Call of Duty Season 3 is officially live in Vanguard, bringing a new battle pass, multiplayer map, operators, and more. The patch notes for the big update also include some changes to Ranked Play mode, bug fixes, and a double XP event.

In order to celebrate the new season, a “Max Double XP” event is now active in Vanguard to help players level up faster. Throughout the event, all players can enjoy double XP earn rates for regular player progression, weapon XP, operator XP, clan XP, and battle pass XP. The Max Double XP event will be live until May 2.

Season 3’s update brings the Mayhem multiplayer map, new Trophy System Field Upgrade, and a host of improvements to the game. Some map fixes were made, which include a graphical corruption near the Library on Eagle’s Nest and an adjusted P1 Hardpoint location on Bocage.

Vanguard’s Arms Race mode receives major game improvements for Season 3. These include adjustments to destructible walls and base gates that could not be properly damaged, and it fixes an issue where operators would not be aligned with the motorbike while driving it. The update also improves the tank’s ability to traverse the terrain.

Vanguard’s Ranked Play mode is now officially out of beta for Season 3. Players’ Skill Ratings have been reset, and they will need to play 5 Skill Evaluation matches to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and get placed into a Skill Division and Tier. New seasonal rewards are also available to earn.

Ranked Play also comes with a few changes and improvements. Berlin was added to the mode as a Control map. Sledgehammer Games is working to combat inactive players in Season 3, now kicking the inactive players from Ranked Play matches, which also makes them eligible for suspension or penalties. Additionally, the Volkssturmgewehr assault rifle and Sledgehammer melee weapons have both been restricted from Ranked Play.

For Zombies, the seasonal update is a bit light. Players can expect new seasonal challenges to complete, and a few fixes were made to improve gameplay and stability. Additionally, Season 3’s new weapons will be available for use in Zombies once they’ve been unlocked in the battle pass.

The full patch notes for Season 3 can be found below, as shared by Sledgehammer Games.

Additionally, Warzone also received a massive update for Season 3, which includes several map changes themed around the upcoming clash between Godzilla and King Kong. The patch notes for the update also revealed some major weapon balancing, with huge nerfs to sniper rifles and Vanguard’s most popular light machine gun.

MULTIPLAYER

Maps

NEW: Mayhem

This 1950s movie set is built for fast-paced combat. Jump into the Mayhem 24/7 Playlist at the start of Season Three!

Bocage

Adjusted the P1 Hardpoint location to prevent players from capturing and contesting from an unintended location.

Eagle’s Nest

Addressed an issue that caused graphical corruption near the Library.

Gavutu

Players can no longer use the Deployable Cover Field Upgrade to prevent other players from climbing the ladder on the LST Ship.

Sub Pens

Attack Dogs will no longer get stuck outside of the playable area.

Footstep audio will now properly play when players walk on the grate floor in the Maintenance area.

Modes

Control

Addressed an issue where the Announcer’s voice lines sometimes did not match the current game events.

Arms Race

General

Addressed an issue where players within the blast radius of a Base were not properly notified.

Destructible walls at the Castle Base are now properly damaged by the Demolition Charge Lethal Equipment.

Corrected the capture point boundaries at Base E to prevent players from capturing from an unintended location.

Players will no longer lose a Lethal Equipment after purchasing a Field Upgrade from a Buy Station.

Addressed an issue where Base gates could not be damaged after deploying a Motorbike.

Improved the Tank’s ability to traverse the terrain.

Addressed an issue where Operators would not be aligned with the Motorbike while driving it.

Friendly Base gates will no longer become stuck after a player detonates the Goliath Field Upgrade.

Weapons equipped with the Wreck Proficiency Attachment will now deal increased damage to walls, gates, and vehicles.

Stability & Exploits

Addressed an issue that caused a fatal error crash when players join an in-progress match.

Increased the distance at which enemies can be seen to prevent engagements where a player is seemingly invisible.

Addressed an exploit where players could survive out of the playable area using vehicles.

Addressed an exploit that caused players to become invulnerable when there are no lives remaining.

Addressed an exploit where players could obtain an unintended number of Nebula Crates.

