Since the dawn of Riot’s tactical shooter Valorant, a problem that has repeatedly surfaced from time to time again is the running accuracy of weapons, especially rifles. Players have continued to raise complaints to the developers regarding this issue, and it seems like Riot has listened to its fans.
Generally speaking, rifles shouldn’t be accurate unless a player is standing still (or counter-strafing) when using it. However, according to a portion of the Valorant player base, rifles in Valorant are somewhat accurate even when running and gunning in short distances.
In the latest edition of ‘Ask Valorant’, the developers have confirmed that this mechanic is about to get a nerf in the upcoming update 2.02. However, the changes won’t be as drastic as to make players need to re-learn the game itself.
“We have some changes planned for Patch 2.02 that should help address sentiment on running accuracy with rifles,” a Valorant developer said in the blog post. “Keep in mind, we’re making sure not to change too many systems at once to ensure that shooting doesn’t feel so dramatically different that you’ll have to relearn habits. As always, we’ll keep an eye on the change and will continue to adjust as necessary.”
Esports Players’ League (ESPL) have decided to issue a six month ban to Paratroops and Mithul ‘Binks69’ Nayak after the latter confessed to having shared his account during the ESPL Valorant PowerUp India Qualifiers to have someone else impersonate him and compete on his behalf.
According to ESPL’s ruling, Paratroops have been banned from participating in any ESPL events for the next 6 months while also banning Binks69 for the same period. As far as Qualifier #3 is concerned, Paratroops have been disqualified and no longer hold a spot in the Main Event through the said Qualifier.
In their stead, Team MaGeS, Langde Ghode, Offbit Gaming and ZeroIQ, teams who were beaten by Paratroops en route to a top four place in Qualifier #3, will battle it out, with the winner becoming the designated replacement for Paratroops in the Main Event of ESPL Valorant PowerUp India.
ESPL also highlighted their reasoning behind the bans issued and the zero tolerance approach they want to adopt in terms of unethical practices in their events.
“Esports Players League (ESPL)’s mission is to build a sustainable global network and foundation for growing esports talents around the world. Any dishonest and unsportsmanlike behaviour that undermines the credibility of the ranking systems put in place will not be tolerated as they will only thwart the growth of the competitive ecosystem that ESPL hopes to build. ESPL’s responsibility encompasses both the growth and protection of the competitive esports scene.”
This is the second jolt to Paratroops, who recently had their Sentinel Abhay ‘Xhade’ Urkude banned in-game before the youngster himself confessed to having used cheats on his ID. As far as ESPL Valorant PowerUp India is concerned, it remains to be seen which team takes up the slot left vacant after the Paratroops disqualification.
Xhade Valorant Ban
Xhade has himself come out and admitted to using cheats during a live stream on Mithul ‘Binks69’ Nayak’s channel, who is an integral part of Paratroops’ roster along with being a content creator for 8bit. The Paratroops Sentinel admitted that he used cheats in Valorant but only for three games as he ‘wanted to reach Radiant’.
His responses in the Discord Voice Chat to questions posed to him by prominent professionals in the Indian Valorant scene and his demeanor, in general, did not seem too apologetic as he added that he did not use ‘aim assist, only wall hacks’.
Sony has officially revealed the free games coming to PlayStation Plus in the month of February 2021. PS+ subscribers will get access to three new games free of charge.
PlayStation Plus February 2021 Games:
Destruction AllStars (PS5)
Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5 and PS4)
Concrete Genie (PS4)
Destruction AllStars (PS5)
Entertain the crowds by bringing controlled chaos to the vehicular combat arena of this metal-crunching multiplayer game*. Pick one of 16 superstar competitors, then leap into four game modes, using timing, tactics, and skills to cause carnage behind the wheel or create havoc with your parkour skills. Perfect your character’s abilities – including a hero vehicle unique to them – to give you the edge in free-for-all battles or team challenges and become Global Destruction Federation Champion. The game also supports PS5’s Game Help feature**, giving you hints and tips to become the ultimate destructive machine without the need to leave the game.
Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5 and PS4)
Master supernatural abilities and wield a shape-shifting sidearm in this third-person action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment (Max Payne, Alan Wake). Take on the role of Jesse Faden, Director of the Federal Bureau of Control, whose New York headquarters is breached by an ominous enemy. Despite outward appearances, the skyscraper’s interior is vast and ever-shifting. You’ll need to explore – and weaponize – this unpredictable environment to clean house and repel the invaders.
