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MechWarrior Online introduces new map in which players can die painfully
MechWarrior Online's newest map, the Canyon Network, is riddled with slot canyons, steep drops, and high plateaus. As part of MWO's latest update, the Canyon Network is meant to provide a playground for snipers and strategic thinkers. The Blackjack has been named as the new Mech of the Month, with the Jenner donning the mantle of Champion Mech. As part of the content update, new cobra camo patterns and faction cockpit medallions have been added to the store. Skip below the cut to check out videos of the new Canyon Network and the Blackjack in action. [Source: MWO press release]
MechWarrior Online introduces the Misery with Update 15
Misery loves company, they say (look it up), but will people actually go seeking it? Piranha Games hopes players will, as it has introduced the Misery 85-ton 'mech into MechWarrior Online. The metal beast has an armament that includes plenty of lasers, a Gauss rifle, and an SRM-6 (again, look it up). The new update goes beyond the debut of the Misery. There are four additional trial 'mechs to test out, color customization for Hero 'mechs, and a crazy Buccaneer premium pattern. Read up on our preview of Update 15 and don't miss out on the video showing off the Misery in action after the jump!
MechWarrior Online devs talk Update 15, new UI, new mechs
Mechwarrior Online is about to hit its fifth month of open beta, with promises of a late summer launch. With that launch comes continued production, new content, plenty of bug fixes, and tweaks. With all of the new content -- said to be delivered on a regular schedule -- comes plenty of challenges for the developer team. We sat down with Piranha Games' creative director, Bryan Ekman, and president, Russ Bullock, to talk about how things have been going and where they're going in the future. Not only did we get the scoop on the next community-designed Mech to be released, but we also found out about new HUD improvements, aid for players who suffer from high ping, and much more. Click past the cut for all the details!
Look forward to MechWarrior Online updates through April
If you thought that April would bring an overhaul of MechWarrior Online that turned the game into a robust farming simulator... well, no. Why would you even think that? But it will bring a whole lot of other updates to the game as outlined in a new letter from the game's creative director, starting with improved team functionality and UI improvements. That goes along nicely with the addition of air strike and artillery consumables, allowing players (especially scouts) to bring down a little extra firepower in a match. The development team is also introducing a new class of special 'Mech, the Champions, which are custom configurations that sport a permanent 5% experience boost. That's in addition to improvements to the game's overall performance and more community events for MechWarrior Online players the world over. So that's a no on farming, but a yes on several improvements that should make your days of stomping around in an enormous walking tank more enjoyable.
PAX East 2013: Say hello to MechWarrior Online's new trailer
There's nothing quite like convention season for bringing out a bumper crop of new videos and trailers. Today we're bringing you MechWarrior Online's new PAX East 2013 trailer, which shows off some new gameplay and highlights the title's newest features and perks. MechWarrior Online went into open beta late in 2012 and has had six major content patches since then. New testing grounds, cockpit items and consumables, a whole passel of UI and user control updates, and new 'mechs and maps have been added to the game since the open beta launch. March will also see several in-game events going on, which folks are invited to sign up to enjoy. Skip below the cut to check out the newest trailer.
MechWarrior Online adds Jagermech, Tourmaline Desert map
MechWarrior Online's March patch has dropped, and with it came a few tons of new hardware and an inhospitable map with which to play around. The new 'Mech is the heavy Jagermech, a stout piece of machinery with impressive statistics. Whether or not you pick up the Jagermech, Piranha Games has added a ton of new options for all pilots, including gas pedals, better joystick controls, a new consumables system, and more cosmetics for the cockpit. The new map is the Tourmaline Desert, an arid map that's mostly rock, giant crystals, and abandoned BattleMechs. Heat management and possible sniper attacks are two of the biggest challenges that this map presents for players.
200-player Fields of War mech title looking for Greenlight support
Do you feel like mech-based games are criminally under-represented in the MMO space? Would you like to see "PlanetSide with mechs," as one of our tipsters referred to Fields of War? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you should probably check out the game's Steam Greenlight page as well as the alpha gameplay clip after the cut. Fields of War is aiming for an action-MMO feel with support for 200 simultaneous players, class-based advancement, and more. [Thanks George!]
Mechwarrior Online has big plans for March
March is upon us! March has actually been upon us for a handful of days, but those days were lame. Now is the time of awesome days, and those days will be full of updates and new features for MechWarrior Online. Creative Director Bryan Ekman has laid out the team's plan for the coming month. Training grounds, an offline game mode that loads a player into a random map with eight enemy targets to test out their current 'Mech, will be made available. This game mode is "just the beginning" of an incoming wealth of training options. Consumables will extend the module system and will be available for C-Bill and MC purchase. A host of UI, user controls, and statistics-tracking improvements are coming in, as is Tourmaline Desert, MWO's largest map to date. The ability to acquire fuzzy dice for one's cockpit has been hinted at. You know what to do, soldiers.
