But for those who are comfortable waiting until the software is ready to release, keep reading. Google announced more features for Android Q at its annual developer's conference this week. From more robust security settings to improved Digital Wellbeing features, there's a lot to look forward to from Google's next major platform release.
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5G connectivity
The world is already in 5G hype mode, and even though it's not available everywhere yet, there's enough buzz that companies and manufacturers have started future-proofing software and devices for its impending arrival.
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For its part, Google bundled in 5G compatibility in Android Q. Once you have this version of the mobile operating system, you'll be able to connect to your carrier's available 5G network provided your phone is outfitted with the necessary components.
Fit for foldables
Foldable smartphones may not seem like a thing right now, especially after the folly of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. But the next version of Android will be optimized to work with these next-generation devices. Some of the new features include app continuity, which lets you launch an app on the main screen then flip it open to continue what you were about to do, along with some better multitasking abilities that allow multiple apps to be paused and resumed at once.
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Smarter replies
Smart replies will be able to tell when you need to navigate somewhere in Android Q.Image: Google
If you're on version Android 8.0 or later, you've already experienced the practical utility of Smart Reply. This feature offers reply suggestions in the notification shade when you receive a message.
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Once Android Q goes live, the Smart Reply feature will be able to predict what you should do next. For example, if someone sends you a message with an address or the name of a restaurant, Smart Reply will offer a link to the Google Maps app to help you start navigating to that exact locale. It's an easy way to move forward without having to copy and paste addresses, then tap around the screen looking for the next app you want to use.
Robust security and privacy controls
Robust permissions settings mean you can set when the system can access your location data.Screenshot: Florence Ion
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Google claimed that nearly 50 features are coming to Android Q related to security and privacy. We won't know the extent of those changes until Android Q goes live to everyone. However, Google hinted at some of the options you'll be able to access in the Android settings panel, including a new front-and-center Privacy section, with a bevy of settings for controlling which apps and services have access to your data. There will also be a new Permissions option that will let you choose how and when data and other elements are shared with Google and other third-party apps.
Small, timely updates
The problem: When Google needs to make a minor update to the Android operating system, it's not always easy to push it out to the masses. The solution? Project Mainline, a new initiative from Google to push out security patches to more phones by distributing updates directly through the Google Play Store—where you already get your app updates. Project Mainline will be limited in what it updates, but it'll include things like network permissions, time zone data, and media codecs.
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'Focus mode' to limit notifications
Are you feeling unable to focus with your smartphone going off all the time? Android Q's Focus mode, part of Digital Wellbeing, lets you select the apps you find most distracting—messaging apps, news apps, apps constantly pinging you about daily deals—and silences them until you decide that you're ready to deal. You'll be able to choose which apps and which folks are allowed through when you're trying to concentrate.
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Alternatively, Focus mode works even when you're not trying to focus, like when you'd rather zone out on a Netflix binge. The idea is to keep work and play separate so that when you're avoiding your phone, you're doing so altogether. And when you're dodging work, you're fully ensconced in what's going on rather than who is notifying you in Slack.
Built-in parental controls
Family Link will let you natively set limits on certain Android apps for your kid.Image: Google
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Family Link will no longer be another app for parents to grab from the Play Store. Instead, it'll come standard with Android Q and will be available to customize inside the device settings. It will offer better controls for parents hoping to cut down on kids with a tendency towards rampant screen time. Starting with Android Q, you'll be able to set up specific time limits for those apps your kid is too obsessed with to finish homework, along with "bonus time" for when you're feeling lenient.
Hey Google, let's drive
Android Auto will be a native part of Android Q—no app required.Photo: Florence Ion
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Android Auto and Android embedded into the car are getting a big makeover this summer. But perhaps the most significant will be the version of Android Auto on the phone, which will no longer be a separate app. Instead, you'll have to invoke it through the Google Assistant, so you can say something like, "Hey Google, let's drive" to pop up the new optimized driving mode. The new driving mode features a slicker interface, with all the information you need within a short scroll rather than hidden behind another menu.
