Player Progression
Ongoing coverage on Player Progression.
Latest coverage
"We've got to slow down," Wardogs developer admits after Season 2's rocky rollout
Bulkhead, the developer of Wardogs, has admitted to making significant mistakes with the rollout of Season 2, including an economy wipe that was too quickly erased by rapid leveling and a rushed content schedule. The team is now planning to slow down the pace of seasons and focus on fundamentals, with Season 3 targeting November 12 and introducing limited servers to address player progression concerns. The studio acknowledges that external pressures, including Steam's review algorithm, influenced their rushed decisions.
"We were wrong": Wardogs devs end Season 2's team-specific cash and XP bonus experiment after a single, tumultuous day
Wardogs developers Bulkhead have canceled their Season 2 experiment that offered team-specific cash and XP bonuses after just one day, admitting they "fucked up." The bonuses, intended to boost the underperforming Lonestar faction, led to "tryhard" players accumulating excessive in-game currency, disrupting progression balance and causing matchmaking issues. The developers are now reverting to more conventional rebalancing methods.
Battlefield 6 Now Lets You Instantly Unlock All Guns At 100% Mastery For $30
Battlefield 6 has introduced a new $30 'Ultimate Shortcut Kit' that instantly unlocks all guns and vehicles at 100% Mastery for all classes. This microtransaction has drawn criticism online for allowing players to bypass the usual progression grind, though some welcome it for saving time. The kit also includes exclusive cosmetic items.
"This is Call of Duty's definitive extraction shooter experience" - Infinity Ward details the new DMZ mode in Modern Warfare 4
Infinity Ward is heavily investing in the DMZ mode for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, aiming for it to be a major pillar of the series. The new DMZ mode builds upon the 2022 beta with separate progression, a persistent economy, and enhanced AI enemies across the Haijin map. It will launch on October 23rd for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
RuneScape Reignited Lets New and Veteran Players Start Together
Jagex is launching RuneScape Reignited on December 2 as a permanent character type with its own distinct economy and hiscores. This new option allows both new and returning players to experience RuneScape from a fresh start without affecting existing accounts. Reignited characters will have free access to members' content for the first 10 days.
Massively Overthinking: What does a sandbox MMORPG have to do to hook you in the first two weeks?
The Massively OP staff discusses what elements are crucial for a sandbox MMORPG to retain players beyond the initial two weeks. Key factors include confidence in the game's longevity, a persistent world with diverse activities beyond combat, a sense of player mastery, and rewarding exploration without excessive punishment.
Arc Raiders devs break down Reward Pass ahead of player progression revamp in Frozen Trail
Embark Studios is revamping player progression in Arc Raiders with the upcoming Frozen Trail update, introducing a new Reward Pass to replace Raider Decks. The developers aim to create a more satisfying progression path that encourages sustained engagement with in-game activities and rewards.
How to earn Driver XP in Wardogs
This guide explains how to earn Driver XP in Wardogs, a process described as slow and tedious. The primary methods involve delivering supplies to Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) using vehicles like the Ural truck or Kodiak, and transporting teammates to control zones. An additional method involves using the APC for teammates to spawn on, though it has earning limits. The article suggests that rebalancing is needed to make the vehicle grind less frustrating.
Marathon's next major update runs a few months further away, permanent PvE in hand, as Bungie ditch their "strict seasonal schedule"
Bungie has delayed the next major update for Marathon, originally scheduled for September 22nd, to December 8th. This update, titled Symbiosis, will introduce a permanent PvE mode and other features. Bungie is also shifting away from a strict seasonal schedule to allow more flexibility in development and testing, aiming to address player feedback for more depth and variety.
WoW Forever discusses classes, addons, party forming, PvP progression, and how it effectively negates WoW 2
World of Warcraft Forever will feature increased gold costs for mount training and will not allow meeting stones to teleport players to dungeons, encouraging more player interaction. Addons will have similar restrictions to the retail version, and PvP will include its own progression system with honor ranks and cosmetic rewards. Principal designer Kris Zierhut stated that the game's efficient engine makes a "WoW 2" unnecessary.
