Gaming

Call of Duty: Vanguard – 10 Tips for the First 10 Hours

Get ready for battle

Published

November 4, 2021

GadgetMatch

Call of Duty: Vanguard, the latest in the long line of Call of Duty titles, is upon us. To make sure you’re not running around like a headless chicken, developer Activision put together 10 tips for the first 10 hours of our playthrough.

1. Get Your Settings Right

Whether you’re on console or PC, it’s important to use the settings that provide the best play experience possible. Take some time going over and experimenting with various button layouts and aiming sensitivities. Adjust your field of view and customize the color palette of different game elements. Spend the time to get things just right!

2. Play the Campaign First

Particularly for new and returning players, we’ll say it again: the Campaign is a great place to start. This coincides with the above point, too, as you can freely pause and take your time to make adjustments at will. You’ll get a great introduction into the world of Vanguard, and by the time you’re finished, you’ll be more than ready to jump into Multiplayer competition.

3. Pick a Weapon and Go

In Multiplayer and Zombies, you’ll earn Weapon XP for eliminating enemies, thereby unlocking new attachment options for you to customize your weapon to preference. Once you’ve experimented with different weapon categories and found a weapon you like, stick with it for a few matches to start opening up its customization options.

4. Play the Objective

If you’re just looking for kills, load up Team Deathmatch. Otherwise, the best way to aid your team and earn XP is by focusing on the objective, whether that’s locking down objectives in Domination or picking up tags in Kill Confirmed. Stay focused on the task at hand and your abilities are guaranteed to improve quickly.

5. Go for Low-Cost Killstreaks

Low cost doesn’t mean cheap, and for new players, it’s a great way to experience the thrill of earning Killstreaks when starting out. Try Intel to reveal nearby enemies, the Spy Plane to reveal enemies to your entire team, and the Glide Bomb to get enemies off objectives fast.

6. Complete Challenges

Head to the Challenges menu in Multiplayer and Zombies to view specific tasks that, when completed, award bonus XP and cosmetic items like new Calling Cards. These are a great way to improve your abilities, as they challenge you with tasks you may otherwise not have considered.

7. Hit the Barracks

The Barracks is your go-to destination for following your current progress and creating your unique identity in Campaign and Multiplayer. Check stats like your current rank, combat record, and earned medals. Customize your profile with earned Calling Cards, Frames, Player Titles, Emblems, and Gestures & Sprays.

8. Invite Your Friends, Join a Clan

There’s nothing like jumping into a Multiplayer match or taking on the zombie horde with a group of friends. With the ability to connect across all supported platforms, it’s easier than ever to group up and get a game going. The friends that slay together, stay together — just be sure to create a Clan so everyone gets even more rewards for being a part of the same squad!

9. Check Out the Battle Pass

The Season Six Battle Pass from Black Ops Cold War includes 24 Free Tiers tied to Vanguard, which all can be earned just by playing the game. Progress is shared between Campaign, Zombies, and Warzone, and free tiers are scattered among the pass for players who are just getting their bearings. Want to unlock them all? Purchase the Battle Pass at launch for access to all 100 tiers of content, including new Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, Emblems, Consumables, and enough Call of Duty Points to purchase the next Battle Pass.

10. Practice Makes Perfect

Nobody said war is easy. If you’re struggling in your first matches, keep your head cool and jump in again. The more you begin to understand the various maps, modes, weapons, and systems underlying Vanguard, the more confident and skilled you will become at handling even the toughest situations.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Battle.net on Friday November 5th , 2021.

PC Requirements

Operating System

Minimum: Windows 10 64-bit (latest update)
Recommended/Competitive/Ultra 4K: Windows 10 64-bit (latest update) or Windows 11 64-bit (latest update)

CPU

Minimum: Intel Core i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300
Recommended: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
Competitive: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
Ultra 4K: Intel Core i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

RAM

Minimum: 8 GB
Recommended: 12 GB
Competitive/Ultra 4K: 16 GB

Storage Space

Minimum: 36 GB at launch (Multiplayer and Zombies only)
Recommended/Competitive/Ultra 4K: 61 GB at launch

Hi-Rez Assets Cache

Minimum/Recommended/Competitive: Up to 32 GB
Ultra 4K: Up to 64 GB
Hi-Rez Assets Cache is optional disk space that can be used to stream high resolution assets. That option can be turned off in the game’s settings.

