ChurchGreenStudiosCreated by ChurchGreenStudios to address the lack of high-quality, professional-grade 3D models for photorealistic renders, particularly for macro shots of glassware, this asset pack serves as the ultimate solution for archviz, advertising, commercial, and personal projects.Glassware Asset Pack is great for macro or close-up renders, offering high-detail models with realistic reflections. Its also suitable for general scene use and works well in interior design and other projects requiring glassware and bar accessories. The pack also offers customization options with additional subdivisions, allowing for even greater detail.Take a look at some examples of use cases below and see more on ChurchGreenStudios Instagram page:ChurchGreenStudiosChurchGreenStudiosChurchGreenStudiosChurchGreenStudiosChurchGreenStudiosChurchGreenStudiosChurchGreenStudiosGlassware Asset Pack includes 36 3D glass models featuring a variety of glassware types for different beverages, such as wine glasses, cocktail glasses, rocks glasses, beer glasses, shot glasses, and tumblers. It also comes with cocktail accessories, ice cubes, example fluid, and some basic materials.Purchase it here andjoin our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Create Photorealistic Glassware Renders With This Comprehensive Asset Collection appeared first on CG SHARES.

Ah, Bungie. Every so often the Destiny 2 developer will surprise Guardians globally by subtly launching a mission or quietly adding secrets to the game. This time around, the Barrow Dyad Exotic mission has been added to the game with the weekly reset, and no prior warning at all.Luckily, we've figured out how to locate the new Derealize Exotic mission, how to start it, and we have a step-by-step guide on how you can get your hands on the bizarre-looking SMG.Table of Contents [hide]Nether BlightsNether BlightsIf you've been playing Destiny 2 Episode Heresy already, you'll be familiar with the Nether activity. Formerly, we thought that you'd need to reload it until you spawn at the Trenchway or Hall of Souls, but it seems that you can start the Exotic quest from any landing zone in the Nether; you just might have a bit more of a search on your hands before you can trigger the quest steps.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Season 24: Takeover marks Apex Legends' six-year anniversary.Apex Legends Season 24: Takeover is now live, and although the latest season of Respawn's popular battle royale doesn't introduce a new playable Legend, it does feature a number of game-changing meta tweaks, from long-awaited Legend buffs to a new "Creator Commissioner" event that lets Apex Legends livestreamers take control of the game itself.But the new content doesn't stop there. Respawn recently released Season 24's patch notes, detailing Takeover's additional features (including a new, ultra-convenient type of Supply Bin called an Arsenal), along with standard seasonal changes like weapon rotations and changes to the loot pool.Keep scrolling for an in-depth look at all of the content hitting Apex Legends alongside the launch of Season 24: Takeover. Creator CommissionersV-Tuber Kaminari Qpi will close out the last two weeks of the Creator Commissioners event.As seen in the Takeover gameplay trailer, Season 24 will see four Apex Legends content creators stepping into Kuben Blisks shoes as a part of the Creator Commissioners event. Starting on February 25, Ninjayla, Oraze, Apryze, and Kaminari Qpi will "take over" the Apex Games for two weeks each, challenging players to complete in-game feats in exchange for up to 20 Apex Packs and a creator-selected Legendary-tier weapon skin.The Creator Commissioners schedule is as follows:February 25 - March 10: Ninjayla (Legendary skin: Death Ray Wingman)March 11 - 24: Oraxe (Legendary skin: The Pioneer Kraber)April 1 - 14: Apryze (Legendary skin: Bone Breaker Mastiff)April 15 - 28: Kaminari Qpi (Legendary skin: Tombstick Mastiff) ArsenalsGearing up just got a whole lot simpler.Arsenals are a new type of Supply Bin that appear in the game's standard battle royale mode. Unlike the average Supply Bin--which contains randomized loot that players may or may not actually need--Arsenals contain loot that's tailored to the weapon inside it. In addition to a weapon, Arsenals also contain ammo and the ability to upgrade whichever weapon they happen to contain, making it much easier for players to gear up and get back in the fight. Sixth Anniversary Collection EventThe Void Disruption R-301 is Apex's first-ever Mythic-tier weapon skin.Apex Legends celebrated its sixth anniversary on February 4, and Respawn is kicking off this year's festivities with a new in-game Collection Event. The Sixth Anniversary Collection Event features 36 premium cosmetic items, and also allows players to get their hands on some Heirloom Shards and the game's first-ever Mythic-tier weapon skin: the Void Disruption R-301. The event also includes a reward track full of free loot for players to unlock, including cosmetic items designed by popular Apex Legends fan artists. For more information on the Sixth Anniversary Collection Event, check out Respawn's latest blog post. LegendsThey buffed Ash.As advertised in the Takeover gameplay trailer, Season 24 includes some serious Legend buffs--mainly for Ash and Ballistic. As of Season 24, Ash's Arc Snare tactical ability is more effective, and players will have an easier time trapping their foes in the snare. Her ultimate ability, Phase Breach, now travels farther and faster, and modifications have been made to ensure its placement is more accurate. But the biggest change is Ash's new passive ability: Predator's Pursuit. This passive allows Ash to quickly dash to an enemy that's been caught in her Arc Snare, or dodge out of the way in close-quarters combat.As for Ballistic, a new Level 3 Legend Upgrade gives him twice as many Whistler charges, allowing him to overheat multiple enemy weapons in a short time frame. His ultimate ability, Tempest, now grants a speed boost, and his passive ability to carry three weapons rather than two has now been extended to include Care Package weapons, which will have infinite ammo when Tempest is active. Ballistic was already a force of nature--okay, technically he was a force of pharmaceutical engineering--but with his updated ability set, he's deadlier than ever this season.Assault-class Legends--including Ash and Ballistic--have also had their class perks tweaked for Season 24. Their perks are now as follows:Combat Reserve: Assault Legends can carry extra ammo in each ammo stack, have two additional inventory slots for ordnance, and will retain their ability to open their class-exclusive Assault Supply Bins.Stowed Reload: Stowed weapons automatically reload themselves after two seconds.Battle Surge: Breaking an enemy shield temporarily grants a speed boost, faster reloads, and highlights the enemy in question for four seconds."