The news, part two:
Valheim patch fixes portal exploit, makes deathsquitos more cuddly
https://www.pcgamer.com/valheim-patch-fixes-portal-exploit-makes-deathsquitos-more-cuddly/
Many Valheim players probably had the same moment of dreadful realization the first time they built a pair of portals, one at their base and one at some far flung, resource-rich location. After mining a bunch of ore, they tried to step through the magic circle to return home and... couldn't. You can't take ore through portals. Dang.
But some clever Vikings found a little exploit that involved stepping through the portal and clicking on a cart or chest at the same time, sneakily adding the metals to their pockets just as they blip away through the magic doorway. Hooray!
Well, the Valheim patch released today sounds like it puts an end to the little "teleport ore chest hack," as it's described by the devs, so you'll need to find another way to cheese the portal/ore challenge or resign yourself to transporting your metals by cart and ship. (Though there is another way, actually, sorta.)
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 Classic's first update in three years broke everything
https://www.pcgamer.com/star-wars-battlefront-2-classics-first-update-in-three-years-broke-everything/
This week, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (the 2005 Pandemic one, not EA's successor) received its first update in years. But when the small patch broke just about everything, the update was rolled back after less than a day.
World of Warcraft is bringing back Valor points to make it easier to get endgame gear
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-is-bringing-back-valor-points-to-make-it-easier-to-get-endgame-gear/
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has been pretty great so far, but if there's one thing players seem to agree on it's that getting endgame gear is kind of a slog—especially if you're only focused on PvE activities like dungeons and raids. When we spoke to game director Ion Hazzikostas a few weeks ago for our feature on the state of World of Warcraft, he mentioned it was one of the biggest pieces of feedback Blizzard was looking to address. And, yesterday, Blizzard unveiled one of the ways it's hoping to make endgame gear a little easier in the upcoming 9.0.5 update.
BlizzCon 2021 schedule promises looks at Overwatch 2, the future of Diablo, and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzcon-2021-schedule/
With the digital-only BlizzCon 2021 now less than two weeks away, Blizzard has posted the full schedule for the online-exclusive event, which will feature streamed content including deep-dives into Blizzard games, community workshops, Q&A sessions, a cooking show, and more.
Tales From the Borderlands returns to stores next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/tales-from-the-borderlands-returns-to-stores-next-week/
Tales From the Borderlands, Telltale Games' adventurous take on the hit Gearbox shooter series, has been out of circulation for a long while now. It was delisted from GOG, along with all other Telltale games, in mid-2019; prior to that, it was also removed from sale on Steam—the store listing is still there, but you can't actually buy it.
That will soon change, however, as Gearbox announced through the official Borderlands Twitter account that it's coming back next week.
3v3v3 tactical shooter Nine to Five is holding its first open beta this weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/3v3v3-tactical-shooter-nine-to-five-is-holding-its-first-open-beta-this-weekend/
Nine to Five is a team-based tactical shooter set in a near future ruled by corporations who don't mind getting their hands dirty—which is to say, hiring teams of mercenaries to get their hands dirty—when things don't work out in the boardroom. Being developed by Redhill Games, a studio founded in 2018 by former Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne, it promises to stand out from other tactical shooters with 3v3v3 battles, three-round contests with changing objectives, and a focus on teamwork over twitchy reflexes.
Blood Bowl 3 gets an August release date and a fake beer ad
https://www.pcgamer.com/blood-bowl-3-gets-an-august-release-date-and-a-fake-beer-ad/
When Blood Bowl 3 was first announced it had a release window of 2020, which was then punted back to "early 2021". That date has now taken another kicking and has shifted to August 2021. As the official Twitter account explains, "We were a bit optimistic when we announced early 2021 back in September and we apologize for those who are disappointed."
DICE LA is back on Battlefield, a year after making plans to break from the series
https://www.pcgamer.com/dice-la-is-back-on-battlefield-a-year-after-making-plans-to-break-from-the-series/
When he assumed leadership of DICE's LA studio last year, Respawn boss Vince Zampella had big plans in mind. The support studio would be working on new, original games, outside the shadow cast by DICE's Stockholm office. That might all still be true someday—but for the time being, it looks like DICE LA is back onboard Battlefield.
Romantic Fallen London spin-off Mask Of The Rose has been crowdfunded
https://www.pcgamer.com/romantic-fallen-london-spin-off-mask-of-the-rose-has-been-crowdfunded/
Fallen London, and by association Sunless Sea and Sunless Skies, are full of all manner of strange characters both human and otherworldly. So, naturally, it's about time a game came along that explores the love lives of the Unterzee's hottest (and slimiest) bachelors.
Earth Analog, a space exploration sim inspired by Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, is out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/earth-analog-an-atmospheric-space-sim-inspired-by-christopher-nolans-interstellar-is-out-now/
Released on Steam today, Earth Analog sees you, a lone space pilot, flying to the Proxima Centauri system to search for a habitable new planet for humanity to call home—as well as a previous expedition that mysteriously disappeared. It's a singleplayer space sim with a Newtonian flight model, relaying an eerie, twisting story as you explore this distant galaxy.
Over 20,000 Elite Dangerous pilots have organised against bot abusers
https://www.pcgamer.com/over-20000-elite-dangerous-pilots-have-organised-against-bot-abusers/
A rampant AI menace is threatening interstellar space, according to the thousands of Elite: Dangerous players who have signed a petition against the game's apparent botting problem.
Beyond space trucking and bounty hunting, Elite Dangerous' 30th century galaxy is controlled via a system called Power Play—a meta-game that sees various factions and empires vie for control over the game's countless systems. Unfortunately, it seems some actors have been using third-party systems to manipulate the simulations that determine how territory is allocated, cheating politics to create favourable outcomes.
