For the MMO shooter Destiny a concept art edition is available on the market. The prices are steep.
“Concept Art” are images, drawings, and sketches that are completed long before the first bits and bytes come into play. They later serve as a reference for designers: The concept art sets the “tone”, the “atmosphere” of a game, so that everyone involved in the project understands the aesthetics and the world better.
We on the internet often encounter this concept art as “wallpapers” or as screenshots on websites. With Destiny, there is now the opportunity to use them “for real” as wallpapers and hang them framed in the living room.
Bungie has released a twelve-part edition of concept art via the Dutch “Next-Gen Art-Dealers” Cook & Becker.
Nostalgia is probably the main reason for purchase
The art prints are limited and signed by the respective artist. The numbers range from 50 to 80. Pricing will have some people gulping: Unframed, the Giclée prints cost between 80 and 120€. In framed versions with Dipond plate and epoxy resin, it can indeed go up to 450€.
Most popular by the way: The concept art for “Vault of Glass.”
A user describes his purchase experience on reddit. He struggled with himself to spend so much money to unleash his inner geek, but he eventually overcame it when the numbers in the gallery decreased (the #7 was already gone!).
It was particularly important for him to own something that reminded him of the first raid, the good friends, and moments in the first year. It seems to be the same for some others: The Vault-of-Glass concept art is already sold out.
Despite all his struggles with his loot, the reddit user proudly displayed it in this Imgur gallery.
At BlizzCon, a first look at a future battlefield of Heroes of the Storm could be caught – Towers of Doom.
Two Nexus Lords and the Ghost Towers
Typically, the great Lords of the Nexus rarely make an appearance. In Heroes of the Storm, they are somewhat like the “gods” of their respective battlefield, making the heroes fight each other for their amusement. In the upcoming battlefield “Towers of Doom”, two of these Nexus Lords are in conflict with each other, wanting to expand their territory – and you must help them.
From above, the map resembles the typical MOBA principle – however, it differs greatly in gameplay.
While the basic goal of the map is still the same, the destruction of the opponent’s Nexus, Blizzard has managed to combine this once again with unique mechanics. Scattered across the entire map are the titular towers, which can be captured by both teams.
Once a tower belongs to one side, it not only fires at nearby enemy minions and heroes but also periodically at the opponent’s fortifications. How do you prevent that? It’s simple: You destroy the corresponding tower, causing it to switch sides. A destroyed red tower leaves behind a blue shade that gradually evolves into a new blue tower until it is fully operational again.
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Those who do not want to directly conquer the towers can at least suppress the bombardment for some time by activating certain temples at neutral positions on the map – this gives the team a little more time to seize one or two towers from the opponent’s control,
… and the Headless Horseman
In addition to the objectives mentioned above, there are also unique mercenaries to be found on the map. Instead of the usual front breakers and siege mercenaries, there are “Sappers”, probably something like “Demolitionists” in German. These mercenaries march to the nearest target and blow themselves up – they must be stopped early if one wants to avoid their damage.
Instead of a Grave Golem, there is a new variant of the boss. The Headless Horseman can be defeated but remains in place after the capture of the control point. In compensation, he fires a volley of devastating projectiles.
Over the weekend, Blizzcon took place, one of the most important events for online games this year. What do you think of the revelations about WoW, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and co?
Blizzard has established such an exceptional position in the online gaming market that their in-house event generates more headlines and information in this niche than “the right” conventions with … you know, more than one developer.
This year’s Blizzcon did not bring any major surprises or even a new title, but we learned more about Blizzard’s plans to expand existing games. This week there is already a new Hearthstone expansion, and the planned shooter Overwatch for next year was outlined . Manygaps in the huge puzzle that the WoW expansion Legion currently is have been closed. And the big trailer for the movie was shown.
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Hearthstone, Diablo 3, and Hearthstone – Solid Development
Shoe Man says: I feel somewhat lukewarm about Blizzcon. I think the surprise of Hearthstone being announced this week is good, but it was also due; this is now the 3rd adventure of this kind. It didn’t blow me away.
