Tag Archives: blizzard

The past few weeks has seen the heat turned up when it comes to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and whether the move is in fact anti-competitive. Amidst all this, head of Xbox Phil Spencer has remained resolute, stating that the console manufacturer will continue to acquire more studios. In …

In recent weeks, Sony has begun taking the offensive by publicly campaigning against Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We've seen Sony lay out its argument against the deal before in regulatory filings, but now, Jim Ryan has been giving juicy quotes to the press, branding Microsoft's post-merger Call of …

Overwatch is officially going offline on the 2nd of October and two days later, Overwatch 2 will launch in Early Access. Blizzard had previously confirmed plans to introduce a Battle Pass system with Overwatch 2 and now, we finally have some official details on what that will include.  Unlike the …

Since its original release back in 2016, Overwatch has always been backed by free content updates, giving buyers access to new heroes and maps without the need for additional grinding or expense. That will unfortunately be changing in Overwatch 2 – new heroes will still be free, but you'll have …

We've all assumed that Activision Blizzard games will come to Xbox Game Pass some time after Microsoft completes its acquisition of the company. Today in response to questions around the deal, Xbox head, Phil Spencer, confirmed exactly that.  In a lengthy blog post intended to reassure regulators, gamers and developers, …

In response to news that the UK CMA is moving onto phase two of its investigation into Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has published a new blog post further detailing its plans for the company post-merger. In short, Microsoft is now more firmly committing to keeping Activision Blizzard …

We learned a while ago that the UK authorities had begun their investigation into Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard and after gathering preliminary information, they have come to the decision that Microsoft owning the publisher could impact competition in the market. Now, the CMA will move into phase two …

Diablo Immortal is a tricky game to talk about. It offers a lot of freely playable content and succeeds in delivering a quality Diablo experience on the go. However, it is also laden with microtransactions, the worst of which are the game's legendary crests, which are the only way to …

Just over a week ago, we learned the official opinions of Sony, Ubisoft, WB, Riot and other companies regarding Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Sony naturally had a lot to say and was particularly concerned with Microsoft's growing hold on the subscription market with Game Pass. Now, Microsoft has had a chance to respond, calling Sony for buying 'blocking rights' to keep certain games off of Xbox. 

Back in June, Blizzard confirmed that it would no longer be selling loot boxes in Overwatch 2 and would instead opt to sell seasonal battle passes and have a cosmetics store where you can buy skins and other items directly. Loot boxes will be removed well ahead of the transition …

Blizzard revealed a good chunk of Diablo 4 gameplay back in June, but much of the game is still under wraps. Recently we heard that Blizzard was hosting a 'friends and family' alpha test for the game, inviting a small selection of people with ties to the studio to play the game. Awkwardly, this has resulted in a few leaks. 

We're just a couple of months away from Overwatch 2 becoming available in Early Access. The new game will have free to play multiplayer and introduce new monetisation methods, with plans to sell skins directly through a store, rather than through lootboxes. A recent survey suggested that some skins could …

A couple of years ago following Diablo Immortal's BlizzCon reveal, we learned that Blizzard was also working on a number of other mobile games, several of which were set in the Warcraft universe. This year, one of these games was officially announced, but Blizzard seems to be scrapping two other …

Diablo Immortal launched in early June and quickly garnered 10 million players and earned just shy of $25 million within the first couple of weeks. At this point, the game has doubled to over 20 million installs and revenue has gone way up, surpassing $100 million.  Despite controversy and outcry …

Last week, an update to the World of Warcraft website mistakenly revealed an ad with the release date for Wrath of the Lich King Classic. Usually when a leak like this happens, an official announcement is imminent and that was exactly the case here. Today, Blizzard confirmed Wrath of the …

Earlier this year, Blizzard officially announced World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, the next major expansion for the long-running MMO. While we initially weren’t sure if the expansion would launch this year, Blizzard has since confirmed plans for a 2022 release, and now, players can get their first taste of the new …

Blizzard began winding down development on Heroes of the Storm a couple of years ago and now, it looks like the team is ready to move on for good. Moving forward, Blizzard's MOBA will essentially go into maintenance mode, ensuring the game remains operational but with no further content planned.  …

BlizzCon has been cancelled for the last few years, but there are plans to finally bring the event back. According to Blizzard head, Mike Ybarra, there are plans to host the event once again in 2023.  During a recent interview with the LA Times, Ybarra confirmed that recently hired BlizzCon …

Back in January, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth a record-breaking $69 billion. However, the deal is far from done, as Microsoft faces regulatory challenges. This week, another hurdle was placed in the way, as the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) announced plans to …

By now, you should know Diablo fans are not happy with Diablo Immortal. Most people consider it a cash grab, which is hard to counter-argue considering you may spend well over $100K to max out your character. Still, it seems some people don't mind spending that much, as the game …

We all know that Activision Blizzard is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft, but that isn't stopping the company from making acquisitions of its own. This week, Blizzard confirmed that it has acquired studio Proletariat, the company behind Spellbreak.  Spellbreak launched back in 2018, offering a new take …

Earlier this month, Blizzard confirmed that Overwatch 2 will be launching in Early Access this October across consoles and PC. Now, the studio has revealed a bit more about the transition. Even in its Early Access state, Overwatch 2 will replace Overwatch 1, and we also know how the team …

Back in April, Blizzard officially unveiled not one, but two WoW expansions. For starters, Classic players will be getting Wrath of the Lich King, allowing players to reexperience one of the best expansions in the history of MMOs. In addition, the latest WoW expansion is also on the way, known …

While Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2 would launch in Early Access this year during the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, the studio also saved a few reveals for its own stream. Last night, during a new development update stream, Blizzard announced some even bigger changes coming to Overwatch 2, including the …

At the Xbox Games Showcase a few days ago, Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2 would launch in early access on PC and Xbox Series X/S in October, but there will still be more beta tests taking place before then. Ahead of tomorrow's Overwatch 2 stream, Blizzard has announced that the …

Diablo IV had a pretty good showing at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase a few days ago, but due to Diablo Immortal's recent microtransaction controversies, fans have been worried about Blizzard's monetisation plans for the new game, something that the studio has now responded to. While Blizzard still hasn't really …

During the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, Blizzard ended up on stage for a considerable amount of time. Not only did we get new announcements for Overwatch 2, but Rod Fergusson also took to the stage to give us a pretty deep look at Diablo IV in action.  The new gameplay …

As expected, Blizzard had a fairly major presence at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase. Not only did we get a good dose of Diablo IV gameplay, but a major Overwatch 2 reveal also took place. The game will now be free to play, and it'll be launching in Early Access …

We've heard plenty about Diablo Immortal's microtransactions recently and the caps in place to ensure you have to spend money to get high-grade gems for your gear. As it turns out, there are other hidden gameplay caps in place that players are now beginning to discover.  Echohack, a player with …

Back in 2020, Blizzard confirmed that it was officially done with StarCraft 2 development, and with no immediate plans for a new sci-fi RTS, many StarCraft veterans left to form a new studio – Frost Giant Studios. Now two years later, the group of ex-Blizzard developers have revealed their new …