In more than ten days, Genshin Impact 3.4 will be released. Players are also very excited about this update. Although the developer of the game, HoYoverse, has not released a specific announcement about the new patch so far, but according to the previous release pattern, we guess that version 3.4 is expected to be launched on January 18.

According to the past release characteristics of Genshin Impact, we found that HoYoverse will launch a Special Program livestream on YouTube and Twitch every time before updating the Genshin Impact patch. During the live broadcast, HoYoverse developers often announce new events, content and character banners in the new patch. Therefore, these Livestreams are also very important for players as they can plan savings early based on the character banners.

Expected Date And Time Of Genshin Impact 3.4 Livestream

10 to 12 days before each update, Genshin Impact will carry out a Special Program. As I mentioned before, developers will introduce important information such as all new events and characters in the new version to players through live broadcast. If the expected release date of Genshin Impact 3.4 is January 18th, then the livestream should be around January 8th.

Since players may come from different countries, the version 3.4 Special Program livestream time will also vary from region to region. The following is the specific time I summarized the live broadcast is expected to start:

• 7 am PST
  

• 1 pm CEST
  

• 10 am EST
  

• 5:30pm IST

What You Can Expect In The Livestream

Since there are already some rumors about new characters, new regions, and events in the new version, I think the most awaited player should be a huge update. The purpose of the Special Program is actually to reveal most of the updated content of Genshin Impact 3.4 version one by one.

When it comes to the content that players are most looking forward to, I think it must be the new character banners. Just a few weeks ago, HoYoverse had officially announced on Twitter that Alhaitham and Yaoyao would be new playable units. Therefore, I expect them to appear in the first phase banners of the patch.

Since Xiao always comes back during the Lantern Rite festival, players may see him replay again. During the live show, HoYoverse will also reveal a new weapon, specifically Alhaitham's new signature limited five-star sword. In addition, they will also announce new characters during the live broadcast. At the same time, they will also show off the gameplay of the new characters. So, fans can look forward to a long Alhaitham and Yaoyao kit demo.

If the above information is correct, it is very likely that HoYoverse will announce Hu Tao and Yelan rerun banners in the second phase of the version 3.4 update.

Since the release of the first desert region, Sumeru has become the largest region available for players to explore in Teyvat. But in this update, Sumeru seems to continue to expand its territory. It is expected that a new Sumeru desert region will appear in version 3.4. There will be new bosses and enemies in this new region. So, I guess during the stream, HoYoverse should also reveal something about this new region.

As the Genshin Mains - Your Guide to Teyvat post shows, Genshin Impact will most likely add some new features in the latest release. Specifically, some teleport waypoints may have a special mark next to the icon to distinguish between underground and surface-level waypoints.

Based on some revelations online, we also speculate that Ayaka and Lisa from Genshin Impact may get new character skins in version 3.4. If this is true, the HoYoverse may have teased their new costumes during the stream.

At the end of the stream, HoYoverse always gives players three redemption codes worth 300 Primogems, some Mora, Hero's Wit, and Enchantment Ores. It is recommended that players redeem on the Genshin Impact official website or in-game options as soon as possible, otherwise these redemption codes will expire on the same day.

Blight is one of the most accessible end game farming strategies for many builds and does not require an exceptionally strong or fast character. It features two major money makers (Oils and Blighted Maps) which sell easily and retain most of their value throughout a challenge league. In this Blight Farming guide you will learn how to maximize your POE Currency, set the strategy up and optimize your play with essential tips and tricks.

Profitability

While Blight is not the most profitable mechanic, it is incredibly consistent and offers valuable Currency from:

• Tier 14-16 Blighted Maps
  
• High Grade Oils (Opalescent Oil - Golden Oil)
  
• Oil Extractors
  
• Miscellaneous League Drops

Blight's small loot table means most of your drops can be sold quickly and in bulk all at once. Blighted maps and oils are always in demand but must be priced correctly to ensure they sell.

Requirements

Blight does not have extreme character requirements as Blight Towers contribute a substantial amount of crowd control and damage; however a character with high single target damage to manage unique bosses and some form of monster explosions makes things a lot easier.

Blight requires the use of Scarabs, the Atlas passive tree and an end game Atlas in order to be a competitive currency strategy. Having access to a pool of Tier 16 maps is preferred, but the strategy works as soon as you can access suitable Map layouts and atlas passive points. Note that higher Tier maps award higher Tier Blighted maps and Oils which are worth substantially more.

Gameplay

Blight should always be used on enclosed map layouts as it greatly increases the quality and quantity of loot you receive.

