Rockstar Newswire

Update: Today's triple-platform Max Payne 3 Social Club Multiplayer Event has ended. Thanks to everyone that joined us - enjoy the Double XP in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer all weekend!

Whether you’re working your way towards a new Item for your Loadout or Level 50 Legendary status, play any Max Payne 3 multiplayer mode this coming weekend and you’ll get Double XP for your efforts across Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and PC, from Friday night thru 'till Sunday night.

That means twice the reward for every kill scored, bag dropped, Vendetta settled and more. Better still, play with fellow members of your Crew at your side and any Crew bonuses will also be doubled – soon you’ll be rising through the ranks like Serrano himself.

We’re kicking off this Double XP weekend in grand style with a live-streaming official Social Club multiplayer event on Friday July 6th from 4-7pm EST / 9pm-midnight BST, and we’ll be playing all modes including those in the Local Justice DLC pack on consoles.

To join us, simply log on to Max Payne 3 multiplayer on your platform of choice and select the ‘Social Club Multiplayer Event’ option from the in-game Playlists menu, and look out for one of our official Rockstar players, marked with a special visible in-game dog tag logo:

• MaxPayneDev1 (PC)
• MaxPayneDev2 (PSN)
• MaxPayneDev3 (Xbox LIVE)
• MaxPayneDev4 (Multiplatform)

*MaxPayneDev5 will be playing on PC between 2-4pm EST / 7-9pm BST and that will be streamed live on our Twitch page

Be sure to join us at the Social Club multiplayer events page for the dual live stream, special event leaderboards and Rockstar hosted live chat, as well as our Sweepstakes where you can enter your details at any time during the day to be in with a chance of winning a Deluxe Prize Pack, including a Max Payne statue, a Hawaiian Shirt just like the one Max wears in the game, a bullet keychain and assorted stickers. Additionally, ten runners-up will receive a t-shirt, keychain and stickers.

Also make sure you're following us on our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Steam (for PC) pages to get word of additional impromptu multiplayer sessions all summer long and beyond...

For our latest Max Payne 3 Original Artwork release, we present this special Factions Series with the logos, crests and tags of the various, vicious armed squads that Max encounters as his cush security gig in São Paulo spirals into a treacherous bloodbath. Also playable of course in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer as gang faction avatars in Gang Wars as well as in Deathmatch modes - you can now represent your favorite Brazilian pistoleiros as downloadable desktops, mobile wallpapers, Facebook covers, and of course as your Social Club avatar or buddy icon.

Starting with the Unidade de Forças Especiais (UFE), check out the intimidating crest worn on the uniforms of the heavily-armed paramilitary who fight against the thugs and kidnappers and often using torturous methods as brutal as the criminals they're sworn to thwart. For some background on the real-world elite forces of São Paulo, read our earlier Rockstar Research feature: "The Weapon-Wielding Gangsters and Special Police Commands of Max Payne 3". You can also grab a trio of gang faction emblems rendered as they appear in Max Payne 3, emblazoned on walls marking their territory deep in the favelas of Sampa. First is the emblem of Comando Sombra, powerful and far-reaching with more than 3000 members acting under the leadership of the ruthless Serrano, and with a charge sheet that includes drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder. The second emblem belongs to Tropa Z, a favela gang based in Nova Esperança intent on war with Commando Sombra. Our third featured faction is the Filhos De Ogum, another lethal part of the ongoing gang wars, whose signature yellow bubble-letters-and-skull tag can be seen throughout the favelas.

U.F.E.



COMANDO SOMBRA

 

TROPA Z

 

FILHOS DE OGUM

These are all now available for download in the full range of desktop and mobile wallpaper sizes, backgrounds, buddy icons, avatars and a Facebook Cover version over at the Rockstar Games Downloads section or at the Max Payne 3 official site.
 

Previously:
“Payne Killer” - Latest in the Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Artwork Series
Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Series Artwork: “Ambush”
Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: "Reckoning"
Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: "Transfer Deadline"
Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: "Downpour"

For the latest in our series of choice strategic Loadouts suggested by members of the Max Payne 3 Multiplayer development team, we turn our attention to Payne Killer (with a special shout to Social Club member CrazyNiko187 who requested some Payne Killer Loadout suggestions back when we did our Deathmatch set). Designed as the multiplayer evolution of Max Payne 2’s "Dead Man Walking" mode, Payne Killer puts a team of two players in the shoes of Max and Passos, with everyone else gunning to take them down.

