Activision has announced that it will be extending Call of Duty: Mobile’s Zombie mode into next season. Called Undead Siege, the new mode is a limited-time mode, but due to its popularity, the developers have decided to extend it into Season 7.
“We've talked about Undead Siege a few times and the limited time aspect of it, and today we are happy to share that it will extend into Season 7! We are still continually examining the mode and the reception to it to determine how long it should stay and what we can do in the future to make it even better, but for now it is here with no immediate end date,” the developers note in a post on Reddit.
To recall, the Undead Siege was added in Season 6. The mode sees the return of a specific zombies mode to the game after 2019. The new mode is quite different from the original mode. While the original mode was set in a unique map called Shi No Numa, the Undead Siege mode is set in the Isolated map that is also used in the game’s Battle Royale mode. Further, the new mode also introduced a story, animated cutscenes, and voice acting.
The new Undead siege mode also gave players the chance to earn in-game rewards. Players can collect Ores, which can then be opened to earn Aether Crystals. These crystals can then be used to unlock rewards. With the extension of the mode, players have more time to grind out the event for rewards.
Battlegrounds Mobile India is barely a couple of months old, but that hasn’t stopped hackers from infiltrating the game. The developers of the game, Krafton Inc. recently announced that it had permanently banned 1,81,578 accounts in the period between August 6 and August 12. The developers note that these accounts were caught via its security system as well as community monitoring.
As with most multiplayer games, Battlegrounds Mobile India has some pretty strict rules when it comes to hacking and cheating. Accounts caught cheating can face anything for permanent bans, to a temporary account suspension. The severity of the punishment depends on the severity of the crime. A couple of days before the official launch of the Battlegrounds Mobile India, Krafton released a list of things that would get players banned. You can check out the entire list here.
Krafton recently announced that Battlegrounds Mobile India had managed to surpass 50 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone. As part of the celebrations, the developers awarded multiple rewards. It was announced that these rewards would e spread across multiple tiers as the 50 million downloads mark.
Once the game crossed 48 million downloads, players got three Supply Coupon Crate Scraps. Upon crossing the 49 million mark, players got three Classic Coupon Crate Scraps. Finally, when the game crossed 50 million downloads, players got a permanent Galaxy Messenger Set.
Battlegrounds Mobile India recently launched on iOS. As an added bonus, players would not only get the pre-registration rewards that Android users got, but also the Galaxy Messenger Set that was a part of the 50 Million downloads mark.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is out November 5 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X with full crossplay support. It will return to four World War II theatres, and will have full integration with Call of Duty: Warzone later in 2021. Call of Duty: Vanguard price starts at Rs. 3,999.
Xiaomi has confirmed it is launching the Mi Band 6 and 2021 Mi Notebook series on August 26 in India. The company is hosting its Smarter Living 2022 event during which it is expected to launch multiple products including a new laptop in the Mi NoteBook series and the Mi Band 6 fitness tracker that was launched globally earlier this year. Some new tweets from the Mi India handle also suggests that the company is launching a new smart TV as well.
Keep Calm, the #MiBand6 even comes with SPO2 tracking! But gear up and giddy up for the 30 sports modes! Serving you a healthy lifestyle on a platter Stay tuned: https://ift.tt/3sxxfxy #FutureIsSmart pic.twitter.com/mLew9y9X2Q
— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) August 19, 2021
Ahead of the launch, Xiaomi has revealed some key features of the Mi Band 6 and the 2021 Mi NoteBook in a dedicated microsite on its official website. Since the Mi Band 6 has already launched globally we know everything there is to know about the new fitness tracker that succeeds the Mi Band 5.
Mi Fans, for the 1st time ever, the new all-metallic #MiNoteBook comes with Aerospace grade #Series6Aluminium Alloy! Light and sturdy - crafted to offer an unmatched premium look and feel. Stay tuned for more: https://ift.tt/3k8Z63t #FutureIsSmart pic.twitter.com/1FR4mwNwen
— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) August 18, 2021
As for the 2021 Mi NoteBook series, we do not know its official name yet but a new leak by Twitter user Bishal Goswami suggests that it could be based on the RedmiBook Pro 15 which was launched earlier in May in China. Xiaomi has teased some key features of the RedmiBook Pro 15 on its website and it is also confirmed to be available on Amazon after its debut in India.
Color me intrigued. It looks like @XiaomiIndia is going to launch the RedmiBook Pro 15 (renamed) on August 26th. #SmarterLiving2022 Specs courtesy: @FoneArena pic.twitter.com/B9rJQyhvpw
— Bishal Goswami (@bgos10) August 19, 2021 Mi Band 6 features
The Mi Band 6 looks similar to the Mi Band 5 but has a slightly larger display and tons of new features like support for over 60 watch faces. The Mi Band 6 features a 1.56-inch AMOLED display that offers upto 450nits brightness and has a layer of tempered glass and anti-fingerprint coating. It measures 12.7mm in thickness is 5ATM certified making it resistant to water ingress.
