As announced by Innersloth during the Game Awards on Dec 10th, the Airship map for Among Us is finally going live. With the release window of Early 2021, the game will finally receive its first major update of 2021 just a day before Q2.
Thankfully, since it’s a major game update, there will be many things besides a new map coming to the game. The update includes:
One of the key points of the Airship map is that it is the biggest map of Among Us so far. A bigger map is great for both Crewmates and Imposters, as there are more hiding places for both to run after.
Among Us Airship Map Release Time
As for the Among Us Airship Map release time, developer Innersloth has revealed no official time other than the date 31st March. Innersloth has explained (via Twitter) that there isn’t a specific hour yet, but it will go live during working time in PST. We expect the map to launch simultaneously across the Switch, Mobile, and PC to maintain the cross-platform gameplay.
Previously, Genshin Impact data miners had revealed the possibility of an upcoming quality of life material in patch 1.5, the Dream Solvent. However, no further details on it were known till more recently.
The weekly bosses Stormterror, Andrius, and Childe drop special talent materials. These talent materials can be used to upgrade talents over level 6. Each drop is randomly chosen from three types of Talent Materials, which can often result in disappointment from the players if they don’t get the drop they desire.
According to the leaks, Dream Solvent can potentially solve this problem. Much like the Dust of Azeroth introduced in patch 1.4, the Dream Solvent will enable players to transmute one Boss drop talent material to another, sparing you the wait for the weekly drop timer to reset.
Since no official announcement has been made by miHoYo regarding this upcoming item in Genshin Impact, the exact function of the item is still unknown.
Genshin Impact Patch 1.5 is likely to hit the live servers on April 28th, and it is likely when the Dream Solvent will be added to the game.
The developers behind the popular battle royale title PUBG Lite have announced that the game will be permanently shut down on April 29, 2021.
PUBG Lite was introduced by Tencent back in 2019 for players with low spec devices who couldn’t otherwise play the normal default version. Two years after its release, it seems like PUBG Lite is coming to an end.
According to an official blog post by the devs, the PUBG Lite website will be closed on March 30th, and no new downloads will be available.
Players will be able to continue playing the game till April 29th, with customer support being available for another month from its termination.
“Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to close service after much deliberation and the time has come for our journey to end,” the devs said. “We regretfully inform you that service of PUBG LITE is scheduled to end on April 29th, 2021 (UTC).”
The PUBG Lite Facebook page will, however, remain open until further notice, as confirmed by the devs themselves.
The reasons behind this sudden termination of the game’s operations are still unknown.
Team SoloMid has announced their venture in simulation racing with a partnership with an iRacing Esports Org William Byron Esports.
The 2021 season saw Ottinger is currently climbing to 14th place after four races, with 59 total points. His first race under the TSM banner will be on Richmond Raceway on 13th April 2021. He hopes for another successful season after becoming the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion in 2020.
Honored and super excited to be able to represent @TSM as their first eSports competitor! I really appreciate everyone who continued to support me when I started this adventure almost 12 years ago. Thank you all so much! Here's to more 🏁's in the future! pic.twitter.com/TbFQ8s6GU7
“TSM shares a vision of being competitive and wanting to win. I could not pass up on teaming up with one of the most decorated esports brands like TSM,” said Ottinger. “I have many goals that I want to achieve with TSM as a driver. Being the first sim-racer to join the TSM family is a major accomplishment and just the first step. We are here to win races and showcase just how cool and interesting sim racing can be.”
“Nick Ottinger is hands down one of the best choices to be the first eRacing athlete to join TSM,” said Jim Hoey, head of eRacing at Logitech G. “Nick was a driving force last season, taking the championship in the only way he knows how with determination and poise. His addition to TSM is a perfect fit, as TSM continues to build one of the most successful and recognizable esports organizations in the world.” read their official statement.
“Nick is currently tied in 2nd place for the most eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series wins at 16, as well as the 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Champion. To date, Nick has won over 400 races on the iRacing service. ”
The ability kit of League of Legends’ newest champion, Gwen, has been officially revealed by Riot Games. While fans were already able to take a sneak peek at the champ’s kit previously in her teaser, the detailed list of her abilities has been revealed today.
