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F0rest Returns to Ninjas in Pyjamas as Brand Ambassador

NIP has announced the return of the legendary Counter-Strike player Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg as a brand ambassador, where he will play a crucial role in guiding the team’s competitive and creative efforts. 

f0rest previously played for the organization from 2012 to 2020, during which he secured a Major title in 2014 and was recognized among the HLTV top 20 players four times. Looking ahead, f0rest will step away from professional competition after nearly two decades in the scene and will join NIP to support them in his new ambassadorial role.  

The organization shared this news through an announcement video filmed in Birka, Sweden’s oldest town.  According to the release, he will be co-streaming NIP’s Counter-Strike matches, including their upcoming journey to qualify for the Shanghai Major at the RMRs. Additionally, he will stream daily on Twitch via the Counter-Strike matchmaking platform FACEIT, giving fans a chance to play alongside him and participate in community events.

There is also going to be merchandise releases soon

NIP has been busy preparing to launch a limited merchandise collection that includes apparel, a special edition jersey to commemorate the legendary 87-0 streak, a digital collectible, and more. One of the first live streams featuring f0rest will take place at the Svenska Cupen in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 9-10.  

“Becoming a Brand Ambassador at Ninjas in Pyjamas truly feels like a homecoming moment. I’m excited to be back where it all started, and I can’t wait to talk to even more Ninjas in Pyjamas fans, both old and new, throughout this exciting journey” said Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome back one of the most well-known faces associated with our iconic esports organization,” said Hicham Chahine, Co-CEO of Ninjas in Pyjamas. “Patrik did great things with us as an esports player and we look forward to making him at home again as a Brand Ambassador. Patrik’s strong following and ties to Ninjas in Pyjamas made working with him again a no-brainer, and we can’t wait to see how our new partnership unfolds”.

Recently, NIP made headlines by going public on NASDAQ under its parent company, NIP Group. This entity was formed after a merger between Ninjas in Pyjamas and the digital sports group ESV5, a Chinese esports company focused on mobile gaming. The company operates in Sweden, China, Abu Dhabi, and Brazil, with several teams competing in major esports titles at some of the largest competitions worldwide, including League of Legends in the Chinese League of Legends Pro League (LPL).

For more such updates, stay tuned to Talkesport.

Global Esports Reports Its First Profitable Year in FY ’24

Global Esports has recorded its first profitable year in the organisation’s history for FY 2024 (April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024). In a LinkedIn post by CEO Rushindra Sinha, he stated that the company has reported a massive $2 million in cash revenue, marking a major achievement in the esports industry, especially during the ongoing “esports winter,” where every other org is struggling to sustain.

According to Sinha, the company achieved profitability with $2 million in actual cash revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. This amount represents real cash collected in the company’s accounts, rather than being a mere accounting metric, and reflects the consolidated financial health of Global Esports’ operations in India and Korea. This breakthrough is particularly noteworthy considering the broader challenges facing the esports industry, commonly referred to as the “esports winter.”

VCT Partnership Paves Way for Global Esports’ Profitability

One of the primary drivers behind Global Esports’ revenue growth has been its partnership (franchising) with the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) and Riot Games, which Sinha describes as the “cornerstone” of the organization’s earnings. Since joining the VCT ecosystem two years ago, Global Esports’ revenue has increased fourfold. The partnership has now become the main source of income for the company.

Global Esports’ successful association with Riot Games and VCT has not only fueled revenue but has also strengthened the organization’s brand and presence in the competitive esports space. Sinha shared that the organization is “laser-focused” on building on these fruitful collaborations and is committed to enhancing areas that have proven effective.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the positive financial news, Sinha acknowledged the company’s cash flow challenges. Although Global Esports has achieved profitability on paper, managing cash flow remains an ongoing concern that the organization is actively working to address. Sinha outlined plans to reduce expenses, increase profit margins, and develop a sustainable business model that will support the company’s growth without placing undue strain on resources.

“We recognize the privilege of reaching this milestone in a difficult market,” Sinha said. “We know there’s a long road ahead to further strengthen our financial footing. We’re excited for the journey and thankful for everyone who has supported us so far.”

