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Chapter 32: Version Preview Conference
That evening, many players and media personnel across Germany were eagerly awaiting the news. At 8 PM, the preview for the next major update of Pirates of the Caribbean would begin. Even before it started, tens of thousands of viewers had already flooded into the live stream.
Lena Morgen, known to her fans as Leni, also opened the official Unreal Entertainment live stream, eagerly anticipating the reveal with her companions.
"I'm really looking forward to this update," she said to her chat. "Why hasn't it started yet? I'm so impatient," one of her teammates, Erik, messaged in the group.
Finally, the clock struck eight. The live stream first played a high-budget trailer.
The sea, shrouded in twilight, was covered in a grey mist, and waves, like wailing specters, crashed against the rotting wooden hull. Jack Sparrow's compass trembled in his palm, its needle spinning wildly before settling on the direction of the abyss. The camera shifted: Elizabeth's wedding dress was soaked with salty rain, her eyes under a pearl tiara gleaming with determination. She abandoned the wedding bells, stepped onto the deck, and her gaze met Will Turner's in the pouring rain.
The scene changed again; in the dense jungle of Pelegosto, rolling logs and spears rained down, and Jack scrambled through the vines, pursued by the natives. The screen flickered, and a terrifying octopus-man, rising from the sea like a mountain, stood on the deck, tentacles wrapped around the Black Pearl's mast, as wood splinters and canvas disintegrated amidst viscous slime.
In the final scene, the camera focused on the bronze keyhole of the Dead Man's Chest, as if hearing the sneering laughter of fate's gears: Whose heart beats within it, and who will become a prisoner of the abyss?
This 3D game trailer was breathtaking, and the character models were incredibly detailed, feeling like they could be directly adapted into a blockbuster film.
"Welcome everyone to the Pirates of the Caribbean version update press conference. I am Lukas Weber, CEO of Unreal Entertainment."
The lights came back on, and Lukas appeared in the live stream.
"This expansion pack will bring a large-scale update, and next, I will introduce the content of this update to everyone. First, map expansion. We will no longer be limited to the Caribbean Sea; we will also open up eight major sea areas, including the Singapore Sea, Indian Ocean, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean, Adriatic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Caspian Sea."
"The map expansion is a whopping ten times larger."
As soon as he said this, the media present in Berlin and the audience in the live stream were stunned.
"No way, man, you're going all out!" "Oh my goodness, this is too exaggerated!" "Haha, this is awesome, there are new areas to explore again."
Lukas: "I understand everyone's reaction. Some people might think that with such a large map update, the game quality might decrease. I can assure everyone that we have already conducted an internal test, and the quality is absolutely guaranteed."
Warm applause erupted on the scene. This major update was undoubtedly the best news for players. There were more areas to explore, making it feel more like a grand, living world.
Lukas: "So, the map has expanded. What will happen next? I believe everyone has already thought of it. That's right—it's the opening of external regions and the official launch of global servers. Players from all over the world will play together on the same server, enjoying the fun of adventure and combat!"
As soon as these words were spoken, international players who had been using VPNs to access the German servers instantly erupted in the comments.
"Oh my god! It's finally opening! This is what I've been waiting for!" "Finally, a unified global server with no more regional lag!"
Lukas continued, "Everyone doesn't need to worry about the server issues; we guarantee that global players on one server will experience no lag. For current players, the addition of external players is both a challenge and an opportunity."
Leni was also watching the live stream: "This way, those top-tier teams and guilds from North America and Asia will also join, and then it will be truly exciting."
Lukas: "It's not over yet. Do you all think that's all the update content? Next is the third major update: profession updates. This update will introduce a new profession: Cursed Undead!"
"What!?" "Undead profession?" "I can play as an Undead now!"
Lukas nodded with a smile: "That's right, it's the Undead you're all imagining. In the current version, everyone has encountered the Undead; they are cursed by the Aztec gold coins and possess the ability of immortality. Of course, our game will optimize this ability; they definitely won't be truly immortal. If they were, there would be no need for other professions to play."
This statement caused a burst of laughter on the scene.
"We will have an exclusive Undead skill tree and a second-tier profession progression. I can only say that you will definitely be shocked."
Lukas: "After the third point, then comes the fourth. We will be selling skins in the new version. Of course, skins will not come with any attributes, only cosmetic effects."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a chorus of boos from the audience, but Lukas gave a wry smile: "We also have our difficulties. You'll understand why we're selling skins later. Please bear with us for a moment."
Lukas clapped his hands, signaling everyone to quiet down.
"We will be launching a new alliance mode: Island Domination! All islands in the nine major sea areas can be occupied. The occupying alliance will gain autonomous jurisdiction over the region, allowing them to adjust trade tariffs and collect local taxes. The ownership of these islands will be resolved through battles between alliances. We await to see who will become the Pirate King of the nine sea areas."
"Then there's the opening of the individual arena for PVP. Furthermore, we are updating the trading system. We will open a trading market where players can search for equipment and deposit it with a personal merchant NPC for others to buy."
Lukas waited for a while and continued, "We have also developed a new app, the Unreal Treasure Vault, where players can trade in-game items securely. Items in the Treasure Vault are linked to real-world currency."
"So, next I'll explain why we're selling skins." Lukas smiled. "We plan to host the first Pirates of the Caribbean World Championship, and all major teams can participate. We will put the money players spend on skins into the prize pool, awarding it to the winning team!"
Upon seeing this news, Marc, the leader of the MG Alliance, had already decided to lead his team to achieve greatness on the global stage.
"Finally, the new version's level cap will be raised from 40 to 60. This press conference concludes here. Are you all satisfied?"
"Satisfied!" the crowd roared.
At this moment, the screen turned black, and a countdown for the new version update appeared, showing ten days remaining.
In ten days, Pirates of the Caribbean would welcome its new version, the Dead Man's Chest update. This update would increase the game's size by 20GB, reaching a total of 50GB, making it the most ambitious game in current history.
After the press conference, Lukas accepted media interviews, while Matthias Engel, sitting in his German apartment, monitored the trending topics through his Game Producer System. The global enthusiasm was finally ignited.