Title: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Type of Game: First-Person Shooter
Developer: MachineGames
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Released: May 5, 2015
Platforms Available: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Platform Reviewed: PS4
Level of Maturity: M (Mature) – Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Reading Time: 7 minutes

“Did we need another generic dark Nazi robot shooter?” legendary developer Warren Spector (Deus Ex) sarcastically asked before the release of the cult successor to Wolfenstein a year earlier. As it turns out, we needed one. At a time when pseudo-realistic near-future conflicts, open worlds, constant cover behind obstacles, and one-shot deaths were most prevalent in action games, one would almost forget how easy it was.

The Brutal Elegance of Old-School Action

The New Order offered straightforward brutal action with excellent level design, manual ammo collection, first aid kits instead of auto-heal, and of course, hundreds and hundreds of Nazis charging in front of the constantly-charged barrels of brilliantly designed weapons. All of this was supported by a properly B-movie story that took the player from concentration camps to a Nazi base on the moon.

Familiar Blood: The Game’s Heartbeat

The developers at Machine Games managed to brilliantly combine old-school gameplay with modern approaches, such as stealth arcades or elements from role-playing games, omitting unnecessary multiplayer support, and the result was a tremendous playable homage to the old genres. And as the name of the data disc suggests, it’s not about injecting fresh blood into the veins of the genre either. The new story means eight more levels of the same filler we’re used to from the last one. The few new weapons (the latest addition is a multi-functional steel pipe) and enemies should be worth mentioning. If a special edition of the game were ever released to tie the addition to the game, you’d be hard-pressed to find the moment when The Old Blood ends and The New Order begins.

B.J.’s Retro Adventure: Blood Before Order

The plot occurs before the original game’s events, specifically in 1946. B.J. Blazkowitz travels to Castle Wolfenstein to retrieve a secret file on General Deatshead. During your journey, you’ll look into other places and meet other bizarre characters, either friendly or at your throat. The inspiration from classic 80s B-movie flicks is undeniable. Yet, the story takes itself quite sympathetically seriously without constantly having to wink at the player as if now comes the joke.

Mastering the Art of Mayhem

But the main one is, of course, the mindless action again. The game’s perfectly working mechanics allow for a cautious approach, where you hide behind obstacles and gradually take out charging Germans who, in truth, haven’t picked up much artificial intelligence. Anyone who enjoyed the so-called nightmare-level quirk last time, which brought back memories of the original Wolfenstein 3D, will have more than enough fun this time. As a diversion, it’s good. I even remembered the location of some secret hiding places off the top of my head, and there was also the legendary boss with two rotary machine guns in his hands. However, completing all ten levels is only for the hardcore fans of this old classic, mainly because of the long, empty corridors.

Survival by the Shotgun: The True Fun

It’s much more fun to meticulously search all corners of the map for hidden armor, then “overdose” on all the nearby first aid kits before a firefight, grab a rapid-fire shotgun in each hand and wipe out the Nazis at point-blank range. On the fourth difficulty out of five, I died compared to the original game, but the multiple solution options mean that repeating the same passages doesn’t fall into a rut. The sneaking passages and gradual learning of skills also remain, but nothing stops you if you want to ignore these “modern ideas” and focus on the constant shooting.

Arena of Carnage: Test Your Mettle

What’s new are the progressively unlockable arenas and closed maps, from which the game won’t let you out until you’ve shot everything that moves. Trophy hunters can return to these scenes and try to get the highest score. Otherwise, everything is focused on the single-player campaign, and multiplayer play will not be found here again. The Old Blood is not only a must for any fan, but the story takes place before the original game, which you don’t even need to play to start, making it the perfect way to jump into the new Wolfenstein for the first time. And if you’re interested in the game, you can read my other reviews of games in the Wolfenstein series, specifically those subtitled New Order, New Colossus, and Young Blood.