League of Legends Gwen Abilities
Here are the abilities of Gwen as revealed by Riot:
Passive – Thousand Cuts – Gwen’s basic attacks deal bonus on-hit magic damage based on a percentage of her health. Basic attacks against champions will heal her for some of the damage dealt.
Q – Snip Snip! – Gwen rapidly snips her scissors between two and six times, dealing magic damage in a cone. At a minimum, Gwen will snip twice, adding one snip per basic attack Gwen has landed on an enemy (up to four for a total of six).
Enemies in the center of each snip take true damage, as well as the bonus magic damage from Thousand Cuts.
W – Hallowed Mist – Gwen spins up the Hallowed Mist to surround her for five seconds, gaining some armour and magic resist when in it. Enemies outside the Mist cannot target Gwen or hit her with any abilities. The mist will move to follow Gwen the first time she tries to leave it but will dissipate the next time.
E – Skip ’n Slash – Gwen dashes a short distance and empowers her attacks with increased range, speed, and on-hit magic damage for four seconds. Attacking an enemy during this time refunds 50% of this ability’s cooldown.
R – Needlework – Gwen can cast Needlework up to three times, but needs to hit an enemy within 8 seconds to unlock each subsequent cast. Each cast fires needles in a line that deal with magic damage, slow enemies, and apply Gwen’s Thousand Cuts bonus magic damage.
The first cast will fire one needle, the second will fire three, and the final cast will fire five, for a total of nine needles and nine applications of Thousand Cuts to enemies hit.
From the initial looks at her abilities, it seems like Gwen can easily become a fan-favourite champion from the time of its release.
The doll-turned-person will be available to play in PBE starting today, and can be played in the official servers once patch 11.8 drops in about a couple of weeks.
Twitch is under fire by the community for setting unclear rules which opens the window for “Hot Tub” streams where more often than not streamers can be found in swimwear broadcasting directly from a bathtub or swimming pools.
Ever since Twitch came up with new guidelines addressing attires in 2019, these so-called “Hot Tub” streamers have found a loophole that allows them to stream in their swimwear from any location which previously required the streamer to be near a pool or beach to do so. The uncertainty around the guidelines is being exploited by several streamers across Twitch which the majority of the community do not appreciate.
Went on Twitch and seriously got confused as to what app I was actually on… What has the actual f**k happened to Twitch…?!” said MsBananas.
Went on twitch and seriously got confused as too what app I was actually on…. What in the actual fuck happened to twitch…?! I really wanna know…. 🤢🤮 pic.twitter.com/gs6LDjRpey
The Tweet since then has generated mixed responses from the community with a few strongly disagreeing with her opinion. Pokket for one said “If you think someone is breaking ToS report them and move on… But in all honesty, it seems like you’re just slut-shaming and tearing other women down, projecting your own insecurities and internalized misogyny on people who owe you absolutely nothing. Grow up. Get some help.”
“I’m not insecure. I just don’t feel it appropriate for a platform like this. but yeah I’m a woman-hater cause I’m not a feminist who accepts this sexualization and has morals. I love women. I just feel like streaming should be more than sexualization and money. Bute that MY opinion.” responded Bananas.
Although Twitch’s rules permit streaming in swimwear as long as “it completely covers the genitals, and those who present as women must also cover their nipples.”. Hence, “hot tub” streamers are not technically violating any ToS but one can’t ignore Bananas’s point of view. The debate will likely last until Twitch enforces better guidelines addressing the same.
One of the most prestigious Valorant tournaments in Pakistan Red Bull Campus Clutch has been marred by cheating allegations and complaints of mismanagement.
Redbull’s global Valorant university tournament is under fire from one of the teams participating in Pakistan. Red Monks’ Hashir “Captain Hook” Khan took to Facebook and alleged that the tournament management allowed Salt Esports’ hardware banned player Shehryar “Solangi” Solangi to compete in the qualifiers. The player expressed general indifference on the issue from tournament organizers and accused them of unfairly disqualifying the Red Monks.
“I confirmed with salt’s captain, and he agreed that (Solangi) got a ban and that he is not hacking and all, but I reported this to admin that they are playing with a hacker, admin decided to give us a win. After few hours, I get to know that the decision was reversed and instead, we got a loss because we failed to show up,” Said Captain Hook.
