On the eve of the Dawn Initiative finals, Medici's livestream title quietly changed to: "New Map Preview, Finals Rehearsal, Inviting the Strong, Join the Battle for Alacaster."
The game's creator needed no official promotion. The keywords "Medici livestream" and "new map" alone sent the Warhammer player community into a frenzy.
Less than five minutes after going live, the viewer count rocketed past fifty thousand. Ten minutes later, it breached the hundred-thousand mark and kept climbing. The chat scrolled at dizzying speeds.
The chaotic blend of colored text was nearly impossible to read, but it conveyed overwhelming excitement, curiosity, and skepticism.
"Old Devil Medici is finally streaming!"
"New map?! There's really a new map?!"
"Finals rehearsal? What does that mean?"
"Quick! Bring out the new stuff!"
"Is Scorchwind coming? What about user114514?"
"Old Devil Medici, buff the defenders!"
"Will the servitor settings be changed?"
"Faith System is awesome! What triggers Tzeentch?"
"Is the new map balanced? Don't let it be another one-sided attacker or defender advantage!"
In the studio, Medici sat before the camera in his signature minimalist setup. He wore a plain dark T-shirt, his hair slightly disheveled but his eyes sharp and focused.
He didn't interact immediately.
Instead, he watched the rapidly scrolling chat as if reading some special data stream. Only when the viewer count stabilized above a hundred thousand did he clear his throat and speak into the microphone.
"Hello everyone, I'm Medici."
His voice was calm as always, yet it seemed to freeze the restless chat for half a second. Then the messages erupted even more violently, mostly question marks and various urgings.
He paused briefly. "Due to the finals' requirements, I've recently created a new versus map."
The chat exploded with "???" and "New map!"
"The scale of this map is quite large," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Think about the maps you've played before, Tival, Death Hive, and the Astartes squad's Sisyphus III. Combined, those three maps might not even match one major combat zone in the new map."
The livestream room erupted.
"Holy shit?! Bigger than three maps combined?!"
"One combat zone? Are you kidding?!"
"Old Devil Medici is making empty promises again?"
"How much computing power would that need? Can the servers handle it?"
"How big? Planetary surface level?"
"Imperium VS Chaos?"
"I want to see Titan formations clash!"
Medici didn't immediately answer. He let the chat run wild with speculation for a few seconds. Then he dropped an even bigger bombshell.
"Before the finals officially begin, I've decided to host an unofficial exhibition match. This new map, The Alacaster Planet Siege, will be the stage. You could call it a finals rehearsal."
The chat instantly shifted from shock to extreme excitement.
"Exhibition match?! Are there contestants?"
"Who's fighting whom? How?"
"Can we watch?"
"Are there prizes?"
"I'll be inviting some of the strongest and most famous streamers in Battlefield: Warhammer 40k," Medici explained.
"I'll also invite regular players who are recognized in the community as technically elite or who have made unique achievements exploring the Faith System." He listed a few names. "For example, Scorchwind."
The chat immediately filled with cheers of "Scorchwind is amazing!" and "Scorchwind, Khorne's Chosen!"
"Of course, not just him," Medici added. "I'll announce the complete roster through official channels after filtering community data. Sixty-four participants total will be divided into two factions for combat."
He paused. Then he revealed what everyone was waiting for.
"Regarding the competition rewards..."
Everyone leaned in. What would Old Devil Medici offer? Rare in-game items? Cash? Something else entirely?
"All 32 players on the winning side will each receive a custom in-game skin designed by me personally," Medici said carefully. "They can suggest the style and elements."
He drew out his tone slightly.
"Or they can submit one request about the future development of Battlefield: Warhammer 40k.
As long as it's not too excessive, and it fits within reasonable technical and balance parameters, I'll do my best to implement it in subsequent official server updates."
Exclusive skins. Making requests to the creator.
These two rewards held incredible appeal for core players and community stars. An exclusive skin wasn't just a rare honor. It could become a mark of legendary status across servers.
And the right to make a request meant directly influencing the game's future direction. This sense of participation and achievement far exceeded any material reward.
The chat went completely wild. Countless players wailed "Why not me!" while frantically tagging their favorite streamers and experts, praying they'd be selected.
"The specific competition rules, faction assignments, and detailed participant selection criteria will be announced later," Medici said. "Check the Warhammer 40k Archive Declassification account and official forums."
He concluded: "This Alacaster Rehearsal Match isn't just a stress test for the new map and gameplay. It's also a gift to all players who support Battlefield: Warhammer 40k before the finals."
"I hope everyone pays attention."
With that, he didn't linger. He decisively ended the livestream, leaving only a black screen and discussion that continued to grow explosively.
The news spread like wildfire. An epic exhibition match initiated by the game's creator himself. Enticing rewards. The gathering of top players. A glimpse of the new map. The ultimate pre-finals hype.
Everyone following the Dawn Initiative and Battlefield: Warhammer 40k knew the truth. The suffocating calm before the storm had ended. The wildest feast was about to begin.
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~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones