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Legend of Mana Arriving On The Nintendo Switch This Summer

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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The revival of the Mana franchise by Square Enix is going strong as Legend of Mana is arriving on the Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4 later this summer. The Mana franchise has been inactive for a couple of years, but its classic games are now being remade for modern systems.

The first three titles in the Mana franchise were ported to the Nintendo Switch as part of the Collection of Mana last 2019. This was noticeable for having the first English edition of Seiken Denketsu 3, which was localized as the Trials of Mana.

The collection also included Final Fantasy Adventure, as that was localized outside Japan under the Final Fantasy name. It wasn’t that long until Square Enix launched a full 3D remake of Trials of Mana with new content, bringing a bigger audience than ever before.

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The recently concluded February 2021 Nintendo Direct included a reveal for the latest remaster in the Mana franchise. Square Enix has confirmed that a high-definition remaster of Legends of Mana is arriving on the Nintendo Switch this summer, July 24.

The studio also confirmed that the remastered game will also be coming to the PlayStation 4 and PC on the same day. A trailer for the Legends of Mana remaster was also posted on the official YouTube channel of Square Enix.

Legend of Mana is an action role-playing game that was launched for the original PlayStation back in 1999. The title is identical to the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance games, in that the player develops the world bit by bit, making their own world map.

The game featured a lot of side content and the user had tons of various items to collect and build. The new edition of Legend of Mana features HD graphics, a revamped soundtrack, and the cut Ring Ring Land minigame, which has not been included in international ports of the original game because of the PocketStation accessory not accessible outside of Japan. The people who will preorder the game before July 23 will have access to a free custom theme on the PlayStation 4 or an exclusive Legend of Mana wallpaper on the PC.

It’s nice to see Square Enix bringing back more of its classic games to modern consoles, especially as Saga Frontier: Remastered is also expected to be released in the coming months. Legend of Mana was quite different from the other titles in the Mana franchise, and it will be exciting to see if it still is a great game after all these years.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Developer Confirms That Patch 4 Will Add Druid Class

By
Aletheia
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently in Early Access, and Larian Studios seems to be going full steam ahead with its development. The developer previously estimated that the upcoming RPG will be released some time in late 2021. Seeing as time doesn’t wait for anyone, and months pass in the blink of an eye, Larian Studios already has a Patch 4 planned for Baldur’s Gate 3. In fact, the developer has been slowly revealing the patch’s details to the fans.

Now, perhaps one of the most exciting features that will come with this 4th patch is the addition of the Druid, an incredibly iconic class from none other than Dungeons & Dragons. In the case of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Druid will serve as the game’s 7th class that fans can play as.

According to the Dungeons & Dragons Player Handbook, Druids have incredible respect and devotion towards nature above everything else, so this class makes use of spells and other skills that gather energy and power from nature itself. As such, Druids mostly utilize spells that are more nature-based, like the spiritual elements of celestial bodies, or perhaps environmental elements like fire and lightning. Druids are even connected with animals, and can form familiar relationships with them or transform as them.

Delving into the specifics, Baldur’s Gate 3 players will be able to utilize more than 30 brand-new spells upon the release of the Druid class. Larian Studios has yet to release a list of these new abilities, but long-time fans of Dungeons & Dragons will most likely expect the well-known Druid skills to be present.

From Cantrips to 1st and 2nd Level spells such as Thunderweave and Wild Shape, respectively, Baldur’s Gate 3’s developers will definitely ensure that the iconic class will be represented correctly. The addition of any new class in the upcoming title is always an exciting ordeal. After all, each class has its own distinct spells and abilities that interact with the game in different ways.

At the moment, the available in-game classes are as follows: Rogue, Fighter, Ranger, Warlock, Cleric, and Wizard. As far as we can tell, all the classes found in Baldur’s Gate 3 at the moment are familiar to many long-running RPG fans, especially since they are some of the principled base classes available in the classic tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons. This also means that these classes, in particular, can be found in the tabletop game’s core books.