Conclusion

For around 15€, you get an average eight-hour shooter that doesn’t impress with story, graphics, or originality but instead focuses on the most essential thing: shooting. And while The New Order is one of the best games of 2014. That’s why this game has it a little more complicated in its shadow. I’d also give it a higher rating, but that would require The Old Blood to expand on the original experience more.

Where to Buy The Wolfenstein: The Old Blood?

Steam (PC): Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Xbox Store (Xbox One): Available for $19.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
PlayStation Store (PS4): Available for $19.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Epic Games Store (PC): Available for $19.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.
GOG (PC): Available for $19.99. Purchase it from GOG.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Wolfenstein Subreddit.

The post Wolfenstein: The Old Blood – Blazkowicz’s Blood-Soaked Prequel In Castle Wolfenstein appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

Season 12 of Overwatch 2 is themed heavily around Egyptian gods, but Egyptian heroes like Ana and Pharah aren't getting the spotlight. This season's Mythic Skin, based on Anubis, is going to Reaper.

On the Overwatch subreddit, players were shocked by the decision to give Reaper a skin based off of Anubis over Ramattra, given Ramattra's early design concepts. In a 2017 video, Blizzard shared the concept that ultimately led to Ramattra; an Omnic, wearing Egyptian-styled garb.

Another Developer Update from Blizzard briefly goes over the team's decision to give Reaper the Anubis skin. Lead Concept Artist, Morten Skaalvik, mentions that a meeting was held to discuss who the Mythic Skin should go to. Skaalvik says that the meeting was concluded quickly as everyone had "instantly agreed it needed to be Reaper."

The reasoning behind this decision stems from Reaper being closely associated with death and Anubis being the Egyptian god of death. While the logic behind this decision is fair, players on Twitter/X agree that the skin should have gone to Ramattra.

For additional salt in the wounds, it's still unclear if Ramattra will receive any new skins in the upcoming season. The trailer for Season 12 reveals a variety of skins as part of the Battle Pass and skins that will be coming to the shop. Unfortunately, no new skins were shown off for the leader of Null Sector.

However, Ramattra isn't the only hero getting the short end of the stick. Despite this season's theme, Egyptian heroes Ana and Pharah only had one skin each revealed in the Season 12 trailer. The Pharah skin won't even be available in the Battle Pass, instead being obtained from the shop. Meanwhile, Mercy has received two additional skins set to appear in the shop.

Some players on the Overwatch subreddit have become fed up with the consistent stream of Mercy skins. Especially since this season is brimming with potential for Ana, Pharah, Ramattra, and Venture. Even though they don't have any ties to Egyptian mythology, Venture's job as an archaeologist could have led to some skins incorporating ancient Egyptian artifacts.

The post Overwatch 2 fans feel frustrated with Season 12’s skin choices appeared first on Destructoid.

Valve dataminer Tyler McVicker has discovered hints that some Half-Life may be in active development at Valve. While we're not quite at the "Half-Life 3 confirmed!" stage of proceedings, things are looking bright for a new non-VR game in the series, for the first time in a while.

Back in 2021, we saw the release of Half-Life: Alyx. Despite launching to critical acclaim, it was a VR exclusive, meaning those without headsets were left unable to experience the latest iteration in Valve's long-running series. Still, it was a positive sign that Valve is willing to revisit its iconic franchise, offering hope that a Half-Life 3 could finally be on the way. 2007's Half-Life 2: Episode Two is the last time we saw a non-VR Half-Life, so it's a wait that could realistically span two decades before anything is released by the studio.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, McVicker confirmed numerous reasons he believes Half-Life 3 is likely in development at Valve. Datamining has led him to find strings in updates for Source 2 titles Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, hinting at a game codenamed HLX, where the playable character wears a HEV suit. Sound familiar? This protagonist goes to a location named "Offworld," with references to "Xengorrilla" and "Xenjellyfish" NPCs. It couldn't sound any more Half-Life.

