Category: News

ASTA Announces Myth 1: Wrath of the Berserkers


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WEBZEN, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play MMO games, today announced that its Asian fantasy MMORPG ASTA – The War of Tears and Winds will receive next week a content update for its first expansion “Myth I:Wrath of the Berserkers”.

Starting Tuesday, the 19th of July, players seeking an even tougher challenge will be able to take on the two raids of the Mountain of Trials in Hard mode. This means that enemies will be stronger and it will be impossible to resurrect, except with the help of a healer of course.

Players from both factions will also face a new enemy, Usata. This giant world boss wanders in the western part of the Wado region. Not only is Usata a fearsome enemy, he is also extremely powerful. Dealing with this giant, and at the same time the opposing players, will definitely make his loot very valuable: Artifact and Unique grade armor pieces!

Players that focus mainly on PvP will also be able to quench their thirst for blood. ASTA is opening a new Battleground map: Dreamworld. In this new area, 2 teams will face off in an epic battle. The objective is to break through the opponent’s defense and capture the Sword of Prophecy. Players will take turns being the attacker and the defender, either blocking the progression of their enemies or formulating their own strategies to rush to the Sword!

More information on the content update can be found on ASTA‘s official website at http://asta.webzen.com

Champions Online Lifetime Subscription 33% Off


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Champions Online lifetime subscriptions are on sale once again. From now until July 18th, you can get your hands on this deal for $200 from the regular price of $300. Lifetime subscription provides a lifetime (their life, not yours) of members benefits, including premium archetypes, travel powers, costume sets, and a 500 Zen monthly stipend.

With all your new found powers, you need a look that shows off your heroism. Gold Members get immediate access to loads of free costume sets, more than 400 parts in total, as an automatic unlock. Gear up for the fight with the Sakura Mecha Armor that comes free with your subscription. Your dueling gunslinger will be thankful for the bandolier and extra bullets that come free with the High Plains Drifter set. Finally, what type of Spartan doesn’t wear his signature cape and Spartan Armor before entering combat? These are just a few of the costumes you’ll get for free when you become a subscriber.

(Source: Champions Online)

Star Trek Online Content Being Streamlined


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When Star Trek Online hits consoles later this year, it brings with it six years of content and changes that have been changing the title on PC. In the latest post on the official website, Perfect World Entertainment recognizes that while the extra content puts the game above what players would normally expect from a new launch, it is not without problems.

Foremost, the additional content has made it difficult for new players to figure out what content to experience in which order. To address this, the mission journal is being updated with categories for adventure zones while separating mission progression from reputation in order to allow the content to be played in the proper order.

In addition, various missions have been removed after being deemed outdated and detracting to the overall story. Some daily missions have been removed with their rewards added to the base mission experience in order to reduce unnecessary questing.

(Source: Star Trek Online)

Atlas Reactor Now Free Until July 17th


Atlas Reactor, Trion Worlds’ turn-based battle arena PC game currently in Closed Beta, is hosting a free event for all players from now until Sunday, July 17.  The event will see the introduction of two new freelancers as well as the preliminary implementation of Ranked Mode! During the free event, anyone can jump into Atlas Reactor and get a taste for the game’s fast-paced, simultaneous turn-based action.

To help new and current players get the most out of Atlas Reactor’s unique, turn-based team PvP mechanic, Trion has just published a gloriously illustrated, annoyingly thorough User Guide!

Trion has also released “Atlas’ Most Wanted,” a 15-second clip from its upcoming cinematic CG trailer produced by Blur Studio.

A brand new freelancer, Celeste, has also been unveiled and will be available throughout the free event. Celeste is a roguish firepower freelancer who will steal your heart – or at least, any valuables you may have. Players looking to try their hand at mastering Celeste can use the “Three Tips for Playing Celeste” below, compiled by the Atlas Reactor team to give players a better understanding of the new Freelancer and her play style.

  • Be mindful of where enemies are in relation to Celeste’s Smoke Bombs, good placement means that you can see your enemies while they can’t see you.
  • Celeste’s ultimate ability, Safecracker, can do immense damage but requires good positioning for maximum effect; try to catch enemies by surprise by using Smoke Bombs.
  • Celeste’s dash ability, “On The Run,” can be useful for getting around corners and positioning yourself onto power-ups appearing next turn.

Another new Freelancer will join the lineup of Atlas’ Most Wanted during the Free Event. This mechanised hero for hire will be revealed on Trion’s weekly Atlas Reactor livestream at 10:30 PM BST today, and will be available to players on July 12.

Evolve Re-Releases As Free To Play Title


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Turtle Rock Studios officially announced today that Evolve will re-launch with a free to play model. The announcement comes after the title was mysteriously removed from sale on Steam last night. In addition to removing the entrance fee, players will be able to unlock everything simply by playing the game.

Evolve has been completely overhauled on PC with new game design, gameplay mechanics, and improved gameplay balance and system performance. All of the content in Evolve, including all the content released following its launch, is unlockable in Evolve Stage 2 completely free simply by playing the game.