When playing as the opposing force, your primary objective is killing Max or Passos in order to become them. Easier said than done though, as they’re given a full complement of painkillers, adrenaline and high-powered ammo. Therefore, the key in building your Loadout is creating a combination that allows you to get in close, and provides you with the firepower to stand up to them once you do.

Two Handed Weapon Slot: M500 (with Barrel Upgrade, Laser Sight and Gas Systems Kit)
Single Handed Weapon Slot: The PT92 (with Extended Mag and Gas Systems Kit) deals damage while you work your way into shotgun range.
Projectile: The Flash Grenade prevents Max and Passos from locking on as you approach
Burst Slot: Intuition will tell you where Max and Passos are if they go into hiding
Item Head Slot: Military Goggles will protect your eyes when Flash Grenades are popping all around you
Item Chest Slot: Heavy Body Armor offers protection while you unleash your shotgun
Item Gear Slot: Booby Trap will score you some points whenever Max or Passos try to loot your fallen body
Item Gear Slot: Quick Holster gives you faster reloads when you're in a tight spot
Item Gear Slot: Pocket Watch takes the sting out of their Bullet Time and turns it into your friend

Single Handed Weapon Slots: Dual-wield Auto 9mm (with Extended Mag and Gas Systems Kit) to get the lead flying
Projectile: Use a Grenade to knock your targets down as you approach
Burst Slot: Intuition will tell you where Max and Passos are if they go into hiding
Item Gear Slot: Sneakers will mask your footsteps so you can spring your attacks
Item Gear Slot: Field Bandages will start the healing process more quickly if they do land a shot on you
Item Gear Slot: Sutures will also get you back to full health more quickly

Give these Loadouts a try and let us know in the comments if they make a difference - or if you think you've found even stronger combinations. Also give us a shout to request anything else specific from Max Payne 3's multiplayer or single-player experience that you'd love some tips on and we'll look to oblige in a future edition.

Previous Rockstar Game Tips:
Max Payne 3 Pro Loadouts Part One - Gang Wars
Max Payne 3 Pro Loadouts Part Two - Deathmatch Variants
Tailoring Your Controls in Max Payne 3

Update: The event has ended. Thanks to everyone that joined us in the event, whether you were playing, chatting, watching or just stopping by to enter the sweepstakes...

Since the launch of Max Payne 3, our hand-picked squad of the most skilled players across our worldwide development studios have been trading bullets with the community as part of our Social Club Multiplayer Events Series.

On Thursday, June 14th from 12-3PM EST / 5-8pm BST, we’re jumping on to Xbox LIVE for another bloody session full of Gang Wars, Payne Killer and Team Deathmatch, and we hope to see you there as well representing your Crew. Our dev players have been sharing some of their Loadout tips over the past week, so we expect to see real variety and imagination with the weapons, Bursts and Items you choose to bring to the fray.

In order to take part, just select ‘Social Club Multiplayer Event’ from the in-game Playlists menu and look out for the Gamertags listed below. You’ll also be able to watch the live double-stream of the entire event right here and, for the first time, we’ll also be streaming a third player on twitch.tv. You can also talk to us in the Rockstar hosted live chat and enter the Sweepstakes for the chance to win a one-of-a-kind, hand painted Xbox 360 controller bearing your Gamertag and Crew emblem.

GAMERTAGS
Official Rockstar players are marked with a special visible in-game dog tag logo:

• MaxPayneDev1
• MaxPayneDev2
• MaxPayneDev3
• MaxPayneDev4

Also make sure you're following us on our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Steam (for PC) pages to get word of additional impromptu multiplayer sessions all summer long and beyond...

• Platform (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360)
• Cheater’s Gamertag / ID
• Description of the violation
• If possible, please include concrete evidence, such as a video or a screenshot

Please do not use the previous email address we had in place for Red Dead Redemption, as that is only for past games, and do not use this or any other comment thread to post names of suspected cheaters. Note that we do not ban players for using legitimate tactics to which some players may object, such as camping.  If you are experiencing in-game harassment over voice chat, please block the player and report the Gamertag or PSN ID directly to Microsoft or Sony.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation in helping to keep Max Payne 3 Multiplayer on the up-and-up.

Earlier this week, we spotlighted a few custom Loadout variations favored by members of the Max Payne 3 Multiplayer development team - Loadout combinations specifically well-suited for Max Payne 3's dynamic and story-driven Gang Wars Multiplayer mode. As promised, today's Part Two brings you a couple more custom Loadouts that our internal experts have found effective for upping your K/D ratio in Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.
 