Heroes of the Storm had a nice highlight with Cho’Gall, but overall it’s more of the same. The arena mode was unnecessary to me. Diablo 3 sounds solid, they continue to develop it sensibly. It will surely be another 2 weeks in January that people play it before putting it aside, just like it always is until a new expansion is released.
Somehow, that’s how all the announcements felt to me: Guys, we are now at step 48C – here are steps 48D to 52C! Enjoy!
Overwatch – Oh, you only just realized it’s going Buy2Play?
I am generally skeptical about Overwatch. This whole “Yes, we knew from the beginning that we would bring it to consoles, but the ‘free2play’ was only a later decision. And we don’t know how the release will proceed…” you could also tell that to the fox. The fact that it’s coming to consoles and that it will be a Buy2Play title could have been stated at the announcement a year ago. I think that would have been fairer. Because the decision, “We are bringing it to console” and “We are opting for a Buy2Play model” surely went hand in hand.
WoW: Legion sounds good in terms of what they are doing. But every WoW expansion sounded great before it came out. I’ve encountered the disillusioning WoW routine too often in recent years. I also struggle to celebrate Blizzard now for a wardrobe system like Guild Wars 2. That was the solution they would bring. I think everyone was aware of it: Guild Wars 2 solved the transmog problem with the wardrobe. The question was: When would other MMO studios follow suit?
But why something like this has to be part of an expansion and not just come as a “side feature” in a larger content patch isn’t clear to me, and I don’t like it either. Other MMOs release such “comfort” features from time to time and do not wait, even though it’s overdue, another 9 months until the addon comes out just so it becomes bigger and more important.
Such changes belong to patches for me, not expansions. And selfies or not: WoW’s patches could surely use some more highlights.
At BlizzCon, it was revealed that Overwatch will not be a free-to-play title – but what were they thinking?
Why is Overwatch a full-price title?
At BlizzCon last weekend, there were many new pieces of information about Overwatch, including the business model that will be pursued with Blizzard’s first shooter. Many players assumed in advance that it would be a free-to-play game (even though Blizzard never claimed that). It has now been confirmed that the shooter will be released as a full-price title – €40 for the standard version and €60 for the Origins version with additional skins. But what is the reasoning behind this decision?
Restrictions would be terrible
Overwatch differs from other games in that players can constantly switch their characters during a match. Is your team struggling because of the chosen heroes? No problem! Just swap out at the next death. This feature has become a core component of Overwatch.
If individual heroes were hidden behind paywalls and sold individually – as in Heroes of the Storm – the enjoyment of the game would automatically decrease for those players who do not have access to all heroes. “We want players to always have multiple options to choose from and not just be limited to, for example, one tank, one supporter, and one ranged character.”
The Future – Paid DLCs?
Completely uncertain, however, is the future of Overwatch after the release. It has not yet been decided if there will be further heroes and if so, how they will be implemented into the game. “Currently, we are fully focused on the 21 heroes that will be available at launch,” said Jeff Kaplan. “Some players fear that there will be the 21 heroes at launch and then more available in a shop. That is definitely not the case.”
Will more heroes come as paid DLCs? Blizzard is not currently considering this question.
While this does not categorically exclude hero DLCs, Blizzard will likely be very cautious and consider carefully what benefits the game – and only after their own statement once the existing heroes have successfully survived the launch and the feedback from the player community comes in.
The publisher Take Two has shut down its project Borderlands Online. With the studio’s closure, 150 employees are losing their jobs.
Borderlands Online was supposed to be a “Free2Play” online version of Borderlands for the Asian market. With the Borderlands franchise as we know it in the West, the completed game probably wouldn’t have had much in common. It was planned as a lobby shooter.
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Publisher Take-Two Interactive has closed its 150-strong studio 2k China in Shanghai, which was working on Borderlands Online. As a spokesperson stated, it was determined that further investments in the studio, until the completion of projects, especially the completion of Borderlands Online, would not yield an adequate return. They are trying to employ the affected employees elsewhere in the company, if possible.
Take Two will continue to stay in Asia and produce AAA titles for the region: The NBA 2k Online developed by Visual Concepts China is highly profitable and not affected by the decision. They also expect a financial success from Civilization Online.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard wants to make the classes more unique again and at the same time clears our overcrowded banks in World of Warcraft!