Global Esports’ Future

Global Esports’ first profitable year represents a significant turning point, one that is both promising and challenging. It will be interesting to see how Global Esports manages to maintain this profitability in the dire circumstances of the industry.

Stay ahead in the world of esports with the TalkEsport app! Download now to get instant access to the latest news, live points tables, comprehensive esports calendars, and live streams of your favorite tournaments. Don’t miss out—get the app today!

Arcane Season 2 Release Date & Time

As we stand only a few hours away from the release of the highly anticipated second season of Arcane, fans of the hit Netflix series are curious about the exact release date and time of the show.

The critically acclaimed animated series set in the League of Legends universe, which is set to premiere tomorrow, will be released in three acts, each consisting of three episodes. While the first Act will be available to stream on Netflix on November 9th, fans will have to wait a bit longer to be able to see the next two Acts.

With that being said, let’s check out the release date and time of Arcane Season 2.

Arcane Season 2: Exact Release Date & Time

Arcane Season 2

As mentioned earlier, Act 1 of Arcane Season 2 will premiere on November 9, 2024. The exact release time is yet to be revealed by Netflix, but we’ll be sure to update this article once the news drops.

Arcane Season 2 Act 2 will launch on November 16th, while fans will have to wait until November 23rd to catch the finale of the show on Act 3.

Arcane Season 2: Where To Watch

Fans will be able to catch all the episodes of Arcane Season 2 once they are released on Netflix.

New Deadlock Hero Trapper Abilities Explained

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The November 7 Deadlock update has introduced a plethora of new changes to the hero shooter that’s certain to shake up the competitive meta of the game.

While the hardcore players check out the map and item changes to get an idea of what the new meta will look like, casual players might be more interested in checking out Trapper, the newest addition to the ever-expanding roster of heroes in Deadlock.

Before you check out his kit, it’s important to note that Trapper is currently available to play exclusively in the Hero Labs mode of Deadlock, and is likely to receive multiple changes before being added to the ranked queues.

With that being said, Trapper boasts a unique kit that enables him to support his teammates on the battlefield by providing them with strong Spirit shields while also dishing out significant damage and slowing his enemies.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the new Deadlock hero Trapper.

Deadlock Trapper Abilities Explained

Trapper deadlock

Here are all the abilities of Trapper:

Bottled Phantasmicide

Throw a jar that leaves a pool of poison, dealing Damage and Slowing. The pool spreads over time, growing in size.

  • DPS: 50 (Scales with Spirit Power)
  • Movement Slow: 20%
  • Duration: 9s
  • 5m Radius
  • 7m Max Radius (Scales with Spirit Power)

T1: +4s Duration

T2: +2m Max Radius

T3: +100 DPS

Silktrap

Create a thread of web between two surfaces. Enemies who touch the web take Damage and are Slowed.

  • Damage: 200 (Scales with Spirit Power)
  • Movement Slow: 99%
  • 2s Debuff Duration
  • 60s Web Duration
  • 100m  Max Web Distance

T1: +1 Charges

T2: +120s Web Duration

T3: The Web also Disarms for 4s

Pest Barrier

Apply a barrier to a target ally, granting Spirit Shield. As long as the shield holds, it periodically deals Spirit Damage and Slows.

  • Spirit Shield Health: 200 (Scales with Spirit Power)
  • DPS: 30 (Scales with Spirit Power)
  • Duration: 5s
  • 30% Movement Slow
  • 0.5s Debuff Duration

T1: -8s Cooldown

T2: +200 Spirit Shield Health

T3: +5m Radius

Crawling Plague

Release a wave of spectral spiders that chase enemies and explode, dealing Spirit Damage.

Hit enemies are poisoned, temporarily losing Spirit and Spirit Resist. This effect can stack multiple times.

  • Spider Damage: 140 (Scales with Spirit Power)
  • Spiders Released: 5
  • 2m  Spider Chase Distance
  • 10s  Spirit Debuff Duration
  • 25s  Spider Life Time
  • 5  Spirit Reduction
  • 5%  Spirit Resist Reduction

T1: -45s Cooldown

T2: Additional -3 Spirit and -3% Spirit ResistanceT3: Summon +5 Spiders

Deadlock November 7 Update Patch Notes: New Hero ‘Trapper’, Tons of Map Changes, & More

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Valve has shipped out a major update to Deadlock on November 7, and it brings with it a plethora of changes to the hero shooter, including tweaks to a bunch of items and heroes, a new addition to the game’s roster of characters, and much more.

