#World of Warcraft celebrates its 20th Anniversary

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[govindhtech]

IFA 2024, MSI Displays AI Era Of Computing Innovations

IFA 2024

MSI will attend IFA 2024 on September 6th as the global leader in AI PC, gaming, content creation, business & productivity, and AIoT solutions. MSI will display its whole lineup of cutting-edge devices at IFA 2024. This much-anticipated line includes motherboards, peripherals, graphics cards, displays, laptops, desktop computers, and AI products.

“MSI is very excited to meet you and showcase they latest AI technology at IFA 2024 in Berlin,” said Sam Chern, vice president of marketing at MSI. The world is changing quickly due to artificial intelligence, and we intend to provide professionals, creators, and gamers with unique and all-inclusive MSI products that will provide a more intelligent experience.

IFA Berlin 2024

Come see MSI at Berlin’s IFA 2024! You’re welcomed!

At IFA 2024, MSI is excited to see friends and partners in the media and industry. A vast array of innovative items and technology will be demonstrated by knowledgeable staff members who are available to answer your inquiries. Whatever your passion, MSI will be happy to show you the newest technology, cutting-edge AI, and goods that will transform your life, whether it is in AI, business, gaming, productivity, or the home. See you in Berlin!

The IFA Berlin International Consumer Electronics Exhibition has a remarkable history since 1924. It is a lighthouse in the industry. IFA continues to be one of the trade shows that has a significant influence on worldwide PC buyers, distributors, and retailers by giving them access to a platform that provides all-inclusive industry solutions.

Prestige – Leading Next Level AI+ Business & Productivity Laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2)

Three sizes are available for the Prestige series laptops: 13-, 14-, and 16-inch models. The entire Prestige series boasts enormous batteries, extended battery life, ultra-light bodies, and the newest Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2). For instance, the entire Prestige line now offers a longer battery life than the previous model, with all sizes able to offer a higher productivity of up to 20 hours. It has also been improved to a 5-megapixel webcam, which allows for better online meetings and live streaming.

Claw 8 AI+

The First Windows 11 Gaming Handheld Using Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2) is the Claw 8 AI+.

The world’s first Windows 11 gaming handheld with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), MSI’s Claw 8 AI+, will make its premiere at IFA 2024 and go on sale at the end of the year. Better energy efficiency, an additional Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connector, upgraded LB/RB buttons, a bigger battery, and a lighter wall-mounted charger are all highlights of the redesigned Claw 8 AI+. Based on customer feedback, MSI has improved these specifications. With a one-month free trial of Xbox Game Pass included, owners of the anticipated most sophisticated 8-inch gaming handheld, Claw 8 AI+, will be able to play well-known AAA titles. Watch this space for the release date!Image credit to MSI

EDITION Graphics Card for Warcraft

RTX 4070 SUPER 12G GAMING SLIM GeForce Graphics Card for World of Warcraft Edition

In celebration of the game’s 20th anniversary and the release of The War Within, MSI is pleased to announce its partnership with Blizzard Entertainment for the limited-edition GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12G GAMING SLIM World of Warcraft EDITION. Users can mix and match the ten interchangeable puzzle-style magnetic backplates, which are inspired by well-known expansions, to create an epic look that is uniquely their own.

Unveils Revolutionary Gaming Setup – AI Gaming Desktop and Gaming Monitor Redefine Performance

The MPG Infinite X3 AI and the MPG 321CURX QD-OLED, two components of MSI’s state-of-the-art gaming setup, will go on sale in Q4 2024. The MPG Infinite X3 AI boasts the newest Intel processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics, promising a significant improvement in performance and AI-enhanced features. The AI ENGINE from MSI modifies the environment for entertainment, gaming, and meetings.

In terms of cooling technology, it blends cutting-edge AI-driven cooling algorithms with MSI’s 360mm liquid cooling system to provide ideal thermal management even under demanding workloads. matched with MSI’s first curved 32″ 240Hz QD-OLED, the MPG 321CURX QD-OLED, which has a 1700R curvature and employs bespoke heatsinks and graphene sheet for effective and silent cooling. In addition, the monitor has a three-year burn-in guarantee and MSI OLED Care 2.0. This premium combo provides players with an unmatched, worry-free gaming experience.Image credit to MSI

Modern MD272UPSW, Modern AM273Q/ QP AI & Cubi NUC AI Series – Unveiling the First Smart Monitor, AI All-in-One PC & Mini PC

The first Smart Monitor from MSI with integrated Google Assistant and Chromecast is the Modern MD272UPSW. It saves power and improves convenience by enabling you to watch videos without using your primary PC. With its small, 0.826-liter chassis, the Cubi NUC series micro PC is easy to install behind a display. With an emphasis on security, this potent and environmentally friendly small PC provides optional Intel vPro technology. With its 27″ WQHD IPS panel, the newest Intel Core Ultra Processor, and the AI boost NPU, the modern AM273Q/ QP AI series confirms its reputation as an AI All-in-One PC.

Remodel the Convenience of Installation with EZ DIY Motherboards

Ryzen 9000 processor compatibility and stylish designs define the new MSI X870 motherboards. These EZ DIY motherboards redefine installation convenience with its updated screwless M.2 Shield Frozr, EZ M.2 Clip II, EZ PCIe Release, and EZ Antenna features.

The New Liquid Cooling System for the MAG CORELIQIOD I Series

The UNI Bracket was first used by MSI as their liquid cooler, and it has several DIY-friendly characteristics that make installation easier. Dust removal is made simple by the pre-installed fans on the radiator and the cable cover, which also guarantee a neat and orderly appearance inside your PC case.

EZ DIY Motherboards – Redefine Installation Convenience

The MEG Ai1600T PCIE5 satisfies ATX 3.1 requirements with a 2x total power excursion and a 3x GPU power excursion, making it future-ready for use in AI computing. Its high efficiency conversion rate and construction with superior titanium materials guarantee steady and reliable power delivery. The SiC-MOSFET with interleaved PFC in the PSU improves power correction efficiency and stability.

VELOX 300R AIRFLOW PZ by MPG

The 160 mm fan design of MSI’s exclusive dual layer blades gives the MPG VELOX 300R AIRFLOW PZ two distinct purposes: the outside blades improve stability, while the interior blades concentrate airflow. The fan extends airflow farther than traditional blade designs by synchronizing the outer and inner blades.

Next-Generation MSI Gear Series

MSI Gear introduces new peripherals with lightweight designs, ultra-low latency, and cross-platform connectivity that are intended to provide comfort and performance during extended gaming sessions. A flawless gaming experience is ensured by the portfolio, which includes STRIKE wireless keyboards for an unmatched typing sensation, VERSA mouse for flexible and accurate control, FORCE controllers for fast reactions, and the MAESTRO headset for immersive music.

MSI DATAMAG PORTABLE 40Gbps/20Gbps MAGNETIC SSD

Up to 4TB of storage and 40Gbps transfer rates are provided by MSI’s DATAMAG 40Gbps/20Gbps Magnetic Portable SSD, which fits neatly onto iPhones and other devices. This robust aluminum alloy housing, together with the PHISON U21 USB 4.0 controller, guarantees effective cooling and dependable operation on iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, Android devices, cameras, and gaming consoles.

The BE Light Roamii Mesh System

The most recent Roamii BE Lite Mesh System from MSI, which uses WiFi 7 technology, is on display. With more AI-based real-time applications and WiFi 7-compatible products anticipated to hit the market in 2024, Roamii BE Lite expands the reach of your easy-to-manage, ultra-fast WiFi network across your house. Additionally, MSI FortiSecu provides constant cyber threat prevention for all linked devices.

Business-use MSI Hyper 180 Dual DC Charger

With a limited charging period, MSI has introduced its first DC fast charger, intended for use in public parking lots, charging stations, and interstate service zones. It has a twin-gun design and can charge at up to 180 kW. One gun can charge at maximum speed, while the dual guns can dynamically alter power based on the vehicle. It has three connector options (CCS1, CCS2, and NACS) that are appropriate for different EV models.

The swing arm design of the cable management increases the usable distance and IFA 2024 prevents cable dragging, which can lead to damage and dirt buildup and shorten service life. It improves operating efficiency by supporting the charge management system’s OCPP1.6 J communication protocol, which enables networked control. Additionally, it facilitates plug and charge ISO 15118 identification to improve drivers’ ease of payment. It can go into eco mode while not in use to use less standby power. The 10.1-inch touchscreen, RFID cards, mobile app, and 21.5-inch screen are all part of the user interface. The latter is used to insert advertisements in order to generate extra cash.

MSI EZgo Portable Charger (For Home/Business Use) and MSI Eco Series AC Charger with 3-phase Power

With a 1.8-inch display, replaceable power cords for 8 countries/areas, and up to 11 kW of charging capacity, the MSI EZgo is a travel and home device that requires no installation.

Dashboard for MSI E-Connect (EMS)

MSI E-Connect enables operators and resident managers to monitor and control via cloud or on-premises connections in order to maximize power efficiency and station management. Among the features it provides are dynamic load balancing, membership management, license plate authorization, time-of-use pricing, and cross-system interaction with personalized API services.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

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Reports of World of Warcraft's death may have been greatly exaggerated, as Blizzard's GM proudly wheels out a graph ... [ Blizzard Entertainment ]

Reports of World of Warcraft’s death may have been greatly exaggerated, as Blizzard’s GM proudly wheels out a graph … [Highlights] World of Warcraft will celebrate its 20th anniversary on November 23 this year, two decades in which it has established itself as the… Blizzard said Shadowlands saw “historically high” numbers of players leaving the game, but subscriptions are now trending…

[bakuspoon-blog]

20th anniversary of StarCraft - new Nova skin for Widowmaker

Blizzard is maintaining its custom of marking the anniversaries of important games. The first StarCraft is turning 20 on March 31st, and the studio is promising a ton of extras around its matches to mark the event, for instance, traditional real-time strategy name itself. You can log into StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft II following March 6th to Acquire commemorative interface skins, also portraits and stickers if you register into SCII from April 6th. And if you are not especially big on these names, there are loads of different means to get perks -- you may even want them to those ones that you buy with StarCraft appropriate.

Overwatch gamers will have access to some particular Sarah Kerrigan Ghost skin for Widowmaker (see above) between March 6th and April 3rd, such as yours. You might even receive a Battlecruiser-themed puppy in Diablo III (from March 6th onward), among many StarCraft-themed pets in World of Warcraft (March 31st to April 6th), anniversary portraits in Heroes of the Storm (March 27th through April 7th) and play with a StarCraft-motivated Tavern Brawl (March 21st to March 25th).

It is also possible to anticipate anniversary Twitch flows on March 30th and 31st. The 31st will even see Blizzard launch StarCraft is Life: A Celebration, a brief YouTube movie touching the memories of this match's"biggest fans."

The very first StarCraft game appears to be favorably early at this stage (it had been released when Windows gambling and online multiplayer were comparatively young), but its influence on the sport industry could be felt to this day. It is not simply that has been a definitive game in the genre, having a memorable narrative and a substantial growth of the formulation seen in ancient Warcraftgames. In lots of ways, StarCraft was the name that put eSports in movement -- it turned into a happening in South Korea, together with sponsorships and live broadcasts nicely before Twitch streaming occurred off. Even in the event that you've never dealt with a Zerg rush, there is likely a game you perform which owes a debt to what Blizzard attained in 1998.

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Full Comicbook.com Star Wars SDCC Panel Schedule

full credit

THURSDAY, JULY 19TH

The Clone Wars 10-Year Anniversary Celebration

11:45am – 12:45pm

Room 6BCF

Executive producer Dave Filoni and panelists look back on 10 years of the Emmy Award-winning series that expanded the Star Wars universe and introduced countless fan-favorite characters to a galaxy far, far away.

The 501st Legion: Star Wars Villainous Costuming

8:00pm – 9:00p

Grand 1 & 2, Marriott Marquis

An introduction to the creation of fan-made villain costumes from all 10 Star Wars movies and beyond. Legion members from the Imperial Sands and Star Garrisons will provide an overview of the creative process that brings Stormtroopers, Tusken Raiders, Boba Fett, or Kylo Ren from the silver screen into reality. Dean Amstutz (ISG membership liaison) will discuss the membership journey, from initial interest through final approval. Kevin Weir (Imperial Surplus Armor and KW Designs owner) will relate his process for working with armor parts. Howard Smart (ISG member) will speak about small prop and soft costume construction. Sean Fields (Star Garrison member) will discuss 3D modeling and printing. Todd Mullin (ISG commanding officer) will moderate the panel and a Q&A session after the presentation.

FRIDAY, JULY 20TH

Hasbro Star Wars

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Room 7AB

Members of the Hasbro and Lucasfilm teams will discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro's latest action figure offerings. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises.

Disney/Lucasfilm Publishing: Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away!

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Room 7AB

Michael Siglain (director, creative: Disney-Lucasfilm Publishing) and surprise panelists share previews and exclusive announcements about what should be on your must-read list from Star Wars publishing.

FRIDAY, JULY 20TH (CONT'D)

The Science of Star Wars

4:00pm – 5:00pm

Room 7AB

Ever wondered if lightsabers could one day be a reality? Curious about which Star Wars droid NASA would take into space? Is there a form of fuel that could keep The Resistance out of reach from a First Order fleet? Expert panelists Kim Steadman (systems engineer, NASA-JPL), Emily Manor Chapman (systems engineer, NASA-JPL), Kieran Dickson (editor, CometTV.com, MGM Studios), Fon Davis (Star Wars production designer), Travis Langley (editor, Star Wars Psychology), Steve Huff (fight choreographer and weapons expert), Eliot Sirota (VFX expert), and host Jenna Busch (creator, Legion of Leia) act as your Bor Gullet into the mind of Star Wars creators and break down the science behind a galaxy far, far away. Q&As, surprises, and giveaways will follow.

The Women of Star Wars

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Room 7AB

For the past 40 years, the Star Wars galaxy has expanded at a remarkable rate. Behind the scenes, creators have worked to round that galaxy out and to maintain cultural relevancy by appealing to new fans from different walks of life. Authors E. K. Johnston (Star Wars: Ahsoka) and Zoraida Córdova (From a Certain Point of View) join writer Nicole Dubuc (Forces of Destiny) to discuss the impact of a more inclusive Star Wars, from the writers to the actors to, of course, the characters you know and love.

FRIDAY, JULY 20TH (CONT'D)

Star Wars Tourism: Visiting the Galaxy Far, Far Away on Earth

7:00pm – 8:00pm

Room 7AB

From the deserts of Tunisia and California to the glaciers of Norway and the coast of Ireland, Star Wars filming sites are the new travel destination. James Floyd (contributor, Star Wars website and Star Wars Insider), Ash Crossan (host, ET Online), and Charla Teeters-Stewart (director, Imperial County Film Commission) will help you learn about where to go, how to get there, and how to get the most out of it with your fellow Star Wars fans.

Star Wars Mock Trial: The Court-Martial of Poe Dameron

8:00pm – 9:00pm

Room 7AB

The Legal Geeks and the Rebel Legion Sunrider Base present the mock court-martial of everyone's favorite X-Wing ace, Poe Dameron. Based on the events of The Last Jedi, Poe stands accused of disobeying General Leia Organa and leading a mutiny aboard the resistance flagship Raddus against Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. Lawyers for the prosecution and defense, including a U.S. Army JAG attorney, will take on Poe's case in front of United States Magistrate Judge Mitch Dembin. Participating attorneys include Steve Chu, Thomas Harper, Christine Peek, and Megan Hitchcock. With Rebel Legion members Rachel Williams as General Leia Organa and Marcus Holt as Poe Dameron.

SATURDAY, JULY 21ST

Star Wars Declassified: How a Galaxy Far, Far Away Impacts the World

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Neil Morgan Auditorium

Hosts R. A. Rayne and Kris Koller are joined by voice actor Eric Bauza (TMNT, LEGO Star Wars), Troy Manning (SoCal 501st Troop), Dan Madsen (Her Universe, Star Wars Insider) and J. C. Reifenberg (Scum & Villainy Cantina, Hughes The Force) to discuss how Star Wars and its fandom have impacted their personal lives, their professional lives, and society as a whole. What does Star Wars mean to your life? The panel will also participate in a Star Wars trivia contest against the audience with prizes to be won!

Ladies of the Legions: A Conversation about Women, Costuming and Star Wars.

7:00pm – 8:00pm

Grand 1 & 2 Marriott Marquis

Five members of different Star Wars costume clubs discuss the basics of Star Wars costumes for women and challenges faced within the community. Speakers include Lesley Farquhar, Carrie Ann Caranci, Kristina Gundersen-Rudmann, Wendy Starling, and Regina Vail. Followed by a Q&A with the attendees moderated by Lesley Farquhar.

SUNDAY, JULY 22ND

Cartoon Voices

11:45am - 1:15pm

Room 6A

Animation voice director Mark Evanier gathers another stageful of the top actors who speak for animated characters to demonstrate their skills. Appearing will be Elle Newlands (Adventure Time, Final Fantasy), Kiff Vandenheuvel (Star Wars Forces of Destiny, World of Warcraft), Vanessa Marshall (Star Wars Rebels, Young Justice), André Sogliuzzo (Transformers: Robots in Disguise, World of Warcraft) and Dino Andrade (World of Warcraft, Batman: Arkham Asylum). There will also be a few surprises, and the actors will destroy a much-loved fairy tale with a live, unrehearsed reading.

Powerful Young Women in Disney Comics

12:30pm - 01:30pm

Room 23ABC

Disney Comics presents a look at recent and upcoming comics showcasing powerful female characters from Disney and Star Wars. Oh My Disney's Michelle Lema leads a discussion with panelists Delilah S. Dawson (author, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny), Amy Mebberson (author/artist, Disney Princess comic strips), Cecil Castellucci (author, Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure), Jody Houser (author, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny), and Katie Cook (author, Tangled: The Series comics) discuss the growing importance of female characters and authors in the comics industry and the making of comics for kids.