According to McVicker, these strings have come from different updates to the previously mentioned titles. He has compiled evidence over time to confirm his suspicions that development on this project is ongoing. His speculation continues further, connecting the dots here to the resume of actress Natasha Chandel. She recently revealed the existence of a Valve project codenamed Project White Sands via her resume, before it was swiftly taken down.

So, it seems like Valve could be working on a single-player Half-Life game featuring an HEV suit-wearing protagonist. But is it actually Half-Life 3? Answering the question about his belief based on current findings, McVicker said, "I gotta be very careful when answering that question... But yes."

Although it's impossible to confirm whether this is the case, it offers a glimmer of hope to those who have waited almost two decades for something new. In the meantime, keep replaying Black Mesa and dreaming of what could be.

The post Several leaks are re-igniting hopes for a Half-Life 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Call of Duty has plenty of iconic maps, but perhaps none are more popular than Nuketown. While it was always expected that it would arrive in Treyarch's Black Ops 6 at some point, eagle eyes have already spotted in the game ahead of release.

During the Black Ops 6 reveal at Call of Duty Direct, Treyarch gave us not only a glimpse at the game's new movement features and round-based Zombies but also showed off an early look at the UI. As spotted by CharlieIntel, in the corner of the lobby UI, we can see the game loading into a match on Nuketown, confirming that the map is coming this fall.

Nuketown has been a feature in the Black Ops series since 2010 when it first appeared in the first entry of the series. It's returned in every Treyarch-developed game ever since. With five appearances in mainline CoD games, and also a cameo in CoD: Mobile, it was almost guaranteed that it would be in BO6, but it's still nice to know it's happening.

It's no surprise that it's coming back though, as it's CoD's most popular map. In Black Ops Cold War, the Nuketown 24/7 playlist was one of the game's most played and is just match after match played on the map over and over again. In fact, when Treyarch did remove the mode for a period, fans spent the entire time asking when it was coming back.

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that we'll be able to play it at release, as Treyarch has said the game will launch with 16 new maps, which Nuketown definitely is not. In my opinion, Nuketown is the perfect map to drop with the game's first seasonal update, along with a new weapon and likely the Black Ops 6 patch for Warzone.

A true fan-favorite, I personally can't wait to get back on Nuketown, as it's often the map I play the most. If you're ranking up guns or trying to complete camo challenges, Nuketown 24/7 playlists promise lots of gunfights in a small location, making it perfect for grinding your way through the progression system.

We'll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more about Nuketown's introduction to Black Ops 6.

The post CoD’s most popular map has already been confirmed for Black Ops 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Regarding Call of Duty, it's easy to argue that Black Ops is perhaps the most beloved and popular series in the franchise's history. With Black Ops 6 firmly on the horizon, I've looked through the last 16 years to rank every Treyarch-developed game from worst to best.

It's a testament to the quality of the Black Ops series that Treyarch is widely viewed as the best Call of Duty developer, which made ranking the six mainline entries difficult. A dev team rarely has no absolute stinkers in their library, but Treyarch has never made a bad CoD game, at least in my opinion.

However, this is an article to rank them all, so I couldn't sit on the fence and say that they're all great, which is why we've ranked them all in order. For this list, we've included Call of Duty: World at War, as it is viewed as the beginning of the Black Ops series due to characters from it appearing in 2010's Black Ops.

6. Black Ops 4

• Release year: 2018
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
• Modes: Multiplayer, Zombies, Blackout

Picking the worst Black Ops game is like going to a donut shop and picking the least tasty one: They're all pretty good. There had to be a loser though, and for me, Black Ops 4 is probably the least memorable title in the series, and always felt like I wasn't sure what kind of Call of Duty game it was.

The return to "boots on the ground" CoD was certainly welcome, but bringing Specialist abilities back meant that BO4 felt like an odd mix of classic and futuristic Call of Duty that never quite worked for me. The decision not to release with a campaign also damaged this title, and the public reception to it meant Black Ops 4 was on the back foot before it was even released.