Ranked Play

Ranked Play Leaves Beta

A special note to say THANK YOU to everyone who took part in the Season Two Beta. The data and feedback we collected throughout the Beta resulted in many fixes and improvements and were critical to the success and future of Ranked Play. Keep the feedback coming! – Treyarch

Season 3 Skill Rating Reset

Players’ Skill Ratings have been reset at the start of Season 3.

Play 5 Skill Evaluation Matches to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and get placed into a Skill Division & Tier.

Initial Skill Rating placement has changed in Season 3. Therefore, after their 5 Skill Evaluation matches, some players may find that they get placed below where they were initially placed at the start of the Season 2 Beta.

Win matches after your initial placement to earn SR and advance your Skill Division & Tier over the remainder of the Season.

Season 3 Top 250 Skill Division & Leaderboard

The Season 3 Top 250 Skill Division and Ladder will go live on May 4th, one full week into Season 3, to give players time to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and advance through divisions.

General

Fixed the “Cricket Glitch” that was causing some players to have reduced performance and chirping noises on some maps.

Fixed an issue where Ranked Play Camo Rewards would occasionally unequip.

Inactive players will now be kicked from Ranked Play matches, making them eligible for Suspension or Ladder and Skill Rating penalties.

Added Berlin Control to the Ranked Play map rotation.

UI Updates

Skill Division Tiers now use Roman Numerals instead of Numbers (Elite V, Elite IV, Elite III, Elite II, Elite I).

Once unlocked, Ladder Event Rewards correctly appear as unlocked on the My Career Rewards screen.

All players can now see and preview the Ranked Legend Solange Operator Skin Reward on the “Division Rewards” tab on the Rewards Screen, regardless of their current Skill Division.

Victory Flames now display behind Rank Icons on the Ladder and Top 250 Leaderboard when earned.

Updated the Top 250 Skill Division icon used in various locations.

Fixed an issue causing Skill Division icons to be incorrectly offset from player Rank icons on some screens.

Restrictions

The Volkssturmgewehr Assault Rifle is now restricted in Ranked Play.

The Sledgehammer melee weapon is restricted in Ranked Play.

This weapon can be selected in Loadouts but will unequip/appear restricted upon entering matchmaking and replaced with the Ratt in-game.

Season 3 Ranked Play Rewards

Players can earn the following rewards in Ranked Play during Season 3:

Blueprints

Pro Issue Automaton – Finish Top 5 in a Ladder Event

Pro Issue SMG Charlie – Win 50 Ranked Play Matches

Camos

Season 3 Ladder Champion – Finish 1st in a Ladder Event

Season 3 Ranked Veteran – Win 100 Ranked Play Matches

Charms

Good Game – Finish Top 10 in a Ladder Event

Dap Up – Win 25 Ranked Play Matches

Spray

Defuse You Lose – Win 10 Ranked Play Matches

Sticker

Season 3 Ranked Competitor – Complete 5 Skill Evaluation Matches

Emblems

Earn an Animated Skill Division Emblem at the end of Season 3 to reflect your highest Season 3 Skill Division

Ranked Play Matchmaking

Updated Ranked Play matchmaking rules to reduce the likelihood of receiving a high-ping match with players from a different region.

Operators

NEW: Mateo Hernandez (Harpy)

Mateo was born into a large immigrant family in Texas, dreaming of becoming a civil engineer. He joined the Navy during World War II, fighting as a tail gunner in the Pacific. After witnessing growing prejudice and racism against his people following the war, Meteo threw himself into campaigning for his people, speaking out against these injustices as well as helping reunite families across the Mexican border.

NEW: Florence Carter (Harpy)

Born and raised in Alabama, Florence dreamed of representing her country as a fighter pilot since she was a little girl. During WWII, she was determined to make those dreams come true, but was turned away from those opportunities due to both her gender and her race. After the war, the SOTF recognized her talent and passion for being in the sky and Florence has flown as a rescue helicopter pilot for them ever since.

Bug Fixes

Snoop Dogg’s body will no longer float after death.

Beatrice, Constanze, and Padmavati are no longer silent while mantling, landing, and performing other movements.

Addressed an exploit that caused Operator heads to disappear when using the Top Break Pistol with certain Attachments.

Weapons

NEW: Nikita AVT (Assault Rifle)

Accurate and reliable with best-in-class fire rate, this AR can be outfitted to exceed in CQC or long-range combat scenarios.

