Tag: blizzard entertainment

Overwatch 2 Becomes Steam’s Worst-Reviewed Game of All Time

Overwatch 2 has made history by becoming the worst-reviewed game on Steam. Publisher Blizzard, which usually kept its PC games locked to the Battle.net client, brought its team-based shooter to Steam on August 10, only to be flooded with negative reviews. At the time of writing, merely nine percent of the overall ratings (111,234) are positive, with many criticising the title’s approach to locking heroes and cosmetics behind a battle pass and the cancellation of its long-advertised PvE mode. While Blizzard might have expected some backlash, this reception must’ve been eye-opening for them, given Battle.net did not have a review system in place.

With the release of season 6 ‘Invasion,’ Overwatch 2 had moved on from early access, though it still swayed from the purpose of its existence. You see, the sequel was announced to have PvE as an always-on game mode that would let players gather XP by completing story missions to level up their preferred heroes, by way of a role-playing-game. It was supposed to push its overarching lore forward, but back in May, Blizzard confirmed that it was no longer in development, instead releasing it in gradual, smaller batches as a means to flourish the co-op experience. Not only does this render the sequel useless, but the addition of a battle pass and other live-service gimmicks at the start didn’t sit well with longtime fans.

Another cool thing to note here is that nearly two-thirds of those reviews are reportedly in Simplified Chinese. As per games analyst Daniel Ahmad, Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft were the biggest PC games in China before the regional servers were shut down due to a disagreement between Blizzard and its Chinese distributor NetEase. The 14-year-old partnership was brought to an end earlier this year over new terms in the licensing agreement, which ultimately led to gamers in the country using VPNs to play those games. There haven’t been any announcements of the servers returning, and Overwatch 2’s arrival on Steam was a means for them to communicate those concerns, in addition to criticising the aforementioned changes made to the game. The reliance on VPNs also forced them to suffer slow logins and connection issues.

With these numbers in merely three days, Overwatch 2 has overtaken the Chinese card-battle game War of the Three Kingdoms as the worst-reviewed game on the platform. The former has garnered 101,826 negative reviews, at the time of writing, dropping it to an ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’ tag. Blizzard also has plans to bring a selection of its other titles to Steam, which would be highly beneficial to PC players since a good majority of them hate having to switch between different accounts and clients to play their favourite games. It’s unclear which ones would be making the jump, but I really hope that the Diablo games are next.

Overwatch 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Diablo IV Season 1 Release Date Set for July 20: Malignant Quest Line, Broken Builds, More

Diablo IV’s much-awaited season 1 update will release July 20, nearly a month-and-a-half since the game debuted to rave reviews. Dubbed ‘Season of the Malignant,’ the update was shown off during a developer live stream, held early Friday, detailing new quests, items, and further focus on its battle pass. As the title suggests, the upcoming season introduces a brand-new questline where the realm of Sanctuary is slowly getting corrupted by a plague, turning all living things into Malignant Monsters with new powers. The chapter is set after Diablo 4’s main campaign where you bested Lilith, Daughter of Hatred, to rid Sanctuary of evil, and serves as a side story within the open world. The season starts at 10:30pm IST/ 10am PT.

As a festering curse widens its reach across Diablo IV’s Sanctuary, the player will be summoned back to Kyovashad at level 1 to meet a new character Cormand, a former priest from the Cathedral of Light, who assigns us the new task of ripping the infected hearts out the Malignant creatures and using them to raise our power. Elite monsters you find in the world have a chance of spawning as a Malignant version, who upon defeat, drops an exposed Malignant Heart. You can interact with this item to start a ritual that spawns an even more powerful version of the elite enemy, surrounded by a group of corrupted mobs. Once you kill that — yeah, it’s double the work — you earn a Caged Heart, which essentially functions like a gem that can be slotted into rings or amulets to tremendously boost your power. It’s a way for you to create “stupid, new broken builds” that the developers hope are rightfully balanced.

Diablo IV Review

During Diablo IV’s season 1, all ring and amulet drops will come with coloured sockets — red, blue, or yellow — that will only accept similarly coloured hearts’ powers. You cannot pair a red heart in a blue socket, as the game directs players to look for specific colours of items. Maybe if you’re lucky enough on your hunt, you will uncover a mysterious fourth colour of heart, which can be socketed onto any jewellery. There are a total of 32 Malignant Heart powers to collect, albeit you will run into even stronger versions of those as you keep playing the game. Any old, now useless hearts can then be broken down into crafting material that can be used to create Invokers. These can be used once you finish the Diablo IV season 1 campaign, at a Malignant Tunnel, where you can hunt for guaranteed hearts. Remember: Malignant Hearts are quite rare when looking for in the overworld.

