Blizzard has released a detailed explanation on how the Overwatch matchmaking system works
- By Ash
- in News
When it comes to competitive matchmaking we all have that primal part of our brains that tells us we're so much better than our current rating, and that its really everyone else that's holding us back! If you combine this with our selective memory that focuses on negative experiences over the average ones, you'll quickly realize why there are so many complaints about the Overwatch matchmaking system. I'm not going to say its perfect, because it really isn't, but it is so complex and multi-layered that its incredibly hard for us mere mortals to even comprehend without having access to the back end.
While we're probably never going to get the exact algorithm that does all of the matchmaking, mostly because that would instantly invalidate it, Designer Scott Mercer just recently provided the next best thing - a detailed explanation of how the matchmaking system works, what it values, and why this is the best iteration so far. If you're just looking for the short version, I'm afraid there isn't a way to summarize this without losing some of the key points, so here's Mercer's post in its entirety:
The Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer has arrived, but the PC version hasn't been confirmed just yet
- By Ash
- in News
After being teased for a couple of days now, Rockstar has finally and officially confirmed Red Dead Redemption 2. And as is tradition with games these days, the announcement was shortly followed by the very first trailer.
If you're hoping to find out more about the gameplay, I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment, but if you're just interested in enjoying the atmosphere and seeing what Red Dead Redemption 2 looks like, then you're on the right track. Here's the video:
Darksiders: Warmastered Edition and The Dwarves action-RPG have been slightly delayed
- By Ash
- in News
I'm not exactly sure why this week is so significant, but apparently every single game has decided it is the perfect time to announce delays. Watch Dogs 2 was recently delayed until November 29th on the PC, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3's new release date has been pinned for April, and in order to one-up everyone else THQ Nordic has just announced that both Darksiders: Warmastered Edition and the action-RPG The Dwarves are being pushed back!
While originally slated to release in October, the new and improved version of Darksiders has been delayed in order to give the developers a little bit more time to polish things up. But don't worry, you won't have to wait for very long as the new release date is slated for November 29th on the PC... exactly as Watch Dogs 2, which I can't imagine is going to end up in Darksiders' favor.
Shadow Warrior 2 Gameplay Showcase - Explosives and chainsaws, what else do you need?
- By Ash
- in Gameplay Showcase
Shadow Warrior 2 is one of the most ridiculous FPS games I've played in quite a while, a fact that shouldn't come as much of a surprise if you've ever laid your hands on the series. And as you would expect, the same brand of 'humor' is back once again to plague the world with endless wang puns!
Since its hard to judge whether Shadow Warrior 2 is any good from trailers alone, I've prepared a ~15 minute gameplay video showcasing pretty much everything you can do during an average mission. Have a look, and I hope you don't mind chainsaws or wast quantities of explosions:
The Overwatch test servers will soon be updated with a whole bunch of experimental changes
- By Ash
- in News
[Update]: Turns out soon is a lot sooner than I expected - the PTR patch is now live!
Despite the use of test servers being pretty common across all Blizzard games, they are mostly used to double check balance changes the developers locked down weeks prior. However, the upcoming Overwatch PTR (Public Test Realm) is going to be something completely different.
Instead of simply offering up complete changes to test for bugs and broken interactions, the Overwatch team will be putting out some highly experimental balance changes in order to see what works, what doesn't, and what requires some tweaking before its ready to see the light of day. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, here's the full announcement from Designer Geoff Goodman:
Don't Starve Together has been updated with new items, events, and quality of life changes
- By Ash
- in News
Out of all the games that feature a 'survival' theme, Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together are some of the finest examples of the genre... even though they're basically the same game. There's plenty of things to do, numerous mysteries to uncover, and unlike a lot of survival games you actually have to worry about more than just finding the nearest shack with a gun in it!
And if that just isn't enough content, you'll be glad to hear that Don't Starve Together has recently been updated with a whole bunch more. There's new items to collect, a new world event to puzzle out, major improvements to the world map (including the ability to mark locations and track other players), as well as a bunch of balance changes. If you'd like to learn more about this update, here's the recently posted teaser trailer, as well as the full patch notes:
SMITE Tactics is a 1v1 turn-based strategy game based on the popular MOBA
- By Ash
- in News
I don't know what exactly is happening within Hi-Rez, but they have started branching out quite fiercely. Once upon a time the only game they actively worked on was SMITE, but now they are also updating the rather ancient Tribes: Ascend, pushing the team based shooter Paladins through open beta, and are apparently even working on a 1v1 turn-based strategy game called SMITE Tactics!
There isn't much information available right now as SMITE Tactics is still in an early stage of development, but if you're interested in the basic premise and some off-screen footage, here's the recently posted teaser video: