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hardcore

Hardcore World War 2 shooter Hell Let Loose is free to play all weekend, and on a 50% discount for the next two weeks

by admin June 15, 2025

Call of Duty and Battlefield may only occasionally dip into the Second World War these days, with CoD’s most recent Nazi battering entry being 2023’s Call of Duty: Vanguard, while Battlefield hasn’t so much as sniffed an M1 Garand since 2018’s Battlefield 5. But there are plenty of other shooters dedicated to replicating history’s most destructive conflict in virtual form. One such example is Team17’s well-regarded 2021 shooter Hell Let Loose, which is letting players enlist for free over this weekend.

Hell Let Loose is a large-scale multiplayer affair, where two teams of 50 players battle across large World War 2-era maps. Structurally it resembles Battlefield, with large-scale, combined arms combat and game modes similar to Conquest and Rush. But it’s a more hardcore, tactical affair than DICE’s shooter. Careless movement will get you killed quickly, so there’s a much greater emphasis on teamwork and communication.

HELL LET LOOSE | The Eastern Front Official Trailer – YouTube

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Multiplayer shooter specialist Morgan Park reviewed Hell Let Loose back in 2021, and enjoyed how it balanced challenging combat with more accessible logistics than some other military simulators, awarding it a score of 70. “Black Matter has simplified most of the logistical mechanics that can bog down 90-minute Squad matches. Constructing a Garrison building that the entire team can respawn at is way faster and takes half the effort as in Squad.”

Morgan’s main criticism of Hell Let Loose was its audio design: “No matter how much I mess with audio sliders, the game never gets loud enough for my liking.” The game has received numerous audio updates since Morgan’s review, though whether or not they address his specific concerns, I cannot say.

In any case, if you’re looking for a shooter that takes itself more seriously than CoD, but still lets you get into the action without drawing up an entire battle-plan beforehand, Hell Let Loose is free to play until Monday. And if you find yourself wanting to play more after the free weekend expires, then it’s on a 50% discount until June 26.

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June 15, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Switch 2’s a big upgrade for hardcore Animal Crossing New Horizons fans

by admin June 10, 2025

Animal Crossing: New Horizons had the world in a chokehold during the pandemic, but it’s been five years since Nintendo’s cozy simulator. Even with updates and daily gameplay mechanics, many of us have moved on to newer games. Then there are the people who have diligently cultivated their islands since day one. They’re still playing today, except they’ve upgraded to the latest Nintendo hardware. And the experience is way better on Switch 2, they say.

These are the sorts of players who spend hundreds if not thousands of hours decorating their islands just so, intent on cultivating a specific vibe or style. More often than not, this approach pushes Animal Crossing to its limit as players place so many items on the map, the game starts lagging. The original Switch, after all, was arguably outdated the moment it was released. Switch 2, on the other hand, is a much more capable machine that closer approximates the graphical standards players expect from modern gaming hardware.

While Nintendo doled out enhancements for many of its core titles to mark the occasion, Animal Crossing: New Horizons wasn’t marketed as such. At most, Nintendo ensured that New Horizons players could properly transfer their saves, as the files are tied to hardware. But the new console has still made a difference for players, especially those who have some of the most elaborate islands around.

“I’ve built, torn down, and rebuilt my island many times,” says a content creator named Ash Snap’em, who estimates that she has put over 2,600 hours into the game. Recently, she shared footage of her most recent island, a pastel wonderland akin to a digital Disney World. Every villager’s house is decorated to look like a store or restaurant. The carnival-like landscape is so detailed, rides are layered upon one another. There’s even secret passageways and other flourishes meant to dazzle visitors, like dedicated photo walls where players can pull out their cameras for posed pictures. And it could only be fully realized on the Switch 2.

Previously, as other players discovered over the last few years, elaborate islands could stutter and have severe pop-in, which undermined the brilliance of the meticulously crafted worlds. Some players settled for lesser visions, but others didn’t let the tech deter them.

“The lag was a little disheartening, but as someone who played about 1800+ hours in New Leaf leading to New Horizons where customization was very limited in comparison, I just gave it my all anyways and made it MY perfect island,“ Ash said in a message. ”I feel that many in the Animal Crossing community who have very decorated islands all have just settled with the lag because it was the only way to have our islands the way we imagined and desired.“

“I just decided early on that if that’s what I had to live with so my island could look the way I wanted it to, then so be it,” Ash added.

This type of upgrade is commonplace for re-releases on Switch 2, as its predecessor often required compromises in order to make games run at all. While power does not determine whether or not a game is enjoyable, in cases like that of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the hindrance actively got in the way of the game’s intended experience. Where the developers sought to provide a seamless open world, instead players were relegated to playing a game that seemed to barely keep it together. On Switch 2, however, the improvements make entirely new playstyles possible now.

