F1 returns to ‘Rocket League’ with 2022 Fan Pass

Psyonix is announcing an updated Rocket League Formula One Fan Pack for 2022, giving players a way to unify their passions of cars bumping into one another to score points and… also that. Much like last year’s offering, you’ll get a freshly-updated F1 car model, new audio and Pirelli-branded Wheels. You’ll also be able to deck your ride out in the livery of Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri, Ferrari, McLaren, McLaren Miami and AlphaTauri’s farm team, Red Bull. 

The car model will be based on Rocket League’sDominus Hitbox, the same one that’s used to underpin many of its crossover models. Between May 4th and May 10th, to coincide with the Miami GP, players can drop down 1,100 credits to get the Fan Pack, and those who buy now will get two additional updates through the rest of the season thrown in for free. That includes decals for Mercedes, Haas, Williams, Aston Martin and Alpine, while the fall update will include different color variants for the Pirelli wheels.

Valorant’s upcoming path-to-pro mode is designed for aspiring esports stars

Valorant‘s professional scene will look vastly different next year after Riot Games announced some significant changes to the game’s esports structure. Domestic and international leagues will be introduced in 2023. A new game mode designed to help aspiring esports stars turn pro is on the way too.

The upcoming mode will give players a chance to qualify for the domestic leagues, which will be integrated closely with the in-game tournament feature. Riot hopes the path-to-pro mode will help organizations scout upcoming talents as well.

There will be three international leagues which will respectively feature top-tier teams from the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and North Africa; and Asia and Oceania. The plan is to run competitive matches on a week-to-week basis. If health and safety protocols allow, Riot will bring teams together for in-person events with live audiences. These leagues will also serve as qualifiers for the existing elite global tournaments, Masters and Champions.

In addition, Riot will expand Valorant Game Changers, a program is designed for women and other marginalized genders in the competitive ecosystem. It will be available in more countries and regions next year. Meanwhile, third-party tournaments will take place during the off-season between official competitions.

Riot says it’s working on new fan experiences and partnerships with esports organizations. Teams who are part of that program won’t need to pay participation or entry fees and Riot will provide them with stipends “in return for their investment in growing the ecosystem.”

The publisher is using what it learned from the success of League of Legends esports to revamp the pro scene of Valorant, which now has 15 million monthly players. Riot is hoping to build on the first-person shooter’s popularity and “supercharge Valorant into the next great multigenerational esport,” the publisher’s head of esports John Needham told The Washington Post in a statement.

Formula E Gen3: The world’s most efficient race car

Although some of the details have already been announced, Formula E officially unveiled its Gen3 car today ahead of this weekend’s Monaco E-Prix. Big changes are coming in terms of power and efficiency when the new cars hit the track next season, but t…

‘Sifu’ is getting difficulty options to help more people actually finish the game

Sifu has been a critical and commercial success for Sloclap, but the developer isn’t resting on its laurels. The studio has revealed a roadmap of updates for the notoriously tough beat-’em-up, which includes the imminent addition of difficulty modes.

Starting on May 3rd, you’ll be able to select from student, disciple and master difficulty options, which could help more folks finish the game and give returning players an even more challenging experience. Sloclap will also add an advanced training option and outfit selection features next week.

Over the summer, Sifu will receive an advanced scoring system, as well as some more outfits and intriguing gameplay modifiers. Those include a one-health-point option (good luck with that), stronger enemies, a way to unlock all skills and a bullet time mode.

More outfits and modifiers will be added over the rest of the year, as well as a replay editor in the fall and an all-new arenas mode in winter. All of these will be free updates.

Sifu arrived in February on PlayStation 4, PS5 and PC. Though it debuted just a few days before the all-conquering Elden Ring, it still sold a respectable one million copies in just three weeks.

Instagram is testing pinned posts for profiles

For a while now, Instagram has allowed you to pin your favorite Stories to the top of your profile as a way to save them beyond their expiry date. And the company may soon allow you to do the same with posts to ensure they stand out in their own way.As…

‘Apex Legends’ season 13 will bring big changes to the Ranked system

Respawn is set to once again shake up Apex Legends next month when the battle royale’s 13th season, called Saviors, gets underway. For one thing, there are major changes on the way to the competitive Ranked system. The studio says the new approach will reward teamwork and skill, as you’ll “rise and fall through the ranks together.”

