Tag: Blizzard
News Overwatch 2 Dev Blizzard "Committed" To Reviving BlizzCon In 2023
The live event will return
It's the time of year when all sorts of video game conferences are broadcast, or at least get announced. Blizzard - the developer behind series like Diablo, Overwatch and World of Warcraft hasn't held its own event in-person event in a while, but it seems this will be changing next year. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times...
News Blizzard Entertainment Acquires Spellbreak Developer Proletariat
To help with World of Warcraft development
Less than a day after the shock announcement that magic-based battle royale Spellbreak will be shutting down early next year, it's been announced that Blizzard Entertainment has snapped up the game's developer, Proletariat. VentureBeat reports that the 100-strong team at Proletariat wil
News Bobby Kotick Has Been Re-Elected To Activision Blizzard's Board Of Directors
Investigations into company misconduct are ongoing
Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, has been successfully re-elected to the company's board of directors for another year. The decision was made as a result of the company's annual shareholder meeting on June 21st, the outcome of which you can read in full right here. Activision Blizzard has...
"I wish I could say we had something in the works"
Fans of the Birdman (that's Tony Hawk) got quite a shock earlier this year in April when it was revealed the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater developer Vicarious Visions had been absorbed by Blizzard Entertainment. Concerns were raised about the future of the series at the time, and if remasters of the third...
News Overwatch 2 Is Getting Rid Of Loot Boxes In Favour Of A Battle Pass
Roadmap and new character announced
Overwatch 2 finally secured a release date earlier this week and official confirmation that the sequel to Blizzard's hugely popular online shooter will be coming to Switch. Now Blizzard has revealed the game's upcoming roadmap, along with some interesting changes, during a reveal event broadcast yesterday. On top...
News Blizzard's Overwatch 2 Launches On Nintendo Switch This October
PvP will be free-to-play
During the recent Xbox Bethesda showcase, Blizzard shared a few announcements. One of them was the news that Overwatch 2 would be launching in early access on PC and consoles on October 4th. According to the PR, this includes Nintendo Switch. It was also confirmed the player-versus-player multiplayer component will be...
News Vicarious Visions Is Seemingly No More After It Merges With Blizzard Entertainment
Developer will work solely on Blizzard games
Vicarious Visions, known for its work on Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, will merge with Blizzard Entertainment and work solely on Blizzard games moving forward. Blizzard Entertainment is known for franchises such as Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hea
News Blizzard Confirms Doomfist Will Be A Tank Hero In Overwatch 2
Class swap
Blizzard will be making some big changes in the upcoming release Overwatch 2, and the latest reveal is the Street Fighter-inspired brawler Doomfist will be changed from damage to tank class. Game director Aaron Keller shared a bit more detail in a livestream last week - explaining how Doomfist's "leap" would be similar to Winston. He...
News Overwatch Director Admits Dev Team Has Let Down The Game's Community
Will now release Overwatch 2's PVP mode "sooner"
Since the departure of game director Jeff Kaplan from the Overwatch team, the game's sequel seems to have gone missing. After announcing Overwatch 2 would drop the second tank slot from the game's PVP team battle mode last May, Blizzard then revealed the game had been
News Blizzard Has Delayed Overwatch 2 (Again)
Diablo IV is also getting a "later launch"
When Blizzard announced a sequel to its team-based hero shooter Overwatch in 2019, it made it clear it was still a while away. It's now been delayed again - with the company announcing during a recent investor call that's it's planning a "later launch" for Overwatch 2 to ensure the game reaches its "full...
News Blizzard Has Officially Renamed Overwatch's McCree
Say hello to Cole Cassidy
As you might recall, Blizzard announced it would be changing the name McCree - the popular cowboy gunslinger in its team-based first-person shooter, Overwatch. In case you missed the original announcement, the character was named after one of the now ex-employees linked to the recent harassment and discrimination lawsuit -...
News Diablo II: Resurrected Is Still Being Plagued By Hellish Server Outages
Blizzard issues an update
In the month of September, Blizzard launched Diablo II: Resurrected - a remaster of its classic ARPG hack-and-slash, originally released on computers two decades ago. While this remaster encountered some teething issues at launch, players were (mostly) still able to access the online mode, grind levels and access their...
News Industry Veteran "Zoid" Retires And Reminisces About A Conference Call With Miyamoto
Call me by my (nick)name
Blizzard's most senior software engineer David "Zoid" Kirsch has announced his retirement from the company and the games business. The industry veteran has an enviable list of credits to his name, having worked for some of the biggest companies in the business and some of the biggest games of the last 20 years, including...
