During the Google GDC 2019 keynote, company VP Phil Harrison revealed a new cloud gaming streaming service called Stadia. At a later point in the presentation, id Software executive producer Marty Stratton took the stage to announce Doom Eternal would be one of the games coming to Stadia.
Stratton said that Doom Eternal both plays and looks "great" on Stadia. The sequel to 2016's Doom will play in true 4K HDR at 60 FPS on the cloud gaming platform. Stadia itself is designed to unite players, spectators, and developers all on one platform. For example, during Google's keynote, the company showcased how you will be able to watch a trailer for a game on YouTube and then start playing said game through streaming within a few seconds.
Stadia will also feature cross-platform support. Harrison confirmed cross-platform play, allowing you to play with others regardless of platform. Stadia will also support cloud saves for game state and save files, so specific titles could have cross-platform progression as well.
Stadia will be supported across several platforms, including desktops, laptops, TVs, tablets, and phones. At launch, the service will be able to stream games up to 4K HDR at 60 FPS with surround sound, and Google has scheduled plans to increase that to 8K resolution in the future. Although you can use existing controllers with Stadia, Google is also releasing its own controller--which supports Google Assistant. Stadia scheduled to release sometime this year.
For more information on cloud gaming, you can read up on how it works as well as which companies other than Google are investing in the technology behind it. We're collecting all the Google gaming news announced at GDC today as well.
Doom Eternal is also loosely scheduled for 2019, coming to Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and now Stadia. Neither Bethesda or id Software has announced whether the game is coming to the Switch the same day as the other platforms, or if that version will be delayed. Eternal is more immersive and gruesome than its predecessor. The new game also offers additional means of moving around the map--including a grappling hook and free running.
By Anonymous on Mar 19, 2019 11:55 pm Google's new service Stadia can be used to stream instantly on a variety of devices, as demonstrated during the keynote.
By Anonymous on Mar 19, 2019 11:47 pm Google demonstrated how its new streaming service Stadia can be used to play games across multiple devices, switching seamlessly between them.
During Google's GDC 2019 keynote presentation, the company's vice president and general manager Phil Harrison announced Stadia, a cloud-based streaming service that allows you to play games across most of your devices. At the end of his portion of the keynote, Harrison also mentioned that most games on Stadia would feature cross-platform support.
Cross-platform play has been confirmed as a part of this feature, allowing you to play with your friends regardless of whether you're gaming on console, PC, tablet, or mobile device. Harrison also said that Stadia would support cloud saves for game state and save files, so specific titles will also have cross-platform progression. So, if you were to play a multiplayer-focused game on your PC, navigating over to your phone would bring all your unlocked items with you.
Google plans to use Stadia to bring together all aspects of gaming--whether you want to play, spectate, or develop--on to one platform. During the GDC keynote, for example, the company showcased how someone watching a trailer for Assassin's Creed Odyssey on Ubisoft's YouTube channel can click a link at the end of the video which allows them to begin playing the game through streaming in just a few seconds.
Harrison promises Stadia will be supported across several platforms, including desktops, laptops, TVs, tablets, and phones. At launch, Stadia will support streams in 4K at 60 FPS with surround sound, and Google plans on upping that to 8K resolution in the future. You'll be able to use existing controllers with Stadia, but Google also announced its own controller specifically built for the service. The controller features most button inputs seen on Xbox One and PS4's respective controllers, but it will also include one that allows you to ask Google Assistant a question. Stadia is scheduled to launch in 2019.
For more information on cloud gaming, you can read up on how it works as well as which companies other than Google are investing in the technology behind it. We're collecting all the Google gaming news announced at GDC today as well, including the reveal that Doom Eternal is coming to Stadia.
Finally, after years of waiting (decades for book fans), we'll get to see how Game of Thrones ends. Season 8 premieres on HBO on April 14, with the first of six new episodes. From the fight against the White Walkers to the war for the Iron Throne to the largest battle sequence ever filmed, there's a whole lot of ground to cover in a relatively short amount of time.
Over the course of this show, we've gotten to know, empathize with, and despise numerous characters. Many of them are dead, but some, through a combination of shrewdness, politicking, and good luck, have made it to the end of the series with their bodies (if not their souls) intact.
Here's a refresher guide to all the major Game of Thrones characters who are still alive at the start of Season 8, and what they were doing the last time we saw them in action.
1. Jon Snow
Status: The King of the North is sailing to Winterfell, to prepare for battle against the White Walkers. He formed an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen, whom he's falling in love with. He doesn't know he's also a Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
2. Daenerys Targaryen
Status: She is Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons--three dragons, to be precise. She believes it is her birthright and destiny to sit on the Iron Throne. She is sailing with Jon Snow to Winterfell, falling in love with him (and also unaware of his true lineage).
3. Sansa Stark
Status: Once a naive girl, Sansa is the Lady of Winterfell, and is ruling the North in Jon's absence. She correctly determined that Petyr Baelish was manipulating her and her sister against each other, and ordered his throat slit in the Season 7 finale.
4. Arya Stark
Status: After receiving assassination training from the Faceless Men, Arya Stark returned to Winterfell and reunited with her sister Sansa. She has an extensive kill list of people who have hurt her family, chief among them Cersei Lannister. She has a close relationship with Jon, who she hasn't seen since the first season.
