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'Stranger Things' is coming to 'Rocket League' for Halloween
Rocket League's annual Halloween event is about to get underway and this year, it'll be a crossover with Stranger Things. The Farmstead Arena will take on a distinctly Upside Down vibe, and the Netflix mega-hit's terrifying Mind Flayer will cast an ominous shadow over the field. It's not quite clear yet how or if the monster will affect your attempts to score goals, but Psyonix warned players to "make sure to look after your teammates."
'Apex Legends' gets a limited-time solo mode next week
Since Apex Legends burst onto the battle royale scene in February, there's been an ever-present request near the top of players' wishlists: a single-player mode. Until now, matches have taken place entirely in teams of three, but for a limited time, you'll be able to drop into King's Canyon and rely purely on your own skill and abilities in search of a victory -- with no teammates to back you up.
Wings Over Atreia: From Shugos to splitting up, Aion's instances are evolving
Today I was all set to focus my energies and words on cajoling NCsoft to not do certain things to Aion. I was poised to carefully blend pleading, ranting, and even some common sense into the perfect concoction to convince the studio to avoid introducing various trappings to Atreia. Then, surely as a means to distract me from said designs, the studio released news about the new instances coming after 4.0. Wait -- after?! A ha! Yet more fodder to add to my nonononono rant; after all, who wants to be teased about things coming after an expansion we don't even have a date for yet? However, after a bit more reflection I decided that -- for today at least -- I'd rather applaud the company for looking at new ways to approach instances instead of rail on it for sharing the info so darned early. Perhaps it's the whole "you can catch more sparkies with honey than vinegar" approach, but the truth of the matter is I am happy with the direction this latest announcement portends. Aion is integrating variety into the dungeon-diving sphere, and that's a move that can only be good for the game. Even better, you don't actually have to wait until after 4.0 to experience the first rumblings of this shift. Thanks to the Shugo Kingdom Adventure event going on now, Daevas can try their hands/claws at a new (though temporary) dungeon experience, What about these new dungeons has me hopeful for the future of Aion? Let's dive right in and take a look.
Prepare to celebrate the Canthan New Year in Guild Wars
It's time to celebrate the new year! What, why are you rolling your eyes and saying that happened weeks ago? This is the Canthan New Year we're talking about in Guild Wars, a chance for Canthan citizens and less-fortunate Tyrian adventurers to take part in games and festivities while hoping to please the celestial animals for a fortunate new year. And this time around, there are more than a few surprises waiting in the wings even for veteran players. This year's festival starts at 3:00 p.m. EST on January 31st and runs through February 7th, the start of a new policy for the game that will keep all events running for at least a week on fixed dates every year. Players will be able to aid in the preparation of the celestial animal feast, have their fortunes read, and play games on the Shing Jea Boardwalk. There will also be racing events in the Rollerbeetle Racing Arena and combat events in the Dragon Arena if you prefer. And there are special minipets to unlock as well as the promise of a mystery reward if the Celestial Animals are pleased with their meal. So even if you thought you were done with celebrating another year, you might want to pop back into Guild Wars and get back to the celebration.
Guild Wars 2 teases players with The Lost Shores
Guild Wars 2 is riding high off its recent Halloween event, but that's not the only event that's hitting the game. A new teaser has just been posted for the next event hitting the live servers sometime this month. Deep within the Sea of Sorrows, something is stirring, and the result will lead to an event that we're told will change the face of Tyria forever. We're told that specifically by the teaser page, that is. So what will The Lost Shores actually entail? There's no way to know just yet, although some guesses can be made from the handful of teaser screenshots posted to the site, hinting at something vast being dredged up from the depths. What is certain is that this will be a one-time event, something that you can take part in when it happens or miss out on forever. Keep your eyes peeled for more information, and for now, just join us in wondering what might be down there a-stirring. [Thanks to Prantik for the tip!]
Praetorian invasions hitting City of Heroes
It sure seemed as if the heroes and villains of City of Heroes had repelled the invasion of Praetorian forces. Certainly there had been an incursion, but it looked for a time as if the worst were over. But that's not the case, not even close to the case. Primal Earth's heroes might be striking against Emperor Cole's soldiers in their homes, but the dimensional assaults have only just begun. Starting on May 11th, Praetoria will besiege Primal Earth with intensity, and it's going to be up to players to try to prevent an all-out slaughter. Servers will be assaulted in a steady pattern, with a new pair hit every day during the event's duration. Players who take part in the final event on May 27th will be awarded a special account-wide badge to commemorate the heroes and villains who stood against truly overwhelming odds. If you don't want to be left on the sidelines, take a look at the full list of times and servers and get ready to fight against a bigger invasion than City of Heroes has seen since the game launched.
Atlantica Online adds cherry trees, XP boosts
It's time for another weekly update on Ndoors Interactive's Atlantica Online. The free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is celebrating Japan's Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom) festival by making the craftable trees available to players for a limited time. From April 20 to May 18, town owners can craft cherry trees, place them in their towns, and provide a beautiful view for residents and visitors alike. The trees will bear fruit which players can pick once per day by obtaining 100% will and paying 200,000 gold. Half of the gold payment will go directly to the sponsoring town's guild fund. Cherry tree fruit will also give players a 10% XP boost for two hours upon consumption, and the bonus stacks with other XP boosts such as the Blessing License. The cherry trees can only be guild-crafted and require a building craft skill of level 5 or better. You'll need to gather a cherry leaf, stem, and root, then spend 10,000,000 Workload to place the tree in your town.