The highlight of the new Deadlock update is the addition of the new hero ‘Trapper’. While this hero is still limited to the ‘Hero Labs’ game mode at the moment, his unique kit is certain to garner the attention of players once it arrives in ranked queues.

The latest Deadlock update has also added a ‘Quickbuy’ feature to the game. It is a quality-of-life feature that enables players to right-click items in the shop to add them to their Quickbuy queue. When in range of a shop, items in the queue will automatically be purchased in the set order if the player has enough souls.

Apart from these updates, there are several important bug fixes, as well as gameplay adjustments. Additionally, multiple items and heroes have received buffs and nerfs in this new major update.

Deadlock November 7 Update Patch Notes

Trapper deadlock

Ready to find out everything that the November 7 Deadlock update has brought to the MOBA? The devs have officially revealed the detailed patch notes for the new update for fans to check out. You can take a look at them below:

[ General Changes ]

– Added Trapper to Hero Labs
– Added support for Hero Labs in Private Lobbies, Private Bot Games and Sandbox that can be used at any time
– Various adjustments to Experimental Heroes are listed in the in-game notes for Hero Labs

– Added Quickbuy – You can now right-click items in the shop to add them to your Quickbuy queue. When you return to the shop, you will automatically purchase the items you can afford in your set order. An indicator on the hud will light up when you can afford the next item on your list. In Settings you may change the purchase mode to use a hotkey while in range of the shop rather than auto-purchase.

– The shaders, map and various other resources will now pre-compile on the dashboard to improve loading times when getting into a match. This also reduces in-game hitching in some cases.

– Added a visual indicator when browsing builds that shows which item types are most present in the build (Weapon, Vitality, Spirit).

– Added a Recent Purchases log to the Shop that displays all items bought by players during a match, ordered by most recent

– Added support for the new Steam Game Recording Timeline API. This automatically adds timeline markers for kills, deaths, and team objectives.
– Added checkbox in settings to force the game to take focus when the game is unpaused
– You can now hover party members on the dashboard while in queue to view their roster
– Active Reload indicator UI slightly adjusted
– Added “Frenzied” text when you own Frenzy and go below 50% health
– Added a Social tab to the Settings dialog. This contains Streamer Mode, added support for Steam content filtering settings and a new setting to adjust incoming chat visibility.

– Hero Stats on the left side of the hud are now hidden by default, and can be viewed by holding ALT or TAB. When a stat is temporarily increased or decreased, it will show by default for the duration.
– Added hover tooltip descriptions to stats on the left side of the hud

– Bots will more aggressively attack the Shrines and Patron when pushing into the enemy base
– Fixed being able to briefly gain regen when crossing the Veil of the enemy fountain
– Fixed Commends for All Heroes not showing up correctly in player profiles
– Updated McGinnis Barrage explosions to show the edge of the aoe better
– Fixed the ‘x’ button in the shop search not clearing the search box
– Sinners Sacrifice now has a final damage state for clear read on final hit
– Fixed some issues with Quantum Entanglement not moving units with it correctly when there is nearby geometry
– Fixed various bugs with Duplicate Hero not working properly in private lobbies
– Fixed Grey Talon getting assist credit while flying Guided Owl
– Fixed Sinner’s Sacrifice changing facing direction sometimes
– Fixed a rare bug where shields would never regenerate
– Fixed some cases where troopers could get stuck in the base
– Fixed using melee to secure orbs being a little unresponsive
– New effects for Viscous heavy melee
– Added an ambient looping sound for each bridge powerup
– Fixed some animation issues with Vindicta
– Added new zipline animation for Vindicta
– Looped music will resume playing if interrupted by a transient cue
– Various bug fixes for looping sound effects and ones that are sometimes stuck playing every frame for a period of time
– Improved animation readability for Mo & Krill heavy melee
– Reduced visual clutter on Seven’s tracers with high fire rate
– Reduced visual clutter on Wraith’s tracers with high fire rate
– Effects updates for Fortitude
– Added missing lean animation near walls for Mirage
– Sand Blast distance and aoe read improvements
– Fixed issues where health regen effect will begin popping on and off if player is at max health
– New sounds added to Yamato’s Power Slash, Flying Strike, and Shadow Transformation abilities
– New sounds added to Lash’s Ground Strike and Flog abilities