DEATHMATCH
When it’s every player for themselves, you’ll want to isolate and hunt your enemies, while also taking precautions to hide your movements and avoid being hunted down yourself. Our Deathmatch Loadout is focused on taking out individual enemies quickly and quietly, while also having supplies on standby in case things don’t play out the way you want them to.

Single Handed Slot: M10 (with Silencer)
Two Handed Weapon Slot: MPK (with Laser sight/extended mag)
Burst Slot: Big Dog
Item Head Slot: Balaclava
Item Chest Slot: Urban Camo will make your Gamertag/PSN ID invisible when peeking out from cover
Item Gear Slot: Sneakers will hide your footsteps, so you can sneak up from behind for the kill
Item Gear Slot: Sutures to speed up recovery
Item Gear Slot: Listening Device so that you can always know when someone is behind you

TEAM DEATHMATCH
For Team Deathmatch, you should be looking for a good all-round Loadout, adaptable to many situations but erring on the side of serious firepower with multiple attachments to help ensure that your kill count keeps on rising.

Single Handed Weapon Slot: 1911 (with compensator/mag guide/gas block)
Two Handed Weapon Slot: AK-47 (with barrel upgrade/laser sight/gas systems kit)
Projectile Slot: Grenade to help with enemies in cover and chalk up multikills
Burst Slot: Weapon Double Dealer
Item Chest Slot: Urban Camo
Item Gear Slot: Sneakers
Item Gear Slot: Ammunition pouch
Item Gear Slot: Booby Trap

Give these Loadouts a try and let us know in the comments if they make a difference - or if you think you've found even stronger combinations. Also give us a shout to request anything else specific from Max Payne 3's multiplayer or single-player experience that you'd love some tips on and we may oblige in a future edition.

Previous Rockstar Game Tips:
Max Payne 3 Pro Loadouts Part One - Gang Wars
Tailoring Your Controls in Max Payne 3

Major thanks to every single one of you that joined us for our first two weekends of Max Payne 3 Social Club Multiplayer events. You have proved stiff competition to our crack squad of game developers from across the global Rockstar Game Studios and we saw some spectacular gunplay across various game modes.

YouTube user ShenmueSaga kindly recorded streams of our first four and uploaded them all to YouTube, with handy annotations in the top-right corner that lets you switch between cameras and follow MaxPayneDev1 and MaxPayneDev2 respectively. Cheers ShenmueSaga!

First Blood

For MaxPayneDev1, the Xbox LIVE event on Friday, May 18th started with a game of Gang Wars in Hoboken Alleyways and, true to form, our dev player took the Serial Killer prize for the highest kill streak. After that we headed into Tietê River Docks for a Gang Wars match the included a thrilling siege where assassination target MaxPayneDev1 put up a valiant defense from the warehouse mezzanine and somehow survived Bullet Time™ onslaughts from deanmendez4, Jabeel786, Gothic_Penguin and others, only to be picked off by Zamale38.

On Saturday, May 19th, MaxPayneDev1 was getting up close and dirty in the favelas, using Sneaky burst and a shotgun to hunt and silence the other team, one by one. We particularly enjoyed this surprise double kill early on:

The 911 NYC Crew were out in force for our inaugural PSN event and joined MaxPayneDev1 for a round of Gang Wars, in which we were once again targeted for assassination. Going in to the final round with the scores level and the balance of power delicately poised, MaxPayneDev1 finished on the losing side, with ChEzZa x x and snipe o rama on the opposing team chalking up an impressive 49 and 46 kills respectively.

Vendettas Get Personal

As we moved into the second week of events, the heat on our dev players twisted up a notch, and the community - now with a full week of practice under their belts - showed up with lethal skills. During Friday, May 25th's Xbox LIVE event a particularly tasty round of Team Deathmatch transpired in the favelas, during which TF NakKha managed to finish 6 to 0 in a personal war against MaxPayneDev1. Although first blood had gone to our Comando Sombra teammate boomerlouie, the game finished 89 - 129 for the UFE. This was followed by a tense Gang Wars encounter in the bus depot. Props to Alpha Titan SHM, Aesth3tic Karma, TequilaSandy for impressing throughout.

On Saturday, May 26th our dev players jumped on to PS3 with some scores to settle. Back in the favelas, MaxPayneDev1 retreated to a highpoint alongside I-C-U-FOO3 to pick off the enemy with deadly accuracy. The strategy paid off as the UFE turned a 3-12 deficit into a 15-14 lead. Ultimately, Da_number_1_tito and Cyborg 112 led the opposition to a hard fought victory, edging out 110 to 100 in the closing encounters.