The Ultimate Edition includes the base game as well as The Foundation and AWE expansions.
And on PS5 console, use the console’s Game Help feature** for hints and walkthroughs to help you solve puzzles and overcome challenges as you explore the Oldest House.
Concrete Genie (PS4)
Pick up a magic paintbrush and return the polluted town of Denska to its former bright and bustling seaside self in this touching and multi-award-winning action-adventure. Cleanse streets and alleyways, then use your Living Paint to create mischievous Genies whose magical powers will aid you in overcoming puzzles and seeing off bullies who pursue you. The game also includes two additional modes built especially for PS VR to let you further unleash your creativity***.
One fine day, just as Paratroops were close to breaking the monopoly of sponsored organizations in the top echelons of the Indian Valorant scene, their Sentinel, Abhay ‘Xhade’ Urkude was commissioned a ban on his Valorant ID for using ‘third-party softwares’ to gain an advantage in the game.
The Esports Club allowed Paratroops to field a substitute in what was a controversial but fair decision as they started their conversation with Riot South Asia and India in the meanwhile in an attempt to get clarification on the reason behind Xhade’s ban.
Xhade denied the cheating allegations and the fact that he had any illegal third-party softwares at the time and immediately after the ban. With the scene frantically divided into two factions, one claiming Xhade was innocent and willing to back the youngster while the other branding him a hacker.
However, Xhade has himself come out and admitted to using cheats during a live stream on Mithul ‘Binks69’ Nayak’s channel, who is an integral part of Paratroops’ roster along with being a content creator for 8bit. The Paratroops Sentinel admitted that he used cheats in Valorant but only for three games as he ‘wanted to reach Radiant’.
His responses in the Discord Voice Chat to questions posed to him by prominent professionals in the Indian Valorant scene and his demeanor, in general, did not seem too apologetic as he added that he did not use ‘aim assist, only wall hacks’.
Xhade has since deleted his YouTube channel and while he did commit an act that is considered heinous in the eyes of Esports purists, we wish to issue a heartfelt appeal to the Indian Valorant community and the Esports community in general, to spare the youngster or his relatives any hate, undue or otherwise, as he comes to grips with the reality of his future in the Valorant scene.
We hope this is a lesson for any other ‘cheaters’ or ‘hackers’ that are present in the Indian Valorant scene. It is better to either come forward and accept your deeds now or leave the competitive scene or be prepared for the storm heading your way. For, the behavior shown in Xhade’s case by the pros, community, and even the media, does not set a precedent. Rather, it comes from a place of care and pity for the youngster.
One fine day, just as Paratroops were close to breaking the monopoly of sponsored organizations in the top echelons of the Indian Valorant scene, their Sentinel, Abhay ‘Xhade’ Urkude was commissioned a ban on his Valorant ID for using ‘third-party softwares’ to gain an advantage in the game.
The Esports Club allowed Paratroops to field a substitute in what was a controversial but fair decision as they started their conversation with Riot South Asia and India in the meanwhile in an attempt to get clarification on the reason behind Xhade’s ban.
Xhade denied the cheating allegations and the fact that he had any illegal third-party softwares at the time and immediately after the ban. With the scene frantically divided into two factions, one claiming Xhade was innocent and willing to back the youngster while the other branding him a hacker.
However, Xhade has himself come out and admitted to using cheats during a live stream on Mithul ‘Binks69’ Nayak’s channel, who is an integral part of Paratroops’ roster along with being a content creator for 8bit. The Paratroops Sentinel admitted that he used cheats in Valorant but only for three games as he ‘wanted to reach Radiant’.
His responses in the Discord Voice Chat to questions posed to him by prominent professionals in the Indian Valorant scene and his demeanor, in general, did not seem too apologetic as he added that he did not use ‘aim assist, only wall hacks’.
Xhade has since deleted his YouTube channel and while he did commit an act that is considered heinous in the eyes of Esports purists, we wish to issue a heartfelt appeal to the Indian Valorant community and the Esports community in general, to spare the youngster or his relatives any hate, undue or otherwise, as he comes to grips with the reality of his future in the Valorant scene.