MechWarrior opens up a big map and a medium 'Mech
In the destructive world of MechWarrior Online, every 'Mech has its niche. Some machines thrive on maps with tight corridors and small boundaries, allowing them to get up close and personal. Others live on the ability to reach out and touch their targets at extreme ranges, preferably with missiles. It's the latter type that will enjoy the game's newest map, Alpine Peaks, which is the largest map yet added to the game. As the zone is filled with snowy vistas and sniping points, close-range machines will fare poorly here, but anything with good ranged capacity will find a lot to love. Not coincidentally, the most recent update also adds a new 'Mech for pilots, the Trebuchet. Available in five variants, this 50-ton machine features twin LRM-15s in all but one variant, allowing players to pack quite a punch at range. It's the perfect sort of 'Mech for tromping around in a snowy environment and spreading damage over a large range, so we can imagine it'll see some use on the new map. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
MechWarrior Online shows off its pretty new baby
Would you call your multi-ton death machine a pretty baby? If you're playing MechWarrior Online you just might, especially since that's the name of the newest hero 'Mech introduced to the game. Considering the machine is loaded with an LRM 15, a PPC, two lasers, and a high top speed for a 80-ton 'Mech, we can see why you might coo affectionately that it's your pretty little darling yes it is. But maybe your existing 'Mech is already the apple of your eye. That's all right, there's still plenty to like in February. The team at Piranha Games is working on a UI overhaul for the MechLab to allow players a clearer picture of what happens when upgrades are slotted in. There's also the third phase of matchmaking, new patterns for decorating your machine of choice, and performance improvements for all computers. But if you're still excited at the thought of a pretty new machine to pilot, you can check out a trailer for the prettiest of all babies past the cut. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Massively Interview: Piranha Games' Russ Bullock talks MechWarrior Online
Is there anything more fun than massive suits of mechanical armor smashing into one another and firing lasers all over the place? MechWarrior Online, the free-to-play MMO-like set in the MechWarrior universe and developed by Piranha Games, would argue that the answer to that question is pretty obvious. Piranha has just today announced the addition of a new Command Hero Mech, christened Death's Knell. The mech is tiny by MechWarrior standards, weighing in at only 25 tons, but it packs four powerful lasers on each arm and is quite fast to boot. Piranha also confirmed the addition of the familiar Bitching Betty startup sequence, which should give longtime MechWarrior fans a jolt of nostalgia straight through the eardrums. We sat down with Russ Bullock, president of Piranha Games, to talk mechs, MMOs, and the future of MechWarrior Online. Check out the full interview and a video of Death's Knell in action after the break.
Spider mech infests MechWarrior Online ahead of Double XP weekend
It may not have eight legs or carry hundreds of thousands of its young around on a moist, throbbing abdomen, but MechWarrior Online's new Spider mech is the game's "most maneuverable and agile of all Light Mechs," according to the press release tucked away after the break. The game's new mechanical jam is already available in its store and can also be seen in the gallery below.Since jumping around is universally the most fun thing you can do in a giant robot, we're expecting to see a lot of the Spider during MechWarrior Online's first ever Double XP weekend event, which starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday, January 18 and ends at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday, January 21. The event's double XP bonuses stack with other XP buffs, so those with Premium accounts will get even more of a boost than they already do.%Gallery-176465%
MechWarrior Online creeps you out with the new Spider mech
OK, so MechWarrior Online's new Spider mech may not look particularly creepy in screenshots, but when you see it in action, you may have a flare up of the old arachnophobia. The Spider is "one of the most maneuverable and agile of the Light Mechs" complete with eight jumpjets and an unmatched turning radius. In addition to the new mech, Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing have announced the game's first double XP event running from Friday, January 18 at 10 a.m. PST until Monday, January 21 at 10 a.m. PST. Previous XP bonuses are stackable with this event, so gather together those Founder benefits and premium game time boosts to get the most out of the weekend. Also be sure to check out our MechWarrior Online gallery below, complete with five new screenshots of the Spider mech and two of the upcoming Commando Hero Mech known as Death's Knell, available on January 22.%Gallery-154551% [Source: Piranha Games press release]
MechWarrior delivers whopping update with twin dragon 'Mechs