Similarly, in New Horizons, the upgrades are more than skin deep as evidenced by the game’s wildly disparate loading times on both platforms. Already, Ash is contemplating the possibilities that open up with a more powerful console. Perhaps she’ll build a cityscape, castle ruins, or a tropical paradise.

“I’ve had a lot of people tell me in the last day that if the Switch 2 can handle having a lot of furniture out on Animal Crossing without lag, they’re sold on getting a Switch 2,” Ash says.

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June 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Aeternum introduces Hardcore Seasonal World

by admin May 31, 2025

This special event for New World: Aeternum transforms the journey from level zero to endgame into an exhilarating, fast-paced adventure. Players can expect to reach endgame readiness in just a few hours, thanks to a revamped progression system. The traditional Main Story Quest has been replaced by a fresh questline, specifically designed to guide adventurers through Hardcore’s unique progression and crafting experience. Gear and Artifacts are now easier to obtain, launching players into the action faster than ever before.

Learn more on the official blog.

To commemorate the launch, Joel Clift, New World Product Owner for Seasons and System Design, discusses the creation of the Hardcore Seasonal World, the inspiration behind the new questline, and to gather expert tips for players eager to dive in. See below:

1. How did the Amazon Games team approach creating a hardcore mode? What goals did the team have in mind?Our approach began with a desire to shake up the overall experience of playing New World: Aeternum. We’ve seen hardcore modes be successful with other games, and wanted to emulate some of that re-contextualization of the core experience. We never really had a specific goal to make a hardcore mode, our major goal was to provide a new way to have fun in New World: Aeternum. Additionally, we wanted to provide a way for everyone to be able to jump in and experience more of the content the game has to offer. Things like the Sandwurm Raid or a War can be difficult to get into a group for, and we’re hoping that with this latest update everyone can have an easier time grouping up to try out more of New World: Aeternum’s content.2. Where did the idea of the “Unfallen” and “Fallen” server concept come from?The Unfallen and Fallen concept came out of a desire to provide an escalating experience for players that’s changing over time, while also largely being more approachable than a standard hardcore mode in other games. Since we didn’t have the explicit goal of just making a hardcore mode, we wanted to make this an experience that lots of players can hop into and find something fun in it. The stacking bonuses on death are a way for us to build a story contextually while also providing some gameplay benefits to players. At one point the concept was a lot more complex and involved (with far more ramifications and mechanics around it but that’s a story for another time), but with the time available to us we needed to cut back a lot of the complexity for the sake of the overall experience.3. Can you tell us more about the new main questline? What exciting things are in store for players?The new main questline is our attempt at really changing the experience of the game. It’s intentionally much, much faster than the standard Main Questline and also much less involved. One of our major goals here was to ensure that you wouldn’t just be doing the same questlines and the same actions as a previous leveling experience, that kind of repetition gets kind of boring. We also wanted to make sure players knew and understood how to get the new Azerite Tailings and how to use these items to gear themselves. Arming players with that knowledge gives us a secondary benefit of being able to send them around to lots of different locations, enemies, or content they wouldn’t normally be thinking about. Plus, rewriting Aelstrom a bit is fun!4. What are a few tips you have for players who would like to try their hand at the new server?Honestly, the best tip I can give you is to not be too attached to your first character if you’re new to the game. Since this is still a hardcore experience, we are expecting you to die (knowledge checks are very real in this type of experience), but we want that to still be fun. Rolling back up to somebody who killed you before, but now you’re stronger, is a pretty enjoyable experience. Don’t hesitate to come back at something a second time with a little more knowledge and a little more power. The other major thing to keep in mind as a new player, is that something we are experimenting with here is providing “rough edges” to the experience. Not everything is intentionally highly polished. We want you (and especially much older players who are more seasoned) to encounter a weird, new type of problem, and then find a way to solve it. And that way to solve it might be to just die and come back, but it could also be to go get a useful item from somewhere else that you know about, or to work together with some other players to crush an encounter through sheer numbers, or to even just go to a different location because you know more about the enemies there. We’re hoping that these kinds of rough edges in the experience are going to push everyone to solve problems in ways they haven’t done before (or at least haven’t done in a while).5. What rewards can players expect from the Hardcore server? Anything brand-new folks can look forward to?The major things we are offering are two of a new crafting material that allows you to craft any artifact of your choosing (up to those released in season 8, this will not be an item you can use for any future artifacts), and a material that allows you to craft any T3 trophy of your choosing. We’re also offering some titles for completing certain milestones in the experience. The artifact materials and the T3 trophy are probably the biggest ones for a new player. Those can really help jump-start you in New World: Aeternum.6. Are there any plans to expand or modify the Hardcore mode based on player feedback during the season?At this time, no. The server is only available for a limited time, and we may not have the amount of time necessary to get changes out for it in the month its available. We’re open to bringing the server back with changes or extending it based on feedback, but we’ll have to evaluate things once it releases.7. What strategies are recommended for players aiming to survive the Hardcore mode?One of the best suggestions I can give you is to find a group to play with. Many hands make for light work as the saying goes, and having a dedicated group to play with will make your experience much more pleasant. I should know because I’ve had to do a lot of solo testing, and it is not easy to do this alone. Remember to appreciate your Healers!8. Are there specific content or areas that are more challenging in Hardcore mode?The major thing that makes this experience more difficult is retaining the Unfallen status. We’re expecting the leveling process to be much faster, but staying Unfallen during that process is not always going to be easy. We’re expecting some larger difficulty spikes when you’re hitting max level, as well as remaining Unfallen during things like The Hive of Gorgons Raid.9. How does the death penalty system work?It’s overall pretty simple. Every time you die, you get a stack of a status effect on yourself, and that status effect gives you 25 in every attribute. But, if you want to earn all the possible rewards, you’ll need a character that is Unfallen. We do have goals for both Fallen and Unfallen characters, but the system is relatively simple. There’s one more caveat here though. When in a War, your status effect will be paused, and a new one is placed on you. This new status effect will only be present in War, and every time you die in a War, you get 20 in your main attributes, 15 in constitution, and a small reduction on your overall absorption. We’re hoping that this way War can feel different to the base experience and be a way for everyone to hop in and try it out. It should be a much more chaotic experience, and since this a time-limited server, we’re also hoping that the Territory Control system isn’t really going to be pushing you to feel like you have to win. We want you to basically run out into the park with foam swords and cardboard tubes, and start bonking each other over the head.