It offers 30 fitness modes and can detect activities like walking, treadmill, cycling and more. It also keeps a track of your SpO2 blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, breathing quality and more.
The Mi Band 6 is equipped with a 125mAh battery that Xiaomi claims can last for over 14 days on a single charge.
Mi NoteBook 2021 series expected specifications
Xiaomi has officially revealed that its 2021 Mi NoteBook series features a 16:10 aspect ratio display that can reproduce over 6.4 million pixels and supports over 100% sRGB colour gamut. The screen is also tipped to support a high refresh rate. Also confirmed are the presence of a 3-level backlit keyboard, a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint reader, Thunderbolt ports and Intel Core processors. One of the highlights of the upcoming laptops is that it has a unibody metal design that uses aircraft-grade aluminium.
If the rumours are true and the 2021 Mi NoteBook series does end up being based on the RedmiBook Pro 15, we are looking at a premium offering from Xiaomi. The RedmiBook Pro 15 specs include a 15.6-inch 3.2K (3200x2000 pixels) resolution display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate.
It is likely to be available with 11th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors with NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU and Intel Iris X-E graphics. This could be paired with upto 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage.
It supports WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 4 ports along with an HDMI port. The laptop measures around 17.9 mm in thickness and weighs nearly 1.79 kgs.
The RedmiBook Pro 15 also has a 70Wh battery with 100W fast charging support and is capable of driving upto 12 hours of local video playback.
Micromax In Note 1 Pro could launch with the Helio G90 SoC (System-on-Chip), according to a recent Geekbench listing. The In Note 1 Pro is most likely the successor to the Micromax In Note 1, launched last year. The Geekbench listing further details the In Note 1 Pro model number, name and chipset model.
Micromax In 2b recently broke cover offering a 6.5-inch HD screen, 5,000 mAh battery, a dual rear camera setup, 4GB memory, 64GB storage and a price tag of Rs 7,999. It features a Unisoc T610 CPU and a Mali-G52 GPU. The chipset offers decent performance in less graphically demanding games. However, with the Helio G90, the Micromax In Note 1 Pro could offer next-level gaming performance.
Micromax In Note 1 Pro Geekbench Listing Reveals Processor, GPU, and Specs
Micromax In Note 1 Pro has a single-core score of 519 and a multi-core score of 1673, as per the Geekbench listing. The MediaTek Helio 90 uses the much more powerful Mali-G76 MC4 GPU, which according to official claims, offers better performance in Fortnite and PUBG compared to the direct competitors.
In addition to gaming, the Helio G90 can also support the UFS 2.1 storage that can help drastically improve load times. The In Note 1 Pro Geekbench listing reveals no such improvement but it could be a possibility.
The listing also reveals the Micromax In Note 1 Pro comes equipped with 4GB RAM, which seems low for a “Pro” model. However, speculation suggests that a higher RAM version could also launch soon.
Surprisingly, the Micromax In 1 Note Pro comes pre-installed with Android 10. I think Micromax will issue a day-one software patch to upgrade the In 1 Note Pro to Android 11. Other important Micromax In 1 Note Pro specs will come to light as we move towards the official launch, which I think could happen soon.
Furthermore, we have no information on Micromax In 1 Note Pro launch price either. However, judging the Indian smartphone maker’s latest release, expect the pricing to be competitive.
Microsoft has unveiled a refreshed Xbox stereo headset, a $59.99 (roughly Rs. 4,500) wired model that's more affordable than its stellar USD 100 wireless headset that launched earlier in 2021.
The wait is finally over. We now have a ton of information about 2021’s Call of Duty game - Vanguard. Developed by Sledgehammer Games, the game is set during World War II, just like the developer's previous outing with the franchise. As we’ve come to expect from the annual franchise, players will be able to enjoy a single-player campaign and some multiplayer goodness as well.
Call of Duty: Vanguard - Single player campaign
As we’ve said above, the game will take place during World War II. According to the developer, players will “Experience pivotal WWII battles through the untold stories of multinational heroes that formed Task Force One, changing the face of history and setting the stage for Special Forces as we know it.” The single-player narrative features a group of four soldiers “from diverse backgrounds, who rise together in combat to turn the tides of war”.
