Hype for the upcoming GTA 6, which comes out next week, seems to be growing by the minute. Excited fans are already taking precautions on social media to avoid spoilers, wondering whether there will be an online multiplayer option, and when players can start preloading. In fact, the anticipation is even spreading beyond gaming circles.
The Greensboro, North Carolina police department took to their X account recently to share how much they were looking forward to GTA 6 coming out. “GTA 6 needs to hurry up and get here so y’all can stay home and let us catch a break,” they joked in the post.
GTA 6 needs to hurry up and get here so y'all can stay at home and let us catch a break.
The post attracted over 300 comments, including from the GTA Wiki account, which posted a GIF of a police car and wrote, “Just drive faster.” Another user playfully encouraged the department to just be honest if they wanted to play the game, too. Someone else appealed to the studio itself, saying, “Rockstar, the department is counting on you for a quiet day.”
And the Greensboro police department certainly isn’t the only one getting in on the fun. Across the pond in the United Kingdom, the Derbyshire Police Department also joked about the rapidly approaching GTA 6 launch. After pulling someone over for dangerous driving, Derbyshire police acknowledged that thirteen years is a long wait, but nothing excuses speeding.
“Save that stuff for the streets of Vice City,” they added.
Police Are Begging for ‘GTA 6’ to Come Out Already, and Their Reason Is Hilarious
Along with police departments worldwide anticipating the game, a finance-focused content creator shared how playing it could actually save people money. Mark Tillbury, a self-made millionaire, pointed out in a recent video that players who stay home to play GTA 6 could avoid spending money on going out instead.
Rockstar Games also shared over 30 new screenshots from the game, offering fans a glimpse of the new main characters, Jason and Lucia, along with Vice City itself, the skyline glittering like a jeweled tapestry. The developer posted a link to the screenshot gallery on their X account, with a reminder that fans are so very close to getting this long-awaited game. “See you in Leonida on November 19.”
GTA gamers flooded the post with enthusiastic comments, appreciating how good the game looks. “This is art,” one user said simply. Alongside a screenshot overlooking what appears to be the Vice City skyline, with Jason and Lucia on a hill, someone else enthused, “This shot is stunning.” Another focused on Lucia herself, sharing a couple of screenshots of the character and writing, “Bro LOOK AT HER.”
With just over a week left to go before the November 19 release date, it’s safe to say that excitement for GTA 6 will only grow as the day gets closer.
TMNT: Splintered Fatehas a huge content drop this week, including a Trench Coat Pack paid DLC and a massive free update for all players focused on the co-op gameplay experience.
TMNT: Splintered Fate Details All the Changes in Co-Op Update
First off, players have the option to purchase the new premium DLC and unlock access to the Trench Coat Pack. This cosmetic DLC includes trench coats for everyone, including the game’s DLC characters.
The more exciting part of this week’s content drop for many fans though is the Shell Squad co-op update. Whether you’re running local couch co-op or matching up with internet friends or strangers, every co-op session now unlocks exclusive, co-op-specific powers and artifacts. These are designed to enhance teamwork and collaboration
Here is a list of all the additions in this big update:
24x new co-op powers (3 per power tree). Examples:
Passing the Torch – The first player you touch while affected by Rapid Fire also gains its effects, for as long as you have Rapid Fire active.
Shared Warmth – When a player consumes a Splinter’s Revive, heal all players.
Chain Reaction – Players’ Specials have a chance to trigger a Chain Lightning, dealing Utrom damage per link.
8x new co-op tools (1 per power tree). Examples:
Bubble Trouble – Spawn a bubble on you and the farthest player. The bubble deals Water damage and Freezes enemies, and grants bonus Water damage to players.
Tether Beam – Tether to the closest player. Enemies caught in the beam will take Utrom damage every second.
Shadow Pact – Grant yourself and the closest player a Dark Shell. Each enemy defeated extends it.
8x new co-op masteries (1 per character). Examples:
Donatello – When using your Tool, the closest player becomes invulnerable.
Raphael – When any player lands a critical hit, they have a chance to Multi-crit instead.
Michelangelo – When using your Special, you and the closest player gain a Torrent Strike stack.
Leonardo – When activating your Special, the closest player gains Light Shell.
Additional updates and improvements:
Improved flame visuals
Character swapping in Online Multiplayer and Couch Co-op matches
Improved Lucky Dice communication
This update is a serious game changer for fans of co-op and it will be very interesting to see if this keeps the community engaged and potentially manages to bring in a new audience. Splintered Fate originally released back in 2023, but the game has been going strong since then and manages to maintain a solid fanbase thanks to its iconic IP and addictive gameplay loop.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more TMNT: Splintered Fate news and updates.
TMNT: Splintered Fate is available now PC, mobile devices, and consoles.
Bungie’s extraction shooter is making another play to pull in new players with a Marathon free to play week arriving at the start of Season 3.
Marathon OPen Play Week Coming December 8-December 15
The next era of Marathon kicks off on December 8 with the start of the Symbiosis update. This is a major update for the game and includes phase one of the permanent PvE game mode.
To help celebrate Season 3 and attract some Marathon-curious gamers, Bungie is hoping another Open Play Week that will invite anyone to check out the experience free of charge.
Bungie shared the news in a new official blog update:
“Just like we did at the start of Season 2, we want everyone to experience the new content coming to Marathon. It will be the perfect time to invite your friends not only to try the game, but to also help you get some Crew Up rewards.
During the Open Play Week from December 8 until December 15, players will be able to access and experience everything Symbiosis has to offer, including the new Expeditions PvE game mode, the new Bishop shell, the updated Perimeter map, and all the new gear and rewards. If you choose to purchase Marathon after Open Play Week is over, you will keep all the items and progression unlocked.”
Gamers who check out the game during Open Play Week and decide to commit to Destiny will need to purchase a copy of the game once the free to play window expires. It should be very interesting to see if the free to play promotion along with the big updates and changes help drive more players into the community this December.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Marathon and Bungie news and updates.
Marathon is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles.
Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek officially arrives on Magic Arena on November 10 and the new set’s launch kicks off an exciting series of November events for players to dive into.
Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Is Available Now on Magic Arena
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
After months of teasers and waiting, it’s finally time for Magic: The Gathering players to dive into the latest Universes Beyond set. Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek is available on Magic Arena now and players can start ripping open packs, playing through drafts, and updating their constructed decks with new, Star Trek-themed abilities.
Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek releases on Magic Arena with an array of new achievements that allow players to earn prizes for playing with the set. As always, there will be a new Mastery Pass and Set Mastery tracks available, as well.
