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Hello Halo fans! Here’s a roundup of the latest news and updates from the Halo universe.
Halo Infinite Season 5
After a rocky year and a half, Halo Infinite’s upcoming Season 5 seeks to bring new content and features that have been long awaited by fans1. The developers are working hard to improve the game and provide an enhanced experience for all players1.Unwritten Rules of Halo Infinite
A recent article explained some of the unwritten rules of Halo Infinite2. It emphasized the importance of avoiding team killing to maintain a sense of camaraderie and enhance the overall experience of the game2. The article also discussed responsible teabagging, using it as a means of communication with teammates rather than just taunting fallen enemies2.343 Industries’ Role in Future Halo Games
There have been reports that 343 Industries will no longer be actively developing Halo games, but will oversee outside development3. This means that new games in the series will be created by third-party studios3. However, 343 Industries has denied these reports and clarified that it is not ending active Halo development at its studio3.Upcoming Events
The Halo World Championship is returning to Seattle, WA! Join us this October 13-15 for a full-on Halo-Fest4. In just a few weeks, the greatest Halo players in the world will face off here in Seattle, Washington4.Tenrai III Event Launch
From September 19 to October 3, the Tenrai III event was active in Halo Infinite, bringing a free 10-day event4.That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more updates and news from the Halo universe!
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The Starfield campaign takes you to multiple locations, all with the backing of your friends in Constellation. However, one particular incident happens later in the game, which will, no doubt, surprise you. Our Starfield A High Price to Pay guide discusses this particular mission, which is certainly full of spoilers.
How to Complete A High Price to Pay in Starfield
The Starfield A High Price to Pay mission occurs shortly after No Sudden Moves. Prior to this, the Constellation group will be divided into two: those in The Lodge and those in The Eye.
Groupings in A High Price to Pay
Here's a quick summary:
- Vladimir Sall and three Constellation companions will be aboard The Eye.
- Walter, Noel, Matteo, Vasco, and one Constellation companion will be in The Lodge.
- We can't say for certain what affects the locations of your full-fledged companions. We can only surmise that this may have something to do with their affinity--i.e. the one with the highest affinity will be part of the group in The Eye, and the one with the second highest affinity will be in The Lodge.
Once you talk to Noel, you'll realize that The Eye has been attacked. Shortly thereafter, someone attempts to barge inside The Lodge. You now have to choose whether you'd defend The Lodge or go to The Eye.
You need to make a decision. What happens if you defend The Lodge
If you decide to defend The Lodge in Starfield's A High Price to Pay quest, you're told to check on Walter on the second floor. As soon as you go near, the Hunter, a Starborn warrior, appears. Here's what you need to do next:
- Continue shooting the Hunter for a short while so that the rest of the group has time to go through the sewer passageway in the basement. Watch out for the Hunter's powers, such as summoning a duplicate of himself.
- Proceed to the sewers, which eventually leads to The Well. The Hunter will continue chasing you, so make a run for it.
- Upon exiting The Well, you have to continue all the way to the Spaceport, where you'll be able to take off on your ship.
- Dock with The Eye and see what just happened.
Left: The Hunter will appear and choke Walter; Right: Your escape takes you all the way to the Spaceport. Unfortunately, because you weren't able to go to The Eye in time, one of your companions will end up dead. In my case, Sarah died.
We believe it's because she had the highest affinity among all my companions, though we can't fully confirm that. Perhaps things would turn out differently in your playthrough.
Sarah died aboard The Eye in one of our campaigns. What happens if you go to The Eye
If you decide to go to The Eye in Starfield's A High Price to Pay quest, be sure to do it fast because you only have a short window of time. You must exit The Lodge before Walter is choked by the Hunter. If you're unable to do this quickly, the door will be inaccessible. Here's what happens next:
- The companion that's supposed to die in The Eye is severely wounded, but you can talk to them. They'll be able to recover afterward.
- You still need to return to The Lodge. There, you'll see that the lone full-fledged companion is dead.
- In Mark's campaign, it was Sam that died in The Lodge.
- In my campaign, it was Andreja.
- We compared notes and realized that these two had the second highest affinity among our companions.
Sarah survived because we went to The Eye. You're not done yet, however, since you still need to head to the sewers to find Noel. Upon reaching her, the Hunter will appear.
The Starborn will still chase you, so you need to go through The Well and the Spaceport to reach your ship. From there, everyone will regroup in The Eye, and you need to plan your next moves.
Unfortunately, Andreja died in The Lodge. Constellation has been broken after all these incidents, and the survivors have to pick up the pieces. We discuss further events in our guides regarding the Armillary, as well as whether or not you'd be able to save your companion.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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You might be wondering if you can save your companion in Starfield. No, we're not talking about anyone getting downed due to relentless attacks from alien beasts, or because they started floating around randomly. We're talking about a more drastic incident that occurs in A High Price to Pay. Our guide discusses everything you need to know about this moment, as well as the workarounds we've tried. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Can you save your companion in Starfield
The Starfield companion in question is the one that dies in A High Price to Pay (we told you there would be spoilers). The quest itself requires you to choose between two locations: The Lodge or The Eye. A companion in the location that you didn't choose will perish.
As of the time of this writing, we're unable to confirm what actually affects the choice of companion. We do believe that it might be due to the affinity system--i.e. the companions with the two highest approvals/relationship levels will be chosen at that stage. One of them will die to make for a more impactful moment in the story.
Our writers compared notes in this instance:
- One writer had Sarah in The Eye and Sam in The Lodge.
- Another writer had Sarah in The Eye and Andreja in The Lodge.
- In those instances, they both had the highest affinity with Sarah (The Eye). Meanwhile, Sam and Andreja (The Lodge) had the second highest affinity in their respective campaigns.
- After making a fateful decision, the companion in the location that they did not choose died.
Left: Sarah died aboard The Eye; Right: Andreja died in The Lodge. So, can you save your companion in Starfield? The answer is no--or, at least we haven't found a working method that allows that. Here's what we've tried so far:
- We tried to speedrun the whole thing: exit The Lodge, go to The Eye, rescue the survivor, then go back to The Lodge, all while ignoring everything else. One companion in The Lodge still died.
- The Starborn powers that we had at the time also didn't work.
- As an aside, we also tried console commands, specifically "player.placeatme" with a companion's ID. We did see character models with wispy smoke around them. We believe these character models had more to do with the ending scenes than this particular quest.
We spawned multiple Andrejas and noticed that some had a wispy smoke effect. The companion death is tied to the story
Overall, we believe that it's truly not possible to save your companion in Starfield, as it's heavily tied to the story. We've added a few details that transpire near the end of the game, and in New Game Plus. Read the spoilers at your own risk.
It's revealed that one of the Starborn, the Emissary, is the dead companion, but they're from another universe. In their universe, it was your character that perished, which motivated them to reach the Unity, eventually becoming the Emissary that you meet in your travels. If you decide to skip the main quest in New Game Plus, you'll blurt out that you're Starborn now. You'll then divulge to your companion that they died in your universe.
That's everything you need to know about A High Price to Pay and if you can save your companion in Starfield. After this part, there's an emotional moment where Constellation says goodbye to one of their members. That also leads to Walter asking you to help his R&D team, which nets you a free Class-C Kepler ship. The next important main quest that we discuss is the Unity puzzle.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield Armillary is an important device that you'll make use of halfway through the campaign. You're also presented a choice as to where you'll build it. This decision does have some notable effects as you progress further in the story. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Where to build the Armillary in Starfield
The Starfield Armillary decision occurs at the end of A High Price to Pay. The pivotal quest has you choosing whether you'd defend The Lodge or see if your other companions are safe in The Eye. One companion will perish, while the survivors band together aboard The Eye. They then ask you what you should do with the artifacts.