Find something to eat
Google Lens isn't entirely specific to Android Q, though it is a part of the Pixel's camera app. A new feature coming up the pipeline will help you do things like figure out what to eat at a new restaurant, without having to ask anyone, "What's good here?". With the help of Google Lens, you'll be able to snap a photo of a physical menu, and Google will highlight the most popular items at that particular locale based on its reviews database. Google Lens will also be able to split a bill or calculate a tip after you snap a photo of the receipt and read signs and other text for people who can't read the printed language.
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A glimpse at Google's demo of Lens' transcription feature. Photo: Florence Ion
Live captions
One of the most compelling features in Android Q will make audio and video available for the hard of hearing. Live Captions will enable real-time transcriptions of what's being said on screen, regardless of the app you're using. Folks hoping to catch something a podcast host said can use the feature for clarification on a line, while folks who are hard of hearing can use Live Captions to transcribe personal videos. Best of all, an internet connection isn't necessary to use this feature, as the transcription is processed all locally on the device rather than through the cloud.
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Gestures you can use
Gestures are fairly new to the world of Android, but soon they'll be varied. Screenshot: Florence Ion
Gestures are controversial on the smartphone circuit because users don't always appreciate them. But with phones getting bigger, and adopting edge-to-edge displays, the concept of using a gesture to navigate the operating system seems like the obvious evolution. Google first introduced gestures in Android Pie, and in Android Q they'll be more refined. Rather than the standard three- or two-button layout features in the navigation bar, you'll use a swipe up gesture to go to the Home screen, then swipe up and drag across to switch into multitasking view. And rather than tap a button to go back a page, you can swipe across the screen to switch between apps, then swipe up from the Home screen to reveal the application drawer.
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Darkness, everywhere
Hello, Dark Mode, my old (new?) friend. Screenshot: Florence Ion
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If you've ever looked at your phone in the dead of night and thought to yourself, "dang, this is way too bright" you're likely to be very enticed by this next new feature. Dark Mode has long been a coveted feature on the Android operating system, and now it's coming system-wide, with dark themes available for every one of Google's core apps. Third-party apps will have to implement it manually.
Dark mode is also helpful for saving battery life, particularly for those devices sporting bright OLED displays. Activating it pretty easy: pull down the Quick Settings menu, then tap the setting to switch over the interface from white to black.
The Fortnite Season 9 v9.00 patch is now live on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. This update brings the new Season to Battle Royale including Slipstreams, new PoIs, and more.
Patch v9.00 is the first update in Fortnite's 9th Season, what are your thoughts on the changes introduced in this update?
Read More: Season 9 Battle Pass – Tiers, rewards, and more
Check out the full Patch Notes blog post from Epic Games below…
WHAT'S NEW?
Season 9 – Battle Pass New Season, new Battle Pass. 100 levels, over 100 new rewards. Available in-game right now for 950 V-Bucks. Find out more information on this Season's Battle Pass here.
Slipstreams Get around locations quickly with the new Slipstream wind transportation system.
New Locations Explore new points of interest that emerged from the destruction of the Volcano like Neo Tilted and Mega Mall.
WEAPONS + ITEMS
Added Combat Shotgun
Semi-Automatic
Holds 10 Shells.
Fires 9 pellets per shot for 73 / 77 / 81 base damage.
Tight spread and fast fire rate.
Headshot multiplier of 1.70x.
Reloads 2 shells at a time.
Available in Rare, Epic, and Legendary variants.
Available from Floor, Chests, Supply Drops, and Vending Machines
Adjusted Tactical Shotgun damage
Base damage increased from 66/70/74 to 71/75/79
Reduced Drum Gun availability from 16.732% to 7.155%
Reduced Boom Bow availability from 1.292% to .755%
Unvaulted Grenades
Vaulted Clingers
Vaulted Buried Treasure
Vaulted Pump Shotgun
Vaulted Poison Dart Trap
Vaulted Scoped Revolver
Vaulted Suppressed Assault Rifle
Vaulted Thermal Assault Rifle
Vaulted Balloons
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Turbo building after gliding now works correctly.
