News:: The Necromancer will explode corpses in Diablo III next year

The pre-BlizzCon leak spoiled the surprise, but heck, there's no raining on this parade. Folks have demanded the Necromancer class for Diablo III and that's exactly what we're getting next year. He (and she!) will make it into the game in the "Rise of the Necromancer" pack, which will require owning both Diablo III and Reaper of Souls to access on PC, and the Ultimate Evil Edition on Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Blizzard isn't talking pricing yet, but the pack will also include "an in-game pet, two additional character slots, two additional stash tabs (on PC), a portrait frame, pennant, banner, and banner sigil."

This Necromancer is a "reimagining" of the beloved Diablo II class, and the designers say they've created some distance between it and the existing Witch Doctor class in "theme and play style."

Restoring the Balance—Necromancer Overview [Blizzard]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2fM1Apw

News:: Hearthstone is getting a gun that shoots piranhas

Hamilton Chu, Executive Producer for Hearthstone announced the next expansion for the online card game, featuring the goblin city of Gadgetzan. 

Called Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, this expansion looks to be a little more mundane than the last couple, which featured ancient betentacled gods and a magical party.

The new expansion looks to have a 1940s-ish gangster theme, and several mentions were made of how Gadgetzan has become a "city of opportunity." There will be three main factions, the Grimy Goons, the Jade Lotus, and the Kabal, a group of spellcasters who were kicked out of their guilds.

Some cards were shown off as well, including the Pirahna Launcher, a weapon that summons a 1/1 pirahna whenever your hero attacks, the Lotus Assassin, a 5/5 minion with Stealth that regains stealth whenever it kills an enemy, and the Kabal Talonpriest, a 3/4 Priest card that boosts the health of a friendly minion by 3 when it enters the battlefield.

Chu also announced new triclass cards that can't be used by everybody but can be used by three of the nine hero classes. For example, the Kabal has cards that will work in Mage, Priest, and Warlock decks. 

Chu went on to show off the Kabal's leader, Kazakus. This card has synergy with Reno Jackson, a 3/3 for 4 that allows you to create a custom spell effect if your deck does not contain any duplicate cards. 

Mean Streets of Gadgetzan will go live in December.

 

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2eHGiW3

News:: Blizzard's recreating the original Diablo in Diablo III

Diablo is one of Blizzard's oldest and most important properties. With Diablo III still going strong, the developer wants to pay proper tribute to where it all began in honor of the franchise's 20th anniversary.

During the BlizzCon 2016 keynote, chief development officer Frank Pearce revealed that Blizzard is putting the original Diablo in Diablo III. Players have the opportunity to travel back to that damned cathedral and work their way downward through untold horrors. It's 16 levels deep and features the original's four main bosses.

It sounds like a version that stays true to its roots, too. Pearce mentioned that there's a special graphics filter to "make everything pixelated and grainy." Character movement is also properly restricted to eight directions. As Pearce emphatically stated, "We didn't have 360 degrees of movement; we had 8 degrees and we liked it!"

Players won't have to wait long to get their old-school Diablo on. The anniversary patch hits the Public Test Realm next week. Existing characters can be used but, as Pearce said, it's best experienced with a brand new build. Whatever you do, travel 20 years back in time and slay that mean bastard for the first time all over again.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2fkOSxl

News:: Heroes of the Storm lands Varian Wrynn and Ragnaros from WoW

Blizzard has brought not one, but two new Heroes of the Storm characters to BlizzCon 2016. In the coming weeks, World of Warcraft's Varian Wrynn and Ragnaros will enter the Nexus, but for now, here's a fiery clash.

Varian is a multi-class hero who can be played in "six very different ways," according to Blizzard. Based on how you spec his talents, you might decide to roll as a "shield-bearing warrior" or a "life-ending assassin," for example. I'm expecting more distinctive styles than someone like Kharazim, but we'll find out soon enough. He's releasing the week of November 15 and will be playable on the PTR beforehand.

Then, sometime in December, it's Ragnaros' turn. The big boss can clear lanes with lava and, using his Molten Core trait, take over a fort (whether it's standing or not!) to become "gigantic." Yes, that does sound like fun.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2f9uZGI

News:: The Internet Reacts To Overwatch's Sombra

Sombra hacked her way into our hearts today, now that Blizzard decided to stop messing around and just announce her.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2fDq5WJ

News:: 'Hearthstone' is going to Gadgetzan

The next expansion for Blizzard's wildly popular digital card game goes out into the desert. But it'll be a bit different than when you checked out out in World of Warcraft. "Mean Streets of Gadgetzan" is a bigger, more populated city now, but executive producer Hamilton Chu said that it has some seedy back alleys and underworld elements to it.