That's where the Starfield Armillary comes in. One built, you can store all your artifacts therein. Here are the options:
- Build the Armillary on your ship - Simply check the panel to the right of the pilot's seat. You should see a prompt to build the Armillary.
- Build the Armillary in an outpost - For this, you'll want to create an outpost on a planet. Once you have a beacon, check the Quest tab and select the Armillary.
- Don't build the Armillary and just carry the artifacts normally - Artifacts themselves don't have any mass, which means they don't add to the overall carry weight.
Building the Armillary on your ship is a quick and easy process. What happens later after you build the Armillary
Simply put, the Armillary acts like a beacon for hostile Starborn that are also after the artifacts. If you build it on your ship, you're likely to encounter more Starborn while flying around in space. If you don't built it at all, Starborn might show up as you're exploring in space or on planets.
The outpost option was the only one that we didn't try, though we doubt Starborn would suddenly attack your crew members that are left behind. Our preference, overall, was building the Armillary on our ship. Because of this, Starborn vessels spawned more frequently, which led to space battles.
Starborn ships have a higher chance of spawning. In any case, constructing the device concludes A High Price to Pay. But, there's still one question left unanswered: can you actually save your companion that perished during the mission?
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield Unity Ancient Ruins puzzle is something that you'll tackle near the closing stages of the campaign. There, you'll meet up with religious leaders and fly to various planets in search of the Pilgrim. Our guide discusses how you can complete these tasks. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
How to solve the Unity Ancient Ruins puzzle in Starfield
The Starfield Unity quest happens well after A High Price to Pay, which is one of the most pivotal moments in the campaign. You'll learn of a cryptic message regarding the Starborn, and Matteo in The Lodge seems to have the info. Here's a quick summary:
- Talk to Matteo and he'll mention Keeper Aquilus.
- Go to the Sanctum Universum building, which is to your left upon arriving at the MAST District.
- Keeper Aquilus tells you of a legend: that of a Pilgrim who once spoke to the leaders of the three religious groups in the galaxy.
- Head to the House of the Enlightened building in The Well and talk to Singh.
- Then, make your way to the SysDef compound and ask to speak with Mir'za, a follower of the Great Serpent.
- Upon returning to Aquilus, you'll learn that each part of the legend points to the coordinates of the Pilgrim's settlement.
Belief systems are just reduced to silly clues. Pilgrim's Computer puzzle
Make your way to Indum II in the Indum system. There, you'll find a settlement called Pilgrim's Rest. You'll see books scattered around. Each one provides a clue related to the Starfield Pilgrim's Computer puzzle. Here are the correct answers for each question:
- What is the burden of people? People are necessary, but people are madness.
- Who is your most formidable opponent? Myself.
- Where does enduring contentment come from? In stopping, embracing compassion.
Inside the small room, you'll find the Trackers Primer 02, a magazine that permanently increases EM weapon damage by 5%. The Pilgrim's Final Writing document is also there, and it points to your next destination.
Left: The Pilgrim left notes lying about; Right: Choose the correct answers when interacting with the terminal. Ancient Ruins puzzle
Head to Hyla II in the Hyla system, and get ready to solve the Starfield Ancient Ruins puzzle. Upon landing, you'll see an alien structure in the distance, as well as numerous mantis-like creatures. Don't worry since they're quite docile.
Approach the structure and you'll notice that there's a constellation, which happens to have glyph controls that move a beam of light. Take note of the Pilgrim's clue: "The scorpion's sting hides the truth."
The above means that you should move the beam to highlight the tip of the scorpion's tail (i.e. stinger). Once you do that, you'll be directed to the next part of the quest.
Left: The glyph lets you move the beam of light; Right: You need the light to shine on the scorpion's stinger. A surprise meeting
You should now go to Oborum III in the Oborum Prime system. Upon grav jumping to orbit, a ship will hail you. You'll be reunited with two familiar faces, which we don't want to spoil any further here.
In any case, that's all you need to know about how to solve the Unity Ancient Ruins puzzle in Starfield. One of the characters you'll meet at the end gives you the Moon Base Key, and it also leads to a mission called Unearthed. When you tackle that, you need to make a very important decision on who you'll side with.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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Throughout your journey in Starfield, you'll need to make key choices. Some only have short-term rewards, while others have long-term repercussions. One, in particular, happens at the end of the Unearthed mission. Our guide discusses this particular event, where you have to choose between the Hunter or Emissary in Starfield. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Should you side with the Hunter or Emissary in Starfield
The Starfield Hunter or Emissary decision takes place much later in the campaign. Here's a quick summary:
- At the end of All That Money Can Buy, you'll meet the Emissary, a Starborn who's looking for the artifacts.
- You'll also get attacked by The Hunter during A High Price to Pay.
- You'll discuss matters with the two once you solve the Unity Ancient Ruins puzzle, and you'll also receive the Moon Base Key.
- That leads to the Unearthed mission, which takes place on Luna, as well as the NASA Landmark on Earth.
- Upon exiting the NASA facility, both Starborn will ask you if you want to join them.
- Your decisions here will affect what transpires in the Revelation final mission.
Choose your friend... wisely. What happens if you side with the Emissary
The Emissary (i.e. your dead companion but from another universe) wants control of the Unity, acting as its caretaker or guardian. While that may sound benevolent, that also means they'll judge which humans are worthy of becoming Starborn. To side with the Emissary in Starfield, choose the following responses:
- The Emissary is right. The Artifacts need to be in the right hands.
- I'm siding with the Emissary.
Much later during the Revelation final mission, the Emissary will offer aid. They'll fight other Starborn ships in space, and they'll battle the Starborn and Ecliptic mercenaries in the facility.
What happens if you side with the Hunter
The Hunter (i.e. Keeper Aquilus from another universe) believes in a Darwinian philosophy--the strong will succeed, and the weak will perish. That means anyone and everyone have a right to claim the Artifacts and reach the Unity, if they have the power to do so. That also means he prefers anarchic violence as Starborn fight for supremacy. To side with the Hunter in Starfield, choose the following replies:
- The Hunter is right. The only real rule is who gets the Artifacts first.
- I'm siding with the Hunter.
The Hunter will also offer aid during the Relevation final mission. However, before that even happens, he has another task for you: kill Keeper Aquilus. It's up to you if you want to commit this act, or if you'd rather persuade Aquilus to go into hiding.
As a funny aside, we were romancing Andreja during this stage of the campaign. When we said that we didn't want to kill Aquilus, she disliked that we had doubts. But, when we agreed to kill him, she also disliked it due to our eagerness to murder someone.
We decided based on the number of likes we'll get from Andreja. What happens if you side with neither Starborn
It's also possible to side with neither the Hunter nor the Emissary in Starfield. To do this, select the following responses:
- You're both wrong. It's time someone other than a Starborn made a decision.
- I'm tired of both of you. I'll get to the Unity on my own.
And, yes, Andreja did like both responses, too, owing to her independent nature and because it meant that humanity would no longer be beholden to greater powers.
Coincidentally, this branch will mean that both Starborn will attack you when you reach the planet during the Revelation final mission. You also won't have any Starborn buddy to back you up in combat engagements.
That's all you need to know about whether to side with the Hunter or Emissary in Starfield. You're not quite done yet, because there's another important decision that you need to make, and it happens at the end of the Entangled mission.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield Entangled mission occurs toward the tail end of the campaign. It's essentially where you'll find one of the last artifacts remaining. However, there's a fateful decision that you need to make. Our guide discusses if you should save Rafael in Starfield, or if you should choose the other group instead. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Should you save Rafael in the Entangled mission in Starfield
The Starfield Entangled mission takes place on Freya III in the Freya system. Due to the distance, make sure that you have a powerful grav drive so your ship can make the jump. Here's a quick summary:
- You'll hear of a distress call from Rafael, but there doesn't seem to be a problem in the Nishina facility itself.
- You soon start to "shift" (i.e. teleport between dimensions) due to the effects of the artifact deep within the bowels of the facility.