The stink bomb damage audio and effects were not playing if you damaged yourself.
Fixed the Shadow bomb occasionally not making the player invisible on the Xbox One the first time it's used.
Misplacement of Launch Pads in mid-air has been resolved.
Pirate Cannon camera issues due to network latency have been resolved.
The Reboot Card deposit sound effects no longer play in replay mode while the Van is on Cooldown.
The Reboot Van card sound effects will no longer be heard when a squadmate disconnects.
GAMEPLAY
Slipstreams
These tunnels of wind passively carry players down the stream.
Players can move faster and change direction when actively trying to move down the Stream.
Use directional input to gain extra velocity. Experiment with bobbing up and down for higher speeds.
Players are launched when exiting the tube based on their movement speed and exit angle.
Projectiles and Vehicles can also enter the Slipstream.
Air Vents
The powerful gusts of air from these environmental items can launch players short distances and grant immunity to fall damage.
Fortbytes
Fortbytes are a series of 100 collectible computer chips available to Battle Pass owners. As you collect Fortbytes, you'll decrypt a mysterious image. Collect them all to unlock rewards and uncover the secrets of Season 9.
On the first day of Season 9, there are 18 Fortbytes available to find. At least 1 new Fortbyte will be unlocked each day. Check the Challenges Tab for detailed information on which Fortbytes are currently available and when the others unlock.
Fortbytes cannot be collected after Season 9 ends.
Disconnected players will stay in the world for 60 seconds. They still take damage and count for elimination points.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Resolved an issue with the UI showing health gains incorrectly if the player canceled the consumable close to completion time.
PS4 controller lighting not always matching your pin color when in Squads.
Players not able to use Hold to Swap if they previously picked an item up normally
Adjusted turbo building to be more forgiving under poor network conditions
Fixed cases of jittery movement under certain conditions.
LIMITED TIME MODE ROTATION:
TRIOS
Classic Battle Royale with Three-Person Squads.
SOLID GOLD
Fight to the finish using Legendary weapons!
ONE SHOT
Low Gravity. Every player has 50 health. Sniper weapons are the only weapon, Bandages are the only healing item. Jump high and aim well!
EVENTS
Players who have already qualified to be in the World Cup will be marked with a World Cup badge on the event leaderboards
Leaderboards now have a button to sort games by the number of top leaderboard players in them. This will help identify the most critical active games from a leaderboard standing view.
The in-game HUD now has different icons for points for Arena matches and weekend tournament matches.
PERFORMANCE
Improved frame rate on Nintendo Switch, particularly when large numbers of characters are onscreen.
Addressed some cases of invisible characters after skydiving.
AUDIO
Better tactical audio when inside player-built structures:
Enemy Pickaxe impact within ~one building tile radius has new, louder sound.
Wallbreak by enemy close/behind player much clearer/louder.
Explosion audio improvements- shorter, higher dynamic range sounds that will make explosion audio clearer and punchier.
UI
Bug Fixes & Improvements
"Swap" text appearing in the pickup UI will no longer appear when picking up more resources than the player can carry.
The initial storm warning timer was incorrectly showing as 0.
Spectators and replay watchers can now report users.
Fixed party invites not showing up in the UI if the user logged out and back in again.
SPECTATING
Spectating a player's match will now automatically follow that player.
MOBILE
Auto fire will now trigger on vehicles.
Added option for increasing elimination feed line count in the HUD Layout Tool.
Dragging/Dropping from the quickbar is now allowed while jumping.
The location of the boost button on Android for the X-Stormwing has been moved to avoid triggering the Home button.
Squad formation is now accessible.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
The delay with interacting when using the quickbar slots has been resolved.
Weapon icons now correctly display icons on the quickbar.
Fixed sliders that were broken in the Dead Zone tab of the Controller Options.
Auto fire adjustments:
Semi-automatic weapons now fire correctly.
Increased acquisition delay for shotguns.
Dynamite trajectory indicator is now correctly displayed during use.
Ziplines can no longer be ridden past their endpoints.
Autorun no longer takes more than two taps to initiate after jumping from Battle Bus.