5. Bran Stark
Status: He is currently at Winterfell with the rest of his siblings. He has magical abilities that allow him to look into the past and the future. With Samwell's help, Bran discovered Jon Snow is the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, and thus, the true heir to the Iron Throne. He hasn't yet had a chance to tell Jon.
6. Cersei Lannister
Status: She is the current Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Power-hungry and ambitious, Cersei went back on her word to help Daenerys and Jon deal with the White Walkers, preferring instead to consolidate her power and build her army. Jon and Dany haven't yet realized she's betraying them.
7. Jaime Lannister
Status: Cersei's incestuous twin brother is riding north. He underwent a crisis of morals in Season 7, and is slowly starting to see his sister for the monster she is. He intends to keep his pledge to aid in the battle against the White Walkers.
8. Tyrion Lannister
Status: Hand of the Queen to Daenerys Targaryen and the younger brother of Cersei and Jaime, Tyrion is sailing north with Jon and Dany. Shrewd and politically calculating, he caught Jon entering Daenerys's room at night, much to his apparent dismay. Whether that's because he's in love with her, or simply due to the political complications their relationship may create, remains to be seen.
9. Jorah Mormont
Status: Jorah is currently headed north and is one of Daenerys's most loyal companions and advisors. Samwell cured him of his Greyscale in Season 7. He is one of several men who volunteered to travel north of the Wall and capture a wight, in order to prove their existence to Cersei.
10. Bronn
Status: A sword-for-hire, Bronn first came to prominence as Tyrion's stand-in during a Trial by Combat in Season 1. He is currently allied with House Lannister, who owe him a castle for all his hard work and efficient killing. In Season 7, Bronn nearly killed Drogon with a giant crossbow, saved Jaime's life in the same battle, and arranged a secret meeting between Jaime and Tyrion to solicit Cersei's cooperation.
11. Davos Seaworth
Status: Formerly Stannis's Hand of the King, Davos is now Jon's right-hand man and most trusted advisor. He's headed north with the rest of Jon's convoy. Davos is the ultimate wingman; he convinced Melisandre to resurrect Jon after Night's Watch mutineers murdered him and also helped secure aid from Lyanna Mormont for the Battle of the Bastards. He also recited an impassioned defense of Jon to Daenerys during their first awkward meeting.
12. Melisandre
The red priestess, responsible for many plot twists over the course of the show, resurrected Jon Snow in Season 6 after he was betrayed by members of the Night's Watch in Season 5. She had a small but significant role in Season 7; she went to Dragonstone, received an audience with Daenerys, and urged her to meet with Jon Snow. She disappeared from Westeros once the meeting came to fruition, telling Varys she was heading to Volantis, and that both she and he would die in Westeros--clear foreshadowing for Season 8.
13. Theon Greyjoy
Status: Prince of the Iron Islands, Theon is leading the Ironborn on a mission to save his sister, Yara, from the clutches of their uncle, Euron Greyjoy. He was unable to save her when she was first captured due to PTSD trauma, the result of Ramsay Bolton imprisoning, torturing, and castrating him in prior seasons.
14. Yara Greyjoy
Status: Theon's sister, she is currently being held captive by her uncle Euron Greyjoy, who is allied with Cersei. She seeks to take leadership over the Iron Islands, but her fleet was decimated in a surprise attack by Euron.
15. Varys
Status: A eunuch who was born a slave, Varys, also known as the Spider, has ascended to the highest levels of power in Westeros through a combination of networking, spying, and trading for secrets and court gossip. He's served as the Master of Whisperers for multiple kings, and is currently allied with Daenerys.
16. Sandor "The Hound" Clegane
Status: Originally allied with House Lannister, The Hound's allegiance has shifted over the course of the series; he has principles, and he's too much of a cynic to stay with any one party for too long. He was a crucial part of Jon's mission to capture a wight north of The Wall. He has a love-hate companionship with Arya Stark, despite her repeated efforts to kill him. Season 8 will likely see the long-awaited fruition of his personal mission to murder his brother, Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane.
17. Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane
Status: The Mountain is The Hound's murderous, raping-and-pillaging brother; he burned The Hound's face when they were children. He is a massive man, made even more frightening by his current undead state. He was fatally poisoned by the Red Viper in a previous season but managed to "survive" thanks to Qyburn's intervention. His skin is purple and he no longer speaks, but serves competently as Cersei's personal bodyguard.
18. Gendry
Status: A bastard son of Robert Baratheon, Gendry escaped the purge that killed his other bastard siblings. He laid low as a blacksmith in King's Landing until Davos found him. Gendry was part of the Jon's mission to capture a wight north of the Wall. He and Jon became fast friends, and are currently traveling north together.
19. Tormund Giantsbane
Status: A Wildling leader with mutual respect for Jon Snow, he was another member of Jon's wight expedition north of the Wall. He is guarding the Wall and witnesses when the White Walkers break through in the Season 7 finale. He has an adorable crush on Brienne of Tarth.
20. Brienne of Tarth
Status: A woman of her word, Brienne swore an oath of fealty to Catelyn Stark in Season 2. Thus, she has guarded and protected Catelyn's children ever since. She once nearly killed The Hound over the responsibility of who should protect Arya, and formed a close relationship with Jaime when transporting him as a prisoner, to exchange him for the Stark daughters' freedom. She is allied with the North, and expresses loyalty to Sansa and Arya in particular.