The first Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Arena Direct will fire up this weekend. From November 13–22, you can face off against other players in Best-of-One matches of Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Sealed, and maybe take home some prizes for a strong performance. Three to six wins will be good for gems and MTG Arena packs, while seven wins will earn you a Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Collector Booster box, while supplies last.
Additionally, there will be Qualifier Play-In events and Qualifier Weekend events. Qualifier Play-In events are single-day tournaments in which players compete to earn invitations to that month’s Qualifier Weekend events. Qualifier Weekend events are two-day events in which eligible players compete for invitations to upcoming Arena Championship events.
November 14: Best-of-One Qualifier Play-In
November 20: Best-of-Three Qualifier Play-In
November 21–22: Qualifier Weekend
Players can check out all of those upcoming events as they work through the new set and make their way up the ranked ladder to earn special rewards when the month comes to a close.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Magic: The Gathering news and updates as the Star Trek set launch continues to play out.
Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena. The Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek set is available now digitally through Magic Arena and the global tabletop launch will follow on November 13.
Many Dungeons and Dragons players now preparing characters for their upcoming Azeroth-themed adventures or campaigns and for a limited-time they can claim a faction-specific character backdrop on D&D Beyond.
D&D Beyond Releases Free Horde and Alliance Character Backdrops
Although lots of Dungeons and Dragons players still make their character sheets with a paper in pencil like in the original days of the game, there are also plenty of digital tools available to help with that process. D&D Beyond’s character sheets add another layer of customization to the character management process by allowing players to apply different art backdrops that they have access to through the platform.
Most D&D Beyond character backdrops unlock as part of another purchase or are included in the subscriber monthly content drops, but the latest additions can be claimed for free by anyone who has a D&D Beyond account.
To help celebrate the upcoming launch and the pre-release window for Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft, D&D Beyond has released a faction quiz that results in players gaining the ability to unlock a faction-specific WoW character backdrop.
Players who want to claim the Horde or Alliance (or both) character backdrops should visit the “For the Horde or Alliance?” quiz and complete the activity. At the end of the activity, players will find a screen that includes their quiz results and the option to claim their reward. Players can control which result they get by using their WoW knowledge to strategically answer the questions that are leading toward the faction of their preference.
Once the backdrop has been claimed, players can visit a character, click their portrait, and then select Change Sheet Appearance. From here, players can click Backdrop and find all the backdrops they have access to. Towards the bottom there will be a WOW BACKDROPS section that includes either (or both) of the Azeroth themed backdrops. It is possible to claim both backdrops by completing the quiz twice with different answers.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft news and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and similar online services. The Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion releases November 17, 2026.
Ahead of Arkane Lyon’s upcoming sale, the studio behind the Dishonored franchise and the anticipated Marvel’s Blade, several companies are looking to bring it under their umbrella, including Ubisoft. If Arkane Lyon is acquired, fans looking forward to Marvel’s Blade could have hope that the game will come back to life.
According to a Bloomberg report shared by IGN, Ubisoft is among the gaming companies looking to buy Arkane Lyon from its original parent company, Microsoft. The report didn’t detail which other studios are in the running, though it mentioned that “at least two other gaming companies” have tossed their proverbial hats into the ring. The terms of any potential deal also aren’t public yet.
It’s clear, though, that Microsoft hasn’t made any decisions yet about the future of Arkane Lyon – and, by extension, Marvel’s Blade. The future of the game has been in limbo since online talk first surfaced that the studio was looking for a new home, in the wake of cuts and layoffs at Xbox, which resulted in over 3,000 jobs being lost and multiple studios being sold, including Undead Labs, which released State of Decay and Moonrise. Marvel’s Blade seems particularly at risk because development went over budget.
The Future of ‘Marvel’s Blade’ Just Got a Little More Interesting
The Bloomberg report says the game could be released within the next year or two, if Arkane Lyon is acquired by a different company and enabled to complete its current projects. First announced at the 2023 Game Awards, Marvel’s Blade has been a long time coming, so the possibility of it arriving within the next two years is exciting. The game would follow Eric Brooks, also known as Blade, a dhampir – a creature born from the union of a vampire and a human – who hunts a cabal of vampires in Paris.
Ubisoft would be a strong contender for Marvel’s Blade, as the studio is known for its Assassin’s Creed franchise, along with offerings like Far Cry. With these games infused with action and exciting storylines, taking on Marvel’s Blade would fit perfectly with Ubisoft’s existing library.
No matter what, Ubisoft is definitely set to have an exciting path ahead. Online chatter has already surfaced around the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, currently known as Codename Hexe, and audiences are looking forward to learning more information about the game next year. A resynced version of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag launched earlier this year, and fans of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla just received a huge update, including a New Game+ option.
Mass Effect fans spent this past Saturday celebrating N7 Day, a commemoration of the franchise that takes place on November 7 and is inspired by the highest proficiency level possible in the Systems Alliance military. This year, things felt a little different than N7 Days past, as gamers swept social media with both the #N7Day hashtag and the #SaveMassEffect tag, following the cancellation of the upcoming fifth game. Fans – and Mass Effect voice actors – shared their hope to revitalize the franchise, along with fan art, panels, and more.
Gamers, former developers, and Mass Effect voice actors came together this weekend to share their love for the games. A video posted by the We Are Mass Effect X account featured actors and other artists who worked on the game, including composer Sam Hulick, all expressing the desire to “save Mass Effect”. Among the voice actors sharing this sentiment were both Commander Shepard voices, Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, along with Brandon Keener of Garrus fame, and Courtney Taylor, who brought Jack to life.
Many actors were also featured on a panel hosted by SkillsHub-Acting, which is dedicated to helping people learn the art of voice acting. Along with Hale, Meer, and Taylor, featured speakers included Maggie Baird, Alix Hillis, and Keythe Farley. Former Mass Effect animator John Cooper also shared a demo reel from Mass Effect 2 featuring never-before-seen animatics. Composer Richard Jacques shared a new version of music he originally created for the original Mass Effect.
‘Mass Effect’ Fans Aren’t Giving Up After the Cancellation of the Next Game
As for fans, many shared their own artwork inspired by the game. One user shared their piece featuring the female Shepard and Garrus sharing a drink together at a bar, featuring the famous Mass Effect 3 quote, “Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but, if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there – meet me at the bar. I’m buying.” In the post itself, the artist, @ArtSilme, wrote, “Happy N7 Day! BioWare is closed, but their stories will be with us forever.”
An enduring affection for the franchise and its stories permeated the N7 celebrations this year. Another user wrote, “EA might’ve canceled the next ME game, but they can’t cancel my love for this series.” @DanticsOfficial agreed, saying, “Mass Effect WILL continue, at the very least, in our hearts.” A common phrase in the #N7Day hashtag was, “Hold the line”, a meaningful line from the first Mass Effect game. Devoted fans are using it now to remind each other to stick together and fight to save the franchise they love so much.
After BioWare’s shutdown, fans rallied online, starting a #SaveMassEffect hashtag and a Change.org petition, along with a billboard in Times Square. So, although N7 Day 2026 may have a different overall feel than in previous years, it remains true that Mass Effect has inspired a devoted community, including those who worked on the game, and that makes a lasting legacy.
With GTA 6 less than two weeks away, fans of the franchise are getting more excited than ever to explore Leonida, meet Jason and Lucia, and discover every beat of the new storyline. Still, between constraints, commitments, and personal gaming habits, everyone will be playing at a different pace – which means being at risk for spoilers. Here’s how to mute risky GTA-related phrases.
Thanks to @gtasix on X (formerly Twitter), gamers who want to keep every aspect of their GTA 6 playthrough fresh and exciting have a list of potential words and phrases to avoid. It’s a pretty long list, with over twenty terms, including important terms like GTA VI, along with Jason and Lucia’s names, and plenty of phrases centered around endings of both a storyline and character mortality variety. In fact, about seventeen of the terms the GTA 6 Updates account recommends muting focus on keeping players from spoilers about how the game ends, or how Jason and Lucia might meet their own denouements.
Other terms to mute include making sure nothing about the final mission of the game is revealed, including anything about the story itself. There are also several to ensure that the particulars of Jason and Lucia’s relationship – or how it might sour – aren’t spoiled before players can discover it for themselves.
Avoid GTA 6 story spoilers by muting these keywords across social media ahead of launch. pic.twitter.com/6sUQeUXvRW
‘GTA 6’ Fans Are Warning Players to Mute These Words Before the Game Launches
In the GTA 6 Updates post, many people say they plan to take a social media hiatus for a week or so after the November 19 release date, with one commenter saying X is going to be a “minefield”. Others said they had already muted the words and phrases the update account suggested. Someone else also suggested players should cover their bases and mute variations of the title.
If you’re unsure how to mute words on X, it’s simple. In the app, tap on the profile picture in the upper left-hand corner, then navigate to “Settings and privacy” at the bottom of the screen. Then tap on “Privacy and safety”. From there, navigate to the “Mute and block” screen and choose “Muted words”. Then just add the words from the GTA 6 Updates list, or whichever terms and phrases feel necessary to make sure the game isn’t spoiled.
Considering how long GTA fans have been waiting for this installment, it’s understandable that people are excited – and understandable that they would wish to share that excitement with their friends on social media. Still, whether they choose to mute certain words or just reduce their online time entirely, hopefully fans can enjoy GTA 6 without anything being spoiled.
World of Warcraft: Forever developers had some serious work to do when it came to preparing all of the game’s classes for their Forever iteration and figuring out which 2004 era weaknesses to keep.
‘if a class has a weakness, let’s not take that weakness away’
Screenshot: Blizzard Entertainment
VICE recently had a chance to sit down for an extended chat with some key members of the World of Warcraft: Forever development team. During the conversations, we took the opportunity to ask for more details about the process of designing the Forever very of each class and specialization…
VICE: One of my favorite things about Classic WoW is how distinct every class and every specialization feels. Were there any particular classes or specs that you thought needed the biggest changes to have their identify cemented for the Forever experience?
Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): Let’s talk about the classes first. If you go back and play Classic era, as it really was in 2006, there were some classes that were a lot weaker than others. Particularly Druid, Paladin, Shaman had lots of problems. But even Warlocks and Shadow Priests too.
So, the classes that were in a weaker state needed more work to get them into a better place. They needed mechanical changes. But one of the guiding principles was, if that class has a weakness, let’s not take that weakness away. Let’s keep that weakness, but make them stronger overall.
Take, for example, Retribution Paladins. They would very much say, ‘We should have an interrupt! We should have a way to snare things! We should have a way to solve problems. Give us our own version of Thunder Clap!’
There’s a lot of things that they would ask for. But we deliberately, consciously said that we are not going to give them those tools. Yes, those are things that they’re missing, but they bring other great things along. They bring Blessings, they bring the capability to heal, they bring all kinds of very unique and distinct utility with their seals and judgements. So, let’s keep that.
In fact, let’s double down on some of that. So some of their talents strengthen those aspects, but don’t give them the things that they were missing. Take the things that they were already good at and make them more so.
Sometimes that can be tricky. We talked about Holy Paladin… One of their big weakness is being very bad at being able to heal area damage. If the whole party gets damaged at once. And that’s so big of a weakness that we had to do something for it, but let’s make them have to work a little extra hard for it. Let’s make it not their strength. Let it remain somebody else’s strength.
So, in a raid group, they’ll probably still let the Priest do that and they can focus on the tank. But, if you’re in a dungeon and the whole group takes damage all at once, you’ll still have an answer.
Back in 2006-2008 we tried to achieve this approach with a lot of classes that were weaker by giving them a unique buff that only they bring. So you would bring them in a raid because of their unique buff. But this really wasn’t satisfying to players over time. They would say, ‘No I don’t just want a to bring a buff, I want to be as good as the other characters.’
So what we did over time, we strengthened those classes, but then they had these unique buffs and they were as good as the other classes and that created its own set of new problems.
So this time around, the focus has been on bringing their performance up to full power. So they can do nearly as much damage as the classes who don’t have a tanking or healing capability.
So far, this formula seems to be working well for the WoW: Forever team as record-breaking numbers of players flock to the MMO experience. As more players reach the endgame and begin raiding and tackling level 60 dungeons, it will be very interesting to see what patterns emerge in the metagame and if there are any complaints or further balancing that will be needed.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft: Forever news, updates, and guides as the game continues to play out its early days.
World of Warcraft: Forever and World of Warcraft: Midnight are both available now on PC.
Marvel’s Wolverine has some highly cinematic boss fights that force players to think differently about Logan’s skillset and leverage his abilities in a different way than when cutting through waves of enemies.
Marvel’s Wolverine Game Director Shares Combat Tips and How Boss Fights Force Players to Change Things up
Screenshot: Insomniac Games
During a recent chat with some key members of Insomniac Games about Marvel’s Wolverine, VICE had a chance to get in the weeds about the combat system, stealth, and how boss fights force players to embrace some different strategies…
VICE: How can players lean into the Rage system, Last Stand, and health recovery for a high-risk, high-reward ‘unkillable’ playstyle? What are the best ways to consistently build up the Rage bars quickly?