Source: Blizzard

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2fpFxkp

News:: Diablo III Brings Back The Necromancer

Diablo II’s Necromancer is returning to Diablo III in Rise of the Necromancer, a new pack that will come out next year. There’s no word on price yet, but the pack will include the Necromancer as well as two character slots and some other cosmetic boosts.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2ewbHgv

News:: Blizzard Is Remaking Diablo Inside Of Diablo III

Blizzard will release an entire remake of Diablo inside of Diablo III in an upcoming “20th anniversary” patch, the company said today. It’ll include a 16-level cathedral and the four bosses from the first Diablo.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2fpGfy9

News:: Hearthstone's Next Expansion Is Mean Streets Of Gadgetzan

Revealed today during Blizzcon, here’s your first look at the new content coming to Hearthstone. The expansion is out in December, and it will add 132 new cards.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2fLXkq6

News:: Blizzard's Building A Professional Sports League For Overwatch

Announced today at BlizzCon 2016, the Overwatch League is a professional gaming organization modeled after traditional sports organizations, complete with regional teams, baseline minimum salaries and benefits.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2fLWYjh

News:: Varian and Ragnaros are coming to Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard announced today.

Varian and Ragnaros are coming to Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard announced today. Both World of Warcraft characters are playable at BlizzCon and will join the MOBA by the end of the year, with Varian in November and Ragnaros in December.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2f9szru

News:: Google DeepMind and Blizzard partner for 'StarCraft II' AI research

Google's Deepmind AI has already learned how to best humans at Go, but now Deepmind's resources will be pointed at an entirely different game: Starcraft II. Blizzard just announced at Blizzcon that it is partnering with Google to open up Starcraft II as a research platform for those building AI programmers. "Blizzard will release an API early next year that will allow researchers and hobbyists around the world to build and train their own AI agents to play Starcraft II," said Oriol Vinyals, a research scientist at Google DeepMind.

Source: Google Deepmind

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2fkfoVr

News:: After months of teases, Sombra's finally confirmed for Overwatch

It has been a long journey, one that dates back to Overwatch's original release, but we finally have confirmation: Es Sombra!

The first bit of news at BlizzCon 2016's keynote was the reveal of Overwatch's next hero, Sombra. Spicing up the announcement is a six-minute animated trailer that provides some context for her arrival.

Blizzard president and CEO Mike Morhaime described her as a stealthy offensive infiltrator who can hack enemy abilities. Players on Blizzard's Public Test Realm get to try her out next week; a date wasn't given for when she'll release in full on all platforms. People at BlizzCon have the opportunity to try her out this weekend.

Alongside Sombra, two new maps were announced. Antarctica-based Eco Point hosts a new arcade mode, and will hit the PTR next week. The other is Oasis, which is a control-style map. We'll learn more about that in December. But for now, Es Sombra!

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2fkcPSW

News:: Sombra is officially Overwatch's new hacker hero

If you didn't see Sombra coming, maybe you haven't been paying much attention to Overwatch lately. Onstage during the Blizzcon keynote, Blizzard president and CEO Mike Morhaime described her as a stealthy offensive infiltrator who can hack an enemy's abilities. Blizzard has dropped a few other details as well. She has an EMP attack that can shut down numerous enemies at once, for instance. Additionally, she can camouflage herself, making her harder to see. If you're lucky enough to be at Blizzcon this weekend she'll be playable on the show floor. Everyone else? You're going to have to wait.

Source: Blizzcon, Overwatch (1) (YouTube), (2)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2fpAe4f

News:: Overwatch finally reveals new character Sombra with an action-packed, nose-booping short

After months of leaks and alternate-reality games, Overwatch's next hero has finally been confirmed

via gamesradar news http://ift.tt/2e9obvM

News:: Overwatch League is Blizzard's eSports incubator

Blizzard has its own official eSports league for Overwatch, aptly dubbed Overwatch League. It works a lot like traditional sports. Major cities in North and South America, Europe, China, Korea and the South Pacific will have a team. Those teams are comprised of the best players coming out of a sort of open competition called a "combine." From there, they'll be drafted and sign contracts with a guaranteed salary and benefits. The team spots will be secured, according to developer/publisher Blizzard, as a way to foster local fans and talent "for years to come." And at season's end, the best teams will play against each other live, in front of a global audience. Sound familiar?

