When Riot Games’ Valorant was first released, the Agent known as Brimstone was probably one of the most-played characters. This is not altogether surprising given the fact that the game only has three Agents available in the Controller category and he’s one of them. The other two Agents are Omen and Viper, and Brimstone was easily above both of them—especially during the game’s early beta days—because of his Orbital Strike Ultimate and how he was generally easy to learn and control.
As time went on, however, and more and more players experimented with the different characters, fans began to realize that Omen was not only better, but was capable of more. In addition to that, Riot Games nerfed Brimstone a few times as well. As such, his playtime saw a significant decline.
That being said, many players think that the new “Omen meta” is a mere substitute of the “Sage meta” that had to come to an end when the character got nerfed by the developer. This is why many Brimstone users are hoping that Riot Games will bring him back to the competitive scene and rival against Omen. This wouldn’t be a bad idea too, as doing so would add character variety.
Now, one of these Brimstone fans took to Reddit to voice out their thoughts regarding this matter. The fan, who goes by “abzoluut” on the social media platform, posted on the Valorant subreddit saying that Brimstone needs to be buffed—and one of Riot Games’ developers replied.
The Riot Games developer, who goes by “Altombre” on Reddit, spoke on behalf of the studio by saying they agree that Brimstone should be given at least a few buffs. What makes this interaction even better is that Altombre confirmed that Brimstone will receive buffs “very soon.”
Unfortunately, the developer didn’t share when these buffs will go live and what kind of buffs they’re going to be. However, we can make a couple of educated guesses about the former. Well, for one thing, Valorant Episode 2 is scheduled to launch soon on January 12, so that could be a great chance to implement these adjustments.
Abzoluut’s post included a list of possible changes Riot Games could incorporate into Valorant so that Brimstone will once again be an operable Agent. While we don’t know what the developer has in mind, perhaps it will also consider the fans’ suggestions.
We highly doubt that Riot Games will follow the suggestions exactly, but the post highlighted Brimstone’s smoke abilities, and that’s basically the points Altombre agreed with. As such, we speculate that Valorant Episode 2’s patch notes will probably feature refinements for Brimstone’s smoke abilities.
Overall, a character receiving buffs will always be a welcome change in any video game, especially when it’s geared towards a character that doesn’t perform as well as it could. Valorant’s upcoming Agent 14, which was recently leaked online, doesn’t have the same role as Brimstone as well, which means that Omen still remains his competition.
That being said, perhaps Riot Games will sprinkle some love at Viper as well. After all, she’s the only other Controller in Valorant’s slowly increasing roster of playable characters.
MMORPGs are colossal in a lot of ways. Across thousands of titles, they bring in billions of profits each year have fan bases that expand well into tens of millions of people. In World of Warcraft alone, players have jointly logged more time than humans have spent living on this planet – over 6 million years! The best MMORPGs share the charming ideal that any player from anywhere can become anything they want within the corners of these virtual worlds while grinding out some legendary loot in the process.
The gaming community has come a long way from the text-based multiplayer dungeons of the past. To commemorate that amazing ancestry, PvPlive.net has listed the best MMORPGs that players can download and play right now.
Whether players are looking to kick the butt of some kind of a human-cat hybrid or take down the galaxy as a notorious dictator, this list contains everything that can really get at the heart of what makes each of these MMORPGs excellent.
World of Warcraft
Still going strong in spite of being released for more than a decade, World of Warcraft is an instant choice for this list. Players create and take the role of their character avatar, battle against monsters and other players as well as take on challenging tasks.
It is one of the most famous MMORPGs in the world but it has improved a lot since its initial launch back in 2004. World of Warcraft defined the MMORPG genre and continues to add new races, classes, and areas as well as integrate new visual revamps and release expansion packs over the years. It still is a highly entertaining game to get addicted to even now.
Fans of the traditional World of Warcraft game might also want to try World of Warcraft Classic. This is a faithful remake of the original World of Warcraft experience that most players fell in love with. For gamers looking for more of a grind and challenge, this game is an excellent choice.
World of Tanks
This game is one of the most colossal military-inspired games on the market. With more than 100 million players, there is definitely no shortage of battles. It features various military weapons as well as several hundred tanks.
The main campaign revolves around tanks and lets players to manage multiple tanks. The battle heavily focuses on back and forth between individual players. There are six unique modes for fans to pick from: random, special, stronghold, team, tank-company, and team-training battles.
The game doesn’t need rigorous grinding and only needs simple strategizing about vehicle formats and armor. World of Tanks provides fans the addictive, fast-paced gameplay that gamers can find in arcade games. The ease of use and rate of play makes this game one of the most famous war-themed titles out there.
EVE Online
When asking players what modern sandbox MMORPG they would recommend, there’s one prominent game that comes to mind – EVE Online. The 16 years that EVE Online has been around could complete the pages of a textbook.
Its prominence for being a cruel, heartless universe was made of more than a decade of scandal, betrayal, and war. However, that same barbaric culture has also given birth to the type of camaraderie players will never find in other games.
EVE Online is complicated and obtuse as hell and there will be plenty of times players will just stare blankly at their screens, bewildered of what to do. Developer CCP Games has gone to great lengths to make EVE simpler to comprehend, but a player’s best teacher will always be the feeling of failure.
The great news is that several years ago EVE Online began offering a free-to-play privilege, letting players dive into its sandbox with a restricted set of skills and ships to use. The development team has since broadened the program, letting free players even more options of what kind of ships to fly.
Players who show persistence will find an entire galaxy filled with possibilities at their fingertips and this will always be EVE Online’s greatest achievement. It’s indeed a living world where players with the will to climb to the top can always find a way even if that means putting all those daggers in the back of comrades who trusted them as a foothold.
Blade and Soul
Blade and Soul is a Korean fantasy martial-arts MMORPG and if this is not enough to kindle a player’s interest, frankly, we don’t know what will. Perhaps the title’s sophisticatedly designed world – inspired by the visual prowess of artist Hyun Tae Kim – four one of a kind races, and ten fascinating classes will sway away potential players.
Whether they want to take on the role of the mighty Gon, the talented Jin, master of the natural world, Yun, or the mysterious Lin, fighting battles using the quick, high-octane combat system is certainly a joy to play. Combo chains and quick counters are critical in this game, whether players team up with friends to take on a wide variety of dungeons or want to take on other powerful players through PvP.
Star Wars Old Republic
We wouldn’t be able to complete this list if we didn’t include Star Wars Old Republic. This is the only surviving MMORPG based on the hit Star Wars series as this game still has about 135,000 players per month.
In spite of this count, Star Wars Old Republic can feel empty sometimes and a lot of new players appear to be reeled in by promotional campaigns, keeping the numbers decent. The game focuses on developing around the worlds and stories that were more untold from the films.
Not only that, players get solid choices when building their character, from the weapons they use to the skills that players can enhance.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Fans likely are waiting for a few more years before the launch of the next mainline entry in The Elder Scrolls franchise but The Elder Scrolls Online by developer ZeniMax Online Studios continues to have a faithful player base invested in Tamriel and its settlers.
Set decades before the events of games such as Skyrim and Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls Online features a free to explore map not featured in the other titles and has received various DLCs to cater to longtime fans.
The first expansion, Morrowind, returns players to the time of The Elder Scrolls III, while Summerset introduces the events of The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The game has transitioned into free-to-play after the original game and DLC expansions, there is little to lose in giving this game a try since players from the PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Mac can all join in.
Runescape
While the main gameplay of Runescape hasn’t changed much since its original release, there have been considerable enhancements – sufficient enough that players can still opt to play the original Runescape if they so wish.
Players can level up one of the many in-game talents while they play in the world. Consistently enhancing a job can lead to players trading items in the online marketplace to get leverage on the competition.
With a very giving community, new players are welcomed into the game and can receive advice on tasks or how to get started via the in-game chat. With major expansions as well as a mobile port, this MMORPG shows no signs of slowing down just yet.
Neverwinter
Neverwinter is one of the oldest MMORPG – it has been released back in 1991. Its early gameplay was usually compared to Diablo and is set in the lore of the extremely famous Dungeons and Dragons. This means players can pick between various Dungeons and Dragons characters.
However, the only feature that really sets Neverwinter apart is its storyline. Its storyline is so heavy that one of the game’s designers, Jack Emmert, revealed that the game was meant to be played more like a story-based title than a classic MMORPG.
Newer editions of Neverwinter have a combat style more similar to Darksiders. It is a trademark of free MMORPGs and is available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The only drawback of Neverwinter is that its in-game microtransactions are expensive.
