While it’s definitely cliche to blame all your losses in Overwatch on your teammates or a stacked enemy team, sometimes it’s legitimately true. Whether if it’s from high rating players “smurfing” (an annoying practice we’ll discuss below) or a seemingly brain-dead stream of teams, there will always be occasions where you just can’t get a win despite playing at the top of your game. The Overwatch design team seems to realize this phenomenon and has made some interesting changes to the way the game handles “Loss Streaks” to make it a little easier to recover from a string of crappy games.
The changes are largely to the idea of a “streak multiplier” that accelerates the rate at which your skill rating is changed based on either a collection of consecutive wins or losses. The change is largely intended to deal with boosting or smurfing, according to head designer Jeff Kaplan.
Boosting is the idea of paying for someone to level an account to a higher skill rating. The reasoning behind this is baffling to me, as in the vast majority of cases you’ll end up in a skill bracket where you can’t hold your own and you’ll tank your rating pretty damn quickly. I suppose some people generally think they’re much better than their skill rating and that they’re “stuck” due to everyone else’s play. This is a really distorted way of thinking, but it must be common enough as there are entire companies built around boosting players’ Overwatch accounts to a predetermined skill level. This process is especially harmful to other players, as the gamers who actually deserve to be in that skill bracket will be stuck with players who don’t actually play at the skill level their account reflects.
“Smurfing” is when high-rating players create a new account to play in a much lower skill bracket and stomp all over less skilled players. I don’t understand the appeal behind this easier. Sure, it’s easy and it feels good to win over and over again, but is that good feeling really justified if you’re not playing with people that are anywhere near your level of skill? Destroying new players with a new account just makes people feel bad and can lead to a string of losses when just one excellent player can turn the tide of low elo games.
As we mentioned above, the main changes to address these issues are a tuning adjustment to the streak multiplier mechanic. Simply put, you’ll need to win or lose more games in a row to see that huge skill rating adjustment. Kaplan and the Overwatch team are confident this will help resolve a lot of issues that the player base has brought up with the game’s competitive mode (though boosting and smurfing are not unique to Overwatch in any sense).
What do you guys think? Is this the fix that was needed to bring Overwatch competitive mode’s balance a little more in line with how it should work? Is this a bandaid on a much bigger problem? Let us know in the comments below.
Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.
According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.
He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.
Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.
Gaming
The developer of Stellar Blade for the PS5 Expressing gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support amidst a recent controversy surrounding censorship
Shift Up, the Korean developer, seems to be reconsidering its contentious alterations to the Stellar Blade outfit. In a message to fans, they have urged everyone to stay tuned for updates and expressed gratitude for the passionate feedback from players. For those who may not be aware, a petition gained significant attention over the weekend when gamers discovered changes made to a few of the game’s costumes through a day-one patch.
The launch day update includes a fantastic New Game + mode, but some players were disappointed by the changes made to protagonist Eve’s outfit. These alterations sparked debates about censorship. Director Hyung-Tae Kim later clarified that this was the studio’s original vision, but he acknowledged that it may require further persuasion to win over users. Internal discussions were also underway to address any concerns.
Thanks to all our Stellar Blade fans for your passion & feedback. Stay tuned for updates🤍 pic.twitter.com/jCRzM4OQBS
— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) May 1, 2024
There is no definitive confirmation regarding the reversal of the outfits, but considering the language used in the statement and the widespread controversy surrounding the alterations, it is highly likely that a future patch will restore the original costumes. If you want to get a sneak peek at all of Eve’s different outfits and learn how to unlock them, be sure to take a look at our comprehensive guide, All Outfits and How to Get Them.
It’s quite possible. Fans all over the world are interested in Shift Up’s highly anticipated action-adventure game, Stellar Blade. With its captivating post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Nier and a compelling protagonist named Eve, it’s no wonder the game has generated such widespread attention.
The game consistently impresses with its stunning visuals and high-octane action, leaving players in awe with each new trailer.
Yet, just like other noteworthy second-party and third-party game releases, fans are pondering: Will Stellar Blade be available on PC?
In this article, we delve into the details to determine the platform availability of the highly anticipated title.
Will Stellar Blade be available on PC? Allow me to provide you with the answer.
Unfortunately, Stellar Blade will not be available on PC, at least not initially. Currently, the game is only available on PlayStation 5 starting on April 26, 2024.
Regrettably, it appears that there is no indication of a potential PC release for Stellar Blade in the future. In most cases, trailers for PlayStation timed-exclusive titles conclude with a disclaimer that specifies the duration of their exclusivity.
In the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch trailer, it is explicitly stated that the game will only be accessible on other platforms starting on May 29, 2024.
Regrettably, when it comes to the stellar blade, there is no indication of such.
It’s important to note that Sony Entertainment Interactive published Stellar Blade, unlike Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This means that the chances of it being released on PC or other platforms in the near future are even slimmer.
However, it is worth noting that there is a chance the game might be released on PC in the future, given PlayStation’s track record of bringing their exclusive titles to the platform. However, it could be a while before this comes to fruition.
- Gadgets9 years ago
Why the Nexus 7 is still a good tablet in 2015
- Mobile Devices9 years ago
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 5: is there room for improvement?
- Editorials9 years ago
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – How bad updates prevent people from enjoying their phones
- Mobile Devices9 years ago
Nexus 5 2015 and Android M born to be together
- Gaming9 years ago
New Teaser For Five Nights At Freddy’s 4
- Mobile Devices9 years ago
Google not releasing Android M to Nexus 7
- Gadgets9 years ago
Moto G Android 5.0.2 Lollipop still has a memory leak bug
- Mobile Devices9 years ago
Nexus 7 2015: Huawei and Google changing the game