COLLECTIBLES

Attendees at San Diego Comic-Con will find a vast amount of Star Wars collectibles at numerous booths, though the convention will mark the debut of multiple all-new products.

Over at the Funko booth, attendees can snag the exclusive Star Wars: The Clone Wars Cad Bane Pop! as well as a Solo: A Star Wars Story Stormtrooper Pop! Loungefly will debut two all-new backpacks, one modeled after a Porg and one covered in a print inspired by Jabba's Palace from Return of the Jedi.

Speaking of Return of the Jedi, Gentle Giant will be releasing a 1:6 bust of Luke Skywalker from the film to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

Hasbro will be adding figures to its Black Series, including Han Solo with a Mynock and an impressive set which contains Kylo Ren and Rey from their conflict at the end of The Force Awakens on Starkiller Base. Doctor Aphra will be inducted into Hasbro's vintage-inspired series while Chewbacca will get a Forces of Destiny figure, which is accompanied by Porgs.

[gaminghardware0]

How EverQuest survives in the era of Fortnite and Apex Legends

It might feel like battle royale games have been around forever, but games like Fortnite and PUBG are whippersnappers next to the MMO that started them all: EverQuest. The massively multiplayer online RPG, oft-credited as the inspiration behind the juggernaut that is World of Warcraft - now widely seen as one of the best MMOs of all time - has had 20 years of fantastical questing, dungeon crawling, and friendship making. Not long after releasing the 25th expansion, EverQuest: The Burning Lands in December 2018, developer Daybreak is celebrating two decades of EverQuest by inviting its dedicated fan base to travel back in time to the game’s inception. On top of a bonus XP period and a new open-world zone, the launch of the Selo and Mangler progression servers shows how EverQuest is moving forward by looking back. Daybreak has made use of nostalgia as a powerful tool in maintaining a steady group of active players who want their magical experience to remain just as it did in 1999. But how do you expand and even compete with the other hobby games today with a game that looks and feels the way it did 20 years ago? We spoke to EverQuest executive producer Holly Longdale about the challenges of staying relevant in the online gaming space and what’s in store for the future of the MMO that started it all. from https://www.pcgamesn.com/everquest/everquest-20th-anniversary

[gamingtipsandtrickshacks]

Hearthstone Interview -- Game Director on the Next Expansion The Witchwood

Hearthstone has had quite the journey since its launch in 2014. The popular card game is now in its fourth year still getting content support from the team with its upcoming expansion, The Witchwood. Adding new abilities, cards, and game modes are more than enough to reel in players new and old.

At PAX East 2018, DualShockers had the chance to play the new expansion, as well as speak with Hearthstone‘s Game Director Ben Brode about the new expansion as well as the future of the Warcraft-themed card game.

Michael: What are the new features coming to Hearthstone‘s next expansion, The Witchwood?

Ben Brode: One of the things I am most excited about is the new Monster Hunt mode. It’s a totally free single player experience. Players loved Dungeon Runs when they came out in Kobolds & Catacombs; Monster Hunt takes that to the next level custom designed heroes with their own hero powers, nemeses they have to fight at the end of their runs, and they’ll all team up together in an epic boss finale against the witch of the Witchwood, Hagatha. It’s super free and really, really fun.

It has a really high difficulty level, so players will have a lot of fun getting through all of these Dungeon Run encounters and I think this is going to be one of the best things to come back and play. You don’t need a collection so even if you’re brand new to Hearthstone or worried about coming back, you don’t need to worry about anything except to have fun.

M: In the new Monster Hunt mode, since you are going against multiple bosses, when you lose do you restart from the beginning or from the last boss you defeated?

BB: It’s permadeath; you’re building up your deck, you’re making choices, you’re choosing powerful treasures for your deck along the way but if you die, you have to start all over from the beginning. It’s actually really fun because you get a new chance to see new treasures and it is pretty random which bosses you’re going to find so each run is a totally new experience.

M: So each time you play, it won’t be the same bosses every time except for the end?

BB: Right. In Dungeon Run, we had 48 bosses and 8 of them were shuffled together to form your run so you never know what bosses you are going to find.

M: What are some of the new card abilities in the new expansion?

BB: There are a couple new keywords in the set. One of them is Echo which appears on certain cards that lets you play the card as many times as you want as long as you have the mana. You can save it for the late game and play it 3 or 4 times or if you need to, play it early in the game if you’re worried about getting pressure from your opponent. That flexibility means that they are very powerful and choosing the right time to play them is really important.

Another new one is Rush which means you can attack minions immediately which lets you get back into the game quickly. It’s a lot like Charge. It has all the upsides of Charge without its downsides, especially with ending the game in one turn. We are really excited about Rush. A lot of the mains in the set have Rush and are very stat-wise compared to Charge mains.

M: Something I’ve always been interested about card games, in general, is how they are balanced. I feel like that process is so different than other genres. When you implement something new like The Witchwood, what do you take into account when you’re trying to balance the next expansion?

BB: Well, it’s tricky. We have a team of people are very, very good at Hearthstone who are at a super high Legend level who are playing all day with all the new cards trying to get the balance perfect. It is basically impossible to get it perfect because there are so many combinations of cards, right? You can play any thirty cards together so who knows what combinations players are going to discover we never really tried.

We try to have a pretty comprehensive look at things. We look at cards that do something new that is likely to combo in interesting ways. We test the fastest Rush deck and the slowest control deck; we try to test the boundaries of what is that we are doing. We do a lot of that testing, a lot of theory crafting and try to figure out what we think is going to work and how it’s going to work. Then we have the benefit of being a digital game so we can come in and change things afterward if we don’t get it exactly right.

M: Do you have a general theme or vision that makes each class fun to play?

BB: Yeah, absolutely. When you have 9 classes, there is going to be something that gets you excited about one class over the other. Otherwise, it’s a very hard decision to make when they’re all the same; why make a choice at all? So we have to give classes strengths but also, we have to give classes weaknesses. I think that’s one of the things that makes them interesting to play against. If you know that a rogue can’t heal, then you know that hitting that hero power as a hunter to deal 2 damage is going to stick; you hit that button 15 times and you win and you’re pretty sure of it. So you can exploit those weaknesses and try to use them to your advantage.

“Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.”

We try to really sell the fantasy of the class with the strengths. Paladins are about taunt, divine shield, holy weapons and using consecration and things that you remember from World of Warcraft to defeat your opponents. Warlocks are about power through any means necessary. They are willing to hurt themselves to get the biggest win possible or give away their mana crystals to get more power in the form of demons. Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.

M: Going a bit broader, recently Hearthstone celebrated the 20th anniversary of StarCraft with new in-game items. Something I’ve always wondered is could you see a game like Hearthstone set in a StarCraft, Overwatch or any other Blizzard universe?

BB: It’s possible. I mean, one of the things about the Warcraft universe is it’s massive. There are infinite characters, lands, races, creature types, and storylines. So if you’re trying to release an expansion every four months, it’s ripe for making 135 cards that all feel like they belong in this world. Not that StarCraft or Overwatch are small worlds but Warcraft is just one of the biggest IP’s content-wise of all time. So it’s very easy for us to make that kind of content.

I do think those kinds of games would be fun. We don’t have any current plans to do that but there’s no reason you couldn’t do that.

M: Are you open to crossing universes within Hearthstone?

BB: I don’t know. We did the StarCraft tavern brawl that was StarCraft inspired but still Warcraft themed. We had a tech portal, swarm portal, and a mind portal that are winks at the three variations of StarCraft. So we try to do a loose theming there to celebrate that.

Honestly, I think Heroes of the Storm has got the most direct fantasy of the blending of the Blizzard universes in a way that is super fun. Hearthstone feels like it doesn’t need to go into that space.

M: Going back to The Witchwood, what is your favorite card right now from the new set?

BB: I’m going to have to say Shudderwock is my favorite. It’s totally crazy. It does something that we’ve really never done before which allows Battlecries to be executed by cards other than the card the Battlecry is printed on. It makes you look at every Battlecry card completely differently. You really think about deck building in a totally different way. I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.

“I’m going to have to say Shudderwok is my favorite. It’s totally crazy… I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.”

M: What are some good combinations for a card like that?

BB: One of them is Saronite Chain Gang from Knights of the Frozen Throne. It says “Battlecry: Summon the exact copy of this minion.” Well, that’s pretty good on a 2/3  Taunt but it’s much better on a 6/6 so you could get multiple copies of the Shudderwok.

Another crazy one is Grumble, Worldshaker which is a legendary shaman minion that says, “Return your other minions to your hand. They cost (1).” Well, if you made a copy of Shudderwok with Saronite Chain Gang and then you returned all other minions to your hand, now you’ve got another Shudderwok that costs 1 mana so you can start chaining Shudderwoks in a horrible way that is just dirty. I think there are going to be a lot of fun combos there.