Strengthening the Fantasy behind the Classes
As with every expansion of World of Warcraft, the goal is again to strengthen the identity of the classes with Legion. A Mage should distinctly differ from a Warlock and a Death Knight should be very different from a Warrior. Blizzard makes these changes evident with two examples.
What makes a class exciting? Blizzard wants to revise this for all characters.
Shadow Priests are being thoroughly revamped, as they always felt a bit like the “unloved brother of the Affliction Warlock. They have dots, vampiric abilities, and mind manipulation, but it never really fit together. They needed something new that united them, that hits the core of their class. What could be better than Madness and the Old Gods?” They no longer need mana, but receive the new resource “Madness” instead. Their spells slowly build up Madness while their Shadow form becomes darker and ultimately even manifests tentacles, until the Priest fully embraces this form for a short time.
Demonology Warlocks had a hard time accepting that they would lose their Metamorphosis. “Demonology should revolve around summoning numerous demons and not becoming a demon yourself. It doesn’t really fit in there.” Therefore, the Fel junkies get numerous new creatures they can summon from the Nether.
Metamorphosis is now only available to Demon Hunters.
Personally, I find the explanation for the Warlocks a bit flimsy, as Demonology has always been about dark pacts and the slow “demonizing” of the Warlock through the consumption of Fel blood or similar – the change to this class seems a bit forced to give the Demon Hunter a unique selling point.
The Wardrobe – A bit copied here, a bit taken there…
A second major change will especially please long-time collecting fans. Blizzard is finally implementing a wardrobe system and draws on known systems from WildStar or SWTOR. The basic principle is simple but popular: Once you loot an item (and it becomes bound to you), you unlock the appearance of the object in a collection. Afterwards, you can use this skin for transmogging and throw away the corresponding item.
But the news gets even better: This collection is account-wide (although the same transmog restrictions as before apply – no plate for Mages, etc.) and all skins from quests you have completed in the past will also be unlocked, even skins from rewards you did not choose! The astonishment and joy at this announcement was overwhelming, and Blizzard is now under strong pressure to deliver this feature exactly as announced.
Shirts and tabards will also be included in the system. The developers joked a bit about what will happen to the Empty Bank, as it loses a large part of its utility.
Shirts and tabards can be unlocked and be part of transmogging.
For more information from BlizzCon about the new features in Legion, check out our World of Warcraft theme page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Cho’Gall is coming to the Nexus of Heroes of the Storm this month – but how does the two-headed ogre play?
Who controls what?
When Cho’Gall was introduced at BlizzCon, there was a wave of excitement but also confusion among the audience. Two players controlling one hero? How is that supposed to work? The answer is relatively simple: Whoever chooses Cho has full control over the movements, some basic attacks, and minor abilities – this is the melee component of the two-headed ogre.
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Gall, on the other hand, is more of a dark sorcerer dedicated to the powers of twilight and shadow magic. He uses several shadow spells with a short cooldown to harass enemies from a distance.
Special coordination is required for the “Rune Bomb” ability, as both players must work together. Cho can throw the bomb, and it will roll in a straight line. At the push of a button, Gall can then detonate the bomb, causing massive area damage – as long as he doesn’t miss his chance. If Gall “sleeps on it,” the bomb just keeps rolling and does nothing to anyone.
The perfect hero for beginners?
Especially veterans who want to get some new people excited about Blizzard’s MOBA could have a lot of fun with Cho’Gall. The two-headed ogre is excellent for introducing newcomers to the game without overwhelming them with too much responsibility. Since Cho executes all movement commands, he can always dictate direction and target and make decisions like “Which lane are we pushing?” or “Who should we gank?”. The second player (ideally the newcomer) can fully concentrate on his abilities.
Essentially, Gall is something like a permanent Abathur who can only sit on Cho – perfect for beginners, but experienced players can surely present impressive plays that we will soon admire in the “Top 5 Plays of the Week”.
Potential Problems
However, a possible joy-killer can be seen in the problem if the Cho player disconnects, as the AI will take over control.“We want it to be such that Cho listens closely to Gall’s pings – but that’s our worst-case scenario. Hopefully, the Cho player comes back quickly.”