Treyarch does deserve credit for the game though, for the most part, the multiplayer was fun and Blackout was a great introduction to Battle Royale in CoD, laying the groundwork for the ultra-successful Warzone. While Blackout was a little clunky and wasn't updated very often, it was still an enjoyable experience, one that shaped the Call of Duty we play today.

5. World at War

• Release year: 2008
• Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii
• Modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies

World at War is viewed as the starting part of the Black Ops franchise, even though it doesn't feature the series' iconic title. Set during World War II, it was a stark change from the previous year's game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

As it's the oldest CoD game on this list, it's easy to write it off, but to do so would be a mistake. The campaign is one of my personal favorites—It's dark and gritty, and switching between the Americans and the Soviets really gives you a feeling that you're not in control of what's happening, and the true intensity of war.

Of course, you can't talk about WAW without gushing about Zombies, the starting point of the legendary mode, and some of my favorite memories in Call of Duty. I can still picture myself sitting in my old bedroom playing Nacht der Untoten with my buddies, even though I was terrible at it.

Unfortunately, multiplayer is where I feel like World at War slips down this list, as I didn't enjoy many of the maps, the weapon meta was dominated by the PPSh-41, and the inclusion of tanks didn't feel like Call of Duty multiplayer to me. In truth, I ended up returning to CoD4 before the year ended, and I never looked back.

4. Black Ops 3

• Release year: 2015
• Platforms: PC, macOS, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3
• Modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, Bonus (Dead Ops Arcade, Nightmares, Freerun)

Look, before I get into Black Ops 3, I have to be honest. Advanced Warfare is, in my opinion, the best jetpack Call of Duty game by a mile, and I don't care what anyone says. So with that in mind, there was simply no way I could rank it any higher than this, even though I know BO3 has its loyalists who think it's the best CoD ever.

Black Ops 3 multiplayer is fun, but I think the jetpacks are almost too powerful. Being able to wall-run and dash to the sides made it play too quick for my liking, and at times it felt like you were playing Halo rather than CoD. It does have some really good maps like Stronghold or Evac, but it's also got some stinkers like Exodus and Havoc which were just not enjoyable to play.

For me, BO3 also has the weakest campaign in the series and ended up being a confusing experience that didn't really explain why you were doing anything. The campaign gameplay is fun and does have some good moments, but it's not enough to make up for the flawed story.

3. Black Ops Cold War

• Release year: 2020
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
• Modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies

Black Ops Cold War is my favorite of the "modern" Call of Duty titles and was lightyears better than 2019's Modern Warfare reboot. There's a lot to like about BOCW, with a solid campaign that's bolstered by the fact that decisions you make during the story can change the ending you see. I ended up completing it a couple of times to see what happened, which is something I rarely do with CoD campaigns.

The Zombies Dark Aether storyline was also really strong, and the gameplay was, in my opinion, the best since Black Ops 2. The maps were good, the gameplay didn't get too convoluted, and it was generally an enjoyable experience. Multiplayer on this game was also great, with gunplay feeling much more rewarding than MW and classic maps returning to the game. I spent hours playing BOCW's Ranked Mode, and if it was still live, I'd be tempted to go back.

My only real gripe with Black Ops Cold War is how strong the skill-based matchmaking felt in multiplayer, which made playing matches feel more like work than fun at times. Still, I have fond memories of this game, and it almost feels harsh to rank it third.

2. Black Ops

• Release year: 2010
• Platforms: PC, macOS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS
• Modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies

The first CoD game to boast the Black Ops title, Treyarch's 2010 is an almost flawless Call of Duty game. The campaign was the best in the entire franchise at the time, with an ending (which we won't spoil in case you haven't played it) that will blow your mind.

Multiplayer gameplay was also excellent, with weapons that were enjoyable and rewarding to use, while the maps were also widely excellent. Black Ops is the game that introduced Nuketown, one of CoD's most iconic maps that is recreated to this day, showing how influential this game really was.

