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In order to sort out the mess left over from the rather unfortunate Season 1 update, the Diablo 4 team has just recently unleashed Patch 1.1.1. It brings with it some nifty buffs to all of the classes but especially Barbarians and Sorcerers, an increase in monster density for Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides, as well as a drastic increase in late-game boss health in order to make them more of a challenge.
To compensate for the increased level of difficult, Patch 1.1.1 has also made bosses, Treasure Goblins and Legion events more rewarding. Bosses and Legion Events will now always drop a Legendary item from level 35 and onward, while Treasure Goblins will do so from level 15. As such, finding those build-defining Aspects should be a lot easier now.
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[Update]: The Shadows of Change DLC has now arrived, and I'm afraid it's been getting some fairly negative player reviews so far.
If you're currently itching for some new Total War: Warhammer 3 toys to mess around with given that it's been a fair few months since the last expansion, I'm afraid I bring both good and bad news. The good news is that the Shadows of Change DLC will be coming this August 31st with the Changeling representing Tzeentch, Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon leading Cathay and Mother Ostankya summoning the forces of nature to help Kislev.
The bad news is that price has increased dramatically and so Shadows of Change will set you back 25€ compared to Champions of Chaos' 16€ or the numerous 10€ Lord Packs from Total War: Warhammer 2. If Total War: Warhammer 3 was at its peak and not riddled with bugs and all sorts of issues I wouldn't mind this so much, but as it stands it really feels like Creative Assembly is trying to see just how far they can push things before they finally snap.
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[Update #2]: Fatshark have now revealed more about the upcoming RPG-like talent trees and accompanying balance changes.
[Update]: Darktide will be getting RPG-like talent trees and an Xbox version on October 4th.
While it may have taken far, far longer than I would've liked for us to get here, I'm incredibly happy to say that Darktide has now finally fixed its mission selection system. Thanks to Patch #12 you now not only have a much wider selection of maps to choose from, but also a larger assortment of difficulty options that range from relaxed romps to soul-crushingly brutal gauntlets of misery.
The way it works is that there are now two distinct mission boards for you to peruse. The normal one has only the most basic modifiers and is meant for casual play, while the advanced Auric board is exclusive to level 30 characters and comes with a much, much more challenging set of missions. Combine that with faster map rotations and a new "Maelstrom" mission type that comes with fun extra modifiers (and extra rewards), and the end result is a highly diverse mission system that has really managed to revitalize my interest in the game.
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[Update #2]: MTG Arena will be getting the entirety of competitive Pioneer on December 10th, 2024!
[Update]: MTG Arena devs have shared the Format Popularity Stats and their Plans for the Future.
As a part of the recent Gen Con panel discussion, Wizards of the Coast have revealed a whole bunch of new sets and card expansions. While the details for many of these are still few and far between, I'm happy to say that MTG Arena players will be getting pretty much exactly what they've been clamoring for!
First and foremost, the fan-favorite Khans of Tarkir set (notably not the entire Khans block) will be arriving at some point in late 2023. Unlike the previous remasters this one will include every single card found within the set, and yes, this does indeed include the all-powerful Fetchlands. Whether they will be legal in Historic or just formats like Historic Brawl, that I'm afraid Wizards of the Coast has not clarified just yet.
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[Update #2]: Dota 2's final Summer update has enhanced the visuals and massively improved the report system.
[Update]: Dota 2 is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a bunch of thematic (and free) cosmetic items.
After a lengthy teaser written entirely in emoji format (yes, I'm actually serious about that), Valve have now not only revealed the full list of changes for Patch 7.34, but also launched the update itself! Staying true to tradition, the patch is absolutely massive and filled with all sorts of crazy changes, so the next few weeks should be quite exciting as everyone rushes to figure out what works and what doesn't.