Arc Raiders Expeditions may not come back: 'Maybe we'll scrap the whole system'
Embark Studios is considering scrapping the 'Expeditions' system in Arc Raiders entirely due to longstanding player complaints about grind and payoff. Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal stated that the system might be reworked or completely removed, with a final decision pending the 'Frozen Trails' update.
BlizzCon 2026: World of Warcraft Forever’s deep-dive panel talks group play, progression, and item updates
A BlizzCon 2026 panel delved into the mechanics of World of Warcraft Forever, focusing on group play, player progression, and item updates. Key features discussed include a new campfire system for buffs, extensive tradeskill overhauls, an improved transmog system with opt-out options, and a new legacy system with account-wide points for customization. The game will also be 'realmless' within chosen rulesets to manage population.
NBA 2K27 Cap Breakers Guide: All Ways to Earn & Build Rules
This guide breaks down how to earn and use Cap Breakers in NBA 2K27, which allow players to push attributes beyond normal build limits. Players can apply up to five Cap Breakers per attribute, earning them through various in-game activities like Rep ranks, Crew progression, and Season rewards. At launch, 20 Cap Breakers are available, with an additional eight expected in future seasons.
Cooltopia Adds Crafting: New Recipes and the Elusive Space Princess
Cooltopia, the gamified hub for the Cool Cats NFT platform, has launched a new crafting system. This update allows players to assemble items, undertake higher-tier quests, and create the rare 'Space Princess' collectible. The addition aims to deepen gameplay progression and strengthen the overall ecosystem.
Calamity Wraps Sunforge Season With Servers Live and No Wipe as Factory, Cosmetics Mint Approach
Calamity has concluded its Sunforge Season, which ran for eight weeks and featured a $20,000 prize pool. The game's servers remain online with no progress wipe, allowing players to keep their seasonal gear and Gold. Upcoming updates include a Factory and cosmetics NFT mint, a new biome, dungeons, an off-season event, community tournaments, and a new game mode. The WYRM token generation event (TGE) still has no confirmed date.
Control Resonant’s Zones Level Up Over Time and Introduce New Challenges With Each Resonant Kill
Remedy Entertainment's Control Resonant features a unique progression system where zones, not the player character Dylan, gain experience and level up, unlocking zone improvements and new challenges. Defeating 'Resonants' grants abilities but also increases enemy difficulty and spawns new threats globally, requiring strategic decision-making. The game launches September 24th for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC, with a physical edition delayed to October 15th.
Fans clash over Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis’ new Focus meter and skill tree
Amazon Game Studios has revealed new gameplay mechanics for the upcoming remake Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, including a 'Focus' meter and a skill tree system. While the Focus meter, which slows time, has been met with general approval, the skill tree and herb collecting mechanics have drawn criticism from fans who feel they deviate from the original game's design. The game is set to release on February 12, 2027, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Showcases Combat and Progression In New Trailer
A new trailer for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis showcases Lara Croft's combat abilities, including dual pistols and an SMG, alongside a progression system with upgrades and a 'Focus' mechanic for slowing time. The game is set to release on February 12th, 2027, for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
LOTRO Legendarium: How do you navigate the first 50 levels in LOTRO?
This guide offers multiple strategies for navigating the first 50 levels of Lord of the Rings Online, addressing player confusion between the epic book's direction and zone design. It outlines paths like the 'Old Fashioned Path,' incorporating 'Before the Shadow,' focusing on deeds, full completionism, or grinding missions, to help players reach Moria efficiently.
Does Gears of War: E-Day open beta progress carry over?
Progress made during the Gears of War: E-Day open beta will carry over between beta weekends, allowing players to retain their level and class progression. However, this progress will reset for the full game launch on October 6. Unlocked beta rewards will be available at launch.