Mike Daly, Game Director: If you want to go high-risk high-reward, then your main focus is getting to Rage Tier 3 and you only have to get there with enough health to be alive. With the Savage Sprinter, Sprint Block techniques and the Enraging Sprint adaptation you can sprint into an encounter instead of Leap Attacking. Ranged attackers won’t damage you and will help build rage and opening with Savage Sprinter builds bonus rage in addition to hitting multiple enemies.
Use Knee Breaker early and often, push your Barrages as far as possible and enhance it with the Enraging Barrage adaptation, only falling back to Healing Strike if you are in danger of being knocked out.
Once you are in the fray, focus on staggering the weaker targets. After you parry a normal enemy, follow up with a short combo that ends in Stagger Ender (hold triangle) so that you can Barrage.
You should get to Rage Tier 3 quickly, but there’s also a good chance that by pushing your luck on charged enders and barrage, you’ll have lost a lot of your health. But now you can use Healing Crit adaptation to rapidly refill. Rage Tier 3 is about getting kills as quickly as possible, so I prefer to stop parrying and prefer dodging so I can more quickly get rage-sustaining hits that get enemies to critical range quicker using Dodge Retaliate technique.
The ultimate risk-reward experience happens in New Game+ when you get the reckless adaptations. These adaptations dramatically increase the lethality of combat in both directions, but if you are skilled enough to survive, you can clear encounters incredibly fast.
Screenshot: PlayStation
VICE: How can players leverage scent tracking, aerial takedowns, and opener synergies before a fight even breaks out?
Mike Daly, Game Director: While stalking enemies in stealth, your earned Rage doesn’t decay even in tier 2, so you’ve got some time to prowl around and keep looking for stealth kill opportunities. On top of that, stealth takedowns give more Rage than combat kills so it’s worth your time. Enhanced Senses make your targets clear, but it’s up to you to determine the best route to them by observing the environment. If you are outdoors, keep an eye out for trees you can climb to navigate around without being spotted.
This process goes faster if you use the Stealth Leap technique, which allows you to do quieter takedowns at range and the Double Takedown technique can help take out pairs of enemies in stealth or act as a more powerful opener into combat. If you find yourself looking for these stealth opportunities often, then the Enraging Stealth adaptation combined with these techniques can get you all the way to Rage Tier 3 from the stealth phase, bringing the encounter to a swift conclusion.
VICE: The interplay between taking damage, building Rage, and triggering Healing Factor / Last Stand creates a unique combat rhythm. What tips do combat designers have for managing Rage Tier 3 and Critical Strikes during tough boss encounters or high-density mob fights?
Mike Daly, Game Director: Boss encounters have a different feel to them since there aren’t opportunities to get rage from kills and bosses are too tough to fall to a critical strike. That’s not to say it’s impossible and having a Last Stand in your pocket to survive damaging attacks and getting a damage boost from achieving tier 3 can still be valuable. Focus on the adaptations that allow you to build and sustain rage outside of kills such as Rage Longer, Enraged Barrage (mounting bosses counts as a Barrage for this benefit), then use Enraged Recharge since good Special Technique use can get you out of tight spots against bosses. Outside of the rage system, bosses generally use power attacks more frequently, so Dangerous Healing and Dodge Recharge adaptations, and the Power Attack Counter technique are extra effective.
Big encounters with tons of enemies are a different matter entirely. Large groups can easily overwhelm you, especially when elites are in the mix or they’ve activated a Coordinated Assault. At low rage tiers, prioritizing defense and positioning yourself to access lone or small groups of weak enemies on the periphery can help you start building rage. It takes time, but at Rage Tier 1 survival is the priority. At Rage Tier 3 the equation flips, this is your chance to take out tougher enemies quickly, but you’ll still want quick kills along the way to keep things going, so you should jump into groups, get a quick kill and any follow up kills from intimidation then pick an elite to take out and repeat.
VICE: What is a combat synergy or skill combination that your QA team or combat testers discovered that surprised even the design team?
Justin Steinmetz-Deer, Senior Boss Designer: The one that got me was a player who started every punish window with a charged leap attack to deal stagger, took advantage of stagger from combos, and set their adaptations to earn extra stagger. With a few parries and their play style they were able to breeze through the start of Essex.
Cullen Carns, Senior Gameplay Programmer: Two combos: Kicking an enemy off a ledge and following up with a leap attack to tackle them out of the air. Combining the barrage recharge adaptation with flying knee, creating a self feeding loop.
VICE: When players hit encounters with Ability Inhibitors or heavily armored leaders, how does that force them to re-evaluate their build and strategy mid-game?
Mike Daly, Game Director: Inhibitors are bad news for Wolverine and Reavers integrate this technology into their specialists. In addition to preventing all sources of healing, being inhibited also drains rage over time. If you are on a mission where this tech is present, it’s more valuable to use the damage reduction adaptations than healing & rage gain adaptations but the best strategy is to keep a close eye on any armored Reavers for incoming power attacks and listen for any inhibitor grenades and be ready to dodge.
VICE: Without getting into spoilers, there are some very exciting powers that unlock later in the game after some key story moments. How did the addition of that extra level of utility power change the way combat encounters were designed in the last portions of the game?
Mike Daly, Game Director: When Wolverine travels to Japan he encounters the Hand. Among other nasty tricks, they use hordes of ninjas to overwhelm you. With a certain gift used at the right time, Wolverine can punish the Hand for these horde tactics in spectacular fashion. That let us really go all out with the horde in their fortress in Mount Haku and build some massive encounters. It also enabled us to make Sentinels more unyielding in their design, since Wolverine had more tools to break through their poise.
This also unlocks a few new techniques including the ability to clap back at ranged attackers. This didn’t affect encounter design because players might opt not to get that one, but it certainly changes the dynamic of late game encounters when you have it.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Marvel’s Wolverine and Insomniac Games news and updates.
Marvel’s Wolverine is available now exclusively on the PS5.
The Season of Champions has arrived and many TTRPG fans are now kicking off their first Azeroth adventures with early access to the Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion.
Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft Book Does Not Phone it In
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
The Universes Beyond line has vastly changed the way the Magic: The Gathering calendar year rolls out, so naturally many Dungeons and Dragons players were very curious about how the TTRPG embracing its own Universes Beyond line would end up impacting the game.