In the opposite case, it wouldn’t be that dramatic.“Our Gall AI is quite good at hitting skill shots,” they said with a laugh.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , Oryx is the toughest opponent in the hard mode of the raid. We will show you how to defeat the final boss of the Taken King.
The heroic battle against Oryx is not for the faint of heart. Dying is taboo, and complaining is, of course, out of the question. We will show you how to safely navigate through the various phases of the fight without having to deal with weak enemies, ogres, and knights all at the same time.
The fight against Oryx is primarily a battle against the mechanics. Everything needs to be perfect; mistakes are usually punished mercilessly. There are currently various discussions on how to make the fight easier, without risking a wipe. This guide describes a method that involves killing both the ogres and the knights before turning your attention to Oryx.
Requirements for Classes in Oryx Hardmode for This Tactic
2 Defender Titans with Touch of Malice
The 2 Defender Titans form the foundation of the tactic and are indispensable. One Titan has the Blessing of Light ability, while the second has Weapons of Light. Both should focus on perks that extend the duration of the Twilight Shield. If you absolutely cannot find two Titans, you can try with one, but then every move must be perfect. Additionally, the time windows are extremely limited. If you only have one Titan, make sure this one has activated the Blessing of Light.
4 Guardians of Your Choice
You are free to choose here. Sun Singer Warlocks, who can revive themselves. Since you cannot be revived by your companions in hard mode, this is an important component. Additionally, Hunters with Shadowshot can be helpful if you need to clear many enemies quickly. The Stormcaller is also useful here. It’s crucial that the Titans receive enough orbs to quickly rely on the Twilight Shield.
Recommendations for Weapons to Defeat Oryx in Hard Mode
With this weapon, you deal the most damage when you are inside the shield, which makes you invincible. If you do not have Touch of Malice, switch to scout or pulse rifles that increase damage against the Taken.
Special Weapon: Sniper
Opt for snipers that have high impact. Specifically, the Black Spindle, No Land Beyond, or the Eirene RR4 are good options. Hunters can handle the Stillpiercer excellently.
Yesterday they still wanted €19.99 for all 4 wings of the Explorer’s League and €6.99 for a single one.
In the meantime, they have updated the same screen with different prices and now want “only” €17.99 for the 4 wings and €5.99 for each individual one.
What went wrong and whether we will ever find out… remains uncertain. Originally, they probably just adopted the US prices, replaced dollars with euros, and now they have adjusted them slightly according to the actual exchange rate with generous rounding for us Europeans.
With Legion, Blizzard expands the professions system of World of Warcraft (WoW) with exciting elements and important quest lines.
The professions system has been one of the major concerns of World of Warcraft in the current expansion “Warlords of Draenor”. With “Legion”, crafting professions are expected to regain significance and remain relevant and exciting even into the endgame. To achieve this, Blizzard has planned several major changes. We take a first look at the upcoming adjustments.
Quests for All Professions
All crafting professions will receive their own quest lines! These will not only unlock many recipes over several weeks but also reveal more about the background story of the world and the culture of the different races. For example, the tailors are used as an example. They interact with an exiled Nightborne (the mutated Night Elves) and learn new recipes from him step by step, as only he knows how to expertly process the fabric from the Broken Isles.
During the quest line, we learn more about the culture of tailoring and the reason for its exile, while new and more powerful recipes get unlocked.
The crafted armor should be powerful and significant.
But not only the crafting professions, the gathering professions will also receive their own quest lines. Miners meet an old Tauren spirit for whom they have to complete various tasks to be able to mine new ores (the Tauren really loves ores – he carries two pickaxes).
Finally, even the secondary professions like Archaeology and Fishing will receive some love. According to the developers, Fishing should be “an adventure in itself that creates excitement and doesn’t let you wonder what series you’re watching on the second monitor”. However, no specific images have been shown yet.
Multi-Level Recipes
Recipes now have multiple ranks.
To keep players engaged beyond quests, recipes now come in multiple quality levels. A recipe can have up to 3 stars (the rarest/best level) and is thus significantly stronger than its predecessors. Depending on the type of recipe, it can be obtained from different sources. Some may drop only from specific mobs, while others may require completing quest lines or reaching reputation levels.
