Author - boothby

Harvest Moon Heading for Nintendo Switch

2017/05/16

Burlingame, CA. – May 16th, 2017 – In celebration of Harvest Moon’s 20th anniversary, Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, and Rising Star Games, European video game publisher and long-standing partner of Natsume, today announced an all-new title, Harvest Moon: Light of Hope. The new game will encompass twenty years of spirit that has made the franchise what it is today, and will be available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and PlayStation 4! This is the first time the Harvest Moon brand will be on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. The title will be playable on both Switch and PC in the Natsume booth at E3 2017 in South Hall, Booth 2047 in June.

In Harvest Moon: Light of Hope, players begin the game as they set out looking for a fresh start and new surroundings. During their voyage, their ship is hit by a monsoon and goes down. As they drift into a small harbor town, now in a shambles from the storm, it will be up to the player to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse…but it won’t be easy! Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, players will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town!

“Harvest Moon: Light of Hope will set itself apart from other Harvest Moon titles with its depth, including a robust story and clear-cut goals,” said Hiro Maekawa, President & CEO of Natsume. “We set out to create a SNES-style nostalgic game with deep and meaningful characters and events, and we are excited to have our fans play it at E3 and tell us what they think!”

“Partnering with Natsume for over a decade, we’ve been delighted to bring the joyful gameplay of Harvest Moon to fans in Europe and beyond”, said Martin Defries, Managing Director, Rising Star Games. “We are excited to be part of the unveiling of Harvest Moon: Light of Hope at E3”.

As part of the year-long 20th anniversary celebration, Natsume has also unveiled the re-release of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition and Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland for the PlayStation 4, and Harvest Moon 64 for the Nintendo Wii U. Rising Star Games, in cooperation with Natsume, announced its first ever app for smart devices, Harvest Moon Lil’ Farmers. The history of the franchise can be seen at a new site with official release dates, artwork, box art, and interesting trivia. http://www.natsume.com/current_game/games/hm20th/index.html

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands Fallen Ghosts DLC Gets Release Date

2017/05/15

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Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

SAN FRANCISCO — May 15, 2017 — Today, Ubisoft^® announced that the second Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands expansion, Fallen Ghosts, will be available to season pass owners simultaneously on Xbox One, PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC on May 30, 2017. The expansion will release for individual purchase for all players a week later, on June 6, 2017 for the suggested retail price of $14.99.

Fallen Ghosts takes place after the fall of the Santa Blanca Cartel. With Unidad’s military force unable to maintain control over Bolivia, the country is in a state of civil war. To help restore order, the Unidad enlists cartel members, veterans, mercenaries and criminals from various nearby countries as volunteers. Together, they form a new brutal special unit: Los Extranjeros, which is ordered to track and eliminate all American agents.

In this chaotic situation, the Ghosts have one last mission: evacuate the last CIA members and American civilians remaining in the country. Shot down en route to their mission, the Ghosts find themselves in the middle of the jungle, without external support, facing deadly enemies equipped with the latest gear and technology. These dangerous elite soldiers are separated into four distinct classes:

Armored: Equipped with heavy bulletproof plates, they are especially threatening in close combat.
Elite Sniper: Geared up with an advanced movement detector, these Elite Sniper are able to notice far away targets and never miss their shot.
Jammer: With a jamming antenna directly in their backpack, they are able to neutralize drones and interfere with all electronic equipment.
Covert Ops: Equipped with a new prototype cloaking device that makes them almost invisible and a powerful crossbow, they give a new meaning to the word “Ghost.”

The Fallen Ghosts campaign will feature 15 new missions in which players will have to take down four new bosses located in three different regions. In the expansion, players will start with a new character at level 30 and equipped with all of the main game skills. The level cap will increase from 30 to 35, and players will be able to unlock nine new skills including physical, weapon and drones skills.

Fallen Ghosts also features six exclusive new weapons ranging from new assault rifles, sniper rifles and a crossbow that can be equipped with explosive arrows.

Finally, the more hardcore players will be pleased to know that the advanced and expert difficulties have been tweaked to offer an even higher challenge. By turning the HUD off players will get the most extreme and tactical experience possible in Ghost Recon Wildlands.

In Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, players discover a fictionalized future Bolivia, a few years from now, in which players must take down the Santa Blanca drug cartel by any means necessary. Behind enemy lines, they hunt down targets and discover intel, using any of the more than 60 vehicles available, including cars, motorcycles and even helicopters that they can commandeer. To topple the cartel, players have to fight their way to El Sueño, Santa Blanca’s ruthless leader, by breaking down the Santa Blanca drug cartel’s operation piece by piece as they sever alliances between the drug lords and the corrupted government. A PvP mode for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands will be available in the coming months.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, please visit ghostrecon.com.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Announced

2017/05/15

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Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Burbank, Calif. – May 15, 2017 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment today announced LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2, an all-new, original adventure and sequel to the smash hit, LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes. Bringing together iconic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from different eras and realities, along with signature LEGO humor, the latest epic adventure from TT Games transports players into a cosmic battle across a myriad of Marvel locations ripped from time and space into the incredible open hub world of Chronopolis. LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 will be available starting November 14, 2017 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One®, and PC. The game will be released for Nintendo Switch™ this holiday.

“With a completely original branching storyline, LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 introduces amazing new gameplay features, including the ability for characters to manipulate time and a four-player competitive Super Hero battling mode,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “With a huge array of brand new characters from the Marvel Universe, including old favorites in new guises, this game is sure to thrill both LEGO and Marvel fans, as well as newcomers to the series.”

“The LEGO Group is delighted to continue the stories of the legendary Marvel characters in a new LEGO adventure,” said Sean McEvoy, VP Digital Games, The LEGO Group. “Fans young and old will love playing through this all-new cosmic saga spanning the Marvel Universe as seen through the LEGO lens.”

“As we look to bring amazing games to Marvel fans of all ages, we’ve teamed up yet again with our incredible partners at LEGO, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games,” said Jay Ong, SVP, Games & Innovation, Marvel Entertainment. “LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 brings characters from across Marvel’s history into an original story told in a way that only LEGO games can, offering hours of epic gameplay.”

Players will go head-to-head with the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror in an epic battle across Chronopolis, from Ancient Egypt and The Old West to Sakaar and New York City in 2099. Along the way, gamers will be able to take control of a host of iconic characters, from Cowboy Captain America from the past to Spider-Man 2099 from the future along with Thor, Hulk, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Green Goblin, and dozens of other Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains.

Packed with entertaining LEGO humor for fans of all ages, LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 features a four player multiplayer mode, allowing friends and family to play competitively or cooperatively as a team.

Follow LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LEGOMarvelVideoGame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LEGOMarvelGame
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LEGOMarvelGame
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LEGOMarvelVideoGame

Mech_Con 2017 to Host MechWarrior World Championship Grand Finals

2017/05/15

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Geek News, News

VANCOUVER – MAY 15, 2017 – Piranha Games (MechWarrior Online, MechWarrior 5: MERCS) unveiled the first details and opened ticket sales for Mech_Con 2017, the return of the world’s biggest celebration of MechWarrior and BattleTech and host of the MechWarrior Online World Championship Tournament’s Grand Finals https://mechwarrior.com/mechcon. Tickets are now available ahead of the event’s kickoff on Dec. 9th in Vancouver along with special hotel rates.

Mech_Con is a special one-day event hosted by Piranha Games and featuring Harebrained Schemes, Catalyst Game Labs, and MechWarriors from around the world. Join Piranha for the ultimate MechWarrior event and convention to see the latest MechWarrior and BattleTech developments, meet your fellow pilots, and get a front-row seat for the Grand Finals of the 2017 MechWarrior Online World Championship Tournament.

In addition to the Grand Finals’ exhilarating live showdown between the world’s best pilots, Mech_Con 2017 will host presentations from MechWarrior Online developer Piranha Games, Battletech developer Harebrained Schemes, and Battletech universe experts Catalyst Game Labs. Fans can also enjoy demo stations hosted by Piranha Games and Harebrained Schemes, meet with Catalyst Game Labs’ creators, attend developer Q&As, get autographs, and win prizes by entering giveaways.