21: Podrick Payne
Status: Once squire to Tyrion, Podrick is the current, loyal squire of Brienne. He is not a skilled combatant, although Brienne is training him to be so. When Sansa ordered Brienne to attend the parley with Daenerys and Cersei on her behalf, Podrick accompanied her to Dragonstone. He also has unexplained, possibly magical sexual prowess, as Bronn or Tyrion occasionally remind us.
22. Beric Dondarrion
Status: He is the leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, an alliance of mercenaries. He is most distinctive for his flaming sword and for being resurrected from the dead six times by Thoros of Myr. He is present on the Wall with Tormund when the White Walkers bring it down. With Thoros's death in Season 6, Beric is on his last life.
23: Eddison Tollett
Status: He is the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and has been since Jon left his post to reclaim Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton. He is a loyal friend to Joh, and helped to identify and imprison the mutineers after Jon was killed (and later resurrected).
24. Yohn Royce
Status: The Lord of Runestone leads the Knights of the Vale and is now an ally of House Stark. Yohn was present at Littlefinger's execution for betraying the Starks. He is currently at Winterfell.
25. Ellaria Sand
Status: She was responsible for killing Cersei's daughter, Myrcella, by kissing her with poisoned lips. She was later captured by Euron Greyjoy, and Cersei returned the favor by bestowing a poisoned kiss on Ellaria's daughter Tyene. She was left in a King's Landing prison to watch her daughter's body rot away.
26. Samwell Tarly
Status: The maester-in-training is at Winterfell, where he spoke to Bran about what he discovered at the Citadel: Rhaegar Targaryen had annulled his marriage and married Lyanna Stark, thus making Jon Snow heir to the Iron Throne. He is Jon's closest friend and a fellow member of the Night's Watch, which should make their reunion interesting.
27. Gilly
Status: A wildling and Samwell's romantic companion, Gilly first reads about Rhaegar Targaryen's annulment. Samwell, however, is caught up in his own problems, and doesn't realize how important the information is. She's now at Winterfell.
28. Little Sam
Status: Gilly's son Sam is a product of incest, between Gilly and her father Craster. Samwell saved them both from certain death and is helping raise the baby as his own; Craster intended to sacrifice the child to the White Walkers. Both Little Sam and Gilly are with Samwell at Winterfell.
29: Missandei
Status: A former slave of Slaver's Bay, Missandei was liberated by Daenerys and her army of Unsullied. She now serves as Daenerys' most trusted advisor and accompanies her everywhere. She has a romantic relationship with Grey Worm.
30. Grey Worm
Status: Grey Worm is the commander of the Unsullied army, a legion of eunuchs who were purged of all emotion during their training from an early age. Once a slave, he fights for Daenerys of his own free will. He has a romantic attachment to Missandei; this has grown, along with his personality, since acquiring his freedom.
31. Qhono
Status: One of the leaders of the Dothraki, Qhono has allegiance to Daenerys and crossed the Narrow Sea, along with the rest of the Dothraki, to help her claim the Iron Throne. He is a constant presence, and protected Daenerys during her first meeting with Jon Snow and the parley with Cersei.
32. Daario Naharis
Status: Originally tasked with assassinating Daenerys, Daario fell in love with her and pledged himself and his men to her cause. He stayed behind in Slaver's Bay to keep the peace while Daenerys traveled to Westeros.
33. Viserion
Status: Viserion is the first of Daenerys's three dragons. He died in battle at the hands of the Night King, who pierced the dragon's neck with an ice spear. Viserion is now a reanimated wight. He is responsible for destroying the Wall in the Season 7 finale, allowing the White Walkers to cross over into Westeros.
34. Drogon
Status: The second of Daenerys's three dragons, Drogon is the dragon Daenerys prefers to ride on. He was almost killed by Bronn in Season 7, when the sellsword fired a massive crossbow designed by Qyburn at Cersei's behest.
35. Rhaegal
Status: Rhaegal is the third of Daenerys's three dragons, named after Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Snow's father and Dany's brother. It's a safe bet that Jon will be bonding with Rhaegal in Season 8.
36. Ghost
Status: Ghost is Jon Snow's direwolf, who watched over him when Jon was killed and then resurrected. He is currently staying with Sansa at Winterfell.
37. Nymeria
Status: Nymeria is Arya's direwolf, who hadn't been seen since Season 1. But Arya met her again, by chance, during her journey back to Winterfell in Season 7. Nymeria now leads a large wolf pack, and she declined Arya's offer to return "home."
38. Harry Strickland
Status: The leader of Golden Company, an army of swords-for-hire, Harry Strickland is recruited by Euron Greyjoy to fight for Cersei. He is a new character for Season 8.
39. Euron Greyjoy
Status: The uncle of Theon and Yara Greyjoy, Euron fights for Cersei. He became King of the Iron Islands after murdering his brother Balon and is holding Yara captive. He is currently on his way to Essos to recruit the Golden Company to Cersei's forces.
40. Qyburn
Status: The Hand of the Queen to Cersei, Qyburn was cast out of the Maesters due to unsavory experimentation. He is responsible for bringing The Mountain back to "life" in his current zombie form. He was also present at the parley in the Dragon Pit.