M: Another card you showed is Genn Greymane which says, “Start of Game: If your deck has only even-cost cards, your starting Hero Power costs (1).” Have you found an effective deck for using that?

BB: That question is really fun to answer actually. Going through your collection, you can actually sort by even mana cost cards or odd mana cost cards, looking at how that combines with each class. There are really 18 new deck archetypes because there are 9 even-cost decks and 9 odd-cost decks because there are 9 classes. So figuring out which of those combinations are going to work fantastically and which cards to put into your deck to make that work is a really fun process I think players are going to love when the set comes out.

M: With Hearthstone being a successful mobile and PC game, do you think you can see it on other platforms like the Switch or any other console?

BB: It’s possible but right now we don’t have any plans to do that. We are already on mobile so a lot of players who have Switches also have mobile devices and they could play on those devices or tablets. There are things like you have to be online to play with players and you keep your collection online so there’s stuff that is just a little more challenging there.

I love the Switch; I’m a big fan of that console. I have a Switch that I play all the time so I think everyone gets how awesome it is. I’m not sure that Hearthstone would be 100 percent perfect there. Also, we’re also servicing a lot of those players via mobile and tablet. So, I don’t know but we don’t have any current plans.

M: When does The Witchwood come out?

BB: April 12th! I’m excited, it’s coming right up.

If you want to get familiar with Hearthstone before the next expansion launches, it is available now on PC, Android, and iOS devices. You can also check out The Witchwood‘s announcement trailer.

[mredwinsmith]

Activision And Blizzard Announce New Licensing and Retail Partners

Set for ongoing growth with a slate of world-class entertainment properties, Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group (ABCPG) arrives at Licensing Expo 2018 with an all-star roster of licensing and retail partners. Through gameplay, film and television content, esports events and consumer products, Activision and Blizzard Entertainment are creating depth, breadth and longevity of engagement around their franchises and across platforms. A year into the group’s formation, ABCPG is successfully delivering against the company’s franchises, including Blizzard’s Overwatch® and Activision’s Call of Duty®, among others.

The merchandising program for Overwatch is significantly expanding. Hasbro has been awarded the master toy license for the franchise with plans for a wide range of play experiences including a NERF product line, games and more. Additionally,LEGO® Group has plans for multiple Overwatch building sets across various price points. Further, Overwatch is just one of many Blizzard Entertainment properties featured in the recently announced exclusive apparel line from UNIQLO as part of its Spring/Summer 2018 collection that launched globally on May 18.

The pop culture phenomenon Call of Duty franchise continues to realize massive success, and Activision is poised to have the largest merchandising program to date based on product category and global expansion. This year Black Ops is back! The highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, scheduled for release on October 12, perfectly lends itself to new categories including collectibles and allows for a richer assortment of assets to support the massive game experience built for fans. Design agency PowerStation Studios is bringing new creative to life that’s expanding the depth and breadth of the program and supporting partners across various international markets.

Esports has emerged as a significant opportunity that engages millions of players and spectators worldwide. Activision Blizzard is at the forefront of competitive gaming with the Call of Duty World League, MLG Network and the Overwatch League, the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams. A robust apparel line is at the center of the merchandising program, designed to appeal to a massive global audience of gamers. ABCPG is currently seeking best-in-class partners across all product categories to explore burgeoning licensing and merchandising prospects targeting a new era of fans.

“Since debuting at last year’s Licensing Expo, we’ve begun to successfully realize our vision of offering more value and more opportunities for our global licensing and retail partners by leveraging the blockbuster franchises that Activision and Blizzard have created and expanded over many years of dedicated development,” said Tim Kilpin, CEO and president, Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group. “For our hundreds of millions of players around the world, we’re working hard to build lasting global franchises that they can connect with across game platforms and through esports and vibrant transmedia story content. We are well positioned to continue playing a leading role in shaping the future of entertainment.”

Located in Booth #U202, additional highlights of Activision Blizzard’s slate coming to Licensing Expo 2018 include:

Activision Highlights

Call of Duty: New partners include: McFarlane (Collectible Figures); USAopoly (Risk and Monopoly board games in North America); Pyramid (Homeware, Accessories); Poetic Gem (Apparel); Park Agency (Knitwear); andClairefontaine (Stationery). They join returning partners including Mattel (Collectible Construction Sets); Exquisite Gaming (Cable Guys, Crates); KontrolFreek (Gaming Controller Accessories); Bioworld International (Apparel, Accessories);Astro Gaming (Headsets); Trends (Poster & Calendars); among many others.

  Crash Bandicoot: The massive popularity of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will lead to platform expansion on June 29 and an expanded roster of partners to include: Just Toys (Backpack Hangers), BDA (Controllers, Accessories);Pyramid (Homeware, Accessories); NECA/Kidrobot (Collectibles); GameStop (Totaku figures); and Park Agency (Knitwear).  Returning partners include Changes (Apparel); Concept One (Accessories); Rubber Road (Apparel, Accessories),) and Funko (POP! Vinyl figures)

  Spyro: In celebration of Spyro’s 20th anniversary, Activision is releasing Spyro Reignited Trilogy. The trilogy features all the nostalgia and fun of the three original Spyro games in a dynamic remastered collection. Activision is building a consumer products program to support the launch on September 21 with partners including: Funko (POP! Vinyl Figures); Changes (Apparel); NECA/Kidrobot (Collectibles); Surreal (Drinkware); Rubber Road (Apparel, Accessories); GameStop (Totaku Figures); Pyramid (Homeware, Accessories); and Exquisite Gaming (Cable Guys & Crates).

  Bungie’s Destiny: Their licensing program continues to give fans new ways of experiencing the rich characters and worlds of Destiny. New and returning partners include: Blizzard Publishing (Books); McFarlane Toys (Action Figures, Statues); Mattel (Construction Sets);Funko (Vinyl Figures); ThinkGeek (Vinyl Figures, Apparel, Accessories); Rocklove (Jewelry); Razer (PC Gaming Accessories); Surreal Entertainment (Drinkware), The Coop (Collectibles, Accessories); USAopoly (Puzzles, Chess Set, Playing Cards); Rubber Road (Apparel, Accessories) and Gaya Entertainment (Apparel, Collectibles). The merchandising program is seeing international expansion with the appointment of Bits and Pixels as the licensing agency for the EMEA territories. For licensing inquires related to Destiny, please contact:licensing@bungie.com.

Blizzard Highlights

Overwatch: With a player base of 40 million¹, Overwatch’s wide appeal continues to drive a robust merchandising program supported by new and returning partners including: Hasbro (Master Toy); NERF (Blasters); LEGO Group(Construction); UNIQLO (Apparel); Bioworld International (Bags, Accessories); Spirit Halloween (Costumes); Disguise (Costumes); Brown Trout (Calendars); Insight Editions (Stationery, Cookbook); Trends (Posters, Sticker Packs); Just Toys (Sticker Books); Good Smile Company (Figures); Razer (PC Peripherals); J!nx (Apparel, Accessories); Dark Horse (Artbook); Funko (Apparel, Bags, Home Accessories, Figures); and Scholastic (Books).

 World of Warcraft®: More than 100 million passionate players have enjoyed the ever-evolving online adventure of Blizzard’s seminal massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft¹. Partners include: Brown Trout(Calendars); Del Rey (Novels); Panini International (Novels); AST (Novels); Jeu Media (Publishing); Ju Ju Be (Bags and Accessories); J!nx (Apparel, Accessories); Insight Editions (Cookbook); Funko (Figures); and Dark Horse (Publishing).

Hearthstone®: Blizzard recently launched the 12th content release for Hearthstone, its internationally acclaimed free-to-play digital card game that continues to engage and delight a massive global audience across PC and mobile platforms. Licensees include: Insight Editions (Pop-up Book); Displate (Fine Art); Panini International (Art Book); and Huginn & Muninn (Art Book).

from AwesomeToyBlog https://ift.tt/2KItsq3

[abnormalpublishing]

Hey, folks.

Now that things are less hectic, I finally got around to doing my write-up about BlizzCon. It’s a little late, sure, but it’s better than never!

Welcome to Blizzard World

What is BlizzCon? For many, it’s a haven where thousands of gamers that are passionate about video games go. Specifically, Blizzard Entertainment video games. With its franchise titles World of Warcraft (WoW), Diablo, StarCraft, and new IPs: Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, and Overwatch. It’s a place where so many people come together in the appreciation of video games, their beloved game(s), to meet friends from their online adventures, or socialize with others from the community.

For other folks, it’s just another convention that people attend.

Blizzard takes over the Anaheim Convention Center, and I do mean takes over. Spared no expense, it’s pretty close to heaven on earth.

Preparation. Problems. Shenanigans

For many years, I yearned to go to California for this specific event. Often, life would hinder that. Kids, appointments, mental issues, and of course, monetary issues.

My wife and I decided that we’d make our stake and try to go for our ten year anniversary. I figured that I’d get benefit dinner tickets, bring copies of my books, and it’d be epic. However, hindrances would present themselves.