- In the "normal" world, the lab personnel are all concerned. Apparently, there was a malfunction in the lab, and Rafael died while trying to fix the machine.
- You're then given a control device so you can manually teleport between universes. Likewise, you're handed the Experiment A-7, a rare shotgun that's also one of the best weapons in the game.
- In the "dark" world, you'll find Rafael. In his dimension, he survived the explosion, but everyone else in the facility died.
Left: Rafael is in his own universe; Right: The Nishina personnel are there to help you. Entangled mission objectives and enemies
The main goal in the Starfield Entangled mission is to shift between universes by interacting with the shimmering distortions. Locked doors and other obstacles will bar your way. However, if a path is blocked in one universe, then perhaps you'll find another way in the alternate dimension. You also have to take note of enemies:
- In the normal world, the facility is still up and running. Unfortunately, the lockdown caused defense systems to malfunction. You'll have to fight your way through numerous robo sentries, robo dogs, and turrets. Still, you might find terminals that allow you to disable them completely.
- In the dark world, the ransacked facility is now crawling with nasty bug-like creatures, and the walls themselves have pustular growths.
This is Starfield's horror level. The lab experiment
Eventually, you'll reach the main lab where a giant laser is drilling through the artifact. You'll also notice seven terminals in each world. Here's what you need to do:
- You can continue to shift between universes by interacting with distortions.
- However, you only need to interact with seven terminals in one world so you can shut down the drill.
- You'll still get attacked by groups of robots or swarms of bugs depending on the realm.
- The reality where you shut down the experiment is the one that will continue to exist.
Choose which reality remains in existence. What happens if you save Rafael
You can save Rafael in Starfield by shutting down the terminals and the experiment in the dark world. In doing so, he'll give you several items. As of the time of this writing, we can't confirm if these are randomized, but these are the rewards that we received:
- Rare: Disassembler Professional's Advanced Coachman
- Rare: Instigating Calibrated Magshear
- Unique: Vytinium material
- Unique: Tasine material
But, that's not all, if you save Rafael in Starfield, he'll follow you back to your ship. Take him to New Atlantis and visit him in the Viewport bar. You can then recruit him as a crew member. His skills are Outpost Engineering 1, Starship Engineering 2, and Outpost Management 1.
You can recruit Rafael in the Viewport bar in New Atlantis. What happens if you save the rest of the people in the lab
Conversely, you can save the rest of the Nishina lab folks by shutting down the terminals and drill in the normal world. These were the items that we received:
- Legendary: Reactive Advanced Experimental Nishina Helmet
- Legendary: Incendiary Advanced Experimental Nishina Spacesuit
Ultimately, the choice is up to you when it comes to the Starfield Entangled and Rafael dilemma. Would you sacrifice dozens of people just for one crewmate, or will you prioritize the needs of the many? In any case, regardless of your decision, you still have to conclude the campaign in the Revelation finale.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield Revelation mission closes out the campaign. Since this is the last quest, you need to be ready for an epic fight (or not). Naturally, our guide will help you along the way. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
How to complete the Revelation mission in Starfield
The Starfield Revelation mission takes place after the Entangled dilemma on Freya III. You have all the artifacts, save for those held by your two Starborn rivals. Moreover, your decision at the end of Unearthed--i.e. side with the Hunter or Emissary--will affect how the Revelation mission turns out.
The battle above Masada III
To begin the Starfield Revelation mission, you need to fly to Masada III in the Masada system, which is in the southeastern tip of the galaxy. Be ready as soon as you spawn in, because the Starborn are waiting for you:
- If you sided with either the Hunter or the Emissary, then they'll assist you against their rival's forces.
- If you sided with neither, you'll have to face them both, as well as their cohorts. The two key Starborn characters will escape once their ships are heavily damaged.
Masada III is a fitting destination for a space battle. The first encounter: Loading Docks
Upon landing in the Ecliptic Base, you'll see a lot of dead mercenaries. If you chose a Starborn ally at the end of Unearthed, they'll also greet you here, and they'll join as an NPC squadmate.
Then, as you make your way to the Loading Docks area, several Starborn will appear. You can use the barriers and walls to avoid projectiles, though you still need to take out your opponents. Shortly thereafter, you'll reach an open area with more dead mercs. However, a Starborn will revive several of them.
The goal here is to eliminate every Ecliptic merc that you see. That's because the Starborn will continuously reanimate corpses until they're the only one left standing. Once you've killed them, they'll drop a key that leads to the next area.
Let the Starborn enemies wade into gunfire. The second encounter: Robot Room
The next battle takes place in a large chamber that has numerous robo sentries, robo dogs, and turrets. There are two Starborn here as well. Funnily enough, we thought that this was the easiest encounter in the Starfield Revelation mission. That's because you can quickly run to the control room in the center, unlock the door with a digipick, and hack the terminal to change the friend/foe settings. In doing so, all the machines will attack the Starborn instead, making for a rather quick and uneventful fight.
Quickly hack the terminal to make the bots attack the Starborn. Visions
As you proceed deeper into the facility, you'll have to pass through ripples/distortions in the area. These will give you a glimpse into past events that have transpired, except it seems that they take place in alternate universes. For instance, remember the part in A High Price to Pay when one of your companions died? It now shows your character dying, which led to your companion (i.e. the one with the highest affinity) journeying onward to become the Emissary.
Also, it seems that it's possible to fight and kill Vladimir Sall here. This lets you claim his outfit--it takes place in another reality, so the Vladimir Sall in your world probably won't mind.
Your character died, but it's not a game over. The third encounter: The Cave
The penultimate encounter takes place in a gargantuan cavern. There's only one Starborn here, but they've got backup: multiple copies of every Constellation companion. This is the toughest battle so far since every hostile is wielding a firearm, and you can't avoid every bullet or laser beam.
We suggest running ahead first to get a bead on the Starborn. Once you spot your target, pepper them with everything you have. If you find yourself taking a lot of damage, use a medpack and get to cover, then continue attacking the Starborn. Once the entity dies, the other mirror images will disappear, too.
Send in the clones! Boss fight: Starborn Skip or Starborn Showdown
Enter Temple Mu to conclude the Starfield Revelation mission. Inside, you'll have a chat with the Hunter and the Emissary. You're given the following choices:
- Attack — You'll have to fight the Starborn that you didn't side with, or both of them if you refused their offers in Unearthed.
- Persuade — This is why we feel that Persuasion is one of the best skills in the game. You can convince your opponent(s) to stand down. This action requires eight points (i.e. pips), but you should have a high success rate if you've ranked up the skill. You can also consume Hippolyta (from the Aid section in your inventory) to improve your odds.
If you manage to convince the Starborn to stop the infighting, they'll hand you their artifacts. You can then pick up Artifact Mu from the pedestal to complete your collection. The only downside here is that you won't be able to obtain their unique legendary weapons, not unless you attack them or use console commands.
You can convince the Starborn leaders to set aside their hostilities. Of course, you could always opt for a bit of violence in the Starfield Revelation mission. If you want to defeat the Hunter and/or the Emissary in Starfield, then you better be ready for an epic final battle. Here's what you need to know:
- The two Starborn will use an assortment of powers. Expect everything from Solar Flare and Gravity Well, to Parallel Self mirror images and the Gravity Wave Fus Ro Dah ability.
- If you allied with either Starborn, then they'll also assist you and they'll continue using their abilities. For instance, we know that the Emissary loves using Sunless Space in an attempt to freeze targets.
- You'll also experience constant shifts as you damage your opponent/s. These will take you to places that you've visited before, except in alternate dimensions. Here are some examples:
- The Lodge in New Atlantis, where Constellation members suddenly turn hostile because they have no clue who you are and why two mysterious folks suddenly appeared.
- The NASA Landmark, both in the zero-G chamber and in the gallery.