Cooldown Timer visual for boost buttons on vehicles is now displayed correctly.
The camera no longer shakes when entering the X-Stormwing.
Left virtual thumbstick no longer becomes invisible when holding left or right and pressing the fire button.
The Harvest Tool UI button in HUD layout is no longer invisible.
The stair railing in Pleasant Park no longer clips through the door.
Variant numbers partially hidden in the preview screen by the "X" button.
The Dream cosmetic is now correctly displaying:
The butterfly
Eye glow effect
Widow's Bite pickaxe visual effect issue has been resolved.
The Cooldown ring timer showing briefly when switching seats in Cannon.
Interact Icon is no longer missing with certain consumables.
Input Blocked text will no longer appear when opening the inventory.
The Item Shop arrows now display correctly on iPhone XS Max.
Reworked default button layout to be consistent across vehicles (Enter, Exit, Switch Seat and Boost)
UI
Sub-game select screen has been refreshed.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Improved visibility of squad icons on lobby player pads in large parties
Squad icons in large parties can no longer show an empty slot as ready
Selecting a highlighted team member in the lobby with a controller can no longer show options for a different member
Players will now appear correctly as a hologram, when joining a player currently in match
Reworded Squad formation messaging to be more clear
Fixed invisible character parts of players who are still loading into the match.
SOCIAL
Players now remain in the Party voice channel by default when entering a match. The Game channel is still available, but the switch is no longer automatic.
Added a setting for the display of voice chat indicators.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Suggested friends in the social panel match the suggestions in the launcher
The "Sit Out/Jump In" button in Squad Formation is now displayed correctly
Sending a friend invite to a suggested friend no longer fails
Can now still send party invites after joining and leaving a party while set to "Friend" party privacy
Fixed potentially incorrect notification message when joining a channel
Voice indicators are no longer stuck on screen when leaving a party while members are speaking
Fixed duplicate voice indicators appearing for the same speaker
PERFORMANCE
Optimized the eye adaption rendering effect
Optimized animation performance for ControlRig (Werewolf, Krampus).
KNOWN ISSUES
Want to track the top community issues? Head over to our Fortnite | Community Issues Trello board here.
WHAT'S NEW?
Neo Tilted Build your own imagined version of Neo Tilted using futuristic prefabs sets and gallery options!
Hover Platform Hover platforms allow for sky-high construction and are great for platforming!
Creature Manager Customize creatures' health, damage and score for advanced games!
ISLANDS
Added Meadow Island – a 105×105 tiles flat, grass island.
Updated the look of the Creative and Playground's hubs.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Grass material on islands no longer becomes darker as they get closer to the water.
GAMEPLAY
Added Team Rotation option which causes players to rotate between teams.
Disabled, Every Round, Every Other Round.
Use in attack / defend games to give players a chance to play on each side.
Added new Flight options to Game Settings
Player Flight Sprint – Sets whether players are allowed to sprint in games where flight is enabled.
Flight Speed – Sets the speed at which players will fly in games where flight is enabled.
Added "Allow Out of Bounds" option to Game Settings to keep players from leaving the bounds of an island during games.
Fixed settings not being saved between Fortnite updates
Game settings are no longer missing from islands
The Poison Dart Trap's damage volume will remain after firing.
WEAPONS + ITEMS
Added the Jewel (Crystal Llama) item to the Consumables tab of the creative inventory.
Use it with the Item Spawner and Capture Area to create your own heist.
Combat Shotgun
Semi Automatic
Holds 10 Shells.
Fires 9 pellets per shot for 73 / 77 / 81 base damage.
Tight spread and fast fire rate.
Headshot multiplier of 1.70x.
Reloads 2 shells at a time.
Available in Rare, Epic, and Legendary variants.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Players no longer remain invisible after being eliminated while in the Shadow Bomb effect. Shadow Bomb has been readded.
CREATIVE TOOLS + PHONE
You can now "sprint" while flying to move much more quickly.
Simply hold down the regular sprint button to fly faster.