– Renamed “Mouse Wheel” to “Chat Wheel”
– Steam Input support:

– Added all missing Steam Input Actions from the Key Bindings screen (including Fly Up/Fly Down)​

– Added a “Replay Controls” action set​

– Allow Steam Deck to see the Key Bindings Screen​

– Improved Glyph Swapping behavior when mixing controller and keyboard inputs​

– Added Controller tab to house Controller specific options.​

– Added a Steam Input Configurator launch button.​

– Added Glyph Locking options: { Automatic | Keyboard & Mouse Only | Game Pad Only }​

– Fixed crash in spectator mode when querying controller button state​

– Fixed Controller not working until loading a level​

– Official Steam Input configs for SteamDeck and DualSense have been updated​

– Note: Legacy Analog Modes have been removed/replaced in favor of new Camera specific Steam Input modes. Some users may need to re-bind their joysticks/gyros.​

[ Misc Gameplay ]

– Troopers no longer change soul sharing rules after laning phase ends (meaning 2 heroes don’t split souls)
– Troopers no longer increase their bounty by 20% at 8 minutes
– Hero Kill gold increased from 150->1400 to 175->2000 (from 0 min to 45 min)
– Neutral Creeps now give 5% less souls

– Troopers now take 28% more damage from Guardians
– Walkers damage vs players increased by 10%
– Guardians will now focus their attack on enemy players if an enemy player shoots a hero and the enemy player is within 15m of the Guardian

– Moved 8 neutral camps (4 on each side) from outside the outer lanes behind the Walkers to in between inner and outer lanes

neutrals_update.jpg

– Added Cosmic Veils to the ground floor entrances to Mid that grant vision looking in but block vision looking out

– Biased Urn delivery locations moved slightly closer to neutral positions

– Minor adjustments to respawn curve (40s respawn happening at 20m now happens at 17m)
– Walker armor loss over time now happens at 16m instead of 14m
– Troopers Spirit resist goes to 30% instead of 40% at 25 minutes
– Mid Boss Rejuv Trooper Health increased by 30%
– Fixed Troopers resistance against Base Guardians not working properly

– Redesigned the warehouse interior to allow entry from the front of the Tenements and Music Hall buildings
– Moved the stairs from the warehouse interior to the underground tunnel further from the Urn delivery location

warehouse_update.jpg

– Removed all railings from fire escape stairs
– Pass at making rooftops smoother to navigate
– Removed angled supports from chimney
– Removed collision from small props
– Added stairs on top of Bodega

– Replaced small chimneys and temporary spikes with larger roof spikes to designate zap trigger locations
– Replaced temp antennae with more “menacing” version to designate zap trigger locations

roof_spikes.png

These changes were included early in the map update that came with the Halloween patch:
– New Hotel building art pass
– Changed exit location from the player spawn area to the rest of the base to the angled walls

base_update (1).jpg

[ Weapon Items ]

– Close Quarters: No longer grants +85 Bullet Shield Health
– Close Quarters: Now grants +5% Bullet Resist
– Restorative Shot: No longer grants +7% Bullet Resist
– Restorative Shot: Now grants +90 Bullet Shield
– Restorative Shot: Now procs on orb shots for NPC heal value

– Melee Charge: No longer grants +1 HP Regen
– Melee Charge: Weapon Damage reduced from 12% to 10%
– Long Range: Long range Weapon Damage reduced from 40% to 30%
– Long Range: Now grants +10% Weapon Damage
– Berserker: Bullet Resist increased from 7% to 9%
– Active Reload: Now grants +50 Health
– Slowing Bullets: Spirit Power increased from +5 to +6

– Sharpshooter: Long range Weapon Damage reduced from 70% to 50%
– Sharpshooter: Now grants +20% Weapon Damage
– Alchemical Fire: Now grants +1 Sprint
– Heroic Aura: Cooldown reduced from 32s to 25s
– Intensifying Magazine: Time to reach Max Damage reduced from 3s to 2.7s
– Toxic Bullets: Damage changed from 5% of Current Health to 2.5% of Max Health

– Shadow Weave: Detection range increased from 18m to 22m
– Glass Cannon: Health loss reduced from -15% to -12%
– Frenzy: Low HP bullet resist increased from 45% to 55%
– Lucky Shot: Fixed it causing proc effects to roll twice whenever it procced
– Silencer: Now grants +12% Spirit Resist
– Vampiric Burst: Cooldown reduced from 34s to 30s

[ Vitality Items ]

– Extra Health: Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 7%
– Healing Rite: Duration increased from 19s to 20s (total health restored unchanged)

– Bullet Armor: Bullet Resist increased from 25% to 26%
– Return Fire: Duration reduced from 7s to 6s
– Healing Nova: Now grants +6% Ability Range
– Combat Barrier: Fire Rate increased from 6% to 7%
– Debuff Reducer: Health increased from +75 to +125
– Healbane: Healing reduction increased from -40% to -45%
– Reactive Barrier: Restores 1 stamina on proc
– Spirit Armor: Spirit Resist increased from 20% to 22%
– Divine Barrier: No longer grants +8% Ability Range
– Divine Barrier: Now grants +6 Spirit Power
– Restorative Locket: No longer grants +5 Spirit Power
– Restorative Locket: Now grants +25% Melee Resistance

– Metal Skin: No longer blocks melee damage
– Debuff Remover: Debuff Resistance increased from 35% to 40%
– Debuff Remover: Cooldown reduced from 48s to 45s
– Veil Walker: Ammo increased from 12% to 15%
– Veil Walker: Weapon Damage increased from 10% to 15%
– Fortitude: Health increased from 365 to 400
– Lifestrike: Bullet resistance increased from 8% to 10%

– Soul Rebirth: Removed from the game
– Inhibitor: Slow reduced from 25% to 20%
– Siphon Bullets: Now grants +15% Weapon Damage
– Phantom Strike: Now grounds any flying targets on impact (similar to how Slowing Hex used to work)

[ Spirit Items ]

– Ammo Scavenger: Duration increased from 35s to 45s
– Mystic Burst: Now triggers on your base damage, rather than how much the target receives

– Slowing Hex: Now uses Enduring Spirit as a component
– Slowing Hex: Now gains +10% Spirit Lifesteal and +75 Bonus Health
– Slowing Hex: Spirit Power reduced from 5 to 4
– Slowing Hex: No longer grants +1 Sprint
– Slowing Hex: Damage reduced from 70 to 40
– Withering Whip: Bullet Resist reduction reduced from -14% to -11%
– Withering Whip: Cooldown reduced from 22s to 18s
– Withering Whip: Now deals 50 Spirit Damage
– Decay: Now grants +1.5 HP Regen
– Decay: Now grants +8% Ability Duration
– Decay: Healing reduction increased from -50% to -70%
– Decay: Bleed Damage reduced from 3.1% to 1%
– Decay: Cooldown reduced from 45s to 33s
– Improved Cooldown: Cooldown Reduction reduced from 16% to 14%
– Improved Cooldown: Spirit Shield improved from 75 to 100
– Improved Cooldown: Now grants +10% Ammo

– Superior Cooldown: Now grants +15% Ammo
– Improved Burst: Now triggers on your base damage, rather than how much the target receives
– Improved Burst: Max HP damage reduced from 9% to 8%

– Magic Carpet: Now grants +10% Ability Range

[ Hero Changes ]

– Abrams: Reverted Melee attack speed reduction
– Abrams: Shoulder Charge can now again use left/right strafe to slightly change direction
– Abrams: Shoulder Charge now carries momentum at the end of the charge
– Abrams: Siphon Life spirit scaling increased from 0.3 to 0.36
– Abrams: Infernal Resilience Damage Regen reduced from 15% to 14%
– Abrams: Infernal Resilience Damage Regen duration increased from 18s to 20s
– Abrams: Infernal Resilience T3 reduced from +8% to +7%
– Abrams: Fixed an issue where Seismic impact would travel more downwards instead of the facing direction