News Overwatch 2 Is Still Coming To Switch, But Blizzard Will Have To Make "Some Compromises"
Focus will be on gameplay features first
It's been an uphill battle for developers porting next-generation titles to the Switch since the system arrived in 2017. While we've seen some "impossible" ports like The Witcher 3 and DOOM, often studios have to make serious comprises to get certain games up and running on Nintendo's hybrid hardware. When...
News Switch Overwatch Players Can Now Team Up With Xbox, PlayStation And PC Heroes
The cross-play beta has arrived
Overwatch has made some massive announcements in recent times under the new game director Aaron Keller, and today sees the arrival of a long-awaited update: cross-play. Yes, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC heroes can now play together. Just be mindful that it's still technically in beta. In order to participate in...
News Overwatch 2 Is Removing The Second Tank Slot From PVP Teams
Each team will be comprised of just five players each
There's a major change coming to the player vs player component of Overwatch and the upcoming release Overwatch 2. According to the game's new director, Aaron Keller (Jeff Kaplan's replacement), Overwatch PVP matches will be reduced from six players per team, down to just five. Sorry Tank...
News Blizzard To Showcase New PVP Overwatch Maps In Special Fifth Anniversary Livestream
A developer AMA will follow on May 24th
Although many within the Overwatch community are still recovering from the departure of game director Jeff Kaplan last month, the latest developer update has now been posted. It's hosted by Aaron Keller - a founding member of the original Overwatch team and Jeff's replacement - and focuses on "what's next"...
News Console Players Will Be Included In Future Testing Phases Of Diablo II: Resurrected
Technical Alpha begins this Friday on PC
Back in February, Blizzard announced Diablo II: Resurrected for multiple platforms including the Nintendo Switch. Since then, there's been very little information about the remaster of this iconic classic. Now, though, in a new update - the company has confirmed its very first Technical Alpha for the game...
Including "50 employees" in live events
It has been tough times for a lot of industries over the past year, and perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic for the video game industry has been the cancellation of live shows including expos and e-sports events. As these in-person events are no longer happening, Activision Blizzard has...
News Blizzard's Diablo II Remaster Will Support Your Old Save Files
Time to revive your original builds
Last month, Blizzard announced Diablo II: Resurrected. It's a remaster of the base game and Lord of Destruction, and it's coming to the Nintendo Switch and multiple other platforms this year. If you happen to be a returning player, you might be interested to know you'll actually be able to use your saves from the...
PSA Turn Off The Music In Rock N Roll Racing If You Stream The Blizzard Arcade Collection Online
Licensed soundtrack "not cleared for streaming"
During BlizzCon Online this weekend, Blizzard announced (and released) a three-in-one retro selection comprised of The Lost Vikings, Rock N Roll Racing and Blackthorne. Just days after the launch of the Blizzard Arcade Collection, Blizzard's Adam Fletcher has issued a warning about streaming Rock N...
News Get A Stack Of Extra Goodies In Blizzard's 30th Anniversary Celebration Collection
Includes the new Blizzard Arcade Collection
If you're interested in purchasing the Blizzard Arcade Collection for your Nintendo Switch, you might want to consider Blizzard's 30-year celebration collection instead. This pack not only includes Blizzard's new retro arcade collection but also a cache of commemorative in-game content for Overwatch and
News Overwatch 2 Team Needs More Development Time To Ensure It's A "Worthy Successor"
And a "true sequel"
Earlier this month, Activision Blizzard confirmed the sequel to the team-based shooter Overwatch would be not be arriving this year. At the time, it was simply explained how the company outlook for 2021 did not include the launch of this title. Today, at BlizzCon Online, game director Jeff Kaplan and the team elaborated on this,...
News Diablo II: Resurrected Is Coming To The Nintendo Switch This Year
Return to Hell
At Blizzard's all-digital BlizzCon event this year, the company announced Diablo II: Resurrected for the Nintendo Switch and multiple other platforms. It'll be arriving later this year. The remaster of this classic ARPG hack 'n slash will include the ability to toggle between new and old graphics, the same gameplay "you know and...
News Blizzard Arcade Collection Announced For Nintendo Switch, Out Today On The eShop
A blast from the past
This year's BlizzCon has just kicked off. To start the show, Blizzard announced the Blizzard Arcade Collection. It's out today on the Nintendo Switch for $19.99 / £16.99 and contains The Lost Vikings, Rock N Roll Racing and Blackthorne. Both the original editions and upgraded definitive editions are included in this package...
News Get Ready For More Remasters From Activision Blizzard In 2021
What might be making a comeback?