Evolve Stage 2, as it has been named, will release today in beta mode and likely stay there for a while. While Evolve was critically praised upon release, both the game and Turtle Rock Studios have been heavily criticized over the game’s monetization strategy. Evolve was advertised as being “built from the ground up” for DLC, launching with more than $100 in microtransactions.

Player traffic on PC has plummeted in the year since launch, down to an average of 100 concurrent players. The question of whether the game would go free to play has been in speculation since shortly after launch.

(Source: Steam)

Overwatch Teases Healing Sniper Rifle


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If a recent tweet by the official Overwatch account is anything to go by, the ability to headshot your teamates back to health may soon be on its way. Posted on the @PlayOverwatch Twitter account, the image shows blueprints for a sniper rifle with healing abilities.

Commentary from Overwatch heroes in the image adds a bit to the lore, showing Mercy’s opposition to what she sees as a slippery slope toward a weaponized gun. Torbjorn, meanwhile, insists that it will only be used as a healing item.

The Prototype Biotic Rifle may or may not be related to Sombra, a possible hero whose teasers can be found in multiple locations within Overwatch.

(Source: Overwatch)

PSA: Paragon Starter Pack Free For PS+ Members


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Paragon is a fantastic MOBA, and I say this as someone who otherwise personally finds no love for the genre, but the launch has been a topic of confusion for gamers. While Paragon hasn’t technically launched yet, boxed copies of the game have been in stores for the past couple of months at the cost of $50, without really pointing out that the game is in early access.

Gamers with Playstation Plus can pick up the starter pack for Paragon for free this month. The pack includes instant access, master challenges for three heroes, and a reputation boost for three wins. Master challenges are normally available for a purchase price and offer various rewards for leveling up a character, including master challenger skins. All heroes are unlocked from the start.

Paragon is available in early access on PS4 and PC and supports cross-play between the two systems as well as keyboard and mouse support on console.

(Source: Playstation)

[Column] Valve’s Constantly Changing Position On DigiHom


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[Update: we have received notice from Digital Homicide that the issue below is due to an error in the Steam API, and not part of any deliberate decision by Valve. We apologize for the error.]

The game above is Daisy’s Sweet Time Cupcake Mania, one of numerous clone games up on Greenlight by esteemed developer Digital Homicide. This title, along with nearly a dozen others, were submitted on June 2nd to Greenlight only to be marked as incompatible on June 3rd.

Very quickly after, someone at Valve marked the game as compatible on June 6th. Evidently, the Valve employee who allowed the title is at odds with another, because the game was marked as incompatible again on the 9th, only to be marked compatible again the same day, to be marked and then unmarked again on the exact same day. The same thing happened on the 10th, the 15th, the 21st, the 27th, and again today on the 5th of July this cupcake game has been marked incompatible with Greenlight.

And, as always happens to be the case, the story gets stranger. This back and forth marking/demarking is present on virtually every single one of Digital Homicide’s current Greenlight games. In fact, in the time it has taken me to write this, someone at Valve has already re-marked the games as compatible.

Who are these two employees, locked in an endless struggle over the fate of Digital Homicide’s Greenlight titles? Are there people arguing over the Valve office coffee machine about the artistic merits of Not In My Crapper?

Just take a gander at the history of Daisy’s Sweet Time: Cupcake Mania and recognize that this is pretty standard for DigiHom’s games. I looked through a massive amount of other, random titles on Greenlight and the only other games with this history of back and forth have been removed.

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[Video] Riders of Icarus Gold Spam


While my impressions of Riders of Icarus so far have been positive, it’s impossible to overlook the overwhelming and unhindered presence of gold spam, especially ridiculous when you consider that the only way to get in right now is through early access packages.

It is also impossible to ignore these messages, as the ignore function does not block global messages.

Blizzard Is Suing Bossland Cheat Maker…Again


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Blizzard has filed suit against World of Warcraft bot maker and Diablo gold farmer Bossland GmbH at a federal court in California. In addition to its antics in World of Warcraft and Diablo, German-based Bossland also sells cheats for other Blizzard titles including Heroes of the Storm.

The lawsuit is quite standard for companies going up against cheat developers, utilizing copyright infringement, unfair competition, and DMCA allegations of tampering with the game’s DRM. The lawsuit also alleges that the cheat makers are causing damage to Blizzard’s business by harming their goodwill and reputation with customers forced to deal with cheaters.

“Defendants not only know that their conduct is unlawful, but they engage in that conduct with the deliberate intent to harm Blizzard and its business. Blizzard is entitled to monetary damages, injunctive and other equitable relief, and punitive damages against Defendants.”

Blizzard is claiming jurisdiction in the United States as Bossland does business in the country. The game developer previously sued Bossland in German court over Diablo III gold farming and was forced to withdraw their case.

(Source: Complaint)