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2fLXuxC

News:: Mount Almost Any TV To the Wall For $18

If you’ve been meaning to wall-mount your TV, this highly-rated Cheetah mount will only set you back $18 today with promo code 667ERJQA. This particular model doesn’t articulate left and right, but it can hold TVs anywhere from 20" to 70", so it should be sufficient for most of you.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2f2jLWL

News:: Blizzard Reveals Sombra, Finally

Today, at BlizzCon, Blizzard unveiled Sombra, Overwatch’s newest hero. The announcement comes out of an apparently endless wild goose chase for information about her that has left fans exhausted.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2f2fqTL

News:: Watch BlizzCon 2016's opening keynote right here

It's the biggest weekend of the year for Blizzard and for the people who play its games. BlizzCon 2016 is taking place in Anaheim, California right now, and it's almost time for the biggest hour of the biggest weekend.

At 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific, BlizzCon's keynote takes place. That's when any significant news to come out of this show will be announced. Some possible candidates are a long-awaited Sombra reveal for Overwatch, a Hearthstone expansion, a Necromancer class for Diablo III, and, if the gods are smiling upon us, maybe a Diablo 4 announcement.

We don't have much more time until we find out. Kick back, fire up the stream, and hang out in the comments. We'll be posting the news as it happens, and we have Chris on the show floor to follow up on the big stories. BlizzCon 2016 is a go!

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2fk2aYK

News:: US Game Deals: Save $200 on a 65" 4K/HDR TV and get Dark Souls 3 CE for $30 off

Still on the hunt for a good 4K TV to tag along with your next console of choice? Today we have two prime candidates for both lower-end and mid-range budgets, on top of some nice deals on gaming hardware and online subscriptions

via gamesradar news http://ift.tt/2fn5Bht

News:: Ask Dr. NerdLove: Is Being A Virgin Hurting My Dating Chances?

Hello, all you petrochemical sex cobras of the Internet. Welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the column that puts the “Hell yes” in FPS.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2f28UvV

News:: The Windows store version of Infinite Warfare won't work with the Steam version

In some not so shocking news, the Windows Store version of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will not support cross-play between the Steam (or retail) version of the game. This also affects Modern Warfare Remastered, which I'm surprised to learn is even hitting the digital store.

I'm not sure what Microsoft's long term goals are for the Windows Store, but not allowing play between the same hardware is a bizarre choice. At the very least, since UWP is an Xbox platform, allow play between Xbox One and PC; that is also not supported, though (the game is not an Xbox Play Anywhere title).

I feel sorry for anyone who decides to buy this version of the game. I doubt that performance will be poor (though past Call of Duty PC ports have been shoddy), but no one is going to be playing these versions. Getting to the top of the leaderboards should be a breeze for the five people who end up with these versions.

CONFIRMED: COD:IW & MWR - no crossplay support between Win10 Store and rest of PC [NeoGAF]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2f23uRX

News:: New York Times Publishes Intense Game About Voter Suppression

Yesterday, the New York Times released The Voter Suppression Trail. The politically-charged Oregon Trail-inspired mini-game has players fight off long lines and intimidating “observers” to finally vote and describes certain hurtles some voters will face on November 8th.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2fCWxsi

News:: Overwatch is the 'fastest' Blizzard game to reach the 20 million player mark

It's safe to say that you're going to see Overwatch on a lot of Game of the Year lists. Players are happy, and Activision-Blizzard is too. According to their third quarter revenue financial report, Overwatch contributed big numbers to their 58% increase over 2015, and has reached 20 million registered players faster than any other Blizzard game. World of Warcraft: Legion also sold 3.3 million on its first day, meeting the expectations set by other expansions.

And while I know that a lot of people don't like the microtransaction scheme still, I think it's a great idea in this particular instance. Because as I've mentioned in the past, Blizzard, based on their history, isn't going to try and rob you of all of your cash and end support in a year. No, they're in this for the long haul, and they're still providing updates for legacy games like Warcraft III.

Whereas a lot of other shooters basically go off the clock and move on to the next iteration as soon as they can, Overwatch will be one of those projects that keeps chugging. That doesn't preclude an Overwatch 2 of course, but since Blizzard moves at a snail's pace for sequels, odds are your $60 (or $40 on PC) will go a long way.

