If you’re dying to know what the next Guild Wars 2 expansion is all about, this weekend is your ticket. The Path of Fire preview is set to begin in the next little while and it will run through Sunday, August 13th. Anyone can play without needing to own either Guild Wars 2 or to have preordered Path of Fire. Simply register for an account, download the client and get started as soon as servers open.
– Discord Begins Testing Video Chat with 5% of Its Users
5% of Discord users will be lucky enough to be included in the first initial round of testing of video chat capabilities. The team is going to be closely monitoring bandwidth usage, bug, crashes and other issues. As stated in the Discord developer blog, “video data is a behemoth” so it is likely that servers will be under heavy strain during testing.
Albion Online – Sandbox Done Right
Albion Online bills itself as a sandbox MMO where players can write their own story, and for the most part this is an accurate description. Everyone starts off the same; in their underwear with no possessions at all. There’s the barest bit of a tutorial to show off the basics of the systems and how everything works, and then you are off to find your own adventure.
No Man’s Sky – Limited Online Co-Op Added in Atlas Rises Update
Hello Games has released a brand new trailer and information about the large update called Atlas Rises. The content expansion is expected to launch later today. There are a lot of big things coming with Atlas Rises, most notably a limited online cooperative mode called Joint Exploration.
Shroud of the Avatar – Plans for Future Episodes Beyond Episode 1
With Shroud of the Avatar ready to officially launch Episode 1 in the relatively near future, the team is beginning to look at the future. In a new post on the official forums, Starr Long has revealed the long term plan for SotA that includes four new episodes, ships that will include ship-to-ship combat, Elven race, player-owned dungeons, Discord integration, more character customization, a companion mobile app, map improvements, animal husbandry and much more.
Dark and Light – Basics Series: Earth & Beast Magic
In the final Basics video of the week, the Dark & Light team DIGS into Earth & Beast Magic. It’s a terrific series designed to give new players a leg up in the game.
Overwatch – Deathmatch in Two Flavors Coming Soon in Arcade Mode
The Overwatch team has revealed a new game mode coming to the Arcade. Players will be able to play both Team Deathmatch and Free-For-All Deathmatch. In the first, one team tries to take out the other to the last player. In the latter, it’s every player for him- or herself. Deathmatch mode maps will be modified versions of existing maps, though Blizzard is also introducing a new map that takes place in the former home of Widowmaker.
Dauntless – Ten ‘Influencers’ Preview An Hour’s Worth of Combat
The Dauntless team spent time with ten influential YouTubers to create a series of combat videos designed to show off the game’s combat. Over an hour’s worth of fighting action is shown in the ten videos of an early build of the game. The players also share some of their overall impressions of the forthcoming game.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft – The Lich King Reads His Fan Messages
VentureBeat has a great new video starring none other than everyone’s favorite Lich King, Arthas Menethil. In the video, LK reads his fan messages as only he can.
Fortnite – Mysterious ‘Survive the Storm’ Update Teased
The Fortnite Facebook page has posted a mysterious message and an image called “Survive the Storm”. The message simply reads: “New mode. New Weapons. New threats. Same scared llamas.” Other than that, all we know is that it’s coming in late August or early September.