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Overwatch League’s first two seasons will air on Twitch
Blizzard has been putting a lot of work into its upcoming Overwatch professional league it introduced in late 2016. The company spent all of 2017 building it up, announcing teams based in large cities in the US, England, South Korea and China. Days before the league's first-ever match on January 10th, the publisher announced it's formed a partnership with Twitch, which will broadcast every match of the first two seasons.
New 'Ready Player One' trailer reveals more of the real-world story
The initial trailer for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One focused on the virtual world of OASIS, and for understandable reasons: it's a visual showcase for a crucial part of the story. However, Warner Bros. wants to remind you that reality plays an important part as well. It just posted a new trailer that dives deeper into the real-world story, even as it makes a few extra nods to video game nostalgia.
Next 'Overwatch' competitive season will have more changes
While Overwatch is still in its seventh competitive season, Blizzard has already tipped its hand about a couple of changes due in season eight. With these matches focused on creating even pairings to rate skill, next season the plan is to tighten the range allowed between the highest ranked player on a team and the lowest. The plan is to test these new settings through December and figure out the final figures in January, although current brackets on ratings determining who can queue together will not change.
‘Overwatch’s’ Winter Wonderland event returns on December 12th
Overwatch's "Winter Wonderland" is on the way and it's bringing with it some familiar gameplay as well as a new arcade mode. Last year's Mei's Snowball Offensive will be returning and of course there will be a selection of new skins -- Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan teased a lot of legendary skins but only confirmed Hanzo, Junkrat and Roadhog skins.
The best gifts for the PC gamer in your life
Of the more than two dozen sections in our massive holiday gift guide, the PC gaming is one of the largest. That's because there are so many directions you can go in here: You can splurge on a laptop (we recommend three here) or pick up any number of accessories like headphones, a mouse, keyboard, mic or webcam. Or, you know, you can pick up some actual games. Find all that in our guide at the link below, and while you're there, check out the 100-plus other items in there.
The best Xbox One games
The Xbox One has come a long way since its 2013 debut. Microsoft has fixed the console's hardware flaws with the One S and the recently released One X, but now it has a different problem to address: a dearth of compelling games you can't play anywhere else. In recent years the company has relied on timed third-party exclusives that eventually make their way to other platforms or are also available on Windows and Steam. It happens on PS4 as well, but the difference there is that Sony has a wide assortment of games that you can only play on its console. That's not to say there aren't exclusive games worth playing on Xbox; it's just that they're buried among annual Forza racing games, middling modern Halo releases and the testosterone-fueled Gears of War franchise. Microsoft has promised to break out of that predictable release cadence, though, so the future could be brighter than you may have come to expect. As it stands, these are the best Xbox One games you can play right now.
Blizzard offers more chances to become an 'Overwatch' pro
It's tempting to compete for a spot in the Overwatch League -- make it big and you could earn a solid income from your Mercy or Reinhardt skills. But getting there isn't necessarily easy, and Blizzard thinks it can help. As of March, the studio is expanding Overwatch Contenders (its development league) to cover virtually the entire globe. The existing regional leagues in China, South Korea and Asia-Pacific are becoming Contenders leagues, while there are new Contenders leagues in Australia and South America. Your team will have more chances to prove itself and, hopefully, attract the attention of Overwatch League scouts.
Belgium moves to ban 'Star Wars Battlefront 2'-style loot boxes
We learned last week that Belgium's gambling authority was investigating loot crates in Star Wars Battlefront II over concerns that they constitute gambling. Now, the decision is in, and the answer is a resounding yes, according to Dutch-language publication VTM Nieuws. The commission claims that purchasable add-on boxes, the contents of which are randomized, mix "money and addiction" and thus are a form of gambling.
Try the new ‘Overwatch' hero during the game's free weekend
At Blizzcon earlier this month, the studio behind Overwatch announced a new playable character for the hero shooter: Moira, a healer with evasive and damage-dealing abilities. Last night, she became available to play on PC and consoles -- and wouldn't you know it, Blizzard is making the game free to try out this weekend, starting today.
‘Overwatch’ gets a new healer hero and another map
At last year's Blizzcon, Blizzard introduced a new character for its hero shooter, Overwatch — but community excitement was subdued after the months of teasing, hints and puzzles leading up to the announcement. Perhaps that's why Blizzard chose to announce a new hero today on the Blizzcon stage -- in the midst of its ongoing Overwatch World Cup, check out the final four matches later today starting at 12:30 PM ET -- without dropping any hints to the community. Finally, Overwatch players are getting another healer with Moira.
Razer's new 'Overwatch' gear completes your D.Va cosplay (updated)
Are you into Overwatch as a broadcaster, looking to use Blizzard's new influencer-friendly features? Or are you a super fan who's played through every special event since the game released? Did you start playing the developer's more traditional MOBA, Heroes of the Storm because it added the pink mech-stylings of D.Va? Then you'll love this new gear from Razer, with an amazingly perfect D.va-styled headset, mouse and mousepad.
Blizzard shows off broadcast-friendly 'Overwatch' features
Last week Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan explained some of the tweaks Blizzard planned to make this game easier to follow for viewers, and now a new video actually shows them off. As Blizzard prepares to launch its professional Overwatch League next year (and presents Overwatch World Cup matches over the next couple of days), it's going all-in to make the game TV-friendly, even for people who aren't yet die-hard eSports fans.
‘Overwatch’ director details plans to improve eSports viewing
eSports are becoming a bigger and bigger industry, and game directors are taking notice. Today, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan released a YouTube video detailing changes the team is making to the game based on user feedback when it comes to eSports. You can see the video below.
‘Overwatch’ Halloween event brings back last year’s spooky brawl
Blizzard teased that its hero shooter Overwatch would get Halloween seasonal event last week, but didn't release any details. But now it's live, which brings back last year's spooky players-vs.-AI brawl mode with the standard slew of new character skins and emotes.
Blizzard is recruiting for an entirely new 'Overwatch' project
Blizzard could be working on a new Overwatch game. Between its updates aimed at curbing toxicity online and the bevy of new features it keeps rolling out, the publisher has plenty on its plate. But, a new vacancy on the Blizzard website suggests it may be looking to expand the Overwatch universe. The company is seeking a "generalist artist intern" with "knowledge and understanding" of Overwatch to work on an unannounced project. The role seems to be geared at students, as it's expected to last just a few months during 2018 at its office in Irvine, California.
‘Overwatch’ Halloween bash begins on October 10th
Overwatch's Halloween event last year introduced the title's first player-vs-computer co-op mode , a fun brawl featuring four heroes against a horde of enemies. Even if the holiday season only lasted a month, it was a delightful surprise that paved the way for later (tragically temporary) PvE game modes. If you were worried Blizzard would pass up another opportunity for spooky gameplay and new skins, don't fear: Overwatch's new Halloween Terror event goes live on October 10th.
Blizzard is fixing 'Overwatch' bug that bans innocent players
If you find yourself slapped with a season ban on Overwatch even though you did nothing wrong, don't worry -- it's a bug and Blizzard is on it. A rare Overwatch bug has affected around 200 accounts, eating up the skill ratings they earned and banning them from Competitive Play for the entire season despite having no history of leaving matches early or being kicked due to inactivity. According to a post on Reddit, the bug could be triggered by someone leaving right as a competitive match is loading. The screen gets stuck on the "waiting for players" state and any attempt to load a match after that fails.
'Overwatch' fights toxic players by muting them on Xbox Live
Yesterday, Overwatch's team released the new map, Junkertown, and a few character tweaks in a moderately-sized update. But tucked away in the patch notes was a new tool in Blizzard's fight against toxicity in the game: Xbox Live users that earn enough scorn for the "Avoid Me" reputation are banned from in-game voice chat.
Overwatch League’s first season is set to begin January 10th
The Overwatch League has added three more teams to its roster, bringing the total up to its target number of 12 and making way for the very first competition season. The new teams represent Philadelphia, Dallas and Houston and are owned by Comcast Spectacor, Team Envy and OpTic Gaming, respectively. They join franchises located across the US as well as China, South Korea and the UK.
Now all 'Overwatch' players can visit Junkertown
At Gamescom last month, Blizzard teased fans of its hero shooter Overwatch with a new map: Junkertown. The escort map across the post-nuclear Australian wasteland was opened up to PC test realm players a week later, but now it's live on all platforms for all players.
