What's new?
- Minecraft: A glimpse of Minecraft 1.20!
- ARK: Survival Evolved: EVO Event active until Monday, August 14th!
- Counter-Strike 2 is coming!
Minecraft
Minecraft 1.20 update has brought a plethora of new features to the game, including new mobs, armor customization, an archeology system, and more. With the excitement for the update starting to dwindle, the community is now turning their focus towards the next update - Minecraft 1.21. In this article, we'll be discussing the anticipated release date, possible new features, as well as rumored biomes and mobs associated with the upcoming update.The release date for Minecraft 1.21 is expected to be around June 2024, based on the past update patterns. Previous updates such as Minecraft 1.17 and 1.18 were released in June 2021, Minecraft 1.19 on June 7, 2022, and Minecraft 1.20 on June 7, 2023. The change in update cadence is partly due to the developers avoiding overpromising and underdelivering as they did with previous updates.
Speculation around Minecraft 1.21 includes potential themes such as the End Update, the Inventory Update, and the Biomes Update. These themes could lead to the overhaul of the End dimension, solutions to inventory space issues, and added features or modifications to various biomes in the game.
Other speculated inclusions are new biomes, mobs, wood types, a secret new dimension, improved ambient features, and bringing more parity between the Java and Bedrock Editions. Keep in mind that these are based on rumors and community discussions, and we'll have to wait for official announcements from Mojang to know for sure.
ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Ascended is hosting a Community Creature Contest, allowing fans to submit their ideas for real-world creatures to be added to The Center map. Submissions must be in theme with the map, with the entry period ending at 1 PM Pacific on August 14th. Voting begins immediately after the deadline and ends on August 21st, with the winner announced in the Crunch of August 25th.Survivors on all platforms will benefit from an EVO Event active until Monday, August 14th. During this time, players will receive bonuses to XP, harvesting, taming, and breeding on Official Servers, Small Tribe Servers, ARKpocalypse, and Conquest, with rates varying depending on the platform. These bonuses are multiplicative of the game's standard rates.
ARKpocalypse and Beginner servers provide different gaming experiences, with ARKpocalypse offering higher rates and monthly wipes, while Beginner servers are wiped periodically for a fresh start. The next wipe dates are set for September 8th, 2023 for ARKpocalypse, and September 29th, 2023 for Beginner servers. Players can join these servers by searching for them in the server browser.
Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2, the biggest technical leap in Counter-Strike’s history, is due for official launch this summer and a limited test phase starting today for selected CS:GO players. This game boasts numerous features set to revolutionize the gaming experience. One of the key enhancements is the Smoke Grenades feature, which has been made dynamic to interact with the environment, lighting, gunfire, and explosions. Now, smoke can clear pathways or expand occlusion, seep out of openings, and work with the new unified lighting system for extra realism.A hallmark addition in Counter-Strike 2 is the sub-tick updates, dismissing the need for tick rate when moving, shooting, or throwing. This means servers are aware of the exact moment when a motion begins or a shot gets fired, leading to equal responsiveness regardless of tick rate. Maps have also been substantially upgraded, with overhauled maps rebuilt from scratch, using Source 2 tools and rendering features to provide enhanced lighting and reflections. Classic or touchstone maps maintain their solid foundations but with notable lighting improvements.
The game accommodates player items from CS:GO, benefiting from Source 2 lighting and materials. Additionally, visual effects across the board have been revamped — from the UI to gameplay visuals, using Source 2 lighting and particle systems. Bullet impacts are now easily noticeable even from a distance with greater informational content.
Features like renewed explosions, fire, C4 lighting, among others, offer improved visual fidelity. The game now boasts reworked sounds for a more immersive experience, reflecting the game state and the physical environment more accurately. While the Limited Test will review a subset of features, major revelations about Counter-Strike 2's features await unveiling in the summer.