Wizards of the Coast announced earlier this year that the first Universes Beyond crossover would focus on the World of Warcraft IP and we’ve now officially had a chance to read the full full book.
World of Warcraft is a natural fit for the Dungeons and Dragons treatment and many of the systems from the MMO fit very naturally into the TTRPG environment. That said, Wizards of the Coast didn’t phone it in with this book. The Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion is a massive 256-page rulebook jam-packed with resources for both players and dungeons masters.
James Wyatt, Lead Game Designer of D&D: World of Warcraft, has a clear love of Azeroth and has already been unofficially running his own D&D adventures in the WoW setting for more than two decades. His passion for Azeroth shines through most clearly in the Adventures in Azeroth chapter, where the book expertly recommends tons of inspiration for running D&D campaigns at any level inspired by World of Warcraft conflicts, characters, or locations.
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
This Adventures in Azeroth chapter also includes guides to a handful of iconic WoW dungeons and maps for using them in adventures. The maps do a great job recreating the dungeon and raid locations from the MMO, while offering dungeon masters a clear guide for how to adapt them to a D&D environment.
The rest of the game designers on the team clearly understood the assignment, as well. One of the most impressive portions of the gameplay expansion is the character creation chapters. A ton of work went into carefully and accurately recreating every single WoW class, specialization, and playable race.
Although some critics of Universes Beyond worry about mapping IP-specific character types onto existing D&D classes, rather than developing brand-new Universes Beyonds classes, this approach works very well with the WoW classes and specializations.
The book adds 6 new subclasses: the Oath of the Ebon Blade and Oath of the Holy Paladin, the Demon Hunter Ranger, the Shadow Domain and Discipline Domain Cleric, and the Path of the Elements Barbarian.
Rounding out the roster are 3 updated subclasses (Swashbuckler Rogue, Path of the Spiritual Guardian Barbarian, and Warrior of Mystic Brews Monk).
Even the class matches that seemed a little strange at first glance, like the Barbarian Shaman, do manage to really capture the feel of the WoW class at the table once the dice start rolling. Dropping down totems and throwing around elemental energy winds up being incredibly immersive and exciting, even if players are actually playing a reskinned Barbarian rather than a whole new D&D-specific Shaman class.
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
In addition to new WoW-mapping rules for 5 existing species, the Dwarf, Elf, Goblin, Human, and Orc, D&D: World of Warcraft adds 11 new species. Players can build a character that feels unmistakably World of Warcraft with the new Dracthyr, Draenei, Earthen, Forsaken, Haranir, Mechagnome, Pandaren, Tauren, Troll, Vulpera, and Worgen species.
At this point, there’s no question that Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft is a home run for Wizards of the Coast and the D&D team. Now, the big question is how this team will tackle adapting an IP that is not such a 1:1 fit to the traditional D&D experience and classes. The next Universes Beyond set takes place in the Star Wars universe, so it will be very interesting to see if they take the same approach and, if so, if they manage to strike gold again.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft news and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and similar online services. The Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion officially launches on November 17, 2026.
Marvel’s Wolverine offers players the chance to customize their playstyles with different techniques and adaptations and the team at Insomniac has a few favorites.
Insomniac Games Developers Share Their FAvorite Wolverine Builds
Screenshot: Insomniac
Marvel’s Wolverine offers players the chance to enhance Logan’s combat approach with new techniques, perks, and buffs throughout the game as they level up and complete more Nightmare Door challenges throughout the game.
VICE recently had a chance to sit down with some key members of the Marvel’s Wolverine team from Insomniac Games and talk about the design philosophy behind the technique and adaptation systems and some of the best builds to harness Wolverine’s power in the game.
VICE: On paper, the skill tree progression in Wolverine can look straightforward, but combat can end up feeling different depending on how you set up Logan. How do you respond to players who might think linear progression means limited build diversity?
Mike Daly, Game Director: We wanted every entry in your Technique library to be a new move. We wanted each of these moves to stand on their own with a distinct role to fill in the combat system. If you leverage the moves well, they make a big difference so players’ experiences can be very different depending on their choices. Because of this independence, we could get rid of dependency chains so you have more flexibility to mix and match instead of being locked into paths early.
With traditional skill trees you still have dependency chains, level gates, escalating costs, and filler skills that meter out progression but we wanted to cut to the chase and say “for each level, pick the move you want” so that the focus of your decision was on the nature of the move itself and not the progression scaffolding around it.
VICE: For players looking to tinker with the different Special Techniques (like Tornado Spin, Spiral Strike, or Overwhelm) alongside Adaptations, what are some favorite developer- recommended builds for different playstyles?
Mike Daly, Game Director: I love putting Knee Beaker special on triangle and using the Combo Ender Recharge adaptation with it. Knee Breaker already recharges more quickly than the other specials, and the stagger it causes unlocks the benefits of other adaptations so I’ll add in the ones that stack on enders and Barrage – Enraging Ender, Enraging Barrage, and Barrage Recharge. Once I’ve acquired the Lethal Disarm technique, Reckless attacks become more common, so I’ll equip Healing Dangerously.
Jason Berlin, Development Support Manager: Here’s what we use for a Nonstop Crit /Rage Machine… At Max level Overwhelm can allow you usually two kills and all kills recharge the tech faster. It can also allow for Barrage attacks on tougher enemies.
Equip Overwhelm on Square and equip the Adaptation Barrage Recharge to add to
Overwhelms recharge rate.
Then equip Enraging Barrage – to take advantage of the barrages and build extra rage.
Add Knee Breaker to allow for more opportunities to stagger enemies and use barrage and Brutal Assault as another way to increase rage gains.
Then set the following Adaptations and you should become a non-stop killing machine:
Healing Crit – Get health from Crit Kills
Expanded Crit – Increases chances for Crit Kills
Rage Intimidation – Increases chances for Crit Kills
Tier 2 Crit – Increases chances for Crit Kills
Leaping Crit – Increases chances for Crit Kills
Chain Crit – Extra Crit kill
Rage Longer – Increase time for Crit kills
Enraged Recharger – Use Rage to recharge specials faster
For a Defensive Healing Machine build – Focus on weaving in the following Techs during combat encounters – Dodge Retaliate / Power Attack Counter / Advanced Parry / Helix Counter Shot. Then Equip Special Tech Relentless to X.
Equip the following Adaptations
Parry Recharge – Increase rate of recharge for Relentless
Extended Parry – Increase parry window for less misses
Healing Parry – Get Health off Parries
Healing Dodge – Get Health off Dodges
Tough Skin – Take more hits
Dodge recharge – Assign favorite Offensive Special tech to O to get a recharge boost
Fred Corchero, Senior Combat Designer: I’d look at three different approaches depending on how players like to fight.