Video game powerhouse Activision Blizzard has been banking big bucks for some time now thanks to a number of remasters. We've seen the return of IP like Crash Bandicoot and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater from Activision's side, while Blizzard has chipped in with titles such as Warcraft III: Reforged - that one obviously...
News Activision Blizzard Says Overwatch 2 Won't Be Released This Year
But the world needs heroes
Activision Blizzard has confirmed the sequel to the team-based shooter Overwatch will not be arriving this year. This announcement was made by the company's chief financial officer and president of emerging businesses, Dennis M. Durkin, during the fourth-quarter earnings call. "Our outlook does not include Diablo IV or...
The 200-person studio now only works on Blizzard games
Vicarious Visions is no more. As of today, the 31-year-old company has been fully subsumed into Blizzard, and will be "fully dedicated to existing Blizzard games and initiatives" from now on. In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, a representative for Vicarious Visions said the following:...
News Overwatch's New Kanezaka Map Is Now Live, And It's Gearing Us Up For Overwatch 2
A new micro-event based around Hanzo is also available
We first got word that Kanezaka was heading to Overwatch last month, via game director Jeff Kaplan's developer update. Much like Hanamura Castle, this new map is set within Tokyo, Japan but instead of the usual 6v6 fights, Kanezaka offers a free-for-all deathmatch instead. After several weeks of...
News Overwatch Director Reminds Us Which Hero He Would Like To See In Smash Bros.
Cheers, love!
Blizzard's Overwatch team recently did a Reddit AMA and was asked again which heroes they would like to see represented in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series. Game director Jeff Kaplan chose Tracer for the second time in a row, while the lead hero designer Geoff Goodman went with Doomfist - a hero with a moveset inspired by classic 2D...
News New Footage Of Blizzard's Axed Third-Person Shooter StarCraft: Ghost Surfaces Online
Originally announced for GameCube, Xbox and PS2
During the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and original Xbox generation in 2002, Blizzard was working on an all-format third-person shooter known as Starcraft: Ghost. The game experienced a bumpy development cycle and the GameCube version was cancelled in 2004. This followed with the project being completely...
News Overwatch And Diablo Animated Series Are In Development
Getting animated
Following the success of series like Castlevania, it would seem that many video game publishers are looking for ways to leverage their catalogue of IP in the realm of streaming TV shows – and Blizzard appears to be the next in line. Thanks to the
News Experience Overwatch's Winter Wonderland Event On Switch For The First Time Ever
Limited-time cosmetics up for grabs
Update: Here's exactly what this year's Winter Wonderland event offers: NEW GAME MODE: SNOWBALL DEATHMATCH This year’s Winter Wonderland event ushers in a new mini-game mode, called “Snowball Deathmatch.” This is an 8-player free-for-all deathmatch where everyone will play as Mei with a modified Mei...
News Jeff Kaplan Answers Which Nintendo Character He'd Most Like To See In Overwatch 2
A link between franchises
In a recent quick-fire video interview with Overwatch's Game Director Jeff Kaplan, Game Informer asked the Blizzard VP not only which Overwatch character he'd love to see join the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster (which
News Mercy's Recall Challenge Is Now Live In Overwatch, Win Nine Games To Unlock A Legendary Skin
Runs until 2nd December
Since arriving on the Switch last month, Blizzard's hero-based shooter Overwatch has celebrated the spooky season and a few other events. In the game's latest update, the "former guardian angel" Mercy wrestles with whether she should take to the skies again. From now, until 2nd December, you'll be able to win special...
Feature The Story Of Blizzard's Diablo Junior, The Game Boy Epic That Never Was
“A Diablo-lite game with a town and lots of dungeons? I'd eat that up”
Modern-day Nintendo fans may be able to enjoy the thrills of Diablo III on the move in 2019, but at the turn of the millennium, options for Nintendo-loving dungeon explorers were far more limited – although the outlook could have been quite different. Following Diablo II's...
News Blizzard Has "No Idea" When Overwatch 2 Will Be Released, Just Wants To "Make It Great"
Expect to hear more at next year's BlizzCon
As exciting as the Overwatch 2 announcement was at BlizzCon this year, it's probably the last thing you wanted to hear if you recently picked up a copy of Overwatch: Legendary Edition on the Switch less than a month ago. Thankfully, the original game will remain relevant – with Blizzard confir
News The Overwatch 2 Leak Was Extremely Demoralising For The Development Team
"You feel totally deflated"
Like many other BlizzCon 2019 announcements this weekend, the Overwatch 2 one was leaked ahead of the opening ceremony. In a follow-up interview with Kotaku Australia, Overwatch lead designer Jeff Kaplan expressed how leaks can be "extremely demoralising" for developers and explained how lack of context can often result...