The season 1 journey will be spread across seven chapters, each with its own set of objectives and rewards, by way of new items and Favor. The latter is crucial to progressing Diablo 4’s battle pass by helping you unlock rewards — the more Favor you earn, the more tiers you unlock. It is also worth mentioning that there are two kinds of battle passes here — a free tier where everyone can earn in-game boosts and a paid Premium Tier, where the rewards are all cosmetics. Upon launch, Diablo IV merely featured an in-game shop that simply contained skins, with the game never luring you to buy any of them. Hopefully, the trend continues as Blizzard Entertainment focuses on expanding the game in the years to come. The studio already has two expansions in active development.

Diablo IV is out on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Diablo IV Already Has Two Expansions in Active Development, Blizzard Confirms

Diablo IV has just launched across all platforms, but that hasn’t stopped developer Blizzard from expanding its legacy. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, general manager Rod Fergusson confirmed that the studio already has two expansions in development. “As I sit here we’re about to launch the main game, we’re finishing up season one, we’re working on season two, we’re working on expansion one” he said, adding that development on the second major expansion was about to kick off. Diablo IV was designed keeping a live-service format in mind, substantial content will be added over time in seasons. This is a big upgrade compared to Diablo III’s model, released 11 years ago, which was left abandoned over that time.

In an earlier interview with IGN, Fergusson mentioned that Diablo IV’s expansions will feature narrative questlines, with some “richer context” being added around a season’s release, which will also follow a theme, resulting in new cosmetics and gameplay mechanics tailored toward it. The narrative itself will not extend the main campaign in any way and merely serves as extra stories set within the game’s open world. “Because that’s the nice thing about the world is that there are lots of stories you can still tell without having it be the Lilith/ Inarius story,” he said, at the time. In comparison, both Diablo II and Diablo III received one big expansion each, albeit continued support was provided through patches and content updates. The team plans to update Diablo IV for years, even introducing a battle pass that would simply contain cosmetic items.

Currently, Diablo 4 is in its pre-season stage, bringing in a shop with limited inventory for purchase. As season one rolls in, players can expect the battle pass and an even fuller shop that’s aligned towards a theme. The in-game shop is also touted to have an intelligence system behind it, which would largely recommend items based on whatever class you’re playing. The pre-season period will function as a testing period for that, as the team continues working on the major update.

Last week, Blizzard upped the stakes for Diablo IV’s more competitive player base, promising to immortalise the first 1,000 players to reach level 100 on Hardcore mode by engraving their names/ battle tags onto a statue of Lilith. Currently, there’s no word on where the statue will be kept or what they will be doing with it, but I’m assuming it’s in the main headquarters. For the uninitiated, the Hardcore Mode is basically a permadeath mode where your character gets deleted upon death, forcing you to recreate and start from the very beginning. The difficulty is also quite high on this one.

Back in May, the company also highlighted Diablo 4’s endgame progression, which is meant to keep the game enjoyable, long after the main campaign is done. You’ve got a Capstone Dungeon that lets you do repeated runs — in rising difficulties — as a means to collect a whole variety of loot and continue getting stronger. Nightmare Dungeons also return, letting you choose one out of 120+ dungeons in the Sanctuary and turn it into a harsher playfield. These can be activated by finding a Nightmare Sigil, which adds difficult objectives, increased enemy count, and portals that toss in monsters from other realms.

Diablo IV is out now on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Diablo IV Gets Horrific Live-Action Trailer Directed by Oscar-Winner Chloé Zhao

Diablo IV just got a gothic horror-themed live-action trailer, ahead of its release on June 6. The latest ad campaign, dubbed ‘Saviors Wanted,’ is shot by Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and co-directed by Kiku Ohe, capturing the fear and conflict plaguing the lands of the Sanctuary. In this twisted place brimming with monsters, the High Heavens and Burning Hells wage destructive battles, leaving its inhabitants in turmoil. Diablo 4 officially went gold, late last month, suggesting that it is ready for shipping; and more recently, underwent a Server Slam open beta event where the Legendary loot drops were adjusted to reflect the day one version.