Aggressive / Rage-focused: Pair Tornado Spin with Enraging Barrage, Enraging Ender, and Enraged Recharge. You’re constantly building Rage, dealing damage to groups, and cycling Special Techniques faster.
Mobility / Crowd control: Combine Spiral Strike and Overwhelm with Barrage Recharge and Combo Ender Recharger. This gives you ways to break through surrounding enemies, reposition, and keep the pressure on.
Survivability / Counterattack: Build around Overwhelm and Relentless, supported by Extended Parry, Healing Parry, and Tough Skinned. This increases defensive options and rewards good timing to stay in the fight longer.
Those builds definitely open up some interesting opens that players can use if they’re picking up the game this holiday shopping season or if they’ve already played through and want to tackle it again with a different strategy.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Insomniac Games and Marvel’s Wolverine news and updates.
Marvel’s Wolverine is available now exclusively on the PS5.
World of Warcraft: Forever players can use this special Toy to add a purple look to their own campfires in the new MMO experience.
How To Earn the World of Warcraft: Forever Violet Dust Twitch Drop
Screenshot: Blizzard
MMO fans are able to celebrate the launch of World of Warcraft: Forever by earning as special collectible item this week. To commemorate the game’s launch, Blizzard and Twitch are teaming up for a special drop opportunity.
“Players can collect and use an ephemeral new launch-celebration toy to enhance their campfire and spread the benefits of camaraderie as they begin their journey through Azeroth in World of Warcraft: Forever.”
In order to earn the Pouch of Violet Dusty Toy, players need to watch any eligible World of Warcraft stream on Twitch.tv from November 4 at 4:30 pm PST to November 12 at 4:30 pm PST.
This ephemeral item is available only within WoW: Forever and can only be used during the “WoW: Forever Launch Celebration” event period, which expires in early December. After that point, the toy will be removed from players’ collections and will no longer be available in game.
The Pouch of Violet Dust toy allows players to turn a campfire purple, increasing the duration of all camp benefits by 1 hour (for a total of a 2-hour duration). Once activated, this benefit is shared, and any other players resting at the Camp will receive the same duration extension.
Players who have been taking advantage of campfire benefits should be well aware that extending those perks to two hours is a huge gain and a very powerful opportunity. This is likely why the item is limited-time use only and won’t be available after the Launch Celebration window ends.
To participate, players must first link their Twitch account by visiting https://account.battle.net/connections. After you’ve claimed your rewards on Twitch, make sure you’re logging into the Battle.net region you’d like to receive the drop(s) on, as the first region you log into will be where your items will be delivered.
That should be everything players need to know about this limited-time opportunity. Be sure to act fast and earn the drop soon so that there’s time to take advantage of it before the Launch Celebration window expires.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft: Forever news, updates, and guides during the game’s launch and early days.
World of Warcraft: Forever and World of Warcraft: Midnight are both available now on PC.
Dungeons and Dragons players can now check out all the contents include in the D&D Beyond Drop for November 2026, including some exciting new encounter resources for dungeon masters.
All DM Resources in D&D Beyond November Drop
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast/Irina Nordsol
Another month has arrived, which means D&D Beyond subscribers can claim a ton of new resources from the latest content drop. The November supply of resources includes some very new character options for players, but there’s plenty for dungeon masters to look forward to, as well.
The drop includes new monsters, maps, and stickers with a Ysgard theme. Here is a full breakdown of every included:
Creatures
Dread Linnorm (CR 17). These twin-headed dragons fight with a mix of ice and fire and are eager to tear heroes apart, limb from limb.
Firre (CR 4). These celestial beings are ardent champions of art and innocents across the Upper Planes and the Material Plane.
Valkyrie (CR 9). These fierce warriors are born from the blood spilled from gods in battles and wield the power of divine justice.
Maps
Celestial Mountain Slope. A gently flowing brook meanders down this heavenly mountainside, offering you a moment’s respite before the next fight. It can be found under Wilderness > Mountain. Cartographer: Mike Schley.
Musicians’ Amphitheater. In this celestial amphitheater, can you put on a performance worthy of the gods? It can be found under Urban > Park. Cartographer: Mike Schley.
Yggdrasil’s Roots. Explore the World Tree’s roots, where paths to every plane twist beneath your feet. It can be found under Wilderness > Forest. Cartographer: Mike Schley.
Stickers
Ysgard Sticker Pack. We also have 6 new (each with a variant, for a total of 12) battle-inspired stickers for you to customize your maps with.
That’s a ton of new content for DMs to throw into an upcoming adventure or campaign.
“When I learned that we were doing the Season of Champions, I knew that we had to shine a light on the Heroic Domains of Ysgard, and by extension, the Upper Planes as a whole! Terrifying combatants await your players – and the maps we’ve added this month will help you set the stage (heh) for unforgettable experiences on the Upper Planes.”
Players can enjoy these resources for now and keep an eye out for the next drop in early December. Many players will also be kicking off World of Warcraft-inspired adventures and campaigns during the Season of Champions, now that early access to those books has started for some groups.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond. The November D&D Beyond Drop is available now for subscribers.
World of Warcraft: Forever has only been live for a few days, but the world’s first level 60 players are starting to emerge.
First Confirmed Level 60 Players Have Hit World of Warcraft: Forever’s MAx Level
Screenshot: Blizzard
World of Warcraft: Forever has tons of systems and gameplay hooks that are designed to get players to slow down and take their time as they work their way through the Classic+ experience, but of course there are some gamers who want to race right to the end game content.
In less than three days after the new MMO experience launched, one team of players has already won the race to 60. Fans of World of Warcraft: Classic may recognize the winner of the race, since it’s the same team that hit 60 first when World of Warcraft: Classic launched in 2019.
Team JokerD was made up of a team of mostly Undead characters and one Troll. The team used the buffed Undead racial ability, Cannibalize, to stay full of health and mana between massive pulls as they raced around the world gaining XP for a little more than two days straight.
Although it’s exciting to see the world’s first happen, most players won’t hit level 60 for weeks. The first World of Warcraft: Forever raids don’t open until December 9, so there’s plenty of time left to level up, even for players who do want to dive right into the end-game raids when they launch.
Once the first raids do open up, another round of world’s first races will begin as the top guilds compete to master the new fights and be the first to down the MMO’s big bosses. Players who aren’t into big raids will still have plenty of other endgame loops to chase and engage in thanks to the Legacy system and other horizontal progression opportunities.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft: Forever news and updates as the game’s launch week continues.
