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'Overwatch' deathmatch modes are live
For over a year since it launched in May 2016, Blizzard's Overwatch only let teams of players compete against each other in completing objectives -- none of that kill-more-than-the-other-team hogwash. Then the studio about-faced early this month when it announced that those Deathmatch modes would really be coming to the hero shooter. Today, both team-based and free-for-all modes go live -- along with a few balance tweaks to some heroes.
Deathmatches are coming to 'Overwatch'
It's been a pretty big week for Overwatch. First came the introduction of the second annual Summer Games event, then the announcement that two new professional teams are joining the Overwatch League. Now, in an attempt to keep those good times rolling, Jeff Kaplan from the Overwatch Team has shared news of something that we thought we'd never see: a new Deathmatch mode.
Doom's multiplayer patch adds a messy free-for-all deathmatch
The new Doom had a bit of a different strategy for multiplayer when it launched earlier this year. The team at id Software focused on playing to the game's strengths by offering play-as-a-demon game-types alongside Freeze Tag, riffs on traditional modes like Warpath (king of the hill) and the tried but true team deathmatch. The game's next update adds free-for-all deathmatch (no cooperating with strangers on the internet required) and private matches, while an arcade mode for the single-player campaign is slated for later this fall.
Make your own creature feature in Fallout 4's 'Wasteland Workshop'
Fallout 4's second DLC pack, "Wasteland Workshop", is scheduled for release next Tuesday, April 12th. Today, however, Bethesda dropped this wicked cool preview of what's in store for players. Wasteland Workshop will enable you to further upgrade your homebase with more elaborate decor like Nixie lights, letter kits and a taxidermy station but that's beside the point. The new DLC is primarily focused on a wholly new gameplay mechanicism: the ability to capture and tame beasts from across the Wasteland.
EVE Online's second New Eden Open starts this weekend
EVE Online's second New Eden Open begins tomorrow, March 1st, and will continue until a team takes the top prize on March 16th. Thirty-two teams will be facing off during the double-elimination tournament for a shot at part of the $25,000 and 700 PLEX prize pool. Each of the first three weekends in March will feature several 8v8 deathmatches that will be streamed live with commentary from the developers. Out of the 32 teams, 28 secured their place by silent auction, three got in by a random drawing, and one is returning to defend its title.
PSA: Free deathmatch, race creation tools join GTA Online
Grand Theft Auto 5's open-world online component just grew a bit more creative with today's release of the Deathmatch & Race Creators Beta update. As we reported earlier, this patch adds a free toolset to Grand Theft Auto Online that allows players to build their own drag strips, killing fields and myriad other combinations of vehicles and explosives. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Race, Rally Race and the weaponized GTA Race game types are available for players to modify. Developer Rockstar has included a tutorial that should load automatically the first time you attempt to build something within the toolset, and it "highly recommends" that players sit through the whole thing. From there however, you're free to build to your heart's content. Alongside the new toolset, today's free update also includes a "a host of new fixes and updates for Grand Theft Auto 5's Story Mode and GTA Online," including higher cash payouts in missions with increased difficulty, and an option to lock deathmatch games to specific weaponry.
Surgeon Simulator developer launches Time to Live demo
After ... uh, proving their capabilities in tense medical situations, Bossa Studios is moving on to the realm of deathmatch-oriented game shows with a project called Time to Live. The demo features a hexagonal game board that brings in special areas as the match continues on. Coin deposits and health regeneration spaces are common resources, and racing players to a sparking, incoming space on the grid is frequent. They're not all races you want to win, however - getting too hectic with clicks can lead an unfortunate contender onto electrified trap spaces. You won't be able to just shrug off a chunk of lost health, either - players slowly lose health as the match progresses, so utilizing game spaces and the items purchased in shops is essential for a victory. While Bossa describes Time to Live as being in an "alpha stage of development," you can try out a round of the game show from the future by loading up the demo. If you can't find friends or strangers willing to blow each others heads off for the sake of an audience, Time to Live's demo will fill your match with bots.
Step into the arena of Star Wars: The Old Republic
Each of the warzone maps in Star Wars: The Old Republic has the same basic focus: Clear the objectives to win. There are no maps that just pit players against one another in a straight fight to the death. Patch 2.4 is going to change that with the addition of the new warzone arenas, a new type of map that puts two teams of four into a map with the simple goal of being the only team left standing. Each arena match consists of three rounds, with both teams receiving a full resurrection and cooldown restoration after winning or losing a round. The first team to defeat the other team twice is the victor. If one side wants to just wait out the clock, there's also a sudden death timer that forces players to get into the fight. Read all about the map formats and some of the new queueing mechanics for PvP in the latest development blog.
Should WoW add a Deathmatch Battleground?