Video Card

Minimum: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 470
Recommended: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580
Competitive: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070/RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 5700XT
Ultra 4K: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

Video Memory

Minimum: 2 GB
Recommended: 4 GB
Competitive: 8 GB
Ultra 4K: 10 GB

Recommended Drivers of NVIDIA/AMD

NVIDIA: 472.12
AMD: 21.9.1

Related Topics:Activision Call of Duty Call of Duty: Vanguard

Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

Published

May 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Not sure where this one started, but it’s not true. The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4.

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 4, 2026

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.

Gaming

Stranger Than Heaven is a Yakuza prequel with Snoop Dogg

The story spans different eras and regions across half a century in Japan.

Published

May 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In my review of Yakuza Kiwami 3, I groaned about how every new entry in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon franchise — original and remake — looked identical with each other. I ended that playthrough hoping desperately for a new era. Thankfully, those hopes did not fall on deaf ears. In its first trailer, the upcoming Stranger Than Heaven showed off an interesting reimagining of the Yakuza universe. Oh, and Snoop Dogg is in it.

First announced back in late 2024 as Project Century, Stranger Than Heaven has now confirmed itself as a prequel to the prequel to the Yakuza games. It didn’t start that way, though. When it was announced, there was hope that the then-untitled game featured a new story disconnected from Yakuza. It looks like the final game is making the best of both worlds.

Stranger Than Heaven chronicles the rise of the infamous Tojo Clan. Unless this is decidedly different from the Tojo Clan in the Yakuza series, this is the clearest sign that this is, in fact, a prequel.

Makoto Daito, a Japanese boy living in Chicago, escapes America to forge a new life in Japan. Along the way, he meets Orpheus, a smuggler played by Snoop Dogg, who drags Makoto into the criminal underworld. Eventually, Makoto decides to do things his own way by creating a new crime family called the Tojo Clan.

Unlike other games in the series, Stranger Than Heaven spans different eras and regions in Japan, starting with Fukuoka in 1915 and ending with Kamurocho in 1965. It will also have different fighting mechanics by mapping the left and right bumpers/triggers to left and right attacks.

Off the bat, Stranger Than Heaven looks like a new era for the series. It launches winter this year for all major platforms.

Gaming

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches October 6

Pre-orders now live

Published

May 4, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is set to launch on October 6, 2026, bringing a new high-speed twist to the Star Wars universe. The game is published by Secret Mode and developed by Fuse Games. It arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with support for up to 12 players.

Pre-orders are now open across Standard, Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions. Pricing starts at $59.99 for the Standard Edition, with both digital and physical versions available depending on platform.

A different kind of Star Wars story

Set in the lawless Outer Rim, the game introduces the Galactic League—an unsanctioned racing circuit where skill matters more than destiny. You play as a mysterious pilot named Shade, navigating a single-player campaign built on rivalries, alliances, and unfinished business.

There’s no Force or prophecy here. Instead, the focus is on build strategy and racing mastery. Players can customize three types of repulsorcraft and even take on classic podracers, blending familiar Star Wars elements with a more competitive, arcade-style edge.

Multiplayer supports online races where players can test their builds and driving skills against others.

Pre-order bonuses and editions

All pre-orders include a bonus livery usable across vehicles, with platform-specific colors, plus a Player Banner background for multiplayer.

The Deluxe Edition adds three extra vehicles, exclusive Arcade events, a livery pack, and cosmetic upgrades like new player banners and insignias. It also includes a digital art book featuring early designs of characters, locations, and vehicles.

Collector’s Edition for dedicated pilots

For collectors, the physical Collector’s Edition bundles a model of the Kor Sarun: Darc X landspeeder, themed patches, a printed art book, and a steel case housed in premium packaging. It also includes all Deluxe Edition digital content.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with pre-orders now available.