No surprise, but Black Ops' Zombies mode is also brilliant, with unique maps that each posed different challenges, a solid storyline that weaved through every map, and great gameplay that added new guns like the Thunder and Wave Guns.

1. Black Ops 2

• Release year: 2012
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U
• Modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is the pinnacle of the franchise. It's not just the best Black Ops game, it's the best Call of Duty, period.

BO2 was the first campaign in the series to use branching storylines, with decisions you make affecting the ending you get. Better than that, the choices have real stakes and really invest you in the story. Treyarch went above and beyond in this campaign and hasn't been able to match it since.

Zombies in Black Ops 2 is good, not great, but still, a really fun experience that is boosted by its incredible gunplay and all-around gameplay. Mob, Origins, and Die Rise are all solid maps that each have their unique style too, helping to keep the mode fresh.

Black Ops 2 multiplayer, however, is where this game blows everything else out of the water. This game has arguably the best maps in the franchise, with remakes still popping up in CoD games to this day. On top of that, the guns feel so rewarding to use, the Pick 10 class system is still yearned for by players, and League Play is the standard to which all CoD Ranked Play modes are still held, and none have managed to better it yet.

A truly perfect Call of Duty game, and one that has yet to be matched in the 12 years since its release.

The post Every Call of Duty: Black Ops game ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The BAL-27 assault rifle was added to Warzone and MW3 on May 1, but just hours after it was introduced, it received a significant nerf that decreased its damage across the board.

The BAL-27 is the big weapon addition in Season 3 Reloaded, and will be instantly recognizable to those who played Advanced Warfare. When guns are added to Warzone and MW3, they generally shoot straight to the top of the meta, but that wasn't the case for the BAL-27, and we now know why.

Just hours after it was added the game, the BAL-27 was nerfed by 25%, as first discovered by dantheflipman on Reddit. I've since gone and checked myself and can confirm the new damage numbers.

The assault rifle's damage has been slashed, with output to the head, upper body, lower body, and upper legs all taking a big knock. If you want to compare the numbers, we've made a table below to show the effects of the nerf.

As you can see, the nerf is significant, instantly making the gun feel less powerful. This sentiment was shared by the community, with one Warzone player saying that they noticed "it felt so bad after [they] took a break and came back."

"It's definitely not worth using," wrote GilderonPaladin. "The recoil pattern made it iffy for me even before the nerf. I'm glad I already unlocked all the unique camos on it. Never using it again."

As a big fan of Advanced Warfare (really, I could write an essay about how good it is,) I'm gutted to see the BAL-27 become unusable almost instantly, as it just doesn't compete in the current meta. It's definitely interesting to see the development team nerf a new gun so quickly, as it's nothing like anything we've ever really seen before.

Is it possible that it went live with the wrong damage stats? Or did they just make a quick call to reign it in? It seems we'll never really know, but I'm definitely sad it's happened.

The post MW3 and Warzone’s new BAL-27 has already been secretly nerfed appeared first on Destructoid.

Are you looking to take your Modern Warfare 3 gameplay to the next level? Then you'll need Destructoid's ultimate guide to the best MW3 controller settings, including aim assist, aim responsive curves, FOV settings, and more.

There are lots of ways to improve your Call of Duty skills, whether it's practicing your aim in the firing range, or watching gameplay of better players to learn from them. If you're not using the best settings though, you'll always be at a disadvantage, and I don't want that for you.

That's why I've put together this guide to MW3's best controller settings. These are the exact settings that I use every time I boot up CoD, so you know that I've tested these out and believe they're top-tier.