Black Desert Online
Korean MMORPGs are usually negatively accepted as ruthless grindfests, and while Black Desert Online doesn’t go far away from that stereotype, it does provide one of the most comprehensive crafting systems ever made for the genre.
While the active, combo-based gameplay provides a lot of fun, there are tons of career paths a player’s character can take in this unique sandbox MMORPG. Players can take on the role of a fisherman, merchant or they can invest all of their time into creating an expansive production empire of beer.
This is all because of Black Desert Online’s complicated node system. Every region is divided up into nodes that give various resources, while lands in the cities can be bought and converted into storage depots, fisheries, and blacksmiths.
Rather than doing all of the hard work alone, players can hire automated workers who can level up and have their own unique skills to do the heavy lifting. It is an aggressive system to understand when players are just starting, but the freedom it gives is unmatched, and it is unlike anything else in the genre.
It can be just as pleasing to spend an entire evening upgrading farms and leveling up workers as it is taking down one of the game’s merciless world bosses. And if that doesn’t suit a player’s fancy, the node system is also the bedrock for weekly guild wars, where guilds rush to seize various nodes for exclusive bonuses, making Black Desert Online an excellent choice if players are PvP fans as well.
ArcheAge
ArcheAge is a very classic MMORPG, with factions, quests, and a totally unimpressive story. However, what makes it one of the best MMORPG out there is that players can ignore all of these and head into the sea.
The game’s ocean is massive. To sail from east to west using the fastest ship in the game will take players at least an hour depending on dangers such as pirates, sea monsters, whirlpools, and storms. There is even a mythical Kraken living in the northern part of the ocean, and it takes an entire squad of 40+ players and ten massive ships, cannons blazing to even cause damage to it. Deep under the ocean floor, players can find shipwrecks full of generous bounties, the most difficult to reach even requires the use of diving gear to reach it.
ArcheAge is free-to-play, with a premium subscription available that provides various perks such as the ability to claim our own patch of land in the game – not instanced, fairly taking up space in the game’s open-world – on which players can build their own house or even an underwater aquarium filled with fish.
Alternatively, there is an ArcheAge Unchained, a new independent version of the game that gives players access to all the advantages of a subscription for a one-time fee. Regardless of what players choose, the magical world of ArcheAge is the ideal setting to embark upon a life of crime on the open waters, where players are basically playing a pirate game and everyone else is an unsuspecting traveler but, rather than a parrot, players take control of a dragon.
The Secret World
When it comes to telling an amazing story in an MMORPG, the whole genre has something to learn from The Secret World. Not only does the game abandon the common fantasy feature for a brave modern one, but it also ties a lot of various themes together – from the vampires to the Illuminati – that it should not make any sense at all, but unbelievably it does.
Not a lot of MMORPGs can say that they have adopted from the pages of The Matrix and Lovecraft and made a success out of it. Like the best of Lovecraft, The Secret World is a unique page-turner that will have players digging deep to discover all of its mysteries.
This love of a tale greatly told is best displayed in The Secret World’s investigation missions that require putting on the detective’s hat to look for clues in order to solve puzzles. Players will have to scour the internet and through backwater, websites searching for that one piece that will make the entire picture come together.
A few months ago, The Secret World was rereleased as The Secret World: Legends, overhauling most of the title’s weaknesses such as its combat system. The revamp doesn’t essentially fix every problem but it does go a long way to making the game much more enjoyable for new players.
Skyforge
The game stands out as one of the best MMORPGs because of its unique mix of exemplary early game, beautiful open world, and one-of-a-kind class system.
Encouraging personal exploration and experimentation, players are able to choose between any class they have already unlocked, letting them significantly change playstyle in just a few seconds without having to go through another several hours of leveling up and everything takes place in one of the alluring game worlds a player can encounter – a charming blend of bizarre sci-fi elements and magical fantasy.
Its early game is intriguing and at the same time varied, with a lot of choices as to how players can accomplish their tasks as well as tons of rewards that let fans choose how they want to play the game. It changes frequently between solo play areas that tell a linear storyline, open worlds that motivate teaming up with other players, and group content that is a lot harder but provides better loot.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy games have been around for a long time and it goes without saying that the series is famous in spite of several problems with a few of the franchise’s releases. True to its form, the first edition of this MMORPG was tough, and then they redid it, and now it is breathtaking.
Players have several choices with this game. Characters come from five unique races, and each race has its own deity, which provides gamers unique abilities. There are two types of quests, Story Quests and Levelquests, which are critical for players to unlock new abilities and acquire favor with various factions.
