Monthly Archives: March 2016

Rocket League to Spearhead Official ESL, RLC, and AVGL Events

Psyonix, developer and publisher of the sports-action hit, Rocket League, announced today a series of amateur, collegiate, and semi-professional skill partnerships that strengthen its already-popular professional eSports initiatives. In addition to the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) announced earlier this month, Psyonix will also expand its competitive support beyond the professional level with the Electronic Sports League (ESL), Rocket League Central (RLC), and the American Video Game League (AVGL) starting this April.

“We’re incredibly pleased to officially fund ESL, Rocket League Central, and the AVGL,” said Luke Thompson, Competition & Events Manager at Psyonix. “With more than $30,000 in prize pools and scholarships, Rocket League players will now have a place to compete and develop their talent, regardless of their experience or skills.”

ESL’s Rocket League Go4 Cups are geared toward the amateur level, with weekly and monthly prize pools that will be increased in the upcoming season. “Seeing the growth and support that Rocket League has is truly exciting,” said Sean Charles, Senior Director of Publisher Content, ESL. “With new players joining every day, we are eager to continue giving them a weekly place to play.”

Follow all Rocket League Go4 Cups at play.ESLgaming.com/RocketLeague.

The American Video Game League, North America’s leading collegiate eSports organizer, has partnered with Psyonix to create and manage the Rocket League Collegiate Spring Showdown for a USD $1,000 scholarship prize pool.

“The competitive Rocket League scene stems from the community,” said Victor Suski, CEO of the AVGL. “We are excited to work with Psyonix on feeding this community through collegiate support. The Collegiate Spring Showdown offers incentive for students to connect with other passionate players to compete.”

All playoff tournaments will be broadcast exclusively on Twitch.tv/AVGL.

Psyonix also announced a partnership with the Rocket League community powerhouse, Rocket League Central. The RLC has been instrumental in breaking ground for the Rocket League eSports scene through community-driven events since the game’s launch in July of last year.

“Since discovering Rocket League in May 2015, my goal has been to help foster a viable competitive eSports community,” says Blake ‘CloudFuel’ Tull, CEO, Rocket League Central. “We’re excited to establish this partnership with a company that has continuously amazed us with their dedication to their community, and to announce the return of the fan favorite weekly event, Rocket Royale!”

RLCLs Rocket Royales will continue to provide competitive community events at the pro level and will help bridge the gap with semi-professionals as well. Its weekly formats will provide flexibility for non pro-league approaches to events with the ability to cater to players regardless of age or region.

Starting next month, Psyonix and its partners will offer a full spectrum of eSports events for all walks of Rocket League fans around the world.

Guild Wars 2: Super Adventure Box Returns

Guild Wars 2

Arenanet has announced that Guild Wars 2’s Super Adventure Box, a fan-favorite April Fool’s event has returned!

Now dubbed Super Adventure Festival, all players can login to Guild Wars 2 and check out the two retro-style worlds full of monsters, happy clouds, jumping puzzles and SICK 8-bit GRAPHICS. What’s better, the Asuran inventor of the Super Adventure Box, Moto, is putting up some sweet super weapon skins and guild hall decorations for featured rewards this year.

Features of the update include:

  • Heart of Thorns players can make their own Super Adventure 8-bit jumping puzzles in their guild halls
  • Super Adventure Festival will last at least two weeks, much longer than the usual 24 hours of April Fool’s game updates
  • The Super Adventure Festival will return every year to Guild Wars 2 as an annual event
  • Players can go back and explore Worlds 1 and 2 in the Super Adventure Box in Rata Sum and earn new rewards

For more info. visit https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/info/updates/Game-Update-Notes-April-1-2016

D&D Neverwinter: Portobello’s Campaign Now Available

Portobello

Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Games announced Portobello’s Campaign is now available for Neverwinter PC, coming to Xbox One at a later date. Following the release of Neverwinter’s the ninth expansion, The Maze Engine, Portobello’s Campaign event presents players with a mischievous twist on the familiar Respen’s Game (also available in April) with new content, characters and rewards.

In collaboration with Chris Perkins, principal story designer for Dungeons & Dragons, Portobello’s Campaign delivers an all-new D&D tabletop experience inspired by the popular Acquisitions Inc. live games presented by Wizards of the Coast and Penny Arcade. Throughout the month of April, dungeon master Portobello DaVinci will test adventurers in a series of challenges. Once their worth is proven, adventurers will be able to participate in a new trial each week, all month long, including the Trial of Traps, Artificer’s Workshop, A Rock Falls, and Strange Things at the Burrow Dawn Inn.

The full-fledged, in-game campaign crafted by Cryptic Studios brings a cast of new characters including Flabbergast and his cat, Mr. Snibbly, as well as two gargoyles that appeared in the live game. This super-meta event will give players progression through the content and more rewards than previous iterations of the Respen’s Game event. These rewards include a new Apocalypse Dagger artifact item and the companion, Staldorf, both inspired by the Acquisitions Inc. live game. Both Portobello’s Campaign and Respen’s Game are supported by all new campaigns, which are the best source to learn about new activities.

For more info, visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/neverwinter/news/detail/9891263-portobello’s-campaign-has-arrived!

The Next Great War has come to EVE Online

The Next Great War has come to EVE Online

Over 60 thousand players are currently facing off on two major, universe-spanning sides in the emergence of what is the next great war in EVE Online. It has already produced two major battles, causing amazing drama within the community and a virtual tsunami of player-created propaganda as well.

Today CCP put out a dev blog about the conflict, highlighting the March 28th Battle of M-OEE8–the second-largest battle in EVE Online ever behind 2014’s Bloodbath of B-R5RB. Over 5,806 pilots participated in one single battle for several hours. March 28th saw the most kills in all of nullsec ever in EVE Online history.

The dev blog captures primary sources, including images, battle recordings, recaps, propaganda, and history lessons—all told by the players themselves. It is your go-to source for covering what is truly a unique gaming phenomenon. War in EVE Online is real, and it is here, with many months of bloody fighting to come. The sides are calling in old allies to resubscribe in droves and recruiting new pilots to the cause.

There are many names floating about for the conflict, but since the relatively new escalation the player community has yet to reach full consensus on whether it’s the Easter War, Northern War, World War Bee, the Mercenary Wars, or something else. Interestingly, it seems to depend on the player’s point of view of the hostilities as to what they should call it.

One thing is certain: the history of EVE is still being written.