Best MW3 Controller Settings: Inputs, aim assist, movement

Inputs

• Bumper Ping: Off
• Button Layout Preset: Tactical
• Flip L1/R1 with L2/R2: Off (Unless you play Claw, in which case, turn this on.)
• Stick Layout Preset: Default
• Controller Vibration: Off
• Trigger Effect: Off

Aiming

• Horizontal Stick Sensitivity: 5
• Vertical Stick Sensitivity: 5
• ADS Sensitivity Multiplier: 0.90
• Sensitivity Multiplier
  • Ground Vehicles: 1.00
  • Tablet: 1.00

• Verticle Aim Axis
  • On foot: Standard
  • Ground Vehicles: Standard

• Tac-Stance Sensitivity Multiplier: 0.90
• Aim Response Curve Type: Dynamic
• ADS Sensitivity Multiplier: 0.90
• ADS Sensitivity Transition Timing: Instant
• Custom Sensitivity Per Zoom: Off

Aim Assist

• Target Aim Assist: On
• Aim Assist Type: Black Ops

Motion Sensor Aiming

• Motion Sensor Behavior: Off

Gameplay

Movement

• Automatic Sprint: Off
• Sprint/Tactical Sprint Behavior: Toggle
• Auto Move Forward: Off
• Tactical Spring Behavior: Double Tap
• Grounded Mantle: On
• Automatic Airborne Mantle: Partial
• Automatic Ground Mantle: Off
• Invert Slide/Dive Behavior: Standard
• Plunging Underwater: Trigger
• Sprinting Door Bash: On
• Ledge Climb Behavior: Hold

Combat

• Aim Down Sight Behavior: Hold
• Change Zoom Shared Input: Off
• Equipment Behavior: Hold
• Weapon Mount Activation: ADS & Melee
• Weapon Mount Exit Delay: Medium
• Tactical Stance Activation: ADS & Melee
• Tactical Stance Behavior: On Toggle
• Interact/Reload Behavior: Tap to Reload
• Armor Plate Behavior: Apply All
• ADS Stick Swap: Off
• Backpack Control: Directional Buttons
• Depleted Ammo Weapon Switch: On
• Quick C4 Detonation: Grouped
• Manual Fire Behavior: Press

Vehicle

• Vehicle Camera Recenter: Short Delay
• Camera Initial Position: Free Look
• Lean-Out Activation: Melee

Overlay

• Ping Wheel Delay: Moderate
• Double Tab Danger Ping Delay: Moderate
• Killstreak Wheel Behavior: Hold

MW3 Aim Assist types explained

There are four different Aim Assist types in Modern Warfare 3, although two are very similar. Below, I explain what each means.

• Default: Traditional aim slowdown near target used in Modern Warfare games.
• Precision: Strong aim slowdown that only kicks in when aiming closer to the target. Best for accurate players.
• Focusing: Strong aim slowdown that also kicks in when narrowly missing the target. Best for players new to analog aiming.
• Black Ops: Traditional aim slowdown near target used in Black Ops games.

I tried all four of these out when MW3 first dropped. Precision puts you at a disadvantage as your slowdown kicks in later than the rest, so I wouldn't advise using it. Conversely, Focusing's aim slowdown is way too strong, and I hated how it felt.

I recommend using Default or Black Ops. They feel pretty much identical, but I felt like I played better using Black Ops personally. Try them both out and see which one feels the best.

MW3 Aim Response Curve explained

On top of Aim Assist types, there are also response curves to consider. There are three in total:

• Standard: Simple power curve map from aim stick to aim rate.
• Linear: Aim stick maps directly to aim rate.
• Dynamic: Reverse S-curve mapping for fine aim rate control.

The only one I don't recommend is Linear, which I found difficult to use. Standard is solid for almost everyone, while Dynamic is probably the best due to the precision it can give you. If you do switch to it, be ready for some early pain though, as it took me about a week before I was comfortable with it.

Best MW3 FOV settings

As for FOV, I recommend you stick to 100 as your Field of View. This lets you see a good portion of your surroundings, without zooming out too far and getting that weird feeling of everything around you looking skewed.

In the end, though, it's all personal preference, so try anywhere from 95 to 115 and see which one feels the best for you.

The post Best MW3 controller settings to improve your aim: Sensitivity and aim assist appeared first on Destructoid.