41. Lyanna Mormont
Status: The head of House Mormont is a harsh but effective 13-year-old girl who takes no nonsense from any of the other Northern houses. She was crucial to the ascent of Jon Snow as King in the North, and was the first to proclaim him as such.
42. Robin Arryn
Status: The head of House Arryn and the late Catelyn Stark's nephew, Robin lived an extremely sheltered life; he's not a good swordsman and he's not a good archer, although Yohn Royce is doing his best to fix that. He's also mentally feeble, though Littlefinger apparently convinced him to support Jon and Sansa in their bid to defeat Ramsay Bolton by sending the Knights of the Vale to help.
43. Edmure Tully
Status: Sansa and Arya's maternal uncle has been held prisoner in the Frey dungeon for several seasons, and as Head of House Tully, he surrendered Riverrun to the Lannisters after Jaime threatened to kill his son. He was still imprisoned by the Freys when Arya came and murdered them all; it's unknown what his current status is.
44: Ned Umber
Status: After his father died defending Ramsay Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards, 10-year-old Ned Umber pledged House Umber's loyalty to the Starks. Jon was merciful and did not hold Ned responsible for his father's betrayal.
45. Alys Kastark
Status: As with Ned Umber, Alys Kastark also re-pledged the loyalty of her House to the Starks. Jon did not hold her accountable for her father's allegiance either.
46. Ebrose
Status: An Archmaester at the Citadel, Ebrose was the Citadel official who Samwell interacted with the most. He was impressed by Samwell's curing of Jorah's Greyscale, but was also consistently doubtful of him; he restricted Samwell's library access, assigned him menial tasks, and was skeptical about claims of the White Walkers' resurgence.
47. Maester Wolkan
Status: Originally a Maester under Ramsay Bolton, Wolkan currently serves House Stark at Winterfell. He has proved loyal to Sansa and Jon, and he built Bran a wheelchair to improve his mobility.
48. Jaqen H'ghar
Status: A Faceless Man with a soft spot for Arya, Jaqen trains her in the assassination skills of his order. He allows her to leave Braavos in Season 6 after she kills The Waif in combat.
49. Hot Pie
Status: After numerous misadventures in Seasons 1, 2, and 3, Hot Pie decided to stay at the Inn of the Crossroads, where he became a cook and piemaker. He reappeared in Season 7 when Arya stopped by the Inn, and he informed her that Jon defeated Ramsay Bolton and was named King in the North.
50. Meera Reed
Status: One of Bran's most loyal, protective companions, she transported Bran to Winterfell and reunited him with his sisters Sansa and Arya. She feels used and unappreciated by Bran, especially since her brother Jojen gave his life to keep him safe. She left Winterfell and returned to her home in Season 7.
51. Tycho Nestoris
Status: An employee of the Iron Bank of Braavos, Tycho informed Cersei that the Iron Bank will back Cersei's side in the war after she pays back King's Landing's debts in full. We may meet a different bank representative in Season 8; actor Mark Gatiss confirmed he will not be appearing in the new episodes.
52. The Night King
Status: Now armed with an undead Dragon and a massive army of White Walkers and wights, the Night King has breached the wall and will no doubt lay siege to Winterfell. We know, thanks to an interview with his actor Vladmir Furdik, that he has a single target in mind. Is it Jon? Is it Bran? Hopefully, we'll find out on April 14, when Game of Thrones begins its 8th and final season on HBO.
Google has revealed a vague release window for its new Stadia platform. The service will launch later this year, coming first to the US, UK, Canada, and "most of Europe," with a worldwide release coming at some point after that.
Pricing was not revealed for the new platform, but we did get lots more details besides that. Stadia is Google's vision for a new kind of gaming service powered by the cloud.
As well as offering cloud streaming of games to phones, laptops, PCs, and TVs, it will also launch with its own controller. In addition, the company has founded a first-party development house to make games exclusively for Stadia.
Stadia will support cross-platform multiplayer and allow you to seamlessly switch between devices. You can also simply click a link while watching a game on YouTube to dive into that very same game at the exact same point.
At launch, Stadia will support 4K HDR gameplay at 60 FPS, with plans to scale that up to 8K at 120 FPS. Ubisoft, Doom Eternal developer Id Software, and Q-Games were among the developers mentioned as partners at Google's GDC conference, while more than 100 studios already have Stadia in their hands. For more, check out everything we know about Google Stadia.
At the Game Developers Conference, Google unveiled its vision for the future of video games: a cloud streaming service called Stadia, which gives instant access to play games across Chromebooks, smartphones, tablets, and TVs. While it will be compatible with keyboards and other input devices, Google will also release its own proprietary Stadia controller, and now we know how it looks.
The Stadia controller was shown off in three different color schemes. It connects to Google's servers through Wi-Fi, and it identifies what screen you want to play on. In addition to the standard array of inputs, it also features two unique buttons: one allows you to capture gameplay and share and save it to YouTube, while the other is a Google Assistant button, which accesses the controller's built-in microphone to get gameplay advice from an assistant.
The streaming tech behind Stadia is the same that powered the Project Stream test that ran last year, when Google partnered with Ubisoft to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey for free through a Chrome browser. The company has made other big moves into the video game space, recently hiring Jade Raymond, best known for her work at Ubisoft and EA. Raymond will head up Stadia Games and Entertainment, a new first-party studio that will develop games exclusively for Stadia.
