August 2019 | Page 18 of 56 | TheFaxFox Twitch Live Streamer

Hearthstone Nerfing Powerful Cards Like Dr. Boom And Luna’s Pocket Galaxy

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

Hearthstone recently introduced its Saviors of Uldum expansion, and now that it’s been out in the wild and the meta has started to form, Blizzard is getting ready to rebalance some cards. This time the nerf stick is hitting some cards that have been recognized as problematic in the community for quite some time, including rolling back two of the cards it buffed in a June update. The balance update will go live next week.

The two biggest changes are coming to prominent Warrior and Mage cards. The Warrior Hero card Dr. Boom, Mad Genius and the Mage card Luna’s Pocket Galaxy have both been hot topics in the Hearthstone community since Uldum launched, and both are having their Mana cost increased. Dr. Boom will increase from 7 Mana to 9, which Blizzard says should make it more difficult to find a good time to play, and give opponents more time to make their own power-plays. Luna’s Pocket Galaxy, which was reduced to 5 Mana in June, is being reverted back to its 7 Mana state.

That isn’t the only Mage card to get a nerf, though. Conjurer’s Calling is having its Mana cost raised from 3 to 4, which Blizzard says will make it more difficult to play both of its Twinspell instances back-to-back. Similar to Luna’s, the Priest card Extra Arms will have its cost reverted to 3 Mana, reversing the buff it received. Finally, the years-old card Barnes is having his cost raised to 5 Mana to better balance Wild, where he’s still in play.

Notably, none of these balance updates are coming to cards that were actually introduced in the Saviors of Uldum expansion. These are all older cards that have proven to be consistently too powerful through more than one expansion, or alternatively, have now become problematic in conjunction with new cards from the Uldum set.

Saviors of Uldum is the second chapter in a planned year-long story event. Like the first chapter, Rise of Shadows, a single-player element is planned to launch roughly a month after the expansion itself.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hearthstone-nerfing-powerful-cards-like-dr-boom-an/1100-6469307/

Fortnite Week 4 Smash And Grab Challenges List (Season 10)

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

Week 4 of Fortnite Season X has arrived, and it brings Battle Pass holders another set of challenges to complete in the popular battle royale game. This week’s set of tasks is called Smash and Grab, and the loose theme running through each of the challenges is dishing out damage and grabbing loot quickly.

As usual, only three of the challenges are available from the outset, with additional ones unlocking as you complete them. Fortunately, all of this week’s missions seem rather straightforward; there are no tasks that set you off on a search for obscure landmarks, so you should be able to complete the entire batch with enough persistence.

This week’s challenges include searching a chest within 60 seconds after landing from the Battle Bus, landing at a Hot Spot in three different matches, and dealing damage within 30 seconds after using a Launch Pad. You can see the full list of Smash and Grab challenges below. If you need help with any of this season’s previous missions, be sure to check out our tips and guides in our full Fortnite Season X challenges roundup.

Week 4’s challenges arrive on the heels of Fortnite’s 10.10 content update, which introduced another new item to the game: the Junk Rift. When thrown, it creates a Rift in the sky that rains debris down on an opponent. The content update also added Glitched Consumables, which can change into different foraged consumables and even some previously vaulted items like Hop Rocks and Shadow Stones. You can read the full patch notes for the content update on Epic’s website.