Destiny 2's Guardian Games All-Stars is almost here, with the event returning alongside some changes and additions. The February 29 This Week in Destiny communication discussed what players could expect from this year's event, with a few surprises for good measure. In addition to a stylish new hoverboard to get around, Guardian Games participants can try their luck at new challenges and rake in some unique rewards.

The Guardian Games is a yearly event in Destiny 2 framed as a friendly competition between the three playable classes. It's the one time of year when players are encouraged to compete against each other to help their favored class reign supreme. While that's still largely the case, a few alterations have been made to spice up 2024's Games.

A full breakdown of the 2024 Guardian Games

If players partook in the Guardian Games within the last couple of years, they should know the score. Pick up Contender Cards from Eva Levante, complete them for Medallions, and dunk said Medallions for your class in the Tower. Three banners hang in the center of the Tower, rising or falling to represent the efforts of each class. Alongside this, event-specific playlists for PvP and PvE offer additional score-based challenges for Medallions and accompanying bragging rights.

The first major change to the formula comes on the scoring side of the event. In its TWID, Bungie acknowledged that population imbalances make the event tricky, even with previous weighing efforts. This year, Bungie is taking an altogether different approach, saying, "Each day, class scores will be measured by the average Medallion score of all players who've deposited a Medallion that day, separated by class of course." The studio hopes this change will make participation more meaningful and less dependent on population knowledge.

On top of the latest method to calculate results, there are new ways to contribute. Prior Guardian Games featured Contender Cards of the Gold or Platinum variety, but this year, Diamond Contender Cards are inbound. These reward Diamond Medallions, which Bungie notes can turn the day's tide. As such, Guardians can only take on three per week. The Diamond Contender Cards will come in three varieties. One PvE option, one for PvP, and another centered around an upcoming Twitch Drop.

While the Guardian Games playlists aren't unique, Bungie is trying something new called Focus Activity this year. It highlights a specific Guardian Games playlist and offers tiered reward packages for participation. The Champion's Package, the highest rank, is gifted to the class that performs best in the Focus Activity. According to Bungie, Focus Activities start every few hours and run for two hours Monday through Thursday and three hours Friday through Sunday.

All of the Guardian Games 2024 Rewards

What would the Guardian Games be without some nifty loot? After all, this is the same event that spawned the remarkable Heir Apparent Exotic machine gun. Well, 2024's Guardian Games will be no slouch in the rewards department, either. Players are getting a new heavy grenade launcher and a new Memento, icing on the hoverboard cake.

Alongside the slick new vehicle, Guardians will have a new toy to play with: the Hullabaloo heavy grenade launcher. This Arc wave frame is one of only a few of its kind in-game, and alongside the buffs set to hit, it'll be interesting to see what this launcher can do. Especially after Bungie pointed out that it could roll with both Voltshot and Chain Reaction. Expect lots of lightning.

While not wholly new, two returning weapons from previous Guardian Games are also getting retooled. The Strand scout rifle Taraxippos and the Void submachine gun The Title are set to see new perk combinations. In particular, the TWID called attention to the inclusion of Slice and Precision Instrument for Taraxippos and the combo of Repulsor Brace and Surrounded on The Title.

Rounding out new rewards for the 2024 Guardian Games is a new Memento. The Guardian Games All-Stars Memento can drop any time players bank a Gold or Platinum Medallion, but it's guaranteed to appear whenever a Diamond Medallion is dunked. And while players can still only hold one of each Memento at a time, Eva is willing to help a friend out. The event proprietor will hold any extra Guardian Games All-Stars Mementos until players make room in their inventory or the event ends. 

That's well-appreciated help, considering how cool the new Memento looks. Guardians taking home the new Memento will be treated to a red and black colorway accented with gold trim. An appropriate donning for an All-Star.

The post What’s new or changing for Destiny 2’s 2024 Guardian Games appeared first on Destructoid.