Unlocked with Battle Pass at Tier 31.

NEW: M1916 (Marsman Rifle)

A semi-automatic rifle with a combination of power and fire rate. Impressive at any range in the hands of a capable marksman.

Unlocked with Battle Pass at Tier 15.

NEW: Sledgehammer (Melee)

A tool designed for breaking stone, though it works equally well on enemy bones in a punch.

Unlock Challenge: Get a Multikill with a Melee Weapon in 15 different matches.

NEW: Skål Crusher (Melee)

A tool usually used to chop apart wood; it can also chop apart enemies or be thrown at them.

Unlock Challenge: Get 5 Melee Weapons kills in 15 completed matches.

Volkssturmgewehr (Assault Rifle)

Shells will no longer cease to eject from the Weapon after sustained fire.

Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle (Sniper Rifle)

22mm ZAC Rapid (Barrel)

Slightly decreased rate of fire.

Ice Axe (Melee)

Addressed an issue that prevented throwable Melee Weapons from being thrown while the Aim Down Sights button is held.

General

Camo Challenges that require Headshots or Longshots are now properly tracked.

Progress toward unlocking the Plague Diamond Camo in Zombies is now properly tracked.

Added unlock challenges for the Season Two Battle Pass weapons.

Equipment

S-Mine 44 (Tactical)

Addressed an issue that caused the S-Mine 44 to jitter and repeatedly play sound effects upon placement.

Perks

Fortified (Tactics)

Bomb site explosions in Search & Destroy will now kill players who have Fortified equipped.

Field Upgrades

NEW: Trophy System

Deployable autonomous defense system that destroys up to three nearby pieces of equipment and projectiles.

Available to all players upon logging in for the first time during Season Three.

More on Trophy System

When we released Vanguard last year, our initial tuning on Lethal Equipment deemphasized their lethality in combat, focusing our combat on gun skill. With new explosive equipment added in Seasonal updates and clear player feedback indicating its appeal, it became apparent that the Trophy System should make its debut.

Upon deployment, the Trophy System will protect its immediate radius from the following incoming and pre-established items for a limited time. Notably, the Throwing Knife is an exception to these defenses due to the high-risk, high-reward nature of this Lethal Equipment.

Incendiary Grenade

Sticky Bomb

MK2 Frag Grenade

Gammon Bomb

Thermite

Demolition Charge

Molotov Cocktail

No. 69 Stun Grenade

MK V Gas

S-Mine 44

Decoy Grenade

Ammo Box

Trophy System

Jammer

Field Mic

User Interface & Experience

Party member Operators will now hold the correct showcase Weapon during the lobby walk sequence.

Proximity indicators are no longer displayed on the HUD for the Sticky Bomb Lethal Equipment in Hardcore modes.

Arms Race, Control, and Patrol are now properly tracked in the Combat Record.

Improved the scrolling functionality of the Friends and Recent Players lists.

Corrected the challenge descriptions for the NZ-41 Survivalist and Type 11 Death Artist Camo Categories.

Addressed an issue that caused player microphone indicators to disappear.

Bundles & Cosmetics

General

VFX and Animation pass completed for Weapon Blueprints, Finishing Moves, Charms, and other Bundle items.

Addressed issues with some Attachment cosmetics that prevented the Attachment from being equipped.

Addressed instances of Operator skins and Blueprints blocking scope visibility. When aiming down sights.

Tracer Pack: Snoop Dogg Operator

Cigar light will no longer disappear at the end of the “Hit This, Fam” MVP Highlight animation.

Operators equipped with the “Finishizzle Movizzle” Finishing Move will no longer observe hands clipping through face.

Snoop Dogg’s nose no longer clips through his mask in the “Tactical Toke” Highlight Intro animation.

Mecha Menace Mastercraft

Addressed an issue with the Mechanized Blueprint in which Reactive Inspect did not function properly.

Forbidden Sacrifice

Corrected the positioning of Operator hands while the Spinebuster Blueprint for the Sten SMG is held.

ZOMBIES UPDATES

Weapons

Season Three

M1916 and Nikita AVT available in Zombies loadouts once unlocked in the Season Three Battle Pass.

