Inlay

The next game from Gareth Damian Martin, the lead developer for Citizen Sleeper and its sequel, is a drastic shift away from playing as a sentient android desperately trying to survive while managing resources and relationships. Called Signet City, the first-person fungalpunk RPG sees you play as a sentient spore who must spread itself through a city by secretly infecting new individuals. As a spore, you become the new guiding psyche of those you infect, acting as a voice that influences how they feel, so you can then shape how they act, and ultimately direct how events play out in the city. Even if it doesn't work like how they do mechanically, narratively, it sounds like you're playing as the sentient skills in Disco Elysium or Esoteric Ebb--you're an outside perspective doing its best to guide your host to what you think is the best outcome. "As a parasite, each day you choose which host to drop into and then you have a limited number of actions that day," Martin told me. "And each host kind of comes with a part of the city that they live in, like a little hub. I think it's better to think of it as more something like Dishonored where you have these little chunks of the city--you don't have a whole city that you can walk around." "The key thing is the parasite feeds on emotion. And the skill system, the RPG aspect of the game, is all based on emotion. So let's say as the parasite, you want to get to this specific area of a [certain] hub. So you load in as that character and you're like, 'Okay, there's this door in my way. I'm going to have to find a way to get through it. One way that I could get through it is [kicking] it down, but if I want to kick it down, I [can] get a modifier increase if my host is angry. So I'm going to take him into the pub and I'm going to get him in an argument with somebody who's in the pub and that will get [my host] more angry and now I can [more easily] kick down this door.'" Like both Citizen Sleeper games, you're still rolling a six-sided die in Signet City, so any choice you make can still fail thanks to the cruelty of chance. Martin talked about how, in the kicking down the door example, you could injure your infected host in the attempt. And that might lead you to try solving the same problem but with a different host. And since no two hosts are the same, the manner by which you can help them out is different. To push someone into a state of adrenaline, you might need to have them discover political posters of a person or policy they don't support, for example, or take them to the top of a skyscraper if they're afraid of heights. "In a weird way, there's a little bit of Firewatch to it in the sense that when you're one of these characters, you're walking around the space and you're kind of discovering it," Martin said. "And then when you find something that the character can do or react to, you find it by looking and then you hold the left trigger to then bring up the UI that relates to that." What I find most interesting about this is how this type of storytelling plays with the concept of perception. As someone who plays a lot of tabletop role-playing games, I'm engaging in make-believe with other adults several times a week. And during those sessions, players often switch up how they refer to themselves and the character they're playing as. I'll always use first-person "I," when talking about myself, but I'll also use it when I'm pretending to be my character. But not always, though. I'll also say that my character does something as if I were a narrator directing them. So while I'm almost always using first-person, I'll sometimes use third-person, and even second-person on very rare occasions. In that same respect, Signet City is a game told in first-, second-, and third-person. The camera view is first-person, but the game refers to the parasite as "you," and then the various hosts are talked about in third-person. But it's still just you, the player, behind it all. When I spoke to Martin about it, they said that the relationship of perspective was the exact concept they wanted to explore in Signet City. "The parasite is influenced by observing tabletop play and how when you're playing a character in tabletop role-playing games, sometimes you're using your name, sometimes you use [your character's] name," Martin said. "Sometimes you're like, 'Oh, it would be really cool if this really bad thing happened to my character right now, because that would be really interesting.' And sometimes you're more in their head and you're more like, 'Oh God, I really don't want this to go bad. I'd really, really like [a good roll] to just make this go well.' And I think that is a really interesting space. I think video games don't really get into that--they don't think about the player [as a conflicting perspective] that much. Maybe in Baldur's Gate [3], you get a bit of that when you do a Dark Urge playthrough. But that, for me, is a really exciting part of tabletop games, so that's something that I'm trying to get into." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO4uKabqRQo "It opens up the writing because I have to try and figure out, 'How do I write this?' So the game is in second-person and third-person simultaneously because [when] I write what it's like to be the parasite, [I use] 'you, you, you,' and then I write what the host is experiencing. So, 'Sid does this, Sid does that, Sid feels this.' And so that is a really exciting and interesting space to play. And so for me, I find it interesting to set myself those challenges and those structures. And a lot of it is really based on things I found interesting in Citizen Sleeper, but that that form couldn't necessarily contain. But if I change the form and I do something a bit more out there [with Signet City], I can find space to do it. Where these perspectives ultimately collide and begin to grate against one another is where Signet City seems to be delving into punk, creating friction and counterculture within its urban setting via the clashing perspectives of the city at large and the more personal battles between the fungal parasite and individual hosts. "I think there are connections absolutely to authoritarianism, but there are also connections to revolution and radical ideas," Martin said. "And I think that's what really excited me about beginning to work on this, was that a parasite can represent both of those things simultaneously and you can engage with the idea." "If you are the most powerful being in [the city], then ultimately that's what you're growing to be. What are you driving the city towards and what do you see your role in it being? Are you a shepherd or are you a master? Do you instigate or do you control? Do you destroy, or are you like, 'Yeah, f**k the humans. They've destroyed ecology, ecology's coming for them now. They should actually die.' These are the things that I think you can really get into with having a protagonist like [a fungal spore] and having a structure like this game." We'll have to wait a bit longer to get a better understanding of how Signet City will look and play, as only an announcement trailer for the game has been revealed so far. In my conversation with Martin, they said they're about midway through development, so there's definitely no chance of the game releasing this year.