World of Warcraft: Forever and World of Warcraft: Midnight are both available now on PC.
Although GTA 6is undoubtedly the most highly anticipated release of November, if not of the year, PlayStation is also welcoming these iconic childhood favorites to its library this month. One is green, and the other is all about pink. One is a remaster, while the other is a collection of 16 different games released between 1991 and 2007. That’s right – it’s Shrek 2 Remastered and Barbie Rewind.
Shrek 2 Remastered releases on November 10, with Barbie Rewind following on the 12th. Both characters are familiar faces in pop culture, and both have a pretty long list of titles in their respective gaming franchises, spanning the years – and in Barbie’s case, the decades. Even in the main series, Shrek boasts five games, including the recent remaster, and appears in titles like DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing.
Barbie’s catalog of games is so long that listing them all would take more virtual ink than one computer possesses. Many Barbie games tie in to various animated films and TV shows, like Barbie as the Island Princess or Barbie of Swan Lake: the Enchanted Forest. Other games lean into Barbie’s incredibly expansive resume, featuring the character as a supermodel, both a secret agent and a detective, and a veterinarian, among other jobs.
‘Shrek 2’ and 16 Classic Barbie Games Are Coming to PlayStation This November
In Shrek 2 Remastered, as in the original game, players can explore environments familiar to them from the Shrek films, including Shrek’s beloved Swamp and the kingdom of Far, Far Away. Whether playing solo or in one of three co-op options like four-player Couch Co-op or Online Multiplayer, gamers can swap between iconic playable characters Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and Gingy the gingerbread man. The remastered version offers improved graphics and updated cutscenes, along with a photo mode and unlockable cheats.
Barbie Rewind brings together a collection of games put together by Digital Eclipse and released by Atari. It features a long list of titles, including Barbie for NES from 1991, along with titles from the 2000’s, including Barbie Horse Adventures: Blue Ribbon Race and The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery. Along with these titles, players can decorate the Barbie Dreamhouse with 250 different decorations and pieces of furniture. They’ll also get the chance to earn more by completing challenges from Barbie and her friends.
Both games will be released on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, the Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The New Game+ mode for Assassin’s Creed: Valhallahas officially launched, ready for gamers on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. Plenty of new content awaits, including achievements, a new outfit inspired by another Assassin’s Creed title, and more.
Included in Update 1.8.0, called “The Most Requested Update”, the New Game+ is part of several quality of life updates, including bug fixes, a new “Stash” option that makes inventory organization easier, and balancing changes that help dual wielding feel more natural. New Game+ content becomes available after players complete the Holy Day Quest, which wraps up near the end of the main game.
To launch New Game+ content, players just need to choose the “New Game+” option from the main menu. Fortunately for anyone who devoted hours to finishing Valhalla’s sprawling story, plenty carries over from the first run into New Game+. Along with their inventory, players keep their gear and weapons, including customized items. Customization also carries over for their horse, their raven companion Sýnin, and their longship.
Other important content that carries over into New Game+ includes runes they collected, codex entries they discovered, and Jomsviking they recruited. On top of that, players entering New Game+ also receive a new outfit based on Naoe from Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. To get Naoe’s outfit for Eivor, go to the Animus Store from the main menu and select the “Master Assassin Naoe” outfit from the Exclusive Offers tab.
‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’ Fans Can Finally Replay the Game Without Starting From Scratch
First released in 2020, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla centers around Eivor – whose last name is either Varinsdottir or Varinsson, depending on which version the player chooses – whose memories are being relived by Assassin Layla Assan in modern-day. The game begins with Eivor witnessing the destruction of their village and death of their parents at the hands of a vindictive warlord. Spanning years and multiple countries, the story centers on epic battles, Norse myth, and saving the world from a minor problem with Earth’s atmosphere.
Beyond the “The Most Requested Update” patch, Assassin’s Creed fans have plenty of new material to enjoy or look forward to. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced was released this past July, offering a full remake of the 2013 game.
And though very few official details are available yet, a new Assassin’s Creed game is currently in the works, with an update coming in 2027.
Following the success of its Silent Hill 2 remake, Bloober Team has been on a veritable hot streak, including the buzz surrounding its next Silent Hill project – a remake of the original game, centered around Harry Mason and his search for his daughter in the tourist-friendly town.
Though details on the Silent Hill remake are scarce right now, players who love the Bloober Team blend of atmosphere and fear can turn to these three excellent games.
1. The Layers of Fear series
Starting with Layers of Fear, released in 2016, and culminating in the 2023 reimagining – also called Layers of Fear, which connects the first two games with the story of the Writer – this series puts the player in the minds of various characters whose psyches are perhaps best left unexplored.
The original Layers of Fear follows an unnamed Painter, who roams his decrepit house alone, desperate to finish a masterpiece which he believes will mitigate all the tragedy in his life. The Painter was initially a world-renowned artist, whose wife – the lovely, talented Musician – served as his muse. When a tragic accident mars her beauty, the Painter sinks into a bitter brew of alcoholism and abuse, leading to a terrible loss. The Painter loses custody of the daughter he shared with the Musician, and then becomes obsessed with finishing a particular portrait. Depending on choices they make, the player will receive one of three endings, which can either lead to a repeated cycle, proof of the Painter’s egomania, or a form of inner peace.
The first game was followed by Layers of Fear 2, which follows an actor named James as he wakes up on a cruise ship, an unseen Director bidding him to “build character”. Like the Painter before him, the longer James explores his environment, the more it becomes abundantly clear that his mind is more twisted than the hedge maze from The Shining. The player learns about James’s traumatic childhood, which includes a violent father who blames James for his mother’s death, stowing away on a ship, and losing the one person who actually cared for him. Similar to the first game, the player’s choices affect the ending, with James either receiving acclaim, a fresh perspective, or deepening madness.
2. Blair Witch
As the name suggests, Blair Witch is set in the same universe as the 1999 film, taking place a few years before in 1994. The game follows Ellis Lynch, a veteran and former police officer who joins a search party to find a little boy named Peter Shannon. Accompanied by his trusty dog, Bullit, Ellis delves into the Black Hills Forest outside Burkittsville – which, as any The Blair Witch Project fan knows, is an astronomically bad idea.