Captain Hook backed his claims with in-game screenshots where skipper Beast avowed Solangi’s account had been banned before. According to Solangi’s teammate Beast, the player was banned for smurfing instead of hacking in-game. To dodge the ban for the Red Bull event, Solangi had replaced his hardware banned PC. Not taking explanations into account, Red Monks pressed the issue and presented screenshots of Solangi’s Faceit ban.
Solangi allegedly banned on Faceit
These accusations coupled with the fact that Salt Esports would keep its slot in the qualifier have marred the event to a massive extent. While the alleged evidence was mere screenshots and chat images, a default win for Salt Esports without prior investigations has ruffled many feathers in the Valorant community.
Red Monks out of Red Bull Campus Clutch
The decision to kick Red Monks out of tournaments comes as a result of new development, which revealed that Captain Hook was part of the observing team despite playing in the event. The news led the admins to disqualify the team and decide in Salt Esports’ favour. The reports and Captain Hook himself confirmed that admins were well aware of his team participating in the event before bestowing observer responsibilities on him.
The event admins are still quiet on the matter, and Salt Esports’ has also eluded the conversation.
Update: Solangi has turned down the post accusing him of hacking as “hearsay.” The player has asked for substantial evidence instead of screenshots and chats. Both the parties now await Riot and Redbull’s official verdict.
It remains to be seen how the admins tackle the situation that has snowballed into a full-blown controversy as more players come forward with similar instances in prior events in Pakistan.
While Red Monks being kicked out after an alleged default win certainly looks suspicious, the matter should be taken with a pinch of salt until an official statement has been released.
Followers and fans should expect an official comment before the Semi-Finals set to kick off on 3 April.
Viper mains, rejoice! The handler of poison is back in the game.
Patch 2.06 bears good tidings for Valorant players who like to roll with controllers. Brimstone and Omen may get some time to rest and recuperate as Viper finally receives some major buffs to her kit. The toxic agent will be able to deal in more damage, cause more mayhem, and simply become more ghastly.
After patch 2.06 update, Viper’s Poison Cloud (smoke), Toxic Screen (wall), and Viper’s Pit (ultimate) will inflict more significant damage. Players stepping into any of the three abilities will face a decay of 50. The loss will increase for as long as they stay in her poisons.
While in the cloud, Decay overtime decreased 15 >>> 10
When out of Viper’s cloud, delay before health regen decreased 2.5 >>> 1.5
Apart from a boosted damage, Viper gets some subtle but significant polishes to her toolkit. Her smoke device earlier had a long cool-down that restricted Viper from redeploying it instantly. In patch 2.06, Viper can reuse her smokes without having to wait.
Her smoke and the toxic screen will also stay up for two seconds after she’s died, making her a valuable asset to the team. Before the buffs, Viper’s molotovs were her forte. A decrease in equip time in Patch 2.06 surely buffs up her rank in the Controller tier list. The Snakebit equip time has been reduced from the previous 1.1 to 8.
Viper’s toolkit gets the developer’s attention in Patch 2.06
Released in Project A’s original agent roster, Viper failed to leave as much impact as her counterparts. Various buffs were unable to bring her back into the game meta, but patch 2.06 retouches seem promising. The recent buff surely patches up her kit, but it’s her ultimate that will become an absolute menace in ranked games. In post-plant situations, her pit can easily turn a bomb point into a lion’s den, denying entry to the enemies.
“When compared to other Controllers, we want Viper to make big, committed decisions that truly alter the map and how both sides plan around her influence. She should claim ground with force and dare opponents to challenge her,” Said Jeff Landa, Comms Associate.
The new buff is likely to make Viper a viable competition for other Controllers. Hopefully, patch 2.06 will convince more players to give her a fair shot to prove her efficacy in ranked games of Valorant.
Viper mains, rejoice! The handler of poison is back in the game.
Patch 2.06 bears good tidings for Valorant players who like to roll with controllers. Brimstone and Omen may get some time to rest and recuperate as Viper finally receives some major buffs to her kit. The toxic agent will be able to deal in more damage, cause more mayhem, and simply become more ghastly.
After patch 2.06 update, Viper’s Poison Cloud (smoke), Toxic Screen (wall), and Viper’s Pit (ultimate) will inflict more significant damage. Players stepping into any of the three abilities will face a decay of 50. The loss will increase for as long as they stay in her poisons.