These numerous recipes are intended to ensure that at the beginning of the expansion, several players with the same profession can create different things. This will change over the months, but it should at least briefly create differences and opportunities for the characters (or guild members) to improve themselves through profession items even when playing solo.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , a player has found the bitterest way to lose.
Imagine this: Trials of Osiris, 8 matches have been played, it’s four to four, the next match decides everything. You are the last one alive on your team, the clock is relentlessly ticking down, the opponents are still three, you prepare to give it your all in overtime, to become the hero, to bring your team the victory, you draw your golden gun and then …
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Blizzard’s Hack and Slash Diablo 3 continues to receive major content patches at no cost to players. What is the reason behind this?
Diablo 3 is a strange game when it comes to the monetization model. Even though new game content, items, zones, and dungeons are being released with Patch 2.3. or soon with 2.4, it costs players nothing. There are no subscriptions or the now typical “microtransactions,” or purchases from an in-game shop. Only the base game and the expansion “Reaper of Souls” need to be purchased.
What is behind this generous attitude?
Free game content is a kind of apology for the release
As indicated in an interview on the sidelines of Blizzcon, this was a decision by Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. When the Diablo team discussed monetization after Reaper of Souls, Morhaime decided: “Just release the stuff for free.” It seemed Morhaime was trying to win back the hearts and minds of players who were disappointed by the release.
One of the major criticisms at that time, besides a stingy loot system, was the real-money auction house.
The Diablo team said they were primarily concerned with “pride,” pride in the game and the desire to meet Blizzard’s high standards.
http://youtu.be/vMsIVWJZeq4
Will the Nemesis system come to PC?
The Nemesis system that works so well on consoles is something they would like to bring to Diablo on PC. However, this involves an incredible amount of work, as consoles handle friend lists very differently than Battle.net. In the Nemesis system, a player who defeats a hero can switch into the game of one of that hero’s friends and cause trouble as an enhanced opponent. If the friend manages to defeat them, there is loot for both players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Q&A at BlizzCon, it was revealed that Overwatch will have a homosexual character – but it won’t be a big deal.
The Big Guessing Game
During an open “question and answer” session at BlizzCon, some fans had the opportunity to ask about all sorts of things related to the world of Overwatch. A curious visitor asked whether there would be a hero in Overwatch who is homosexual. The response was unusually open and direct for Blizzard.
“In short: Yes. We can’t say which character it is yet, and we won’t make a big deal out of it, but the answer is definitely yes.”
The guessing game has begun – who is it?
Blizzard has proven with its current characters that it places great value on diversity. As many player groups as possible should see themselves in their characters, so it is only logical that a homosexual character will appear somewhere in the team. At the same time, it was emphasized that they will not make a big deal out of it. “It’s just a small part of what makes the character who they are.”
In the future, Blizzard wants to release short films in the style of last year’s cinematics and also publish some comics that will summarize the backstories of the various characters. One of these works will surely unveil the mystery surrounding the relevant hero.
Personally, I really like this approach to the topic. For Blizzard, it is already very unusual to let sexuality appear in any form in character stories, so I think it’s even better to handle the whole matter as maturely as possible.
“WidowTracer” – This little scene in the cinematic provided material for countless fan creations – not always suitable for minors.
To conclude the question, it was jokingly said “Especially WidowTracer seems to be particularly popular” followed by an amused “Ah, the wonders of the internet”. Many fan creations revolve around a possible relationship between Tracer and Widowmaker – but that seems rather unlikely and will probably remain just a figment of the imagination.
In World of Warcraft: Legion there will be legendary items as random drops – we have all the details for you!
With a Little Luck to Legend
On the second day of BlizzCon, some details about the gameplay systems of the latest World of Warcraft expansion “Legion” were revealed. During the “Game Systems” panel, multiple gameplay aspects were discussed. The developers asked the audience if they remembered the “random drops” from the classic version of World of Warcraft. This included various items with unique effects that were rarely seen but were very cool and unique.
In Classic these were sought-after items that brightened up everyone’s day.