[Assault-class] Legends are enhanced with perks that let them worry less about their weapon economy, bring more explosive power to the table, and give them the combat edge to capitalize on one of core moments in any combat encounter: the shield break," Respawn said of the changes. WeaponsMuzzle flash has been heavily reduced.As always, a new season means changes to Apex's arsenal of weapons. But Season 24 also includes an unexpected (but certainly not unwelcome) reduction in muzzle flash for all weapons. The days of squinting in an attempt to see your target through a massive flash of particle effects are finally over, as Apex's weapons have all had their muzzle flash drastically reduced. Full details on Respawn's efforts to combat visual clutter from muzzle flash are listed below:95% less visual noise over the line of sight (sparks, smoke, glowing effects, etc.)Noise/visuals kept below line of sightSize of muzzle flashes reducedParticle count optimizedVisual noise from shell ejection reducedLingering elements (smoke, sparks, etc.) cleaned upLight toned down to avoid flickering on weapons and environment modelsGiven these changes, players should have a much easier time keeping their target firmly in their sights.As for the usual seasonal changes to the game's weapon loot pool, Season 24 sees the R-99 return to the standard loot pool, while a buffed-up version of the Peacekeeper takes its place as this season's Care Package weapon. Season 24's Legendary-tier (gold) weapon rotation features the Alternator, R-99, Wingman, 30-30 Repeater, and Rampage LMG. Gear and lootCommon, Rare, and Epic helmets are a thing of the past.In one of the biggest changes to hit Apex in recent memory, Season 24 sees the removal of low-tier helmets. Common (white), Rare (blue), and Epic (purple) helmets have been entirely removed from the game, with new, higher-tier helmets (with special gameplay effects) taking their place. The way body armor works has also changed, and players are less likely to encounter enemy squads that are fully decked-out in Mythic (red) body armor."We have taken a look at the defensive side of loot in Apex with some hefty streamlining," Respawn said of the change. "Low-tier Helmets (white, blue, and purple) have been removed, and rare high value Helmets that provide meaningful gameplay perks have been added in their place. As for Armor, you will no longer level into red tier (125 shields) at Level 4 but will instead be capped at Level 3 (100 shields). However, red shields will still be available in the form of the new Mythic Armor Upgrade Helmet."Details on the only two helmets left in the game--the Legendary-tier Gold Armor Upgrade Helmet and the new Mythic-tier Armor Upgrade Helmet--are listed below:Gold helmetReworked into Gold Armor Upgrade HelmetOffers Improved Minor Healing perk that doubles the output of Shield Cells & SyringesSets the players Armor to 100 regardless of LevelLeveling still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while equippedNo headshot damage reductionChance to appear in Legendary Supply Bins after mid-match Supply Bin resetMythic Armor Upgrade HelmetRed tier introducedSets players armor to 125 regardless of levelLeveling is still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while this item is equippedRed helmets offer no headshot damage reductionAppears in the Mythic Supply Bin and late game Care Packages Full patch notesSeason 24: Takeover features a multitude of surprising gameplay changes.For a detailed list of every single change Season 24 has introduced to the game, check out the Takeover patch notes, which are listed in full below:PATCH NOTESBALANCE UPDATESCare PackageR-99 returns to the floor (balance details below)Peacekeeper enters the Care Package (balance details below)Gold Weapon RotationAlternator, R-99, Wingman, 30-30 Repeater, Rampage LMGEVOMax level achievable by earning EVO is now Level 3 (Purple Armor) Red Armor no longer earnable through levelingEVO required to reach Level 3 increased to 1700 (was 1350)Dev Note: Red armor allowed for a much wider health disparity in the mid to late game which reinforced activities like farming damage on the outskirts and avoiding encounters to collect resources. By lowering the total Armor available to these actions and the levels required to earn them, you can now get end-game ready more easily and focus on what matters mostthe fight.Accelerated WeaponsAssists with an Accelerated Weapon equipped will no longer grant the extra 30% ult charge in Mixtape ModesGAMEPLAY UPDATESNEW ArsenalsThese stations provide players with easy and deterministic access to weapons and ammo of their choice.Stations across all POI's on every map with fixed locationsAmmo type provided randomizes each matchEquipped with an enhancing terminal that upgrades one weapon matching the ammo type per Arsenal Enhancing grants an upgraded attachment and provides an optic if one is missingHealingCells now take 2.5s to complete (was 3s)Syringes now take 4s (was 5s)Cells & Syringes now stack up to 6 Players now start with 4 Cells and 4 Syringes (was 2 each)Battery and Medkit spawn rates have been slightly increasedDev Note: Players will undoubtedly need to continue popping meds whenever they can with lowered max health, a universal gold helmet perk, and a ton of weapon buffs. Weve decided to shave down some of those sharp edges to make healing a little easier across the board.HelmetsWhite, blue, and purple have been removed from the loot poolPlayers no longer start with a white helmetDev Note: Finding and equipping Helmets has always been a bit lackluster in both feeling the impact of wearing one and making the potential damage output a bit murky. Removing headshot damage reduction from the game makes damage more consistent, understandable, and easier to calculate.Gold HelmetReworked into Gold Armor Upgrade HelmetOffers Improved Minor Healing perk that doubles the output of Cells & SyringesSets the players Armor to 100 regardless of LevelLeveling still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while equippedNo headshot damage reductionChance to appear in Gold Bins after Bin ResetNEW Mythic Armor Upgrade HelmetRed tier introducedSets players armor to 125 regardless of levelLeveling is still required to unlock Legend Upgrades, but no longer affects armor while this item is equippedRed helmets offer no headshot damage reductionAppears in the Mythic Bin & late game Care PackagesDev Note: Both the new Gold and Red Helmets are designed to pull some of the passive power embedded in Legends and put it into the loot pool to create new items to chase and fight for. Theyll also create dynamic gameplay options for players to strategize which squadmates don these powerful new items.Knocked Down StateSignificantly increased crawl speed while knocked with and without knockdown shield raisedPOI Names on DropNow able to see the name and loot tier of each POI projected over the POI during first dropAlso includes Arsenal info to help drive drop choiceAMMO & ATTACHMENTSHop Ups: Hammerpoints have been removed from the loot poolGold Magazines: time to reload while stowed decreased to 2s (was 5s)Optics: 1x Holo optic has been removed from the loot poolReplicator: reduced the amount of ammo to 1 stack per weapon (was 2 stacks)WEAPONSARHavoc Rifle [Care Package]Damage increased to 21 (was 18)Headshot damage: 27Beam Shot damage increased to 70 (was 53)Beam Shot headshot damage: 105Hemlok Burst ARDamage increased to 20 (was 19)Headshot damage: 26Nemesis Burst ARDamage increased to 17 (was 16)Headshot damage: 22R-301 CarbineDamage increased to 14 (was 13)Headshot damage: 18VK-47 FlatlineDamage increased to 19 (was 18)Headshot damage: 25LMGDevotion LMGDamage increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 20L-STAR EMGDamage increased to 20 (was 18)Headshot damage: 25M600 SpitfireDamage increased to 21 (was 19)Headshot damage: 26Rampage LMGDamage increased to 30 (was 26)Headshot damage: 38Reduced the decay rate of the revved state over timeMARKSMAN30-30 RepeaterNo charge damage increased to 43 (was 39)No charge headshot damage: 69Full charge damage increased to 58 (was 53)Full charge headshot damage: 93Slightly increased projectile size at long rangeBocek Compound Bow [Care Package]Damage increased to 75 (was 70)Headshot damage: 120Fire rate slightly reducedRemoved Deadeyes Tempo passiveShattercaps damage per pellet increased to 13 (was 12)G7 ScoutDamage increased to 35 (was 33)Headshot damage: 56Fire rate slightly reducedSlightly increased projectile size at long rangeTriple TakeDamage per bullet increased to 22 (was 21)Headshot damage: 105 (all bullets)Slightly increased projectile size at long rangeDev Note: Marksman weapons sit between the mid-range arsenal and snipers, but find themselves often outclassed by one of their neighbors. Their adjustments this season should make them feel more consistent at range, improve their performance when tracking enemies, and staying on target while providing headshots without stealing the play-making potential of our snipers.PISTOLP2020Damage increased to 24 (was 21)Headshot damage: 30RE-45 AutoDamage increased to 14 (was 13)Headshot damage: 18WingmanDamage increased to 48 (was 45)Headshot damage: 72Base magazine size reduced to 5 (was 6) With added magazine - White: 6, Blue: 7, Purple/Gold: 8SMGAlternator SMGDamage increased to 18 (was 16)Headshot damage: 22C.A.R. SMGDamage increased to 14 (was 13)Headshot damage: 17Added Laser Sight barrel attachmentProwler PDWDamage increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 19R-99 SMG [Floor Loot]Damage decreased to 13 (was 14)Headshot damage: 16No longer has damage fall-offADS strafe speed normalized to other SMGsNo longer eliminates movement penalty when equippedRecoil increasedVolt SMGDamage increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 19SHOTGUNEVA-8 AutoDamage per pellet increased to 8 (was 7)No longer deals increased headshot damageMastiff ShotgunDamage per pellet increased to 16 (was 14)No longer deals increased headshot damageMozambique ShotgunDamage per pellet increased to 16 (was 15)Headshot damage: 60 (all pellets)Peacekeeper [Care Package]Damage per pellet increased to 12 (was 9)Headshot damage: 135 (all pellets)Choke speed significantly increasedFully choked blast pattern is significantly tighterPellets pierce dealing 50% damage after the first enemy hitDev Note: Shotguns are receiving a base damage increase, but losing their ability to deal increased headshot damage. They already represent incredible burst damage, but hitting those headshots create sharp output spikes thats difficult to account for. This change creates a more understandable damage landscape that encourages players to land as many pellets as possible (instead of aiming for the head and whiffing half of them). Mozambiques will retain their headshot damage as a hybrid shotgun-pistol and the Care Package version of the Peacekeeper also keeps it to really lean into that slug shotty territory.SNIPERCharge RifleBase damage unchangedHeadshot damage (min. distance): 135Headshot damage (max. distance): 198Autofire headshot damage (min. distance): 101Autofire headshot damage (max. distance): 149Limb damage reduced to 70% (was 90%)Kraber .50-Cal SniperDamage increased to 150 (was 140)Headshot damage: 210Longbow DMRBase damage unchangedHeadshot damage: 108Limb damage reduced to 70% (was 80%)SentinelBase damage unchangedHeadshot damage: 126Limb damage reduced to 70% (was 90%)Removed Deadeyes Tempo passiveDev Note: For our Snipers, weve tuned their headshot damage to be much more impactful rather than increase their base body shot damage. This is to key into their role and fantasy as precision weapons that reward patient and skilled gameplay. To hammer this home, weve reduced the amount of damage they deal to limbs. These weapons benefit greatly from well placed shots and we dont want that to change.LEGENDSAssault Class PerksNew perks: Combat Reserve, Stowed Reload, & Battle Surge (detailed above)Removed Carry Extra Ammo & Access Weapon Supply Bin perks (now integrated into Combat Reserve)Support Class PerksHeal Expert Removed: Support Legends no longer heal double with small meds or have increased movement speed while healingDev Note: The Support Class was very strong last season. The faster movement and double small med heals gave these Legends rapid combat-reset potential that made them effective skirmishers, but didnt inherently have a team-oriented feel. While this was great during the season of Support, we felt their identity was stronger as revival experts and this change will let them focus on that team-oriented specialization rather than feeling hard to kill.AshPredators Pursuit Removed ability to scan Death Boxes to reveal killers, but theyll still show on the minimap and map with info on how recently they diedNEW: press the Jump key while in the air to perform a dashArc Snare Tether plants at location of projectile on impact rather than the hit player's locationTether is slightly harder to break and no longer gets instantly broken by some abilitiesPhase Breach Range increased to 100m (was ~76m)Travel time reducedImproved reliability of placementRemoved one frame delay on placement previewNow has VFX to show max range when in placement modeUpgrades: Level 2 Murder Machine: removedOne Minute to Live: removedGreedy Snare: moved to Level 2NEW Dual Breach: adds additional ult chargeUpgrades: Level 3 NEW Ghost in the Machine: adds additional Dash chargeDev Note: Ash was overdue for some improvements to her kit to resurge her as a top Apex Predator. Many of her changes aim to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of her abilities: the improved placement, distance and speed of her Ult, and the snares tether point snagging from the projectiles point rather than her escaping target. Most notably, Ash sees the addition of a brand new movement passive - reminiscent of her titans ability of yore. Her new dash is an incredibly effective mid-combat repositioning tool or distance closer making her a more effective skirmisher when closing in on her prey or quickly out-maneuvering in a duel. We expect to see a lot of impressive Ash players rise to the top with many of her upgrades doubling her abilities this season.BallisticSling Now upgrades with Level by defaultCan now carry Crate Weapons and they will gain infinite ammo with UltWhistler Tac now has 2 chargesOverheat reaction time increased to 1.2s (was 1s)Smart Bullet on ground damage increased to 20 (was 10) This damage is now equal to the direct hit damageTempest: squad gains a speed boost when empowered by UltUpgrades: Level 2 Sling Shot: removed (integrated into base kit)NEW Killing Time: increases duration of Ult by 15sUpgrades: Level 3 Extra Bullets: doubles the number of Tac charges (was +1 charge)Quiet Time: Overheat now also silences enemy for 6sDev Note: Ballistic has had a few updates, but has never really found his footing to lead the charge. Integrating the Sling and extra bullet upgrades into his kit gives more players access to the core of the Legend while empowering his Ult with speedincreasing his natural combat effectiveness and encouraging his squad to push and engage. Allowing Ballistic to carry a Crate Weapon in his Sling has always been something weve been dubious of, but this season were taking a bold stance to let Ballistic gowell, ballistic. The increased number of Tac charges should also allow players to more freely deploy the Overheat into their combat patterns or control the field if they also opt into the lasting bullet upgrade, giving more range of play and options for Ballistic.CryptoEMP: once again destroys Gibraltars Dome of ProtectionLobaUlt back to starting at 50% chargeDev Note: This was always intended as a short term buff to help Loba shine among an all-star Support lineup. However, it messed with the delicate dance that is landing off drop, which impacted long standing 'good' player behaviors around landing near your squad, looting, and using abilities into slightly more disruptive behaviors.MaggieWrecking Ball Once again destroys Gibraltars Dome of ProtectionWill now destroy Newcastles Mobile ShieldDev Note: Were returning these hard counters to empower Maggie in this Assault-focused seasonfor now.MAPSPubsKings CanyonOlympusBroken MoonRankedKings CanyonOlympusStorm PointMixtapeFebruary 11-March 24, 2025 TDM: Thunderdome, Habitat, Skull Town, Estates, Zeus StationControl: Lava Siphon, Barometer, Labs, Caustic, ThunderdomeGun Run: Wattson, Estates, Thunderdome, Fragment, Skull TownMODESTakeover: Mythic Mayhem Royale (February 11-March 3, 2025)Ramparts new experimental care packages deliver three Mythic R-301 weapon variantsHornet (Yellow): faster movement and reload speed, Tac charge on shield break, Ult charge on knockLimelight (Green): helps replenish your squads health and shields when damaging enemiesVermilion (Red): increases critical hit damage and triggers Thermite on knocked enemiesTakeover: Redemption Trios & Duos (February 25-March 3, 2025)In collaboration with Creator Commissioner: NinjaylaRespawn Tokens are a new Mythic rarity Survival Slot item only available in this Takeover. If you are eliminated with this item in your inventory, youll immediately respawn back into the actionAt the start of the match, all players are given one Respawn TokenCollect additional Respawn Tokens from: eliminating other players, Care Packages, and Mythic Supply BinsNo respawn limit and no penalty for respawning multiple timesUsable until the start of the final ring, then any equipped Respawn Tokens will be exchanged for EVO Armor XPThey only last a short while when on the ground, so pick one up if you need one!Respawn Beacons can still be used to bring back players without Respawn TokensTakeover: Relic Weapons Trios & Duos (March 4-10, 2025)In collaboration with Creator Commissioner: NinjaylaWeapons spawn fully kittedOnly weapons on the ground are Gold and Mythic tierSights can be looted and swapped out, but all other attachments come with the weaponIncreased supply drops each round which carry two Mythic tier weapons The second Mythic weapon replaces the Evo CachesReduced Evo for scanning Care PackagesStandard Trios & DuosMarch 11-24, 2025LTM: Three Strikes Mystery Legends (March 11-24, 2025)In collaboration with Creator Commissioner: OraxeThree Strikes returns with a twist modifierMystery Legends All Legends will be selected for you before entering the Drop ShipRespawning will select a new random LegendSquads can have duplicate LegendsWith each EVO level up, youll gain all upgrades for that Level automatically and your Level will be maintained through respawnsRANKEDNEW Road to Ranked ChallengesIntroduced a new set of challenges to unlock Ranked for new players and returning players who have not yet reached the level requirement.Level 20 minimum still required to access Ranked and this is reflected as one of the challengesExisting players above Level 20 retain accessParty restrictions apply: all members must complete challenges to access RankedDev Note: The previous system of only