Stadia will launch later this year. It'll be available first in the US, Canada, the UK, and "most of Europe." Google hasn't shared any pricing details for the service or its controller, but it promises to reveal more information this summer, including what games will be available at launch "and beyond."
Season 1 of Apex Legends has begun. The game's Wild Frontier Battle Pass is now available to purchase on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, bringing a new assortment of skins, stat trackers, and other exclusive rewards to unlock in Respawn's popular battle royale game.
Much like Fortnite's own seasonal Battle Pass, the Wild Frontier Battle Pass costs 950 Apex Coins, which roughly equates to $10 / £8. If you're eager to get a head start, EA is also offering a Battle Pass bundle for 2,800 Apex Coins that will instantly unlock the first 25 tiers, giving you immediate access to those rewards.
As in Fortnite, you'll unlock rewards as you level up Apex Legends' Battle Pass, and you'll receive three exclusive character skins automatically just for purchasing it. Even if you don't decide to buy the pass, however, you'll still be able to earn a handful of rewards, and you'll retroactively unlock any you would have earned if you decide to purchase it partway through the season.
Unlike Fortnite, however, Apex Legends' Battle Pass doesn't offer any challenges. According to Respawn, this was a deliberate decision in order to let players focus on learning the ins and outs of the game rather than striving to check off contrived tasks.
"You'll notice the first version isn't built around a complex quest system where you need to do a 720 backflip off of Watchtower Artemis and get two Wingman headshots before hitting the ground," Respawn wrote in a blog post. "While we think there's really cool design space in quests and challenges for future Battle Passes, we wanted the initial version to allow our players to just play and learn the game."
After what felt like a very long wait, Apex Legends' first battle pass is here, along with the first new addition to its character roster: Octane. Both come in a pretty substantial update to Respawn Entertainment's battle royale shooter, but hidden behind all the flash of new stuff to earn and buy is another significant change players have been waiting for. That's an adjustment to character hit boxes that should make big characters like Gibraltar, Caustic, and Pathfinder a lot more viable on the battlefield.
Respawn released the patch notes for the Season 1: Wild Frontier update on the Apex Legends subreddit. The notes give a little more detail on a few things, like how long Octane's abilities last, and included a bunch of quality-of-live improvements that are now part of the game as well. Arguably the biggest is the hit box change, though. According to Respawn, the hit boxes for Gibraltar, Caustic, and Pathfinder have been changed "to better align with their shapes."
Hit boxes are invisible shapes assigned to characters that register when they've been hit--if you shoot a character but your bullet lands outside their hit box (hitting, say, a hand or a piece of clothing), the hit doesn't count and the character takes no damage. Caustic and Gibraltar, being the biggest characters in Apex Legends, had the biggest hit boxes, but they were also apparently not quite in line with the character players see on screen. The same is true of the robot Pathfinder, whose hit box previously extended into places that didn't look like they should count as a hit, such as the space between his metal legs. The change should make all three characters a little tougher to hit, and therefore, more players will be likely to choose them going forward.
The new update also throws in a number of bug fixes, like patching a spot in Gibraltar's shield that wasn't blocking bullets and fixing a problem in which Pathfinder's zip line wouldn't deploy if players used it while jumping. There are a bunch of other quality-of-life changes that should make playing the game a bit easier for some people, like the ability to swap the functions of the left and right bumpers on controllers.
Another notable addition in this patch is the new ability to report people you suspect might be cheating. Players using hacks have been a problem for Apex on PC, and Respawn said in its patch notes it has banned just shy of 500,000 players for cheating. That's a pretty big number, but considering Respawn says 50 million people have downloaded the game, there might still be a long way to go in cleaning up the cheater problem.
You can read the full patch notes below.
Apex Legends March 19 Update Patch Notes
Stability & Performance
We've got some fixes in this patch that will improve stability on PC but we know there are still issues out there we need to address. We also added crash reporting so we can better understand how to tackle the issues we haven't solved yet and address future ones.
Improved stability for various GPU configurations.
Capped PC FPS to 300 to balance improving stability but still letting you folks enjoy those sweet frames.
Addressed issue with PS4 crashes due to running out of memory.
Introducing better reporting when Apex crashes on PC without error message.
We really want to fix any crashes people happen to get on PC. We also respect our player's privacy. So, if the PC game crashes, it will write "apex_crash.txt" to your "Documents" folder. This tiny file is plain text, so you can easily see for yourself that it has no personal information. If you choose to share this file with us, it will tell us whether the crash was in Apex or in third party software. If the crash was in Apex, our programmers can use the information to find and fix it. If you experience a crash, please include this file when you report.
We protect your personal information.
You can easily see everything in the file yourself; we have no secrets.
You're in control of whether we ever see the file.
Added Report a Player feature for cheating and abuse on PC.
Players can now report cheaters they encounter in-game and it'll be sent directly to Easy Anti-Cheat. You can do this from either the spectate view after dying or when looking at your team's Banner Cards in the Squad tab.
We have lots of other work going on behind the scenes and this remains high priority for us. We won't be able to share many specifics of what we're doing but we'll strive to provide updates on progress for the things we can talk about.
As I'm finishing the notes this morning, 499,937 accounts and counting have been banned for cheating.
Speed hacking: We do currently have anti-speed hacking in Apex Legends, but it's not being as effective as intended due to a bug that we believe we've identified and will be addressing in our next server update. Will provide ETA for it when I have it. Working to get it out ASAP.
