Author - Jerry Paxton

BlizzCon Returns for 2023

2023/05/17

After four years of gathering online–adventuring through Azeroth, teaming up in Overwatch, traversing the fields of Sanctuary, or warming yourself by the fire in the Tavern–it’s finally time to gather in person once more. We are happy to announce that BlizzCon will be returning to the Anaheim Convention Center on November 3-4 (PT)!

Our players are at the heart of what makes BlizzCon great–a place where games are the common ground for connection and friendship. Whether you’re coming to hang out with friends you only ever get to see online, celebrating epic moments in the games we love, exploring what’s on offer in the convention center halls, or eager to learn what’s next for our universes, BlizzCon is being created for you. It’s the community that has always made this event so special, and we can’t wait to see you all again.

We’ll be back with more details about the show next month including ticketing information, cosplay and other competition details, and more.

For those of you who want to book accommodation now, our hotel blocks are now available.

Whether you’ll be joining us in person or online, we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on and celebrate together. We are counting down the days alongside you!

Stay up to date with BlizzCon and all things Blizzard by following us on Twitter

The PC Gaming Show Returns on June 11

2023/05/17

Jerry Paxton

Now in its ninth year, this summer sees the glorious return of the PC Gaming Show, packed with more reveals and updates than ever before, including the announcement of more than 15 never-before-seen games. Broadcasting from a new high-rise base of operations, returning hosts Sean “Day[9]” Plott and Frankie Ward have scanned the PC landscape to select the most exciting, innovative, and mind-bending projects to showcase.

Drawing upon the biggest trend in technology, the PC Gaming Show will use AI to enhance the broadcast. “AI is 100% guaranteed to make everything better, cheaper, and more effective, so we figured, why not integrate AI directly into the PC Gaming Show?” says host Sean “Day[9]” Plott. “What can possibly go wrong?”

Sean “Day[9]” Plott is a gaming and esports personality whose videos attract more than two million views each month. Plott also recently founded his own game development studio. Frankie Ward regularly hosts international esports events across a variety of games including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends. The duo have been appearing together on the PC Gaming Show since 2018.

“PC gaming overflows with interesting games,” says PC Gamer Global Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti. “Our goal is always to lift up the broad spectrum of novel and creative work happening on PC, from major series like PUBG, XCOM, and ARK to genre-advancing stuff like Valheim, which debuted on the PC Gaming Show in 2020.”

This year’s summer PC Gaming Show is even bigger than usual, featuring 55 games in total, including 16 new game announcements, and special access to developers’ studios around the world. Here are just a few of the games that are confirmed to appear:

Baldur’s Gate 3, by Larian Studios
Dune: Awakening, by Funcom
Frostpunk 2, by 11 bit studios
Pax Dei, by Mainframe Industries
A brand-new game from Klei Entertainment

Last summer’s PC Gaming Show reached a peak concurrent viewership of over 4.3M globally, and was co-streamed by more than 70 channels. This year’s event will be broadcast via twitch.tv/pcgamer, youtube.com/pcgamer, twitch.tv/twitchgaming, Steam and China’s Bilibili platform.

For more information, please visit pcgamingshow.com. Content creators can read about how to co-stream the PC Gaming Show here. You can also discover more about the history of the PC Gaming Show in this article on pcgamer.com.

The PC Gaming Show is proud to be supported by our partners: 505 Games, Grinding Gear Games, League of Geeks, SEGA and Creative Assembly, tinyBuild, Alienware, Frontier Developments, Billy Goat Entertainment, Critical Reflex, Larian Studios, and Eternights.

Crusader Kings III: Royal Court Console Launch Trailer

2023/05/17

Jerry Paxton

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

The throne room is the center of royal power. This is where your vassals and courtiers plead their cases. This is where you gather the relics and artifacts that represent your power. And this is where your majesty is most obvious to all. Manage your regal reputation with the best propaganda tool available to a medieval ruler – the Royal Court.

Royal Court is the first major expansion for Crusader Kings III, now on XBox Series X|S consoles and Playstation® 5. Paradox Interactive’s revolutionary medieval strategy game now gives players the chance to rule their kingdom or empire from a specially designed throne room. They can collect and commission special items, set a budget for food and lodging, and answer the petitions of visitors and subjects as they bring their problems to the royal ear.

Features of Crusader Kings III: Royal Court include:

Throne Room: Available for king and emperor characters, this is a visual representation of your royal court, reflecting all the accumulated majesty and prestige of your dynasty.
Hold Court: Interact with vassals and courtiers as they come to you with their problems, seeking a royal judgement.
Grandeur: Increase the quality of life at your court with fancier trappings and better food, all the better to impress your rivals and attract higher quality guests.
Inspired People: Talented artists, craftspeople and thinkers can work on new projects, adding treasures and artifacts to your court.
Inventory System: Commission and collect special weapons, armor and regalia to outfit your character and boost their skills and prowess.
Hybrid Cultures: Make the most of a multicultural realm, developing a new way of life that is specifically adapted to your population and geography.
Cultural Divergence: Split from your traditional culture, adapting it into something new that better fits your aspirations.

The release of Royal Court is accompanied by a major free update to Crusader Kings III available for all players on console. This update includes the eagerly awaited character designer, which allows players to create their own starting character.

Crusader Kings III: Royal Court is now available for Playstation® 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Please check the relevant stores in your region for pricing.

Jagged Alliance 3 Features Trailer Released

2023/05/17

Jerry Paxton

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

When people talk about turn-based tactics games, very often Jagged Alliance is mentioned as one of the legendary forefathers of the genre. So creating a new installment in the series, almost 25 years after the first one has electrified gamers around the globe, is not a simple task: The memories of those iconic games remain cherished, but times have changed, and players now have different expectations. Nevertheless, developer Haemimont Games and publisher THQ Nordic are proudly adding the long-awaited “3” to the iconic title, indicating nothing less than: Jagged Alliance 3 shall be a worthy successor and an outstanding strategy game when it releases on July 14th, 2023 for PC!

In the latest trailer, we’re gonna spill the beans on what Jagged Alliance 3 brings to the table – and what it doesn’t. Battle-hardened mercenaries who’ve conquered the previous installments might scoff and say, “Been there, done that.” But for you unfortunate souls who’ve never tasted the thrill of a Jagged Alliance game yet (shame on you!), this rad new trailer will answer the burning question you’ve been dying to ask: What is the gameplay like? Does it focus on tactics or strategy? Is there a crafting system? And so much more… Find all the answers you seek in the thrilling new trailer!

Mod support coming soon after launch
After Jagged Alliance 3 has launched, the developers will focus on giving the players the exciting opportunity to customize the game according to their preferences. Initially offering basic mod support, allowing players to modify weapon statistics, adjust difficulty levels, and even display the “chance to hit” percentage, the mod support for Jagged Alliance 3 will continue to expand and evolve post-launch. In due course, players will wield a powerful tool that empowers them to create and share their own campaigns, introduce new mercenaries, and explore possibilities beyond our current imagination!

Jagged Alliance 3 is currently in development for PC and is set to release on July 14th, 2023 at an SRP of $ 44.99 / € 44.99 / 39.99 £ and will receive a launch discount of 20% on Steam – wishlist here: https://thqn.net/ja3-steam

Collector’s Edition
The Jagged Alliance 3 Tactical Edition is available for pre-order now at an SRP of € 129.99 / £ 114.99 and will release along with the game on July 14th, 2023. Please note: this edition is strictly limited.

Pre-Order the Tactical Edition here:
UK: https://thqn.net/414rVRZ
DE: https://thqn.net/425vA35
IT: https://thqn.net/3paHScd
FR: https://thqn.net/3Nz9B0c

More information about the game is available in our biweekly Twitch streams, tune in Thursdays at 11 AM EST / 17:00 CEST on THQ Nordic’s Twitch Channel:
https://www.twitch.tv/thqnordic

In case you missed a stream, you can always read all developer diaries here: https://thqn.net/ja3-dd02
… or re-watch the live stream recordings here: https://thqn.net/3nRdvHo

If you want to learn more about the game, make sure to follow on social media or discuss with other fans in the forums or on Discord:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaggedalliancegame/
Forums: https://community.jaggedalliance.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jaggedalliance

Station to Station Announcement Trailer

2023/05/17

Jerry Paxton

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

PRISMATIKA and Galaxy Grove today announce Station to Station, a brand new minimalist, voxel-art railroad building simulator, which will be pulling into Steam later this year.

In Station to Station, players are tasked with transforming a small rural world into a vibrant, lush environment full of life and colour by placing stations and creating connections to foster growth and expansion. Grab your conductor’s hat and watch the beautiful, tilt shift-inspired, voxel-art world come to life in the brand new announcement trailer:

Aspiring conductors will hop on board and steam through a variety of colourful biomes, breathing new life into dry desert sands, and transforming untamed mountain terrain. As the tracks are laid down a tranquil world will spring to life with an ever-widening tapestry of flora and fauna!

For those seeking to test their management and planning skills, each of the game’s levels offer their own optional challenges, stack bonuses, and unique mechanics tied to every biome. Whether seeking relaxation or mental stimulation, Station to Station has something for everyone!

Station to Station Features:

Enjoy your journey as you embark on a relaxing and peaceful experience
Take in the views with beautiful, colourful voxel art
Upgrade your experience as optional strategic gameplay allows players to earn high scores

Mountain Launches Highly-Customizable Makalu Max Mouse

2023/05/16

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Peripherals News

MOUNTAIN, creator of innovative, premium peripherals with user-centric design to enable gamers and content creators to perform at their best, broadens its line-up of premium mice with the launch of Makalu Max.

True to the core pillars of MOUNTAIN, Makalu Max comes with innovative features, delivers peak performance, features a stylish and ergonomic design, and offers unparalleled customization.

Modularity, flexibility, and freedom of choice are at the heart of MOUNTAIN’s design philosophy. Makalu Max delivers on this front by offering users to not only alter the weight of their wireless mouse, but also fundamentally change its shape.

Following countless hours of ideation, creation, and refinement, Makalu Max is set to provide a perfect blend of customizability and performance. With two sets of modular Side Grips, the ergonomic shape of the mouse can be a slim precision tool or a bold powerhouse – or a mix of both.

Featuring wireless, zero-lag 2.4GHz RF connectivity, Makalu Max delivers high precision and dependable tracking for up to 80 hours of battery life. When it’s time to top up the battery, the mouse can be used while charging with the included braided 1.8m paracord-like Lifeline USB Type-C cable.

The weight of Makalu Max is also user-adjustable, using the three included Weight Discs. They differ not only in weight but also weight distribution, allowing for the user to tailor Makalu Max exactly to their preference.

“Makalu Max’ incredible flexibility and modularity brings to mice what Everest brought to keyboards,” said Bram Rongen, Head of Product at MOUNTAIN. “It enables users to choose their perfect loadout for the task at hand, be it a competitive gaming session or office work.”

MOUNTAIN Makalu Max is now available, in stock and ready for immediate dispatch at https://mountainggshop.com
Pricing:
$89.99
€89.99

Men of War II Open Beta Available Now

2023/05/16

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Fulqrum Publishing and Best Way are today thrilled to announce that the huge open beta for the highly-anticipated real-time strategy title, Men of War II, is available now via Steam until Monday, May 15. The beta features a barrage of playable content including never-before-seen single player missions and a whole host of PvP and PvE multiplayer modes.

Enlisting in the open beta is simple; players just need to head to the Men of War II Steam page, where they can request access to the “Men of War II Playtest”, doing so will grant them instant access. Once downloaded, they will be able to jump straight into three single player missions (also playable in co-op) or try their hand across seven varied maps in four competitive multiplayer modes, and one PvE mode.

In addition to delivering swathes of satisfyingly strategic action, the open beta implements a number of gameplay changes based on community feedback from the Multiplayer Tech Test, which took place in March. Fulqrum Publishing and Best Way remain committed to delivering a dynamic and engaging experience for both new players and franchise-fans alike, and will continue to listen to community feedback, with further additions planned for release and beyond.

The open beta is also already localised into the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Ukrainian, Korean, Polish, Brazillian Portuguese, Turkish, Russian.

The full list of content available in the open beta is as follows:

Men of War II – Open Beta Content

4x PvP Competitive Multiplayer Modes
Assault Zones
Combat
Front Line
Incursion
1x PvP Competitive Battle Mode
Combined Arms
1x PvE Mode
Line Defence
7x Maps
Airfield
Bazerville
Borovaya River
Carpathians
The Coast
Farmland
Winter March
3x Single Player / Co-op Missions
Ambush
Battle of Coisson
Towards Freedom

Men of War II – Changes & Fixes

Gameplay Changes:

Improved vehicle physics – heavy vehicles no longer bounce on the roads and move/explode more realistically.
Velocity of projectiles has been increased.
Units will no longer use all available grenades, ammo, and certain types of ammunition at their discretion during combat without a player’s command. Players can now prevent the AI from changing the type of ammunition simply by right-clicking on the desired type of ammunition.
Units spawning to the map has been improved.
Trench digging system has been improved.
It is now possible to zoom out the camera farther.
Each tutorial mission can now be played separately, not necessarily in sequence.