requiring Level 20 was very prone to abuse by third-party bots, and could also be achieved by players who preferred Mixtape or LTMs. This new system will ensure that all new players joining Ranked have done the required work in BR matches and tested their mettle to a sufficient level to earn a spot in the competition.SYSTEMNEW Bot Royale TutorialNotes will appear to assist with Legends, weapons, loot, and gameplay scenariosLow ammo or health items also receive prompts to ping nearby desired loot itemsOn by default for accounts below Level 20 and will turn off once that threshold is reached Can be manually turned on/off through the System menu under Tutorial SystemsWeapon MasteryTrial simplification Re-designed all trialsRemoved weapon level restriction for trialsDev Note: The current Weapon Mastery system presented some issues, including overly complex gating mechanics that disrupt progression, trials demanding high player skill levels, and excessive reliance on randomness that can slow or stall progress. These new trials remove unnecessary randomness, shifting the focus back to the essence of weapon usage: dealing damages and eliminating enemies. If youve already completed trials and earned rewards they will remain unaffected. If your trials were partially completed or 90% done, no problem! Your progress will be converted, no need to start over.BUG FIXESFixed an issue where the Mythic Bin could become merged with a Gold BinFixed more firing range realm spawning issues: Thermite VFXMaggie ball bouncing off of invisible doorsMirage decoys getting stuck on invisible doorsFixed rare issue that could prevent the ring VFX and other particles from spawningMixtape: swapping to secondary akimbo weapons from loadouts will no longer play the first draw animationPK will no longer occasionally lock up after using the ChokeRechamber times can no longer be bypassed on the Sentinel and PK by swapping attachmentsReactive weapons will no longer lose their reactive state after swappingSquadmate animations once again play during Legend selection"View upgrades" button in Legend locker will no longer take you to friends listLEGENDSAlter / Ash / Wraith: Void Vision (enemy highlighting) no longer applies on enemy portalsAlter: Upgrades Tactical Cooldown+ and Void Vision returned to correct tier placementsLifelineCrashing will no longer occur when gliding or using the D.O.C. Heal DroneGliding will no longer occasionally lower performancePathfinder grapple can once again attach to D.O.C. HaloMirageFixed a crash that could occur when using Mirage's Ult near Gravity CannonsLifelines D.O.C. now cloaks properly to prevent revealing Mirage (previous hotfix)Newcastle: Ult no longer canceled by Ashs snareRevenantResolved rare crash that could occur when pouncingShadow Pounce now plays leap audio when spectating a RevenantWattson: fixed upgrade that was allowing the placement of two interception pylonsValkyrie: Tac now working inside of D.O.C. Halo and near Dome of Protections edgesVantage: sprinting no longer available while using Ult AccelerantQUALITY OF LIFEAdded further hardening to prevent hipfire cheatsAdded Account Level details Info about your Account Level progress and rewards granted at each future levelAccessed via Lobby (top left), also displays XP bar and level progressAdjustments to Match Summary XP Gain, Challenge, and Pass progression added to end of match flowSquad Summary section now picks from a small set of stats instead of always showing Revives, Respawns, and Time Survived for unranked Duos and TriosMixtape: disabled assist Ult gain with accelerated weapons which allowed for some Ults to be used too quicklyReactive skins now show their effects in the lobby menusSome Rat Spots have been eliminated across all mapsAI Bots: Cover and PeekingCan now use geometry in the environment as coverCan also utilize peeking behavior to provide more of a challengePlethora of bug fixes across all parts of the Bot experienceImprovements and tuning on Easy and Normal difficulty Bots (E1 - N3 Difficulty)AUDIOAdded Mono output option for players with limited hearing Mono audio combines left and right sound channels into one, making it easier for players with hearing impairments to hear all audio cues. It ensures no important sounds are missed, regardless of ear or stereo positioning.Friendly footsteps volume and audible distance reducedFriendly skydive volume reduced to allow for strategizing during drop (enemy volumes unchanged)Increased importance for zipline attach/detach and doors to ensure they are heard more consistentlyReduced volume of squadmate and ambient audio while enemies are being revivedReduced volume for Fuse's Tac and UltReduced volume for Survey Beacons and Ring Consoles for self and squadmates (enemy volumes unchanged)Dev note: Audio can be crucial whether youre the squad attacking or the one being attacked. Weve adjusted multiple audio cues to assist with combat effectiveness, and have a few more initiatives in the works to optimize audio throughout the match.GRAPHICSImproved CPU rendering performance on all consolesDX12 (PC)Changed the way that ultrawide monitors handle 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions in full-screen mode. They will now have pillarboxing (black borders on left and right) and no stretching. This behavior can be disabled with +mat_wide_pillarbox 0 launch argument, if stretching is desired.CPU rendering performance improved 5%-10% (situation based) and some frame drops may be reducedAdded a launch argument +mat_minimize_on_alt_tab 1 that allows behavior similar to DX11 where tabbing away from/clicking out of the fullscreen game causes Apex to minimizeImproved loading performance after compiling shaders for the first time (up to 30% faster on some systems). Note that shaders always need to be pre-loaded to minimize gameplay stuttering.Added a launch notification for players with incompatible GPUs that DX11 support will be discontinued.

Blacksmithing is great way to either make money or get your own gear without spending much in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The act of smithing in this game is an incredibly immersive one, and if you need to take a break from questing and fighting, this might be a good way to take some of the edge off.

How can a medieval fantasy epic that came out in 1981 possibly look better than most of today's fantasy films and TV shows? Well, that's exactly the case with John Boorman's Excalibur, a legendary adaptation of the King Arthur myth.