We hope this is a lesson for any other ‘cheaters’ or ‘hackers’ that are present in the Indian Valorant scene. It is better to either come forward and accept your deeds now or leave the competitive scene or be prepared for the storm heading your way. For, the behaviour shown in Xhade’s case by the pros, community and even the media, does not set a precedent. Rather, it comes from a place of care and pity for the youngster.
Mobile Legends will be pushing a new patch very soon and in this update, some big changes will be made to the game. With this new patch, a new hero named Yve will be added to the game. Some other heroes will also be tweaked to change the meta and these balance changes will be implemented with the next update.
Some of these changes will alter the way players play their main champions and these changes will hit players who main on Barats, Carmilla and Granger. These heroes are receiving a slight buff and hence, their use might be increased with the next patch. Here are all the major changes you can expect with the next update.
New Hero: Yve
A new mage named Yve is coming to break the game with the next update. It has a high skill potential and players can use it to kite down their opponents with massive burst damage from a long distance. The skill description for his kit is given below.
Passive: Yve gains Galactic Power when dealing damage to enemy heroes with her skills. She will gain stacks and could utilize this Galactic power to gain additional number of casts in her ultimate.
Skill One: Yve detonates Galactic Energy in a designated area, dealing 200 / 235 / 270 / 305 / 340 / 375 (+90% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage to the targets. The targets in the central area will take extra 200 / 235 / 270 / 305 / 340 / 375 (+90% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage
Skill Two: Summons a Void Crystal in a designated area, dealing 220 / 260 / 300 / 340 / 380 / 420 (+40% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage to the targets hit. Using it again will radiate the skill for some time where players in range will be affected with a slow effect.
Ultimate: Yve creates a starfield in a designated direction that lasts for 15 seconds. During this period, she can cast the Ultimate 15 times. Enemies that come in contact with the starfield will be slowed by 90% for 1.5 seconds. Tap: Deals 400 / 475 / 550(+120% Total Magic Power)Magic Damage in a designated area in the starfield. Slide: Deals 130 / 170 / 210(+20% Total Magic Power)Magic Damage every 0.45 second to the targets in the designated area and slow the targets by 60% for 2.7 seconds. During this period, Yve is immune to any airborne effects. The starfield will not canceled when Yve gets controlled, however, she will not be able to cast in the process. When she is suppressed, the starfield will be canceled.
Hero Buffs:
Barats: His defensive stats have been improved. Passive def stacking is increased and reduced the bonus damage dealt based on the max HP. For the first skill, Extra damage dealt in first phase has been reduced and physical DMG dealt in second phase has been increased.
Carmilla: Her Health points regen based on the first skill has been increased.
Granger: Basic attack damage has been increased, making him a powerful early game hero.
Extra: Balmond will be receiving an update in his story lore and based on it, the voiceover of his character will be improved to add an immersive experience.
New Mode: Mayhem
Mayhem Mode will make its comeback in the game. It has been one of the most loved modes in-game and hence, players love to enjoy it. Moonton often takes down its additional modes for some changes and now, Mayhem mode will be added back with the launch of new hero in mid February.
Rank Draft: Hero Role Suggestion
Players will now be able to suggest a role for their teammates while in the draft mode. It is very important to pick a correct hero in a MOBA game and such micro mechanics add up to become a large factor in making the game better. With this feature, players can expect a much coordinated and synchronized drafting phase.
These are all the additions that one can expect in the upcoming patch of Mobile Legends. Slight changes can be made in the finalized version of the new update.
If you’re a stock enthusiast, or a gamer or a casual Reddit browser, or all of these, you’ve probably come across GameStop (GME) stock. The Texas-based video game retailer has had a roller coaster first few weeks of the new year but is still far from knowing why its market capitalization is causing the stock to surge.
Anyone who knows the financial markets and capital investments is well aware of the these work and risks associated with it. In a general trade of buy-and-sell, it’s a simple trade, however, the risk amplifies if you’re betting against the stock, i.e., short selling.
The complexity of a reverse trade is simple to understand but tough to tackle. In a short-sell, you’re assuming the stock would dip to further lows thereby selling them at the market price to buy them back at a later stage when the prices are down.
Christian Bale in the 2015 movie Big Short. This movie is a great retreat to anyone who wishes to learn about how short sellers make billions through financial markets.
All of this is lead by an assumption that the company you’re short-selling against, doesn’t fit the market per se. GameStop’s short selling position by several investment funds isn’t technically incorrect. The pandemic forced most retail stores to shut, and the gaming space is poised to be digital with time. No points to guess who takes the hit when stores move online, the local stores, in this case, i.e. GameStop.