Added the ability to change base Flight Speed
Choose between 0.5x, 1.0x, 1.5x, 2.0x, and 3.0x speeds. (Default 1.0x)
To change speeds while flying:
On keyboard, press the C button
On controllers, press D-Pad Down.
(Mobile controls will be added soon, with a totally revised control scheme for toggling options!)
Increased the Multi-Select limit on selectable objects from 20 to 100.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Building tiles can no longer be pasted into the air using Multi-Select when they were not structurally supported.
Multi-Select no longer displays the Rotate or Drops help text when moving objects that were snapped to the grid.
Rotation is no longer reset on Bananas, Peppers and Mushrooms when pasting them.
All selected objects are no longer cleared when attempting to Multi-Select more than the maximum limit.
Objects are no longer offset from the building grid when placing an odd number of tile units with Multi-Select.
Using Multi-Select on an object outside of the island no longer allows grid objects to be resized.
PREFABS & GALLERIES
Added 6 new Neo Tilted Prefabs.
Added 3 new Neo Tilted Building Galleries.
Added a Neo Tilted Prop Gallery.
Added a Neo Tilted Car Gallery.
Added a Neo Tilted Hologram Gallery.
Added Neo Tilted Sidewalks to Street Gallery B.
Added the Neo Tilted Tree to the Nature Tree Gallery.
Added the Neo Tilted Flowers to the Nature Jungle Gallery.
Added more props to General Props Gallery B.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Grass no longer clips through the Pizza Pete Prop.
Trash piles in General Props Gallery A are no longer invisible for mobile users.
"Elec Cruisin'" and Elec Groove" tracks are no longer missing from the Radio device in the Visualizer Gallery.
DEVICES
Added the Creature Manager device to the creative inventory. This allows you to customize the attributes of the creatures that the Creature Spawners create.
Use one Creature Manager per creature type that you want to customize.
Type: Fiend, Red Fiend, Brute, Red Brute, Ranged, Megabrute
Damage to the environment: Default, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 500
Added the Hover Platform device.
This can be placed anywhere and allows building in the air.
Make sure you place the hover platform first; placing it on an existing building can cause the building to be destroyed.
Known issue: Using Multi-Select with a Hover Platform causes anything built on it to be destroyed when placed.
Added the Air Vent device.
Boosts players into the air.
Added Bacon to the Challenge Gallery.
Added new options to the Capture Area device.
Added Team option to restrict item captures to a specific team.
1-16 or All (Default: All)
Added Accent Color option to help visually distinguish Capture Area devices from one another.
White, Sky Blue, Red-Orange, Golden, Apple Green, Fuschia, Orange, Aquamarine, Beige, Purple, Neon Green, Cerulean, Aqua, Pink, Green (Default: Aqua)
Added new options to the Objective device.
Added "Show Damage Numbers" option to show how much damage is dealt to the Objective when it is damaged.
On, Off (Default: Off)
Updated the health bar on the Objective Device; it now shows whether it's a Friendly or Enemy target by its color (Friendly shows blue, Enemy shows red)
Added new option to the Explosive Barrel.
Added "Show Damage Numbers" option to show how much damage is dealt to the Explosive Barrel when it is damaged.
On, Off (Default: Off)
Added new option to the Coin.
Added "Collecting Team" option to specify which team can collect the coin
All, Team 1-16(Default: All)
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Objective Device health bars will now always display correctly based on settings.
Creature Spawners should now abide by their Wave Timer settings more accurately at lower values.
Creatures no longer take excessive fall damage when spawned on Sandbar Island.
Objective Device no longer changes to the generator model when leaving and rejoining an island.
UI + SOCIAL
Matched the color for the in-world markers of attack/defend objectives to the color variations in their respective HUD elements.
Friendly shows blue, Enemy shows red
Renamed "knockdowns" to "eliminated" in the scoreboard
Bug Fixes & Improvements
The top 2 teams are now placed correctly when there is not a tie.
Real-time scoreboard columns are now updating after changing the tracked stats between games.
The default HUD type no longer shows the text "Objectives Remaining" even if there were no Objective Devices.