Xbox's chief strategy officer has pushed back against claims that Microsoft could "reverse course" and alter its stance on exclusive games. At the same time, analyst Rhys Elliott of Anlinea Analytics tells GameSpot that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are being sent out to die on purpose. Matthew Ball, who joined Xbox earlier this year, said the rumors saying Microsoft might "reverse course" are false. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution "will stay exclusive," he said, adding that there are "no conversations and have been no conversations to 'reverse course.'" Not only is Microsoft not changing its stance on exclusives, Ball reiterated that Microsoft plans to build on this and release "signature exclusives ... every year." E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not timed exclusives for Xbox, but full exclusives, Microsoft has said. The company said the same thing about Starfield, though, and it later came to PlayStation 5. "Sacrificial Lambs" Elliott told GameSpot that Microsoft will never succeed in the console space and promising fans exclusive games to help drive console sales is not going to make a difference. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are basically being sent out to die, he said. "Console as we know it is over for Xbox--and has been for a while. There’s no turning that ship. But they still need to pretend to care until they’ve transitioned to pastures where they can return to growth (if they succeed)," he said. "A Gears console exclusive does not shift meaningful numbers of Series X units. Exclusivity as a hardware-driver is over for them, because the install base it would drive simply isn't responsive enough to justify the cost of building hardware at a 5x component premium. And those games are on Steam anyway," he added. Elliott went on to say that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are "sacrificial lambs for hearts-and-minds, not economics." "Xbox is pulling some games off PlayStation while keeping them on Steam, so they’re still adding to Steam's value proposition while adding almost nothing to their own console's," he said. Elliott went on to say it's plainly obvious that there was a PS5 edition of E-Day in the works, and lots of evidence suggests this is true. Meanwhile, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's reported decision to pull a Halo trailer from the recent PlayStation State of Play event was "symbolic, relationship-damaging, and revenue-negative" for Xbox, he said. "I’m not sure how worth it the exclusivity change is in the long term--and I expect there to be some backtracking once the revenue numbers come in," Elliott added. "If the data is any guide, the titles that stay Xbox-first or Xbox-only will mostly be the ones a sliver of the PlayStation audience would have bought anyway. So nobody is really losing sleep over that math." Going forward, Elliott said he expects Microsoft to take the same approach it has for years with regards to exclusive games, and that is that Microsoft will pick these on a case-by-case basis. "Which is a polite way of saying symbolic where it's cheap, abandoned where it's expensive," he said. "The spreadsheet wins the argument it always wins" Elliott went on to say that the "tell" from Microsoft that its exclusivity plan is not working will be if the company announces future multiplatform releases for PS5, messaged to players that it was actually a "case-by-case" decision. In reality, though, Elliott said this was "always a hearts-and-minds gesture with a shelf life." Elliott said he expects this to happen at some point over the next year, after the numbers come in and show that the math just does not work. "I'd expect any backtracking to land after a quarter or two of revenue numbers, once the cost of walking away from 90M-plus PS5 owners shows up in a report someone has to present. That's the moment the spreadsheet wins the argument it always wins," he said. Pain ahead According to reports, Microsoft is going to lay off staff and close, or spin off, multiple development studios soon due to Xbox's financial struggles of late. Just recently, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about how Xbox has been struggling for some time and that it is imperative that Microsoft finds a way to “turn [Xbox] into a sustainable business.” The way Microsoft is apparently going to do this is by making drastic cuts to "reset" the Xbox business. Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Arkane, and Ninja Theory are all currently said to be negotiating with Microsoft to decide their fates. Double Fine reacted to the reports with the sweat smile emoji. https://twitter.com/DoubleFine/status/2066719196944478636 In a blog post announcing what's to come for Xbox in the next 100 days, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma alluded to major changes, and difficult ones. "For some of you, these realities will be surprising and even frustrating to discover," she told staff. "We won’t succeed by hiding hard truths, nor will we succeed by doing the same thing and expecting different results."

Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler (Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and No Rest for the Wicked) has commented on the recent turbulence at Xbox. The Ori games were previously published by Xbox Game Studios, but Moon Studios remained independent and started work on No Rest for the Wicked shortly after the second Ori game was released. In his informed opinion, Mahler has claimed that Xbox’s troubles began years ago when it decided to focus on legacy IP instead of cultivating the next generation of games and developers. It looks like bad news for the studios that fall under Xbox's first-party developer umbrella. As part of its "reset" under new Xbox boss Asha Sharma, Microsoft's gaming division is reportedly planning to cut costs by laying off staff and closing studios like Compulsion Games, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory. While those studios might spin off from Microsoft and strike out on their own, one developer with a long history of working with Xbox says that he's not surprised by the recent turbulence occurring at the company. "Xbox has struggled for a long time to identify, empower, and protect the key creative people and teams who could have kept the brand at the top," Mahler wrote. "Even when we were making Ori with Xbox, it was clear that the main focus was still Halo, Gears, and Forza--even though gamer excitement around Halo and Gears had already cooled heavily after Bungie and Epic moved on from those franchises. The newer installments simply didn't reproduce the same cultural impact those series once had." Ori and the Will of the Wisps As Mahler put it, franchises like Ori could have helped kickstart a new era for Xbox, one that would include younger generations of gamers who could have grown into lifetime fans of the brand. And while it is true that Microsoft owns an impressive selection of video game franchises and intellectual properties, Mahler added that great games are made by people who love the medium and who know what it is that their audiences want. Mahler added that, were he in charge, he'd "slim down" Xbox and work to "bring back the passion for gaming." He said that Xbox leans heavily on nostalgia, not the people who make games. "Xbox should be one of the strongest publishers in the world," Mahler wrote. "With the brands Microsoft owns, that should honestly be fairly straightforward. But nostalgia alone is not enough. Nostalgia can get people to look in your direction, but after that, you still have to deliver the goods. You still have to make products that get players genuinely excited. Products that make gamers literally salivate. And to do that, Xbox has to bet on the right people. They need to find the Miyamotos, Tezukas, and Sakurais within their own ecosystem--the people who actually speak the same language gamers do--and then support them, protect them, and trust them." Mahler concluded that Xbox was more than capable of shipping better games than its competition, and it just needs the right people in charge of steering the ship. "It still looks like Xbox is sitting on an absolute goldmine," he wrote. "They just need to put the right people in charge of mining that gold." It looks like bad news for the studios that fall under Xbox's first-party developer umbrella. As part of its "reset" under new Xbox boss Asha Sharma, Microsoft's gaming division is reportedly planning to cut costs by laying off staff and closing studios like Compulsion Games, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory. While those studios might spin off from Microsoft and strike out on their own, one developer with a long history of working with Xbox says that he's not surprised by the recent turbulence occurring at the company. The Best Xbox Series X Games In 2026 View Images

Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective $46.59 (was $50) Get deal at Amazon Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective is on sale for 43% off at Amazon. Normally $50, the beautiful 210-page illustrated hardcover book is up for grabs for $28.50 (was $50). Amazon doesn't list an end date for the deal, so Metroid fans should snag a copy while they can. Amazon is also sweetening the deal by making it part of its new Buy Three, Get One Free promotion. As a reminder, you can grab any three eligible items from across multiple categories, and the price of the lowest-priced item in your cart will be subtracted from your total when you check out. As a longtime Metroid fan myself, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading the behind-the-scenes details and insights from the team behind the Metroid Prime Trilogy. Not only is it an entertaining read, but it's a truly gorgeous book that would look great displayed on any bookcase or display shelf. Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective $46.59 (was $50) The hardcover book is wrapped in cloth that gives it a premium look and feel. The illustration of Samus in her Varia Suit is etched to the front cover in metallic gold, which makes it shimmer when rotating the book toward light--sort of like a lenticular piece of art. The back cover has a small Metroid Prime logo etched in the center. The retrospective is printed on high-quality, sheet-fed art paper, and the pages are stitched to the binding to increase durability. Each page is filled with full-color concept art and sketches, many of which are accompanied by background descriptions or producer's notes by the teamat Retro Studios who developed each game. Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective covers the development of the original Metroid Prime (2002) for GameCube, Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Prime 3: Corruption (2007), and Metroid Prime Remastered (2023). The foreword was written by Metroid Prime series producer Kensuke Tanabe, and each of the four sections are introduced by a developer from Retro Studios. Metroid Prime Trilogy's retrospective was designed by Piggyback in collaboration with Retro Studios and Nintendo. Piggyback is best known for its wonderful The Legend of Zelda strategy guides for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Get deal at Amazon Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective (Piggyback) Gallery Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Collectibles The retrospective is one of several recently released collectibles themed around the Metroid Prime Trilogy and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Nintendo released three Metroid Prime 4 Amiibo figures: the new Samus Aran Amiibo is available for $37, while the larger Samus & Vi-O-La Amiibo--the bounty hunter's new motorbike--is up for grabs for $59. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Nintendo Amiibo: * Samus & Vi-O-La Amiibo -- $59 * Samus Amiibo -- $37 * Sylux Amiibo -- $37 While you're checking out the Amiibo at Amazon, make sure to look at the brand-new Club Mocchi-Mocchi Mega Plush. These are the first officially licensed plushies for Metroid Prime by TOMY. --- Club Mocchi-Mocchi Metroid Prime Samus Helmet 13.5" Mega Plush $39 See at Amazon Club Mocchi-Mocchi Metroid Prime Morph Ball 12" Mega Plush $39 See at Amazon Three new budget-friendly Metroid Prime action figure packs by Jakks Pacific are available now at Walmart. You can get three 2.5-inch Samus figures dressed in different armor for $11.50 each (were $15 each). Samus in her Varia Suit alongside two Metroids is also priced at $15. Lastly, there's a 6-inch Metroid figure for $25 that glows from ultraviolet light. All three new releases are officially licensed by Nintendo. * Chozo Power Suit Figure Set (3-Pack) -- $11.50 ($15) * Bounty Hunter Diorama Figure Set (3-Pack) -- $11.50 ($15) * Ultraviolet Glow Metroid -- $25 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for Nintendo Switch 2 $70 See at Best Buy View at other stores See at Amazon See at Walmart See at GameStop See at Target Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for Nintendo Switch $60 See at Best Buy View at other stores See at Amazon See at Walmart See at Target See at GameStop Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launched at the end of 2025 for on Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. The Switch 2 version is available to preorder at Amazon, Walmart, and other major retailers for $70. The original Switch version is up for preorder for $60. If you want to upgrade to Switch 2 to play Metroid Prime 4 in 4K resolution, Amazon has both Nintendo Switch 2 console bundles in stock. --- Metroid Prime Nintendo Switch 1/2 Accessories Officially licensed PowerA accessories for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 If you want to play Metroid 4: Beyond with a controller themed around the franchise, PowerA recently launched an officially licensed wireless controller featuring Samus Aran and a galactic background. You can also grab a pair of wired Metroid-themed earbuds packaged in a drawstring bag with Metroid artwork. Nintendo Switch 2 owners can snag a $20 carrying case with Metroid Prime 4 key art, and there's a crossbody bag with Metroid Prime Trilogy artwork for original Switch consoles. --- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Switch 2 Carrying Case $16 (was $20) See at Amazon Metroid Prime Trilogy Wired Gaming Earbuds $22 (was $25) See at Amazon Metroid Prime Trilogy Crossbody Bag for Switch $21 (was $25) See at Amazon --- More Nintendo Guide & Art Books The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom / Breath of the Wild Official Strategy Guides Amazon has deals on the hardcover editions of Piggyback's other recent Nintendo books. We've included a list of those below. And if you're looking for more official Nintendo art and lore books, you should check out Dark Horse's series of Zelda and Super Mario books. Most notably, you can get The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia for $21.55 (was $40) and The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia for $18 (was $40). Piggyback's Zelda Guides: * Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition Guide -- $34.47 ($45) | B2G1 Free * Tears of the Kingdom Paperback Guide -- $18.74 ($30) | B2G1 Free Nintendo Art & Lore Books: * Breath of the Wild Expanded Guide -- $19.61 ($40) * The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia -- $18 ($40) | B2G1 Free * Deluxe Edition -- $53 ($90) * The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia-- $19 ($40) * The Legend of Zelda: Arts & Artifacts -- $23.36 ($50) * Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion-- $21.87 ($50) * Hero's Edition -- $85.14 ($110) | B2G1 Free * The Art of Super Mario Odyssey -- $28.49 ($50) * Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia -- $28 ($50) | B2G1 Free * Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective -- $39.66 ($50) | B2G1 Free --- More Deals And Preorders * Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Preorders Are Live On PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, And PC * Super Mario Lego Sets Are Up To 30% Off At Amazon * Hundreds Of Books Are On Sale In Amazon’s Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale * Preorders For Kingdom Hearts Collection I-III * Amazon’s 3 4K Blu-Rays For $33 Deal Returns This Month * PlayStation’s Wireless FlexStrike Fight Stick Preorders Are Now Open * Super Mario and Yoshi Lego Set Discounted To Its Lowest Price Yet More Deals And Preorders Links (3)

Guild Wars 3, the next MMORPG from developer ArenaNet, won't have a paid subscription, and it won't include battle passes or other paid seasonal systems, either. In a blog post, studio head Colin Johanson outlined the core pillars ArenaNet is focused on when it comes to creating the third entry in the Guild Wars franchise, freshly announced as part of Summer Games Fest 2026. One of those key pillars is something that has been a main focus of every Guild Wars title--no subscription fee, one of the key ways Guild Wars has always set itself apart from other MMOs. "When Guild Wars launched in 2005, that wasn't the norm," Johanson said. "Subscription fees were a core part of the MMO model. Choosing not to have one wasn't just a pricing decision; it was a statement about accessibility and long-term value. We carried that forward into Guild Wars 2, and it remains just as important today." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITPzxITngqA How Guild Wars 3 will differ is that it won't feature any kind of subscription. Johanson said subscriptions in many live-service games or MMOs have evolved to be "hidden" inside "optional packages that obfuscates the subscription from the player." He described things like paid battle passes and seasonal reward tracks as systems that are effectively a subscription in a new form. "When we say Guild Wars 3 won't have a subscription fee, we mean it," Johanson said. "No monthly fees and no battle pass subscription fees. Just buy the game and play when you want. If we earn your trust and you feel we're delivering experiences you love, we'll have expansions and other things you can buy from us if you think they're worth the investment." Johanson also made clear Guild Wars 3 won't feature any pay-to-win elements. Players will, however, be able to spend money to gain "visual distinction and offer more ways to express themselves." Additionally, Johanson said players will be able to spend money on account-related services and time-saving convenience items, but that those who spend money will never have "an unfair advantage over players who spend time." Other key areas ArenaNet is focusing on for Guild Wars 3 includes respecting the time and investment of players, as Johanson said the team knows there are more choices when it comes to what to play than ever before. The team wants to create a "new take on the MMO" that doesn't feel like a second job, as many MMOs are often described, and can be enjoyed regardless if someone is playing every day or only a few hours a week. As for what Guild Wars 3 will actually play like, Johanson is keeping details vague for now, but said it will fall somewhere in between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. He said the team is asking, "What does the next evolution of an MMO look like right now?" in a time when the line between MMO and live-service games continue to be blurred. The answer ArenaNet came up with is for Guild Wars 3 to be smaller scale compared to the "giant-scale experiences" found in Guild Wars 2 but larger than the mostly instanced content of the original Guild Wars. "Guild Wars 3 lands near the middle of the MMO spectrum, which supports the goals we have for our movement and combat systems," Johanson said. "While it fits the definition of an MMORPG significantly more than Guild Wars Reforged does, it doesn't try to replicate the large-scale gameplay pillars that so uniquely define Guild Wars 2." Not much else is currently known about Guild Wars 3, though a beta is set for Fall 2027. It's slated to release on both PC and PlayStation 5. Those interested in being among the first to take the game for a spin can sign up on the game's official website.