They want to bring back that feeling in Legion. However, in an era where content is consumed quickly, such random drops would lose significance very quickly – unless they are significantly enhanced. For this reason, Blizzard is introducing legendary items that can drop anywhere in Legion and shall accompany you throughout the entire expansion, similar to the artifact weapons.
The new legendaries drop randomly – but are meant to be important for the entire addon.
The items shown are just examples and may change, but their effects are intentionally strong, like the “Mantle of Flames,” which deals 5,000 damage per second to all enemies around the player. Another example is the “Boots of Wondrous Rapidity,” which increase movement speed by a portion of the haste rating.
Whether these legendary items will truly have such an impact in the game remains to be seen. They definitely look promising and interesting.
The survival MMO H1Z1 is once again having trouble with its fans. A new battle royale mode does not appeal to the zombie fans.
H1Z1 has been brewing for a while now. The game was announced as a “survival MMO” with zombies. A lot of emphasis was placed on the size of the world, on “survival”, and on the crafting system. It was promised to be a bit of Day-Z as an MMO. The MMO elements were always said to be the studio’s thing.After all, Daybreak Game Company are MMO specialists.
Survival MMO fans against fans of fast shooter fare
But the game has been moving in a different direction for some time now: The battle royale mode is on the rise. These are quick matches: Whoever dies is out. The map shrinks due to poison gas. This has little to do with MMO, more with instanced battlefields that provide fast action and are also something to watch.
The work on the battle royale mode has intensified over the last few months for abig PR event on Twitch. Popular streamers competed against each other for a big cash prize. This has already caused some anger among the zombie fans.
Survival fans then called for a boycott of H1Z1 on reddit. This new policy drives H1Z1 fans to other games, and the core of the game, the survival mode, suffers as a result. Without new game content for the survival mode, there is nothing to test, and the game is stagnating.
Rust and Ark are mentioned as attractive competitors and alternatives to H1Z1.
At Daybreak, they are trying to calm down the upset fans: They are working on the big “survival” projects, like base building, but that takes time. With these large projects, there isn’t always something to announce, but they are working on it every day.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
During BlizzCon, the remaining artifact weapons for the World of Warcraft expansion Legion were revealed.
The Artifact Weapons
A variant of the Ashbringer.
With the upcoming expansion “Legion”, there will be no ordinary weapons for characters in World of Warcraft. All heroes will receive a so-called artifact weapon that will accompany the player throughout the entire expansion. Depending on your specialization, there are different weapons. Retribution Paladins, for example, can rely on the Ashbringer, while healing Paladins receive the “Silver Hand”, an ancient weapon of the Titans.
Throughout the expansion, the weapons will accumulate energies and can be continuously improved through personal talents. Various gameplay content allows you to customize the weapon with new skins, with alternative appearances being unlockable in areas such as PvP and raids.
Not Only Positive Opinions
The Scepter of Sargeras awaits destruction Warlocks.
During the currently ongoing BlizzCon, numerous new details about the next World of Warcraft expansion were revealed. At the same time, the preview website has been updated and now presents all available artifact weapons for all specializations at least in their basic variant. However, the weapons can be customized with various skins that can be unlocked in different ways.
Restoration Shamans receive Azshara’s Scepter.
Shortly after the release, however, there is already criticism of some of the weapons. Especially Shadow Priests (yes, me too!) are a bit dissatisfied with their weapon because a rounded dagger feels a bit strange in the hands of most priests. Hopefully, there will be some nice adjustments – although I would have preferred a staff in the style of Curse of Binding. Let’s be surprised what customization options the designers have in store for us.
Xal’atath, the Blade of the Black Empire is available for Shadow Priests – the cheer is limited.
At BlizzCon, 3 new heroes for Overwatch were announced – we take a look at the new fighters.
D.Va – a Gamer in the Military
To solve the Omnic problem, manually controlled combat robots have been deployed to effectively stop the destructive machines. Who better to do this than a true expert in the field of piloted mechs than D.Va, the former professional player of StarCraft? Together with her combat robot, she cleans up quite nicely.
D.Va spends most of her time in her mech and has access to the following abilities:
Fusion Cannons fire in rapid succession with scatter ammunition – making them more effective in close combat than at range.