- The Well in New Atlantis and the Astral Lounge in Neon, which causes civilians running for their lives.
Left: The battle rages on in the NASA facility; Right: Put an end to your foes back in Temple Mu. The battle will reach its climax as everyone returns to Temple Mu. Once your target(s) is/are eliminated, you can grab their artifacts, as well as their respective armaments, which we automatically consider as two of the best weapons in the game. That just makes sense given that the campaign is over.
- The Hunter drops Unmitigated Violence, a legendary laser rifle.
- The Emissary drops Eternity's Gate, a legendary particle beam rifle.
- We've also seen the Emissary drop three Starborn Spacesuit Gravitas outfits, but this was with the use of console commands to remove the NPCs essential tag.
That's everything you need to know about how to complete the Revelation final mission in Starfield. Now that the deed is done, it's time to look forward to the endings, as well as New Game Plus.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield endings tell you of how your world fared based on the decisions you've made throughout the campaign. Of course, even after the final battle, there's no need to rush to get there. Still, our Starfield endings guide discusses what you can expect once you reach this point. It goes without saying that this article contains spoilers.
Starfield endings guide
The Starfield endings are shown once you reach the Unity. This is presented as a choice after the Revelation final mission. After you obtain all the artifacts, you'll be able to place them in your Armillary. Here's the gist:
- To reach the Unity and the ending, your Armillary must be built on your ship and all artifacts must be placed therein. Then, simply jump to any system. Instead of going to a planet, your ship will be transported to the Unity.
- If you want to continue exploring the galaxy in the meantime, simply remove your Armillary from your ship. You can always rebuild it down the line when you're ready.
The Unity
The Unity is considered as the center of all creation, whether made by God or ancient aliens, it serves as a passageway to other universes. There, you meet a curious-looking person: yourself.
The other version of you tells you of the events that have and will transpire due to the decisions that you've made. These scenes appear as dioramas, and you can walk up to them to hear more about those events.
It's me, it's you, I'm the problem, it's you? Constellation ending
As far as we can tell, there's only one ending related to the Constellation group: everyone continued to work together to explore the great unknown.
Romanced companion endings
This ending, meanwhile, is entirely dependent on the companion that you romance (i.e. highest affinity/commitment or marriage status) in the campaign. In our case, we romanced Sarah first. Unfortunately, she died in A High Price to Pay. We then romanced Andreja immediately afterward, shocking Nikola Jokic in this universe due to the fast rebound.
Va'ruun to me, whenever you're lonely. Va'ruun to me, if you need a shoulder. Artifacts and Starborn endings
This Starfield ending diorama speaks of how humanity fared in their search for the artifacts. For instance, if you didn't side with either the Emissary or the Hunter, you'll learn that humans are free to live their destiny without being manipulated by Starborn. Meanwhile, if you sided with the Emissary, you'll learn that they guided the Starborn and, even with their controlling nature, they eventually learned to be more lenient.
Left: Humanity reaches further into the unknown; Right: The Emissary serves as a guide for the Starborn. Faction endings
Lastly, these ending dioramas speak of outcomes depending on the faction arcs that you've completed. These pertain to the United Colonies, Freestar Collective, Ryujin Industries, and Crimson Fleet. For example, the United Colonies came to grips with the Terrormorph experiments, whereas the Crimson Fleet could be dismantled by the UC SysDef due to your actions.
Left: The United Colonies certainly love their Terrormorph experiments; Right: The Crimson Fleet pirates surrender to UC SysDef. These are just some of the Starfield ending scenes that we've seen so far. From this point onward, all that's left is to enter the Unity and continue your adventure. You can learn more in our New Game Plus guide.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield New Game Plus feature certainly has a lot of quirks. One of the coolest options also drastically changes how you approach the campaign. Our guide discusses if you how to--and whether you should--skip the main quest in Starfield during your New Game Plus run. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Should you skip the main quest in Starfield
If you want to skip the main quest in Starfield, then make sure you're already in your New Game Plus playthrough. We've got all the details on how to reach that part in our NG+ guide, including the stuff that gets carried over, and the cool toys that you'll get.
Repeat or skip the main quest
Head to the Lodge to see that everyone's just as surprised as you are. They know you as the miner from Vectera, but that person already died; Vasco was the one who retrieved the artifact instead. You're then given a choice when you talk to Sarah:
- Repeat main quest: I want to join Constellation. Unravel this mystery with you.
- Skip main quest: I'm not who you think. I'm Starborn. I know what the artifacts are.
It's up to you if you want to go through the same stuff again. There are, of course, pros and cons. For instance, if you decide to repeat the main quest, then that somehow defeats the purpose of an NG+ run, since you'll redo every mission just like before.
However, if you skip the main quest, the campaign will be drastically altered (as explained below). Your character will blurt out every detail, including the companion death in A High Price to Pay (that certainly surprised Sarah since she died in our campaign). Perhaps the biggest downside is related to companion romance. All main quests offer dialogue opportunities that boost a companion's affinity. Without those, you'll have to make do with side quests, faction quests, and other interactions. Still, skipping does keep your playthrough refreshing.
One more issue of note is that a different storyline progression could affect certain side quests. For example, we did not receive the Overdesigned mission from Walter. That meant we were unable to acquire the free Class-C Kepler R ship.
Artifact and power acquisition
If you skip the main quest in Starfield, you'll notice a different means of acquiring artifacts: Vladimir simply gives you all the locations. That's it. You'll see all of the planets that you need to go to in your quest log as part of a mission called Among the Stars.
As for unlockable powers, you keep those that you've already acquired in your initial campaign. However, Vladimir will sometimes tell you of temple locations (i.e. Power From Beyond quests), and you could still receive notifications when you visit new star systems. The difference here is that you might obtain upgraded versions, such as Parallel Self II or Elemental Pull II.
Vladimir (left) just gives you a list of all artifact locations, which you'll see in your quest log (right). How to recruit companions if you skip the main quest
There's also a clear difference in how you recruit companions if you skip the main quest in Starfield. Here's a quick summary:
- Sarah and Vasco will be in The Lodge, as usual, so no problems there.
- Barrett will be in Vectera (you won't need to rescue him anymore). Lin and Heller are also there. They bugged out in our main campaign (they just disappeared suddenly). In NG+, they had no dialogue at all and we couldn't recruit them. We're not sure if this was due to the aforementioned bug.
- Sam and Andreja weren't available at the start. However, once we acquired all artifact's from the quest log, they showed up in The Lodge. Sam was in the bar on the second floor, and Andreja was in her room.
We found Barrett, Lin, and Heller in the same area, but only Barrett had dialogue. Starborn interactions
Lastly, there are some key interactions with Starborn in NG+. Here are some examples:
- Since you can just grab artifacts by visiting the listed planets, the attack in The Lodge will no longer occur.
- After collecting all artifacts, you'll meet your old Starborn rivals in orbit over Oborum III, as opposed to docking with the Emissary's ship.
- In Oborum III, you also choose whether to side with the Hunter or Emissary. This replaces the interaction in Unearthed/NASA Landmark, since you're no longer required to go there.
- The Revelation final mission remains the same, for the most part.
- We've also noticed that, upon clearing one NG+ run and skipping the main quest again, the list/tallies for the artifact locations remained the same. Perhaps there's only one permutation for all NG+ attempts. However, we did receive a different Starborn Suit (Materia instead of Astra), and it had better stats and different mods.
You decide who to ally with when you go to Oborum III. You don't need to go to NASA anymore. In any case, that's everything you need to know about whether or not you should skip the main quest in Starfield. It's really up to you if you want to repeat the campaign once more, or if you want to try something different and refreshing. Lastly, now that you're Starborn, you might end up meeting the Starborn Trader as you explore the stars.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield Starborn ships have sleek, futuristic designs, and they pack quite a punch. Still, given that you already encounter numerous hostile factions, you might be wondering if it's possible to acquire these vessels. Our guide discusses if it's possible to obtain and pilot Starborn ships in Starfield. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Can you acquire and pilot Starborn ships in Starfield
Yes, you can certainly pilot Starborn ships in Starfield, but only once you begin a New Game Plus run. You can learn more about all the mechanics and facets regarding the mode in our NG+ guide.