Fortnite Season X Smash And Grab Challenges

Standard Challenges

Search a chest within 60 seconds after landing from the Battle Bus (3)
Land at a Hot Spot in different matches (3)
Deal damage within 30 seconds after using a Launch Pad (100)
Search two chests within 30 seconds of each other (3)
Pick up a Legendary item in different matches (3)
Search a Supply Drop within 10 of it landing (3)
Deal damage to opponents at Hot Spots (200)

Prestige Challenges

Search a chest and an Ammo Box within 30 seconds after landing from the Battle Bus (3)
Destroy Loot Carriers within 60 seconds after landing from the Battle Bus (3)
Eliminate an opponent within 30 seconds after using a Launch Pad (1)
Search three chests within 30 seconds of each other (3)
Pick up three Legendary items in a single match (3)
Collect 100 of each material within 60 seconds after landing from the Battle Bus (100)
Eliminate an opponent at a Hot Spot (3)

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-week-4-smash-and-grab-challenges-list-sea/1100-6469310/

Marvel’s Avengers Will See “Changes To Everything” Before Launch

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

The first footage for Marvel’s Avengers was revealed earlier this year at E3 2019. Square Enix then followed that up at Gamescom this week, sharing a lengthy new gameplay trailer that showed each of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk in action. Yet the character designs for all five heroes is still a hot-button topic.

Some fans have taken to the internet since its reveal to voice their concerns over how Marvel’s finest appear in the game. Crystal Dynamics’ lead creative director, Shaun Escayg, previously said there were “currently no plans to change our character designs,” but it appears Captain America and co. will be receiving some extra polish ahead of next year’s launch.

Speaking to PCGamesN at Gamescom, Avengers editorial director Casey Lynch said that “everything about the game is going to continue to change as we polish, as we approach launch right now. But things that we’ve shown both at E3 and here, it’s all been pre-alpha. There’ll be changes to everything from the characters to a lot of what you see.”

A spokesperson for Square Enix clarified that “by changes, we’re talking about polish. What we’re doing is we are continuing to add detail to their character models, we’re improving the lighting, we’re improving the skin shading. So, what you’re hopefully seeing is the characters continuing to look better as we get closer to launch. But in terms of changing character designs, that’s not currently what we’re looking at.”

The Twitter account, Have We Heard Anything About Marvel’s Avengers, shared a comparison between the Black Widow seen in the E3 footage and the one shown in the leaked San Diego Comic-Con trailer. It’s clear to see improvements have been made, and with Marvel’s Avengers not due to arrive until May 15 2020, there’s still plenty of time for further polish to be coated on our favorite heroes.

In other Avengers news, we discovered new story details at Comic-Con earlier this year, including information on how co-op works, and we also have a full rundown of every superhero confirmed in the game so far.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvels-avengers-will-see-changes-to-everything-be/1100-6469311/

DayZ Removes Cannabis Items, Gets Unbanned In Australia

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

Earlier this month, Kotaku Australia reported that DayZ was refused classification in Australia due to “illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards.” This prohibited the game’s physical release in the Oceanian country and resulted in its removal from Steam, the PlayStation Store, and Xbox Live.

The five-year-old zombie survival game was going to feature a cannabis joint that restored health, though implementation of the medicinal restorative had yet to be completed. In response to the ban, developer Bohemia Interactive chose to edit the game on a global scale to avoid splitting the player base, and it appears to have worked.

Kotaku Australia reports that the Australian Classification Board has recently updated its website, noting that DayZ is now rated MA15+. The application confirms that this version of the game has been modified, meaning a cannabis-less version was reviewed and approved by the board. The new rating should clear the way for DayZ to be restored on all digital platforms, and Bohemia will have the go-ahead to release a physical version in Australia now that the ban has been lifted.

This isn’t the first time a game has been refused sale in Australia. The government’s antiquated guidelines have previously resulted in games like Fallout 3 and Mortal Kombat 9 being completely banned from sale until the offending content was edited out–or in the case of We Happy Few, taken to a review panel. Even in the past few days, Hotline Miami 2 was made available in Australia for the first time ever following its Switch release. But even that might not last.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dayz-removes-cannabis-items-gets-unbanned-in-austr/1100-6469309/

WWE 2K20: Roman Reign’s Biggest Matches The Subject Of Towers Mode

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

WWE 2K’s Towers Mode is a gaming gauntlet, where players face opponents, one after the other, trying to reach the top of the tower, akin to Mortal Kombat’s towers. However, what is going to set this mode apart from other games for WWE 2K20 is that it will feature live introductions and never-before-seen footage, all revolving around the career of WWE superstars.