Every ticket for Mech_Con 2017 will grant attendees a special Mech_Con Decal, redeemable in MechWarrior Online once an update goes live on May 16th, as well as tickets for drinks and meals served throughout the day.

Mech_Con 2017 will take place at The Pinnacle Hotel Harbor Front in Vancouver, just two blocks away from the city’s infamous Seawall and within walking distance to many of the downtown area’s best attractions. Fans can take advantage of special rates for the event by using the “Mech-Con” promo code when calling to book their room before Nov. 8th, or by placing their reservation online through this link: https://aws.passkey.com/event/49173151/owner/2075/home

There’s still plenty of time for newcomers to join the world of MechWarrior Online, a vision of the distant future where war is waged between fighters piloting incredibly powerful and complex mechs, before joining the game’s passionate community at Mech_Con 2017. MechWarrior Online is available to play free on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/342200/

More details and reveals for Mech_Con 2017 over the coming months, but pilots can stay up to date by locking onto www.mwomercs.com

Stan Lee to Appear at Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines

2017/05/15

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Geek News, News

DES MOINES, Iowa, May 15, 2017 – Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer, editor, actor, producer and publisher, today announced that he will make a special appearance at Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines on Friday evening, May 19, and Saturday, May 20. The iconic Lee, a member of both the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, will greet fans, pose for photo ops, sign autographs and conduct an interactive Q&A at the Iowa Events Center.

Known to millions as the man whose superheroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry, Stan’s co-creations include Spider-Man™, The Incredible Hulk™, X-Men™, The Fantastic Four™, Iron Man,™ and hundreds of others. He introduced Spider-Man™* as a newspaper strip which became the most successful of all syndicated adventure strips having appeared in more than 500 newspapers worldwide. Stan currently remains Chairman Emeritus of Marvel, as well as a member of the Editorial Board of Marvel Comics.

In Des Moines, Lee jumps to the front of a celebrity roster that also features John Cusack (Say Anything…, High Fidelity), Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Supergirl”) James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Vidiots”), Marina Sirtis (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th, Hatchet franchises), WWE® Superstars Seth Rollins® and Alexa Bliss ™, Cas Anvar (Assassin’s Creed,
“The Expanse”), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory), Holly Marie Combs (“Charmed,” “Pretty Little Liars”) and more.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The sixth event scheduled on the 2017 Wizard World calendar, Des Moines show hours are Friday, May 19, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, May 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.
For more on the 2017 Wizard World Des Moines, visit http://wizd.me/DesMoinesPR.

Tom Brady Announced as EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18 Cover Athlete

2017/05/12

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Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) revealed New England Patriots quarterback and five-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady will grace the cover of EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18 when it launches worldwide on Friday, August 25. This year’s game will be powered by Frostbite, one of the industry’s world-class game engines, creating a Madden NFL experience like you’ve never seen before. Frostbite delivers a significant visual leap not only to the players, but crowds, stadiums and more. Such a special game truly deserves an equally-special cover athlete.

The Madden NFL cover was one of the few career accolades that had previously eluded Brady, and now he adds the honor alongside his multiple NFL championships, MVP awards, Pro Bowl appearances and more. This also marks the first time in Madden NFL history that teammates have graced the cover in back-to-back years, after last year’s game featured Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

“The Madden NFL 18 cover is a great honor for me,” said Brady. “Especially since I have been playing the game since growing up next to EA headquarters in the Bay Area. I’m not one to believe in curses, so I’m ready to take the challenge head on like always! It doesn’t stand a chance!!!”

Those eager to hear more about Madden NFL 18 won’t have to wait long, as new details about the game, including a brand-new mode, are set to debut at EA PLAY on June 10. Fans can expect to see big things in this year’s title, including new ways to play, and some of the greatest innovation in a generation.

In addition to the cover news, EA also announced pre-order offers for two distinct editions of Madden NFL 18. Fans who pre-order the standard edition will receive numerous benefits*, including the choice of an Elite player from their favorite NFL team for use in Madden NFL 18 Ultimate Team, as well as five Squad Packs, redeemable at launch. In celebration of the Greatest of All Time, those looking for even more can opt for the G.O.A.T. Edition, which gets them not only what’s in the standard edition, but also one of five G.O.A.T. players of their choice for Madden NFL 18 Ultimate Team, and more.