New Weapon Unlock Challenges added to Zombies for the KG40, Whitely, Sledgehammer, and Skål Crusher.

Covenants

Addressed an issue where the Deadshot Covenant was not always moving weapon crosshairs to an enemy headshot location.

Challenges

Season Challenges

New Season Challenges available at the start of Season Three.

General

Addressed an issue where an incorrect icon was appearing when completing the Amaguerra 43 unlock challenge.

Side Quest

Addressed an issue that allowed a player already equipped with the Ray Gun to acquire a second Ray Gun from the digging side quest on Terra Maledicta.

Stability

Addressed various stability issues related to using Artifacts at higher rounds.

Gameplay

Addressed an issue where players equipped with a melee weapon and lethal equipment would be holding the equipment like a weapon after being revived.

Addressed various visual and animation issues with thrown melee weapons in Zombies.

Dedicated Server Pause

Addressed an issue where accessing certain menus could unpause the game.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Elden Ring’s hardest boss fight, Malenia, was accidentally made more difficult by a previous patch–letting her regain health from attacks even when they made contact with nothing but air. However, a new update has fixed this, meaning it will be truly fair when she cuts you down in under 10 seconds and mocks your lifeless corpse.

According to the update 1.04 patch notes, which you can read in full below, the update “fixed a bug with Malenia, Blade of Miquella in which her HP was not healed correctly in the online multiplayer environment.” Malenia is supposed to regain health when making contact with an enemy–whether it deals damage or hits a shield–but because of the bug, you could be on the other side of the boss room and she’d still regain health. Given her two phases and ability to kill you with just one good string of attacks, this made the fight borderline impossible.

Other changes include a vague fix for a bug that “caused some bosses to die at unintended times,” meaning your days of cheesing could be coming to an end. The final boss encounter has also had a bug fixed that kept it from “working properly.” Knowing From Software, that probably means it will now kill you in one hit.

Elden Ring is currently the best-selling game of 2022 in the US. For the last 12 months, it is second only to Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Elden Ring Update notes 1.04

We are distributing an update to improve the stability of gameplay.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but please apply the latest update before you enjoy the game.

Targeted Platform

PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / Steam

Major Changes Included in the Latest Update

Bug Fixes

Fixed a bug in which the effect duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear was revised downwardFixed a bug with Malenia, Blade of Miquella in which her HP was not healed correctly in the online multiplayer environmentFixed a bug that caused some bosses to die at unintended times Fixed a bug that prevented the boss “Elden Beast” from working properly under certain circumstancesFixed some texts

The version number of this update shown at the lower right corner of the Title Screen will be as follows:

App Ver. 1.04.1

Regulation Ver. 1.04.2

Online play requires the player to apply this update.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original Xbox console’s launch in Scotland, Microsoft has marked the occasion with a unique set of controllers.

Draped in a custom tartan design produced by Gordon Nicholson Kiltmakers and woven by Lochcarron, Scotland’s oldest weaving mill, the design features five colors that are designed to echo the official colors of the Xbox brand.

The tartan isn’t printed on plastic either, as the actual material was laid on top of the Xbox controller to create a one-of-a-kind and intricately designed device. As Lochcarron’s team explained, the design turned out to be a fascinating bridge between Scotland’s ancient history and its contemporary gaming culture.

Xbox UK fans who are interested in acquiring the controller can enter a sweepstakes on the Xbox UK social channels for a chance to win it.

If looks could kilt.

This isn’t the only unique piece of hardware that Microsoft has commissioned lately, as the company decided to celebrate the launch of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in cinemas with colorful and horrifying controllers decked out in fake fur. Neither of these designs are likely as durable as the greaseproof Xbox controller that was used to promote PUBG’s console launch in 2018.

In more Microsoft news, the company has plenty of other reasons to celebrate as it just set a new revenue record. The Xbox division recorded total revenue of $3.74 billion–up 6% year-over-year–for its latest financial quarter ending on March 31.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

After dropping the major update 6.66 last year in time for Halloween, Doom Eternal is continuing with smaller updates, this time targeting accessibility and quality-of-life. The new update is the second revision for version 6.66, and adds both text-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities, as well as a new contrast filter.