The highlights include additional bans in Captain's Mode, an updated UI for abilities that like Mirana's leap that previously used the auto cast setting to toggle between two different versions, a slight reshuffling of Watchers and Outposts, as well as the arrival of a brand new stat - Slow Resistance. As the name might suggest, Slow Resistance reduces the impact of slows on your hero by a percentage, while the already existing Status Resistance stat has lost this ability.
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[Update]: Patch 1.1.1 has now arrived, and I'm pleased to say it's looking quite good so far!
As a part of the Season 1 update, Diablo 4 unleashed a whole bunch of nerfs to just about everything related to player power. While this didn't do much to well-rounded classes like Rogue or Druid, it had a noticeably negative effect on Barbarians and Sorcerers which already had an issue with a limited amount of endgame viable spells.
So in order to sort this out, as well as a couple of other issues that appeared since then, Blizzard will be releasing Update 1.1.1 on August 8th. These changes include numerous buffs to all classes, an increase in monster density for Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides, as well as a drastic increase in boss health after level 60 in order to make them an actual fight rather than a simple pushover.
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[Update]: Baldur's Gate 3's Patch #3 has added Mac support, appearance changing, and numerous bug fixes.
If you've been patiently waiting for Baldur's Gate 3 to get fully finished before finally diving in, I'm happy to say I bring good news. Not only has Baldur's Gate 3 just launched after three years of Early Access, but it has done so alongside an overwhelmingly positive response!
I haven't had a chance to start playing myself, but judging by the reviews so far it looks like Baldur's Gate 3 has managed to combine the best elements of the original games and Divinity: Original Sin 2, and wrap it all up in a compelling story with some fun companion characters. Some of the comments are most likely an exaggeration as there's a tremendous amount of hype surrounding Baldur's Gate 3, but even if only half of it is true it still paints a rather impressive picture! So if RPGs are your thing, it really does look like Baldur's Gate 3 is well worth checking out.
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[Update #2]: Darktide will be getting RPG-like talent trees and an Xbox version on October 4th.
[Update]: Patch #12 has now arrived, and I'm happy to say it's quite a good one!
One of Darktide's biggest problems, at least as far as veteran players are concerned, is the utterly random nature of mission selection. Not only are the currently available maps random so you can keep running into the same few, but the extra modifiers on them are also random. This means that if you're particularly unlucky you can log in daily for a week straight, like I have many times, without ever seeing some of the challenging yet highly entertaining missions Darktide has to offer.
Thankfully, with the upcoming Patch #12 all of this will soon be a thing of the past! Once it arrives at some point mid-August, Patch #12 will not only add "Maelstrom Missions" which come with a varied mixture of new and existing modifiers to help spice things up, but also "Auric" missions that will only be available to level 30 players and will exclusively feature challenging conditions.
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[Update]: Payday 3 has now arrived alongside a surprising amount of server problems.
If you're itching to give Starbreeze's upcoming co-op shooter Payday 3 a try, you'll be happy to hear that the Technical Beta has now arrived in order test out all of the online elements before the big launch on September 21st. The beta content is limited to only one heist and four playable characters, though given that most of the weapons and cosmetics have been included, the beta should still have more than enough variety to keep you entertained for a little while.
In order to participate in the Technical Beta you simply need to head on over to Steam, request access, and put on your luckiest socks as the current number of players with beta access is quite limited. The good news is that the beta will be expanding as time goes on, so don't worry if you don't get in on the first day or two - there's still a decent chance you'll be able to try out Payday 3 before the whole thing closes on August 7th.
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[Update]: Broforce Forever has now arrived, and unsurprisingly, it's quite a blast!
In order to send off Broforce with a bang, Free Lives studio have decided to release one final free update - nearly a decade after the original launch! The appropriately titled Broforce Forever brings with it an improved an expanded campaign, six new bro's inspired by pop culture icons, four new challenge levels, and just to help smooth things over, some bug fixes as well!
What all of this manly madness looks like in action, that you can check out through the explosion-fueled trailer below. Have a peek: