KEY POINTS

  • The "Northstar" mod allows players to host custom servers
  • Players can set their own rules and even add custom content via the mod
  • Private servers are less prone to DDoS attacks 

Despite seeing many resurgences in the past few months, Respawn’s high-octane mech shooter “Titanfall 2” has been struggling to maintain its playerbase, mostly due to frequent DDoS attacks and the developers’ apparent lack of resources and manpower to deal with the issue.

However, there is still one saving grace that has kept the game from becoming unplayable and falling into utter obscurity: the “Northstar” mod, which allows players to host and play on custom servers run by other members of “Titanfall 2’s” dedicated community.

Apart from saving the game from constant DDoS attacks, “Northstar” also provides players with the means to create custom game modes that would otherwise be impossible in vanilla “Titanfall 2.” Rules like weapon restrictions, pilot or titan restrictions, modified scoring and the like can be frequently seen in the many custom servers running on “Northstar’s” custom client.

Titanfall 2's story shows an interesting take on the relationship between man and machine
Titanfall 2's story shows an interesting take on the relationship between man and machine Respawn Entertainment

The mod also allows the creation of custom content, which can see some creators adding fun new toys to play with in the game.

Of course, this doesn’t make the game immune to any further DDoS attacks, but players can expect the frequency of cyberattacks to at least decrease by a noticeable number since private servers are generally harder to identify and breach.

“Northstar” is currently available for free on GitHub. Anyone with a legitimate copy of “Titanfall 2” can download the files and join in any of the chaotic multiplayer matches hosted by other players. However, due to limitations, any modes that have any grunts or other forms of AI combatants are unplayable.

To install the “Northstar” mod, do the following:

  1. Download the current live version of “Northstar”
  2. Extract the files and paste them over the existing “Titanfall 2” installation folder
  3. Run the game via the “Northstar” launcher
  4. Use the server browser and join a game

Keep in mind that the installation folder differs depending on whether “Titanfall 2” is installed via Steam or Origin. Additionally, should the mod receive any updates, players need to repeat this process again but with the updated files from the official GitHub page.

It’s unsure if Respawn or EA will order “Northstar” to close down, but until that happens, fans can enjoy the game without any disturbances from malicious attacks.

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