Blizzard has canceled BlizzCon 2020 and is working towards an online-only solution
- By Ash
- in News
Given the current ban on large public gatherings, and the low chance of things changing in the coming months, Blizzard has now decided to officially cancel BlizzCon 2020. As expected, they will be transitioning the whole event to an online format, though this won't be easy or fast given the current state of things.
"We’d want to do this as soon as we could, but given that this is new-ish territory and the different factors involved, it will most likely be sometime early next year," reads the official announcement. "BlizzCon is also a stage for big esports events in Blizzard games each year, so we’re also looking into alternatives for supporting some of the high-level competition that would normally take place at the show."
Wildfire is a brand new stealth game that lets you turn the elements against your enemies
- By Ash
- in Indie Games
If you ever got stuck in a stealth game for so long that you just wanted to set the entire level on fire and move on, you might want to take a look at the newly released Wildfire. To put it simply, it's a stealth game where you have to use elemental magic in order to create new pathways, incapacitate enemies, or just sow enough chaos that the guards end up with more pressing matters to attend to than a single mage running around.
As you might guess given the name, fire is by far the most wild and unpredictable of the elements. It will spread and consume absolutely everything in its path, including little ol' you, so do think twice before whipping out a fireball. After all, Wildfire is still a stealth game and you will need to act a bit tricksy in order to succeed, even if everything is likely to go up in flames by the end!
Age of Wonders: Planetfall's Invasion expansion has brought in a race of devious Lizardmen
- By Ash
- in News
If you're looking for some way to shake up your Age of Wonders: Planetfall experience, you might be interested to hear a brand new expansion has now landed - Invasion. As the name would imply, the expansion features a full-blown invasion by a highly militaristic race of Lizardmen that love to use trickery and holographic technology to soften up opposition before moving in for the finishing blow.
Expect to also see a brand new Voidbringer incursion as an end-game challenge, as well as twenty different environmental catastrophes to contend with... or perhaps even exploit. These events will range from simple things like pirate attacks, to potentially back-breaking catastrophes like solar flares that knock out all technology or superstorms that blanket large swaths of the world. Dealing with them won't be easy, but with plenty of variety between the events, it should spice up your playthrough quite nicely.
Valve's Artifact 2.0 closed beta has now begun for veteran players
- By Ash
- in News
After realizing that the original version of Artifact was beyond salvaging with a simple patch or two, Valve went dark in order to recreate their unique card game from the ground up. Over a year has gone by since then, and if you're eager to find out just what Valve has cooked up, you'll be happy to hear that the Artifact 2.0 beta has now finally begun.
This initial version is only available to a small number of players that have purchased Artifact before March 30, 2020. If you fit those requirements and would like to give it a try for yourself, you can throw your proverbial hat into the ring over at the official website and hope Valve send you a beta key in the near future. The keys are likely to be in short supply for a while, though don't worry, the beta will be expanding greatly as time goes on so everyone will eventually get a chance to check it out.
Diablo-inspired ARPG Minecraft: Dungeons has now launched on PC and consoles
- By Ash
- in News
[Update]: Mojang has now announced their plans for future Minecraft: Dungeons updates and DLCs.
After going through a little bit of a delay, Minecraft: Dungeons has now finally arrived for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. So if you're in the mood for a more relaxed and colorful take on the classic Diablo ARPG formula, you might want to give it a closer look.
Speaking of which, in a bizarre new twist Minecraft Dungeons has also released its launch trailer on the exact day of its launch! So for those of you curious about what it might have to offer in terms of gameplay, as well as what it even looks like visually, you'll find what you seek in the trailer below. Have a gander:
Dota 2's The International 10 Battle Pass has arrived with a ton of new features and fancy cosmetics
- By Ash
- in News
While the fate of Dota 2's massive The International tournament is still up in the air due to the ongoing pandemic, you might be pleased to hear that the accompanying Battle Pass has now arrived. It brings with it the ability to create guilds and undertake group assignments, a variety of quests and bounties to complete in exchange for Battle Pass points, as well as a ton of new cosmetics like custom terrains, voice lines, and fun new animations.
Perhaps most importantly, at least as far as blinging out your hero is concerned, this year's Battle Pass is bringing five new major and Arcana tier skins! Pudge has been transformed into an adorable stuffed toy, Anti-Mage has turned female and grown an amazing set of hair, Queen of Pain and Windranger have received a straight up upgrade to their original style, and most importantly of all, Wraith King has finally been given a cosmetic that transforms him back into the Skeleton King!
Smite's next character will be none other than the Great Dreamer himself, Cthulhu
- By Ash
- in News
In a bit of an unexpected announcement, the god-based MOBA Smite will be adding the madness-inducing Cthulhu as its next character. This is a significant departure from the usual norm because while Smite is no stranger to gods among its roster, what with that being its entire shtick, this will be the first time they've added a more contemporary deity. So the big question is - could this mean that even more modern characters, including other elder gods, are in the running now?
Whatever the answer may be, Cthulhu's Smite incarnation will be capable of driving enemy gods insane, causing them to experience a variety of negative effects - including a brand new set of audio/visual hallucinations. Cthulhu will also be able to prey on the madness of the other gods, and should he manage to successfully break their minds, will even become permanently stronger.