champion
Latest
SMITE world champions receive million dollar prize, new character revealed
Tempted to proclaim yourself the best SMITE player in the world? Unless you are one of these five people, there is now demonstrable evidence that you are not on top. The first World Championship for SMITE is over, and the team known as Cognitive Prime has taken home the title and half of the $2.6 million prize pool. Worldwide viewers for the stream over the weekend came out to 78,000 people, which doesn't quite compare to the turnouts at better-known competitive gaming championships like League of Legends. But SMITE's prize pool was larger than the pools for any LoL tournament; in fact, it's the third largest e-sports prize pool ever, behind Dota 2's The International tourney's 2013 and 2014 pools. Coinciding with tournament was the reveal of SMITE's newest god, Hou Yi, Defender of the Earth. He justifies this lofty title with a variety of ranged attacks, movement tricks, and a high resistance to critical hits. Check him out in action just past the break. [Thanks to Sorenthaz for the tip!]
League of Legends reimagines Sion, the undead juggernaut
A new and terrifying Sion is stomping across lanes in League of Legends lately, thanks to a long-overdue "reimagining" and re-release. Riot Games was pretty harsh in its post-mortem of the old version, saying, "Old Sion had countless problems: He was a mage with an ax, he'd end up with two redundant abilities regardless of how he built, his model had aged horribly, and he had some pretty... interesting voiceover." The team decided to rebuild him to fit his profile as an unstoppable undead warrior. The new Sion is tanky with powerful attacks that can be deployed dupliciously in order to mess with the reflexes of opponents. You can check out Sion's champion spotlight video after the jump.
Infinite Crisis recruits Nightmare Robin and Atomic Joker
An absolutely massive update for Infinite Crisis has landed, boasting over 6,000 changes and tweaks, not to mention the addition of a pair of new champions: Nightmare Robin and Atomic Joker. Nightmare Robin is actually Bruce Wayne's son Damian, who got infected with the vampiric curse and is a little miffed at being one of the undead. At least he has two large knives and a lot of bleeding-edge training to compensate. Atomic Joker is a bit more lighthearted, what with being a head in a jar who is trying to rebuild civilization in his image. The September release overhauled the launcher, improved the new player experience, polished many of the map visuals, tweaked animations, and added a Crime Alley map where champions can test out skills against the computer. You can check out Atomic Joker and Nightmare Robin in the gallery below and in the videos after the break.
SMITE raises money for world championship pot by selling items
SMITE has a new plan to raise money for its World Championship prize pool called The Odyssey. Basically, the Odyssey program allows players a limited-time window to purchase exclusive items and sets for the game that will never be sold again. Part of the proceeds from those sales will go into the prize pool for the championship. In other SMITE news, the game has added a new Mayan god. Cabrakan is a "destroyer of mountains," which is a good thing if you have a mountain coming at you down a lane. He's good at crowd control, protecting allies, and blocking enemy progress. We've got videos on both Cabrakan and the Odyssey program for you to watch after the break.
League of Legends spotlights Gnar in a new video
So you've heard a lot about the newest League of Legends champion, Gnar. You've read about his abilities. But do you know how to play him? Have you seen him in action? Then perhaps you should watch the newest spotlight video, which sheds some light on how to play the angry little guy -- which is good, since Gnar is currently the only champion whose transformation doesn't lie under the direct control of the player. The video gives an overview of Gnar's abilities in both forms, then runs through a quick guide to handling combat situations with the hoppy little bundle of rage. Essentially, it's all about keeping an eye on when you'll transform and making the most of the situation, hopping in and out as the change takes you and wears off. Take a look at the video just past the break for a more visual demonstration of how to make the most of the character.
League of Legends properly introduces Gnar
After teasing players about the nature of the newest champion arriving in League of Legends, Riot Games has provided a full introduction for the prehistoric yordle known as Gnar. He looks nice enough, actually, even sort of cute. At least until he gets angry and transforms into Mega Gnar, a hulking brute who's happy to crush everything in his path and then start down a new path so he can crush more things. Anger issues, in short. So how does Gnar play? It's all about managing the rage. In mini form, he's a quick attacker with some range who also has access to a handy escape ability. When he enrages, though, he's a tank-happy fighter with plenty of durability and burst damage. Both forms have their own weaknesses and strengths, so the art of playing him comes down to carefully maximizing his fits of rage before getting back out of danger. After all, who'd believe the little cute guy could get that angry?