Short sellers bet heavily on a stock to fall, further, dismantling their position in the market. These are not petty investors, these are mutual funds, hedgers, investment banks and other financial giants. Thus, the investment values and the open positions are often in millions if not billions.
The hedge funds and capital investment funds often make heavy trades, thereby, influencing the price of stocks in the market, where retail investors moreorless face the brunt of it. It is mostly that the retail investors dance at the tune of larger financial institutions. That’s what changed this time.
For instance, a $63 stock can be sold today and be purchased at a later date for $20 in case the fundamentals reflect that ordeal. The problem in short-selling is the avenue of loss potential. You’re basically opting for infinite losses in case of the stock price rises. The ones who opt for short stocks are often referred to as bears (bulls are referred to investors with positive sentiments) in financial markets and they generally do make pretty well in times of distress.
Well, that’s at least what Melvin Capital & Citron Research had thought. The bears have lost $5 billion off the GameStop stock. FIVE BILLION.
Wolf of Wall Street’s Wild Ride Takes Stock To Highs of $483
Source NYSE
If you were too cautious to trade in cryptocurrency and bitcoins, wait until you see The GameStop Drag. Today, the prices of GameStop have breached all levels and hit a high of$483. The price of the stock was $20 in the first week of January this year. The wild run of GME has no justification whatsoever, as it may seem, it is based on anger and furiosity against the investment funds of New York, some say.
The stock is currently trading at its week’s low $126, down 63%.
Defying The Rules Of The Trade
In the current debacle, at least for the suits at New York, Reddit users at WallStreetBets decided to take on the big horses. A group of retail stock investors decided to buy GameStop stock, despite analysts’ warnings. It is unquestionable that nothing notable of significance and value-addition has happened at the company, making it defy the rules of the trade. However, the power of social media and sentiment became the fuel behind this unprecedented drive.
The rules of the game of trade are fundamentals. A stock having a strong future, management and product make it to the best blue chips over at NYSE, NASDAQ & other global stock exchanges. GameStop however is reinventing its own wheel, unknowingly. The story of GameStop is interesting and dangerous at the same time because what happens when the stock navigates back to the levels it can justify? Retail investors will be crushed, once again. Or on a parallel universe, the price will sustain these levels.
Where are the market watchdogs
Security Exchanges & Commission (SEC) which monitors New York Stock Exchange said in a statement that they are “actively monitoring” the situation.
“Consistent with our mission to protect investors and maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, we are working with our fellow regulators to assess the situation and review the activities of regulated entities, financial intermediaries, and other market participants,” the SEC said in a statement Wednesday.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren was the first one to demand action against these manipulation.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also a New York Democrat, said in a tweet that Wall Street and those posting online have taken a similar approach to the economy and markets.
Gotta admit it’s really something to see Wall Streeters with a long history of treating our economy as a casino complain about a message board of posters also treating the market as a casino
“Gotta admit it’s really something to see Wall Streeters with a long history of treating our economy as a casino complain about a message board of posters also treating the market as a casino,” she wrote.
What’s next for the stock owners?
It is pertinent to note that the stock at this rally means there are unfinished trade options. There are so much open trade offers that the prices of GameStop isn’t able to stabilize itself to levels. The new owners of the stock which is now priced at $450 can simply hope that the retailer company reinvents itself in this modern era of online world by giving up bricks and mortar business model.
The current valuation of GameStop doesn’t justify its business and operations, thus, making it tough for the stock to retain these levels for a long time. The stock owners, most of who are retailers, should not use this opportunity to gamble their savings and end up eventually losing everything they own. Instead, find solace in whatever pricing they deem fit and take a humble exit from the stock.
Best Buy stock which is far bigger and of a larger industry is struggling to have the market capitalization as much as GameStop’s, which tells you the tale of this short-lived fantasy.
Extinguishing the cold fire
This doesn’t mean though that you should buy the stock. The stocks which are driven by sentimental value or through social media buzz, don’t have any fundamentals to stabilize at the levels.
Moreover, this also doesn’t mean that the hedge funds which are losing millions today, will recover soon. The time around, things have been different and the circumstances have now forced companies like Melvin Capital & Citron to square off their positions if they already haven’t.
