertical recoil to 44.4deg/s, up from 42.9deg/s.

Rival 9

Max Damage increased to 26, up from 25.

Max Damage Range decreased to 12.19 meters, down from 13.97.

Lower Arm and Hand Modifiers increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

WSP-9

Decreased sprint to fire time to 66ms, down from 110ms.

Striker

Min Damage increased to 28, up from 23.

Mid Damage Range increased to 35.56 meters, up from 30.48.

Shotguns Weapon Adjustments

KV Broadside

JAK Jawbreaker

Removed aim down sight spread.

Riveter

Decreased aim down sight spread by 10%.

.410 Gauge Ball Ammunition

Increased aim down sight spread by 10%.

Light Machine Guns Weapon Adjustments

DG-58 LSW

Upper Torso Modifier increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

Arms and Hands Modifiers increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

Bruen MK9

Max Damage decreased to 26, down from 28.

Leg Modifiers decreased to 1x, down from 1.05x.

Lower Torso Modifier decreased to 1x, down from 1.1x.

TAQ Eradicator

Decreased sprint to fire time to 189ms, down from 252ms.

Decreased aim down sight time to 330ms, down from 340ms.

Sniper Rifles Weapon Adjustments

XRK Stalker

Decreased bullet velocity to 790m/s, down from 860m/s.

KATT-AMR

Decreased bullet velocity to 620m/s, down from 660m/s.

MORS

Increased aim down sight time to 580ms, up from 560ms.

Decreased bullet velocity to 900m/s, down from 960m/s.

HVP Anti-Material Slug Ammunition

Increased bullet velocity penalty to 20%, up from 15%.

Handguns Weapon Adjustments

COR-45

Increased movement speed to 5.4m/s, up from 5.2m/s.

Renetti

Increased movement speed to 5.4m/s, up from 5.2m/s.

TYR

Increased movement speed to 5.3m/s, up from 5.1m/s.

WSP Stinger

Upper Torso Modifier increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

Increased movement speed to 5.9m/s, up from 5.7m/s.

P890 (MWII)

Increased movement speed to 5.3m/s, up from 5.2m/s.

.50 GS (MWII)

Increased sprint speed to 5.8m/s, up from 5.7m/s.

X12 (MWII)

Increased movement speed to 5.4m/s, up from 5.2m/s.

Increased sprint speed to 6.1m/s, up from 6m/s.

9mm Daemon (MWII)

Increased movement speed to 5.4m/s, up from 5.2m/s.

Akimbo 9mm Daemon Rear Grip

Max Damage increased to 24, up from 22.

Near-Mid Damage increased to 22, up from 21.

Mid Damage increased to 20, up from 18.

Min Damage increased to 18, up from 16.

Max Damage Range increased to 10.36 meters, up from 5.64.

Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 18.28 meters, up from 12.34.

Mid Damage Range increased to 33.52 meters, up from 18.58.

Removed 10% movement speed penalty.

Decreased hipfire spread minimum to 1.7deg/s, down from 2.4deg/s.

Decreased hipfire spread maximum to 5deg/s, down from 5.5deg/s.

LOADOUT

» FORTUNE’S KEEP | RESURGENCE «

Bunker Buster Killstreak

Drop time reduced to 2 seconds, down from 4.

Explosion Max Damage reduced to 275, down from 350.

Explosion Min Damage increased to 50, up from 25.

Explosion Radius reduced to 512, down from 600.

Gas Radius increased to 8.9 meters, up from 6.5.

UI/UX

Ranked Play Restrictions Quality of Life

Updated menu to provide additional clarity for restricted weapons in Ranked Play.

Champion’s Quest

We’ve added a prompt to notify players who attempt to leave a match that a Champion’s Quest objective is in progress and available to intercept.

Bunker Buster Minimap Improvements Quality of Life

Bunker Buster will now display a red circle on its landing location and will show a red circle for the duration of the damaging gas area.

End of Match Flow Quality of Life

After a match ends, players will be returned to the selected playlist mode rather than to the playlist select menu.

Perk Descriptions

Additional information has been added to some perk descriptions.

BUG FIXES

Fixed several occlusion issues allowing players to exploit the map.

Fixed an issue that prevented UAVs and Counter UAVs from being used while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle.

Fixed an issue making it difficult to use the ladder at the lighthouse in Headquarters on Rebirth Island.

Fixed an issue causing floating foliage around Rebirth Island.

Fixed an issue causing the in-game Stats tab to show incorrect stats at the end of the match.

Fixed an issue preventing players from respawning in Resurgence after they rejoin a match in progress.

Fixed an issue causing players to get stuck loading when queueing for Warzone Bootcamp.

Gunar

May 2, 2024