Here's how to run Blight maps:

• Clear the map normally until you encounter the Blight.
  
• Open a Portal Scroll to open a portal to town in case you die.
  
• Click the Fast Forward Button to start the Fight encounter faster.
  
• Keep the pump safe at all times.
  
• Build towers to win.
  
• Collect your loot and finish the map if you haven't already.

Tips And Tricks

Blight Reward Tendils

When a Blight spawns its tendrils one tendril will always contain only Blighted reward chests, which drop all of the most valuable items we are after. Blights in enclosed layouts spawn less tendrils, but still offer the same amount of reward chests. The result is more guaranteed Blighted reward chests concentrated on the tendril with guaranteed Blight rewards. In extreme cases you can have all reward chests be Blighted rewards on one tendril.

Minion Towers

All resources you accumulate should be spent on minion towers to distract enemies and slow down their advance on the purification pump. Once you reach a decision point for upgrading your towers, turn them into Sentinel towers (Flying Robot Swarms) as they provide fantastic single target damage that can help deal with unique blight bosses.

Set-Up

Atlas State

Before farming Blight, have the following Atlas objectives completed:

• The Grasping Voidstone
  
• The Omniscient Voidstone
  
• 70 Atlas passive points
  
• 7 Favourite Map Slots

For seamless gameplay, infinite sustain of the best layout maps and maximum profit, you need:

• The Grasping Voidstone
  
• The Omniscient Voidstone
  
• The Ceremonial Voidstone
  
• The Decayed Voidstone
  
• 70 Atlas passive points
  
• 10+ Favourite Map Slots

Map Choice

Closed layout maps are essential since they give additional Blighted rewards. Any closed and narrow layout map can be used for Blight farming, but the ones below have extra merit or are particularly well suited for it. When favoriting maps or moving toward infinitely sustaining one map, these should be your top picks:

*Core is considered the best Blight layout map in the game. It is narrow and finicky so you always get 1-3 Blight tendrils. The map doesn't have the best natural mob count, but is reasonable for map sustain due to the 3 additional mini bosses you can kill every run.

*Toxic Sewer/Waste Pool are two of the best map layouts in Path of Exile and are a reasonably strong pick for Blight. They are not as strong as Core or Flooded mine for tendrils, but are much faster and more fun to run. (Waste Pool is Not Available in 3.20)

*Flooded Mine is widely considered one of the worst layouts in Path of Exile due to how cramped and winding it is to run, which is exactly what makes it good for Blight and getting the lowest amount of tendrils possible. In leagues where Core is not available, Flooded Mine is a reasonable choice for maximizing Blights if you can stand the layout.

Optimizing

Filtering Oils

Oils are such a common drop during Blights that it can be tedious to loot the lower tier ones from every chest you open. Low tier oils can be hidden at your discretion to avoid dealing with them every map you run. Oils that are completely safe to hide are:

• Clear Oil
  
• Sepia Oil
  
• Amber Oil
  

Using Your Oil Extractors

As mentioned above, Oil Extractors can be used by players to acquire expensive oils from anointed jewelry. Due to Blight Atlas passives anointed jewelry drops consistently from Blight encounters.

If you are able to identify which anoints on jewelry are worthy of using extractors on, you can accumulate more high tier oils from your farming sessions. Unfortunately though, learning which pieces of jewelry to use extractors on is very challenging.

Orbs of Horizon

If you are struggling to sustain high tier maps with layouts good for Blight you can use Orbs of Horizons to transform maps you don't have a use for into good layouts. Each tier of maps will transform into a specific set of map layouts which change each league. Use Orbs of Horizons on the following tiers of maps you don't have a use for to re-stock your map pool for Blight.

• Tier 16 - Toxic Sewer
  
• Tier 15 - Grotto

Elder Scrolls Online expansions serve to add to the already successful MMO and keep it labeled as one of the best MMOs out there — But which expansion is worth buying and which are best left alone? Here are all Elder Scrolls Online expansions in order and ranked.

One of the most popular aspects of MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online is the fact it’s constantly changing. New expansions introduce new elements all of which can be enjoyed in a vast landscape filled with detailed lore. However, some expansions fail to match up to the others that sometimes feel like a game in their own right.

It’s worth mentioning that each Elder Scrolls expansion is great in its own way. They all introduce new elements and serve to improve ESO as a whole, therefore ranking the worst doesn’t mean it’s a bad addition. Moreover, it’s also important to note that if you subscribe to ESO plus you’ll get access to all prior expansions meaning if you prefer to get hold of them all, that’s probably the best way to do so.

With that, we’ve ranked all the current Elder Scrolls Online expansions as well as detailed them in order so you know which ones came first and which ones are most recent.