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After the addition of the Druid class, there will be 5 other principled base classes left. At this rate, Larian Studios should hopefully reveal the addition of the Barbarian, Sorcerer, Bard, Paladin, and Monk classes over the next few months. Afterwards, perhaps the studio can consider other classes from Dungeons & Dragons.

Asides from the addition of Druids, Patch 4 of Baldur’s Gate 3 will include other features and content for players to enjoy. For instance, there will be new and improved cinematics, and those who play in multiplayer will be able to utilize a shared inventory. Seeing how far Baldur’s Gate 3 has come in its development, it’s safe to say that Larian Studios will only make things better for the upcoming game going forward.

Nintendo Direct Monster Hunter Rise Trailer Reveals New Monsters And Details

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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With the launch date of Monster Hunter Rise fast approaching, Capcom has released another trailer that features some returning monsters as well as two new monsters. In addition, the trailer features more of the rampage mechanics players can look forward to face when they purchase the game.

In an earlier trailer for Monster Hunter Rise, there was a short glimpse at a spider-like creature. Most fans believed that the creature might be a returning monster, Nersyclla, or its subspecies, Shrouded Nersyclla.

However, players ultimately recognized that it was in fact a completely new Temnoceran class monster. In spite of the fact that the creature’s charge blade and armor seemed to be featured in the recently released demo, the monster had still yet to be officially announced. Now, in the newest trailer, Capcom has finally disclosed its name is Rakna-Kadaki.

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As for the other new monster featured in the trailer, it is called Almudron. Almudron seems to be a leviathan class monster that utilizes mud to attack players. Old monsters including the Jyuratodus have incorporated mud in their movesets, but mud appears to be the main weapon in Almudron’s arsenal. The trailer featured in the recently concluded Nintendo Direct for February 2021, shows the monster throwing mud from its tail and even making entire mud columns across the battlefield.

A few returning monsters were also confirmed such as the Basarios, a rocky flying wyvern that has several fire abilities. Volidon, a fanged monster that is somewhat a crossbreed between an anteater and an armadillo also makes a comeback to roll over players and inflict the stench status ailment.

There were also other monsters briefly shown in the trailer such as Diablos, the recurring flying monster that loves to dig underground and charge at players, the series mascot Rathalos, and another fanged monster called Rajang.

Rajang is featured in the new trailer while discussing the new rampage mechanic of the game. Details have been teased for some time, but it seems to be exactly what it looked like all along – a fight against various monsters at the same time as players try to protect the village from the monsters. The village supposedly experienced a rampage a few decades ago, and has suffered massive losses from it, has set up gates and weapons to attempt to fend off the monsters.

Two new locations, a volcano area, and a desert area were also shown in the trailer. Volvidon, Rakna-Kadaki, and Basarios live in the lava-filled area. No particular monster was shown in the sandy region, but it is safe to assume that Diablos is waiting for players there to take its bait.

The trailer concludes with two quest maidens taking up arms themselves, but it is uncertain what this exactly entails.

Award-Winning Outer Wilds Is Heading to the Nintendo Switch

By
Aletheia
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The most recent Nintendo Direct took place today, where it was announced that Outer Wilds will be arriving to the Nintendo Switch some time this summer. Now, before we delve into this, it’s worth noting that you shouldn’t confuse this game with The Outer Worlds—while they sound similar, they’re completely different games. Although, both titles were released in 2019 and received high praise.

That being said, Outer Wilds lets you take on the role of an astronaut in an alternate universe, where you have the responsibility of locating the Eye of the Universe before the universe itself comes to an end. Time is of the essence—the sun and just about every other heavenly body is going supernova. As such, developer Mobius Digital essentially made Outer Wilds as a 22-minute time looping adventure.

There’s so many things you can do in Outer Wilds too, as it features an environment that “changes over time.” There are different planets and different locations you can discover and explore, and as time passes, you’ll come to notice that these areas also change—either for the better or worse. So, watch your step; you’ll be met with life-threatening catastrophes and deadly environments.