Starborn ships in the main campaign
In the "main" campaign, you'll definitely fight a lot of Starborn, starting from a mission called All That Money Can Buy. You can increase the chance of spawns depending on where you build the Armillary. Likewise, it's possible to spot Starborn ships landing on planets, with several of them guarding the vessel.
Sadly, you simply won't have access to these spacecraft:
- Even if you disable a Starborn ship's engine's, there's no button prompt to dock and board.
- If destroyed, the ship will simply vanish.
- On a planet, you can climb up a vessel's slanted wings. Unfortunately, you won't be able to interact with the door that leads to the interior.
Whether you find them in space (left) or on a planet's surface (right), there's no way to acquire a Starborn ship during your initial campaign. Your own Starborn Guardian II ship in New Game Plus
However, once you start your NG+ run, you'll wake up in a Starfield Starborn ship--you're now a full-fledged multi-dimensional traveler, after all. Here are the ship's stats:
- Reactor: Class-A
- Crew capacity: 5
- Cargo size: 950/150 shielded
- Jump: 30 light years
- Shield: 630
- Weapon systems: Solar Flare Beam (SOL) 24; Gravity Torpedo (TOR) 70
Just look at that bad boy. Here are some additional tips once you're flying your own Starborn ship in Starfield:
- Don't worry about having only two weapons: the Solar Flare Beam shoots rapid-fire blasts, and the Gravity Torpedo deals a lot of damage.
- The ship has amazing speed and maneuverability to the extent that you can cross a 1,000-kilometer distance in less than two seconds when you boost.
- The thruster boost also engages the spacecraft's cloaking device, which causes hostiles to lose their target lock.
- Ship technician NPCs will often marvel upon seeing your ship. Also, those doing scans in orbit will be surprised whenever they see you.
- The biggest downside is that this is a highly-advanced spacecraft, which means none of the human vendors have parts for it. You can't upgrade it, and you can't replace its modules.
That's everything you need to know about how to get a Starborn ship in Starfield. As you venture onward in New Game Plus, don't forget to check our guides on skipping the main quest and meeting the Starborn Trader.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield Starborn Trader is a special vendor NPC that you might meet during your travels. Unlike other people selling their wares, this Mysterious Captain has a lot of high-end goods. Our guide discusses where you can meet the Starborn Trader, and what you can expect. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Where to find the Starborn Trader in Starfield
As far as we can tell, the Starfield Starborn Trader only appears in New Game Plus. You can learn more about the mechanics and facets in our NG+ guide.
In any case, the reason why we feel that they're an NG-only NPC is because they referred to our character as Starborn, and they also introduced themself as another multi-universal being.
Starborn Trader location
We met the Starfield Starborn Trader in Feynman I, which is in the Feynman system. Upon jumping to orbit, a certain Mysterious Captain hailed our ship. After a short conversation, they said: "I cater to Starborn, a very exclusive and specialized crowd. You can call me... the Trader."
A friendly meeting between two Starborn. Ain't that a rare sight? Starborn Trader items
We were floored the moment we checked the Mysterious Captain's wares. These include all sorts of epic and legendary items, as well as unique materials. Even the rare weapons had unique names. Here are some examples:
- Legendary heavy: Frenzy Calibrated Negotiator
- Legendary particle beam rifle: Demoralizing Calibrated Va'ruun Inflictor
- Rare rifle: Avatar
- Rare rifle: The Last Breath
- Unique material: Aldumite
- Unique material: Vytinium
These are some of the items that the Mysterious Captain was selling. As an aside, when we closed the shop's inventory and reopened it, the legendary items disappeared. We then attempted to fast travel and wait to pass the time, but we didn't see the items again. This might be a bug, or it could just be an issue with restocking wares after some time.
Lastly, the Starborn Trader in Starfield is marked as essential. We attempted to disable the ship's engines, and there was no way to board it. The ship's hull was also automatically repaired after a short while.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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In all likelihood, there will be many comparisons drawn between Starfield and other Bethesda games, such as Skyrim. Still, you might be wondering if this sci-fi RPG set in the far future has slightly magical abilities for you to obtain. Well, it certainly does, and one of these powers happens to be similar to a Force Push effect, or, in Bethesda terms, the Fus Ro Dah shout from Skyrim. Our guide discusses how you can get the Gravity Wave, the Starfield version of Fus Ro Dah in Skyrim. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
How to get the Gravity Wave or Fus Ro Dah power in Starfield
For the sake of clarity, we discuss all the facets and mechanics related to the abilities you can acquire in Starfield in our powers and temples guide. The Gravity Wave itself is one such ability that can be yours.
Gravity Wave and Temple Beta location
To obtain the Starfield Fus Ro Dah or Gravity Wave power, make sure you've already completed a main quest called Into the Unknown. Next, you must head to Cassiopeia II-A. It's a moon located in the Cassiopeia system.
Please note that this is based on our campaign run. As of the time of this writing, we're unable to confirm if this power's location is different for each player.
Left: Cassiopeia II-A; Right: Temple Beta. In any case, as soon as you grav jump to the system, a notification should pop up telling you that there's an anomaly nearby. Go ahead and land so you can check your surroundings.
Here's the kicker: Cassiopeia II-A is perpetually covered in dust storms, making visibility extremely poor. As such, your best bet is to bring out your scanner and pan the camera until you see the lens glitch. That indicates the general direction of Temple Beta, so make your way there. Once you see the structure, look for a narrow passageway between two high walls so you can enter it.
Inside Temple Beta, float around and pick up the shiny orbs, which will make a sound if you got to them quickly. After touching around five to 10 orbs, the portal will spin, and you'll be able to pass through it. This takes you back outside the temple. Now, though, you'll see that the Starfield Fus Ro Dah-esque ability is yours. Don't forget to take out the "stealthy enemy mob" that just spawned in the area, too.
Poor visibility will hamper your exploration of this moon. Gravity Wave or Fus Ro Dah usage and effect
The Gravity Wave power has the following notable quirks:
- Power cost: 25
- Effect: Emit a gravitational force strong enough to propel almost anything or anyone.
So, yes, it's akin to a Force Push in Star Wars or Unrelenting Force in Skyrim. You can cast it by pressing the "Z" key on your keyboard, or LB+RB on an Xbox gamepad. Once you do so, the energy will blast a few targets in front of you.
You might acquire a Gravity Wave upgrade during your New Game Plus run. Unfortunately, it's not like you'd be able to push enemies off mountains. Most of Starfield's locales are devoid of clusters of enemies, outside of nasty critters and mercenaries in abandoned bases. More often than not, you'll be fighting in facilities or ships, cramped quarters where you'll rarely be able to throw someone off a ledge. In the end, this is more of a nice little nod, or a nifty skill that you can use when you feel like it.
That's everything you need to know about the Fus Ro Dah or Gravity Wave power in Starfield. Don't forget to continue looking for all Starfield Powers and temples all over the galaxy.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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You can acquire over 20 Force-like powers in Starfield. The mechanic itself is initially part of the main quest. Later, though, you might find a few via sandbox free-roaming. Our Starfield powers guide discusses how you can unlock these abilities by visiting temples on distant planets. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
All unlockable powers in Starfield
The Starfield powers become available during a mission called Into the Unknown. At the start, you'll look for additional artifact pieces. However, at the end of the quest, you're told to head to Procyon III.
How to locate temples
Upon checking Procyon III on the map, you'll see an anomaly site. Land, check your surroundings, and look for an ancient temple in the distance.