– Bebop: Sticky Bomb damage gained per hero impact increased from 1% to 1.5%
– Bebop: Sticky Bomb damage gained per hero kill reduced from 5% to 4%
– Bebop: Sticky Bomb T3 changed from Disarm to -30% Damage Penalty for 5s (similar to Inhibitor’s debuff)
– Bebop: Sticky Bomb now calculates its damage at detonation time rather than cast time (affects item combinations)
– Bebop: Sticky Bomb now has 2x cast range when used on allies
– Bebop: Hook damage reduced from 40 to 10
– Bebop: Hook damage now has spirit scaling of 2x
– Bebop: Hyper Beam now goes on cooldown for 3 seconds when canceled during precast

– Dynamo: Now gains 1% Bullet Resist per Boon (0->14%)
– Dynamo: Fixed Quantum Entanglement sometimes not moving you to the destination properly
– Dynamo: Singularity now deals 1.5% Max HP in the base ability
– Dynamo: Singularity T3 increased from 3.8% to 4%
– Dynamo: Singularity Base DPS reduced from 60 to 45

– Grey Talon: Base bullet damage reduced from 27 to 24
– Grey Talon: Bullet damage growth per boon increased from 1.41 to 1.62 (same total damage later on)
– Grey Talon: Falloff range rescaled from 22m->58m to 18m->54m
– Grey Talon: Rain of Arrows strafe distance with stamina reduced by 30%
– Grey Talon: Charged Shot hitbox size reduced by 20%

– Haze: Bullet Dance no longer hits 2 targets
– Haze: Bullet Dance now grants +30% Fire Rate
– Haze: Bullet Dance now allows you to use items during it
– Haze: Sleep Dagger T3 now also causes targets to wake up with -40% Fire Rate

– Infernus: Catalyst slow reduced from 40% to 35%
– Infernus: Afterburn buildup per bullet/headshot reduced from 10%/16% to 9%/14%

– Ivy: Watcher’s Covenant Fire Rate spirit scaling increased from 0.2 to 0.3
– Ivy: Watcher’s Covenant Bullet Lifesteal spirit scaling increased from 0.2 to 0.3

– Lash: Ground Strike can now be cast while on the zipline
– Lash: Fixed interaction between Mirage’s tornado and Death Slam
– Lash: Ground Strike now pulls enemies to the ground with you (similar to Stone Form recently)

– McGinnis: Mini Turrets DPS reduced from 60 to 40
– McGinnis: Mini Turrets health reduced from 20% max HP to 15%

– Mirage: Bullet size reduced from 6 to 5
– Mirage: Tornado speed reduced from 20m to 18m
– Mirage: Torando Lift Duration reduced from 1.1s to 1s
– Mirage: Fire Scarabs T2 reduced from -15% Bullet Resist to -10%

– Paradox: Bullet velocity increased from 411 to 525
– Paradox: Time Wall no longer has charges
– Paradox: Time Wall no longer deals 10% Max Health Damage
– Paradox: Time Wall cooldown reduced from 37s to 25s
– Paradox: Time Wall T2 is now Deals 10% Max Health Damage
– Paradox: Kinetic Carbine Max Damage Amp increased from 85% to 100%
– Paradox: Paradoxical Swap time to complete the swap reduced from 0.5-1.5 to 0.3-0.6 (variable based on distance)

– Pocket: Barrage spirit scaling increased from 0.4 to 0.5
– Pocket: Light melee damage increased from 63 to 75

– Vindicta: Base bullet damage reduced from 15 to 13
– Vindicta: Bullet damage growth per boon increased from 0.65 to 0.8 (same total damage later on)
– Vindicta: Stake duration increased from 1.75s to 2s
– Vindicta: Flight T2 reduced from +8s to +6s
– Vindicta: Crow Familiar tick rate changed from every 0.5s to every 1s
– Vindicta: Assassinate starts at 25% power instead of 50% power

– Viscous: The Cube health regen now scales with spirit at 0.2
– Viscous: Goo Ball down dash ability moved from T3 to base ability
– Viscous: Goo Ball size now increases with range upgrades (doesn’t affect collision with world)
– Viscous: Fixed some hit detection issues with Goo Ball