Sharing the spotlight with “The Man” Becky Lynch, cover star Roman Reigns is the subject of 2K Towers: Roman’s Reign, a 16-match gauntlet where players will relive some of “The Big Dog’s” greatest moments in his WWE career. This includes covering his time in The Shield, when he was partnered with Seth Rollins–as Dean Ambrose most likely won’t be in the game as he’s working for AEW under the name Jon Moxley now. Below, you’ll find all the matches in this tower mode, which highlight Reigns’ career, so far, in WWE.

Roman’s Reign Tower Mode Matches:

Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Team Hell No
Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton
Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan
Roman Reigns vs. Big Show
Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus
Roman Reigns vs. Triple H
Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles
Roman Reigns vs. Rusev
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker
Roman Reigns vs. John Cena
Roman Reigns vs. The Miz
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

As for the other cover star of this year’s game, Becky Lynch and the other Four Horsewomen (Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Bayley) will be the subject of this year’s Showcase Mode, which has players following in the footsteps of the highlighted superstars, completing specific tasks during matches. Much like WWE 2K19, this year’s addition will also follow the documentary-style format, featuring interviews with the subjects.

WWE 2K20’s DLC will also be a departure from what it’s done in the past. This year, players will be able to purchase WWE Originals packs, which feature fictionalized storytelling of WWE superstars, adding new playable wrestlers–with an aesthetic twist, new arenas, and new create-a-wrestler parts. There will be four of these packs in total, and they will each cost $15. While “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt is the focus of the first pack, “Bump in the Night,” GameSpot spoke to Braun Strowman about his character and involvement in the game. And like every year, the game’s roster should be massive.

WWE 2K20 arrives to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 22.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/wwe-2k20-roman-reigns-biggest-matches-the-subject-/1100-6469308/

Insomniac Sends A Message To Fans Following Sony Acquisition

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

Insomniac Games has sent a message to fans following the announcement that Sony Interactive Entertainment has purchased the developer.

“Today we announced that Insomniac has a new home,” says Insomniac CEO Ted Price. “It feels more like a homecoming though. We’ve collaborated with Sony for more than 20 years–spanning all four PlayStation consoles, 20 total games and six franchises. We still work closely today with many of the same Sony teammates as we did when we released the original Spyro the Dragon in 1998.”

The Spyro, Ratchet and Clank, and Resistance franchises have all been exclusive to PlayStation consoles, including last year’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. The only outlier is Sunset Overdrive, an Xbox One exclusive from 2014.

“The decision to join forces with Sony extends far beyond familiarity,” the message continues. “Our studio vision is to create experiences that have a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives. As we look ahead to our future, we know that joining the WWS family gives us the best opportunities to fully achieve that vision on a much larger scale. Further, we believe that Sony shares a similar vision to positively impact players’ lives, their employees’ lives and the games industry at large.

“So today merely marks the beginning of a new chapter in our studio’s growth and evolution. We’re excited to put Insomniac in the best position to deliver fresh experiences for our fans for many years to come. Our structure and approach will remain intact across both Burbank and Durham, NC studios, and we will continue to cultivate our unique culture.

“It’s been a crazy ride for sure. Now, we’re ready for the next phase of our journey, and can’t wait to explore new worlds with our Sony family and loyal fans.”

Sony recently explained why it decided to buy Insomniac, with Sony Games chairman Shawn Layden saying, “We felt that this was the time to formalize the relationship.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/insomniac-sends-a-message-to-fans-following-sony-a/1100-6469306/

NBA 2K20 Demo Available Now, But It’s A Little Unusual

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

A demo for NBA 2K20 is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. You can download it to begin creating and testing out multiple MyPlayer builds, which you’ll then be able to take into the full game once it’s released in a couple of weeks time.

It’s an unusual demo, letting you explore a character creator more than the on-court action. You can adjust badges and attributes to create different player archetypes, and once you’ve done enough tweaking you can hop into a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, to test out how your MyPlayer handles.

2K recently dropped a new trailer for NBA 2K20’s career mode, giving us a glimpse of what your MyPlayer will be up to during the upcoming game’s story mode. Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson, Thomas Middleditch, and Ernie Hudson star in the basketball drama, along with NBA superstar–and occasional actor–LeBron James.

Unsurprisingly, James is once again the top-rated player in 2K’s latest. If you want to see how the rest of the top 20 stacks up, you can find the full list here. NBA 2K20 is finally adding the WNBA this year, too, with 12 teams available to use in the Play Now and Season modes. Some of the league’s standout players have been scanned into the game, as well as animations and play styles fans will expect to see from the women’s league.

If you’re interested in NBA 2K20 and the demo has just whet your appetite, it launches September 6 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. GameSpot has all the details on pre-order bonuses and what’s included in the Digital Deluxe and Legend editions. You can pre-order it now at the following links:

PS4 standard edition — $60

Xbox One standard edition — $60

Switch standard edition — $60

PC standard edition — $60

PS4 Digital Deluxe edition — $80

Get it at PlayStation Store

Xbox One Digital Deluxe edition — $80

Switch Digital Deluxe edition — $80

Get it at GameStop

PC Digital Deluxe edition — $80

PS4 Legend edition — $100

Xbox One Legend edition — $100

Switch Legend edition — $100

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nba-2k20-demo-available-now-but-its-a-little-unusu/1100-6469304/

The Best-Selling Digital Games For July 2019 – Fire Emblem: Three Houses And GTA Online Are The Big Winners

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by faxfox

Sales tracker Superdata has revealed its monthly sales chart for July 2019, tracking worldwide digital sales across PC, console, and mobile.

Consumers spent $9.02 billion on digital games in July, up from $8.56 billion in the same month last year.

Grand Theft Auto V Online’s Diamond Casino update led to a huge uptick in sales for Rockstar’s immensely popular game. Earlier this month, the developer announced that GTA Online had broken its record for most players in a single day on July 23, and most players in an entire week between July 23 – 29. The company didn’t share specific player numbers, but Superdata estimates the game sold $69 million across console and PC following the Diamond Casino update, so the numbers certainly back Rockstar’s claims up.

The update, which introduced a casino full of games to play, rewards to earn, and new story missions to complete, led to one of the best digital sales months for the game since it launched back in 2013. It also marked the first month of double-digit year-over-year growth since August 2018.

Elsewhere, Fire Emblem: Three Houses had the best digital launch in franchise history, selling 800,000 digital units on Switch in July. This follows NPD Group’s monthly sales chart from July, which showed that Three Houses recorded the highest first-month sales for a Fire Emblem game of all time in the US, good enough to make it the second highest-selling game of the month, behind Madden NFL 20. NPD never shares actual sales numbers, but add on the 800,000 units sold in worldwide digital sales and it’s safe to assume Three Houses had a very successful launch.

Season 2 of Apex Legends kicked off in July, generating $37 million across both console and PC. This is double what Respawn’s shooter made in June, but only roughly half of what Season 1 earned back in March. The Titanfall battle royale game courted controversy this month after its Iron Crown event introduced overly expensive new cosmetics. This led to altercations on Reddit when a thread discussing the event took a turn for the worse once developers began criticizing the community with insulting language and saying most players are “freeloaders.” Respawn CEO Vince Zampella has since issued a statement apologizing for the incident.

Another battle royale title, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, sold a further one million units after a price cut. Superdata estimates PUBG sold 1.1 million units on PC in July, with an average selling price of $18. Sales are still down significantly from last year, however.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-best-selling-digital-games-for-july-2019-fire-/1100-6469303/