Genshin Impact welcomes the sixth major nation of Teyvat with version 5.0 going live August 28

Greetings, Travelers! As Genshin Impact approaches its fifth year, we are excited to welcome the sixth major nation of Teyvat — Natlan, in the upcoming version 5.0 Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn going live on August 28. Known as the Nation of War or the Nation of Pyro where Saurians have lived alongside humans since time immemorial, Natlan and her people are distinguished from other nations not only by their unique tribal traditions and natural environments, but also by their agility and their unparalleled movement capabilities blessed by the power of Pyro. Today, we’ll share some useful tips to help you explore this new region like a local or in the form of a Saurian!

We would also like to invite all Travelers who have completed Archon Quest Prologue: Act III Song of Dragon and Freedom in Mondstadt to visit Natlan using an unlocked Teleport Waypoint located at its entrance. Travelers who reached Adventure Rank 28 or above who have completed the Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III A New Star Approaches in Liyue can move on to the Archon Quests in Natlan without having to first complete the prerequisite quests of other nations.

Become a Saurian

The dragons in Natlan are called Saurians, and they are the result of a long evolution and coexisting with humans. Located west of the Desert of Hadramaveth in Sumeru, Natlan has a varied panorama ranging from canyons and cliffs to flowing waters and hot springs, and even dangerous volcanoes. Version 5.0 will offer the opportunity to meet three of the six local tribes, the Children of Echoes, the Scions of the Canopy, and the People of the Springs, to discover how their members move in steep and difficult-to-cross landscapes thanks to their respective Saurians.

For reasons that are still unclear, Travelers are unable to unlock the power of the Pyro element upon their arrival in Natlan, but you will be able to transform yourself into a Saurian temporarily by indwelling them or their Spiritsconce to roam around during your adventure!

The first Saurian you may indwell is a Tepetlisaurus. They are faithful companions taken in by the Children of Echoes, the tribe known for its expert miners and talented dancers inside the canyon. Transforming into a Tepetlisaurus allows you to burrow underground and climb cliffs. By indwelling a Yumkasaurus, you will be able to move travel through mid-air swiftly, reach high places with ease, and experience for yourself why the Scions of the Canopy that hang from steep cliffs with ropes, adore these Saurians as extreme sports enthusiasts. If you approach the People of the Springs, a laidback tribe who is known for their hot springs, try indwelling the Koholasarus to take a dip in the water, hot springs, and even the flowing Phlogiston streams in the air.

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Use a new resource

In the Nation of Pyro, the Pyro element can materialize as a unique resource known as Phlogiston. Phlogiston comes in different forms and can be utilized by the locals as a brand-new resource in movement or combat. Once you indwell a Saurian, you may notice that your skills will consume a separate Phlogiston bar located to the right of your Saurian form. Natlan’s characters also have a Phlogiston bar which appears above their HP bar. Throughout your journey, you may come across Phlogiston, either as harvestable resources, or useful tools such as the Spiritways of flowing Phlogiston, offering fast tracks to the Koholasarus and warriors from the People of the Springs to travel.

Warriors of Natlan can further enhance their abilities through the ancient ritual of Phlogiston Engravings, and thus gain the Nightsoul’s Blessing. Glowing patterns will appear on characters under the influence of the Nightsoul’s Blessing, granting them an advantage in combat.

Team up with local warriors

As the Nation of War, Natlan has experienced countless crises and dangers in numerous battles in which both locals and Saurians have fought valiantly. The Ancient Names of brave warriors are passed down from generation to generation to honor their legacy. At the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, each of the six tribes designates a Champion from among the greatest warriors who make up its ranks, and we will have the opportunity to recruit three of them from the Children of Echoes, the Scions of the Canopy, and the People of the Springs. Each of these Champions is distinguished by unique traits and abilities reflecting their tribe.

Our first companion from Natlan is Kachina, a four-star Geo polearm wielder from the Children of Echoes. Not only will we meet her from the very beginning of our journey, we can even recruit her for free as a reward for completing Act I of Natlan’s Archon Quest. Kachina is able to summon Turbo Twirly and ride it to scale walls and cliffs in daily exploration, and also unleash ground-slam attacks to deal AoE Geo DMG in combat.

Kinich, famous for his hunting skills in the Scions of the Canopy, is a five-star Dendro claymore warrior who wields the grappling hook expertly, so as to swiftly swing through the air and easily reach great heights, or link to enemies and perform Loop Shots to deal significant damage. Interestingly, Kinich is accompanied by the Almighty Dragonlord, Ajaw, who is capable of unleashing dragon-breaths at intervals to deal AoE Dendro DMG when Kinich casts his Elemental Burst.