Added Report a Player for abuse on Consoles
You can report players from the spectate view after dying or when looking at your team's Banner Cards in the Squad tab.
Optimized skydiving to improve overall server performance.
Fixed bug where sometimes the client could crash when opening Apex Packs one right after the other.
Quality Of Life
Added "Swap LT/RT & LB/RB" / "Swap L1/R1 & L2/R2") toggle in the Controller Button Layout settings.
Lets you quickly swap what your bumpers & triggers are set to, with any controller preset.
Added "Sprint View Shake" setting under the Video tab.
Setting this to "Minimal" can be especially helpful for players susceptible to motion sickness.
Added "Trigger Deadzones" setting under the Controller tab.
Customize how far you want to pull the triggers before they register.
Added "Advanced Look Controls" settings submenu under the Controller tab.
Fine-tune specific aspects of the look controls for a custom feel; such as Deadzone, Response Curve, Target Compensation (aim assist), and more.
When you relinquish the Jumpmaster position to another player you will now hear your Legend's VO line in addition to the new Jumpmaster. The third player won't hear it though.
Pathfinder grapple: updated icon
Pathfinder grapple: added indicator near crosshair to show when player is in range of grapple-able geo
Improved mantling from a grapple point.
Pathfinder can now grapple ziplines.
We've added D-pad navigation as a convenience in most of the menus. Our hope is this will speed up browsing and improve accessibility.
UI improvements to the KO Shield
Shield bar drains to indicate the remaining health of the shield.
When you have a Gold KO Shield and are down, we've added an effect to the label that reminds you that you can self revive.
We saw that the Ring indicator that appears when players are viewing the whole map wasn't accurately showing the player's position so we fixed that.
Character animations while taking damage now accurately reflect the direction the damage is coming from.
Fixed a bug where occluded sounds would sometimes sound unoccluded.
Patched up some issues with missing geo on Kings Canyon and fixed a few spots where players were getting stuck.
Fixed a script error that could happen when removing attachments on holstered weapons.
General polish to game UI fixing some grammar issues, improved navigation, and composition of elements.
Fixed PC users constantly switching weapons while scrolling through items in a Death Box.
Fixed issue where we were seeing server stability issues sometimes caused by purchasing items while matchmaking.
Fixed script errors that could occur during the skydive.
Reduced skybox fog.
Adjusted the code for Supply Bins so they are less likely to kill players. If you do still get killed by one please let us know!
Made it so push-to-talk is no longer on when a chat box is active.
LT/RT no longer switches between players in spectator mode while the map is open.
Updated the minimap to more accurately reflect the geo and points of interest on the main map.
Adding sound FX to the UI for the key binding menu.
Fixed issue where a player's name would not show up when they send a message that reached the character limit.
Fixed bug where sometimes the Champion screen resolution would be stretched in widescreen resolutions.
Fixed audio bug where sometimes the zipline sounds FX would keep playing after disembarking.
Added accessibility option to modify the subtitle size.
Improvements / fixes for color blind players:
Added better color blind support for Blood Hound's Threat Vision.
Colorblind colors per setting are now displayed in the settings menu.
Colorblind settings moved from Video Settings to Gameplay->Accessibility. They are now applied on the fly.
Enemy pings now use proper enemy color instead of only using red.
Audio:
Turned down volume when Wraith activates a portal.
Turned down the end sounds on the Peacekeeper charged shot.
Turned down the draw/holster sound slightly for thermite grenades.
Legend Hit Box Adjustments
Adjusted hit boxes for Gibraltar, Caustic, and Pathfinder to better align with their shapes.
Weapons
Fixed players being able to shortcut weapon swap by changing stance
Fixed players being able to shortcut Peacekeeper rechamber sequence
Fixed inaccurate auto ranging fullscreen (sniper) optics when base FOV is not set to default
Spitfire: fixed ADS view on Legendaries partially obscured by custom geo. (The Continuum, The Heavy Construct)
Fixed ADS view being blocked when using Caustic legendary skins with certain weapon/ optic combos
Digital threat optics: threat highlights are now more visible (slightly brighter; no longer affected by TSAA)
Fixed bug where Devotion audio sometimes wouldn't accurately reflect rate of fire.
Additional Bug Fixes
Fixed rare issue where a player could get stuck on the drop ship and be invulnerable.
Patched up the hole we found in Gibraltar's shield.
Fixed issue where Lifeline's revive shield wouldn't stay put while on a moving platform.
Fixed issue where sometimes players would get stuck in map geometry while skydiving from the dropship or Jump Towers.
Fixed bug where players could still shoot even after being downed.
Fixed bug where occasionally Lifeline's D.O.C. drone would stay connected to a player but not heal them.
Limited the amount of Lifeline's D.O.C. drones that can connect to a player to 2.
Fixed Pathfinder's zipline not deploying when jumping.
Fixed a bug with the HUD where sometimes the Heal Bar would stay up if the heal was cancelled right after it was started.
Fixed a bug where sometimes the audio would continue to play sound FX for the Knockdown Shield even after it's been destroyed.
Fixed issue where sometimes players could get disconnected when unplugging their controller during a game.
Fixed the exploit where you could do infinite wallclimb using Pathfinder's Grapple.