In case you missed it, check out our recent review of Aeternum or our review of the original on PC. For more news on New World: Aeternum, stay tuned to GamingTrend!

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May 31, 2025 0 comments

Predator Connect T7 and its packaging on a wooden table

Product Reviews

Acer Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: super-fast Wi-Fi 7 router for hardcore gamers

by admin May 29, 2025

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Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: One-Minute Review

Acer is well-known for its Predator range of gaming PCs and displays, but the company also makes a number of Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems that are designed for gaming as well. There are several models in the Predator range, including some very affordable Wi-Fi 6 routers, but at the top of the range is the blazing fast Predator Connect T7 Mesh Router, which Acer claims can provide ‘wired-level latency’ for serious gamers with lightning fast reflexes, potentially making it one of the best gaming routers money can buy.

Its rigidly rectangular design may not be much to look at, but the T7 provides state-of-the-art Wi-Fi performance, with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 that offers a top speed of 11Gbps. And, as the name suggests, you can buy additional T7 routers and use them together to create a far-reaching mesh wi-fi system for larger homes.

Admittedly, those features will probably be overkill for many people – especially if you’re still using older computers and mobile devices that don’t have full support for Wi-Fi 7 – but the T7 is competitively priced for a high-end router, and will certainly appeal to the hard-core gaming audience.

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Price And Availability

How much does it cost? $329.99/£236.22/AU$699
When is it available? Now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Tracking down Acer products can sometimes be a little tricky, as it often relies on third-party retailers to stock its products. Customers in the US are fortunate as they can buy the T7 direct from Acer’s own website for $329.99, which is a similar price to Netgear’s Nighthawk RS300 that runs at 9.3GBps.

We were also pleased to find that the T7 doesn’t require an additional subscription for parental controls and security features, so it’s certainly competitively priced for such a high-end model. Customers in the UK, Australia and other regions will have to look around online, with the T7 selling for £236.22/AU$699 on Amazon and other sites.

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Mini-tower design, available in black or white
2.5Gb Ethernet for broadband connection
2x Gigabit Ethernet for wired (LAN) connections

The T7 has a fairly subdued design for a gaming router. You do get a choice of a black or white for the main casing, and there’s a stylised ‘mask’ LED on the top panel, but this is primarily used to provide status information, and the T7 doesn’t have the over-the-top RGB lighting and effects offered by some of its gaming rivals.

Instead, the T7 opts for a rather staid rectangular obelisk that stands an imposing 212mm high, so you’ll need a shelf or table with quite a bit of room available when you’re setting it up.

One minor oddity is that the On/Off switch is cunningly hidden on the base of the router, while the power connector is more visible on the back panel. The Quickstart guide and the longer PDF manual that we downloaded from Acer’s website both fail to mention this, simply telling you to plug in the power connector and then download the Predator app. That left me wondering why the router wasn’t working when I first plugged it in – until I turned it upside down and found the power switch lurking below.

The back panel isn’t exactly overflowing with other ports and connectors, either. There’s a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for a high-speed broadband connection, but it’s disappointing that such a high-end router only includes two 1Gb Ethernet ports to provide a wired connection for a PC or games console. There’s a USB-C port on the back as well, which will allow you to connect a hard drive or other storage device to you network. Again, though, this only supports the aging USB 2.0 standard, which is disappointing.