If you’re visiting the People of the Springs, Mualani, the owner of a watersports equipment store and a renowned local tour guide, is your ideal companion. Fond of watersports including swimming, surfing, and beach volleyball, this five-star Hydro catalyst wielder can mount her Sharky Surfboard and quickly move across water, liquid Phlogiston, and flat ground. In combat, as Mualani surfs around on her Sharky Surfboard, she can mark enemies in her path and inflict Sharky’s Bites on them, dealing increased Hydro DMG after multiple hits.

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Natlan’s three playable characters are able to locate and mark local specialties, which benefits their entire party while interacting with certain harvestable items: Kachina can restore Stamina, Kinich can increase Movement Speed, and Mualani can restore Phlogiston. In version 5.0’s Event Wishes, Mualani and Kachina will debut in the first phase along with Kaedehara Kazuha’s rerun, and Kinich’s debut will come with the Raiden Shogun in the later phase.

Try the Tribal Chronicles

To better unveil the history and heroic tales of each tribe, the Reputation System returns to Natlan through the Tribal Chronicles, a new series of three-act narrative quests for each tribe that weaves together traditions, stories, and people that replaces the Story Quests in Natlan. Visit each tribe’s Obsidian Totem Pole to unlock their Tribal Chronicles, as well as their Bounties and Supply Notices. Completing these Tribal Chronicles not only provides a deeper and immersive understanding of the customs and culture of different tribes but also earns Tribe Reputation EXP and rewards for the corresponding tribe.

In addition, World Quests, exciting stories, as well as Archon Quests await you in Natlan with many surprises and rewards. However, we will leave Travelers to explore all this new content at their own pace. The Sacred Flame burns with an incandescent glow, and ignites the hearts of the brave! We look forward to seeing you in-game when Genshin Impact version 5.0 goes live August 28!

Best Buy Opens Preorders for Pokémon TCG: Stellar Crown Ultra-Premium Collection

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Stellar Crown is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated sets in recent memory. We know many of the cards from the Japanese “Stellar Miricle” set, with at least four special illustrations rare Pokémon, two Special Illustration Supporters, and three Gold cards. We also know that the West is getting a Terapagos ex Ultra-Premium Collection, which is available for preorder now at Best Buy.

The Terapagos ex Ultra Premium Collection contains:

  • 1 foil promo card featuring Terapagos ex.
  • 1 foil promo card featuring Lapras ex.
  • 1 foil promo card featuring Cinderace ex.
  • 8 foil Basic Energy cards.
  • 1 magnetic 3-card protector with base.
  • 1 playmat.
  • 1 deck box.
  • 1 metallic coin.
  • 6 damage-counter dice.
  • 2 condition markers.
  • 18 Pokémon TCG booster packs.
  • A code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

The only question is, which Terapagos ex are we getting in this set? The standard ex card could be a bit underwhelming, considering the price of this set. We’re betting on the full art ex or the stunning Special Illustration Rare ex. It really is anyone’s guess at the time of writing. Still, the SIR Terapagos ex has a unique rainbow border, making it a desirable chase card for the set.

The full art is still stunning, featuring Terapagos ex against a holo silver background with multicolored stars. It also features the rainbow border, which is a lovely addition to this set for all Stellar Forme Pokémon.

We’re also putting our money on the base ex variants of the included Lapras ex and Cinderace ex. However, getting their complete arts in this set would make this one of the best Ultra Premium sets we’ve had. Returning to 151, we got two illustration rares featuring Mewtwo and Mew and a Gold Mew, so we could be surprised with this Ultra Premium Collection.

Looking for more Stellar Crown? We’ve also got the skinny on the best places to preorder Elite Trainer Boxes, Booster Boxes, and more for Stellar Crown. We also recently previewed the most recent Scarlet and Violet expansion, Shrouded Fable, if you’re interested in checking that out as well.

Pokemon TCG and MTG Deals at Amazon and Best Buy Today

There’s always a good deal for Pokémon cards lurking on the internet, so keep checking our best Pokémon TCG daily deals page, too. Otherwise, see all the discounts on Pokemon TCG, or every big offer on Magic The Gathering at Best Buy here. Otherwise, check out our favorite picks from the sales just below.