The final round Scoreboard of a game is now titled the round number instead of "Scoreboard".
The round Scoreboard now shows progress towards the total number of rounds (e.g. "Round 2" will now display as "Round 2 / 3").
The health bar of the Objective Device no longer disappears when respawning.
Black bars at the start of a game now span across the entire screen on Xbox One and Switch platforms.
PERFORMANCE
Resolved some big hitches when using the Barrier device, Music Sequencer, or Driftboard Spawner.
Improved the performance of some Phone interactions to reduce hitching.
WHAT'S NEW?
Wargames Introducing Wargames! Take part in new and unique Stormshield mission Simulations to put your skills to the test!
Tales of Beyond Lok claims to have met a strange visitor unlike anyone or anything Homebase has ever seen. Join the hunt to find Lok's monster in Tales of Beyond!
Garridan Go Constructor on the Husks with Garridan! Comes equipped with a brand new Constructor ability… batteries not included.
MISSIONS + SYSTEMS
Introducing: Wargames!
Revisit your Storm Shield bases and test your defenses against some destructive and challenging simulations. Simulations will exist in all biomes and we'll be adding more as the season progresses. The first four are:
Torn Apart – A tornado is wreaking havoc on your fort! This simulation causes destruction to your structures, flinging players and enemies into the air.
Hot Spots – Volcanic ruptures plague this simulation as lava pools sprout from the ground, damaging structures, and converting enemies into the Fire element.
Denied – During the course of this simulation, more and more anomaly rifts appear around the defense point. Standing too close to these hazards will sap your energy and your health!
Safety Zone – With the main Storm Shield down, you will have to rely on portable shield generators. Stay inside one of these protective bubbles or feel the effects of the Storm. Enemies will prioritize destroying the shield generators first so keep them protected!
Each simulation requires the players to defend their base for seven minutes. A random amplifier is then selected to defend for another seven minutes.
Collect "Time Cheats" that appear around the environment to reduce the wave timer.
Wargames ramps up the challenge by requiring another player to revive you when your health is depleted. If everyone goes down you will fail the Wargame, so if you are playing solo you will only have one life to complete the simulation.
If the simulations aren't challenging enough, apply one of nine new challenge modifiers for some bonus rewards. These challenges include:
Rolling Fog – A heavy fog obstructs your sights and enemies won't appear on your mini-map.
Close Quarters – Enemy spawn locations appear much closer to your base.
Husk Swarm – Only Husks appear in this challenge, but they are at a much higher power level.
No Building Zone – No building, no repairs, and no pickaxe.
Heavy Explosives – Huskies explode when eliminated. Eliminate them before they get too close!
Trapped Out – All of your traps are disabled and none can be placed in this challenge.
Full Time – Time Cheats don't appear in this simulation challenge.
Surprise – The Wargames simulation is randomized and will swap to a different one in the second wave.
Head Games – Damaged enemies must be finished off with a headshot!
The Wargames difficulty and rewards are based on the account level of the lowest player in a party and is averaged with public players that assist in your mission. This is to ensure that there is always a challenge in any Storm Shield location.
Wargames steps up the challenge as more players join the mission, by increasing the enemy count and enemy power level.
Wargames Event Quests!
Wargames are kicked off with the Wargames Boot Camp quests! These quests will help players discover all of the aspects of playing Wargames while offering some nice rewards in the process. Learning can be fun!
Each Wargames simulation type offers a one-time completion quest which rewards Event Tickets and a unique banner reward to show off your accomplishment.
Every Wargames challenge has a one-time completion quest which rewards Event Tickets.
Repeatable quests are available for completing both Wargames simulations and challenges.
Wargames Daily Challenge Quests
Every day brings new challenges for Wargames and your Storm Shields, requiring you to complete a Simulation / Challenge combination in a specific zone.
As you progress and unlock new zones in the game, you will unlock a Wargames Daily Challenge slot associated with that zone for a total of 4 per day.
Completing these will grant rewards such as Event Tickets and Gold!