Fans can also play the finished game before launch day: G.O.A.T. Edition owners get three-day early access, letting them start their season on Tuesday, August 22, while EA Access members can play for up to 10 hours starting Thursday, August 17 with the EA Access Play First Trial.**

This weekend also marks the finals of the Madden Championship, the culmination of the first year of Madden NFL’s competitive gaming series. The top-ranked competitors of the series are all vying for their share of the $500,000 prize pool, and the right to be named the Madden NFL Champion. The 2017 Madden Championship airs live on NFL Network, Twitch, Facebook and YouTube this Sunday, May 14 at 9:00pm ET, with a re-air on NFL Network the same night at 12:00am ET. Fans can also get full coverage from the weekend on the Madden NFL website.

Madden NFL 18 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available worldwide on August 25 for Xbox One and PlayStation®4.

EA Access members receive a 10 percent discount** when they purchase a digital version of the Madden NFL 18 on Xbox Live.

The mark “John Madden” and the name, likeness and other attributes of John Madden reproduced on this product are trademarks or other intellectual property of Red Bear, Inc. or John Madden, are subject to license to Electronic Arts Inc., and may not be otherwise used in whole or in part without the prior written consent of Red Bear or John Madden. All rights reserved.

All NFL-related trademarks, including NFL and the NFL Shield design, are trademarks of NFL Properties LLC. All team-related trademarks, including team names, logos, and uniforms designs, are trademarks of the respective NFL Member Clubs.

All player participation has been facilitated by NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

The EA SPORTS™ brand is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. The EA SPORTS studios create connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS games, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

Surviving Mars Announced with Trailer

2017/05/12

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Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

STOCKHOLM — May 12, 2017 – Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games that probe new themes every day, today revealed Surviving Mars, a new management strategy game coming to Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. Surviving Mars is developed by Haemimont Games, an independent developer best known for titles such as Victor Vran and several games in the Tropico series. The new game challenges players to plan and build a functioning colony on Mars, balancing inhabitants’ basic survival needs with sanity and quality of life, all while dealing with the hostile environment of the red planet.

See what awaits in the game’s debut trailer, which is remarkably not set to the tune of “Life on Mars”:

“We feel that strategy and management games are at their best when they let the player experience the unique story being told by their decisions, and Surviving Mars is going to have that in a big way,” said Gabriel Dobrev, CEO of Haemimont Games. “Your colonists aren’t just working to improve production, they’re struggling to survive, and their conflicts and concerns are intense. Surviving Mars lets you understand what your colonists are dealing with on an individual level, and coming up with creative plans for those needs will be a new challenge for our fans.”

In Surviving Mars, players will lead a colonization effort on the surface of Mars, from the very first rovers and supply drops to the construction of suitable habitats for brave settlers from Earth. Every colonist will be vital to the mission as the colony struggles to gain a foothold where the environment is hostile and resources are scarce. With each success, however, players will gain the ability to expand further, and even establish a thriving society – and lead a new generation that has never known the Earth.

“We’ve wanted to work with Haemimont Games for years, and it looks like the stars have finally aligned,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “Expanding our management-strategy catalog has been something we’ve wanted to do for some time, after the successful launch of Cities: Skylines and building the player community around that genre. Finding a developer who shares our core design tenets is always gratifying, but with Haemimont and Surviving Mars we’re going to be giving our players a new experience that’s uniquely their own, and I’m looking forward to hearing the tales of triumph and catastrophe from our community.”

To take the first small step towards landing on Mars, players can sign up now for upcoming news and community activities around Surviving Mars. Eager settlers can find details here: http://www.survivingmars.com/

Open Beta Announced for Mirage: Arcane Warfare

2017/05/11

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Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

TORONTO, May 11^th, 2017 – After a successful closed beta run, Torn Banner Studios upcoming magic ‘n melee multiplayer combat game Mirage: Arcane Warfare is opening its doors to a wider audience of gamers with a new Open Beta, beginning today and running until May 14th. This will be the final beta before the game launches on May 23^rd. Gamers can instantly play the new Open Beta by visiting the Mirage: Arcane Warfare Open Beta page starting now.