Let’s beat some usefulness out that Black Myth: Wukong benchmark tool

Unlike Ed, I wasn’t deemed important or youthfully handsome enough to get Black Myth: Wukong review code, leaving my only hopes of conducting some hardwarey performance investigation with the recently released benchmarking tool. The one that, by the admission of developers Game Science themselves, “may not fully represent the actual gaming experience and final performance at the time of the game’s release”. Monkey nuts.

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Hunt Showdown’s 1896 relaunch is live and facing player derision over the new UI, bugs and performance

Crytek’s sweaty and superlative survival boss-rush shooter Hunt: Showdown has been relaunched as Hunt: Showdown 1896, introducing a comprehensive technological update alongside a chronological leap forward to a new map in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. As is tradition for big 2.0-style updates, some players absolutely loathe it, with recent Steam user reviews dragging the consensus underwater.

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‘Telebbit’ Is A Mind-Bending 2D Platformer Based On Teleportation

And it’s out in October.

Publisher Hyper Real has revealed Telebbit, an intriguing 2D platformer that utilises teleportation as its main gameplay hook.

Launching on the Switch eShop on 24th October 2024 and developed by IKINAGAMES, it’s currently giving off heavy Celeste vibes, albeit with a more cyberpunk-esque aesthetic with a hefty dollop of attitude. Heck, it looks like it’s even got bits of fruit floating around the stages that require collection.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

What Black Myth: Wukong Does Differently From Other Action RPGs

Since it exploded onto the scene with its stunning debut trailer in 2020, Black Myth: Wukong has had an air of something different about it. At first glance, the gameplay is reminiscent of other action role-playing games, but its monkey protagonist, visual fidelity and wide variety of enemies have continued to excite players eager to explore the rich fantasy world inspired by the classical Chinese novel, Journey to the West. As the game prepares to launch on PS5 and PC on August 20th here’s a few things we’ve noticed that set Black Myth: Wukong apart from other games in the genre.

Respec and Retry

Many players have already identified the similarities between Black Myth: Wukong and other action RPGs, and in some cases the comparisons are apt. Black Myth: Wukong is designed to be challenging, and its gauntlet of big bosses with even bigger health bars will keep you on your toes. But with every unsuccessful attempt at besting your foe, you have the option to take a new direction.

As the Destined One defeats enemies throughout the world and accrues experience, they level up and gain Sparks which are used in the Self-Advance skill tree to awaken more abilities and spells. What makes Black Myth: Wukong different however is the ability at any point to visit a Keeper’s Shrine (the game’s equivalent of a bonfire or checkpoint) and ‘Reignite the Sparks’, returning all the spent Sparks to you, ready to reallocate.

If one particular boss is a problem for the primate protagonist, take the opportunity to explore new combat options and tailor your abilities to the fight at hand. Not only does this mean you have a wider range of options in combat, but it also means you’re never locked in to one type of playstyle as you’re free to shake it up whenever you want.

Put a Spell on You

Throughout your adventure as the staff-wielding and spell-casting simian you’ll encounter a wide variety of enemies, known as Yaoguais, who are diverse in their designs and their attacks. To counter the threat they pose, the Destined One has a number of abilities to invest in, from unlocking Staff Stances that switch up heavy attacks, to spells that can be used to control the battlefield.

The spells themselves are derived from Chinese mythology, and are designed to complement that game’s proactive and nimble combat. Immobilize is a control spell that freezes enemies, and even bosses, in place, interrupting their attacks and opening them up to attacks of your own. Cloud Step is a mobility spell that leaves a decoy of the Destined One behind while they turn invisible, so you can reposition and unleash a powerful attack from thin air. Then there are the transformations which turn you into monsters you have defeated along your journey.

Unlike other action RPGs where the pressure is high but options are limited, Black Myth: Wukong encourages players to cycle through all the abilities on offer and take the fight to enemies. With only dodging available to avoid attacks, playing offensively and utilizing spells as part of a combat strategy is key to succeeding against these formidable foes.

Transformations

One of the most fascinating aspects of Black Myth: Wukong is the protagonist’s ability to transform into monsters, taking on their abilities and using them against enemies. These transformations are inspired by the original classical Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and happen in two ways. In the first instance, defeating certain enemy bosses and taking their weapon grants a transformation spell that is used to morph into them, so you can embody their look and abilities.