Right in time for the holidays, Piranha Games has delivered a whopping gift for all of its players in the form of the year's largest content update for MechWarrior Online. Let's tick off the list, shall we? First up is the brand-new conquest mode, which allows players to capture and hold five different locations. Next is the addition of three new 'Mechs: the Twin Dragons and the Stalker Assault. Following that, players will enjoy an economy update, a bonus to currency acquisition for new players, a night map of River City, new ways to customize a 'Mech's look, and cool holiday items. Finally, the team's throwing in plenty of bug and performance fixes free of charge. If you give one of the new 'Mechs a try, definitely let us know how it handles! We've got the trailer for this update after the cut. [Source: Piranha Games' press release]
MechWarrior Online and Penny Arcade team up for game promotion
Geek favorite webcomic Penny Arcade and developer Piranha Games have a deal for you, but be warned: Space Ostriches might be involved. Piranha announced that players now can grab a free one-day premium time upgrade for their MechWarrior Online accounts. This premium time awards players with 50% more experience and 50% more C-bills while it lasts. The Penny Arcade team penned a two-page pilot safety manual with crucial tips for the game to go with the promotion. Comic co-creator Jerry Holkins said that he took the project partially because of his lifelong interest: "I used to play BattleTech at lunch, when I was in high school. There's a lot of meat in MechWarrior Online, a lot to know, and we wanted to see if we could cover some of the basics in a way that could help people get the most out of it." [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Today's MechWarrior patch features 8v8 matchmaking, Ilya Muramets, lumps of coal
If the thought of running around 8v8 maps in a giant robot exoskeleton blowing up other players in giant robot exoskeletons makes you go "oh cool," then you'll probably want to continue reading this post about MechWarrior Online. Today's patch introduces a custom matchmaking feature, new electronic countermeasure functionality, and a new hero mech called the Ilya Muramets CTF-IM Cataphract (say that three times fast). And yes, there's definitely a Santa bobblehead available for your cockpit. You'll find it in the cash shop along with an elf, a lump of coal, and some Christmas lights, all of which may used to pimp out the dashboard of your favorite mech. Check out the new Ilya via the screenshot gallery below or the video after the break. [Source: Piranha Games press release]%Gallery-154551%
MechWarrior Online gives players control over their looks
Maybe you want your machine of choice to have a careful camouflage pattern to make it harder for your MechWarrior Online opponents to spot you at range. Maybe you just want to cover it in inherently terrifying clown patterns. However you like to decorate your multi-ton 'Mech, you're now able to do so with the release of the game's new Camo Spec patch. This patch adds paint shop functionality to the game and allows players to enjoy a variety of external decorative options as well as cockpit decorations. Not enough for you? The patch also adds the classic battle announcer from the original MechWarrior computer games as well as the option for Premium players to choose the start date of their enhanced play time. Only a few decorative options are available at launch, but players can expect more in the future, both earned and (presumably) purchased in the game's cash shop. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
MechWarrior Online gets 'Mechsgiving' update
MechWarrior Online finally went into Open Beta late last month, and the team isn't wasting any time updating the game with new content. They're asking players to celebrate "Mechsgiving" later this week with a new mech called the Cataphract, which features a solid offense combined with jump jets and plenty of armor.The update introduces the "Frozen City at Night" environment, along with new modules for targeting and the Beagle Active Probe, which can increase a mech's sensor range.The folks at Pirahna Games will show the content live on Twitch.tv tomorrow, November 21 at 6pm PST, and invite players to jump in with them during that time. Pictures of the Cataphract (and its four variants) are in the gallery below.%Gallery-171458%
MechWarrior brings out a new 'Mech and new events
Sometimes you want to give thanks for the many positive things happening in your life. Other times, you want to give thanks that you're the one piloting a 70-ton marching tank and the other guy isn't. MechWarrior Online is celebrating the latter feeling with the introduction of the Cataphract 'Mech, a heavy unit available with four different loadouts in the game's latest update. In addition to the new machine, the game has also added a new map, the Frozen City at Night, featuring large shooting lanes and patches of shadow to hide within. There are also two new modules and a new piece of equipment, all of which should help keep a better lock on your target even as they dart around the battlefield. Last but not least, the development team is hosting a live event tomorrow at 9 p.m. EST on the official livestream channel. If you're a player and want to see how your 'Mech skills hold up against those of the designers, be prepared to throw down with some autocannons tomorrow night. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Hawken deploys second closed beta tomorrow
Hawken's second closed beta is scheduled to attack November 8 - 13. This expands on the first beta round, which ran October 26 - 29.To celebrate the second beta, pre-sale bundles of items and customization perks will be on discount for $5, $15, $30 and $60, and if purchased will be in players' garages once the game launches in open beta on December 12. Sign up to play Hawken on the game's main site.