While in the cloud, Decay overtime decreased 15 >>> 10
When out of Viper’s cloud, delay before health regen decreased 2.5 >>> 1.5
Apart from a boosted damage, Viper gets some subtle but significant polishes to her toolkit. Her smoke device earlier had a long cool-down that restricted Viper from redeploying it instantly. In patch 2.06, Viper can reuse her smokes without having to wait.
Her smoke and the toxic screen will also stay up for two seconds after she’s died, making her a valuable asset to the team. Before the buffs, Viper’s molotovs were her forte. A decrease in equip time in Patch 2.06 surely buffs up her rank in the Controller tier list. The Snakebit equip time has been reduced from the previous 1.1 to 8.
Viper’s toolkit gets the developer’s attention in Patch 2.06
Released in Project A’s original agent roster, Viper failed to leave as much impact as her counterparts. Various buffs were unable to bring her back into the game meta, but patch 2.06 retouches seem promising. The recent buff surely patches up her kit, but it’s her ultimate that will become an absolute menace in ranked games. In post-plant situations, her pit can easily turn a bomb point into a lion’s den, denying entry to the enemies.
“When compared to other Controllers, we want Viper to make big, committed decisions that truly alter the map and how both sides plan around her influence. She should claim ground with force and dare opponents to challenge her,” Said Jeff Landa, Comms Associate.
The new buff is likely to make Viper a viable competition for other Controllers. Hopefully, patch 2.06 will convince more players to give her a fair shot to prove her efficacy in ranked games of Valorant.
Earlier today, the patch notes of the highly anticipated Valorant 2.06 were accidentally revealed early by Riot Games in the official Valorant website. While the patch notes were taken down soon enough, fans were able to take a sneak peek at what’s to come in the upcoming major Valorant update.
HRTF Audio
The first huge change that caught the attention of Valorant players worldwide was the implementation of HRTF audio to the tactical shooter. This feature is already present in other popular shooters like CSGO and helps players to identify the positions of enemies more precisely.
~ HRTF allows players wearing headphones to play audio in a simulated surround sound audio space.
~ Currently, only footsteps, reloads, and Deathmatch respawns are rendered using HRTF
TL;DR : Better positional audio.
— Mike | Valorant Leaks & News (@ValorLeaks) March 29, 2021
However, players often prefer playing shooters with HRTF turned off, so there’ll likely be an option in-game to turn off HRTF audio for uninterested players.
Agent Changes
Valorant patch 2.06 will introduce significant buffs to the duelist Yoru and the controller Viper, two of the least picked agents in the game in higher ranks.
Viper Changes
Toxin (passive)
Enemies that cross through Viper’s Poison Cloud, Toxic Screen, orcViper’s Pit are instantly inflicted with at least 50 decay. Their decay level
increases the longer they remain in contact with toxin.
While in cloud, Decay over time decreased 15 >>> 10
When out of Viper’s cloud, delay before health regen decreased 2.5 >>> 1.5
Poison Cloud (Q)
Can now immediately be redeployed when picked up, but grants a temporary charge instead of a permanent charge
If active when Viper dies, Poison Cloud now remains up for an additional 2 seconds, or until Viper runs out of fuel.
Pickup distance increased 200 >>> 400
Toxic Screen (E)
If active when Viper dies, Toxic Screen now remains up for an additional 2 seconds before deactivating
Snakebite (C)
Equip time decreased 1.1 >>> .8
Yoru Changes
Blindside (Q)
Flash activation time decreased 0.8>>> 0.6 seconds
Flash duration increased from 1.1>>>1.5
Gatecrash (E)
Gatecrash is no longer refreshed on kills and is instead replenished every
35 seconds
Lifetime of the Gatecrash fragment increased 20 seconds >>> 30 seconds
The range at which the Gatecrash fragment is revealed from stealth decreased 7m >>> 4m
Visuals for visibility range added to the moving fragment
Dimensional Drift (X)
Ult Points reduced 7 >>> 6
Yoru can now reactivate Gatecrash while in Dimensional Drift
Some other changes about to arrive in patch 2.06 includes a revamp to Bucky, competitive changes, and a lot more.