The further Ellis goes into the woods, the more he begins to find mysterious symbols made out of twigs, hanging from the trees, unnerving constructs that greatly upset Bullit, who barks every time he sees one. Bullit is an important aspect of the game, helping Ellis ground himself against waves of PTSD, which unfortunately become more frequent as the game progresses. Along with the bizarre art installations, Ellis also picks up a video camera that can rewind or fast-forward time itself.
Again, the player’s choices matter, having an impact on how Ellis’s – and Peter’s – stories end. For one thing, players must remember to treat Bullitt well by petting him and giving him treats, or animal lovers will be very upset by the ending. As for Ellis himself, whether other characters live or die also impacts his own fate, with a possible time loop or a form of self-sacrifice: two possible endings.
3. Cronos: The New Dawn
One of Bloober Team’s most recent offerings, Cronos: The New Dawntakes place in both a post-apocalyptic wasteland and 1980s Poland. The difference depends on whether the main character has successfully used a Dive, which allows them to travel back in time. Known at first as the Traveler, or Traveler ND-3576, the protagonist is tasked by an organization called the Collective to save humanity from a calamitous event known as the Change, which has wiped out humanity.
Throughout the game, the Traveler collects Essences, which are the memories of those who did not survive the Change. She encounters a scientist named Weronika in the Poland of the past, who tells her that another Traveler, known as the “Pathfinder,” was meant to extract her own Essence but instead sabotaged the project. The longer the Traveler holds onto the Essences she extracts, the more her psyche fractures until she discovers the truth about herself.
Like its Bloober Team predecessors, Cronos: The New Dawn features multiple endings that the player reaches depending on the choices they make throughout the game. These denouements center around freedom, hope, or – featured in the New Game+ material – an ending that finally breaks a perpetual time loop.
World of Warcraft: Forever is taking gamers back to the earliest moments of World of Warcraft’s story, but things might not play out exactly the same this time around.
World of Warcraft: Forever Devs Discuss Possible Journeys to Outlands and Northrend
Screenshot: Blizzard Entertainment
During a recent chat with some key members of the World of Warcraft: Forever development team, VICE had the chance to ask about how lore will work once the game has been around for a while and whether Forever players might eventually travel through The Dark Portal…
VICE: If World of Warcraft: Forever goes on to be as popular as the beta has been and continues grow, it seems like the story will eventually have to move forward slowly over time updates. Will things like the Dark Portal remaining closed eventually be addressed?
Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): Yeah, we mentioned at BlizzCon that we are in our own little time bubble, as we like to call it. We are effectively in a different continuity and that gives us flexibility to be able to go in slightly different directions.
I don’t think we’re really thinking too much about going to Northrend or Outland or any of the other places yet, but those places do exist in the world and they’re important to the world. I think it would be pretty surprising if we just never touch them.
But we have a pretty well developed plan for the next few years about what we’re going to do in terms of the narrative and the lore and where we’re going to go. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we end up in some form of those kinds of places, but it probably won’t be The Burning Crusade Outland or Wrath of the Lich King Northrend, but we could end up in those places at some point.
Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): In the meantime, our plan is to really go deeper on the story we are telling. You can think if it as time moving more slowly within this bubble.
Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): Yes, it’s a time dilation.
Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): Exactly. So, we’re going to dive deeper into the stories of each of these places. We’re going to look at NPCs, plotlines, or locations that were kind of left untouched the first time around. Or were left unfinished the first time around. A questline like The Missing Diplomat, for example.
The analogy I’ve been liking to use is, you’ve got a favorite novel. And then they make a three hour movie about it that is amazing and has lots of great things, but there’s still lots of character and story that had to be left out.
And then somebody comes along and says, we’re going to give you the twelve-episode long mini-series. That’s what we’re doing with WoW: Forever. We’re going deep and taking longer to go through out, but it’s the same overall story.
Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): We also talk about using this time dilation as an opportunity to flesh out things that were cool concepts from original WoW, but were kind of underdeveloped.
We talk about things like the AQ War, Opening the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj, the Scourge Invasion in original WoW. And those were fine, but what they bakes down to was a really big, maybe laggy event at the end. Or a bunch of little camps of mobs that were spawned that you just murdered to get some resource. I think if they had had more time they would’ve developed that a lot more.
So being able to take our time, and maybe spend a couple of different patches going over what it means for the world to be at war with the Scourge or having the Ahn’Qiraj actually invading a port of Kalimdor, so what do we do about that? That’s a really cool opportunity to take that core story and that core series of events and really just bulk them up and give them a lot more meat on the bones.
VICE: Right. So, World of Warcraft: Forever is sort of for WoW what The Clones Wars and The Bad Batch are to the Star Wars franchise?
Kris Zierhut: Right!
Josh Greenfield: Absolutely.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft: Forever news and updates as the early days of the new WoW experience play out.
World of Warcraft: Forever and World of Warcraft: Midnight are both available now on PC.
Dungeons and Dragons players who use D&D Beyond can now access their November Drop and begin exploring new character options and resources inspired by Ysgard.
D&D Beyond Drop Adds Bariaur Species and New Feats
Another month has arrived and Dungeons and Dragons has transitioned into the Season of Champions. Although the spotlight release for this season will be the Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion, that’s not the only new content arriving for players and DMs.
The D&D Beyond November Drop is kicking off the Season of Champions with some exciting Ysgard-themed content for subscribers to dig into. On the player side, this release offers the return of a 3.5e species, some powerful feats, and a handful of new weapons to equip.
Species
Bariaur: Bariaurs are native inhabitants of Ysgard that never shy away from a battle.
New Feats
Upper Planes Pact: Make a pact with an entity from the Upper Planes and draw upon some of its powers.
Elysium Diplomat: Call upon the tranquility of Elysium to calm hostile hearts and slip away when talks turn sour.
Ysgardian Warrior: Build upon your pact with the Upper Planes by embracing the fighting spirit of Ysgard.
Until now, these feats have been tied to an extraplanar concept or creature type. This month, they’re explicitly tied to the Upper Planes (rather than something like Celestial), with General feats themed around specific planes.
News Weapons
Bola (Martial Ranged). Bolas are two weights secured to a short length of leather or rope used in hunting.
Pitchfork (Simple Melee). Pitchforks are a popular farming instrument consisting of two or three sharp tines at the end of a long handle.
Weighted Chain (Martial Melee). Weighted chains are a long chain that loops behind the wielder’s back and extends past each hand.
In addition to all of those character options, players can also claim a new Ysgard-themed backdrop to use on their character sheets.
That should cover just about everything in the latest drop for players. As always, there are a handful of other resources specifically for DMs, as well.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game stores and through D&D Beyond. The content in the D&D Beyond November Drop is available now for subscribers.
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