Gaming

Honkai: Star Rail announces version 2.4, Fate/stay night collab

Update features Wardance ceremony, new characters, map; collab set for Q3 2025

Published

July 23, 2024

Manila Connoisseur

HoYoverse has announced that Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.4 will go live on July 31, 2024. Called “Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue”, the update will bring Trailblazers to Xianzhou Luofu to meet friends old and new during the Wardance ceremony. Moreover, two new five-star characters and an uncharted map will be revealed.

Players may watch the Version 2.4 trailer below to know more about the upcoming update.

Wardance ceremony

In Version 2.4, just as Penaconian vacation has drawn to a close, the crew of the Astral Express heads to Xianzhou Luofu. The captivating story of the Wardance ceremony will unfold. And even as the Ambrosial Arbor crisis has already been resolved, the Trailblazers are crucial witnesses to the area’s ongoing saga.

The festival commemorates the Reighbow Arbiter and the Cloud Knight’s victory against the Abominations of Abundance. As such, this year’s Wardance aims to uplift the spirits of Luofu residents after the recent crisis.

During the festival, players will reunite with familiar faces such as Yanqing and meet significant figures such as the Merlin’s Claw, General Feixiao of Xianzhou Yaoqing.

New characters

Moreover, Version 2.4 brings two new five-star characters: Yunli and Jiaoqiu. Yunli is a straightforward sword hunter and the beloved granddaughter of “Flaming Heart” General Huaiyan. She has practiced swordsmanship and forging under the general’s guidance since childhood. This upbringing has made her the second-youngest prodigy swordmaster of the Flamewheel Octet.

As a Physical-Type character (Path of Destruction), Yunli sets herself in combat with a unique Counter ability. When attacked, she immediately Counters, dealing damage to the target and adjacent enemies. Also, after using her Ultimate, Yunli acquires the Parry state. Under this state, she reduces taken damage and Taunts enemies. Most importantly, her CRIT DMG will be drastically increased.

As part of the update, a dispute emerges between Yanqing and Yunli over their prowess in swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, Jiaoqiu represents the Xianzhou Yaoqing delegates. Born into a distinguished Alchemy Commission family, Jiaoqiu is a foxian healer and counselor. His mastery of alchemical prescriptions is unparalleled.

As a Fire-Type character (Path of Nihility), Jiaoqiu’ boasts of unique and formidable abilities. Any attack he lands can possibly inflict Ashen Roast debuff. When the enemy is inflicted with Ashen Roast, they effectively suffer from the Burn state. The Ashen Roast also stacks for more damage.

Furthermore, when Jiaoqiu activates his Ultimate, the battlefield transforms into an enormous yuanyang hot pot, compounding the effects of Ashen Roast for enemies. This also creates a field lasting for several turns, where enemies sustain increased Ultimate DMG and may receive additional stacks of Ashen Roast.

New map

Lastly, the update brings a new map, The Shackling Prison, to life. It is overseen by the Ten-Lords Commission, and is where the realm’s most notorious criminals are detained. This facility is where Xueyi and Hanya perform their duties.

The prison’s entrance lies hidden beneath the waters of Scalegorge Waterscape, adding an extra layer of mystery. As Trailblazers pass through the Sea-Stilling Gate, they arrive at the dispatch hub. Finally, below the hub, the prison floors descend into darkness. Be extra cautious when visiting the prison because it is also home to creatures like the Borisin.

Fate/Stay Night collab in 2025

In addition to Version 2.4, an exciting announcement confirmed that Honkai: Star Rail is collaborating with anime series Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works.

Although details aren’t aplenty, the collab is expected to be seen in Q3 2025. It will likely feature the character animations from the series, bringing them to the space-fantasy RPG.

Gaming

Latest BeastLink Open Beta offers optimizations, improvements

Grove Street Games’ monster-sized Kaiju mayhem

Published

May 30, 2026

GadgetMatch

Grove Street Games has kicked off another round of beta playtesting for the large-scale multiplayer destruction sandbox game BeastLink.

The latest round of open beta testing opened at 4:00 P.M. ET on May 29 and will end at June 1 at 10:00 A.M. ET.

This Open Beta weekend offers a fresh look at the massive optimization sand improvements from the past month of closed playtesting.

Players can join through the BeastLink Steam page here.

The latest Open Beta features the Horned Lizard, Mandrill, and Bull Shark as playable beasts.

The Kaiju battles come with more freedom of movement and improved fighting. All beasts have seen extensive updates and balance improvements for a more refined monster vs. monster combat.

Moreover, there is a new map available: Wharf, which urges players to utilize ziplines and cranes. New effects like dust, fog, and rubble also make the showdown feel more chaotic.

Meanwhile, selecting Battle Arena from the Deployment Menu lets players battle against friends, the CPU, or by themselves for fun. That’s on top of other modes like Tutorial, Hazard Pay, Beast Brawl, and Colony Purge.

BeastLink is built on Unreal Engine 5, and uses Grove Street Games’ proprietary SuperDestruction system to push environmental wreckage to a new level.

The system lets players reshape the map both as human or Kaiu, with over 250,000 destructible objects and millions of individual pieces.

An announcement trailer has likewise been unveiled.

Gaming

Acer unveils Predator Atlas 8 handheld with Intel Arc G-Series power

PC gaming on the go

Published

May 29, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Acer has unveiled the Predator Atlas 8, a new Windows 11 gaming handheld powered by Intel’s latest Arc G-Series platform. The device expands Acer’s growing handheld portfolio and targets gamers who want PC gaming performance in a portable form factor.

The Predator Atlas 8 pairs Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme processor with up to Intel Arc B390 graphics. It supports ray tracing and Intel XeSS 3 AI-powered upscaling to boost performance while maintaining image quality. Acer says the platform balances gaming performance and battery efficiency for gaming on the go.

Predator cooling comes to a handheld

Acer equips the Atlas 8 with a dual-fan cooling system inspired by its Predator gaming laptops. The setup includes what Acer describes as the first metal fan used in a gaming handheld. The company says the ultra-thin AeroBlade fan increases airflow by up to 10 percent. It works alongside a second fan and Acer’s Vortex Flow design to move heat out of the chassis more efficiently.

The handheld features an 8-inch WUXGA touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and Variable Refresh Rate support. The panel reaches up to 500 nits of brightness and uses a 16:10 aspect ratio. Acer also protects the display with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and a DXC coating that helps reduce glare.

Acer complements the display with dual 2W speakers that support DTS:X Ultra audio. Dual microphones with PurifiedVoice AI noise reduction help improve voice clarity during multiplayer sessions and online chats.

Built around the Windows gaming ecosystem

The Predator Atlas 8 runs Windows 11 and supports Xbox Mode for quicker access to games and system functions. Acer also includes an Xbox Game Pass subscription, giving users access to hundreds of games from day one.

For connectivity, the handheld offers dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and UHS-II microSD expansion. The control layout includes full-size analog sticks and dual-mode triggers. Players can switch between instant-click microswitch controls for shooters and Hall-effect analog controls for racing and simulation titles.

A dedicated PredatorSense button provides quick access to performance settings, RGB lighting controls, and system monitoring tools. Acer has not yet announced pricing or local availability. The company says details will vary by market.

Gaming

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has been officially announced

And it’s coming out on the Switch 2.

Published

May 29, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Compared to the crazier news we’ve gotten so far, a new Call of Duty doesn’t seem like it should make a ripple, but it does. Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it’s coming out on the Nintendo Switch 2.

This year’s mainline entry has a couple of firsts for the ubiquitous franchise. For one, Modern Warfare 4 will not launch on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. It’s the first time that the series is dropping the last generation of consoles. Secondly, it’s launching for the Switch 2, marking the first time that the franchise is coming out on a Nintendo system since 2013. Finally, it won’t launch as a day-one release on the Game Pass.

Besides the reshuffling of launch outlets, Modern Warfare 4 will offer much of the same from the franchise: bombastic campaigns with global stakes and a thriving palette of multiplayer modes.

This time around, players will start the campaign as Private Park, a South Korean soldier thrust into a war as North Korea suddenly invades its southern neighbor. Players will also face assignments in Mumbai and New York. Captain Price is, of course, coming back but as an outlaw in pursuit of a powerful weapon.

For multiplayer, Activision promises more improvements yet again for movement and gunplay. Modern Warfare 4 will also introduce new modes such as Kill Block, which features maps that change after every round. DMZ is coming back, of course.

Activision promises more updates coming throughout the year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will launch for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 on October 23, 2026.