Skip to main content

Bots in ‘For Honor’ are using some next-level taunts that cut as deep as a katana

for honor bots exclusive taunts emotes 2017 02 15  4
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Playing any game against really well-designed AI can feel humiliating, but Ubisoft has taken it to the next level in the recent For Honor by giving its bots taunt animations that aren’t even available to players.

Players on Reddit and elsewhere have noticed the bot-exclusive taunts, some of which were collected in a post on Eurogamer. In one example, an enemy samurai draws a katana sword, holds it up sideways in front of his face, and drops it on the ground, spreading his arms wide — a clear mic drop. In another, a large knight rides a halberd like a galloping pony.

For Honor has an extensive selection of emotes for players to direct at one another, but in most games, the AI behaves a little more — courteously isn’t the word — mechanically? It literally is the computer, after all.

Maybe it’s the game’s intimate combat that caused Ubisoft to program in these responses. For Honor features brutal combat that tests players’ ability to anticipate their opponents’ moves while switching rapidly between stances to take advantage of any weakness.  Many battles boil down to simple, heated duels, which can make any conflict — even one against a bot — feel personal. It certainly adds a little salt to the wound when you’re beaten by a bot and then relentlessly taunted, especially when it’s a taunt you can’t even use yet.

According to Eurogamer, the emotes mentioned above are set to be released in the game for players to buy eventually, but they’re currently exclusive to For Honor‘s extremely snarky bots.

Also of note: The AI names generated by the game, including gems like “WhyNotJay,” “Grey2Scale,” “DroolTroll,” “YourNameOnMySword,” “DroidParty,” “MashdButtr,” and “LeftShark.” As Eurogamer pointed out, the developers of For Honor are certainly having fun with their player base, even if it’s somewhat at those players’ expense.

Michael Rougeau
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mike Rougeau is a journalist and writer who lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs. He specializes in video…
Logitech’s A50 X is a gaming headset and HDMI switcher in one
A Logitech A50 X headset sits next to an Xbox Series X.

Logitech has announced its latest gaming headset, the Astro A50 X. It costs a whopping $380, but for good reason: It's a headset that's compatible with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X that doubles as an HDMI switcher.

The new device is an evolution of Logitech's popular Astro A50 headset, which features a distinct base stand. The A50 X builds on that idea in a few ways. One key example is that it's able to connect to both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. That might sound simple, but the consoles feature different connection methods that make it difficult to find a one-headset-fits-all audio solution.

Read more
All upcoming Switch games: 2024, and beyond
Princess Peach.

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles Nintendo has ever produced, with a wide variety of games to choose from and plenty of unique features. We’ve already gotten to play new entries across the Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokémon series on Nintendo Switch, but there are still plenty of great games on the way for the hybrid console. These include exclusive games developed internally by Nintendo, as well as third-party titles and ports of games that are also available on other platforms.

Here's our list of the best upcoming Nintendo Switch games for 2024 and beyond. Of course, some titles without release windows could skip the Switch entirely and wind up on Nintendo's next-gen console.
Upcoming Switch games 2024
The games listed below either have 100% confirmed release dates or solid release windows that we expect them to hit this year. Anything that's up in the air due to more vague launch predictions or previous delays will be listed below confirmed launches.

Read more
How a MacBook Pro sneakily got me back into PC gaming
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

I have fond memories of the old days of PC gaming. That is, the old days for me. Games like Starcraft and Elder Scrolls: Morrowind had a big impact -- but honestly, it's remembering the endless hours of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn that ring my nostalgia bell the loudest.

But somewhere along the way, I more or less retired from regular gaming. Between reaching my mid-30s, getting some new hobbies, being married, buying a house, and having kids, I wasn't finding a lot of time or energy for the old pastime. It sounds stereotypical, I know, but its sadly true.

Read more