Storm Shield Quality of Life Updates
When you start a Storm Shield Defense or Wargames mission, your fort's layout is saved. After the current Storm Shield mission concludes, your fort is restored to the saved state. This includes all structures, and traps (durability) placed before you start the mission. Any structures or traps that are placed after the mission starts will be cleared after the mission ends.
Community Lookout
Enter your Storm Shield in any Zone to join the Community Lookout program!
Help other players defend their Storm Shields or jump into the new Wargames Missions as a change of scenery. This updated match-making system prioritizes Storm Shield mission types.
Similar to Play with Others, these match-making options offer 20% bonus XP.
Before starting a Storm Shield Defense or Wargames mission, players can now opt to "Wait for Assistance", requiring at least one other public player to join before starting the mission.
Re-organized Twine Peaks:
Twine Peaks missions now follow a linear path, for better readability than the previously existing structure.
Added missions to each region of Twine Peaks to introduce more mission variety, and to provide more mission-loot-rolling opportunities for players.
Added at least one additional group mission per difficulty level.
Reduced the frequency of XP rewards in high-end Twine Peaks missions, to allow other reward types to appear more often.
Reduced environment health scaling in high-end Twine Peaks to not overtake pickaxe damage scaling.
Target Practice!
A new secondary activity of skeet shooting is available in missions. How many clay pigeons can you shoot down!
The Beta Storms have moved on for now, look for them to return in the future.
Mission Alert scheduling and quotas have been simplified.
Mission Alerts now appear on the map once per day, at the same time each day (Midnight UTC).
Missions themselves also refresh on the same timer.
Mission Alerts no longer have a rolling 24 hour quota. Instead, each alert visible on the map can be completed one time per day.
Mission Alerts that you have already completed today will have a check mark appear next to them, indicating that the mission alert will not grant any bonus rewards until it refreshes the following day.
Weekly Quests
A quest to complete 10 Mission Alerts will be granted to players once per week.
Upon completion you will be able to select a reward – a significant amount of either Event Tickets, Gold, or Perk Materials.
The quest's difficulty requirements and reward quantities will scale up, dependent on your Storm Shield progression.
If the week ends while your weekly quest is partially complete, the quest progress will carry over to the next week (rather than restarting with a new quest).
Bug Fixes
Ensured that a Mega Alert appears on each group mission.
UI
Added navigation arrows to choose between multiple events in the event callout interface on the Quests tab.
Re-enabled and made updates to the X-Ray Llama choice packs. The UI has been updated so that card pack choices are more visible on the shown X-Ray items.
Updated the 'All Stats' screen to update stats when team members change.
Updated 'All Stats' screen to highlight team improved stats in blue, to match text of the party members screen.
Bug Fixes
Fixed the issue that caused blurry schematic images to appear in the store.
Fixed being unable to hover on or interact with items when using a mouse on PS4
The Yes/No vote status of the last player who voted on an objective will now properly appear in the mission vote dialog.
Players can no longer slot an upgraded item in the collection book if the original schematic is unable to be recycled. This would initially create an error message when attempting to overslot an item and prevents unique schematics, like the Bowler, from being destroyed.
Items inspected from the Collection Book Item picker can now be upgraded and favorited.
The Mini Map will now correctly display important mission information after closing the big map.
Menu text will no longer rapidly change sizes when the player hovers over the menu buttons.
PERFORMANCE
Reduced hitches related to players connecting to a match while other players are already in zone.
Reduced in-zone asset loading around Hoverboard use, gameplay effects, and audio.
Improved framerate when rendering the HUD.
Reduced cost of supporting interaction with quest items.
Resolved a source of big hitches due to loaded abilities
Improved rendering performance on Xbox One
Bug Fixes
Fixed an audio hitch when a player is sent an idle message.
HEROES
We've added a new Hero to the Event store!
Black Knight Garridan, a new Mythic Constructor!
New Team Perk: Kinetic Overdrive
Kinetic Overload occurs an additional time.
Requires 3 Constructors with 3 or more stars
New Ability: Goin' Constructor
Equip a hammer which deals an enormous amount of physical damage and a shield that reduces 95% damage from the front. Lasts 16 seconds.