With a number of new options being added, the accessibility menu will pop up the first time players load into Doom Eternal after installing Update 6.66 Rev 2, prompting them to check their current settings.

The newly added options include a text-to-speech mode that will convert text entered into the player chat into a synthesized voice. Players have a number of options to pick from when it comes to the voice profile, and can check them all out in the accessibility menu. Messages sent with text-to-speech will be audible to all players while in Battlemode 2.0 lobbies, but during matches will only be audible to Demon teammates. Incoming text-to-speech is also available, allowing incoming player messages to be read out in a simulated voice.

Doom Eternal has also added this feature the other way, allowing users to send messages in the chat window using speech-to-text. When a player is sending messages using speech-to-text, they will appear yellow in the chat window, and will only be visible to Demon teammates. Players can also opt to turn on Chat Translation, which will automatically translate messages on delivery if the receiving player has their system set to a different language.

The other new accessibility feature is the contrast filter, which allows players to control the speed at which the screen brightness can change. This feature, when turned on, can be highly customized, with the menu allowing players to tweak sliders based on both “Per-pixel Brightness Velocity” and “Fullscreen Brightness Velocity.”

The patch also includes a number of other quality of life changes, which can be read in the patch notes below. Switch players will have to wait a little longer for the new update, with Update 6.66 Rev 2 arriving for that platform “at a later date.”

New Accessibility Features

Text-to-Speech (Chat)

There are multiple speech profiles to choose from. You can cycle through the speech profile selections to audition them before selecting oneThe outgoing text message will appear yellow in the chat window when it has been converted to speechText-to-Speech conversions are sent in the same language they are created withConverted text chat messages are audible to all players in BATTLEMODE 2.0 lobbies and only audible to Demon teammates during matches

Speech-to-Text (Chat)

Incoming Speech-to-Text messages appear yellow in the BATTLEMODE 2.0 lobby chat window and are only visible to Demon teammates during matchesUnless Chat Translation is enabled, Speech-to-Text chat messages are delivered in the original language

Incoming Text to Speech

Enables a simulated voice to read aloud text chat messages incoming from the other players

Outgoing Text to Speech

Enables a simulated voice to read aloud the player’s outgoing text chat to the other players

Chat Translation

When enabled, incoming text chat messages are translated into the same language the receiving player’s system is set to. This functionality applies to standard and Speech-to-Text incoming text chat messages

Contrast Filter

This option reduces the speed at which screen brightness can change within the game. It can be fine-tuned with the following sliders when enabled:

Per-pixel Brightness Velocity: Limits how rapidly the brightness of each pixel can change, such as during explosions or intense combat sequencesFullscreen Brightness Velocity: Limits how quickly the average brightness can change for the whole screen when it changes rapidly

UI Text Contrast Updates

Some Menu UI elements have been altered to improve readability

Additional Quality of Life Improvements for All Platforms

General Gameplay

The Combat Shotgun Full Auto mod wind down animation can now be interrupted by melee input

Campaign

A tutorial pop-up with combat tips will now appear if you die while fighting a Marauder (this only happens once per save game)Cacodemon movement speed has been reduced on I’m Too Young to Die and Hurt Me Plenty difficulty

Horde Mode

Added a notification effect when attaining a new Medal on the Horde Score HUD element (see above)Added option to hide the HUD in Horde Mode (see ON/OFF below)Shortened duration of end-of-round sequence

Balance Changes for All Platforms

SLAYER

Armor gained has been reduced when flame belching a player demon from 30 to 10

REVENANT

Reduced the cooldown between Dashes from 250ms to 50msRefuel of Jet Pack now occurs after using Rocket Barrage

ARCHVILE

Increased Lake of Fire radius by 30%Increased Lake of Fire damage from 6 damage per tick to 10 damage per tickReduced Lake of Fire duration from 5 seconds to 2 secondsSlightly increased the Lake of Fire’s vertical sizeIncreased damage of Fireball with Fire Specialist upgrade from 27 to 32

Chat Widget

We updated the Online Chat Window to now be accessible from the HUD when in a BATTLEMODE 2.0 match. It was previously required to pause the game to access the Chat Window within a match