Boosters give the mech a short burst, allowing it to overcome chasms or rush forward quickly.
Defense Matrix projects a shield in front of D.Va that temporarily absorbs all projectiles. Unlike Reinhardt’s shield, it does not shatter but lasts for a certain duration.
Self Destruct (the heroic ability) makes D.Va exit her mech. After five seconds, the mech’s shell explodes, dealing devastating damage to all enemies in a large area (essentially killing anything that doesn’t immediately run away).
If the mech is defeated or destroyed by Self Destruct, D.Va must run around as a human and can only rely on her light pistol, which works poorly at best. However, after a short time, she can use her ultimate again and hastily creates a new robot to continue the fun.
Endothermic Blaster literally shoots frost. A continuous beam of cold damages the enemy and freezes them. After a few seconds, the target is briefly frozen, meaning that it is stunned.
Ice Wall creates an artificial wall of ice. The wall can be destroyed by fire but blocks sight and fire for a few moments. The wall can be placed under allies (or enemies) to lift them. Characters like Bastion can therefore reach places that would otherwise be inaccessible.
With Cryo-Freeze, Mei can momentarily encase herself in an ice block like a mage in World of Warcraft and become immune to all damage. She thus acts as a barrier and projectiles cannot penetrate her, so it could be worthwhile to throw herself in front of enemies to protect her team.
The ultimate ability Blizzard creates a snowstorm in a large target area, slowing and damaging all affected enemies.
Genji – the Dramatic Ninja
Lastly, Genji was introduced, perhaps the epitome of a cyber ninja. In terms of story, Genji is the brother of Hanzo, but has focused more on sword fighting. He fled from the responsibility of his family and was subsequently killed by his brother – or so it was thought. Overwatch saved the ninja and hoped to have found a new ally in him.
As a normal weapon, Genji uses Shuriken, which he throws at enemies. He either throws 3 shurikens in rapid succession or spreads them over a larger area.
Deflect allows Genji to deflect the next projectile that would otherwise hit him. The reflected bullet flies directly back to its owner and damages him instead.
Swift Strike allows Genji to dash forward, pulling out his sword at lightning speed. Enemies in his path take damage and bleed for a few seconds afterward. If an enemy dies due to this ability, the cooldown is completely reset.
His ultimate ability Dragonblade grants Genji temporary access to his sword. He can execute multiple slashes that deal devastating damage in a large melee area, potentially leading to a massacre among enemies.
Activision Blizzard has announced that it will launch a studio for TV projects and films to further develop its own franchises. The Activision Blizzard portfolio includes titles such as Call of Duty, Destiny, Warcraft, or Diablo.
Fans must be thrilled at the thought: a TV series set in the detailed worlds of Warcraft, Starcraft, or Destiny. All this has now become possible, although it is still a distant prospect.
The first project is a animated series based on the incredibly popular Skylanders toy/game series that is already in the works: they have hired Eric Rogers (Futurama) as the showrunner and engaged well-known voice actors like Justin Long and Jonathan Banks (the Mike from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul).
http://youtu.be/qJMHDm8WiRg
In the future, they plan films and possibly a TV series centered around “Call of Duty.” Activision plans to design a “robust universe” for several films that could hit theaters or digital distribution channels in 2018 or 2019.
These are the first two projects from the newly established film and television department of Activision Blizzard. Destiny and Blizzard fans will have to remain patient and wait for adaptations, while Warcraft fans at least have the film – and Destiny fans have at least two live-action trailers to spark the imagination of what it could all be like…
Which Activision franchise would you like to see? Preferably on the big screen? Or on TV?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Legion, WoW will overhaul several systems – players can choose which area they want to play in!
The journey begins exactly where you want it
Legion is set to advance World of Warcraft in several ways. New details were revealed last night at BlizzCon, particularly concerning leveling in the new zones of the Broken Isles. Among them was a real blast: World of Warcraft: Legion will be somewhat “Open World”. This doesn’t mean that the game is trying to compete with “Witcher 3” or “Skyrim”, but players will have significantly more freedom in choosing their gameplay content.
This is just one of many possibilities.
