The Hearthstone team recently revealed its plans for the Year of the Phoenix, and to say they’re huge would be an understatement. We’re talking about the Priest class getting a rework, duplicates being eliminated from card packs, a free deck for new and returning players, Leeroy Jenkins (and others) being sent to the Hall of Fame, and, of course, the biggest news of all – Hearthstone is getting its tenth class: the Demon Hunter.
Demon Hunter will launch alongside the next expansion – Ashes of Outland – and IGN has a brand new Demon Hunter card from that set to reveal today. Introducing, Fel Summoner:
Fel Summoner.
Fel Summoner is a key card in one of the three archetypes Team 5 planned for Demon Hunter out of the gate – its “big demons” deck. That deck plays in a controlling style, attempting to keep its opponent at bay using hero attacks and AOE during the early- to mid-game so that it can start rolling out big threats and dominate the board later on.
Fel Summoner has stats in line with her purpose – dying so that you can pull a big demon, like a Pit Commander or Hulking Overfiend, from hand. It’s an interesting card because while your opponent will likely be able to kill her easily, he or she will also need to have a plan to deal with the demon that may or may not be pulled onto the board. And if Fel Summoner isn’t dealt with, well, that’s a lot of incoming damage.
It remains to be seen just how many “big demons” you’ll need in your deck to reliably take advantage of Fel Summoner’s ability, but I can tell you that it’s very likely to be viable, as the journey to get this archetype to a good place was a long one. Fel Summoner changed quite a bit over the course of final design as the team homed in on how the big demon deck would play. Fel Summoner, in fact, was actually swapped in to replace a spell called “Bind to the Cause”, and then evolved again, into the card that’s shipping with the set. You can see the evolution below.
Fel Summoner actually replaced a spell, and changed along with Demon Hunter’s “big demons” archetype.
Demon Hunter as a whole is shaping up to be a heap of fun, so be sure to check out our exclusive behind the scenes video below, in which we detail how Team 5 brought Demon Hunter to life in terms of art, UI, VFX and storytelling. Also stay tuned for our companion video that tells the story of how the team designed the new class – the hero power, the archetypes and more. It’ll be live on Thursday PDT / Friday in ANZ.
Aquaman writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick has said Aquaman 2 will pull from the Silver Age Black Manta Comics.
Spotted by Batman News, Johnson-McGoldrick took the chance to answer fan questions on his Twitter account and, when asked if he had any recommended reading that might give insight into Aquaman 2, he cited Black Manta Silver Age stories in his reply.
Hmm… Good question. We’re not taking any one particular comic book story and adapting it, but if you want to know the vibe we’re going for, pick up pretty much any Silver Age story featuring Black Manta.
— David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (@bravecarrot) March 21, 2020
Another fan asked about when we might see The Trench spin-off movie and, while he didn’t give a concrete date, Johnson-McGoldrick let us know the setting is potentially slated to fit in between Aquaman 1 and 2.
In the first Aquaman film we saw the Trench appear as amphibious creatures who attack Aquaman and Mera. They’re typically depicted as a vicious race of sea creatures which should fit the light horror tones said to be present in the spin-off.
The first episode of Tim and Eric’s Beef House, a take on the sitcom genre featuring the duo’s unique brand of comedy, has aired well before its intended premiere on March 29. The early premiere was announced on Tim and Eric’s Instagram, with the Adult Swim website now reading: you demanded it, watch the early premiere of BEEF HOUSE.
The first episode, titled Army Buddy Brad, is up now on Adult Swim’s website for everyone to watch for free–even viewers outside of the US.
The show’s announcement called Beef House a “multi-camera sitcom about five men–Tim, Eric, Ron Auster, Ben Hur, Tennessee Luke–and Eric’s wife Megan, all living under one roof. Each week Tim, a laid back rock-and-roll slacker, and his best friend Eric, a high strung stay-at-home husband, find themselves in the middle of a madcap misadventure that can only be traversed with the help of their fellow Beef Boys.”
The first episode centers around an Easter Sunday gone awry. “As Eric prepares his greatest Easter ever, Tim’s army buddy Brad visits the Beef House, causing mayhem as he sets up camp and takes control,” the blurb for the episode reads.