Standard Perk: Knight's Impact
Increases Hardware Impact by 33%.
Commander Perk: Knight's Impact+
Increases Hardware Impact by 75%. Additionally, Goin' Constructor can trigger Kinetic Overload.
Available in the Event Store May 9th at 8 PM Eastern Time
We're introducing a new Dinosaur Hero!
Paleo Luna, the new Dinosaur Ninja!
Standard Perk: Saurian Claws
Adds 5.5% of Current Health to Melee Weapon Damage.
Commander Perk: Saurian Claws+
Adds 16.5% of Current Health to Melee Weapon Damage.
Obtainable from the "Tales from Beyond" Questline.
New Team Perk: Blast From The Past
Acquired upon acquisition of any Dinosaur hero
Requires 2 Dinosaur Heroes
Removes all shield and increases Max Health by 200%.
Visual update to Kinetic Overdrive.
Bug Fixes
Suppressive Fire will no longer gain unintended bonus damage from critical hits.
Grenade Generation no longer only counts ranged weapon eliminations.
Commando Renegade will no longer appear as Special Forces Ramirez on PS4.
Miss Bunny Penny can now properly be retired.
Players can no longer heal themselves by passing through allies with Phase Siphon.
Hunter's Instinct will now properly life leech off melee weapons only.
Bullrush will no longer push defenders.
WEAPONS + ITEMS
Steam Skewer – the Steampunk Spear!
A spear that uses long range thrusting attacks to deal high damage and impact.
Available in the Weekly Store from May 9th at 8PM ET until May 16th at 8PM ET.
Bug Fixes
Weapons no longer visibly eject energy shells after changing the effects quality settings.
1 bullet reload for weapons now reload properly.
GAMEPLAY
Bug Fixes
Visual effects will now show on players who are standing in Slowing Pools.
ENEMIES
Blaster
All new art and animations!
Blaster is now more resistant to being interrupted and knocked back by weapon and trap impacts.
Blaster blast attack accuracy has been adjusted.
Fewer Blasters are allowed to show up at any one time.
Poison lobbers have returned to their old skull-throwing selves.
Lobbers will now appear less frequently in low level zones as they did before the Love Storm arrived.
ART + ANIMATION
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Fixed a small hole that could appear in Autumn City maps.
AUDIO
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Hoverboard's mount audio no longer plays at an increased volume.
Music will no longer restart when tabbing in and out of game.
MedBot revive audio now respects player volume settings.
Pickaxe impact audio now plays correctly after swinging multiple times.
Added Autumn ambient music to Autumn maps.
Updated Deliver the Bomb manufacture and launch sounds.
Reviews are a great way of relaying the quality of a product or service to the user. When used correctly, they can be an incredibly useful source of information. The sad thing is the resulting data can also be skewed in either direction for a multitude of reasons. When Android developers log into their account they will see a new banner in the developer console that tells them how Play Store app ratings will change in the future. The tidbit of information we have says app ratings will weigh newer ones heavier than older ones.
This is actually an interesting change for a few reasons. If Google were to change the way Play Store app ratings were handled you would think they would have taken a page from YouTube and switched to a thumbs up and thumbs down approach. YouTube had its reasons for this change, but I can see how applications and games can benefit from a point system. Another thing that shocked me is that Google will be putting a greater significance to an application or game's most recent ratings.
I personally think this is strange because "review bombs" are a thing. We've seen this destroy overall ratings of PC games on Steam and it drove them to the point of informing the user if a game has received a lot of negative reviews recently. Thankfully, this isn't as prevalent in the Play Store, but we have seen plenty of applications roll out a new update and get bombarded with negative reviews and ratings because people tend to dislike change. However, I can also see the other side of the coin here.
If an application developer published a brand new app then they could have made a lot of mistakes along the way. That app could have received a lot of bad reviews at first, but then the developer goes in and updates the application to fix those bugs, fix those crashes, and improve other aspects of it. It does seem unfair to let those older app ratings weigh as much as newer, more complimenting reviews for the updated version.
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