Helldivers 2 should feel more responsive to play than ever before, as the game's latest update brings major improvements to reloading. Patch 6.3.0, which is live now, brought a smorgasbord of balance changes, features, and bug fixes. Among them are some major tweaks to how reloading works. At long last, players can reload while diving, and starting a reload animation, only to be ragdolled or staggered, will now continue the animation once you regain control. It also adds "delayed reloads," where, if you try to reload but are unable to do so, the reload animation will be delayed for a short window until it can be started. It's a fairly substantial change that should make spreading Managed Democracy even easier, but better reloads aren't all the update added. Patch 6.3.0 also introduced the Control Center, taking the place of the previously inactive terminal across from the armory on the deck of each player's Super Destroyer. The Control Center lets you learn more about ongoing campaigns, major orders, rewards. It also lets you read up on previous campaigns, making it easier for new or returning players can get up to speed. Each campaign will now have a unique reward players can earn should the Helldivers community emerge victorious in the majority that campaign's major orders. The first campaign under this new system is called Census Thunder, and currently tasks Helldivers with taking control of two planets from hordes of Illuminate Voteless. Should the Helldivers emerge victorious, they'll have a new FRV (Fast-Recon Vehicle, basically Helldiver's version of Halo's Warthog) to play with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVGHXob14DI Those additions alone would make for a major update, but developer Arrowhead Studios has sweetened the deal with a long list of balance changes as well, with significant adjustments to vehicles, throwables, and Orbital Stratagems. On the vehicle front, Arrowhead outlined that one of its goals with the update was to make vehicles tankier, following a previous update that technically buffed vehicles like Exo Suits but also made enemies more effective against them. In patch 6.3.0, the Bastion tank "should feel tankier" and be able to "ignore small attacks, withstand more medium attacks, and its survivability against heavy attacks should be unchanged," according to Arrowhead. As for Exo Suits, they are now able to withstand small and medium attacks, and an increase in their total health should make them feel sturdier overall. Exo Suits can additionally be called in more frequently, with their cooldown reduced from 10 minutes to eight. The FRV also received a health buff that will help it better withstand medium and heavy attacks. For turret fans, all of the game's sentries have had their health increased by 100% to compensate for previous changes that allowed enemies to more easily damage vehicles. Many of the game's grenades have received a buff in the number of starting ammo and max ammo. Orbital Stratagem enjoyers have reason to rejoice, because nearly every Orbital in the game has seen its projectile damage, durable damage, and explosion damage increased. Rocket Pods should be more reliable and deal more damage now, and the Railcannon's huge damage buff should make it so it's deadlier against enemies like Vox Engines (though it will still be unable to one-shot massive enemies like Factory Striders or Hive Lords). This latest update is just a small part of Arrowhead's near-future plans for its co-op shooter, plans Helldivers 2 game director Mikael Eriksson outlined in a blog post earlier this month. Those future additions include new features like Planet Warfronts, additional Super Destroyer progression and customization, and an increase of the game's level cap to 300 from the current 150. In May, Arrowhead called an update mostly focused on improving Helldivers 2's technical performance just the "opening salvo," with more updates to come. You can check out the full Helldivers 2 update 6.3.0 patch notes below. Helldivers 2 Update 6.3.0 Patch Notes Introducing the CONTROL CENTER terminal Super Earth High Command has completed fleet-wide upgrades to the previously unused terminal opposite the armory. Now Helldivers will be able to get more context to the ongoing Campaigns and their subsequent Major Orders. Each Campaign will come with its own potential reward, should the Helldivers be victorious in a majority of the Major Orders within it. The terminal will also feature an archive (to be populated as the first campaign concludes) so that new and returning Helldivers can read up on the twists and turns of previous campaigns. Balancing General balance changes Vehicle armor and enemies AP rebalance * Super Earth vehicles now have more accurate Armor values (Bastion gets heavy armor, exosuits a mix of heavy and medium armor, ballistic shield heavy armor). * Some enemies have received increased armor penetration values so they can deal with the vehicles, but not all. There will be a lot of smaller enemies and explosions that won't be able to hurt something like the Bastion or the Exo Suits (scavengers, Automatons small arms fire, hunters, small to medium obstacle explosions, cyborg small arms etc). * But there are still a lot in the enemies arsenal that can hurt you (and also important is that a lot of YOUR arsenal now has a harder time hurting your own vehicles). * Some enemies have had their durable damage reduced * There are too many changes to properly list, so we ask you to play and tell us how it feels. The intent is the following * The Bastion tank should feel “tankier” and ignore small