All Elder Scrolls Online expansions in order

Currently, there are six expansions in Elder Scrolls Online. The expansions focus on entire regions rather than DLCs like the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood. As of 2017, three years after the initial release of ESO, one expansion has been released every year, with there being no sign of that changing.

With that in mind, here’s an Elder Scrolls Online expansions list in order so you know which one is the most recent and which was the first.

1. Morrowind (2017)
2. Summerset (2018)
3. Elsweyr (2019)
4. Greymoor (2020)
5. Blackwood (2021)
6. High Isle (2022)

The best Elder Scrolls Online expansions

Ranking the six available Elder Scrolls Online expansions can be a challenge since they all introduce fan-favorite locations and some extremely successful elements, some undeniably shine brighter than others.

So, if you’re looking to buy a single expansion or if you’re just wanting to put time into the best regions in Tamriel and beyond, we’ve compiled all the expansions from worst to best.

6. Morrowind

Elder Scrolls Online was released in 2014 meaning fans had to wait three years until the release of Morrowind. While that may have skewed its popularity, this expansion came at the perfect time and really sums up what Elder Scrolls Online is all about.

Morrowind introduced new classes, new trials, a beautiful location many adore from Elder Scrolls III, and the extremely popular Battlegrounds. The classes and trials were popular and remain useful throughout the game but many quickly turn their attention away from those additions and toward the new PvP Battlegrounds.

Such a setting satiated players’ hunger to battle against one another and is still one of the most commonly used elements within Elder Scrolls Online despite being nearly six years old. It’s got mini-games, is extremely tough and requires players to think about their characters before going in. Ultimately, Battlegrounds introduced a new element to this popular MMO and Elder Scrolls Online would not be the same without it.

Morrowind is far from a terrible expansion, in fact, one of the only reasons it’s being rated as the worst is due to the fact it’s now included in the base game meaning most players will ignore the expansion and play Elder Scrolls Online as a whole, assuming that’s what it was originally. That and the fact that some of the other expansions had a much larger impact than Morrowind.

5. Summerset

Home of the High Elves, Summerset was a hugely anticipated expansion for Elder Scrolls Online. It became a fan favorite after its appearance in Elder Scrolls Arena and has been mentioned in every other Elder Scrolls game since.

The Summerset expansion introduced some beautiful scenery along with engaging quest lines. On top of the gameplay, this expansion added the Psijic Order which featured both a brand new questline and some interesting skills based around the manipulation of time. Unfortunately, the skills added are far from the most powerful in the game.

Summerset also capitalized on the extensive crafting elements embedded into the MMO. Crafting is a huge element within Elder Scrolls Online and is often the difference between being just a high level or extremely powerful. Players are able to create staffs, swords, bows, armor, and so much more to enchant and heighten their own skills and powers. Then Summerset added Jewelry, enabling a new enchantment and way to increase your power. Which, many players ignore until they are forced to learn the skill.

Summerset was a fantastic expansion that added in some great elements, but the more recent DLCs feel like they blow Summersets success out of the water.

4. High Isle

High Isle is the newest addition to Elder Scrolls Online and while it ultimately failed to bring that punch many were used to from the likes of Greymoor and Blackwood, still shone through its political questline.

The High Isle expansion introduced new companions a beautiful location, some political intrigue laced with unforgettable fantasy, and the new card game, Tales of Tribute. The companions provide a great upgrade for Blackwood and aid players through the unseen locations of High Isle while Tales of Tribute introduce a new ‘minigame’ for players to enjoy when they need a break from exploring.

Unfortunately, High Isle often feels like a small addition to the likes of Blackwood and Greymoor, introducing two new companions and another calmer minigame. The card game is minimalistic and easy to understand but feels lackluster when compared to the complexity and replayability of the Antiquities.

Nevertheless, High Isle thrives in its storyline, focusing more on the world of man rather than demons and dragons. It may fall short on some elements but if you’re interested in the storyline, this is one of the best expansions you can get.

3. Blackwood

When it comes to playing MMOs it can often be a little tough when you’re on your own. After all, being both the healer, tank, and DPS is a feat that requires a very particular character build. So, when Blackwood came along and introduced companions, as well as everyone’s favorite villain, Mehrunes Dagon, solo players were naturally thrilled.

Blackwood felt very much like an improvement for the game as a whole rather than just an expansion. Companions were a game-changer for both solo players and those struggling to find that one extra player when traversing Tamriel. On top of that, the quests were enjoyable and featured well-known but challenging enemies to battle.

