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Four Winds: What made Lost Ark so successful where Elyon failed?
I’m sad about it, but I have to eat my words about Elyon and its place in this decade’s pantheon of MMOs. I honestly thought Elyon was going to be the game that many younger players were going to...
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Diablo IV is recruiting for its endgame beta – here’s what to expect
So this week’s Diablo IV announcement is good news and bad news. The good news is Blizzard is moving to what it’s calling a “closed end game beta.” The bad news is you’re probably not invited, and the...
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Vitae Aeternum: First impressions of New World’s Brimstone Sands and...
It’s finally here: New World has launched its fall update, and the Soulwardens of Aeternum now venture into the wastes of Brimstone Sands. This is a massive update, featuring not just the new zone but...
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Former Diablo producer discusses Activision’s heavy hand as Diablo Immortal...
It’s slowly becoming more obvious that the merger between Blizzard and Activision has had an indelible effect on the games coming from the studio, but in case anyone needed more fuel for that...
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Activision-Blizzard Q3 2022: Blizzard MAUs and revenues are up as NetEase...
Welcome back to our trimonthly coverage of Activision-Blizzard’s quarterly financials. As of this afternoon, we have Q3’s results, comprising July, August, and September 2022. Analysts had pointed out...
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WoW, Overwatch, Diablo, and more to sunset in China following failed...
Last week, as part of its Q3 2022 investor report, Activision-Blizzard included what we described as an ominous note about its apparent difficulties negotiating a new licensing deal with Chinese...
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The Daily Grind: Has an MMO’s launch ever made you turn ’round and play...
When Diablo Immortal launched last year, MOP’s Carlo was… not a fan. He actually recommended that folks just go buy six sourdough jacks from a popular fast-food chain instead as it would be money...
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Diablo III brings a talent tree-granting new season to its public test realm...
Players of Diablo III can now pretty much expect each new season of the ARPG will bring some form of distinct mechanical shift for its duration, and Season 28 is certainly no exception, as it’s...
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Activision-Blizzard Q4 2022: Blizzard revenues, MAUs spike thanks to WoW...
Welcome back to our inevitable coverage of Activision-Blizzard’s quarterly financials: Today’s edition sums up Q4’s results, comprising October, November, and December 2022. Let’s break it down, first...
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Diablo III’s next season launches Friday with skill tree-granting altars
The end of January saw public testing of Diablo III’s Season 28 get underway, but if you missed that testing window then you can just wait for the season’s release, which is confirmed for Friday,...
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Diablo III welcomes Season 28 while Diablo Immortal goes fishin’
Resolutely ignoring the looming presence of Diablo IV on the horizon, the other Diablo titles are keeping pretty busy these days. In fact, Diablo III just started Season 28: Rites of Sanctuary this...
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Global Chat: How has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacted EVE Online?
While the effects of real-world events on video games certainly isn’t as important as the lives, livelihoods, and freedoms of actual people, it is fascinating to consider how such an event can impact...
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The Soapbox: Hating on the competition is no way to promote an MMO
Recently, RIFT was back in the news, offering free subscription time to new and returning players. While I salute Gamigo’s generosity here, whenever the topic of RIFT comes up, I can’t help but think...
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Global Chat: Are we gaming in the ‘Age of Diablo?’
With Diablo II’s remake on the market, Diablo III’s continuing seasons, Diablo Immortal’s patches, and Diablo IV on the way this summer, it’s not much of a surprise to see the Ancient Gaming Noob...
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Not So Massively: Diablo IV’s beta brings the horror, but not the fun
I have been pretty critical of the direction of Diablo IV so far, but franchise loyalty and professional obligation nonetheless led me to accept the offer of a press invite to this past weekend’s...
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First impressions of Diablo IV: Resurrecting Diablo II once again
If franchise media has taught us anything, it’s that sequels which take risks and aren’t universally beloved cause the parent company to panic and yank the next entry back to the original. Almost...
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Global Chat: Diablo IV is an MMO, change my mind
Besides melting GPUs, ejecting colors into the sun, and being more grim than your unapproving Aunt Kelka, Diablo IV’s becoming known for actually being more of an MMORPG than first suspected. And we...
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Not So Massively: Second impressions of Diablo IV
My initial impression of the Diablo IV open beta was lukewarm at best, but I did hold some hope that the second beta weekend might change things. This second beta opened up two more classes, the...
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Why I Play: Diablo III – From pre-release to Reaper of Souls
It’s hard for me to believe that Diablo III’s May 15th, 2012, release was over a decade ago. And despite its reputation of being the black sheep soulstone of the mainline games, it’s gathered a loyal...
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Why I Play: Diablo III – From Reaper of Souls to today
In the first part of this Why I Play retrospective on Diablo III, I discussed the early issues that accompanied the game’s record-setting debut. And while that rocky period is likely something many...
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