The live-action trailer for Diablo IV essentially serves as a tour of tragedy, starting with a wide shot of an aged man mourning over a stretch of dead horses in the icy tundras of Sanctuary. “Whatever you can do. We beg you,” he pleads, turning to the camera — essentially speaking to the players who would save their lands from ruin. It then continues cutting back and forth between cries for help from other poor unfortunate souls and epic shots of our heroes fending themselves against hordes of demons. The heroes, of course, represent the five classes in Diablo IV — Barbarian, Sorcerer, Druid, Rogue, and the new Necromancer, who can summon and command corpses to perform their bidding. The trailer ends with a shot of Lilith, the Queen of the Succubi, emerging from the skies — waging war against her bitter enemy angel Inarius and in the process, rule over Sanctuary once more.

“Working with Blizzard, we had the wonderful opportunity to bring the dark, thrilling and imaginative world of Diablo IV to life,” Zhao said in a prepared statement. “Diablo fans are very passionate, and many have been with the game for over two decades. We want to do right by the fans, honour the game’s rich lore and visceral world-building while evoking the strong emotions the players feel while immersing in the game.” As mentioned before, Zhao won the Oscar for directing 2020’s Nomadland, which also bagged an award for Best Picture and Best Actress (Frances McDormand), that year. The filmmaker then branched into blockbusters like Marvel’s Eternals and is now attached to direct an adaptation of Hamnet, which imagines the story of Agnes, William Shakespeare’s wife.

Last month, Blizzard Entertainment detailed Diablo 4’s endgame progression, noting how it plans to keep you hooked for hundreds of hours after the main story is done. It begins with a Capstone Dungeon that lets you do repeated runs — in rising difficulties — so you can collect a whole variety of loot and continue getting stronger. Nightmare Dungeons are returning as well, letting you pick one out of 120+ dungeons in the Sanctuary and turn it into a harsher playfield. These can be activated by finding a Nightmare Sigil, which adds difficult objectives, increased enemy count, and portals that pour out monsters from other realms. Unfortunately, you have no control over when the portals open up, so be prepared.

Diablo IV releases June 6 on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Early access for Deluxe and Ultimate edition pre-orders begin on June 2 in India/ June 1 in the US.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Overwatch 2’s One-Punch Man Collaboration Is Now Live: Doomfist Fashioned After Saitama, More Details

Overwatch 2’s collaboration event with the uber-popular anime One-Punch Man is now live. Marking the first IP crossover for Blizzard’s team-based shooter, the update ushers in a new set of skins and other cosmetic items inspired by the anime. The event is scheduled to last for a month until April 6, during which time players can complete in-game challenges to unlock rewards, including a free Legendary status Mumen Rider Soldier: 76 skin. Other skins will need to be purchased from the in-game shop using Overwatch Coins.

The four heroes headlining the Overwatch 2 x One-Punch Man collab have the same movesets as usual, but appear as if they are cosplaying characters from the anime. “As massive fans of anime and One-Punch Man, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this new collaboration to our players around the world. The Overwatch universe is an optimistic vision of near-future Earth, so why wouldn’t Doomfist cosplay Saitama?”, Mike Ybarra, president, Blizzard Entertainment, said in a prepared statement. The gauntlet-wielding Doomfist is the ideal choice to represent Saitama, who is known for his devastatingly powerful punches. Both characters are bald too.

For 2,500 Overwatch Coins, players can unlock the Doomfist-Saitama bundle, which includes the skin, a ‘Saitama Punch’ highlight intro, an exclusive name card, the ‘Training Regiment’ emote, and a “One Hundred Push-Ups…” quote voice line. The new healing ninja Kiriko is next on the list, fashioned after Tatsumaki, the tornado-bending professional hero. Her bundle costs 2,100 Overwatch Coins, and simply includes a victory pose and a name card in addition to the skin. The lowest priced bundle is Genos Genji, the cybernetic disciple of Saitama, costing 1,900 Overwatch Coins and granting only a skin and a name card.

Another option is to buy the One-Punch Man Mega bundle, which includes all the aforementioned items for 4,400 units of in-game currency — 2,100 less than it would cost to buy them individually. Coins can be purchased directly from the in-game store — costing $19.99 (about Rs. 1,637) for 2,000 units. Alternatively, they can be earned in smaller quantities by completing weekly challenges.