A new season means there’ll be another playable legend to get to grips with. The next character to join the ranks is called Newcastle. His abilities haven’t been fully revealed, but he does have a shield. No word as yet as to whether he’s a member of the Toon Army, though he seems to be Bangalore’s brother.

Elsewhere, players can expect the Storm Point map to look significantly different after a security protocol is triggered by a monster from the deep. As yet, there doesn’t seem to be a major new game mode this time around. Respawn added a big team mode called Control in February, at the start of the current season.

More details about map updates, Newcastle, the overhauled Ranked system and the new battle pass will be revealed in the coming days. Apex Legends: Saviors starts on May 10th.

Ubisoft’s new ‘team battle arena’ game isn’t a battle royale, claims company

Following a leak early Saturday, Ubisoft announced it was working on a new “team battle arena” game codenamed Project Q. Before Ubisoft’s official announcement, leaker Tom Henderson shared footage of Project Q, showcasing a title that looks like a mix between Overwatch and Fortnite. One mode, dubbed “Showdown,” features four teams of two players pitted against one another to decide the winner, while a second “Battle Zone” mode sees two teams of four players competing to earn 100 points first.

Despite similarities to games like PUBG and Warzone, Ubisoft was quick to claim Project Q isn’t another battle royale. “By the way, this is not a battle royale,” the company tweeted. “The game will feature a variety of PvP modes with one single goal in mind: Fun!” Ubisoft also announced it doesn’t plan to add NFTs to Project Q. Among video game publishers, Ubisoft has been one of the more bullish proponents of Web3 monetization, a stance that has not endeared the company among gamers.

You can sign up on Ubisoft’s website to receive updates on Project Q. According to the registration page, the company is developing the title for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PS5 and PC. The confirmation of Project Q‘s existence follows the recent news that Ubisoft would shut down Hyper Scape, its first attempt at a battle royale, on the 28th.

‘F1 22’ launches July 1st with VR support

EA’s Formula 1 sim F1 22 will be released worldwide on July 1st, 2022 with the FIA’s all-new hybrid cars and updated rules unveiled this season, EA and Codemaster announced. The game will supposedly be more “competitive and unpredictable” thanks to the major overhaul of F1 cars that happened in the real-world, and includes new features like PC VR support.

New Broadcast and Immersive modes will let players choose between more realistic or cinematic modes for formation laps, safety car periods and pit stops. Multiplayer racing will use either two-player splitscreen and online modes, or you can drive in VR on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.  

Meanwhile, a new feature called F1 Life lets players “step into the glamorous world of Formula 1” via a customizable hub to show off supercars, clothing and accessories earned during gameplay or purchased at the in-game store. The other new feature is an Adaptive AI mode that lets less experienced player compete with AI racers matched in skill.

Career Mode was a popular update last year and it’s back again with “fresh new features,” though EA didn’t say which. The “My Team” feature also returns, letting players choose a starting budget based on Newcomer, Challenger and Front Runner entry points. It also includes track updates to reflect the real-world updates in Australia, Spain and Abu Dabhi. As mentioned, F1 2022 will go on sale around the world on July 1st. 

Even ‘Rocket League’ is adding a battle royale mode

If you thought it was just a matter of time before Psyonix synced up with its parent company Epic Games by adding battle royale to Rocket League… your beliefs were well-founded. Psyonix is introducing a limited-time Knockout Bash mode that drops the usual vehicular soccer in favor of battle royale’s familiar last-one-standing mechanic. Eight players try to survive by attacking each other and staying inside an ever-shrinking “Safezone.” That will sound more than a little familiar to Fortnite fans, but Rocket League‘s take includes a few important twists.

Players only leave after they’ve been knocked out three times, for instance. And don’t worry, you won’t pick up guns — you instead ram them, block attacks or even toss them across the arena. Hazards like spikes and an underlying laser grid lead to instant knockouts, and the six-minute mark activates a “Sudden KO” phase where attacks are more powerful and leaving the Safezone results in instant death.

Your abilities change, too. You now lock the camera on to rivals rather than the (non-existent) ball. You can jump much faster and for longer, and you’ll have both a stronger boost and more dodges at your disposal.

Knockout Bash will be available between April 27th and May 10th, with three maps devoted solely to this free-for-all combat. Twitch viewers will also receive a special player banner if they watch certain Rocket League streamers when the mode launches. It’s not certain that Psyonix will revive battle royale at a later date, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a comeback if this event proves successful.