We got to see the campaign in action and calling the action intense would be an understatement. I was personally reminded of the rush I felt when I played Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare back on my Xbox 360 and that can only be a good sign. Speaking of Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Vanguard uses the next generation Call of Duty engine, which we saw in action on 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This means we can expect some stunning visuals for the game on PS5 (review), Xbox Series X (review) and PC.
Call of Duty: Vanguard - Multiplayer
While the single-player story in a Call of Duty game is fun, the glue that keeps you hooked to the game is multiplayer. At launch, players will be able to delve deep into 20 multiplayer maps. One of the new multiplayer modes gamers will be able to experience is the fast and frenetic Champion Hill mode. Stay tuned for more details on this new take on online multiplayer FPS action. Zombie mode will be back in COD: Vanguard as well.
After checking out Call of Duty: Vanguard in action, we had some questions about the game and we got answers from David Swenson, Campaign Creative Director, Sledgehammer Games, Aaron Halon, Studio Head, Sledgehammer Games and Josh Bridge, Game Director, Sledgehammer Games.
Will Call of Duty Vanguard run at 60fps on the current-gen consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X) and what about the old consoles?
Josh: Yes. We feel that 60fps is the baseline for the expectations for the core feel of the game and want to make sure that’s experienced on any platform.
Will Vanguard support next-gen features like adaptive trigger and haptic feedback on DuelSense controllers?
Josh: Yes, we will be drafting off what Black Ops Cold War did. We really love the DualSense and the sense of immersion that it gives you. It just feels like a great extension of feeling like you’re actually feeling the game more.
The demo footage had some nice smoke and fog particles. Are they just for the campaign? Or does multiplayer have them as well?
Josh: We talked a lot about the sense of immersion and it being a filmic blockbuster, that’s really the DNA of the game. The whole team – doesn’t matter which mode – just wanted to just go for this overall because it just feels so much more visceral and exciting. It pays off; the feeling of the power of the weapon, just feels more real and like you’re there. So this means that for multiplayer, all of the particles and the VFX are there. We even have a technology system that we call the combat fog that is sensing you shooting in a room and thus the room becomes foggier. Yes, it actually challenges visibility, but that ends up being part of the game. When you’re lighting up a room, that’s actually how it would feel. So you feel more connected and you feel more there.
During the demo, we could see that the character was leaning. Can we perform lean only from the edge of the wall or anywhere?
Josh: We invest a lot in the moment-to-moment feel of gunplay, and what we want to do is have more tactical options. When you're playing the game, you obviously want to avoid being shot, and take cover, so we have evolved this to something we call moving mounts – where you can mount onto horizontal surfaces and slide around and shoot, as well as mount on vertical surfaces, so you can peek and shoot around. We like it a lot and find that it adds that other layer of choice in the moment-to-moment for players, whether in the campaign or in multiplayer.
What is the reason for choosing WWII to be featured in Vanguard?
Josh: Any game that we make comes with absolute passion, and the team always wants to go after something that we want to build a game experience out of. For us, we’re huge fans of the era. We also found that, based on the experiences that we’ve seen and found before, we felt like we were onto something new here that just hasn’t been delivered before. It’s a different take of WWII which still honours and respects the era and the battles, but this notion of the beginning and the birth of Special Forces is exciting. We also felt like this was exciting as a baton toss to the Call of Duty franchise – this was the origins of it all type of feeling. Like, what were the origins of Task Force 141, for example.
How did the team do research on this game's theme?
David: We’re really fortunate to be a team full of passionate developers. So many members of the team are huge WWII enthusiasts. You go into various individuals’ offices and you can see that – one of the sound guys just has books and books and books about WWII all lining the walls, so there are a lot of passionate developers on the team. We’re also fortunate to have partnered with lots of amazing consultants, and it’s really important to have these partners because we wanted to be accurate. We wanted to be authentic. We didn’t want to just jump on the Internet and find quick answers that may or may not be right; we wanted to make sure we were right. So we have Marty Morgan as one of our historical advisors, and he is just a walking encyclopedia of WWII. He helped to run the WWII museum in New Orleans, and he just knows the areas, he’s been to all these locations, and he was able to show us photographs, tell us stories about the individuals and what the locations looked like. In addition to just understanding the history for each of the characters, we want to make sure we’re being authentic to the voice of each character. We have Tochi Onyebuchi, our writer for Arthur Kingsley, and he’s fantastic. His amazing brain brought so many insights to Arthur that we wouldn’t otherwise have. And we do that for each of our characters; we have some amazing women on our creative team who write for Polina Petrova and help to bring that perspective and that voice to it. So, a lot of opportunities that we’ve pulled from amazing talent and amazing partners have helped us create a world that’s authentic. Again, it’s a fictional story, but for that to be believable, to be immersive, we had to strive for it to be authentic and true to what people would expect from a WWII experience.