I was persistent; I figured I would buy a ticket through the current system. That went south, as tickets sold out in seconds. I was crushed (like so many others that didn’t get a ticket). The next waves came and went. No tickets. General admission or benefit dinner. I tried eBay next. Bad move.

Luckily I used PayPal, honestly. I almost lost out on my money (lesson learned). Thanks to a Blizzard employee, and the coordination of PayPal and eBay, I was refunded. It was disgusting to hear that more reports where coming in that this same person were scamming other people.

I was lucky though. I had a friend of a friend that I played with that was able to get my wife and I a ticket. Color me super thankful.

We had made preparations months in advance. I made up some shirts for the missus and I. Soon; it’d be October…and we could not wait for vacation time.

Anxiety was present a lot. Especially, with the ticket ordeal. However, once we had legit tickets, it lessened. Though, we had never been away from our kids as far as an hour or two away. Going to California made nonsensical things just flood our minds. Ah, being parents.

Naturally, it was just us being us and making mountains out of molehills. Once we landed in L.A., we were fine. We were in for three days of fun times.

The Days of Our Gaming Lives

Day one involved going to the Blizzard Entertainment campus in Irvine. We met up with our friend who gave us a tour of the campus. It was a hell of a spectacle. I was a bit overwhelmed at first but settled in well.

A lot of places were off limits or being remodeled. You know, obvious reasons are obvious. Of the places we went to, I think my favorite place was the library. Seriously, that area is incredible. So much nostalgia, games, comics, books. It’s a wet dream.

Later on, we spent 2.5 hours in line at the Blizzard store. It was with it in the end. That Sylvanas statue—awesome. That night, I got to meet up with a few friends, made some new ones, shenanigans happened. In short, it was a great night.

Day two of our time there, was the cinematic, meeting up with more friends, lots of walking. Lots. I got signatures, pictures of the many various booths, and so much more. It was a long epic day. I think we made our step goals a few times over, ha.

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Day three and our final day was off to a good start with recovering from sore feet. Announcements, meeting Michelle, Chelsea, Christie, and other great people in lines. The cake was Muse closing out though. The best part? Behind my wife and I was plenty of Blizzard employees rocking out. One, in particular, caught my eye and for a good reason, he’s the CEO of Blizzard Entertainment—Mike Morhaime.

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I had written him some months prior back via email and stated my family’s and I story. I thanked him and everyone else at Blizzard for WoW. It’s where my wife and I met, and where we’d go to escape the real world’s shenanigans.

We talked to him for a bit, shook his hand, and asked if he’d take a picture with us. Legendary!

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Closing Time

Now, that it was all over, what next?

Well, we went back to the Marriott for dinner. After being sat down, I noticed there was a large table before us. A gentleman, in particular, caught my eye. Why? His personality and his bowtie. Darin De Paul and several of the voice cast of Overwatch were having dinner in front of us. It was one of those awesome moments.

Once it looked like they were about ready to leave, a few tables asked for autographs and a picture. They seemed more than happy to oblige. Soon, there was a bit of commotion. My friends and I asked for a photo. Thus, sealing the icing on the legendary cake.

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It was a trip, a thrill ride of monumental proportions. I advise anyone that’s a fan of WoW, Diablo, StarCraft, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, or just games in general, to go to a BlizzCon. It’s honestly a fantastic experience. If I could, I would go every year (whether to cover it or something else).

Which, it has us wondering, what will top our 15th or 20th anniversary?

I guess we’ll find out when it gets near that time. For now, it’s back to writing and life.

Speaking of writing, The Chronicles of Bob: The Chronic Suicidal just dropped a few days ago. If you haven’t yet, check it out! It’ll also be free this December 22, 2017, on Amazon!

Until next time!

RJM

#BlizzCon 2017—An #Adventure in #Gaming, #Friends, and #Celebration Hey, folks. Now that things are less hectic, I finally got around to doing my write-up about…

[mukyoucom]

A Dark Hero Returns to Diablo® III — Rise of the Necromancer™ Now Available

From Activision

The definitive gothic fantasy hero reemerges in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls®

Console gamers can now possess the ultimate co-op action-RPG in one complete package with the Diablo III: Eternal Collection™, available digitally at a special introductory price

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Sanctuary’s fallen warriors have long awaited this moment: the necromancer has finally returned to send them back into battle against the demons of the Burning Hells. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the Rise of the Necromancer™ pack, which summons the iconic necromancer class into Diablo®III: Reaper of Souls®, is now available digitally in-game on PC and through the online Blizzard Shop, PlayStation®Store, and Xbox One Store.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://ift.tt/2thxrop

The necromancer rises to join the heroes of Sanctuary in the fight against Diablo. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Necromancers are grim spellcasters who draw upon the power of blood and bone and raise terrifying armies of undead minions from the remains of their vanquished foes. These brooding men and women are masters of the dark arts who seek to preserve the balance between the forces of life and death in Sanctuary—even if it requires detonating several thousand demon corpses along the way.

In addition to a new class, the Rise of the Necromancer pack contains a macabre assortment of curiosities to support any aspiring practitioner of forbidden magic, including:

The grotesque Half-formed Golem in-game pet

Cosmetic Wings of the Crypt Guardian for all your Diablo III characters

Two additional character slots

Two stash tabs (PC only)

Necromancer portrait, banner, sigil, and accent, and Blood Master pennant

Acolytes of the dark arts can also unearth the most closely guarded secrets of the Priests of Rathma by studying the Book of the Necromancer at Diablo3.com/Necro. This archive chronicles the shadowy history of the necromancers and contains a grimoire of their spells, runes, weapons, and armor—an ideal resource for anyone who plans to take the necromancer through the challenges that comprise the Season 11 journey, beginning July 20.

“We’re excited to continue our celebration of the 20th anniversary of Diablo by reimagining one of the community’s all-time favorite classes in the Rise of the Necromancer pack,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We look forward to seeing a new generation of necromancers exploring Adventure Mode, discovering new character builds, and exploding corpses in Greater Rifts throughout Sanctuary.”

The Night of the Necromancer celebration kicks off tonight at 5 p.m. PDT on Twitch as senior game designer Travis Day joins Nerdist’s Jessica Chobot as she raises hell on a new necromancer, streaming her play experience from a haunted location. After teaming up, Chobot will be left to fend for herself as she attempts to survive from dusk till dawn.

Console gamers who have yet to experience Diablo III can acquire a legendary treasure starting today in the form of the digital-only Eternal Collection™, which includes the Rise of the Necromancer pack, Diablo III, and the award-winning Reaper of Souls expansion for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. This expansive all-in-one collection is a perfect jumping-in point for anyone who might have missed out on the definitive couch co-op gaming experience.

The Rise of the Necromancer pack is now available for Windows® and Mac® PCs, as well as on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, for $14.99 USD. The epic Diablo III: Eternal Collection bundle is currently available to PlayStation®Plus members on PS4 and Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One through July 3 at a special introductory price of $39.99 (reg. $59.99 SRP). On PC, newcomers to Sanctuary can take advantage of special celebratory savings of up to 50% off on Diablo III, the Reaper of Souls expansion, and the Diablo Battle Chest. Visit the Blizzard Shop for more information.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and the Rise of the Necromancer pack are fully localized in English, Brazilian Portuguese, European and Latin American Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese. To learn more, and to try Diablo III for free on PC, visit the official website at www.diablo3.com. For screenshots, videos, artwork, and other media, visit the Blizzard Entertainment press site.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the Night of the Necromancer celebration and the release dates of Season 11, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://ift.tt/2thxrop

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Rob Hilburger VP, Global Corporate Communications 949.955.1380 x13228 rhilburger@blizzard.com or Andrew Reynolds Director, Global Public Relations 949.955.1380 x14301 areynolds@blizzard.com or Ana-Luisa Mota Global Public Relations Manager 949.955.1380 x14066 amota@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

News Provided by Acquire Media

The post A Dark Hero Returns to Diablo® III — Rise of the Necromancer™ Now Available appeared first on Ship 2 Block 20.

http://ift.tt/2rYFiDB

[gamingtipsandtrickshacks]

Hearthstone Interview -- Game Director on the Next Expansion The Witchwood

Hearthstone has had quite the journey since its launch in 2014. The popular card game is now in its fourth year still getting content support from the team with its upcoming expansion, The Witchwood. Adding new abilities, cards, and game modes are more than enough to reel in players new and old.

At PAX East 2018, DualShockers had the chance to play the new expansion, as well as speak with Hearthstone‘s Game Director Ben Brode about the new expansion as well as the future of the Warcraft-themed card game.

Michael: What are the new features coming to Hearthstone‘s next expansion, The Witchwood?

Ben Brode: One of the things I am most excited about is the new Monster Hunt mode. It’s a totally free single player experience. Players loved Dungeon Runs when they came out in Kobolds & Catacombs; Monster Hunt takes that to the next level custom designed heroes with their own hero powers, nemeses they have to fight at the end of their runs, and they’ll all team up together in an epic boss finale against the witch of the Witchwood, Hagatha. It’s super free and really, really fun.

It has a really high difficulty level, so players will have a lot of fun getting through all of these Dungeon Run encounters and I think this is going to be one of the best things to come back and play. You don’t need a collection so even if you’re brand new to Hearthstone or worried about coming back, you don’t need to worry about anything except to have fun.

M: In the new Monster Hunt mode, since you are going against multiple bosses, when you lose do you restart from the beginning or from the last boss you defeated?

BB: It’s permadeath; you’re building up your deck, you’re making choices, you’re choosing powerful treasures for your deck along the way but if you die, you have to start all over from the beginning. It’s actually really fun because you get a new chance to see new treasures and it is pretty random which bosses you’re going to find so each run is a totally new experience.

M: So each time you play, it won’t be the same bosses every time except for the end?

BB: Right. In Dungeon Run, we had 48 bosses and 8 of them were shuffled together to form your run so you never know what bosses you are going to find.

M: What are some of the new card abilities in the new expansion?

BB: There are a couple new keywords in the set. One of them is Echo which appears on certain cards that lets you play the card as many times as you want as long as you have the mana. You can save it for the late game and play it 3 or 4 times or if you need to, play it early in the game if you’re worried about getting pressure from your opponent. That flexibility means that they are very powerful and choosing the right time to play them is really important.

Another new one is Rush which means you can attack minions immediately which lets you get back into the game quickly. It’s a lot like Charge. It has all the upsides of Charge without its downsides, especially with ending the game in one turn. We are really excited about Rush. A lot of the mains in the set have Rush and are very stat-wise compared to Charge mains.

M: Something I’ve always been interested about card games, in general, is how they are balanced. I feel like that process is so different than other genres. When you implement something new like The Witchwood, what do you take into account when you’re trying to balance the next expansion?

BB: Well, it’s tricky. We have a team of people are very, very good at Hearthstone who are at a super high Legend level who are playing all day with all the new cards trying to get the balance perfect. It is basically impossible to get it perfect because there are so many combinations of cards, right? You can play any thirty cards together so who knows what combinations players are going to discover we never really tried.

We try to have a pretty comprehensive look at things. We look at cards that do something new that is likely to combo in interesting ways. We test the fastest Rush deck and the slowest control deck; we try to test the boundaries of what is that we are doing. We do a lot of that testing, a lot of theory crafting and try to figure out what we think is going to work and how it’s going to work. Then we have the benefit of being a digital game so we can come in and change things afterward if we don’t get it exactly right.

M: Do you have a general theme or vision that makes each class fun to play?

BB: Yeah, absolutely. When you have 9 classes, there is going to be something that gets you excited about one class over the other. Otherwise, it’s a very hard decision to make when they’re all the same; why make a choice at all? So we have to give classes strengths but also, we have to give classes weaknesses. I think that’s one of the things that makes them interesting to play against. If you know that a rogue can’t heal, then you know that hitting that hero power as a hunter to deal 2 damage is going to stick; you hit that button 15 times and you win and you’re pretty sure of it. So you can exploit those weaknesses and try to use them to your advantage.

“Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.”

We try to really sell the fantasy of the class with the strengths. Paladins are about taunt, divine shield, holy weapons and using consecration and things that you remember from World of Warcraft to defeat your opponents. Warlocks are about power through any means necessary. They are willing to hurt themselves to get the biggest win possible or give away their mana crystals to get more power in the form of demons. Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.

M: Going a bit broader, recently Hearthstone celebrated the 20th anniversary of StarCraft with new in-game items. Something I’ve always wondered is could you see a game like Hearthstone set in a StarCraft, Overwatch or any other Blizzard universe?

BB: It’s possible. I mean, one of the things about the Warcraft universe is it’s massive. There are infinite characters, lands, races, creature types, and storylines. So if you’re trying to release an expansion every four months, it’s ripe for making 135 cards that all feel like they belong in this world. Not that StarCraft or Overwatch are small worlds but Warcraft is just one of the biggest IP’s content-wise of all time. So it’s very easy for us to make that kind of content.

I do think those kinds of games would be fun. We don’t have any current plans to do that but there’s no reason you couldn’t do that.

M: Are you open to crossing universes within Hearthstone?

BB: I don’t know. We did the StarCraft tavern brawl that was StarCraft inspired but still Warcraft themed. We had a tech portal, swarm portal, and a mind portal that are winks at the three variations of StarCraft. So we try to do a loose theming there to celebrate that.

Honestly, I think Heroes of the Storm has got the most direct fantasy of the blending of the Blizzard universes in a way that is super fun. Hearthstone feels like it doesn’t need to go into that space.

M: Going back to The Witchwood, what is your favorite card right now from the new set?

BB: I’m going to have to say Shudderwock is my favorite. It’s totally crazy. It does something that we’ve really never done before which allows Battlecries to be executed by cards other than the card the Battlecry is printed on. It makes you look at every Battlecry card completely differently. You really think about deck building in a totally different way. I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.

“I’m going to have to say Shudderwok is my favorite. It’s totally crazy… I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.”

M: What are some good combinations for a card like that?

BB: One of them is Saronite Chain Gang from Knights of the Frozen Throne. It says “Battlecry: Summon the exact copy of this minion.” Well, that’s pretty good on a 2/3  Taunt but it’s much better on a 6/6 so you could get multiple copies of the Shudderwok.

Another crazy one is Grumble, Worldshaker which is a legendary shaman minion that says, “Return your other minions to your hand. They cost (1).” Well, if you made a copy of Shudderwok with Saronite Chain Gang and then you returned all other minions to your hand, now you’ve got another Shudderwok that costs 1 mana so you can start chaining Shudderwoks in a horrible way that is just dirty. I think there are going to be a lot of fun combos there.

M: Another card you showed is Genn Greymane which says, “Start of Game: If your deck has only even-cost cards, your starting Hero Power costs (1).” Have you found an effective deck for using that?

BB: That question is really fun to answer actually. Going through your collection, you can actually sort by even mana cost cards or odd mana cost cards, looking at how that combines with each class. There are really 18 new deck archetypes because there are 9 even-cost decks and 9 odd-cost decks because there are 9 classes. So figuring out which of those combinations are going to work fantastically and which cards to put into your deck to make that work is a really fun process I think players are going to love when the set comes out.

M: With Hearthstone being a successful mobile and PC game, do you think you can see it on other platforms like the Switch or any other console?

BB: It’s possible but right now we don’t have any plans to do that. We are already on mobile so a lot of players who have Switches also have mobile devices and they could play on those devices or tablets. There are things like you have to be online to play with players and you keep your collection online so there’s stuff that is just a little more challenging there.

I love the Switch; I’m a big fan of that console. I have a Switch that I play all the time so I think everyone gets how awesome it is. I’m not sure that Hearthstone would be 100 percent perfect there. Also, we’re also servicing a lot of those players via mobile and tablet. So, I don’t know but we don’t have any current plans.

M: When does The Witchwood come out?

BB: April 12th! I’m excited, it’s coming right up.

If you want to get familiar with Hearthstone before the next expansion launches, it is available now on PC, Android, and iOS devices. You can also check out The Witchwood‘s announcement trailer.

[gamingtipsandtrickshacks]

Hearthstone Interview -- Game Director on the Next Expansion The Witchwood

Hearthstone has had quite the journey since its launch in 2014. The popular card game is now in its fourth year still getting content support from the team with its upcoming expansion, The Witchwood. Adding new abilities, cards, and game modes are more than enough to reel in players new and old.

At PAX East 2018, DualShockers had the chance to play the new expansion, as well as speak with Hearthstone‘s Game Director Ben Brode about the new expansion as well as the future of the Warcraft-themed card game.

Michael: What are the new features coming to Hearthstone‘s next expansion, The Witchwood?

Ben Brode: One of the things I am most excited about is the new Monster Hunt mode. It’s a totally free single player experience. Players loved Dungeon Runs when they came out in Kobolds & Catacombs; Monster Hunt takes that to the next level custom designed heroes with their own hero powers, nemeses they have to fight at the end of their runs, and they’ll all team up together in an epic boss finale against the witch of the Witchwood, Hagatha. It’s super free and really, really fun.

It has a really high difficulty level, so players will have a lot of fun getting through all of these Dungeon Run encounters and I think this is going to be one of the best things to come back and play. You don’t need a collection so even if you’re brand new to Hearthstone or worried about coming back, you don’t need to worry about anything except to have fun.

M: In the new Monster Hunt mode, since you are going against multiple bosses, when you lose do you restart from the beginning or from the last boss you defeated?

BB: It’s permadeath; you’re building up your deck, you’re making choices, you’re choosing powerful treasures for your deck along the way but if you die, you have to start all over from the beginning. It’s actually really fun because you get a new chance to see new treasures and it is pretty random which bosses you’re going to find so each run is a totally new experience.

M: So each time you play, it won’t be the same bosses every time except for the end?

BB: Right. In Dungeon Run, we had 48 bosses and 8 of them were shuffled together to form your run so you never know what bosses you are going to find.