Balance Changes for Consoles Only

SLAYER

Slayer Loss Forgiveness amount has been increased from 3 to 4

Bug Fixes for All Platforms

General Gameplay

Fixed a bug in which completing the Argentas Paladi milestone would not unlock the Sentinel Podium. Thanks to everybody for their incredible patience with this one!Resolved the issue where the Ember Slayer’s flame effects were not displaying correctly in cinematics

Campaign

DOOM Eternal

Resolved an issue in which jumping vertically from a coffin wall at the same time it drops would result in residual phantom collision and fail to reset the coffin wallFixed a bug where a DOOM Hunter could erroneously damage the Slayer while faltered within melee range

The Ancient Gods – Part One

Resolved issue in which the “Destroy the Father’s Life Sphere” mission objective and the Blood Swamps Codex entry would disappear after (Blood Swamps) mission reset

The Ancient Gods – Part Two

Resolved an issue where increasing to Nightmare from a lower difficulty and then completing it incorrectly showed Nightmare as the Highest Difficulty Played in the Mission Select menu

BATTLEMODE 2.0

Fixed an issue where the Codex entry would not unlock after completing the tutorial for the playable Dread Knight Demon

Horde Mode

Resolved bug where the “DOOMguy in a Box” icon would not unlock upon completing the “Reinvent the Weapon Wheel” milestoneFixed bug in which the Horde Round progression map appeared white if playing with the Demon UI color profile selectedFixed an issue in which “10,000 Points” would sometimes display instead of “Difficulty Bonus” on the Total Score tab after completing all of Horde Mode

Master Levels

DOOM Eternal

Fixed a bug that accidentally removed the Soul Sphere and the Crucible from the Mars Core Master Level in Classic ModeResolved issue where the Full Auto Combat Shotgun mod was not usable if you interrupt its pickup animation with the Plasma Rifle equipped in the Mars Core Master Level

The Ancient Gods – Part Two

Fixed a bug in which backing out of the upper cottage in the village entrance in World Spear Master Level after killing the Marauder would cause non-functional demonic gates to linger and prevent enemies on the way to the cathedral from spawning

Bug Fix for PC Only

Fixed a crash that could occur when cycling weapons in the final room of the Marauder (playable Demon) tutorial

Bug Fix for PlayStation 5 Only

Horde Mode

Fixed a bug in which the Arcade Slayer customization skin would not appear on the intro and victory podiums in Horde Mode

Known Issues for All Platforms

Accessibility

Speech-to-Text transcription is not supported during load screensColorblind settings only apply to the User Interface – they do not carry over into in-world game elements

Known Issues for PC Only

BATTLEMODE 2.0

Default key mapping to access the Chat Window is not consistent in all menus

General Gameplay

Alt-Tabbing during load screens and menu transitions may cause the game to freeze. To avoid this issue, do not Alt-Tab during load screens and menu transitions

Known Issue for PlayStation 5 Only

Accessibility

Speech profiles are only audible through the DualSense controller speaker

Additional Notes for PC Only

Users with above spec Intel GPUs can play DOOM Eternal with driver version 30.0.101.1325. Please contact Intel customer support to report and graphical anomaliesRead MoreGameSpot – Game News

Apex Legends isn’t short on mobile legends with abilities that allow for extremely aggressive playstyles, but few offer the level of mobility as the jetpack-wielding Valkyrie. Even more, she’s an excellent recon character in certain situations, too, so she’s kind of got it all.

Valkyrie has a powerful ultimate that can effectively redeploy your squad across the map, a jetpack to consistently navigate heights and throw off enemies, and even some missiles that can stun and flush out foes hiding behind cover. If that sounds like your kind of thing, check out the rest of this guide for more info and tips on making the most of this popular legend.

Abilities for taking flight

Valkyrie is a very mobility-based legend who uses her jetpacks to constantly reposition herself from various types of heights, while her ultimate ability offers both recon and immensely useful repositioning options for the entire squad. She’s easily among the most powerful characters in the game when used to her full potential, though she manages to avoid feeling too unbalanced in the process.

Valkyrie’s passive ability VTOL Jets allows her to constantly use her jetpack to move around the battlefield in the air. While fuel is limited, it doesn’t deplete as quickly as you might expect, and it refills very fast, making her a force to be reckoned with in vertical engagements. However, you can’t use weapons while flying, so you’ll want to be mindful of that when rushing down your opponents.

Her tactical ability is Missile Swarm, which shoots 12 missiles in a 4×3 array to deal damage to enemies and briefly stun them. This can be used to flush foes out of hiding spots or to deal some supplementary damage in fights.

Her ultimate ability Skyward Dive is one of the best in the game, allowing you to launch you and your squad 180 meters into the air and skydive to a new location. This can get your team out of bad situations or simply help you avoid the storm if you’re running a bit behind.

Valkyrie is a diverse legend

Due to her ease of mobility, Valkyrie is a great fit for any type of playstyle. When played correctly, she’s able to close gaps or cut off enemies effortlessly and be a killer close-range fighter with SMGs or shotguns. Meanwhile, her ability to take higher ground makes her an equally deadly mid- or long-range legend well-suited for using snipers or LMGs. Regardless of what type of guns you enjoy using, you’ll find that some minor adjustments to how you navigate the landscape will let you capitalize on your playstyle.

You can see where people are landing during a drop

Any time you’re in the sky and deploying to a location–be it during the initial drop or redeployment via your ultimate ability–you’ll automatically highlight any enemies that aren’t residing within structures. If you’re at the beginning of the game, this means you can easily tell where groups are landing so that you can either opt to rush them quickly or ensure you have a safe landing spot. Meanwhile, when redeploying later in the game, this lets you get the drop on exposed squads, giving you an option to cut them off at a nearby choke point or land on higher ground to make them easy targets.

Don’t forget to scan survey beacons

Though you’ll be able to scan for where folks are at while you’re in flight around the map–either by using your ult or using some other form of repositioning tool like a balloon–don’t overlook the usefulness of scanning the myriad of survey beacons scattered across the map. Doing so will let you and your squad know where the next ring will be, giving you a minor but worthwhile leg up on other teams that don’t have a recon legend in their ranks.

Valkyrie

There’s a delay that comes from landing after using your jetpack

Though it might be tempting to rush down escaping enemies using your jetpack capabilities, do be aware of the short delay that comes directly after landing. Once your feet hit the ground again, Valkyrie will do a quick hand gesture before you’re able to pull out your gun and begin shooting. This puts you at a disadvantage if you land directly in front of an enemy or squad, and more often than not, it’ll result in an unwelcomed death. Instead, try to land behind and/or above your foes when possible to give you that much-needed moment to get your gun back out.

Don’t get caught aimlessly hovering about

Because you’re unable to use your gun while using your jetpack, be very careful about navigating around with it. Using it to reach new heights is the whole point, of course, but if it will leave you massively exposed to enemies in the vicinity, perhaps it’s safer to just take a different route altogether. Remember that you don’t fly super quickly, so you’re basically just a big target if you’re not keeping yourself aware of your surroundings.

Use Missile Swarm away from obstacles

Due to the way in which Missile Swarm works, it can sometimes result in you damaging yourself instead of the enemies you’re looking to flush out. There’s a short delay between firing the missiles and them actually coming out, so you’ll need to be standing away from any obstacles that could cause them to explode on you and deal damage to you.

Some players will use Valkyrie’s jetpacks to fly straight up and give themselves some height for using Missile Swarm. This can work out or go terribly wrong, as you’re exposing yourself in a pretty clear and obvious manner for a relatively minor payoff that may or may not land and actually damage or stun your enemies. As explained in the last point, your goal is to avoid making yourself an easy target with your jetpacks, so unless you’re pretty comfortable with your positioning, it’s best to avoid any situation where you’re flying straight up in front of enemies.

Your ultimate can indirectly win you games

Your ultimate ability will send you and any connected teammates back into the sky for redeployment. This can win you games more than you’d think due to the fact that it can get you out of unwinnable scenarios or allow you to rapidly reposition closer to the circle if you’re caught on the edge of the storm after a long and tiring battle. Additionally, as mentioned above, it will give you insight into where enemy squads are located (provided they’re not inside a structure), which can be especially useful during the late-game.

Be aware, however, that if you’re shot during the wind-up animation for this ability, it will cancel it and put it on a brief cooldown. This means it’s best used when behind solid cover. Just be sure to ping yourself or tell your squads to rush to you right before using the ability to ensure that you’re not left hovering alone for too long.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News