GameStop posted a negative growth in the last fiscal and is still valued at $24 billions, which calls for a dearly, or rather a terrible fall to come in a few days. Behold!
Team Mahi have powered up once again, this time by winning the Third Qualifier of ESPL Valorant PowerUp India and sealing their spot in the Main event.
The rebranded organization were up against it in the Grand Finals of Qualifier #3 against Paratroops, with the latter taking Ascent away from Team Mahi 13-8, thanks to their luscious attacking play and some clutch moments from Harshvardhan ‘Kuzuri’ Singh Panwar and Shreyas ‘Edit99’ Kshirsagar towards the end of the map.
However, the best team in India upped the ante and proved why they own the aforementioned tag as they demolished Paratroops on Bind 13-3 and earned a nearly unassailable lead on the Attack side on Haven before sealing the map with a 13-7 scoreline, clutching the series 2-1 to emerge triumphant in the Qualifier.
Despite the defeat, Paratroops earned commiseration from a 10,000 strong audience over the English and Hindi streams on Skyesports’ YouTube channel for their performance against the best of the best the Indian competitive Valorant scene has to offer.
Along with Team Mahi and Paratroops, White Shadows Esports and the newly acquired Enigma Gaming roster etched their name in the Main Event of the ESPL Valorant PowerUp India. The other teams that have already booked them from the previous Qualifiers are Reckoning Esports, GodLike Esports, Global Esports, XTZ Esports, Tempest, Team Tamilas, Biriyani Power, and NaCly.
There is only one qualifier left, with registrations for the fourth and last Qualifier for ESPL Valorant PowerUp India open till January 31, 2021. The fourth Qualifier also has four slots on offer and will also feature the four Valorant Stars teams that will be built through an auction among the designated captains on January 30, 2021.
In under two months since the release of the highly anticipated action RPG Cyberpunk 2077, people have been modding the game for all sorts of stuff. One of the rather controversial mods was the mod that let players have sex with Keanu Reeves’ in-game character, Johnny Silverhand.
While there are some sex scenes present in the game itself involving Silverhand, those are all viewed in player-perspective.
As reported by Eurogamer, the mod was nothing more than a collection of skins that replaced others.
The mod enabled players to transform a “Joytoy” sex robot into Reeves’ character Johnny Silverhand, the end result being a not-so-graphic sex scene with Silverhand. The voice of the robot, however, isn’t replaced by that of Silverhand’s, which adds some awkwardness to the mod.
A few days later, it seems like the mod has managed to catch the attention of CD Projekt Red, who have gone ahead and removed the mod from the game.
“Our most important rule regarding user-generated content, game mods in particular, is that it can’t be harmful towards others,” the studio said to PC Gamer. “In the case of model swaps, especially those that involve explicit situations, it can be perceived as such by the people who lent us their appearance for the purpose of creating characters in Cyberpunk 2077.”
The mod can now no longer be played, but in case you’re curious at what it used to do, you can check it out here. The attachment below has been timestamped to that point:
After a long wait, Valve has finally shipped the highly anticipated Overwatch update to Dota 2. The Overwatch system introduced today in Dota 2 is similar to the one already present in Valve’s shooter CSGO.
To put it simply, the Overwatch system allows specific members of the community to verify the validity of reports flagging disruptive actions within games.
Now that the system is finally here, a lot of Dota 2 players are wondering how to use the Dota 2 Overwatch and how to review Overwatch cases. Today, we’re focusing on exactly that.
How to Report Players
To report players using this new Overwatch system, you can simply click on the red flag beside the player names. You can also report abusers in-game using the scoreboard.
Every player will only gain a limited number of reports each week to prevent abuse of the system by spamming reports.
Players can report other players for one or more of the following reasons:
Ability Abuse
Feeding
Suspicious Movement/Casts
Scripting/Hacking
Griefing
When reporting, players can also specify when the disruptive action took place using one of the following options:
Just Now
1 Minute ago
5 Minutes ago
A disruptive player can be reported multiple times in the same game without using up any extra reports.
Once a report is submitted, they’ll be given to specific “good-standing” members of the community chosen by the game to review it. The reviewers will get the following options once they’re done viewing the report:
Guilty
Not Guilty
Insufficient Evidence
Reviewers will earn an accuracy score following their decision.Players who falsely convict will receive a lower score, eventually losing the ability to participate in Overwatch at al