The action-adventure title was already released on other platforms upon its initial launch, namely PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Thanks to this month’s Nintendo Direct, however, we have received confirmation that Nintendo Switch users who also want to experience Outer Wilds will finally be able to this coming summer.

Although neither the game’s developer nor publisher mentioned how much the time-looping adventure will cost on the eShop, it was priced at $24.99 when it was first launched. So, perhaps the Nintendo Switch version will also have a similar price tag. Besides, from what we could glean from the announcement, it doesn’t look like Outer Wilds for the Nintendo Switch will have any new features or content.

Outer Wilds was nominated for numerous awards after its highly successful release, including Best Narrative, Best Design, Best Music, Best Game Direction, and more! Not only that, Mobius Digital’s time-looping adventure also won the Best Game Award from The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), along with two other awards from the same event.

Because of this, Outer Wilds was able to top other popular titles such as Disco Elysium from ZA/UM, Control from Remedy Entertainment and Untitled Goose Game from House House. As previously mentioned, Outer Wilds was only available on three different platforms. As such, we expect that its release for the Nintendo Switch will open its doors to a much wider audience, especially since Nintendo’s hybrid handheld console is incredibly popular right now.

Xenoblade Chronicle 2’s Pyra/Mythra Arriving to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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The next DLC character to arrive in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been revealed and they are Mythra and Pyra from the hit RPG game Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The upcoming fighter will be the fourth character to be featured in the second Fighter Pass and the tenth DLC fighter in total, as they are classed as a single fighter.

The DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate faced a letup in interest when Min Min from ARMS, Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ Byleth, and Terry from King of Fighters were revealed. These followed on from the hype of Banjo-Kazooie, Hero, and Joker.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate won its fan base back with the arrival of Steve from Minecraft, and again when Final Fantasy 7’s ultimate villain, Sephiroth, joined the expanding roster of fighters. Two more characters will come to the game soon, once the next fighter arrives this March.

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Nintendo unveiled a few minutes ago during its latest Direct Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s Mythra/Pyra are arriving at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as the next DLC fighter. They will be arriving in the game this March.

The trailer began within the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 world, implying that it was an expansion or sequel to the game before divulging into the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate world. Based on the trailer, players can switch between Mythra and Pyra with just the simple push of a button, similar to the Pokemon Trainer.

The two fighters have unique capabilities, with one being remarkably strong while the other being fast. They each wield a sword in battle and they have the ability to hit enemies with blasts of energies, suggesting a lot of flexibility in their range.

The Xenoblade Chronicles 2 stage involves flying high on the back of the Azudra dragon, with characters from the title hanging out in the background, in an identical manner to the stage for Hero’s Dragon Quest XI.

Fans might be surprised why Rex, the main hero of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, wasn’t chosen, but he was likely considered to be too similar to Shulk in terms of gameplay. Similar to Min Min from ARMS, a lot of fans anticipated Xenoblade Chronicles 2 characters to come first, as they were from some of Nintendo’s first big games.

It appears that those representatives were pushed back to the second Fighter Pass. It remains to be seen whether players will take to yet more anime-inspired sword fighters.

Amazon Once Again Delays New World MMO

By
Aletheia
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0
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Ever since Amazon Game Studios joined the video game industry, it has undergone one disappointment after the other. The developer and publisher has yet to release a successful title, as the servers for its team shooter Crucible has been shut down already due to the fact that it didn’t find an audience. Well, to be more specific, after an unsuccessful launch, Amazon Game Studios put Crucible back into closed beta, but decided to just shut down the game completely a few months after.

Despite this, the gaming community hasn’t lost all hope for Amazon Game Studios just yet. The company is currently working on a brand-new MMO called New World, and this upcoming online RPG could either make or break the studio.

New World will be set in the 17th century, in a fantasy island known as Aeternum, where players are free to explore everything that the game has to offer. The MMO was supposed to be released last year in August, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the title was hit with several delays since the developers had no choice but to work from home.