League of Legends previews Gnar without a word
Who is Gnar? An upcoming champion for League of Legends. How does he or she play? We don't know. All we know is a little bit of what Gnar is all about, and that is shown in a quick teaser site that manages to convey a story without using a single word other than Gnar's name. Gnar seems like a pretty happy sort at first, but when a calamity befell Gnar's family, Gnar didn't handle it too well. Gnar can be seen breaking out of an ice tomb and setting forth on what we can only assume will be a rampage filled with enemy champions. Take a glance at the preview page to watch the whole thing play out, and keep your eyes peeled for more information on how Gnar will play. (Speculation has him focused on crowd control and area denial.)
MechWarrior Online introduces new Champion and Hero mechs
MechWarrior Online has introduced two new mechs this week: the Firestarter Champion Mech and the Loup de Guerre Hero Mech. The Firestarter sports five medium lasers, twin AMS, and jump kets, while the Loup de Guerre trebuchet features jump jets that allow it to leap over walls, medium pulse lasers, SSRMs, and more. Both mechs are now available in the MWO store, and you can check out the Loup de Guerre in action via the video embedded after the cut.
League of Legends introduces Braum, the Heart of the Freljord
For too long, there's been a hole in the many champions of League of Legends. Braum, the Heart of the Freljord, fills that hole, introducing the first truly impressive moustache to the game and allowing everyone to marvel at every perfectly waxed hair. Oh, and he also serves as a tank support character, which is also a first, but mostly it's about that glorious lip-blanket. Right, you probably want to know a little bit more about what Braum can do. Well, he applies a stacking debuff that stuns enemies with his basic attack, but once the first tap is in place, attacks from allies will also increase the stack count. He also attacks with line-based AoE attacks that snare targets, blocks attacks with his enormous shield, and can dash to his allies to help protect them from further attacks. In short, he's a traditional MMO tank tearing up the League of Legends lanes. And he has a moustache. Did we mention that?
Infinite Crisis recruits Blue Beetle
Infinite Crisis has recruited a new warrior in its fight against property damage and excess jungling: Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle, aka Jamie Reyes, came across a blue scarab that wrapped him up in battle armor. The sentient armor and Jamie came to a mutual understanding to fight for whatever player was controlling them that session. Blue Beetle comes equipped with an energy cannon, a scarab scanner, a dash, and even an infiltrator mode. Bad guys get too close? Time for a little mandible taser, am I right? Turbine touts Blue Beetle as a highly mobile champion that can sneak up and smack down solo targets. Check out Blue Beetle in action after the jump.
SMITE brings out the Hindu god Kumbhakarna
The Sleeping Giant, Kumbhakarna, is the latest god to enter into SMITE's cage match pantheon. This Hindu god might not be the most nimble or even the most awake, but he has power nevertheless. Kumbhakarna doesn't die when he hits zero hit points; he falls asleep and eventually wakes up at 25% health. He can also throw back enemies, root bad guys with a smash, and... yawn for a mez. You can check out his moves in the god reveal after the break. [Source: Hi-Rez press release]
Infinite Crisis brings Star Sapphire into the fold
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Turbine has announced that the "champion of love," Star Sapphire, is coming to Infinite Crisis. Star Sapphire wields her namesake's ring, able to channel love and keep the Predator entity in check. In the game, she's a ranged damage dealer who's best kept out of immediate harm's way. She can choose to unleash the Predator to do damage or to keep it attached for a speed boost. Star Sapphire will be added to the game on February 26th. You don't have to wait until then to check out her moves, however, as we've got her champion spotlight video after the break! [Source: Turbine press release]
The Summoner's Guidebook: Stop worrying about the LoL metagame
If there's one thing that seems to be fairly static among low and mid-level League of Legends players, it's that they dislike the metagame. If I weren't such an exception (being a kind of bad player overall), I'd say that probably 100% of low-level players challenge the meta. This kind of complaint hits the comments, my email inbox, or IMs all the time: "LoL is so dumb! There are only four viable champs in each role, and the meta is static." The first thing I'd like to point out is that those statements, regardless of variation, are all wrong. LoL as a game changes wildly from patch to patch and season to season, and while the existing Summoner's Rift solo queue metagame is more or less fixed in terms of roles (duo bot, one jungler, a "support" who does not CS in favor of giving it to an ally), none of that applies to premades of three or more players or other game modes. Even between the roles, there's a wide variation in expectations of what those roles should do. Stop blaming the game; think outside the box and start seeing the game for what it really is.
The Summoner's Guidebook: The allure of new LoL champions
Picking new champions in League of Legends is akin to picking a role. There are a few major schools of thought: Either you pick a small number of characters and stand by them or you grab every new character that strikes your fancy. Of course, there's a middle road where you get a lot of characters but you still focus on getting new characters that add something to your roster. There's less of an opportunity cost with picking up a new character than there is with picking a new role. Learning a new champion takes some practice, but many of the things you learn while playing your new character are applicable to every character in the same role.