The second form of transformation is done with Spirit Skills. After building up enough Qi during combat, unleash the powerful signature ability of a Yaoguai. To unlock more Spirit Skills, defeat challenging monsters and absorb their left-behind spirits⁠⁠–similar to Sparks, the spirits of Yaoguais can be cultivated and swapped out at Keeper’s Shrines.

With a unique mythological Chinese setting, fluid animations and varied combat options, Black Myth: Wukong is looking to make its own mark on the action RPG genre, and you can experience it soon when it launches on PS5 and PC on August 20th.

The next Total War: Warhammer 3 update will let your dwarves play tall by delving greedily and deep

Any gags I could make about an update that lets Total War: Warhammer 3’s dawi play tall are far too obvious for the discerning comedic palette that brought you such bangers as that time I just wrote “(penis)” a bunch so the Overkill’s Walking Dead page wouldn’t quote me out of context, so let’s just dive right in to the details. The strategy game’s 5.2 update is on the horizon, and tagging along with it are the first of the “extra bits” the team teased in June. I’m very excited about them. They sit somewhere between the usual patch fare of stat tweaks and errata, and the weightier faction facelifts that come alongside paid DLC. They’re also focused right where Immortal Empires needs them the most: depth, rather than width. In the dawi’s case, quite literally.

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Activision are finally cutting down Call Of Duty’s horrendous install sizes for Black Ops 6’s release

For years, our PC storage has wobbled and buckled beneath the tyranny of gigantic Call Of Duty installs. Like 13th century peasants straining to convey huge, teetering loads of freshly quarried LMGs, our SSDs cry out for justice. Perhaps scenting imminent rebellion and a mass audience desertion to low-poly shooters with more civilised file sizes, Activision have relented. Future installations of the much-padded FPS will be “smaller and more customised”, though in a last cruel stroke of villainy, they want you to download a large update to prepare the ground.

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The Epic Games Store Officially Launches on Mobile Devices

We already knew Epic Games plans to release its digital storefront on mobile devices via the iOS App Store and Android’s Google Play later this year. Months after the initial announcement, the prolific game and technology company announced today that the Epic Games Store is now available for iOS and Android devices.

In a press release, Epic confirmed that the Epic Games Store is available to download on Android devices worldwide, in addition to iPhones, but only for Apple smartphone owners based in the EU. Epic also provided steps to install the Epic Game Store on mobile devices, citing that the process is long “due to Apple and Google introducing intentionally poor-quality install experiences” plagued with complex settings, lengthy steps, and “scare screens.”

As Epic previously confirmed during the State of Unreal earlier this year, the mobile version of the Epic Games Store (EGS), the digital storefront, is poised to become the “first-ever game-focused, multi-platform store,” expanding its reach onto Android and iOS, alongside its already available apps on macOS and PC. Like the computer app and desktop version, mobile developers benefit “from the same fair terms,” with an 88/12 split revenue share, among other incentives.

Fortnite is back on mobile devices

Beyond the release of the mobile version of the Epic Games Store, the company also revealed today that Fortnite is officially back on mobile devices through the company’s digital storefront. In addition to launching on the Epic Games Store mobile version, EU Android and iOS owners can access Fortnite through the AltStore, a third-party digital storefront available thanks to the DMA.

This marks the first time Fortnite has been available natively on mobile devices after Apple and Google pulled the free-to-play battle royale app from the App Store and Google Play in 2020. Previously, if you wanted to play Fortnite on mobile devices after its removal, you could only play it via two cloud gaming services: Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Alongside Fortnite, Epic confirmed that Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe are also available to download on Android devices worldwide and EU iPhones via the mobile version of EGS and the EU’s AltStore. This is the first time Fall Guys has been made available on mobile devices, following its initial release in 2020 for PS4 and Windows and subsequent ports for PS5, Switch, and Xbox in 2022.

“The tide is turning, and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition. We are grateful to the European Commission for making it possible to launch the Epic Games Store and offer our games to iOS users in the European Union,” Epic Games Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney wrote in a press release. “Now, European iOS users and all Android users can access our store and games, as they’ve always been able to do on open platforms like PC and Mac. The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice.”

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Fortnite’s Marvel-Themed Chapter Update ‘Absolute Doom’ Is Now Live

“Become a Marvel legend”.

The free-to-play battle royale Fortnite today launches Chapter 5 of Season 4: Absolute Doom. It’s another crossover with the Marvel universe.

In this new chapter, you’ll see all sorts of familar faces (and some even have a unique spin – like a banana with claws) as you face off against Doctor Doom and co. Here’s the official description, along with a look in the trailer above:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com