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After announcing its delay, Amazon Game Studios essentially went silent about the game’s development and progress—until now, that is. Recently, the company has finally offered its fans with news about New World, however, it’s not the kind of news that they were hoping for or expecting.

Amazon recently dropped a new developer update video on New World’s official website, which featured director Scot Lane. In the video, the director announces that the highly anticipated MMO will once again be pushed back and won’t be ready for its current Spring 2021 release window. Instead, New World will be delayed until August 31, 2021 in order for the development team to keep working and polishing the online title, while also ensuring that the important end-game features will be ready upon launch.

That being said, the update video didn’t unleash only bad news. When Amazon Game Studios had the Preview Event from August 2020, the feedback from interested players were a tremendous help to the developer. Thanks to them, the team was able to implement several necessary changes and improvements to the game, such as improved combat, a revamped crafting system, and more variety in terms of armor and weapon choice.

Not only that, the feedback caused Amazon Game Studios to include more content to New World’s mid and late game. A new region called Reekwater was also introduced to the game, as well as the ability to fish. In other news, fans who pre-ordered New World can look forward to a closed beta test beginning this July 20.

This closed beta will include a plethora of features for players to test out, including 20v20 battles otherwise known as Outpost Rush and adventures known as Expeditions. Players will also be able to experience and explore Ebonscale Reach, which is a new end-game zone.

Given the fact that Amazon is a massive company with access to a lot of resources, its struggles concerning video game development have been confusing for many in the community. However, things may be looking up for the studio, what with CEO Andy Jassy taking over. An email from Jassy was recently leaked, which essentially suggests that the new CEO is more than ready to support Amazon Game Studios.

Riot Games Shares More Valorant Penalties For AFK-ing And Other Offenses

By
Aletheia
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0
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Riot Games’ Valorant was initially launched last year, and since then, it has incredibly grown in playerbase and popularity. Since the tactical first-person hero shooter was first released, its developer has made an effort to regularly add new content for players to enjoy. The most recent major update was Valorant Episode 2 Act 1, which came with a brand-new agent named Yoru.

Sadly, it’s not always rainbow and butterflies in Valorant, especially since it has become such a widely popular game. As with any online game, there will always be those players with offensive or disruptive behavior, and Riot Games’ free-to-play multiplayer isn’t an exception.

As such, the game’s development team has been working hard to implement penalties. Now, Riot Games has announced more details regarding more Valorant penalties for chat-based offenses, disruptive players, and for those who are AFK. Given the fact that Valorant is a team-based online game, how a teammate behaves in the middle of a match—competitive or not—can greatly affect the players’ gaming experience.

Cheaters and hackers may have been a long-running issue for the game, but offensive and disruptive behaviors remain persistent as well. Naturally, this can completely ruin the experience for many who may have fallen victim to this kind of toxic player.

In the past, it would take numerous rounds before Valorant decides to kick out an AFK player, and by that time, the match may have already been ruined in terms of gameplay and fairness.

Now, Valorant’s Social and Player Dynamics team relayed some information concerning upcoming changes that should be implemented in Patch 2.04, along with a more enhanced AFK detection system. In this upcoming update, perhaps the biggest change is that AFK players will be given penalties that will supposedly progressively increase.

These penalties will range from warnings to being denied of XP. If the issue persists, players may even receive a full game ban. On the bright side, Riot Games also assured fans that those players who experience an unintentional mishap here and there, such as a power outage or a slow internet connection, won’t experience negative effects.

Among other things, Valorant will also have a more nuanced chat moderation. Specifically, those toxic players who keep doing chat-based offenses will receive penalties as well. This will depend on how often the player does the offense and the severity of it. With these implementations, Riot Games is making it clear that “there is no room for violence, threats, or targeted harassment in Valorant.” The team goes on to say that such behaviors “will not be tolerated.”