In layman’s terms, it’s a usual Square Enix game. It provides a unique skill tree and combat system and allows for crossplay on the PlayStation.
Rift
Rift led a wave of new MMORPGs at the beginning of the new decade and has proven as the most volatile of the bunch. Not only do its initial strengths still hold up – the impromptu events that witness large groups of players group together against invasion and the extremely customizable class system – but this game has evolved into one of the best MMORPGs over the past few years, too.
Rift is still being updated with seasonal events, adding new delightful features including a cute mummified zombie companion last Halloween
Given the current situation the world is in, it’s not uncommon for a developer to postpone or delay a game’s release date. Especially with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, which led many employees to start working from home, the development of many video game titles have been directly impacted.
One example of a game that was pushed back is the Nintendo Switch version of thatgamecompany’s Sky: Children of the Light. The developer initially wanted to release it by the Summer of 2020, but it regretfully had to delay its launch due to the pandemic. On the bright side, thatgamecompany has provided its fans with a new release window, and now Sky: Children of the Light will be released on the Nintendo Switch in Spring 2021.
Sky: Children of the Light, otherwise known as Sky as a shortcut, was initially an iOS game that released in July 2019. The Android version of the game didn’t launch until last year on April 7th, 2020. It still had a pretty decent fanbase by that time though, so many Android users were thrilled.
If you’re unfamiliar, Sky: Children of the Light is best described as a social adventure game. Developer thatgamecompany created it to serve as something of a sequel to its other successful game called Journey.
It’s a very relaxing video game, as it allows you to fly above mesmerizing landscapes and environments by using a special cape. Not only can you traverse the different worlds and explore all that they have to offer, you can also level up your cape to provide you with the best gameplay experience possible.
Thatgamecompany announced the delay back in August 2020, and while excited fans were understandably disappointed, a late game is ultimately better than a game full of game-breaking bugs. The former allows you to enjoy a seamless playthrough in the long run, while the latter will only leave you frustrated.
After the news of the delay, fans hoped thatgamecompany would release Sky: Children of the Light in early 2021. Fortunately for them, the developer has confirmed via the new Season of Dreams update trailer that the Nintendo Switch version is set to launch in Spring 2021. However, only a release window has been provided so far, and thatgamecompany has yet to announce the specific release date.
Although the “spring” release window is quite vague and could take place any time between early March to late May, it would make sense if the developer releases it in April. After all, the Android version of the game was released in that same month last year as well.
In other news, thatgamecompany revealed a few details about what mobile players can expect from the new Season of Dreams expansion. Season of Dreams is touted as a “seasonal adventure” that “focuses on the beauty of a community coming together to uplift a local young performer.” Of course, you can expect it to introduce new cosmetics, areas, expressions, and more.
Sky: Children of the Light is a charming game with a just-as-charming fanbase. The Nintendo Switch version will definitely expand its horizons, allowing even more gamers to experience this wonderful title.
Despite being such a turbulent year for most, 2020 was a big year for video games overall. Of course, there were unavoidable pandemic-related delays, but it was also the year when major announcements were revealed and titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons were released.
Asides from these, though, probably one of the major happenings in the video game world was the release of the most recent next-generation consoles, namely the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S.
More often than not, companies usually make sure that the transition from one console generation to the next is seamless. They do this by releasing new titles meant for the next-generation consoles onto the last-generation ones as well, so that gamers who don’t have the new consoles won’t feel alienated or abandoned.
However, it appears that the PlayStation 5 hasn’t been selling that well in Japan, which has caused Sony to quickly implement a change of plans.
Japanese gaming news site GameWatch has recently revealed that Sony has officially terminated the production of all PlayStation 4 models in Japan except for the Jet Black 500GB PS4 Slim. No wonder there’s a glaring lack of PlayStation 4 Pro stock on the company’s online store.
Given the current situation, we can definitely understand why Sony decided to phase out its other older consoles in favor of the newer generation, and we can’t blame it for that. However, what we don’t understand is why the company decided to phase out the PlayStation 4 Pro as well, seeing as it’s essentially the premium version of the base PlayStation 4.
GameWatch’s report states that after Sony successfully sells off all the models of the discontinued PS4’s in Japan, gamers will no longer be able to purchase them either online or at brick-and-mortar establishments. There’s no official reason just yet as to why Sony discontinued the PlayStation 4 Pro as well, but some speculate that it’s because of its price tag.