– Warden: Now has +1 Sprint
– Warden: Bullet Velocity increased from 213 to 290
– Warden: Last Stand now goes on cooldown if you die or the ability is interrupted while cast
– Warden: Last Stand T3 no longer grants unstoppable during channel
– Warden: Last Stand now grants +50% Spirit Resist during channel

– Wraith: Telekinesis cast time increased from 0.6 to 0.7
– Wraith: Telekinesis damage reduced from 200 to 175

– Yamato: Shadow Transformation now affects the grapple time speed
– Yamato: Shadow Transformation duration increased from 4s to 6s
– Yamato: Shadow Transformation no longer prevents death
– Yamato: Shadow Transformation now grants +60% Bullet and Spirit Resist
– Yamato: Shadow Transformation now heals for 30% hp (done after the dispel)
– Yamato: Shadow Transformation duration now extends by 2s whenever you get a kill in it (for that session)

PS5 Pro Is Not Coming to India

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PS5 Pro is finally here and while the latest console doesn’t bring a whole lot of performance improvements over the regular PS5, the marginal differences may be something gamers would consider unless they are in India.

According to Sony’s official statement, the wireless limitations of the latest PlayStation Console are preventing it from entering the Indian market. India has standardized the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands while PS5 Pro uses the latest 6Ghz, which is waiting to get approval.

According to the statement, “PS5 Pro will not be available in some countries (which presently includes India) where the 6GHz wireless band used in IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) has not yet been allowed.

India has reserved the 6Ghz network band for ISRO and the timeline given for giving public access to it remains 6 months as of now. Sony is unlikely to release a console catering to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) standards which renders a regular PS5 or a PS5 Slim a better option as of now.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Surpasses 30 Million Downloads after a Week

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Pokemon TCG Pocket has really taken the gaming world by storm, surpassing everyone’s expectations in just the first week of its release. So far, about 30 million downloads have been gathered; it truly is a feat to capture the interest of players and industry experts alike.

This success was brought about by the rare and promo cards that were found, powerful meta decks were available, and several events were going on within the game. Such an effect maximizes the attraction of players to this game and leads them to spend hours and money playing.

Pokémon TCG Pocket raked in $12 million in its first four days, thus translating to making $3 million a day. That is impressive – more than the daily average that the iconic Pokémon Go itself generates at $1 million. It is unlikely that Pokemon TCG Pocket will come anywhere close to the 232 million active players mark that Pokémon Go hit in 2016. Its growth trajectory, however, is undeniably impressive.

What is remarkable, too, is that it took Pokemon Go three months to reach 500 million downloads while Pokemon TCG Pocket has already reached 6% of that milestone in just a week. That only shows that the game has the potential to become one of the major players in the game market for mobile devices.

Thus, the game has become popular, and people are really in the mood for celebration. Most social media posts depict joy and hopes for bigger updates and rewards. Some even suggested that the developers should relate this achievement with some form of reward within the game, such as getting free card packs or any other unique items.

Nintendo Seeks 10 Million Yen in Palworld Lawsuit

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The developer, Pocketpair, of the popular game Palworld, recently spoke on the increasingly hot legal issue with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo.

Pocketpair reported that these two gaming titans are claimed to seek damages for a combined sum of 10 million yen, approximately equal to $66,000 or £50,000, along with late interest. The case had kicked off as an initial patent infringement suit filed by Pokémon Company on September 19, 2024.

Palworld

The press release by Nintendo officially stated that Palworld is being sued for damages based on their patent rights being infringed on. Details about the infringed patents are, however, not known, but one of them, according to experts in the sector, involves a process where items have to be thrown at creatures to capture them- a primary feature common to Pokémon and Palworld.

In response to the lawsuit filed, Pocketpair insists on fighting the position in court. The developer will also not make direct contact with individual players but make known subsequent development updates through official channels such as the website they have.

OG Fortnite Is Coming Back as a Permanent Game Mode

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OG Fortnite is coming back and this time it is a permanent game mode, a highly anticipated update but leaks seemed to have divided the community given the mixed reactions from players who are unable to look at the upsides without considering the possible downsides.