Infinite Crisis brings out Mecha Wonder Woman
She may be metal and gears, but underneath that she's all woman too. She's Mecha Wonder Woman, the newest champion to come to Infinite Crisis. Mecha Wonder Woman originated as a diplomatic robot for Queen Hippolyta, but decided to get into the superhero vengeance game when the queen was assassinated. The Justice Consortium upgraded her, giving Mecha Wonder Woman the ability to dispense justice with an iron fist. We've got your first look at Mecha Wonder Woman in a video after the break, so check it out and see if this MOBA champion might be calling to your own sense of justice. [Source: Turbine press release]
League of Legends' next champion is Jinx, you owe her a soda
Jinx, the Loose Cannon, will be the next addition to the League of Legends roster, developer Riot Games announced on Thursday. The Joker-like criminal loves mayhem, as evidenced by a wanted poster on the League of Legends site which lists some of her crimes: "murder," "making fun of the peace," "murder again" and "forging of official wanted posters." Jinx is a marksman champion, meaning she uses long-range weaponry to deal physical damage to her enemies. Her "Switcheroo!" ability swaps between her two equipable weapons, Fishbones the rocket launcher and Pow-Pow the minigun. Her "Zap!" ability damages and slows the first enemy it hits, and her "Flame Chompers!" ability lays down incendiary grenades which root champions who walk over them to the ground. Jinx's ultimate ability, "Super Mega Death Rocket!," can travel across the map and deals damage to the first champion it hits, as well as all nearby enemies based on a percentage of their missing health. Jinx is currently in beta, with no set date as to when her mischievous hi-jinx will go live.
Guild Wars 2 makes dungeons more profitable
Guild Wars 2 Lead Designer Isaiah Cartwright has a few (but just a few) words to say regarding the changes that ArenaNet is planning for its dungeons. Dungeon running should be more profitable, awarding additional currency for a successful run. The team is limiting full rewards for each dungeon path to a 24-hour timer in order to encourage players to try different paths. "Our goal is to make each and every dungeon path feel enticing and rewarding," Cartwright said. "We also want the rewards structure to encourage players to enjoy a variety of dungeon paths." ArenaNet is also giving champion mobs spiffy loot containers so that players can kill the creatures and pry the boxes from their clawed hands. These containers will be tailored to the type of mob they come from, giving players a strategic choice in choosing champions to slay.
Making music together: An interview with Anthymn
It's safe to say that many of us on the Massively team were seduced by the promise and potential of Anthymn when we first saw its Kickstarter campaign. The concept of an entire fantasy MMO that revolves around music instead of swords and sorcery is a refreshing approach in this day and age. The folks at String Theory Entertainment are downright passionate about bringing the power of music to online games. While Anthymn is still in an early stage of development, the idea behind it stretches back a decade or so. The developers aren't just using music as a quirky feature for the sheer heck of it, either; this is a studio full of musically talented folks who know how infectious and bonding a song can be. We sat down with the creative leads behind Anthymn to get a better feel for the project and the future of the game, with or without Kickstarter's help. Check it out after the jump!
SMITE's newest god controls crowds and water
"Release the Kraken!" Yes, it was Zeus who said those words, but it was Poseidon who did the actual releasing. In Hi-Rez Studios' third-person multiplayer online battle arena SMITE, this god of the deep will take center stage in the patch dropping tomorrow. Poseidon's water-based abilities range from his passive wave-riding movement ability, Changing Tides, to his ultimate, Release the Kraken. Poseidon controls the battle field by slowing or impairing enemy movements. Besides dealing massive damage, his ultimate slows enemies in the blast radius, and his Whirlpool ability draws all enemies in the area toward the center of a raging maelstrom. Those players who enjoy playing support roles will definitely want to give this god a try tomorrow. Check out the full introductory video after the break.
LG readies Whisen air conditioner with its own NFC-aware mobile app, direct voice recognition
We'll be frank: it takes some pretty special features for an air conditioner to pique our interest. Consider us intrigued, then, when LG unveils a truly tech-savvy cooling system. A 2013 Champion-style Whisen unit is reportedly the first to directly take voice commands from as far as 16 feet away, letting us cool things down without having to leave our chairs. The AC system is uncommonly aware of the mobile world, as well. Tap an NFC-capable smartphone like the Optimus G on a programmed NFC tag and LG's Whisen App 3.0 will automatically adjust the temperature, on top of more conventional remote control. Still not sophisticated enough? The new Champion has its own built-in camera with mobile viewing -- it can double as a not-so-subtle security system while we're away at work. Full details of its launch aren't yet available, although LG is taking reservations for South Koreans between January 14th and March 31st, well ahead of the hot summer.