The Barrow-Dyad is an Exotic Strand submachine gun from Destiny 2: Heresy, and it comes from an Exotic questline called The Taken Path, which culminates in the Exotic mission, Derealize. To get to all these quests and missions, however, youll need to do a lot of secret hunting around the solar system.In this guide, well explain how to get the Barrow-Dyad Exotic SMG, including how to start the Taken Path Exotic quest so you can start your hunt.How to get the Barrow-Dyad Exotic in Destiny 2To get the Barrow-Dyad Exotic SMG in Destiny 2, youll need to do the following:Find The Taken Path quest inside the Dreadnaught during The Nether (we go into exactly how to do that below). Complete the lengthy Exotic quest by hunting down secrets around the solar system.This will eventually unlock the Derealize mission, which will net you the Barrow-Dyad Exotic submachine gun just ahead of the final boss.Youll then gain access to a quest called Dyadic Ascension, which will help you upgrade your Intrinsic perks.Below, well explain how to start the Taken Path Exotic quest so you can get on your way for the rest.How to start The Taken Path Exotic questUnlike many other modern Exotic missions in Destiny 2, there is absolutely no warning or indication that an Exotic quest is available for you to pick up in-game when you login. Instead, youll need to find a secret item in the Dreadnaught during the Nether activity.When you load into the Nether, there seems to be a chance that an unusual Blight will spawn in with you somewhere in your starting area (the game randomly selects one of the Dreadnaught zones to be your starter area). While it appears these Blights can appear in any area, we can only confirm one location: the Hall of Souls.Load into a private version of The Nether over and over again until it serves you up the Court of Oryx area, the Hall of Souls. Inside, head to the middle platform where you normally fight the boss of this area. Run through the hall with the Thrall statues until youre looking at where you load in for the Kings Fall raid, but dont cross the bridge. Instead, look up and to your right. If you see a large Blight ball latched onto the strut near the ceiling (like in the image above), youve found it. If not, load back in until you find the Hall of Souls and the Blight.Clear the enemies out of the area to make it easier to maneuver, walk up to the strut the Blight is attached to, and pull out your Ghost. Youll see some invisible platforms leading up to the Blight. Climb them and jump into the Blight (or just grapple into it if you have Strand). Youll now find yourself in the Blighted Cyst and will need to complete a small puzzle.How to solve the something whispers puzzleInside the Blighted Cyst, youll see a green barrier in front of you with a blank rune on it, a directional plate under the rune, and a Taken portal to your left. Avoid the portal and stand on the plate. If you stand on it long enough, the rune will display a symbol and broadcast to your UI something whispers to the right.Shoot the rune and walk off the plate to your right as you do it. This will teleport you to the other side of the barrier. If youre with any friends, make sure they do the same.Once on the other side, go to the elevated table sitting inside the Blighted Cyst and interact with it. Youll pick up the Taken Osseous Fragment, an Exotic redeemable item that has no indication on where you should go next. Open your Director and head to the Shaping Slab in Eris apartment. Talk to it and youll pick up The Taken Path, an Exotic quest that promises to eventually reward you with the bizarre Barrow-Dyad Exotic submachine gun.

Never mind, your rank is safe from the upcoming midseason patch in Marvel Rivals. NetEase has cancelled its plans for a surprise rank reset after players criticized the change on social media and the games Discord server.After the release of Dev Talk 10 regarding the seasonal rank adjustment, we received a wealth of feedback from the community, NetEase wrote in a Dev Talk post today. A common concern was the pressure associated with having a rank reset every half-season, which has made participating in competitive mode less enjoyable.Next weeks patch wont reset your rank, and midseason patches going forward wont either. The cosmetic reward in this case, the Blood Shield Invisible Woman skin for reaching Gold will be handed out and replaced with a new one, but everyone wont have to climb back up from Bronze to earn it. The start of seasons, however, will still include a rank reset.Shortly after the announcement on Monday, players on Reddit, X, and Discord discussed how a midseason rank reset would discourage trying to climb, especially for anyone who doesnt have a lot of time to play. Kicking people to a lower rank every six to seven weeks would also hurt the quality of matches as players settle into their proper skill levels. This the kind of thing that just kills my vibe for the game, one Reddit user said at the time.Thousands of other Reddit comments and X replies expressed the same concerns. Some players went direct and sent support messages to NetEase with their feedback.With the change now reversed, players are happy they were listened to. Very impressed to see how they handled the criticism, Im honestly shocked, wrote on Reddit user. A dev team that makes adjustments almost immediately, unlike my teammates, wrote one X user.The midseason patch will go live on Feb. 21 and will mark the debut of the Thing and Human Torch on the roster, as well as a list of balance changes.