News Overwatch Players Will Have Access To All Of The Sequel's PvP Multiplayer Content
"nothing gets left behind"
Overwatch 2 has just been confirmed for the Switch and multiple other platforms. So, is the original player base expected to migrate across to the sequel? According to the lead designer Jeff Kaplan, "nothing gets left behind" – or in this case, no hero gets left behind. You see, both games will be part of a shared...
News Blizzard Is Indeed Bringing Overwatch 2 To The Nintendo Switch
No release dates announced for console version
BlizzCon 2019 has just kicked-off and as expected the company announced a cooperative, narrative-driven follow-up to its popular team-based hero shooter Overwatch. On top of a PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One announcement, the new entry has now also been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch. Overwatch 2...
News Overwatch Begins Life On The Switch With Its Annual Halloween Event
"The terror returns"
The team-based hero shooter Overwatch is now out on the Switch and while the Nintendo Store launch for the game has been cancelled by Blizzard, it's still business as usual in terms of in-game events. To kick-off the title's launch on the Switch, Nintendo players will be able to participate in Halloween Terror 2019. This annual...
News Blizzard Cancels Overwatch Switch Launch Event, Leaves Nintendo To Apologise On Its Behalf
With less than 48 hours notice
Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Nintendo Store in New York would be hosting a special launch party for Overwatch, which blasts its way onto Nintendo Switch today. As it happens, Overwatch developer Blizzard Entertainment has cancelled the event with hardly any notice, and appears to have left Nintendo to...
News Blizzard Still "Exploring" How To Bring Cross-Play To Overwatch
But it's "more difficult than people realise"
With the team-based shooter Overwatch on its way to Nintendo Switch, Blizzard has been asked once again if cross-play is on the cards, in hope heroes across all platforms can one day unite in-game. We heard in September how the company was still trying to determine if such a thing even made sense, and...
News Overwatch Director Would Pick Tracer To Represent The Game In Smash Bros. Ultimate
But Sakurai can have "whatever" hero he wants
With the Overwatch Legendary Edition making its way across to the Switch later this month, it's got many fans wondering if any of the heroes in this online team-based shooter could possibly make an appearance in Nintendo's all-star brawler, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Jeff Kaplan – the lead director...
News Iron Galaxy Helped Bring Overwatch To Switch, Nintendo Version Runs At 30fps
Cheers, love!
At the very beginning of the most recent Nintendo Direct, it was revealed the popular team-based shooter Overwatch would be coming to the Switch. Since then, Blizzard has been answering many questions about this particular version of the game and if it will support features like
News Blizzard Has No Plans To Add Cross-Platform Progression To Overwatch Right Now
The focus has been on "trying to get Overwatch" on Switch
Blizzard has already said it's still trying to determine if "cross-system play" would make sense for Overwatch, so what about cross-platform progression? Unfortunately, if you do intend to pick up the Switch version of the game when it arrives next month, and you've already spent a lot of...
News Blizzard Still Trying To Determine If Cross-Play Would Make Sense For Overwatch
And keeping close watch on the technology
During the most recent Nintendo Direct presentation, we officially found out Blizzard's team-based hero shooter Overwatch Legendary Edition would be coming to the Switch on 15th October. This announcement has re-raised questions about the possibility of Overwatch eventually receiving cross-play support,...
Talking Point With Overwatch Apparently Switch-Bound, The Future's Bright For Blizzard And Nintendo
Crafting a relationship
News that an officially-licenced Overwatch carry case for Nintendo Switch is available suggests an announcement on the horizon that many of us have expected – Overwatch is Switch-bound. While it's not yet confirmed, it would be a cruel joke to put out licensed accessories for a console you can't play the game on. Winner of...
News Blizzard Open To More Nintendo Collaborations And Is "Super-Happy" With Diablo On Switch
"Nintendo's been a great partner"
Diablo III: Eternal Collection was easily one of the best games released on the Switch last year. The only problem is we now want more Blizzard IP on the hybrid system. Although Blizzard is currently preparing for the release of World of Warcraft Classic, it's safe to say it hasn't forgotten about Nintendo's latest...
Talking Point What Does The Bungie Divorce From Activision Blizzard Mean For Nintendo?
The big break-up could be good news for Switch fans...
Breaking news everyone: sci-fi shooter titans Bungie, creator of the Halo and Destiny franchises, has officially divorced from its eight-year partnership with Activision-Blizzard. In a public statement released Thursday, Bungie stated: Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce plans for...