Fixed bug where sometimes you couldn't fire the Peacekeeper after riding a zip line.
Fixed issue where sometimes the skybox fog would not appear while spectating after you died.
Fixed bug where Banner Cards would show through walls occasionally when viewed through a very high FOV.
Fixed some odd light flickering that was happening on the ballon flags attached to Jump Towers.
Fixed bug where sometimes a player's Banner Card would not show up after character select.
Razer Chroma Support
Apex Legends will now detect Razer Chroma peripherals and supported devices will now play animated colors that react to things you do in the game! Some examples:
Red lights during banner transitions.
While skydiving colors will tune to the color of your smoke trail.
The first new addition to Apex Legends' character roster is here along with its first season and its first battle pass. There are a lot of cool things coming with the battle pass, but the biggest change to the game is Octane, its newest character. Octane changes up the game with a focus on adrenaline--he's a character who benefits from moving fast, sacrificing health for speed. He can also change up the battlefield by getting characters into places they couldn't previously reach, and when facing him, expect to be looking up, since he can help enemy players descend on you from above.
Octane is an aggressive character, so if you're going to use him, expect to be in the fight a lot. He should operate similarly to Wraith, Bangalore, and Mirage, allowing you to close distance quickly with his speed abilities. It sounds like while Wraith and Mirage are positioned more as flanking characters who distract enemies, Octane operates more like Bangalore as a front-line fighter. His abilities should make him tougher to hit, and when you do take damage, you'll likely be able to deal with it more easily.
Like other characters, Octane packs three abilities: one passive, one activated by a button push, and one ultimate that takes a long time to charge up. Octane's active ability lets him boost his speed at the cost of his health, increasing his movement speed by 30% for six seconds. That allows you to jet around the battlefield, drawing fire or flanking enemies while being much tougher to hit. To counteract the fact that Octane is the only character who sacrifices his own health for his abilities, his passive ability slowly regenerates at a rate of one health point every two seconds. That should also help in tough battle situations if you're able to hide or get to safety, but you're short on healing items.
For an ultimate, Octane's ability should change a lot of battles. He can drop a launch pad on the ground that springs players through the air, allowing you to send your teammates flying in on enemy positions, or giving you a chance to bounce out of the battle and back to safety. The verticality is going to mean players will need to get used to looking up more when Octane is on the battlefield, since you never know when death might be descending from above.
With the end of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the horizon, Marvel Studios come up with a very fitting name for the group of films that stretch from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame. The new moniker is also another sign that there are some big changes coming to the film series shortly.
As revealed in Empire Magazine (via IGN), the first 22 films in the MCU will become known as The Infinity Saga. Explaining the decision, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said, "We wanted to bring to a conclusion a series of movies in a way that had never been done before. Harry Potter had an ending because there were only so many books. Lord of the Rings too. But we thought, 22 movies in, wouldn't it be fun to bring some finality to the storyline."
The word finality is a scary one where this particular saga is concerned. After Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapped half of the universe out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War, it seemed only logical that by the time Endgame's credits rolled, some members of the MCU would be dead for good. At this point no, there's no telling who it is--though one major theory posits that it's Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) that will bite the dust once and for all.
Whatever happens in Endgame, though, it will be the end of the Infinity Saga. Whether that means it's the end of Infinity Stones in the MCU is a question that will be answered in time. Though we have some thoughts on what the future of the MCU will look like. Until then, get ready for Avengers: Endgame's April 26 release by checking out our latest trailer breakdown and deep dive into the character Kate Bishop and whether she'll appear in the movie.
Angry Birds developer Rovio has announced a new game in its popular bird-flinging franchise. Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, the series' first-ever step into augmented reality, is coming exclusively to iOS devices in late spring, with pre-orders opening in the App Store today, March 19.
Like other Angry Birds games, the object of Isle of Pigs is to slingshot your small flock of birds at increasingly complex block towers, toppling them over and crushing the pigs lurking within. The game is divided up into four themed worlds and is "initially launching with at least 40 levels," according to Rovio, suggesting more may be on the way.
Where Isle of Pigs differs from most other Angry Birds games is that it reinterprets the series' gameplay in a 3D space. Using Apple's ARKit technology, the game overlays the levels onto your surroundings, making them appear as though they were in the real-world. You still drag your finger on the screen to draw the slingshot back and fire your birds, but like the series' VR spin-off, you'll be doing so from a first-person perspective rather than a side-on view.
The AR tech also allows you to get a 360-degree view of each level. You can maneuver your iPhone or iPad around to better angle your shots, and many levels feature explosive blocks and other items hidden around the back, encouraging you to play around with the angle in order to clear the stages in as few shots as possible.
Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs will be free to download when it launches, with optional in-app purchases. The game will be compatible with any iOS device that supports ARKit, meaning it can run on iPhone 6 and newer models, as well as fifth- and sixth-generation iPads and all iPad Pro devices.
Anthem's launch had its share of issues, from crash bugs to weapon balance bugs and more. Now BioWare general manager Casey Hudson has conceded to the launch issues while also recommitting to long-term support.
In a post-launch update on the BioWare Blog, Hudson says it was a "rougher launch than expected," and says that the studio was "ready for the possibility that unexpected issues might arise." In a broader sense, he said that the degree of the problems didn't become apparent until the scale of players had increased, and that the studio shares in the community's disappointment at these issues.