It’s not got that punch some of the other expansions feature but it introduces some fantastic way of life changes that most solo players adore making it a worthy adversary for the Elder Scrolls Online experience.

2. Greymoor

The Elder Scrolls franchise has a plethora of fantastic, and popular titles. However, few are as popular as Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Released in 2011, the game is equally as popular today and feels much like a staple for open-world RPGs. So naturally, many were a little concerned regarding the release of Greymoor in 2020. Fans were worried the expansion would fall flat when compared to the likes of Skyrim or would fail to encapsulate the rugged beauty many saw in its inspiration.

Luckily, Greymoor did the complete opposite. It managed to bring together all the great aspects of Skyrim and fit it into a perfect pocket of joy. The expansion’s Eastern Skyrim location has many recognizable landmarks along with questlines to feel more like a continuation of Skyrim rather than something to contrast it.

Then there are the other additions in the form of Antiquities. They’re an addictive but wonderful way to acquire new treasures for money or collection purposes. It introduced a new collection experience with puzzles, exploration, and solo adventures. Even if Skyrim wasn’t the main landscape of this expansion, the Antiquities would still make it a fantastic addition to Elder Scrolls Online.

1. Elsweyr

Elsweyr is undeniably the best expansion in Elder Scrolls Online. It’s a region many Elder Scrolls fans again couldn’t explore unless they were playing Arena so the release of this expansion was highly anticipated.

Thankfully, the region lived up to its hype, producing beautiful landscapes, a variety of fantastic quests, and the all-important, Dragons. The initial event when this expansion came out in 2019 had these beasts flying between each World Boss location and players would spend hours going from Dragon battle to Dragon battle. Nowadays, there are not as many players swarming the beasts but the World Bosses are equally as enjoyable and challenging as before, no matter your level.

The addition of Dragons was only made greater through the new Necromancer class. A new spell-based class was undeniably overdue and this delivered perfectly. Elsweyr introduced a fantastic damage class filled with bony protection, element mastering, and of course, reanimating the dead. It’s a fantastic class that makes anyone feel like a worthy fighter.

Ultimately, the entire expansion was a blessing and continues to be such three years on.

In the modern day and age of gaming, players are looking for every possible way to see a reflection of themselves in the heroes/villains they play as in their video games. The tools for character customisation, industry-wide, have been growing in siza and scope for years, and for one of the tips of the spear, Blizzard and the Diablo franchise, the pressure is on from players and press to maintain or exceed what is currently available from their competitors. Recently, a pair of senior Diablo IV developers, Lead Class Designer Adam Jackson and Producer Ash Sweetring spoke to Australian outlet, Press-Start to discuss the addition of extended character customisation in June’s Diablo IV.

Speaking to Press-Start, both Jackson and Sweetring addressed the first time appearance of the extended character customisation and the prospect of more coming post-launch, saying,

We’ve gone through a lot of painstaking work to make sure that character customisation is as robust as possible. I can’t really give anything away, but the list of things that we would like to do is very long, and we’re always adding more stuff. It’s one of the nice things about having this game as a live service. There are so many ideas that everyone on the team has like – ‘wouldn’t this be cool?’ and we’re definitely putting a ton of those into the launch version of the game, but we’ve already got a backlog of stuff that we want to do that we already know is going to be cooler, so we’re leaving space.

The players kind of control the content of the game a little bit too, right? We don’t just build a game by ourselves. Diablo IV isn’t Blizzard’s first rodeo when it coms to building a live service game. the team has a ton of experience making games and making them with the community over a long period of time. We’ve done it with World of Warcraft, we’ve done it here and in Overwatch and Hearthstone. You name it. We’ve done this before. A lot of what we decide to prioritise will be based on player feedback. If they really want some type of feature, we can decide we’re going to do that first before all of the other things that we care about because we know that the players really want that and we’re willing to do that.

I think that’s a part of growth. We want to continue iterating and making Diablo IV the best product possible. There are always going to be opportunities for us to look back and ask, ‘how can we improve this? What can we do better? What are people asking for? What are our needs and what are our wants at this time?‘ It’s a constantly moving flux of things that we want to do. We’re always looking into what we can do and what we can improve.

Diablo IV launches on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on June 6, 2023.