Financial Results [Activision]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2e8XvLW

News:: Critical round up: what does the world think of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare?

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare gained a bit of a reputation when it debuted, becoming one of the most-disliked videos on YouTube

via gamesradar news http://ift.tt/2evP1Nf

News:: What do you want to see in the next James Bond film?

In this week's SFX Wishlist... Despite the best efforts of our undercover agents and monitoring stat ...

via gamesradar news http://ift.tt/2adPOOS

News:: The Running Man Is Way Better, And Worse, Than You Remember

Before The Hunger Games, before Battle Royale, there was another movie based on a book about a dystopian future where an evil government distracts the masses with a popular series of gladiatorial deathmatches. Runners, are you ready for... The Running Man?

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/1lbIjJM

News:: Win! 10 copies of Independence Day: Resurgence for UK readers!

Twenty years on from the '90s-defining widescreen spectacle of Independence Day, the aliens returned to pummel our landmarks all over again in Independence Day: Resurgence (honestly, fellers, an anniversary card would have done

via gamesradar news http://ift.tt/2fp3ZlI

News:: Japan has some exclusive PSVR titles, but you're not missing much

Sony's lineup of games and demos is often slightly different depending on the region. It's something you may have noticed with PlayStation's VR debut in both Europe and the US, -- and that's even more true for Japan. The virtual reality headset launched in Sony's homeland with several titles on the PlayStation Store that are not available elsewhere. While standalone (much less stand-out) games are few, there's still handful of experiences that are only playable with a Japanese PlayStation account. Fortunately for you, I've got one, and have played through some of this Japan-only content. From awkward teacher role-play with a Japanese schoolgirl, to anime J-Pop idol concerts, digitized musicians, Godzilla and virtual karaoke rooms (!), these regional exclusives very much cater to the locals. Here's how they fared over a week-long playthrough. (Factoring in some time for Rez Infinite, of course.)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2fCK87y

News:: Let Netflix convince you that The Walking Dead is a sequel to Breaking Bad

Netflix has gotten into the "mind-bending fan theory" market, and its latest hypothesis is a doozy: Breaking Bad is actually a prequel to The Walking Dead

via gamesradar news http://ift.tt/2eHc5qa

News:: Today's Best Deals: Adidas Outerware, HoMedics Massagers, Bluetooth Earbuds

A big Amazon Adidas sale, HoMedics massagers, and inexpensive Bluetooth earbuds lead off Friday’s best deals.

Read more...

via Kotaku http://ift.tt/2fL6BPk

News:: Hitman Season 2 is officially in the works

Those who enjoyed this year's episodic Hitman will be happy to know that the journey isn't over for Agent 47. In an interview with GamerGen at Paris Games Week, Eidos confirmed that Season 2 is in the works. There isn't an exact count of episodes, but we were given an idea of how the previous content will factor into this new season.

According to the post, the game will utilize the same launcher as before. All new locations will be added on to the previous cities; some missions may even revisit older locations from the last season. Any unlocks earned will carry over into the new missions. Last but not least, Elusive Targets will make a return and will be featured on Season 1 and 2 maps.

While I'm not the biggest fan of revisiting locales, I can understand it with an episodic game. Reusing assets would make for a quicker turn around on content and allow the developers to milk each area for all it's worth. If the price is higher than the first season, though, I wouldn't be too happy.

PGW 2016 - INTERVIEW - Hitman : le producteur du jeu revient sur la première saison de ce reboot [GamerGen via Trusted Reviews]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2eH8cRK

News:: Pokemon Go continues its drip-fed update pace with egg balancing

Pokemon Go saw a renewed interest when the Halloween update came, but I was pretty underwhelmed. I still had a low encounter rate, the tracking is still non-existent (so if I did see something interesting I couldn't actually find it), and the candy bonuses felt like they were at a level they should have been at anyway. So when it reverted back, I went on temporary hiatus again.

Niantic is attempting to fix that though with daily bonuses, and now, some tweaks to spawns and eggs. Most notably, commons have been removed from 10K eggs, so you shouldn't be putting in a ton of work only to get a your hundredth Eevee.  Spawn locations have also changed, and people are reportedly finding more interesting creatures post Halloween update.

Baby steps, I guess.

Pokemon Go [Twitter]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2e8QCKh