Dota 2's next update, and quite likely the newest hero Muerta, will be unveiled on March 6th
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[Update #2]: Dota 2's gigantic Update 7.33 has greatly expanded the map, reworked core mechanics and rebalanced just about everything.
[Update]: Patch 7.32e has now arrived with Muerta and surprisingly small batch of balance changes.
If you're tired of the current meta and itching for a serious shakeup, you'll be happy to hear that the Dota 2 team is currently working on a major update. In classic Valve tradition the details are currently nonexistent, but what I can tell you is that the update will be officially unveiled on March 6th once the Lima Major has come to a close.
Besides the usual avalanche of balance changes and general tweaks to peruse, the big thing to watch out for is the likely gameplay reveal for the next hero - the dual-wielding gunslinger Muerta. Rumor has it that she's supposed to be a brand new carry, though given the Dota 2 team's design philosophy, it's entirely possible she'll be able to fill a bunch of different roles.
Warhammer 40k: Darktide's big crafting & endgame progression update is launching on February 22nd
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[Update #2]: Darktide will be buffing Psykers and Ogyrn in early March, while a much bigger update will be coming in late March.
[Update]: Darktide's big Crafting and Progression update has now arrived with far more improvements than expected!
It took a whole lot longer than anyone could've ever expected, but Darktide's big crafting update will finally be launching tomorrow, on February 22nd. Best of all, it'll be accompanied by a wide array of changes aimed at making endgame progression more satisfying and less grindy!
First and foremost, the in-game shop will allow you to purchase basic (gray) versions of any weapon type you want. These will have randomly rolled stats just like any other weapon, but since their price is relatively low you'll be able to keep rolling the dice until you find a quality weapon. While this is somewhat fiddly, it's still a massive improvement over the previous system where you could go a dozen hours without seen a single staff on a low-level psyker.
MTG Arena's Shadow Over Innistrad Remastered is coming on March 21st, and the Alchemy: Phyrexia mini-set on February 28th
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[Update #2]: All of MTG Arena's upcoming Shadow Over Innistrad Remastered cards have now been revealed.
[Update]: MTG Arena is getting a sizable Lord of The Rings themed expansion on June 20th.
A fair few months have gone by since Shadow Over Innistrad Remastered was first announced, but I'm happy to say that the long wait will soon be over. According to the latest developer steam, Shadows Over Innistrad Remastered will be launching onto MTG Arena on March 21st with 302 'new' cards to mess around with, as well as an extra 81 cards that include some classics from the original Innistrad!
All of the cards from the Shadows Over Innistrad block will be legal in both Historic and Explorer formats, while the legality of the extra 81 cards will depend on which set they're from. Personally, I think Wizards of the Coast will be taking this opportunity to flesh out some of the currently underdeveloped Explorer decks, so I'm expecting a good chunk of these bonus cards to be either Pioneer staples or just fan-favorite jank.
Total War: Warhammer 3 has made the massive Immortal Empires combined campaign map free for all owners
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[Update #2]: Total War: Warhammer 3's Update 3.0 will bring with it four brand new challenge missions - Trials of Fate.
[Update]: Total War: Warhammer 3 will be getting the brutally industrious Chaos Dwarfs on April 13th.
Given the sheer amount of factions you can play as or simply fight against, Total War: Warhammer 3's massive Immortal Empires combined campaign map is definitely the most exciting way to play the game. However, actually getting access to it has not been easy (or cheap) for most of Total War: Warhammer 3's existence.
Basically, in order to play on the Immortal Empires campaign map you needed to own Total War: Warhammer 1, 2 and 3, even if you don't plan on playing any of the older factions any time soon. And since each game costs 60€ outside of a sale, trying to get friends to pick it up and play with you was essentially impossible since very few people are going to be bold enough to drop €180 on a game mode they may or may not end up liking.
Overwatch 2 has released a Dating Sim starring Mercy, Genji & Hanzo, and it's surprisingly charming!
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[Update #2]: Overwatch 2's has now also launched a new Pachimari themed game mode that will be running alongside the One-Punch Man crossover.
[Update]: Overwatch 2 has launched a One-Punch Man crossover event alongside a small balance update.
In order to give Season 3 its own unique identity despite not adding a brand new hero, Blizzard has scheduled a wide assortment of events for players to mess around with. Some of these are fairly classic events that bring with them a time-limited game mode and a couple of cosmetics, while others are a bit more... unique!
How unique, you might ask? Well, how about an official dating simulator starring Mercy, Genji and Hanzo! Yes, that is an actual thing that Blizzard has just released for free, and not only does it exist, it's quite charming as well!
Harry Potter themed open world adventure Hogwarts Legacy has now made its way onto PC and consoles
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After a whole bunch of teasers, previews and even a lengthy delay, the Harry Potter themed open world adventure Hogwarts Legacy has now finally arrived. As you might guess from that brief description alone, Hogwarts Legacy is all about exploring every nook and cranny of the castle grounds and the world beyond, talking to an assortment of colorful characters, and naturally, blasting your way through problematic situations with an array of surprisingly satisfying spells.
Rather than babble on, allow me to share with you the recently posted launch trailer. That should give you a pretty good idea of just what Hogwarts Legacy looks like and what it's trying to go for. Have a peek:
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide's next update will greatly improve crafting, weekly missions and item acquisition
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[Update #2]: Darktide will be buffing Psykers and Ogyrn in early March, while a much bigger update will be coming in late March.
[Update]: Darktide's big Crafting and Progression update has now arrived with far more improvements than expected!
When it comes to the moment-to-moment gameplay, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, and I don't say that lightly. Unfortunately, the actual systems surrounding all of the gameplay are currently a bit of a mess, and nowhere is this more apparent than with crafting and item acquisition.
Getting new weapons is done almost exclusively through an in-game shop that rotates hourly through an assortment of random weapons with random effects and random power levels. Then, if you manage to win the lottery and find a weapon whose stats aren't completely useless, you have to go through an expensive and annoying crafting system that adds even more randomness onto the pile and makes it nearly impossible to get what you actually want. Needless to say, it's a system that needs improving, and I'm happy to say that Darktide's next update will finally do just that!