UI Improvements:

More UI customization options – added a button to customize the minimap and much more.
Added an option in “general settings” to disable/hide icons showing the health of units for better immersion.
Added a separate button for dropping off passengers from vehicles.
Added a Hotkey to activate Direct Control with a third-person view.
Added a “Cancel Order” button to the Hotbar.
The Hotbar buttons have been redesigned to appear more similar to previous games in the series.

Miscellaneous:

Fixed a bug related to target tracking in the Fog of War.
Overall performance of the game has been improved.
Increased responsiveness of the servers. Response time and connectivity to matches have decreased significantly.
Lobbies are now more stable.
Other small changes and improvements.

Men of War II will be available for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and other digital stores in 2023.

Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons “What Lies Within” Story Announced

2023/05/16

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Today ArenaNet announced the second of two free updates for End of Dragons owners will launch Tuesday, May 23. Titled “What Lies Within”, the story will challenge players to dig themselves out of the darkest depths at the bottom of the Gyala Delve and with the help of the Jade Brotherhood and some heavy ordnance, defeat the Ravenous Wanderer unearthed in February’s game update once and for all. On top of this new finale to cap off Gyala Delves’ map-spanning meta event, the update will launch with new rewards, like a new Special Ops armor set, the Mining Hand Drill mace, the Xunlai Nephrite Crusher hammer, a mini phoenix, and more.

After investigating troubling rumors surrounding a Jade Brotherhood mining operation, the commander and allies uncover the source of the mine’s bizarre happenings. A wayward demon, found within the depths of the mine, is using its malevolent influence to torment its victims through manipulation of their most vulnerable memories. Armed with the knowledge of this discovery, and an invention designed to harness emotional energy, the commander and allies must face their literal and figurative demons to heal what lies within.

With the conclusion of this storyline, this update also brings new activities throughout Cantha on End of Dragon maps, including new Adventures like Jade Bot drone mode collection challenges, siege turtle target practice, and skiff races. New ambush events will also begin to appear as the fearsome oni hunt the player across Cantha.

To celebrate the release, Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons will be 20% off from May 22 to May 28.

For more information, including to download the core Guild Wars 2 game for free, visit http://www.guildwars2.com.

Fantasy Flight Games Reveals More Star Wars: Unlimited Details

2023/05/16

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Fantasy Flight Games recently announced Star Wars: Unlimited, a new trading card game that takes place in a galaxy far, far away. Set to release in 2024, FFG just revealed the first cards and gameplay details.

In collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd., Star Wars: Unlimited brings never before seen art and a dynamic game for beginners and trading card enthusiasts alike. Players can expect fast-paced gameplay that showcases characters and settings from the original Star Wars trilogy, including the iconic Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Check out all the details at the Star Wars: Unlimited official website!

Trackmania Comes to Consoles

2023/05/16

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

Today, Ubisoft announced that Trackmania is now available to play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5. Players can also access the game on PC on Ubisoft Connect, Epic, Steam, Amazon Luna* and Ubisoft+, Ubisoft’s subscription service.

The legendary Trackmania hits the consoles with racing still as thrilling as ever thanks to crossplay and crossprogression. Since its launch on PC in July 2020, the game has continued its pursuit of enrichment, bringing new features to feel the joy of racing.

Trackmania offers a unique direct racing experience for players to compete and climb leaderboards on more than 1000 tracks, with a new one every day. Players can also team-up with their friends in two different game modes, Ranked and Royal, and join casual daily competitions. With their different progress in the races, players will unlock new prestige skins, medals and trophies to reward their skills. An official Esports circuit is also available for players looking for new challenges, in addition to many events organized by the community.

Creativity is the fuel of Trackmania’s community with more than 2000 car skins shared by players for everyone to enjoy. Furthermore, this console launch comes with a Track Editor especially designed for console players and hundreds of new blocks dedicated to gameplay and styling, completing a collection of more than 3000 pieces. New collections of pictures inspired by Ubisoft games are available to create and customize in game Clubs with players favourite franchises.

The Console version will feature the same Accesses as its PC version with a free Starter Access, a Standard Access for $9.99 per year and a Club Access for $29.99 per year or 59.99$ for three years. These three levels of engagement aim to fit every player’s gaming preference from regular updated content to full customization features and pro-level competition.

However, the game is not only enjoyable behind the wheel; since 2021, Trackmania is the 1st most viewed racing game worldwide on Twitch, with 30 million hours watched. *

With the release of Trackmania on consoles, the community will enjoy the pleasure of the race and test their skills altogether, longtime players and new ones alike.

For the latest on Ubisoft’s games, visit Ubisoft News at news.ubisoft.com.