The PlayStation 4 Pro is priced at $400, which is basically how much the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition costs. GameWatch goes on to say that the Jet Black 500GB PS4 Slim model is the only exception and nothing else. As a matter of fact, even the Glacial White PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro models will be completely phased out once Sony sells them all.
While these product terminations are only officially confirmed for Japan, it makes us wonder if the same thing will happen to the West and other parts of the globe. We’ll definitely have to keep a lookout for any information regarding this.
This also brings us to another point: will scalpers start grabbing this opportunity to sell the discontinued products at incredibly overpriced rates? Probably. After all, the same thing happened with the PS5, albeit in completely different circumstances.
Even though gamers have been having an extremely hard time trying to get their hands on either the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X/S, Sony’s stock prices have been steadily increasing due to the next-generation consoles’ popularity.
Since Sony has already begun its discontinuation campaign, we’ll just have to wait and see how this decision will impact Japan’s PS5 sales as well as the company itself.
Fans of the single-player deckbuilder, Slay the Spire, will be thrilled to know that the game will soon have another way to take up hours upon countless hours of their time. As you may or may not have noticed, roguelike titles have been all the rage these days.
It’s thanks to superb titles such as Supergiant Games’ Hades that more and more gamers have flocked over to this genre, even including the ones who aren’t usually fans of roguelikes. These newer games have successfully shown gamers how lovingly and painstakingly made these titles are, which makes its addictive qualities even more worth it.
That being said, the 2019 sensation Slay the Spire is considered by many to be a quintessential game to play, especially for those who enjoy titles under this genre. It’s a unique combination of two different genres, namely deckbuilding and roguelike, which is why it’s understandable if unfamiliar gamers are hesitant to try it out.
However, just like with Distractionware’s Dicey Dungeons, Slay the Spire was able to seamlessly meld these two genres together to create one of the best and addictive titles out there.
Just like other roguelike titles, Slay the Spire doesn’t really have a deep and immersive storyline to hook you in. It offers a very simple concept, though, which many players might appreciate.
First and foremost, you have to choose a class that you think works well with your play style. Whether you want to play as a stealthy rogue or perhaps a more defensive-type class is completely up to you. As you go about your journey, you will encounter all kinds of bizarre enemies that you have to fight via cards.
You also have to tailor fit your deck to your particular playing style to make the game more convenient and enjoyable for you. You’ll eventually grow familiar with Slay the Spire’s gameplay, Relic options, strategies, the different cards available, and so much more.
Slay the Spire is basically a very simple game by nature, and if you think about it, it would be perfect as a board game. If you agree with this sentiment, then you’ll be happy to know that Contention Games is currently working on just that.
According to its official website, the upcoming Slay the Spire board game allows 1-4 players, and it apparently takes about 45 minutes per player. The fact that Contention Games will be turning Slay the Spire into a cooperative adventure is definitely an interesting concept, and we look forward to seeing how it plays out, especially since the title has always been a single-player experience.
There’s not a lot of information about the board game at the moment, but you can go ahead and sign up on the official website to be notified once it’s launched. There will also be a Kickstarter campaign for it some time in Spring.
Given our knowledge of Slay the Spire and of tabletop board games in general, we speculate that the board game edition will feature complex details that players have to keep track of, such as status effects and potions. Seeing how popular Slay the Spire was (and is!), we don’t doubt that the upcoming board game will also provide solid fun to its players.
We are sad to say that Minecraft Earth will be officially closing down its servers after only being out for two years due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After Pokemon Go’s incredible success, several other high-profile companies followed the footsteps of Niantic by releasing their own location-based Augmented Reality (AR) mobile titles.
Some examples of these include Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Dragon Quest Walk — which is only available in Japan — and even CD Projekt RED has its own AR title up its sleeve called The Witcher: Monster Slayer.
Developer Mojang decided to join the fray back in 2019 with the release of Minecraft Earth. It’s a very interesting concept, as it allows players to “build” Minecraft structures onto the actual world via AR technology. Due to the unfavorable events of 2020, many AR games had to drastically adjust and change directions. However, not all titles will be able to survive until the end of this new year, unfortunately.