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Features

It’s also slightly irritating that you’re forced to create an account with Acer before you can use the Predator Connect app to get started. However, the app does provide a number of useful features that will appeal to gamers and more experienced users. Many routers aimed at a more general audience will try to keep things simply by merging the router’s different frequency bands into a single network, but the T7 creates three separate networks using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands. This allows you to reserve the high-speed 6.0GHz band for gaming, while you connect other devices to the 2.4GHz or 5.0GHz bands.

There’s a QoS option – quality of service – that allows you to prioritise high-bandwidth tasks such as gaming or streaming video for specific devices. The T7 even provides useful security features and parental controls without requiring an additional subscription as some of its rivals do.

The app is a little jargon-heavy at times, and if you don’t know what ‘band steering’ or ‘NAT acceleration’ mean then you might struggle with the app at times. Acer’s manual also makes the rookie mistake of simply listing features without really explaining how they work, so you will need a bit of network know-how to make the most of the Predator app.

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Performance

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7
Top speed of 11Gbps
QoS to prioritise gaming

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Specifications

Wi-Fi: tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, 6.0GHz)

Wi-Fi Speed: 11Gbps

Ports: 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-C (2.0)

Processor: Quad-core ARM Cortex @ 1.5GHz

Memory: 1GB RAM

Storage: 512MB Flash

Dimensions: 212 x 109 x 109mm, 0.9kg

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Benchmarks

Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 125Mbps/125Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 125Mbps/125Mbps

20GB Steam Download – 2.4GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 125Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 125Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download – 5.0GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 6.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download – 6.0GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

The T7 creates three networks on different frequency bands, but with its top speed of 11Gbps it comes as no surprise to find that it walks all over my aging office router even on the slowest 2.4GHz band.

Our office Internet service provides a top speed of 150Mbps, but my normal router can only manage 80Mbps on the 2.4GHz band when running the Ookla speed test even for devices that are close by in the same room as the router.

Steam downloads are even worse with a sustained speed of only 40Mbps. The 5.0GHz band is slightly better but can still only manage 120Mbps on the Ookla speed test, and 100Mbps for Steam downloads. Even worse is the fact that both frequency bands struggle to reach an office at the back of the building, forcing me to use Ethernet cables to provide a wired connection instead.

Unsurprisingly, the T7 takes this in its stride. Its slower 2.4GHz band hits 125Mbps for both Ookla and Steam downloads in both locations, while the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands simply shrug their shoulders and give us a pitying look as they breeze along at the maximum speed of 150Mbps even in our back office deadzone.

Admittedly, the T7’s top speed of 11Gbps will be massive overkill for many homes, but if you’re a keen gamer who wants fast, lag-free Wi-Fi for competitive gaming, then the Predator T7 is hard to beat. Then again, it’s a router that’s not strictly going to be for today’s gaming (or business) market, but for the near future (or enthusiasts) instead. If you want to be on the cutting edge, you can be for a price.

(Image credit: Future)Swipe to scroll horizontallyShould you buy the Predator Connect T7?

Category

Verdict

Score

Value

Wi-Fi 7 routers are still relatively expensive, but the T7 is competitively priced for a high-end tri-band router.

4/5

Design

The design is fairly staid, but we’re more concerned about the limited selection of ports available for wired connections.

3/5

Features

Acer’s app can be a bit full of jargon at times, but its tri-band networking features will appeal to serious gamers.

4/5

Performance

A speed of 11Gbps is completely over-the-top for most users, but it’s ideal for the latest gaming rigs that support Wi-Fi 7.

5/5

Overall

Wired connectivity could be improved, and the Acer app isn’t very user-friendly, but the T7’s Wi-Fi performance is hard to beat, and it won’t break the bank either.

4/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Predator Connect T7: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyAcer Predator Connect T7 vs its competition

Router

Acer Predator Connect T7

Netgear Nighthawk RS300

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98

Price (as reviewed)

$329.99/£236.22/AU$699.00

$329.99/£299.99/AU$1497.00

$749.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,499

Wi-Fi Type

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7

Quad-band Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi Speed

11Gbps

9.3Gbps

24.4Gbps

Connectivity

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-C (2.0)

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x 2.5Gb Ethernet (LAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)

1x 10Gb Ethernet (WAN/LAN), 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN/LAN), 1x 10Gb Ethernet (LAN), 3x 2.5Gb Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0), 1x USB-A (2.0)

Processor

Quad-core 1.5GHz

Quad-core 2.0GHz

Quad-core 2.6GHz

Memory

1GB RAM

2GB RAM

Storage

512MB Flash

256MB Flash

Dimensions

212 x 109 x 109mm

249 x 150 x 102mm

350 x 350 x 221mm

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May 29, 2025 0 comments