I was reading twitter as I often do... no, really, it's for work, I'm not just wasting time posting jokes about wearing a crown roast as a helmet... when I saw Nethaera post this tweet, which led me to this forum thread. While perusing the thread I eventually found Neth's response to it, and that got me thinking about the concept. Nethaera - Could we get a PvP battleground? Battle grounds have always been missing an important part of world pvp.... PvP. Make it like a big arena but not so big that people can't hide. 10 to 15 players forced into all out pvp. First to so many kills or 10 minutes, whichever comes first, wins the round. No need to even create an area for it. Just make a copy of Blackrock mountain in an instance. That is PvP I would actually like... its the reason I liked AV so much back before it was turned into race where pvp sometimes breaks out. What you're asking for is a straight Death Match type of Battleground. I'm not sure it would be compelling as you think. I'm a big fan of DM as well, at least in FPS', but for an MMO like World of Warcraft, I question how enjoyable it would be in the long run for people. I think for players who feel very comfortable with their abilities, straight head on PvP like that would be fun for them, but for others, I'm not sure it would have the same appeal. That said, I'm not killing the discussion. I'm just interested in how you feel this would work or appeal to a wide enough audience for it to be worth creating. source I have in the past advocated a deathmatch style BG because I do understand the original poster's point. But let's really take a look at what a deathmatch BG would have to entail.
The spec and class death match
World of Warcraft started out with 27 class and spec combinations, and with the addition of death knights, monks, and a fourth spec for druids, we're up to 34 in Mists of Pandaria. One of the things that the upcoming brawler's guild had me wondering about in an idle moment was which among the 34 would emerge the victor if the developers decided to throw a no-holds-barred, all-out battle royale. I think we can eliminate just about every healing spec; while they'd be annoying to kill, they don't really do enough DPS on their own to be a serious threat. Tanks certainly aren't doing as much damage since the halcyon days of vengeance working in PvP, but would they do just enough to outlast an opponent? And what about DPS? The arms warrior and frost mage are storied opponents, but who really has the winning combination of damage and survivability right now? So which spec and/or class emerges victorious if they're all tossed into a ring somewhere and left to fight it out among themselves? Or -- given the high possibility of rogues and druids simply stealthing through the majority of the fight in such a situation -- would a tournament bracket work better? Would someone who outlasts the death match not survive a series of duels, and vice versa?
Uncharted 3's latest lab is 5-on-5 SMGs, riot shields, and grenades
Naughty Dog has issued an update to Uncharted 3 with a brand new experimental Lab playlist to play around in. The playlist is going back to a 5v5 format, this time giving players a combination of riot shields, uzis, and grenades to carry out to the battlefield. Kickback and boosters are disabled, too, so it sounds like your best strategy is to be vicious: Shoot everything until you get close enough to stab them in the back.With this update, Naughty Dog also fixed an issue with DLC maps not showing up properly in the rotation, and there's a full rundown of what you'll see when on the company blog. The developer also promises a full schedule for upcoming labs and events soon, as well as more news about a new character coming to the game (from a Sony contest) and other updates in the next patch, 1.13.
End of Nations E3 trailer shows off more gameplay
As we gear up for E3 next week, we're being treated to lots of goodies to get us excited for what will certainly be a wealth of news. Trion is heading that charge today, not only with news of a RIFT expansion and the Defiance video we showed you earlier but also with a brand-new video showcasing the upcoming MMORTS End of Nations. The trailer shows gameplay between the Liberation Front and the Shadow Revolution in a game-show-death-match-style that ends with some interesting commentary on nuclear weapons. You can check the video out for yourself after the cut below, and watch for our E3 interview with Trion on all of its current and upcoming games next week.
James Cameron to create sparks with Robogeddon on Discovery Channel
Fresh off his return from the briny deep, James Cameron is set to create a television show for the Discovery Channel called Robogeddon. Similar to BattleBots and Robot Wars, the program will feature a competitive death match of sorts, where robots tear each other to shreds in pursuit of being the last machine standing. In addition to Cameron's participation, the show will also feature the stamp of Mark Burnett -- famous for such reality television titles as Survivor, Shark Tank and The Voice. It's also said that Donald Hutson, the two-time Super Heavyweight Champion of BattleBots, will be among the show's competitors. No date is set for when we'll see the sparks fly, but if you want to get in on the ground floor, might we suggest hitting your local scrapyard?
The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend
Skiing! Jetpacks! Pew pew! Yes, kids, Tribes: Ascend is officially in open beta, and that means you no longer have an excuse. Hi-Rez Studios threw open the doors this morning, and despite the fact that the game's closed beta exceeded all expectations and hosted over 300,000 players since its November kickoff, there's always room for more.
Bethesda tells Mojang to lay down its virtual guns, lawyer up for a trademark battle
Time was, men could settle their disputes with glinting swords at the ready and their honor on the line. Nowadays, only the cosplaying and Comic Con attending folk alike are likely to burnish (elvish) blades, although they're rather inapt to sully them with enemy blood. Well, unsurprisingly, Mojang head Markus "Notch" Persson's modern day offer of a Quake 3 Arena simulated duel -- his proposed method of extralegal recourse -- was shot down by Bethesda, the company suing the Minecraft creator for use of the word "Scrolls" in its unreleased card game. As these are apparently sue-happy times, both parties are headed to court to battle it out, with Mojang facing the terrible repercussion of a forced product name change. From the looks of the defendant's Twitter feed, however, it doesn't appear the impending litigation's breaking this Swede's stride.