"It makes me sad to hear about any issues that would hold someone back from fully enjoying the game," Hudson said. "I take that very personally, and it's been our top priority to get improvements out to you in the fastest, safest way."
He then transitioned to plans for the future, explaining that improvements are coming to endgame loot, game flow, and stability. This is in addition to adding more world events and story content, as outlined in its roadmap.
"But we understand there is skepticism out there," he continued. "We hear the criticisms and doubts. But we'll keep going anyway, working hard every day on Anthem – an ever-changing world, constantly improving and growing, and supported well into the future by our team of passionate developers."
Every month, Netflix reveals what is new to its service for the upcoming month, and there are plenty of new offerings to get excited about. However, plenty of movies and TV series leave the service each month as well. And in April, Netflix loses its best animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
On April 7, the Star Wars: The Clones Wars movie, all five seasons of the animated series, and the home release of The Lost Missions all leave Netflix. While many folks look down on the Star Wars prequels, everyone can agree that the Clone Wars animated movie and series are the best things to come out of that era in Star Wars lore. For those who are unfamiliar, the series follows Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi during the aforementioned Clone Wars, taking place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. While the show is leaving Netflix, it is headed to Disney's streaming service, alongside new episodes, by the end of this year.
And there are plenty of new options for you to check out in April--after you've watch Clone Wars one more time. On April 1, Netflix is dropping plenty of movies, including Freddy vs. Jason, Pineapple Express, and the classic sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. Additionally, the classic Japanese character Ultraman gets a Netflix original animated series.
There are two big original series to keep your eye on for the rest of the month. On April 5, Sabrina the teenage witch returns for Part 2 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This time around, she'll be exploring her darker side, all while trying to keep her non-witch friends in her life.
Additionally, much like Black Mirror's Bandersnatch, Netflix has a new "choose your own adventure" show coming on April 10. The show is called You vs. Wild, and it is hosted by TV personality Bear Grylls. The viewer watches Grylls try to survive in some of the world's harshest environments, and their decisions could help him. If there isn't an option at some point for Grylls to ingest his own urine, then this show missed the boat.
Below you'll find the complete list of everything coming and going for Netflix in April, and make sure to check out the lists for Amazon Prime Video and Hulu as well.
What's Coming To Netflix In April
Avail. in April
Chambers -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/1/19
ULTRAMAN -- NETFLIX ANIME
Across The Line
All the President's Men
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Deliverance
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Evolution
Freddy vs. Jason
Friday the 13th (2009)
I Am Legend
Lakeview Terrace
Monster House
Obsessed
Penelope
Pineapple Express
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: S2
P.S. I Love You
Snatch
Spy Kids
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D
The Bone Collector
The Fifth Element
The Golden Compass
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Valkyrie
Avail. 4/2/19
Kevin Hart: Irresponsible -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/3/19
Suzzanna: Buried Alive -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 4/5/19
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
In The Shadows
Legacies: Season 1
Our Planet -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Persona: Collection -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Roman Empire: Caligula: The Mad Emperor -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Spirit Riding Free: Season 8-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Tijuana -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Unicorn Store -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 4/9/19
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 6 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/10/19
New Girl: Season 7
You vs. Wild -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/11/19
Black Summer -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/12/19
A Land Imagined -- NETFLIX FILM
Band Aid
Huge in France -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Mighty Little Bheem -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Perfect Date -- NETFLIX FILM
The Silence -- NETFLIX FILM
Special -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Who Would You Take to a Deserted Island? -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 4/15/19
Luis Miguel - The Series: Season 1
No Good Nick -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The New Romantic
Avail. 4/16/19
Super Monsters Furever Friends -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/18/19
My First First Love -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/19/19
A Fortunate Man -- NETFLIX FILM
Brené Brown: The Call to Courage -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Cuckoo: Season 5 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
I, Daniel Blake
Music Teacher -- NETFLIX FILM
Rilakkuma and Kaoru -- NETFLIX ANIME
Samantha!: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Someone Great -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 4/20/19
Grass is Greener -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/22/19
Pinky Malinky: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Selection Day - New Episodes-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/23/19
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/24/19
Bonding -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/25/19
The Hateful Eight: Extended Version
The Ugly Truth
Avail. 4/26/19
The Protector: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Street Food -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Sapphires
Yankee -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 4/27/19
American Honey
Avail. 4/28/19
Señora Acero: Season 5
Avail. 4/29/19
Burning
The Imitation Game
Avail. 4/30/19
Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Baki: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ANIME
Ingress: The Animation -- NETFLIX ANIME
What's Leaving Netflix In April
Leaving 4/1/19
American Pie
Billy Madison
Blue Mountain State: Seasons 1-3
Casino Royale
Diamonds Are Forever
Die Another Day
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Goldfinger
Happy Feet
Happy Gilmore
Heat
I Love You, Man
L.A. Confidential
Live and Let Die
Luther: Series 1-4
Octopussy
Pokémon: XY: Seasons 1-2
Seven
Sex and the City: The Movie
The Living Daylights
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
The World Is Not Enough
Wallander: Series 1-4
You Only Live Twice
Leaving 4/4/19
Raw
Leaving 4/7/19
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Seasons 1-5
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Lost Missions
Leaving 4/13/19
Video Game High School: Seasons 1-3
Leaving 4/18/19
Silver Linings Playbook
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