The current generation of video game consoles has minimized loading screens to a ridiculous degree in most cases, and popular online games benefitted in particular. But to my surprise, the Naraka Bladepoint matchmaking is an exception to the rule. Jumping into the queue for the first time had me waiting for over six minutes, and that has been more or less the standard since. I’ve been enjoying this take on the battle royale genre a lot, mind you, and it has seen a steady number of players as of late (ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 Steam users per day). But for some reason, matchmaking takes forever.
I spent some time browsing Reddit and it seems I’m not the only one facing this problem. Some folks in the North American server (which is where I play) have been luckier with queues around two to three minutes. One player mentioned waiting not longer than 30 seconds with a multiplayer rank closer to silver and gold. At the moment I’m still in bronze rank, so it’ll likely take me a while to test this out. Until then, if you’re also stuck in Naraka Bladepoint matchmaking hell, here are a couple recommendations to make the wait a lot less arduous. If you’re into anime, guides writer Collin MacGregor has you covered already.
You Should Watch the Mission Across Wales Series on YouTube
Freelance writer Jack Yarwood, who has done many reports for Fanbyte (such as the stories behind Rockstar Loft and the sound of SSX and SSX Tricky), is also a dear friend of mine. I met Jack and a group of writers in London at the start of 2020 (which in hindsight was impeccable timing for a trip, right before the pandemic). We only spent a weekend together, but during those three days, there was one constant in the background: the Mission Across Wales series playing on the Airbnb’s TV.
Jack told us that he had found the series a while back, created by YouTube user GeoWizard, and had become a huge fan. In summary, GeoWizard (Tom Davies) sets himself a seemingly impossible mission — to cross an entire country in the United Kingdom walking on a straight line. After some calculations, he ends up with the verdict that Wales seems like the best country to do so. And then he goes, filming with a GoPro attached to his head, wearing a camouflage uniform, and refusing to wear a pair of gloves as he swings over wire fences and slops down ravines.
It’s exhilarating to watch, if not really fucking stressful. Davies’ determination to stick to the line (which he plans before each trip and then follows around with a GPS, documenting how long he’s able to stay on it with precision) leads him to cross through farmlands, houses, and Christian parks, crossing his fingers that no angry farmer tells him to fuck off from his property and having to cancel the mission on the spot.
The fun part is that, while Davies clearly cares about training and preparation beforehand, he isn’t exactly an expert, and mostly wings situations and faces obstacles as they come. It makes for a perfect watch while you’re stuck in Naraka Bladepoint‘s matchmaking, as it’s easy to just pause and pick up after a match. There are several videos of the Wales mission, but also others across Norway and Scotland, so you have quite the backlog to go through.
My personal recommendation? Turn on the CC subtitles. Davies adds these manually and they make for incredible reaction pics.
Six Minutes is A Perfect Time For Bite-sized Games
I have many games on my backlog. I know I shouldn’t pay to much attention to it, but I’m not quite there yet. Most of them require more than six minutes at a time, so they don’t really fit the criteria. That being said, if you’re also a person who always fails to stick to bite-sized games during your lunch hour or any other short breaks in your day, waiting in the Naraka Bladepoint matchmaking may be the perfect solution.
Tons of examples come to mind, including classics like The Binding of Isaac or Into The Breach. But two particular games I’ve been fond of lately, especially on my Switch, are Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon and Grindstone. Levels may take you a couple minutes at a time, but in both cases, even that small period can teach you a new strategy, increase a previous personal score, or finally get through that one level that you were stuck in.
If you grab them on Switch, it’s easy to just put the console in rest mode and pick them up later. But if you prefer to focus on PC alone, they are all fairly light games, so it’s possible to just have them running on the background and switch tabs around. I also heard nothing but praise about Vampire Survivors on Steam.
That New Dawn FM Album From The Weeknd is An Easy Listen
Naraka Bladepoint follows upon battle royale tradition of not having music during matches. It’s understandable — there are fewer things worse than getting jumped on by a squad because you didn’t hear them in time. But if you’re like me and are used to having some tunes in the background whenever possible, Dawn FM from The Weeknd is the perfect album to listen to.
Most songs are between 2:30 to 3:30 minutes, which means that you can get through the entire album in a couple Naraka Bladepoint matchmaking queues. The longest one, called Take My Breath, is 5:39 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about pausing often.
You May Also Like:
- Naraka Bladepoint Nature of Taoism Guide – Spirit Charms & Rewards List
- Naraka Bladepoint Hidden Treasure – How to Level Up Your Battle Pass
- Naraka Bladepoint Immortal Treasure Guide – How To Get Free Chests
Of course, this is a mere recommendation — there are tons of other albums right there with similar lengths — but this one is a certified banger. In particular, it’s very easy to listen to it continuously, letting it loop back again to the start once it finishes. I have no doubts that tracks like Gasoline and Less Than Zero are gonna end up on my Spotify Wrapped this year. And while it’s strange at first, listening to Jim Carrey in between some songs creates an interesting atmosphere all around. Give it a listen if you haven’t already.
Did You Know That Fanbyte Has Very Good Podcasts?
Look, I’m clearly biased, but I’m also someone who has a hard time sticking to podcasts in the long run. Even if I find the premise or the cast interesting, most of the ones I tried to listen tended to be wrangled in inside jokes I couldn’t understand as a newcomer jumping in on episode 350. But throughout the last couple weeks, mainly as I did my weekly Destiny 2 bounties in preparation to The Witch Queen expansion, I’ve been catching up on a couple of the podcasts from the Fanbyte network.
I recommend you to start with Thanks for the Knowledge, which mixes the biggest video game news of the week with some cool interviews. Then, if you’re looking for something different, both Friends Reunion and Channel F have very set formats that make them easy to jump in at any time, as episodes are fairly auto conclusive. But honestly, if you want a new podcast to listen to, there’s bound to be one that peaks your interest.
Alternatively, You Could Also Take a Break
Despite my hurdles with my time stuck in the Naraka Bladepoint matchmaking queue, I must admit it has come in handy. Yes, I do prefer the lightning speeds of other games most of the time, but six minutes is also the perfect time to take a break. Whether it is catching up with those WhatsApp messages I left unopened but actually read hours ago, doing the dishes, or just making myself some tea while I stretch my legs, I’ve come to appreciate the breaks. At the very least, I’m spending less time on Twitter, and you should too.