Minecraft creator challenges Bethesda to deathmatch for the word 'scrolls'
While Samsung, Apple, HTC and others battle it out in court with lawyers and expansive patent portfolios, one man seems to know how real geeks settle disputes -- with a deathmatch. Markus "Notch" Persson, the man behind Minecraft and head of Mojang, has decided the best way to put the trademark squabble with Bethesda to rest is two rounds of three-on-three Quake 3 Arena action. The Elder Scrolls developer is sticking with the same tactics that have made smartphone companies our new least-favorite corporate citizens, but Notch thinks ownership of the word "scrolls" can best be determined with BFGs and railguns. With any luck this will catch on and, when Steve Jobs and Larry Page lead their forces into battle in Team Fortress, we're gonna have to put on our money on the Mountain View crew.
Mega Man 8-bit Deathmatch demo now available to the public
If your gut response to the Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch mod for Doom 2 revealed last November was one of overwhelming desire, prepare to be satisfied. A demo for MM8BDM was recently released by its creator, Mike Hill, and is now downloadable for free through the mod's official website. The download comes with four pixelated maps, five character skins and over 10 different weapon attachments based on actual powers from the Mega Man series. Unfortunately, these weapons can be picked up from set locations on each map -- we're not sure we'll appreciate them as much as we did when we were forced to pry them from the cold, dead hands of a bested Robot Master. [Thanks, Nam-Ereh-Won]
TUAW's Daily App: Archetype
Well now, this one's interesting. Archetype is a brand new title on the App Store that's aiming to put what seems like a big budget experience on Apple's small screen. The game is made by MunkyFun (a company led by ex-LucasArts developer Nick Pavis) and published by Villian, "an independent producer and publisher of portable game titles" that seems to have a history in mobile gaming, but not much of a website. Basically, Archetype is purporting to be Eliminate without Ngmoco -- a full-featured multiplayer FPS without any of the microtransactions or other nonsense. And it lives up to the hype. The controls will take some getting used to, even if you're a WASD veteran. In just 30 seconds on Wi-Fi, I was loaded up and playing a 5v5 deathmatch FPS game. Even on an Edge connection, I was able to play smoothly, and even pull off a kill -- I don't know what kind of code witchery makes that possible, but it works. The graphics don't really compare to modern console shooters, but I think the multiplayer gameplay easily beats Metroid: Prime Hunters and the current crop of iPhone shooters. Of course, the game still has to deal with the issues of the genre -- if you're not a twitch gamer, you'll likely get murdered very quickly, and while there are plenty of high-ping people to play with now, it's not clear what will happen if the servers get overloaded or, conversely, if the crowd thins out. You're still playing a FPS on an iPhone, and I'd much rather play a shooter on my PC or a console than this. But given the limitations of the genre and the device, Archetype is certainly an impressive title. You're still kind of going in blind at US$2.99 -- Archetype doesn't have a free version to try yet. But if you can expect to put three bucks of your time into playing this surprisingly solid multiplayer FPS, by all means, jump on in.
E3 2010: Victor Kislyi talks tanks... not the aggro kind
While the idea of a tank-based MMO might come across as a little odd to some people, World of Tanks has really shaken things up in its European-only closed beta test. Originally intended as a hardcore MMO for tank enthusiasts and PvP aficionados, interest in the intense, PvP-focused tank MMO skyrocketed in Russia and Europe, with over 40,000 players participating in the closed beta test, including even a few hundred American players who couldn't wait for the US beta coming up in a few weeks. We got to sit down with Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net, and discuss just why people are flocking to the tank-themed MMO, and the various changes they needed to make to accommodate a wider audience.
Fallen Earth's huge Blood Sports patch dated
Icarus Studios, makers of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMORPG Fallen Earth, have announced the release date for their Blood Sports content patch. The update, version 1.4 of the game client if you're keeping score, is heavily focused on player versus player conflict and includes four new PvP areas, over 500 related achievements, a Clan War system, and the updated region of Deadfall. The 1.4 update will launch on May 7 and will also feature an expanded level cap (up to 50), a one-time character respec option, and a boatload of refinements including animation tweaks, effect revamps, and of course the new Blood Sport PvP matches. These matches include Survival, Capture the Flag, Assault, and Deathmatch, and allow players to queue up for PvP action regardless of their world location. Participatory and victory points will also be awarded and can be used on end-game armor and assorted gear. Current subscribers can access the live content on May 7, while new players can purchase Fallen Earth Blood Sports from retail and digital download outlets and receive a full copy of the original game along with the content update. "We are thrilled to be able to launch all of the new content in one major patch," said Colin Dwan, Fallen Earth Project Manager. "The team has worked very hard to make this happen and we're sure players will enjoy all of the new gameplay enhancements." Check out the official site for more info, and be sure to sign up for the test server if you can't wait until May 7 to get your hands on the new content.