Featuring the current roster of nine maps that are cycling through the beta, as well as the latest gameplay and technical improvements to the still-in-development game, the Mirage: Arcane Warfare Open Beta will also introduce a brand new gameplay mode called Arena. The new Arena mode is a 3-on-3, last-man-standing style competitive tournament mode that takes place on an entirely different set of smaller, more close-combat maps. The final game will ship with six Arena mode maps, but two are included in the Open Beta: Spire and Tunnel.

Spire
Fight on the top of a huge monolith. Bait your opponents to the perilous edges of the tower – then shove them to their doom!

Tunnel
There’s only one path to death in this long, narrow level. Meet your opponents in the centre, using wall-jumps to gain the higher ground in this claustrophobic corridor.

Due for worldwide release on May 23rd, Mirage: Arcane Warfare is currently available for pre-order for $29.99 for the Standard Edition and $39.99 for the Special Edition via Steam.

For more information please visit MirageArcaneWarfare.com or the game’s Steam page. Like their game’s Facebook page and follow it on Twitter @MirageGame for future news and updates.

Arizona Sunshine Coming to PlayStation VR in June

2017/05/11

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Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News

Rotterdam, NL – May 11, 2017: Vertigo Games and Jaywalkers Interactive today announced that Arizona Sunshine, a popular VR zombie shooter game, will be making its PlayStation®VR debut next month. This will finally bring the game to VR players on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®4 Pro, with optional support for the new PS VR Aim controller for the optimal shooting experience.

Built from the ground up for VR, Arizona Sunshine is a full-feature game that puts you in the middle of a zombie apocalypse as if you were there. Embark on a journey in search of human contact across post-apocalyptic southwestern America in campaign mode, join forces with a friend in co-op multiplayer, or jump into the endless multiplayer Horde mode for up to 4 players.

On PlayStation®VR, use the DualShock®4 controller to freely explore Arizona Sunshine‘s VR world using teleportation or locomotion movement, and opt for optimal immersion with the new PS VR Aim controller or the PlayStation®Move motion controllers to handle your weapons, gear and consumables with real-life movements: anticipate attacks, manage ammo and aim down the sights to blast your enemies to undead pieces.

Arizona Sunshine was released on PC on December 6, 2016 and went on to earn sales of more than $1.4m in its first month of release. It was awarded UploadVR’s VR Game of the Year 2016.

Arizona Sunshine will be available for PlayStation®VR on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®4 Pro in June 2017.

For more news about Arizona Sunshine, find us on Facebook and Twitter or visit www.arizona-sunshine.com.

Razer Partners with SK Gaming

2017/05/11

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Geek News, News

IRVINE, Calif.—Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, and SK Gaming, one of the world’s most recognized competitive gaming brands, today announced a new strategic partnership. Both brands have pioneered esports, and their continuous support of competitive gaming has helped shape a professional competitive ecosystem and multi-million-dollar industry.

Razer and SK Gaming inaugurated their deal with an exclusive audio sponsorship. Razer will provide SK Gaming team members with the latest pro-audio products. In return, SK Gaming’s players will support Razer during product development and validation processes. With some of the world’s best esports athletes in its ranks, SK Gaming is able to provide valuable feedback that Razer will use to meet the demands of ambitious players.

“We are truly excited to work with an esports powerhouse like SK Gaming,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “We both have a hunger for winning and a deep love for competitive gaming in our DNA, and together we will set new milestones in esports.”

“We are incredibly excited to work with Razer,” says Alexander Müller, managing director of SK Gaming. “Perfect audio is essential for our players and, with Razer, we can be sure that our teams are playing under the best possible conditions. Both SK Gaming and Razer have contributed to the growth of eSports over decades and together we aim to go even further in the future, which makes this a very natural fit.”

Razer’s rich tradition of working with esports athletes has spawned some of the world’s most popular gaming keyboards, mice and headsets. The Razer BlackWidow, the world’s first mechanical gaming keyboard, the Razer DeathAdder, the world’s best-selling gaming mouse, and the iconic Razer Kraken headset series were all developed with professional esports players in line with Razer’s motto: For Gamers. By Gamers.

For more information about Razer’s audio line, visit razerzone.com/gaming-audio.