After many great adventures, we’ve made the difficult decision to close down Minecraft Earth in June 2021. We’re so grateful for all your support, and today’s last build includes several adjustments to make these last months as fun as possible:
One of the AR games that we’ll have to say goodbye to now is Minecraft Earth. Mojang recently announced on Twitter that the mobile title will be shutting down its servers on June 30, 2021, but players can still enjoy it until then.
Mojang also published a post on the official Minecraft website further discussing the service’s closure and why. According to the developer, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted Minecraft Earth and is essentially the reason why the company decided to just close down the game.
Going outside, traveling, as well as co-op play are some of the most important elements of Minecraft Earth. These key aspects are crucial in order for the AR game to survive and remain interesting to its users. Seeing as we’re in the midst of a pandemic that encourages us all not to go outside, it’s not surprising that this mobile AR title took a hit.
Minecraft Earth players will be able to enjoy one last update, which will be released today. This update in question will remove the game’s monetization aspects and will include all the remaining features and content that Mojang was working on.
Any unused ruby balance you may have will automatically be converted into Minecoins, which you can use to purchase a variety of stuff over at the Minecraft Marketplace. On the bright side, Mojang will give you a free copy of Minecraft’s mobile version if you, at some point, spent real-world money on Minecraft Earth.
Even though Pokemon Go is still popular and thriving despite the ongoing pandemic, it appears that this AR formula just doesn’t work for all franchises. There’s only so many AR games you can fit into your daily walk, and since Pokemon Go is considered to be a pioneer in this department, more people would understandably choose it over others.
We will never know if Minecraft Earth would have had a chance of surviving if we never had this pandemic. But given these certain circumstances, we can’t blame Mojang for cutting its losses. On the bright side, the original Minecraft title is still booming to this day, so much so that it was even one of Apple’s most popular 2020 games on the App Store.
Whether it received good or bad publicity, Cyberpunk 2077 is inarguably one of the most controversial games that was ever released in 2020. From being one of the most anticipated titles of last year to being a disappointment after launch, it’s kind of heartbreaking to see how much the table has turned for Cyberpunk 2077.
The one ray of hope left for CD Projekt RED’s action-RPG is its PC version, which appears to have the best graphics and playability, and the least amount of glitches and game-breaking bugs.
This could be clearly seen in the game’s initial sales on Steam. The RPG reached the number one spot on Valve’s digital storefront with over a million gamers. Not only that, it received Mostly Positive ratings from within 300,000 player reviews.
However, a few weeks have already passed since Cyberpunk 2077’s initial release and it appears that many players no longer want to continue exploring the nooks and crannies of Night City.
According to Steam rankings and other statistics from the past weekend, Cyberpunk 2077’s concurrent players have dropped to more or less 225,000 players. If our calculations are correct, then this would mean that the game’s player base dropped by an astounding 79%. It’s hard to visualize how 750,000 PC players have abandoned the complex, technological world of Night City and everything it has to offer.
That being said, it’s not that strange for a single-player narrative-based game such as this to experience such a staggering decline in player base. Even though it may seem alarming, it’s a fairly common occurrence.
Digging deeper into Steam’s analytics, many titles that don’t have a multiplayer option for players usually see a significant drop in player base around the first month after its release. Plus, considering the fact that many individuals are still stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the holiday vacation, many of Cyberpunk 2077’s players probably spent several uninterrupted hours just playing the game.
As such, we wouldn’t be surprised if they either already finished the entirety of the game or if they simply grew tired of it after long hours of bingeing. Fans and critics alike probably expected Cyberpunk 2077 to be similar to CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which has become such a classic RPG title at this point.
Speaking of which, The Witcher series has been given newfound life despite being released for years now thanks to the Cyberpunk 2077 hype as well as the well-received Netflix series that has become extremely popular. As a matter of fact, CD Projekt RED also announced last year that the Witcher franchise will be getting a location-based AR mobile game as well titled The Witcher: Monster Slayer.
With that in mind, perhaps having a multimedia approach to Cyberpunk 2077 would be beneficial to CD Projekt RED in the long run the way it was with The Witcher 3. Netflix will apparently release an animated miniseries for Cyberpunk 2077 in 2022, so we’ll just have to wait and see whether or not this adaptation will ultimately boost the game.
Last month, developers Bethesda and Mediatonic both seemed to tease that Fall Guys, the platformer battle royale that’s all the rage these days, will be featuring a Doom-inspired skin. Now, Mediatonic has — more or less — confirmed that this crossover will indeed be taking place. As a matter of fact, Fall Guys’ official Twitter account even posted a sneak peek for fans to peruse.