attacks, withstand more medium attacks and its survivability against heavy attacks should be unchanged * The Exo Suits have a similar change as the Bastion tank in terms of ignoring more small attacks and withstanding medium attacks better. The increase in health should overall make it feel a bit more tanky even against heavy attacks. * The FRV has received an increase in health that will make it handle medium attacks similar to before, but be able to withstand heavy attacks better granting better survivability. * The Ballistic Shield should feel like it can ignore small attacks and handle medium attacks better. Sentry health rebalance * Increased the health of all sentries by 100% to compensate for the general damage increase of enemies vs vehicles. * We have previously increased durable damage on a lot of enemies and since sentries are durable they have lost some of their utility. We didn't want them to become squishier, this change should improve their versatility on the battlefield. Reloading improvements * Improvements to make reloading more responsive, part of this is allowing reloading while dodge diving, also remembering the reload state better so if you're ragdolled while reloading you will continue it when regaining control. * Introduced the concept of delayed reloads. If you try to trigger a reload while the player is not allowed to do so, the reload will be delayed until the player is able to reload with a maximum of 1.2s delay from when the reload input was pressed. Bastion Pattern Customization * If you own the vehicle patterns from a Premium Warbond, they can now also be applied to the Bastion Tank! It does not apply to Legendary Warbonds retroactively at this time. Decreased Exo Suit cooldown * Reduce the cooldown of mechs from 10 minutes down to 8. The intent is to find a better balance with mechs and allow more time with fun stratagems Throwables amounts rebalance * Intent is to make some of the less used throwables more available and viable options Orbitals damage rebalance * Intent is to make the larger orbitals feel more like the large projectiles from orbit as they are so the projectile and explosion damage should better match that. * Larger projectiles explosions like the 380mm and 120mm are increased to make close hits more effective vs larger enemies like Chargers. * Compared to explosions like the Ultimatum these will have less damage at the center, but also less damage fall off so it will have a more consistent damage over its total area. * The Railcannon also got more damage to be more effective vs some of the largest enemies like the Vox engines. It will still not one shot the largest enemies like Factory strider, Hive lord and similar. Primary weapons M7S SMG * Moved scope offset closer to the scope so it will be easier to use in ADS mode. Throwables G-48 Giga Grenade * Increased refill from 1 to 2 TED-63 Dynamite * Increased max amount from 3 to 4 G-50 Seeker * Increased Start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-12 High Explosive * Increased Start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-16 Impact * Increased Start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-7 Pineapple * Increased start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-23 Stun * Increased start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-109 Urchin * Increased start amount from 2 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-10 Incendiary * Increased start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 G-13 Incendiary Impact * Increased start amount from 3 to 4 * Increased refill from 2 to 3 * Increased max amount from 4 to 5 Stratagems Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods Intent: Make it better at one shotting smaller heavies like Chargers, Hulks, Harvesters (without shields). It can also kill some larger enemies like Tanks well. It is still not a 100% guaranteed kill, but it will be more reliable. * Increased explosion damage 200 to 300 * Increased explosion durable damage 200 to 300 * Increased explosion armor penetration Medium to Heavy * Rockets are fired in a closer pattern to each other to make it easier to hit smaller targets. * Lower force impulse on explosion from 40 to 10 (This is to make enemies not fly away to much when they die, because we increased the armor penetration of the explosion) Orbital Precision Strike * Increased projectile damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased projectile durable damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased explosion damage 1000 to 1500 * Increased explosion durable damage 1000 to 1500 Orbital 380mm HE Barrage * Increased projectile damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased projectile durable damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased explosion damage 1000 to 1500 * Increased explosion durable damage 1000 to 1500 Orbital Walking Barrage * Increased projectile damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased projectile durable damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased explosion damage 1000 to 1500 * Increased explosion durable damage 1000 to 1500 SEAF Artillery Explosive/High Yield Explosive * Increased projectile damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased projectile durable damage 3500 to 4000 * Increased explosion damage 1000 to 1500 * Increased explosion durable damage 1000 to 1500 Orbital 120mm HE Barrage * Increased projectile damage 2500 to 3500 * Increased projectile damage 2500 to 3500 * Increased explosion damage 750 to 1200 * Increased explosion damage 750 to 1200 Orbital Railcannon Strike * Increased projectile damage 7500 to 10 000 * Increased projectile durable damage 7500 to 10 000 S-11 Speargun The projectile was negated by the Gas resistance armor which did not make much sense. The explosion of the projectile is still gas elemental. * Change the projectile damage type from gas to none TX-41 Sterilizer * Increased ammo capacity from 100 to 125 * Increased starting amount of magazines from 2 to 3 * Will be affected less by wind by 60% All Exosuits * Increased health from 1600 to 1800 * Increased health of arms from 600 to 800 * Increased health of legs from 400 to 550 * Cooldown reduced from 10 minutes down to 8 minutes M-102 Fast Recon Vehicle * Increased health from 2000 to 2400 * Increased health of doors by 50% * Increased health of tires from 300 to 350 Enemies Terminids Charger * Adjusted the chargers turning arc to make them easier to avoid * Increase their recovery time after the charge to create a window of opportunity (+1 second). The charger basically keeps running and struggle to stop if it misses its target * To compensate for this, charge speed has been slightly increased (8->9m/s) Alpha commander * Removed cowardly behavior, it will now be more aggressive. Hunters * Reduced durable damage of normal attack from 50 to 40 * Reduced durable damage of tongue attack from 45 to 30 * Reduced durable damage of pounce attack from 50 to 35 Warriors and spewers * Reduced durable damage of normal attack from 80 to 65 Stalkers * Reduced durable damage of tongue attack from 50 to 35 Automatons Vox Engine * Reduced health from 11 000 down to 9000 * Reduced max turn angle of its upper body so it cannot turn as far as it could previously (from 180 degrees down to 140) * Amount of vox engines allowed to be active at the same time limited to 3 * Reduced health of their cannon turrets from 8000 down to 3500 * Reduced the armor of their cannon turrets from 5 to 4 * Reduced durable on cannon turrets from 1 to 0.7 * Increased damage of cannon turrets explosion to significantly hurt the vox engine when it dies Illuminate Elevated Overseer * Added one attack pattern (short attack burst followed by a longer one) * Reduced the current attack duration * Reduced accuracy on moving targets 🔧 Fixes Special Shoutout * Stimming is no longer interrupted by stagger Crash Fixes * Fixed a rare crash that would happen when a player joined a game * Fixed a rare crash which would occur when causing an excessive amount of explosions in a single frame Weapons & Stratagem Fixes * Fixed a bug where several weapon customizations weren't properly saved when the option was ticked in the player settings * B/FLAM-80 Cremator no longer shows the 'Heavy Armour Penetrating' stratagem trait, following similar incendiary weaponry * A/FLAM-40 Flame Sentry and EXO-51 Lumberer Exosuits flamethrower can now damage targets within 3 meters of the sentry * P-33 Missile Pistol weapon now shows the right trait tags in the menu * The R-2 Amendment reload now continues correctly if interrupted - if reload is interrupted early, it will not lose magazines * The secondary weapon's chosen customization correctly persists after death if the menu option is selected * Orbital Gatling Barrage will play the correct audio * The StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launcher can target illegal broadcast transmitter towers * Part of the Bastion Tank's barrel can be damaged with a light penetration weapon * Phalanx divers rejoice! Laser beams, explosion damage, electrical arcs and melee attacks no longer collide with the directional shields of your team-mates when hit from behind. * SG-97 Sweeper should now reliably eject shells when slamfiring * The WASP launcher can target the Illegal Broadcast transmitter tower Enemies * Fixed physics to allow more representative shooting on the Dragonroach abdomen * Veracitor will not trigger its charge within a narrow path, reducing instances where they'll clip though destructible obstacles Miscellaneous Fixes * A hidden broadcast terminal was relocated to its correct spot so that the Helldivers can once again access it * Players are no longer removed from terminals when switching between controller and Keyboard and Mouse * D-pad/arrow keys navigation can come up and down when viewing teammates' equipment loadout * Traversing through foliage such as bushes will no longer interrupt sprinting, which should result in less momentum loss * Fixed several issues with some mission assets animation being out of sync for joining players * Fixed issue where the map marker for "Retrieve Mutant Larva" objective always displayed in a radius * Hints have better placements for the reinforcement Hellpods in commando missions * SEAF SAM site missiles now have better software to detect and detonate near enemy air units * Fixed a bug where certain Automaton mines turned invisible when a nearby mine exploded * Fixed a case where the Helldiver head twitched when leaving the Hellpod * M-102 Fast Recon Vehicle no longer plays audio for doors if they have been removed from the vehicle * Parts of the TD-220 Bastion MK XVI barrel base can no longer be damaged with a light penetration weapon * Fix issues with certain physics collisions having no audio * Fixed Automaton mines getting under ground after a nearby mine explodes * Fixed an issue where an Eradicate Automaton Forces level could generate underwater * Fixed a traversal issue where enemies could not reach the player in one of the levels in the E-710 Extraction mission * Fixed a traversal issue where enemies could not reach the player in one of the levels in the Annex Untapped Mineral Site mission