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Overwatch 2 players new to the series will have to unlock the original characters, meaning that cast won't be available on day one.  This news comes from a new Overwatch 2 blog post, as reported by Destructoid. In it, Blizzard says a consistent piece of feedback it has received is that new players feel overwhelmed by Overwatch's hero pool and various modes. As such, the team has implemented a new First Time User Experience, or FTUE, designed for Overwatch 2 players who have never played Overwatch.  The new FTUE addresses that feedback directly. In phase one, players will need to unlock the game's modes and chat functions – this happens "rapidly," Blizzard writes in the blog post. Then, in phase two, players will unlock the original Overwatch heroes by playing "approximately 100 matches," according to Destructoid. It's important to note this...

There are Pokémon designs like Charizard that make me go, "ooo yes, very nice" and there are others like Voltorb that make me go, "oh, why do you exist?" There's also a rare third class of Pokémon I call "weird lil things" when I see them and Wiglett, a new Pokémon joining the Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, is that class' newest member.  Today, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company released a 3 and a half minute video highlighting Wiglett, its similarities to Diglett, and how it's just different enough that it is an entirely new species, rather than a regional variant. As such, this new Diglett-like Pokémon is called Wiglett. It looks like a worm, lives in the sea and on the beach, and seems to stick together with other Wigletts. Check it out in Serebii's video below:  I'm most excited to see Wiglett's evolution, if...

Northgard: Uncharted Lands is a terrific tabletop version of the RTS video game, bringing a real sense of exploration and danger to the table....

We spoke to Blizzard about the creation of the new Overwatch 2 map set in Portugal, Esperança....

Update, 9/27/22: Rick Sanchez from the hit TV show "Rick and Morty" will be available as a playable fighter in the free-to-play platform brawler, MultiVersus, today. He joins his in-show sidekick, Morty Smith, in the game who was added to the roster last month.  The official MultiVersus Twitter account has released a short video showcasing a breakdown of Rick's moveset and class type. His moveset includes the following: Yeah, Fart Bomb!: Throw a fart bomb, hitting enemies upward. Meeseek and Destroy: Summon a Meeseeks that runs forward, uppercuts, or readies a golf club.  Basrick Portal Theory: Aims and summons a max of two portals Who's ready to get rickety-rickety-wrecked, Son?! Rick joins #MultiVersus TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/r3h7lpBoQY — MultiVersus (@multiversus) September 26, 2022 The original story continues below... Update, 8/12/22: The official MultiVersus Twitter account has revealed that Season 1 for the...

Overwatch 2 introduces a bevy of new characters, maps, and modes when it launches early next week. However, the most significant change arriving alongside the sequel's new free-to-play format is a Battle Pass. The pass' free track allows players to unlock a new support character named Kiriko, while its premium track – which costs $10 or 1,000 Overwatch Coins – offers unique cyberpunk-themed cosmetics like weapon charms, souvenirs, and legendary skins. Players who complete the 80-tier premium Battle Pass receive Cyber Demon Genji, the first of Overwatch's new class of customizable cosmetics called Mythic Skins.  We recently interviewed Overwatch 2's leadership group to learn about their philosophy while developing the Battle Pass and Mythic Skins' role in the sequel's revamped monetization strategy.  "When we looked at making this transition to free-to-play, one of the great goals we had was to give Overwatch players what they wanted,...

At long last, HBO has released the first trailer for The Last of Us. Though officially classified as a “teaser,” it offers nearly two minutes of clips that provide pretty good looks at the upcoming adaptation.  The teaser doesn’t reveal a premiere date, but we get to see how Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) survive the post-apocalyptic world, scenes of humanity's collapse a la the game's prologue, and a quick glimpse of a Clicker.  The Last of Us is led by Craig Mazin of Chernobyl fame and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann. We learned during Summer Game Fest that Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who portray Joel and Ellie in the games, will have unspecified roles in the series. The Last of Us will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max in 2023. To help prepare fans...

In March, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced that E3 would return next year as an in-person show following the cancellation of the 2022 edition. We now know the dates of the event as well as how it will be structured. E3 2023 takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from Tuesday, June 13 through Friday, June 16. Digital presentations, such as the annual press conferences held by first and third-party publishers, take place a couple of days before, beginning June 11.  The ESA also states that the show will feature separate admission days for industry professionals and the general public. E3 Business Days, designated for developers, publishers, and press/media, take place on June 13-15. Media registration opens in December.  June 15-16 will host E3 Gamer Days, where fans will be admitted to the show floor. There is no...

Silent Hill: The Short Message has been rated by South Korea's Game Rating committee, and it's possible this is a new unannounced Silent Hill game.  This news comes by way of Video Games Chronicle, which reported that the rating committee rated Silent Hill: The Short Message today. However, the rating did not include any platforms, so it's unclear where this game might land if it actually ends up being a real title. In fact, the rating features little else other than listing Uniana as its publisher. As VGC notes, this company regularly publishes Konami games in South Korea.  The publication also notes that Silent Hill: The Short Message might be related to one of various Silent Hill projects reportedly in the works at multiple different studios. VGC reported in February that Konami is planning a revival of the Silent Hill series...

Marvel has stepped up its gaming output these past few years. Following the success of Marvel's Spider-Man in 2018 by Insomniac Games, the team later announced Marvel's Spider-Man 2, due out sometime next year. Insomniac is also working on a Wolverine game. Elsewhere, Motive Studio just announced last week that it's working on a single-player Iron Man game and before that, Marvel pulled back the curtains on Amy Hennig's new game that features Black Panther and Captain America. There's also Crystal Dynamic's Marvel's Avengers, which is still getting content today, and last year's excellent Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.  All of this is to say that Marvel has been pumping out a steady stream of games with more to come. However, despite that, you shouldn't expect the company to create a connected universe like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to vice...