As stated before, the fourth skin based on Mumen Rider’s appearance can be unlocked by completing exclusive challenges, as one of six different rewards. Players have an entire month to rack up 24 wins, regardless of what game mode they choose to play — Arcade, Competitive, or Casual modes — and eventually unlock the special skin for Soldier: 76. Here’s a breakdown of the rewards you’ll get upon completing each milestone:

  • 4 games played — Saitama’s Fist Weapon Charm
  • 8 games played — Mumen Rider Name Card
  • 12 games played — Cyclist of Justice Victory Pose for Soldier: 76
  • 16 games played — Justice Crash Highlight Intro for Soldier: 76
  • 20 games played — Boros Weapon Charm
  • 24 games played — Legendary Mumen Rider-Soldier: 76 skin

At the moment, Overwatch 2 is enjoying its Season 3 event as well. This introduced an Asian mythology theme and a new ice-based Control map called Antarctic Peninsula. The annual PachiMarchi event is also returning on March 21, bringing a limited-time ‘Kill Confirmed’ mode and a Roadhog skin bearing a Pachimari tattoo on his round belly. Meanwhile, the One-Punch Man anime series is gearing up for its third season, announced last year, with a poster featuring Saitama and Hero Hunter Garou.

The Overwatch 2 x One-Punch Man event is now live across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2023 hub.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus Event Is Now Live, Heroes Fashioned After Greek Myth

Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus limited-time event is now live. The latest update ushers in the new seasonal mode, which introduces a free-for-all deathmatch game featuring seven select Heroes, reimagined as Greek gods, goddesses, and creatures. Blizzard Entertainment had previously dropped a trailer for the event, teasing some of the new god-like abilities that stack on top of your champions’ ultimates. The studio has now shared some patch notes that break down each ability, alongside a global leaderboard that serves to immortalise a hero with an in-game statue. The event is scheduled to run until January 19.

To re-iterate, Battle for Olympus is simply the standard Overwatch 2 deathmatch mode with a fresh coat of Olympian paint. Bear in mind, that the new effects are restricted to this mode only, and that the quick play and competitive segments will continue with the Heroes’ normal kits. The seven playable heroes included in the game mode are Junker Queen, Lució, Pharah, Ramattra, Reinhardt, Roadhog, and Widowmaker — all of whom are armed with “Divine” ultimates that last longer than the standard ones, and add changes to your regular moveset. Furthermore, each character is designed and named after an appropriate Greek legend, the skins for which can be purchased using coins earned by completing the weekly challenges. Just like previous seasonal events, Battle for Olympus can be accessed by navigating to the Arcade section.

When playing Lúcio reimagined as Hermes — thanks to his speed — his Divine Sound Barrier ultimate will last 20 seconds, granting him infinite ammunition, the ability to jump again after leaping off a wall ride, and greatly increased attack and movement speed. Furthermore, if his Boop action knocks enemies into a wall, they will be dealt extra damage and a stunned shortly. Since Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus is a deathmatch mode, this off-healer’s abilities only benefit him. Meanwhile, the sniper Widowmaker, who is fashioned after the snake-headed Medusa, can turn enemies looking at you into stone, when scoped in. This, of course, goes in line with the actual Greek Gorgo, who petrifies those who gaze directly into her eyes. Not to mention, the ultimate enables a high-risk high-reward playstyle, urging you to get enemies to notice your vantage point.

What you’re getting here is essentially a God Mode for Overwatch 2, where all powers are pulled straight from Greek mythology. Minotaur Reinhardt’s Divine ultimate also lasts 20 seconds, letting him heal up whenever an enemy is slammed or charged into a wall. He can now pin up to three opponents at once, with wall slams dealing extra damage and setting the next charge cooldown to just 0.5 seconds, which is incredibly overpowered. Zeus Junker Queen is equipped with Divine Rampage, where all damage inflicted using her Scattergun has a chance to apply additional lightning damage to her abilities. Meanwhile, the new tank Ramattra is equipped with the sea god Poseidon’s boon, starting with the Ravenous Vortex, a large whirlpool that sucks in enemies and then launches them in the air. You can also shoot out large water blasts that deal heavy damage.

Roadhog only has one eye in the mode, thanks to his power being fashioned after Cyclops. His 15-second-long Divine Roadhog ability greatly expands his body, adding 600 health points, and adds the ability to hurl boulders instead of his normal ultimate fire. His melee attacks, on the other hand, deal five times more damage than usual and push enemies away with each strike. And finally, there’s Hades Pharah, who is now mobile when performing her Rocket Barrage, making her less open and vulnerable to being stunned or killed while in the animation. Also, during the Divine ultimate’s 20-second period, each kill heals Pharah and extends the duration of the effect.

As stated before, the hero with the highest number of eliminations by the end of the Battle for Olympus event will be forever immortalised with a statue on the Illios Ruins map. Additionally, Overwatch 2 is now littered with special challenges that help unlock new, thematic voice lines, player titles, and new cosmetics to buy using Overwatch Coins. There’s a checkpoint-based challenge as well, which unlocks the Legendary Winged Victory Mercy skin.

Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus event is now live until January 19, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2023 hub.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version