After a tumultuous 2022, Ninjas in Pyjamas have taken the call to shake up their CS:GO roster. Patrick ‘es3tag’ Hansen has found himself benched after an extensive journey with Ninjas in Pyjamas. The 27-year-old rifler spent 399 days on the roster before being benched. The primarily Swedish squad faced many trials after Device went absent for almost the entire year. Now, the other Dane has parted ways with the active roster amidst a rebuild.

es3tag is no longer on Ninjas in Pyjamas CS:GO active roster

Taking to Twitter, the official Ninjas in Pyjamas handle put out the following statement:

“In preparation of the next year, we’ve been evaluating the team composition overall, and have moved Patrick “es3tag” Hansen to the bench, and are allowing him to explore new opportunities ahead of the 2023 season. Patrick has been a fantastic teammate, colleague, and player to have at NIP. We have nothing but good things to say about him, and we are sure he will find success where ever he goes next.”

The Danish rifler ends his tenure with a 1.04 rating across 24 maps played across the last three months. Despite a decent showing at the Blast Premier Fall Final, NIP didn’t manage to post amazing results this year. Crashing out of the Rio Major in last place, NIP’s fate was more or less sealed. While Aleksib’s addition was meant to revitalize the team, the squad hasn’t been able to put together good results since.

es3tag’s statement reads:

“Benched by Ninjas in Pyjamas. A bumpy road, but I’m standing here at the end, proud of what we’ve accomplished. I will be taking my time to properly gauge what’s next for me. Wishing the best for my teammates and NiP, it’s been a ride I’ll always remember.”

No announcement regarding a fifth member of the squad has been made yet.

2023 is shaping up to be an enormous year for video games, with many titles previously planned for this year getting pushed into next. Big-name games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the Dead Space remake, and Diablo IV are all coming in 2023, as are several high-profile remakes of classic games.

It can be a lot to keep track of, so we rounded up every game planned for release in 2023, splitting them into sections by month as well as undated 2023 games right here. Each game listing also shows supported platforms so you can figure out just what you're going to buy this year. As more games are announced and given release dates, this list will be further updated, and we'll also continue to adjust it if games are delayed.

January

• One Piece Odyssey (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - January 13
• A Space for the Unbound (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - January 19
• Colossal Cave (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Quest, PC) - January 19
• Persona 4 Golden (Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - January 19
• Persona 3 Portable (Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - January 19
• Fire Emblem Engage (Switch) - January 20
• Forspoken (PS5, PC) - January 24
• Warlander (PC) - January 24
• Odd Ballers (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - January 26
• Dead Space (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - January 27
• Season: A letter to the future (PS5, PC) - January 31
• Superfuse (PC) - January 31

February

• Deliver Us Mars (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) - February 2
• Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) - February 9
• Hogwarts Legacy (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - February 10
• Wanted: Dead (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - February 10
• Blanc (Switch, PC) - February 14
• Theaterhtym Final Bar Line (Switch, PS4) - February 16
• Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch)
• Wild Hearts (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - February 17
• Atomic Heart (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - February 21
• Like a Dragon: Ishin (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - February 21
• Cosmonius High (PSVR 2) - February 22
• Digimon World: Next Order (Switch, PC) - February 22
• Horizon Call of the Mountain (PSVR 2) - February 22
• Blood Bowl 3 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - February 23
• Company of Heroes 3 (PC) - February 23
• Sons of the Forest (PC) - February 23
• Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key (Switch, PS4, PS5, PC) - February 24
• Kerbal Space Program 2 (PC) - February 24
• Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch) - February 24
• Octopath Traveler 2 (Switch, PS5, PS4, PC) - February 24
• Scars Above (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - February 27
• Destiny 2: Lightfall (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - February 28

March

• The Day Before (PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5) - March 1
• The Last of Us (PC) - March 3
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) - March 3
• Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - March 9
• ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni (Switch, PS5, PS4, PC) - March 9
• Skull and Bones (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 9
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (PS4, Switch, PC) - March 14
• Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (Switch) - March 17
• Peppa Pig: World Adventures (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC) - March 17
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 17
• Have a Nice Death (Switch) - March 22
• Storyteller (Switch, PC) - March 23
• Resident Evil 4 Remake (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - March 24
• Crime Boss: Rockay City (PC) - March 28

April

• GrimGrimoire OnceMore (PS5, PS4, Switch) - April 4
• Hogwarts Legacy (PS4, Xbox One) - April 4
• Meet Your Maker (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - April 4
• Process of Elimination (PS4, Switch) - April 11
• Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Switch, PS4, PC) - April 14
• God of Rock (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - April 18
• Dead Island 2 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - April 28

May

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) - May 12
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - May 26
• June
• Street Fighter 6 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - June 2
• Diablo IV (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) - June 6
• Final Fantasy XVI (PS5) - June 22

July

• Hogwarts Legacy (Switch) - July 25

These are the known news so far. If there are more game trailers released in the future, Vipgamenews.com will also publish them on our website simultaneously. Stay tuned!