What does this mean exactly?
In Legion, the game world will adapt to the players. Unlike before, where you were weakened in certain instances and areas, in Legion, the tables are turned: the enemies will adjust to the player level! You can go directly to the area that interests you the most after the introduction. Do you want to learn the story of Stormheim? Then start there! Is Azsuna very appealing to you? Begin the adventure there! This system also affects quest rewards – no matter where you are, the equipment you receive will always match your character’s level.
However, excluded from this new system is the area Suramar – the climax of the story takes place here, and the entire zone is designed for heroes of level 110.
Heroes of the Storm is growing again – two new heroes from the Warcraft universe are joining the Nexus: Lunara and Greymane.
Two new, familiar faces from Warcraft
At BlizzCon yesterday, numerous new things were revealed for Heroes of the Storm, including the two heroes Lunara and King Genn Greymane, who will dive into the fray in the coming months. We take a first look at the two characters in their current version.
The Dryad Lunara
Dryads have long been a part of the Warcraft stories, with players first encountering them in Warcraft 3. They have the lower body of a deer and the upper body of a night elf, are skilled in the use of nature magic (and their poisons), and also possess anti-magic abilities. Similar to druids, they live in harmony with nature and try to protect it whenever possible.
Lunara’s Abilities
Lunara does not have a mount, but instead has a 20% increased movement speed – and that permanently. This gives her an advantage on small maps, but on large maps she might arrive at her destination later.
Early concept art of the Dryad.
Her passive ability Nature’s Toxin poisons all targets hit by her basic attacks for 3 seconds. Further attacks extend the poison duration up to a maximum of 9 seconds.
Noxious Blossom (Q) is a small area spell that explodes after a short delay, damaging all enemies in the target area.
Crippling Spores (W) increases the poison duration on all poisoned targets by 3 seconds and slows them by 40%. The slow effect fully wears off over 3 seconds.
The Wisp (E) acts like a scouting probe but can be repositioned multiple times, providing a significant tactical advantage.
The first heroic ability Thornwood Vine deals medium damage in a straight line over a long distance. Has up to 3 charges.
The second heroic ability Leaping Strike allows Lunara to jump over an enemy, dealing medium damage. Has up to 2 charges, enabling jumping into and out of the enemy group.
King Genn Greymane
The second hero is King Genn Greymane. He is the king of Gilneas, the human state that has been afflicted by the curse of the Worgen. On one hand, he is a nobleman of honor, on the other hand, a wild beast in Worgen form. This duality is also reflected in his abilities, as he can attack opponents from a distance with a pistol in human form and bombard them with poison flasks. However, once he smells blood (and a kill is in sight), he transforms into his Worgen form and becomes a wild melee fighter.
Greymane’s Abilities
Depending on what form Greymane is in, he has different abilities.
Human Form
The Gilnean Cocktail (Q) deals low damage to the target hit. However, the mixture spreads cone-shaped behind the first enemy, dealing triple damage to secondary targets.
Inner Beast (W) increases Greymane’s attack speed by 50% for 3 seconds. Basic attacks reset the duration back to 3 seconds.
With Darkflight (E), Greymane jumps towards his target and transforms into Worgen form, dealing light damage.
Worgen Form
Razor Swipe (Q) allows Greymane to charge a few steps forward, dealing damage to all enemies he passes on the way.
Wolfheart (W) temporarily increases attack speed. Basic attacks reduce the cooldown of this ability.
Disengage (E) allows Greymane to roll backward out of combat, returning to his human form.
The first heroic ability Go for the Throat transforms Greymane into a Worgen and performs three quick attacks on an enemy, dealing high damage. If Greymane kills an enemy, he can reuse the ability for free within 10 seconds.
The second heroic ability Marked for the Kill shoots a silver bullet at the target. The target is then marked and takes 25% additional damage from all sources for 5 seconds. Within the 5 seconds, the ability can be used again, allowing Greymane to jump to the marked target in Worgen form. This apparently has infinite range.
Both heroes are scheduled to be released over the next few months. Since Cho’Gall will appear in November, the other two heroes should have joined the Nexus by the end of January at the latest, provided there are no delays, such as balance issues.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