That being said, there’s a catch to this that the development team quickly noted: the game’s text evaluation systems aren’t perfect, so it won’t be able to pinpoint exactly who “started the rage war.” As such, players need to make an effort not to retaliate, as the system could mistakenly think that they started the rage war and penalize them instead.

As a whole, it’s clear to see that Riot Games is really making an effort to get rid of or at least minimize toxicity in Valorant. While these implemented penalties may still not be enough for some players, they’re major steps in the right direction—and the team is commendable for that.

NieR Pouch Clutches Now Available For Pre-Order

By
Aletheia
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0
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Fans of the NieR franchise have been looking forward to the release of NieR Reincarnation and NieR Replicant, but it appears that Square Enix has a lot more in store for dedicated fans. The company has recently opened up pre-orders for merchandise inspired by both NieR Replicant and NieR Automata. 

To be more specific, the merchandise in question are card cases and pouch clutches based on NieR Automata’s 2B and NieR Replicant’s Grimoire Weiss. NieR fans who also enjoy diving into the world of fashion will definitely be interested in these new, stylish products, as the characters’ unique designs have been translated and adapted into them.

The products based on Weiss are made out of textured brown leather, and they are embellished with what looks to be a metallic pin or accessory of the book’s cover. On the other hand, the 2B merchandise is created from a dark black material that looks similar to 2B’s iconic outfit. On the item itself, fans will find a YoRHa emblem instead.

The original price of each card case is $34.99, but in celebration of the opening of pre-orders, they are available for $31.50 instead. In a similar fashion, the pouches are currently discounted for $29.69, but the regular price for each is $32.99. All of these exciting new products will officially release some time in May 2021, which takes place after NieR Replicant’s remaster goes live.

At the moment of writing, the Square Enix store hasn’t given a specific date of shipment just yet, but we’re sure that the company will reveal more details to interested buyers within the next few months. So, definitely stay tuned for more details!

From being a cult classic series, the NieR franchise quickly rose in popularity and is now considered to be one of Square Enix’s incredibly successful franchises. As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise that products and merchandise such as this are being released—and they’re very much welcome within the community as well.

The highly acclaimed NieR Automata already has a plethora of merchandise and collectibles dedicated to the action-RPG, so it’s great that NieR Replicant is also receiving love and attention from Square Enix. The remaster for NieR Replicant is set to release within the next few months, yet compared to when NieR Automata was launched, there’s not a lot of discussion and hype surrounding it.

As such, it’s definitely exciting to see the company make an effort to tout the upcoming remaster even more than it already has through merchandise such as this. In any case, fans of either Automata or Replicant should keep their eyes peeled for more news about the new card cases and pouches, especially since they’ll be available in a couple of months.

Rogue-Like Dandy Ace Gets New Trailer And Release Date

By
Aletheia
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0
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Supergiant Games’ Hades, which first launched back in 2018, received a lot of praise and acclaim from players and critics. Seeing as we’re now in 2021, we can imagine that gamers who enjoy video games similar to Hades will want to dive into something new. Well, in that case, we have good news!

Developed by Mad Mimic, there’s a brand-new rogue-like game on the horizon. Entitled Dandy Ace, the upcoming title follows the story of a fabulous magician who is trying to break free from a cursed mirror. Now, Hades fans may find that Dandy Ace’s attempts of escape are similar to the way Zagreus tried to break out of the underworld.

To keep fans excited for the upcoming rogue-like, Mad Mimic has recently released a trailer for the game, as well as a release date. Because of this latest drop, fans now have a better idea of what they can expect from Dandy Ace and when they can finally experience the game first-hand.

The new trailer, which was uploaded on IGN’s YouTube account, showcases many of the game’s features—such as the different cards that the titular Dandy Ace will be utilizing as a medium for his abilities, boss designs, as well as character designs. The trailer also features Axolangelo, an axolotl painter and arguably one of the most “bizarre bosses” in the upcoming game.

Thanks to this new trailer, excited fans finally know when Dandy Ace’s release date will be for PC via Steam, which is March 25, 2021. Mad Mimic hasn’t announced when the game will be heading to consoles, though.

One gameplay feature in Supergiant Games’ Hades that many fans loved was when the different Olympian gods bestowed different abilities to Zagreus to help him try and escape the underworld. Dandy Ace, on the other hand, actually has a similar system in place.

However, Dandy Ace won’t be receiving help from different allies he meets along the way—instead, the abilities he receives and utilizes are from the various cards he stumbles across for the duration of his journey.

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That being said, Hades and Dandy Ace have other similarities as well. One of the gameplay elements in Hades that made it such an approachable and likable game compared to other similar games in the genre can also be found in Mad Mimic’s upcoming rogue-like.

Specifically, the gameplay element in question is the player’s ability to acquire upgrades and items that will remain permanently. Through this, players will definitely be able to escape the enchanted mirror and consequently win the game if they just remain persistent and keep trying.

However, there’s one feature in Hades that isn’t present in Dandy Ace—and that’s fine! They’re completely different games, after all. That said, the missing aspect is Hades’ contextual character interactions. This was definitely an interesting gameplay element that Supergiant Games implemented into the story, as the different characters whom Zagreus encountered on his journey would usually respond or comment on the different things the player character had done so far.

In any case, given what we know about Dandy Ace, it seems to be an exciting new rogue-like with an interesting cast of characters. It’s a game that Hades fans should definitely check out once it releases on March 25.

New Red Dead Online Update Introduces Telegram Missions

By
Aletheia
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0
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Developer Rockstar Games recently revealed that Red Dead Online players can look forward to more in-game content, and it appears that the developer is making good on its word. Now, fans who log into their Red Dead Online accounts will find that Telegram Missions are now available.

When Red Dead Redemption 2 was first launched, it received praise and acclaim from players and critics alike due to its immersive storyline and incredibly detailed map, among other things. Rockstar Games eventually released Red Dead Online, which is essentially the online component of the cowboy adventure.

However, the online multiplayer didn’t really receive the same kind of attention as Red Dead Redemption 2, even though the game’s full location was also brought over to the online world. In the past, Rockstar Games didn’t release as many updates for Red Dead Online as fans would have liked, but now, it’s clear to see that the developer is making an effort to release more features and activities for players to dive into.

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Rockstar Games recently published a new Newswire, which talks about what the players can expect from the recent update. Those fans who enjoy traversing through the expansive open world of Red Dead Online can now accept three new missions in exchange for monetary compensation.

Specifically, players will be able to receive a telegram message from a mysterious “J.” However, it’s worth noting that these new employment options are only available for those players who enjoy going solo. Those who are interested in taking part in these new missions will be able to distinguish them by name—A One Horse Deal, Rich Pickings, and Outrider.

For the first telegram mission, solo Red Dead Online players will be dealing with the notorious Braithwaites and a particular Emerald Ranch horse. In order to successfully complete the quest, players have to steal the equine and take it to the contact. As for the Rich Picking quest, players will once again return to the beautiful St. Denis, where they have to participate in a heist revolving around precious gems and jewels.

Last but not least, Outriders brings players back to a classic western adventure, where they have to ensure that a covered wagon stays safe and secure as it crosses Brittlebrush Trawl. Each of these missions has three different difficulty options, and fans will be able to start a solo mission by taking the telegram from either the Post Office or Camp Lockbox.

Those dedicated Red Dead Online players who have been wanting more content will be sure to appreciate these three additions. While they’re definitely not major additions, like a new map zone perhaps or a new role, these can definitely offer fans with something new while they wait for something more significant.

Besides, this update in particular won’t require the assistance of friends or other online pals, so solo players will finally have something else to do outside of hunting or fishing. On the downside, the addition of these three telegram missions won’t be enough for die-hard Red Dead Online players. Some might even think it unfair that these missions can’t be done as a posse. Still, many fans will appreciate this addition, no matter how minor, and will take it as a chance to try something new.

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