Mediatonic’s post featured a screenshot from the collaboration’s announcement trailer, teasing fans yet again. The image featured a crown, which is one of Fall Guys’ available currencies. The crown in question is on what looks to be some kind of deserted wasteland, possibly even Hell itself from the Doom titles.
It’s quite obvious that the blurry persona in the picture’s foreground is supposed to be Doom Slayer — or at least a little Fall Guys bean who’s dressed up as him. Mediatonic left other hints that clearly indicate that the studio is collaborating with one of Bethesda’s most popular titles.
For instance, the tweet has the phrase “Grab and fall, until it’s done.” Long-time Doom fans will know that this is an obvious reference to one line from Doom (2016), which goes “Rip and tear, until it is done.”
This is the most recent crossover skin that’s coming to Fall Guys, and it won’t be the last. The platformer battle royale is well-known for releasing a variety of skins, especially collaborative ones that are usually only available for a limited time.
For instance, Fall Guys released a Godzilla costume last November 2020, and the skin dedicated to popular streamer Ninja should be up on the game’s store already. Other video game titles have also crossed over to the Fall Guys universe, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Gris, and even Untitled Goose Game. It doesn’t seem like Mediatonic will be running out of ideas anytime soon, as Steam’s Aim Lab application even has its own skin now as well.
We wouldn’t be able to enjoy these incredible and sometimes silly costumes if it weren’t for the game’s massive popularity. Despite only being released in early 2020, Fall Guys had no problem rising to the top of the charts, and now it’s one of the most popular titles out there.
That being said, it has a pretty tough competitor. When it came to being the most searched video game in Google last year, Fall Guys only came in second to another breakout indie game, Among Us. The social deduction game by InnerSloth was initially released back in 2018, but it only became as popular as it is now during the summer of 2020.
As for the classic Doom, it’s no stranger to crossovers, even with games that are completely on the other side of the spectrum in terms of genre. As a matter of fact, many fans have been portraying Doom Eternal’s Doom Slayer and Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Isabelle as the best of friends ever since both titles got released on the same day last year.
Although both titles never really collaborated officially, developer Bethesda has shown hints that it acknowledges the fan-made friendship between the two characters.
Only a couple of days have passed since Capcom’s development team working behind Monster Hunter Rise posted their New Year greetings to the fans. In that greeting, they also confirmed that fans will learn more information about the upcoming title in January 2021. That being said, Capcom didn’t disappoint, as it has just announced a digital event for Monster Hunter Rise.
Fans have been assuming for the past few days that something big would be heading their way very soon, especially since the official Monster Hunter social media accounts have been discreetly changing profile pictures and banners to showcase the upcoming game’s key visuals. As such, the Monster Hunter community has been twittering and buzzing even before the developer revealed the new event.
The fans’ assumptions were right, though, because Capcom made the big announcement shortly after. Excited fans will be able to watch the digital event on either Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter this coming January 7, 2021 at 6:00AM PST or 14:00 GMT. If you don’t want to miss out on anything related to Monster Hunter Rise, then this event is for you and for fans like you.
While there’s not a lot of information about the event itself in the social media posts, the team does mention that fans can expect “big news and reveals” about the highly anticipated action-adventure title during the livestream.
As expected of Monster Hunter Rise’s avid fans, though, some were able to gather even more information from other sources, in this case, the digital event’s Japanese announcement. Well-known influencers within the community, such as Kogath and Gaijinhunter, were kind enough to translate the announcement for those fans who don’t speak Japanese.
The post states that not only will the digital event unveil a brand-new Monster Hunter Rise trailer, but the release date for the highly awaited demo will also be announced. On the other hand, the post doesn’t reveal if the event will also discuss new or returning monsters, which is unfortunate.
Gaijinhunter theorized that fans may be able to start downloading the game’s demo on their Nintendo Switch consoles a day after the livestream event. He goes on to say that the local marketing team for Monster Hunter Rise already has a list of Japanese YouTube content creators to whom they gave early access to the demo.
I think we just got a heavy hint of the demo release date. JPN media said that select Monster Hunter-friendly YouTubers were given early access to January demo and will start sharing their gameplay starting 8am on Friday, January 8 JST. No, I was not one of them. 🙁
Gaijinhunter also mentioned something noteworthy. He revealed when the Japanese YouTubers will start sharing their gameplay of the demo, which will be on January 8 at 8AM JST. The fact that these content creators will be sharing their gameplay on that particular date leads us to believe that the demo will most likely be already available on or before then.