OpenAI Operator and the shift to AI-first interfaces.Made with MidjourneyHow do we create user-centered experiences when our users arenthuman?Watching OpenAIs Operator navigate the web, I cant help but think about the early days of my career in the user testing lab at AmericanExpress.As a design engineer, I sat quietly watching customers use our mobile banking prototypes. Each interaction told a story: the smile of delight when something worked intuitively, the furrowed brow of confusion when it didnt, the forced politeness of someone clearly just telling us what they thought we wanted to hear. It was fascinatingand crucialto see our work through humaneyes.That kind of scene has defined software development for decades. But with AI agents like Operator, this human-centric approach to design is starting to feel almost quaint. Were entering an era where much of the software we create wont be used by humans at all, but by AI. This shift fundamentally changes how we think about interfaces and challenges our core assumptions about human-computer interaction.Source: OpenAIDemoAI is changing from copilot todriverAt first glance, Operators interface appears simple: a chat UI with an embedded browser. But this simplicity hides a seismic shift in software interaction.The core tension lies in the interface itself: humans need a visual interface to take action and monitor the AI, but the agent would be perfectly content with just some plain text or an API. As agents take the lead in software interaction, what becomes of our carefully crafted visual interfaces? How do we balance agent-first interaction while allowing humans to effectively takecommand?This evolution mirrors what weve seen with autonomous vehicles, where Tesla and Waymo have maintained controls like steering wheels and pedals while gradually increasing vehicles autonomy. But while physical vehicles face real-world complexity that slows their transition to full self-driving, software agents operate in more controlled digital environments. Here, the transition from providing assistance to taking the lead could happen far morerapidly.Building trust through collaboration and visualfeedbackEven if these agents were ready for full autonomy today (which they arent), users arent ready to grant it. While theres excitement about Operators potential, it will take time for people to adjust. Theres no foundation of understanding andtrust.This need for trust-building is evident in the interface design, which prioritizes visibility into the agents actions. This visual feedback loop is crucial for building user confidence, especially compared to prior voice-only interfaces like the Rabbit R1, where course-correcting an agents actions proved much more challenging.The user can take control from the agent. Source: OpenAIDemoCreating a sandbox for agents to play andlearnThe technical decisions behind Operators release reflect an emphasis on safety with careful consideration of capability andcontrol.OpenAI opted for a remote browsing approach instead of enabling computer use directly on users local machines. While this rules out some capabilities, it creates a sandboxed environment where the agent can operate while maintaining security. It also enables the benefit of running many workflows in parallel by distributing tasks across browsers in thecloud.This is how a new workforce emergesAs renowned AI researcher Andrej Karpathy noted on Operators launch day: I think 20252035 is the decade of agents youll spin up organizations of Operators for long-running tasks of your choice (eg running a whole company).Despite the initial demo, Operator is not a basic tool for ordering groceriesits the prototype of a tool capable of running entire businesses.Even in its limited release, Operator represents a key milestone in OpenAIs quest to unlock AI as an active participant in the digital ecosystem. By launching within the $200/month Pro tier, the company can gather valuable training data from power users while limiting initial exposure, then gradually expand the tools footprint as it improves.The strategy is clear: start small, gather data, improve capabilities, expand access, and apply to as many workflows as possible.Rethinking what the futureholdsFor those of us whove spent our careers laser-focused on human users, its time to expand our thinking. Just as I once sat watching humans navigate banking software, I now find myself studying AI agents navigating the web. The fundamental questions remain similar: How do we ensure reliable, efficient interaction? How do we enable appropriate control? How do we buildtrust?The next generation of software will need to serve both human and AI users, often simultaneously. Success wont just be about technical capabilityit will be about finding the right balance between automation and oversight, between AI capability and human control. And perhaps most crucially, it will be about designing experiences that make this collaboration feel even better than prior software interfaces weve come to know andlove.If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on social media: X, LinkedIn, Bluesky.When AI takes the drivers seat was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Why good designs fail as early as possible in the userjourney.Theres a principle in design that doesnt have a nameat least, as far as I knowbut can make or break products and services due to the intense frustration and rage elicited from users when the principle is violated. Ive taken to calling it failing early because I keep seeing it pop up everywhere.Just to clarify, Im not referring to the fail fast principle in startup culture in which its preferable to spend minimal resources to test an idea, but its a tangentially relatedconcept.At first glance, failing early doesnt sound like a good thing. Why would I want my service to fail at all? you might be thinking.But hear meout.Why is it important to failearly?Whether your product is software, or a retail operation, or any other service, you cant fulfill all customer requests all of the time. You might have geographic constraints that limit your service coverage to certain areas, disruptions to your supply chain that make certain products unavailable, or you might simply get requests that are outside of your core competency.In those situations, its better to let the customer know at the earliest possible time that they cant get what they want. Thats failing early in a nutshell.In a way, failing early is an extension of the UX heuristic visibility of system status, which advises us to present feedback to the user as quickly as possible in order to create trust through predictable interactions.Failing early vs. failinglateConsider the scenario when an experience fails late. Lets say you go to a restaurant. You leaf through the menu, take a few minutes to decide, and finally call the server. The server takes your order. After 15 minutes of waiting, he informs you that the salted fish fried rice is unavailable and asks if you want to have it replaced. You reluctantly agree. After all, youve already spent 15 minutes waitinga sunk cost fallacy, but lets leave that discussion for another time. After another 20 minutes of waiting, the iced tea and beef brisket arrives but the server informs you that the dumplings you wanted are unavailable. By then your frustration is reaching volcanic levels but its too late to back out now. You eat the food you didnt want in the first place, make a payment, and leavevowing to leave a badreview.Compare that to the alternative of failing early. You arrive at the restaurant and take your seat. As soon as you sit down, the server immediately informs you that dumplings and salted fish fried rice are unavailable. You decide to go elsewhere.Flow chart illustrating the fail late vs fail early restaurant scenario we discussedFailing late creates so much frustration and annoyance because it wastes your time and locks you into suboptimal options. Conversely, failing early helps you avoid wasting time and resources and maximizes your autonomy.Applying the fail early principle to a food deliveryappSo how do we apply the Fail Early principle?First, you need to identify your failure scenarios. For a food delivery