In most cases, the ruins should be visible from your ship. If not, open your scanner and pan the camera around. You'll notice a special effect, as though the scanner is glitching. That denotes the general direction of the temple. Once you've reached it, look for a narrow pass between two high walls so you can enter.
How to activate the portal
To unlock your Starfield powers, you have to activate the portal inside the temple. This is done by floating around and collecting the sparks of light that appear. You'll know you did it correctly if you hear a loud sound effect. Hint: imagine the THX logo appearing as you're watching a movie in a cinema.
Left: The scanner will glitch out to denote the general location of a temple; Right: Float around and grab shiny stuff. How to use your powers
Your character will then get teleported outside, and a new power will appear. The Powers screen/interface will also become available, and you can access that by pressing up on the menu.
With a power selected, you can press "Z" on your keyboard or LB+RB on your Xbox gamepad. Casting a power depletes your mana resource, which is represented by a thin bar below your HP. However, this also regenerates over time.
You can select powers from an interface. How to defeat Starborn
Back outside, you'll realize that you're not alone. That's because an entity known as a Starborn will be there waiting for you. The Starfield Starborn enemies are usually around level 30, and they have the ability to remain stealthily cloaked. As such, you'll want to look for ripples on your screen to determine their location.
The goal is to burst down a Starborn with your weapons until they're defeated. Unlike most foes, they won't leave a corpse behind--they'll simply disappear. Note that we'd sometimes see a Starborn's loot/inventory panel just before it disappears. Unfortunately, we can't find any remains at all. We can't tell if this is a bug or if it's working as intended.
At the very least, each Starborn enemy you kill is guaranteed to drop Quantum Essence (the amount can be seen in the Powers screen). Using a Quantum Essence increases the regeneration speed of your power meter.
Starborn are tough and sneaky. How to find more temples
Past this point, your Starfield power acquisition activities become part of a quest series called Power From Beyond. There are a couple of ways to locate the other temples in the game:
- If you fly to a new system, you might get notified that a temple is on a planet.
- Alternatively, you can talk to Vladimir Sall aboard The Eye. There are instances when he might know of a temple's location, and it'll appear in your quest log.
Left: Vladimir sometimes has info regarding temples; Right: You'll be notified of an anomaly when you visit certain star systems. List of all unlockable powers
Below, we've listed the Starfield power unlocks that we've discovered so far:
- Particle Beam - Emit a powerful ray of cosmic energy.
- Personal Atmosphere - Restore a bit of oxygen.
- Phased Time - Slow everyone around you.
- Precognition - See the future (i.e. the path that someone may walk or the words they might say).
- Reactive Shield - Form a shield that weakens and reflects projectiles.
- Sense Star Stuff - Sense the life force of any human, alien, or Starborn.
- Solar Flare - Release an orb of searing hot plasma.
- Sunless Space - Freeze enemies.
- Supernova - Unleash cosmic energy that causes an explosion.
- Void Form - Turn invisible.
- Eternal Harvest - Allows you to harvest fauna nodes again.
- Grav Dash - Dash forward and increase your damage temporarily.
- Gravity Wave - Fus Ro Dah!
- Gravity Well - Create a singularity that pulls nearby foes.
- Life Forced - Drain a target's HP and heal yourself.
- Parallel Self - Spawn another version of you to help during combat.
- Anti-gravity Field - Lift objects around you.
- Creators' Peace - Cause hostiles to drop their weapons.
- Elemental Pull - Draw resources close to you.
- Alien Reanimation - Revive a dead alien beast/animal.
Gravity Well is a vortex/singularity that pulls enemies to the center, preventing them from taking any action. What happens in New Game Plus
We're delving further into ultra-spoiler territory here, so be forewarned. We also discuss more details in our New Game Plus guide. As far as powers are concerned, here's what you need to know:
- You can skip the main quest in New Game Plus. Instead of doing Into the Unknown once more, you can just talk to Vladimir or visit new star systems to spot other temples.
- It's possible to acquire upgraded versions of these abilities--i.e. Gravity Wave II--which confer higher damage or stronger effects. We're uncertain if upgraded variants are available during the main campaign, as we did not obtain those at the time.
- We're unable to confirm if temple locations are randomized for each player or playthrough. We do know that artifact locations might be slightly different if you skip the main quest.
In any case, that's all you need to know about how to unlock powers in Starfield. We'll update this guide with more information and details if need be, so stay tuned.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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The Starfield New Game Plus mode is quite a surprise. That's because it's the first Bethesda game to have one. Moreover, its integration into the campaign and narrative is very interesting and well done, too. Our guide discusses what you can expect from Starfield's New Game Plus mode, with all its quirks and changes. Also, it goes without saying that this article contains spoilers.
What to expect from New Game Plus mode in Starfield
You can try the Starfield New Game Plus mode once you've completed the Revelations final mission. Once you decide to go to the Unity to see the endings, you're given a choice:
- If you walk toward the Unity (i.e. the big sparkly orb in the center), you'll begin your New Game Plus run as a Starborn in an "alternate" universe.
- If you walk away from the Unity, back to the edge of the area (i.e. the darkness), you'll return to your ship and you'll be able to continue your exploration in the "main" universe.
Step into the big, shiny ball to begin your New Game Plus run. What carries over in New Game Plus
The Starfield New Game Plus feature lets you carry over the following:
- All traits - Most traits are set in stone anyway.
- All skills - You get to keep your unlocked skills, as well as their leveling tallies. Since there is no level cap, you can continue to acquire new and higher-tier skills.
- All obtained powers - All the powers you've unlocked in your playthrough will still be present. Moreover, we've noticed that temples now provide upgraded variants--i.e. Anti-Gravity Field II or Personal Atmosphere II.
- The Frontier - Whether or not you sold the Frontier, it'll still be with you when you begin your New Game Plus run.
You keep all the skills (left) and powers (right) that you obtained in your initial playthrough. What you lose when you advance to New Game Plus
Everything. No, we're not kidding. If you want a list:
- Every single item that you've obtained will be gone. That includes weapons, spacesuits, crafting materials, and the all-powerful and almighty digipicks.
- All other ships from your initial run, barring the Frontier, will disappear.
- Your outposts will go poof.
- Say goodbye to credits.
- Every planet you've visited and scanned will also have to be revisited and re-scanned. That means you'll need to travel to star systems once more via the game's connect-the-dots galaxy map.
What do you get in New Game Plus
Thankfully, there are some awesome additions to your Starfield New Game Plus playthrough. You're a Starborn, after all:
- You wake up in a Starborn Guardian II ship... and it's yours. Yes, you can pilot your own Starborn ship now.
- You'll have the Starborn Spacesuit Astra, which is a full outfit that has the armor, helmet, and jetpack. That means you only need to equip it to gain all the benefits. However, if you wear something else, such as an Ecliptic Helmet or Constellation Pack, you'll need to equip individual items in the other slots.
- Speaking of the Starborn Spacesuit, we did complete a New Game Plus run. On our next attempt, we received the Starborn Spacesuit Materia, which had better stats and different mods. We can't confirm if Starborn suits are randomized, or if they're part of an NG+ progression method--i.e. each run you complete nets you better gear.
Worth it. These are just some of the cool things that you can expect from New Game Plus in Starfield. Once you go to The Lodge, you'll meet Constellation, and they'll be just as surprised as you are. That's because they don't necessarily know you (you're in a different universe).
However, you do have the option to skip the main quest entirely, which changes up a lot of things. Moreover, you could meet the Starborn Trader.
Starfield is a massive game with numerous planets to explore. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our guides hub.
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To prepare for the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Activision has partnered with Monster Energy for a promotion that will a earn players double XP, operator skins, and more after purchasing some cans.