Without a doubt, Monster Hunter Rise is one of the most anticipated games of this year, and fans from all over the world are brimming with excitement to finally get their hands on this new experience that Capcom has brought to the table.
Based on the trailers, screenshots, and other teasers revealed so far, Monster Hunter Rise is turning into yet another exciting addition to the series.
The world came to a halt when COVID-19 hit. Despite this, life has to go on, and the gaming industry is now more active than ever, especially the online sector that saw an opportunity as land-based casinos are shutting down. Let us take at the latest news about the casino industry, particularly in Bulgaria.
Oryx Gaming Comes to Bulgaria
Oryx Gaming has concluded an agreement with Palms Bet to enter the Bulgarian market. In this deal, Palms Bet is going to launch Oryx Games in its platform, along with its German partner, Gamomat. The release is going to come from Oryx Hub.
For now, the game titles that are included in the deal are Fancy Fruits, Ramses Book, and others. The games will be available to players in Bulgaria and other southeast European countries. The partnership will allow Oryx to launch games exclusively from Gamomat. This includes slide-in slots, side game jackpots, and more.
Palms Bet will also have access to the Bragg Gaming Group—the company’s engagement platform that takes care of designing, launching, and maintaining leaderboards, tools, bonuses, and other programs that deal with player engagement. Palms Bet is a known casino operator like Vulkan Vegas casino Bulgaria, and it is licensed by the Bulgarian Gaming Commission. It has been one of the most established gaming operators in Bulgaria for the last six years.
NRA is Now in Charge of Bulgarian Gambling
The National Revenue Agency is now in charge of the gambling industry in Bulgaria. The NRA is a tax bureau of Bulgaria, and federal lawmakers now abolished the State Commission Gambling, making the NRA the new regulatory board of gaming.
The was a report claiming the Chairman of the State Commission on Gambling resigned in February. This report comes after the investigation about the Chair’s involvement in a tax evasion scheme. The Chair, Alexander Georgiev, was said to be linked with gambling mogul Vasil Bozhkov, an operator that allegedly owes $182.4 million in unpaid taxes.
It is this scandal that moved the lawmakers to abolish the commission and give the regulatory rights to the NRA. The future is a little bleak. Sources say that Valeri Simenov, a right-wing representative, has proposed measures that allowed the monopoly of lotteries to a state-owned operator, the Sports Totalisator. This move has forced many private investors in the gambling industry out of the market.
Now, the country’s legislators passed a bill that officially dissolves the State Commission on Gambling to prevent further scandals. Its duties will now be handed over to the NRA, a government body that is headed by Galya Dimitrova.
Microgaming Poker Network Launches in Bulgaria
Meanwhile, a partnership has emerged between Microgaming and the National Lottery AD. The specific arm of Microgaming involved in this partnership is Prima Networks Limited.
This partnership will see the launch of 7777.BG as a poker gaming site in Bulgaria. This deal marks the entry of Microgaming’s poker network in the Bulgarian market. The customers of the National Lottery AD will now be able to use the poker software of Microgaming.
Launched in 2003, the Microgaming poker Network is a respected establishment in the gambling industry. It is one of the longest-operating and biggest poker networks in the world. The poker network is accessible in multiple languages, and it also has 24/7 action. Players from around the world can play here at any given time of the day and find rooms full of other players.
Balkan Entertainment Visits Bulgaria
The Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo commonly referred to as BEGE, kicked off the celebration of its 10th year anniversary. The event happened in three halls of the Expo Center in Bulgaria Sofia.
New initiatives were presented, which includes the Startup zone, Innovation zone, and a contest called Gaming Startup Challenge. The event also paved the way for gambling moguls and companies to discuss concerns. Many companies have joined the initiative, some of which are Novomatic, Alfastreet, IGT, Merkur Gaming, and more. These concerns shall be addressed by the organization with the government.
The event was graced by more than 70 exhibitors from 20 different countries. There were also special presentations, such as the Miss Gaming BEGE and the BEGE Awards.
Today, Bulgaria is a technology hub. There are many high-tech solution providers in the Balkan region, all of which have something to offer for both the land-based and the online-based gambling community and industry. This event was a successful one, and it was organized by the Bulgarian Association of Manufacturers and Operators, also called BTAMOGI.