We then took on all comers in a Large Deathmatch in the abandoned Docks. Vendettas were raised throughout as Snaly_Frog and SlowpokRodriguez sought the glory of taking us out. However, evilmonkey-96 kept their eyes on the prize and ultimately finished victorious. We were joined in the latter stages of our event by four members of the supertight Royal Legends Crew. Serious kudos goes out to RoyaL_Sublime from that Crew, who picked up accolades for best Killstreak, Most Kills and Most Lethal after a Gang Wars session in the docks.

And we'd be remiss if we didn't offer a hearty congrats to our quartet of grand prize winners from these events, Social Clubbers therealmanic, glockracer, giggity62 and theSG-17 who will each receive a pair of exclusive custom-controllers branded with their online ID and Crew Emblem.

Keep an eye out on the Newswire for part two of our recap - featuring a rundown of this past weekend's triple-header of Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Events, and of course stay tuned to our Social Club Multiplayer Events series all summer long, as we continue to bring you a full slate of Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Events (along with some Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto IV thrown in for good measure).

Hit the jump below for a roll call of all attendees...

Since the arrival of Max Payne 3 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and now for PC - and throughout our daily online Multiplayer sessions where our devs from across Rockstar Studios have been facing off and teaming up with many of you worldwide - we've been asked for pro tip advice on what may be the best and most strategic Loadout combinations. The truth of the matter is that there is no one perfect Loadout as it really depends on your personal playing style to tailor which special ability Bursts, which additional strategic Items and which guns work best for you - and depending on the Loadouts chosen by your adversaries that you're about to face. That said, we're happy to share a couple of the personal Loadout combos favored by some of the members of the Max Payne 3 Multiplayer development team when they play.

Today's Part One in this Game Tips series highlights a pair of situation-specific Loadout options culled from the deep library of Weapons, Bursts and Items found in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer that are particularly well suited for use in Gang Wars mode (look for some more dev-favorite Loadouts for Deathmatch variants later this week).

GANG WARS (HEAVY)
Gang Wars dynamically generates objectives to provide a varied, narrative driven multiplayer experience. Due to the unpredictable nature of the gameplay, we've prepared two Loadout options – classified here as ‘Heavy’ and ‘Light’ – that you can easily switch between depending on what the situation calls for. The ‘Heavy’ variant, featured in the screen above, is especially effective when trying to defend a patch of turf or territory against aggressive opposition.

Single Handed Weapon Slot: The DE. 50 (with Mag guide/Gas systems kit) – strikes a good balance between long and short range stopping power
Two Handed Weapon Slot: LMG. 30 (with Barrel upgrade/Mag guide/gas systems kit)
Projectile Slot: Tear Gas is effective for turf and territory based rounds
Burst Slot: Bullet Time® is excellent for taking multiple enemies down when they attempt to capture your turf
Item Head slot: Helmet
Item Chest Slot: Heavy Body Armor
Item Gear Slot: Spray Can is helpful for taking turf more quickly
Item Gear Slot: Ammo Pouch is an effective companion to the LMG
Item Gear Slot: Vampire Fangs will recover your health (providing you keep killing enemies) despite the very heavy Loadout

Gang Wars (Light)
The Light variant of our preferred Gang Wars Loadouts is all about keeping weight down and using a combination of handguns and deception to ensure your enemies’ last moments are lost in a haze of confusion. This Loadout is particularly effective when attacking turf or territory, as well and planting or defusing bombs.

Single Handed Weapon Slot: The M10 is powerful up close when running into opponent territories
Single Handed Weapon Slot:The M972 works well in dual-wield with the M10 and provides some range
Projectile Slot: The Tin Can can confuse enemies when you’re running into territories or turf, and when attempting to plant or diffuse bombs
Burst Slot: Paranoia is useful alongside the Tin Can in confusing enemies
Item Gear Slot: Hollowpoint Rounds keep enemies away for longer
Item Gear Slot: Multitool will help you plant and diffuse bombs quickly

Please note that some Weapons, Bursts and Items do require you to reach a certain multiplayer level before they're unlocked. Check out the in-game Loadouts menu for further details.

Give them a go and let us know if these set-ups work for you, or if you've got other sureshot Loadout combos you don't mind referring to other players. Are there any set-ups that you save for specific situations, or perhaps you have a more versatile go-to setup? Share 'em in the comments below...