Before players can begin unlocking these rewards, they'll need to make an account on the Call of Duty x Monster Energy website. They’ll then need to scan/upload their receipt with the Monster purchase. After that, they'll start unlocking the following rewards:
- Reward 1 - Inner Beast Weapon Blueprint + 15 Min 2XP
- Reward 2 - The Beast Operator Skin + 15 Min 2XP
- Reward 3 - Caught In The Crosshairs Weapon Vinyl + 15 Min 2XP
- Reward 4 - Zero Chill Operator Skin + 15 Min 2 XP
It is also worth mentioning that not all cans will earn you the rewards mentioned above. To unlock these, players must purchase the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Monster cans. These can easily be spotted thanks to the Call of Duty logo that's right above the bar code.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was officially revealed during a Warzone event. Since then, we've learned it'll be a direct sequel to 2022's Modern Warfare II and will launch with all 16 maps from 2009's Modern Warfare II. In addition, the game will feature Open Combat Missions, and it'll have the largest zombie map ever.
For more Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III content, be sure to check out our story on how it's using AI to combat toxic people and our trailer showcasing Open Combat.
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Actors union SAG-AFTRA has been striking for a new film and TV contract for weeks now, after joining the Writers Guild Of America strike, which began in May. That strike may soon extend to video game voice actors, as the union’s board has sent a vote to all members ahead of an upcoming negotiation.
The union announced the vote on its official website, in preparation for what the post calls “forthcoming bargaining dates with signatory video game companies.” The previous contract was extended nearly a year ago, according to SAG-AFTRA, and new negotiators are set to begin on September 26.
The SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media logo The “signatory video game companies” cited in the SAG-AFTRA post are as follows:
- Activision Productions Inc.
- Blindlight LLC.
- Disney Character Voices Inc.
- Electronic Arts Productions Inc.
- Epic Games, Inc.
- Formosa Interactive LLC.
- Insomniac Games Inc.
- Take Two Productions Inc.
- VoiceWorks Productions Inc.
- Warner Bros Games Inc.
"Here we go again! Now our Interactive (Video Game) Agreement is at a stalemate too," SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said in the official press release. "Once again we are facing employer greed and disrespect. Once again artificial intelligence is putting our members in jeopardy of reducing their opportunity to work. And once again, SAG-AFTRA is standing up to tyranny on behalf of its members."
Terms being asked for by SAG-AFTRA for video game actors include the same rate increases as film and TV actors, job protection from AI, and a mandatory five-minute-per-hour rest period for on-camera performance capture actors.
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Sigh. It’s been a long week on the internet.
The Starfield review embargo is up and discourse around it has been running wild--just look at the comments on our review. But in the midst of all this chatter, we can't help but think about how much it distracts us from us having meaningful conversations about games and truly enjoying them. Though someone else's opinion on a game can't take away any of the joy you experience while playing it, going into a game with anger, defensiveness, or cynicism can absolutely sour the time you spend with it.
This week on Spot On, Tam and Lucy discuss the damaging impact negative discourse can have and why focusing only on this negativity and feeding into the console wars can take away the excitement of new releases. The two also discuss Baldur’s Gate 3, and how, for a while, that game was swallowed by discourse, to the detriment of the discussion around it.
Spot On is a weekly news show airing Fridays in which GameSpot's managing editor Tamoor Hussain and senior producer Lucy James talk about the latest news in games. Given the highly dynamic and never-ending news cycle of the massive video game industry, there's always something to talk about but, unlike most other news shows, Spot On will dive deep into a single topic as opposed to recapping all the news. Spot On airs each Friday.
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World of Warcraft Classic's official Hardcore permadeath servers have been live for around a week now, and the community seems to be having a blast laughing at its own misfortune.
Players have been sharing some of their most unfortunate, or just plain funny, deaths on places like the WoW and WoW Classic subreddits. One poor soul, after having played for dozens of hours to reach level 31 on their Hunter, learned that using the class's iconic feign death ability for its full six minute duration actually kills you for real.
One death in particular attracted quite a crowd and was even highlighted by the official WoW Twitter account--a duel to the death over a rare-quality item, the Belt of Arugal, which drops from the Shadowfang Keep dungeon. A Mage wanting the belt lost a roll for it to a Hunter, after which the Mage declared a Mak'gora using WoW Classic Hardcore's new duel to the death feature. Word quickly spread around the server, and a ring of dozens of onlookers showed up to witness the duel that has quickly become part of WoW history. The mage lost not only the belt in question but also their life.
How have you seen Mak'gora used?
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) August 31, 2023
As players have begun to harness this duel, for settling such things as loot disputes, we want to hear about your experiences with this Duel to the Death!
pic.twitter.com/f6dJeuRRwgOthers have died in less dramatic ways, like drowning, getting disconnected from the server at the worst time, or sitting too close to a cooking fire and then going AFK. Even some low-level quests, like Princess Must Die in the human starting zone, have claimed plenty of unprepared adventurers. And there's the ever-present threat of Murlocs, which love to swarm players in large packs.
While PvP outside of dueling to the death isn't a common way to die, it's technically still possible. There are certain instances where players can automatically become flagged for PvP, such as being attacked by NPC guards of another faction. That gives players out for blood an opportunity to hunt down unsuspecting players of the opposing faction who might not even be aware they are in danger. One Horde player who committed such a deed said a part of them "almost felt bad" about it but gave a word of warning to others: "Tread carefully in zones with NPCs of the opposite faction."
Blizzard shared official stats on Twitter for how the WoW Classic Hardcore experience has gone so far. More than 360,000 players have died, with Hunters accounting for 32% of all deaths. The average death occurs around level 9, far from the game's level cap of 60. WoW Classic Hardcore's first level 60 character, the Alliance Mage Vitochie, accomplished the feat with around 70 hours played.
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Things are heating up in Season of the Witch, and with a reprised Crota's End raid debuting this weekend, now is a great time to check in with Xur. The traveling arms dealer is back, bringing with him a refreshed inventory of Exotic gear, legendary-class weapons, and more. Here's where Xur is this weekend and what he has for sale.
This week you can find Xur in the EDZ, in the Winding Cove area. For his weapon, Xur is offering Prometheus Lens. Hunters can pick up the Orpheus Rig leg armor; Titans can grab the Hallowfire Heart chest armor; and Warlocks can buy the Getaway Artist gauntlets.
Xur Location
Xur's location in the EDZ. Spawn in at the Winding Cove transmat zone, then hop on your sparrow and go north. Take the collapsed overpass on the left and look for a cave near the bend in the road. Follow the tunnel through the cliff face to reach a higher ridge where a Fallen dropship has crashed; you'll find Xur waiting there.
Xur Exotic and Legendary Items
- Exotic Engram - 97 Legendary Shards
- Prometheus Lens - 29 Legendary Shards
- Hallowfire Heart - 23 Legendary Shards
- Orpheus Rig - 23 Legendary Shards
- Getaway Artist - 23 Legendary Shards
- Hawkmoon - 200 Legendary Shards, 125,000 Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard, 1 Exotic Cipher
- Xenology quest - Free
- Legendary weapons and armor - 50 Legendary Shards, 1,000 Glimmer
Xur also offers the Xenology quest every week, which requires you to complete 21 Vanguard Ops or win Crucible and Gambit matches so that you can earn an Exotic Cipher. These are normally used to buy old Exotics from a kiosk in the Tower, but from this season, you'll be able to spend them at Master Rahoolto get the Exotics that you want. The cap on Exotic Ciphers has also increased, as you'll now be able to hold up to five of them at a time.
Xur is present every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET each Friday. His exact location is always a mystery when he first arrives, as he is not listed on the map, and for novice players, he can be easy to miss. However, there are a set number of locations where he takes up residence, including the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher's Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ.
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Princess Daisy hasn't been available as a co-op character in a mainline Mario game before (though she is playable solo in Super Mario Run). But that will change with the launch of Super Mario Bros. Wonder later this year--and we have the daughters of director Shiro Mouri to thank.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Mouri says he's been happy with the reaction of her inclusion, because it was a bit personal for him. "... I have two daughters myself and when they played previous Mario titles, they would always fight over who gets to play Peach," Mouri said. "Including Daisy will help resolve fights within my own household, and also I thought that having Daisy would be something that a lot of Mario fans would be happy with!"