M: What are some of the new card abilities in the new expansion?

BB: There are a couple new keywords in the set. One of them is Echo which appears on certain cards that lets you play the card as many times as you want as long as you have the mana. You can save it for the late game and play it 3 or 4 times or if you need to, play it early in the game if you’re worried about getting pressure from your opponent. That flexibility means that they are very powerful and choosing the right time to play them is really important.

Another new one is Rush which means you can attack minions immediately which lets you get back into the game quickly. It’s a lot like Charge. It has all the upsides of Charge without its downsides, especially with ending the game in one turn. We are really excited about Rush. A lot of the mains in the set have Rush and are very stat-wise compared to Charge mains.

M: Something I’ve always been interested about card games, in general, is how they are balanced. I feel like that process is so different than other genres. When you implement something new like The Witchwood, what do you take into account when you’re trying to balance the next expansion?

BB: Well, it’s tricky. We have a team of people are very, very good at Hearthstone who are at a super high Legend level who are playing all day with all the new cards trying to get the balance perfect. It is basically impossible to get it perfect because there are so many combinations of cards, right? You can play any thirty cards together so who knows what combinations players are going to discover we never really tried.

We try to have a pretty comprehensive look at things. We look at cards that do something new that is likely to combo in interesting ways. We test the fastest Rush deck and the slowest control deck; we try to test the boundaries of what is that we are doing. We do a lot of that testing, a lot of theory crafting and try to figure out what we think is going to work and how it’s going to work. Then we have the benefit of being a digital game so we can come in and change things afterward if we don’t get it exactly right.

M: Do you have a general theme or vision that makes each class fun to play?

BB: Yeah, absolutely. When you have 9 classes, there is going to be something that gets you excited about one class over the other. Otherwise, it’s a very hard decision to make when they’re all the same; why make a choice at all? So we have to give classes strengths but also, we have to give classes weaknesses. I think that’s one of the things that makes them interesting to play against. If you know that a rogue can’t heal, then you know that hitting that hero power as a hunter to deal 2 damage is going to stick; you hit that button 15 times and you win and you’re pretty sure of it. So you can exploit those weaknesses and try to use them to your advantage.

“Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.”

We try to really sell the fantasy of the class with the strengths. Paladins are about taunt, divine shield, holy weapons and using consecration and things that you remember from World of Warcraft to defeat your opponents. Warlocks are about power through any means necessary. They are willing to hurt themselves to get the biggest win possible or give away their mana crystals to get more power in the form of demons. Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.

M: Going a bit broader, recently Hearthstone celebrated the 20th anniversary of StarCraft with new in-game items. Something I’ve always wondered is could you see a game like Hearthstone set in a StarCraft, Overwatch or any other Blizzard universe?

BB: It’s possible. I mean, one of the things about the Warcraft universe is it’s massive. There are infinite characters, lands, races, creature types, and storylines. So if you’re trying to release an expansion every four months, it’s ripe for making 135 cards that all feel like they belong in this world. Not that StarCraft or Overwatch are small worlds but Warcraft is just one of the biggest IP’s content-wise of all time. So it’s very easy for us to make that kind of content.

I do think those kinds of games would be fun. We don’t have any current plans to do that but there’s no reason you couldn’t do that.

M: Are you open to crossing universes within Hearthstone?

BB: I don’t know. We did the StarCraft tavern brawl that was StarCraft inspired but still Warcraft themed. We had a tech portal, swarm portal, and a mind portal that are winks at the three variations of StarCraft. So we try to do a loose theming there to celebrate that.

Honestly, I think Heroes of the Storm has got the most direct fantasy of the blending of the Blizzard universes in a way that is super fun. Hearthstone feels like it doesn’t need to go into that space.

M: Going back to The Witchwood, what is your favorite card right now from the new set?

BB: I’m going to have to say Shudderwock is my favorite. It’s totally crazy. It does something that we’ve really never done before which allows Battlecries to be executed by cards other than the card the Battlecry is printed on. It makes you look at every Battlecry card completely differently. You really think about deck building in a totally different way. I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.

“I’m going to have to say Shudderwok is my favorite. It’s totally crazy… I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.”

M: What are some good combinations for a card like that?

BB: One of them is Saronite Chain Gang from Knights of the Frozen Throne. It says “Battlecry: Summon the exact copy of this minion.” Well, that’s pretty good on a 2/3  Taunt but it’s much better on a 6/6 so you could get multiple copies of the Shudderwok.

Another crazy one is Grumble, Worldshaker which is a legendary shaman minion that says, “Return your other minions to your hand. They cost (1).” Well, if you made a copy of Shudderwok with Saronite Chain Gang and then you returned all other minions to your hand, now you’ve got another Shudderwok that costs 1 mana so you can start chaining Shudderwoks in a horrible way that is just dirty. I think there are going to be a lot of fun combos there.

M: Another card you showed is Genn Greymane which says, “Start of Game: If your deck has only even-cost cards, your starting Hero Power costs (1).” Have you found an effective deck for using that?

BB: That question is really fun to answer actually. Going through your collection, you can actually sort by even mana cost cards or odd mana cost cards, looking at how that combines with each class. There are really 18 new deck archetypes because there are 9 even-cost decks and 9 odd-cost decks because there are 9 classes. So figuring out which of those combinations are going to work fantastically and which cards to put into your deck to make that work is a really fun process I think players are going to love when the set comes out.

M: With Hearthstone being a successful mobile and PC game, do you think you can see it on other platforms like the Switch or any other console?

BB: It’s possible but right now we don’t have any plans to do that. We are already on mobile so a lot of players who have Switches also have mobile devices and they could play on those devices or tablets. There are things like you have to be online to play with players and you keep your collection online so there’s stuff that is just a little more challenging there.

I love the Switch; I’m a big fan of that console. I have a Switch that I play all the time so I think everyone gets how awesome it is. I’m not sure that Hearthstone would be 100 percent perfect there. Also, we’re also servicing a lot of those players via mobile and tablet. So, I don’t know but we don’t have any current plans.

M: When does The Witchwood come out?

BB: April 12th! I’m excited, it’s coming right up.

If you want to get familiar with Hearthstone before the next expansion launches, it is available now on PC, Android, and iOS devices. You can also check out The Witchwood‘s announcement trailer.

[gamingtipsandtrickshacks]

Hearthstone Interview -- Game Director on the Next Expansion The Witchwood

Hearthstone has had quite the journey since its launch in 2014. The popular card game is now in its fourth year still getting content support from the team with its upcoming expansion, The Witchwood. Adding new abilities, cards, and game modes are more than enough to reel in players new and old.

At PAX East 2018, DualShockers had the chance to play the new expansion, as well as speak with Hearthstone‘s Game Director Ben Brode about the new expansion as well as the future of the Warcraft-themed card game.

Michael: What are the new features coming to Hearthstone‘s next expansion, The Witchwood?

Ben Brode: One of the things I am most excited about is the new Monster Hunt mode. It’s a totally free single player experience. Players loved Dungeon Runs when they came out in Kobolds & Catacombs; Monster Hunt takes that to the next level custom designed heroes with their own hero powers, nemeses they have to fight at the end of their runs, and they’ll all team up together in an epic boss finale against the witch of the Witchwood, Hagatha. It’s super free and really, really fun.

It has a really high difficulty level, so players will have a lot of fun getting through all of these Dungeon Run encounters and I think this is going to be one of the best things to come back and play. You don’t need a collection so even if you’re brand new to Hearthstone or worried about coming back, you don’t need to worry about anything except to have fun.

M: In the new Monster Hunt mode, since you are going against multiple bosses, when you lose do you restart from the beginning or from the last boss you defeated?

BB: It’s permadeath; you’re building up your deck, you’re making choices, you’re choosing powerful treasures for your deck along the way but if you die, you have to start all over from the beginning. It’s actually really fun because you get a new chance to see new treasures and it is pretty random which bosses you’re going to find so each run is a totally new experience.

M: So each time you play, it won’t be the same bosses every time except for the end?

BB: Right. In Dungeon Run, we had 48 bosses and 8 of them were shuffled together to form your run so you never know what bosses you are going to find.

M: What are some of the new card abilities in the new expansion?

BB: There are a couple new keywords in the set. One of them is Echo which appears on certain cards that lets you play the card as many times as you want as long as you have the mana. You can save it for the late game and play it 3 or 4 times or if you need to, play it early in the game if you’re worried about getting pressure from your opponent. That flexibility means that they are very powerful and choosing the right time to play them is really important.

Another new one is Rush which means you can attack minions immediately which lets you get back into the game quickly. It’s a lot like Charge. It has all the upsides of Charge without its downsides, especially with ending the game in one turn. We are really excited about Rush. A lot of the mains in the set have Rush and are very stat-wise compared to Charge mains.

M: Something I’ve always been interested about card games, in general, is how they are balanced. I feel like that process is so different than other genres. When you implement something new like The Witchwood, what do you take into account when you’re trying to balance the next expansion?