app, this might include the following:The restaurant isclosedThe delivery address is outside of the serviceareaA specific food item is unavailableExpected delivery delays due to a lack ofridersThen, you need to design your customer journeys and flows so that the failure scenarios can surface at the earliest possible time. This is why its common for delivery apps to ask for your location at the beginning of the journey so that it can immediately filter out all restaurants that dont include your address in their servicearea.Screenshot of the Puregold grocery delivery app which asks for the location so it can filter out grocery items relevant for a givenbranchClosed restaurants can be handled by either hiding them from the search results or showing them from the search results but placing a label and applying visual styling to indicate that theyreclosed.Unavailable food items can be handled similarly by applying visual styling and clear labels to indicate theyre out ofstock.Screenshot of Grab Food delivery clearly communicating unavailable itemsFailing early in digital banking and mobilewalletsUsing the method we discussed earlier, lets first identify a key failure scenario for digital banks: third-party downtime. Mobile wallets and digital banking apps typically integrate with a swathe of other third parties to provide services such as paying bills, adding money to your account, sending money across banks, and so on. Inevitably, these other parties will experience downtime.Now, as weve talked about, we need to push the failure as early as possible in the user journey to avoid frustration.For example, if theres a bank transfer facility and the third-party is down, then we shouldnt let the customer proceed with the transaction at all so that they dont waste time typing the recipients account number and amount, especially if they havent saved those details previously.Screenshot of mobile wallet showing that one of the banks, BDO, is unavailableHow do you actually failearly?We now know how to apply the principle on a high level. Theres still one remaining question, though: how do we actually inform the customer in a digital app or service? Should we show an error? Hide the problematic service or product? Disable theitem?As usual, it depends on the context. The most important thing is clearly communicating why they cant proceed with something.For out of stock products, you could place an Out of stock or Unavailable badge along with subtly greying out some of the colors, though keep in mind your contrast ratios for accessibility.Screenshot of e-commerce app with Sold Out badge on A3 paper item, Out of Stock indicated under Quantity, and button label changed to Add to Wishlist instead of Add toCartFor unavailable services like our bills facility on downtime earlier, we can apply a similar badge along with slightly greying out the icon. Then, show an error message when they tap on theicon.What you SHOULDNT do is just disable buttons or actions without any explanation via copy or error message. Disable buttons is generally bad practice because the user often doesnt know why its disabled.What if you hid the unavailable item instead? Well, hiding has a similar issue: the user doesnt know what happened and why they suddenly cant find a feature or product they wanted. Usually, its only a good idea to hide something in the UI if its irrelevant to the current mode or situation. There are some exceptions.In our example of a food delivery app earlier, you could initially hide the restaurants that are closed, i.e. outside business hours, but provide a filter to show closed restaurants so that customers can order for the next day. Or, you could sort the search results so that the closed restaurants show up at the bottom. That way, the results are more relevant but the customer can still find the closed restaurants.Key takeawaysFailing early means informing customers as soon as possible when you cannot meet their needs, which helps avoid frustration and wastedtimeIdentify potential failure scenarios and find ways to surface them to the user as early aspossibleClearly communicate why the product, service, or function is unavailableFail early: the hidden design principle behind great UX was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Wireless earbuds are great, but they can be pretty same-y from one brand to the next. Most adopt the classic AirPods design languagesmall buds, usually with some sort of stem, all of which travel in a charging case. Each has its own list of pros and cons, of course, but the product category has certainly homogenized. The newly announced Powerbeats Pro 2 seem a bit different, though. Of course, these new buds do all the things you'd expect from a pair of $250 headphones: They have active noise cancelling and transparency modethe latter of which pumps in sounds from the world around you so you can hear what's going on with your earbuds in. They're IPX4 sweat- and water-resistant, and have a respectable 45-hour battery life when you consider the extra boost from the charging case.But they look different than other earbuds, thanks to the buds' "earhooks." (I'd argue the Electric Orange color also helps in this department.) If you find that traditional wireless earbuds tend to fall out of your ears, the hooks in the Powerbeats Pro 2 (carried over from the original Powerbeats Pro) might offer some extra support. But, then again, if you're used to the feeling of traditional earbuds, the extra pressure from the earhook could be different. I'd recommend trying both types of earbuds on if you're unsure. But, either way, the visual differences definitely make the Powerbeats Pro 2 stand out. Powerbeats Pro 2 can track your heart rateWhat caught my attention, however, was the built-in heart rate monitor. These sensors sit on the side of each earbud and track your heart rate through your ear. It's like having a little Apple Watch in each of your earswhich is a little weird, but also really cool. They're not the first earbuds to do this: As CNET's David Carnoy pointed out, Sennheiser's Momentum Sport Earbuds came with similar sensors. Those heart rate monitors were fairly accurate in Carnoy's experience, as are the ones on the Powerbeats Pro 2. Beats says that the heart rate monitors in its new buds work across a number of platforms, including Apple, Android, and other Bluetooth-enabled fitness equipment. However, it's worth noting that if you use the Powerbeats Pro 2 with an Apple Watch, the Health app on your iPhone will pull from the watch rather than your earbuds. You'll have to take off your Apple Watch or disable the heart tracker on the watch if you want to rely on the heart rate monitors on your Powerbeats.If you don't like the earhooks on the Powerbeats Pro 2, or you're just a dedicated AirPods fan, don't worry: This tech is coming to Apple's flagship earbuds as welljust not immediately. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, these new AirPods are "still many months away," so the Powerbeats Pro 2 will remain the only Apple-produced earbud with heart rate tracking for a bit longer.Other Powerbeats Pro 2 perksWhile Powerbeats work with many platforms, they're definitely designed for Apple's own ecosystem. If you have other Apple devices, your Powerbeats will switch between each device as you play an audio source, just like other Apple earbuds. There's also Personalized Spatial Audio, audio sharing (RIP headphone splitters), and hands-free Siri, if you like to ping the assistant while wearing your earbuds. The buds also have physical playback controls through the "b" button on each bud, as well as volume rockers on both. As someone who still uses a first-gen pair of AirPods Pro, physical controls embedded onto the buds is very tempting. In Carnoy's review for CNET, he found the Powerbeats Pro 2 to be quite similar to the AirPods Pro 2 in audio quality and noise cancellation performance, although he thought the AirPods had a more consistent performance overall. The Powerbeats Pro 2 are missing some AirPods Pro 2 features, such as Adaptive Audio, which automatically blocks out noises over a certain decibel, or Conversation Awareness, which lowers the volume when it detects you're talking to someone.