This cute anecdote comes on top of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's online mode aiming for "entirely positive" chill vibes. It seems like the team at Nintendo wanted to avoid the conflict and competition usually associated with multiplayer games, especially when playing with others across the world.
Another big change for Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the lack of Charles Martinet voicing the famous plumber. He will now serve as a Mario ambassador, according to Nintendo, and step away from voicing Mario, Wario, and others.
A special Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct showed off new power-ups, like Bubble Mario, and highlighted the different areas of the Flower Kingdom. The 15-minute presentation also confirmed the return of a playable Nabbit, who's created for younger players alongside Yoshi.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is set to launch October 20 on Nintendo Switch. Be sure to check out GameSpot's Super Mario Bros. Wonder preview, in which Steve Watts says it "feels alive in a way that 2D Mario hasn't for years." Preorders are live for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Nintendo has also unveiled a Mario red edition of the Nintendo Switch OLED that releases October 6.
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Originally announced in 2022, Digital Extremes' foray into a new live-service intellectual property is Soulframe. The mainly Canadian developer is known for its work on the Unreal franchise, Dark Sector, The Darkness II, and Warframe, which has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary with TennoCon 2023. Soulframe's conceptual design and inspirations are incredibly different from the studio's past work--this time being heavily influenced by real-world cultures of color and by Studio Ghibli (in particular, Princess Mononoke), Earthbound, and Ico.
Soulframe's gameplay is much slower than that of Warframe. Whereas Warframe is known for its action-packed, frenzied, double-bullet-jumping mechanics, Soulframe is more precise and grounded, where the weight of your attacks needs to be understood carefully from the start of your sword swing to the end of it. Encounters require a planned-out approach rather than going in with the rushed elegance Warframe is known for.
Soulframe will have you fighting several enemies at once with clearer and more animated indicators of dodging, strafing, and rolling away in these more intimate fights. "Off the bat, it really is a lot more forgiving than it looks. Our goal is to not make something that's like hardcore Bloodborne-type combat. It is more methodical--[fewer] enemies on screen. You have time to think what you're going to do--that's less adrenaline, less shooting, obviously," creative director Steve Sinclair explained.
In North American media, when aesthetics, designs, traditions, cultures, and influences are taken from real-world people of color, many studios tend to take these very entrenched real-world histories to then place them onto white characters. By doing this, they advocate for cultural appropriation rather than cultural appreciation.
Soulframe's demo showed off not just our player character, an Envoy who is a person of color, but also an integral character the Envoy clashes with named Lady Deora, who is also a woman of color. Few games with a sole player character have characters of color interacting with one another, especially dark-skinned characters of color.
"Part of the idea is to create a space for Soulframe that isn't already occupied," Sinclair said.
Asked about the easily identifiable, but meticulous approach to the themes of spiritualism, environmentalism, and character designs like the racial backgrounds portrayed in Soulframe, Sinclair said, "And I think those cultural influences give us hope. We have a lot of Korean influences, things are named after ancient cultures, and in Asia. The lore of the world is building on these that are across the world--not just Roman Gods and Greek Gods. So really just trying to dig a little deeper because it is all there in human history, it's just not been exposed enough, at least in our genre," Sinclair explained.
Some of the media that are major influences on the development, themes, and environmentalism of Soulframe are Princess Mononoke, Studio Ghibli, and Ico. "[Hayao] Miyazaki obviously hates industrialization," Sinclair said. "Miyazaki shows you the benefits and the power of [industrialization through] those women in [Princess Mononoke]. [These women] become leaders of that society. How do we balance those different ideologies? We, in earnest argue both sides of [modernity and nature] and let [players] interpret those [themes]. You never ultimately condemn each side. You make a good argument for both and leave it up to the audience--and respect their intelligence."
Soulframe currently does not have a release date, but additional details will be shown at TennoCon 2024. This year's TennoCon brought news that Warframe cross-saves are finally on the way later in 2023 alongside footage for Warframe 1999, Warframe's newest cinematic expansion that looks to Metal Gear Solid for inspiration.
Soulframe Demo Screenshots -
Steam Deck continues to rule the world of handheld PCs, but the upcoming Lenovo Legion Go poses a real threat to its throne. With powerful hardware, a striking design, and a reasonable price, the Legion Go could become a viable alternative to Steam Deck. Preorders are expected to open soon--and they’re bound to sell out fast ahead of the system's release in October.
Here’s a look at the Lenovo Legion Go to help you decide if it’s worth a reservation.
Along with great hardware and Windows 11, Legion Go takes a few design cues from Nintendo Switch. Both controllers straddling the sides of the display are removable (much like the Switch Joy-Con), and you’ll even find a kickstand on the back of the display.
Its button layout, however, is incredibly innovative--along with all the usual face buttons, the back of the controllers feature several mappable buttons plus a mouse wheel. Lenovo was able to cram all these buttons on the controller due to the Legion Go’s large footprint. Compared to the seven-inch screen of Steam Deck and Switch, there’s a lot of real estate to work with.
Rounding out the handheld PC is a microSD expansion slot, two USB-C ports, and a hard-sided carrying case. We’re not sure when preorders will open, but be sure to check back frequently if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on the unique device.
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Gato Roboto and Demon Throttle developer Doinksoft has officially confirmed the release date for Gunbrella, which will launch on September 13 for PC and Nintendo Switch. A gritty side-scrolling adventure set in a world that has become overdependent on natural resources, Gunbrella puts players in the boots of a tough woodsman out for revenge.
Toting a gunbrella--great for self-defense from gun-toting enemies and the elements--players will take on a spooky cabal of ghouls, gangsters, cops, and cultists.
Preorders for Gunbrella come with a free digital copy of Gato Roboto, Doinksoft's cute kitty metroidvania. Gunbrella's, titular weapon isn't for show, as players will be able to upgrade the weapon to become a deadly multi-functional tool for taking out enemies and exploring the environment by using it to dash, swing, and glide around the world. Scavenging scrap and spare parts can be used not only for different munitions, but also for a supernatural arsenal of creepy phantasms that'll aid you in battle.
Gunbrella's release date confirmation comes in the wake of several other games--under publisher Devolver Digital--announcing that they've been delayed. In typical Devolver fashion, the publisher used this opportunity to showcase multiple games that were being pushed into 2024.
The Plucky Squire, Skate Story, Anger Foot, Pepper Grinder, and Stick it the Stickman will all arrive next year, but Wizard With A Gun, The Talos Principle 2, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Karmazoo, and McPixel 3 DLC are all still scheduled to arrive this year.
Understanding Halo Infinite's Season 5 Price Adjustments
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Details of the Price Hike: With Season 5's arrival, the in-game economy of Halo Infinite saw a significant shift. A new pricing model was rolled out, with coatings now being multi-core enabled. This change, aimed at providing more customization options, has come with increased costs, causing a stir within the community.
Community Reaction: The reaction was swift and vocal, with players expressing their frustration on social forums and community boards. The price hike has not only affected the affordability of cosmetic items but has also raised questions about the direction of the game's monetization strategy.
343 Industries' Response: In the wake of this backlash, 343 Industries has stepped forward to address the concerns. Acknowledging the players' sentiments, the developers have explained the reasoning behind the new pricing, emphasizing the value they believe these changes bring to the player experience.
Impact on Gameplay and Customization: While these adjustments do not directly influence gameplay mechanics, they significantly affect the customization landscape—a feature many Spartans hold dear. The new pricing may alter how players engage with the game's cosmetic content, potentially impacting the overall enjoyment for some.
What are your thoughts on these adjustments? How do they influence your experience as a Spartan?
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