Fortnite has come far from its original release and while the fundamentals have remained intact, the game has undergone massive improvements in terms of performance, optimization, mechanics, and most notably the abundance of content that wasn’t there in its early days. To tend to the nostalgic feelings, the devs brought back the OG game mode for a limited time and players flocked to the same which rendered the other game modes unplayable thanks to the lack of players.

OG Fortnite

In a recent leak, it has been pointed out that the developers are bringing back OG Fortnite and this time it will be permanent. As good of news as it may sound for some of the older players who are missing the game, it should be pointed out it would divide the player base and many fear that most players would stick to the OG version which would result in fewer players in the BR game mode and the game will assign bots to lobbies to make up for it.

While it is safe to take these leaks with a pinch of salt, presumptive thinking will not lead anywhere unless the developers drop the update and we see a first-hand account of what becomes of the game.

Dota 2 November 8th Update Introduces Crownfall Act 4 & New Hero Kez

After a long wait, Valve has finally introduced the highly anticipated Crownfall Act 4 to Dota 2 in the game’s newest update. As usual, a new Crownfall Act brings with it a ton of new content for fans of the MOBA to enjoy.

However, the addition of the new Dota 2 hero, Kez, has stolen the spotlight in the November 8th update. The newest member of the Dota 2 roster is packed with a strong kit that enables him to take down enemies with ease, and he’s certain to be a fan-favorite for most Dota 2 players out there.

In case you haven’t had the chance to check out Kez’s backstory yet, you can head over to the official Dota 2 website and check out the Ascension Night comic which was released yesterday.

Dota 2 November 8th Update Introduces New Hero Kez

Dota 2 Kez

Without further ado, let’s check out all the abilities of the new hero Kez, as confirmed by Valve:

AbilityExplanation
Switch DisciplineKez’s arsenal includes the versatile Kazurai Katana and the potent Shodo Sai. By switching between these weapons, he gains access to distinct attack patterns and special abilities. As his hero level rises, the cooldown time for these weapon-specific actions decreases.
Echo Slash
(Katana)
Kez performs a swift forward dash, slicing through enemies with his katana. This attack deals a percentage of his attack damage and slows affected targets. After a short delay, Kez unleashes a follow-up strike on the same location, dealing significant bonus damage to enemy heroes.
Grappling Claw
(Katana)
Kez launches himself towards a designated target unit or tree using a grappling hook. The target is immobilized and slowed during the hook’s trajectory. Once Kez lands, he immediately strikes with a powerful attack that restores his health equal to the damage dealt.
Kazurai Katana
(Katana)
Kez launches himself towards a designated target unit or tree using a grappling hook. The target is immobilized and slowed during the hook’s trajectory. Once Kez lands, he immediately strikes with a powerful attack that restores his health equal to the damage dealt.
Raptor Dance
(Katana)
Kez enters a one-second channeling phase, during which he becomes immune to any negative effects and gains complete protection against magic damage. If the channel is not interrupted, he performs a wide-ranging slash attack that deals damage proportional to the target’s maximum health. As a reward for completing the channel, Kez is healed for a percentage of the damage dealt and all harmful effects are removed from him.
Falcon Rush
(Sai)
Kez rushes towards enemy targets, delivering a flurry of secondary attacks that echo and bounce off nearby enemies. During this rush, he can phase through obstacles, allowing him to maneuver through the battlefield with ease. Additionally, his attack speed is less affected by traditional attack speed items, enabling him to maintain a high attack rate regardless of itemization.
Talon Toss
(Sai)
Kez launches a Sai at a designated target. The Sai explodes upon impact, dealing significant damage to enemies in the vicinity and silencing them, preventing them from using abilities.
Shodo Sai
(Sai)
Kez’s attacks and abilities with the Sai have a chance to mark enemies. Marked enemies are slowed, and the next time Kez attacks a marked target, the attack will always land and stun the enemy, dealing critical damage.
Kez can activate a defensive stance, disarming himself and locking his facing. For two seconds, he can parry attacks and negate their effects. Successful parries stun and mark the attacker.
Raven’s Veil
(Sai)
Kez unleashes a wave of smoke that envelops nearby enemies, marking them with a Sai Mark that increases their chance to parry attacks. The smoke also briefly obscures their vision. Kez himself becomes cloaked in the smoke, gaining increased movement speed and invisibility until he chooses to attack or cast a spell.