BB: Well, it’s tricky. We have a team of people are very, very good at Hearthstone who are at a super high Legend level who are playing all day with all the new cards trying to get the balance perfect. It is basically impossible to get it perfect because there are so many combinations of cards, right? You can play any thirty cards together so who knows what combinations players are going to discover we never really tried.

We try to have a pretty comprehensive look at things. We look at cards that do something new that is likely to combo in interesting ways. We test the fastest Rush deck and the slowest control deck; we try to test the boundaries of what is that we are doing. We do a lot of that testing, a lot of theory crafting and try to figure out what we think is going to work and how it’s going to work. Then we have the benefit of being a digital game so we can come in and change things afterward if we don’t get it exactly right.

M: Do you have a general theme or vision that makes each class fun to play?

BB: Yeah, absolutely. When you have 9 classes, there is going to be something that gets you excited about one class over the other. Otherwise, it’s a very hard decision to make when they’re all the same; why make a choice at all? So we have to give classes strengths but also, we have to give classes weaknesses. I think that’s one of the things that makes them interesting to play against. If you know that a rogue can’t heal, then you know that hitting that hero power as a hunter to deal 2 damage is going to stick; you hit that button 15 times and you win and you’re pretty sure of it. So you can exploit those weaknesses and try to use them to your advantage.

“Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.”

We try to really sell the fantasy of the class with the strengths. Paladins are about taunt, divine shield, holy weapons and using consecration and things that you remember from World of Warcraft to defeat your opponents. Warlocks are about power through any means necessary. They are willing to hurt themselves to get the biggest win possible or give away their mana crystals to get more power in the form of demons. Selling these fantasies and giving classes unique things they can do is really important for a game like Hearthstone.

M: Going a bit broader, recently Hearthstone celebrated the 20th anniversary of StarCraft with new in-game items. Something I’ve always wondered is could you see a game like Hearthstone set in a StarCraft, Overwatch or any other Blizzard universe?

BB: It’s possible. I mean, one of the things about the Warcraft universe is it’s massive. There are infinite characters, lands, races, creature types, and storylines. So if you’re trying to release an expansion every four months, it’s ripe for making 135 cards that all feel like they belong in this world. Not that StarCraft or Overwatch are small worlds but Warcraft is just one of the biggest IP’s content-wise of all time. So it’s very easy for us to make that kind of content.

I do think those kinds of games would be fun. We don’t have any current plans to do that but there’s no reason you couldn’t do that.

M: Are you open to crossing universes within Hearthstone?

BB: I don’t know. We did the StarCraft tavern brawl that was StarCraft inspired but still Warcraft themed. We had a tech portal, swarm portal, and a mind portal that are winks at the three variations of StarCraft. So we try to do a loose theming there to celebrate that.

Honestly, I think Heroes of the Storm has got the most direct fantasy of the blending of the Blizzard universes in a way that is super fun. Hearthstone feels like it doesn’t need to go into that space.

M: Going back to The Witchwood, what is your favorite card right now from the new set?

BB: I’m going to have to say Shudderwock is my favorite. It’s totally crazy. It does something that we’ve really never done before which allows Battlecries to be executed by cards other than the card the Battlecry is printed on. It makes you look at every Battlecry card completely differently. You really think about deck building in a totally different way. I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.

“I’m going to have to say Shudderwok is my favorite. It’s totally crazy… I think it’s one of the most exciting cards in the set.”

M: What are some good combinations for a card like that?

BB: One of them is Saronite Chain Gang from Knights of the Frozen Throne. It says “Battlecry: Summon the exact copy of this minion.” Well, that’s pretty good on a 2/3  Taunt but it’s much better on a 6/6 so you could get multiple copies of the Shudderwok.

Another crazy one is Grumble, Worldshaker which is a legendary shaman minion that says, “Return your other minions to your hand. They cost (1).” Well, if you made a copy of Shudderwok with Saronite Chain Gang and then you returned all other minions to your hand, now you’ve got another Shudderwok that costs 1 mana so you can start chaining Shudderwoks in a horrible way that is just dirty. I think there are going to be a lot of fun combos there.

M: Another card you showed is Genn Greymane which says, “Start of Game: If your deck has only even-cost cards, your starting Hero Power costs (1).” Have you found an effective deck for using that?

BB: That question is really fun to answer actually. Going through your collection, you can actually sort by even mana cost cards or odd mana cost cards, looking at how that combines with each class. There are really 18 new deck archetypes because there are 9 even-cost decks and 9 odd-cost decks because there are 9 classes. So figuring out which of those combinations are going to work fantastically and which cards to put into your deck to make that work is a really fun process I think players are going to love when the set comes out.

M: With Hearthstone being a successful mobile and PC game, do you think you can see it on other platforms like the Switch or any other console?

BB: It’s possible but right now we don’t have any plans to do that. We are already on mobile so a lot of players who have Switches also have mobile devices and they could play on those devices or tablets. There are things like you have to be online to play with players and you keep your collection online so there’s stuff that is just a little more challenging there.

I love the Switch; I’m a big fan of that console. I have a Switch that I play all the time so I think everyone gets how awesome it is. I’m not sure that Hearthstone would be 100 percent perfect there. Also, we’re also servicing a lot of those players via mobile and tablet. So, I don’t know but we don’t have any current plans.

M: When does The Witchwood come out?

BB: April 12th! I’m excited, it’s coming right up.

If you want to get familiar with Hearthstone before the next expansion launches, it is available now on PC, Android, and iOS devices. You can also check out The Witchwood‘s announcement trailer.

[mukyoucom]

A DARK HERO RETURNS TO DIABLO® III— RISE OF THE NECROMANCER™ NOW AVAILABLE

From Blizzard

IRVINE, Calif.—June 27, 2017—Sanctuary’s fallen warriors have long awaited this moment: the necromancer has finally returned to send them back into battle against the demons of the Burning Hells. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the Rise of the Necromancer™ pack, which summons the iconic necromancer class into Diablo® III: Reaper of Souls®, is now available digitally in-game on PC and through the online Blizzard Shop, PlayStation®Store, and Xbox One Store.

Necromancers are grim spellcasters who draw upon the power of blood and bone and raise terrifying armies of undead minions from the remains of their vanquished foes. These brooding men and women are masters of the dark arts who seek to preserve the balance between the forces of life and death in Sanctuary—even if it requires detonating several thousand demon corpses along the way.

In addition to a new class, the Rise of the Necromancer pack contains a macabre assortment of curiosities to support any aspiring practitioner of forbidden magic, including:

The grotesque Half-formed Golem in-game pet

Cosmetic Wings of the Crypt Guardian for all your Diablo III characters

Two additional character slots

Two stash tabs (PC only)

Necromancer portrait, banner, sigil, and accent, and Blood Master pennant

Acolytes of the dark arts can also unearth the most closely guarded secrets of the Priests of Rathma by studying the Book of the Necromancer at Diablo3.com/Necro. This archive chronicles the shadowy history of the necromancers and contains a grimoire of their spells, runes, weapons, and armor—an ideal resource for anyone who plans to take the necromancer through the challenges that comprise the Season 11 journey, beginning July 20.

 “We’re excited to continue our celebration of the 20th anniversary of Diablo by reimagining one of the community’s all-time favorite classes in the Rise of the Necromancer pack,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We look forward to seeing a new generation of necromancers exploring Adventure Mode, discovering new character builds, and exploding corpses in Greater Rifts throughout Sanctuary.”

The Night of the Necromancer celebration kicks off tonight at 5 p.m. PDT on Twitch as senior game designer Travis Day joins Nerdist’s Jessica Chobot as she raises hell on a new necromancer, streaming her play experience from a haunted location. After teaming up, Chobot will be left to fend for herself as she attempts to survive from dusk till dawn.

Console gamers who have yet to experience Diablo III can acquire a legendary treasure starting today in the form of the digital-only Eternal Collection™, which includes the Rise of the Necromancer pack, Diablo III, and the award-winning Reaper of Souls expansion for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. This expansive all-in-one collection is a perfect jumping-in point for anyone who might have missed out on the definitive couch co-op gaming experience.

The Rise of the Necromancer pack is now available for Windows® and Mac® PCs, as well as on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, for $14.99 USD. The epic Diablo III: Eternal Collection bundle is currently available to PlayStation®Plus members on PS4 and Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One through July 3 at a special introductory price of $39.99 (reg. $59.99 SRP). On PC, newcomers to Sanctuary can take advantage of special celebratory savings of up to 50% off on Diablo III, the Reaper of Souls expansion, and the Diablo Battle Chest. Visit the Blizzard Shop for more information.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and the Rise of the Necromancer pack are fully localized in English, Brazilian Portuguese, European and Latin American Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese. To learn more, and to try Diablo III for free on PC, visit the official website at www.diablo3.com. For screenshots, videos, artwork, and other media, visit the Blizzard Entertainment press site.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the Night of the Necromancer celebration and the release dates of Season 11, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

The post A DARK HERO RETURNS TO DIABLO® III— RISE OF THE NECROMANCER™ NOW AVAILABLE appeared first on Ship 2 Block 20.

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