Devolver Digital has knocked down the price of its absurd puzzle-exploration game Pikuniku, developed by indie collective Sectordub. Normally $12.99, Pikuniku is now available for just $0.99 on Nintendo Switch.
The joyfully nonsensical game is suited for both adults and kids and supports local-multiplayer co-op play for two people, making it perfect for families currently stuck at home. Just watching the trailer should be enough to lift your mood.
GameSpot’s review of Pikuniku said, “With its simple character designs and a game world that often looks like a young kid designed it by cutting up and sticking together different bits of colored paper, Pikuniku sometimes feels like a video game adaption of a children’s book.” With its cute graphics and simple progression, it’s the perfect game to take your mind off world events.
Pikuniku is also available on Steam and is also included on Xbox Game Pass for both PC and Xbox One.
For other great games at bargain prices, check out our collection of the best cheap games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
There’s a surreal element to the release of Half-Life: Alyx, as the long-dormant franchise had turned into a meme as the wait for a new game following Half-Life 2: Episode 2 stretched further and further. Now that the new game has finally released, one developer at Valve has spoken about the gap between releases, and while he can’t commit to anything, he’s hopeful that it won’t be as long.
Robin Walker, a long-time programmer at Valve, has spoken to Polygon about the pressures that come with the Half-Life brand. “Half-Life 3 really always needed to answer the question of what is the opportunity, what is the big technological leap that you think we can use in some way to build some really interesting experience for the player?,” he said. “That’s a paralyzing thing to work on.”
Half-Life: Alyx felt right, he says, and once they had a prototype it was clear that it could be the next game in the series. For now, he says, it’s not clear what the next game will be: “We haven’t made any decisions about what to do next, concretely, because there’s no reason to. We can wait a week.”
However, Walker has reason to think that the next game isn’t 13 years away again. “We ended the game in the way you always end the game as a game developer, which is that the end is when you feel like now you really know how to make this game,” he told Polygon. Walker continued. “I’d like to believe that we’re as good as we’ve ever been at building Half-Life at this point, and I hope we continue to make some more.”
“I don’t think there’s going to be another 13 years [until the next one],” Walker added, noting that he would likely have retired by then.
This isn’t confirmation that another Half-Life will begin development anytime soon, of course–the future remains unwritten for this series.
Half-Life: Alyx received an 9/10 in GameSpot’s review. “Disappointment you may have felt in its 13-year hiatus will feel like water under the bridge, and in a way, have played into just how powerful Half-Life: Alyx turned out to be,” reviewer Michael Higham wrote. “The names, the faces, the iconic objects that have become synonymous with Half-Life have their specific place. And if you weren’t aware previously, you’ll see just how important Alyx Vance–the series’ most infallible personality–has been the entire time.”
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Path of Exile is the latest game to offer a special bonus for players who find themselves stuck inside amidst lockdowns and other restrictions that are in place throughout the world.
In a blog post, developer Grinding Gear Games announced that it’s giving everyone a free Thaumaturgy Mystery Box which contains an assortment of cosmetic items. All you need to do is open Path of Exile’s in-game shop and the Box will be automagically added to your account.
Grinding Gear specified that you must visit the in-game store to claim this freebie; visiting the Path of Exile shop website is not enough. Also, you must have created account already to get the freebie, and the offer is limited to one Box per account.
The Box is available to claim on PS4, Xbox One, and PC for the period of one week.
Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada, a fascinating and strange RPG about a mid-30s programmer who hates his job and is trying to create his own game, is getting a sequel–sort of. An upcoming update on April 2 will transform the game into Dandy Dungeon II: The Phantom Bride, which will offer a new conclusion for the PC and Switch game.
In Dandy Dungeon, players draw lines to move the protagonist, Yamada, through the dungeons of the game he’s building himself. Yamada is in love with his neighbor, Maria, who he adds into his game as a princess that he must rescue. The game has been praised for its fun dungeons, original gameplay, and weird sense of humor.
The sequel update, outlined on the game’s official website, will be completely free for all owners of the game. It’ll add 90 new dungeon types, 560 new sets of weapons and armor, and over 260 new enemies, as well as the new 99-floor Heaven’s Door dungeon. It’s a bit update, then.
Here’s a trailer to let you know what to expect.
The game will be discounted by 30% from April 2 as well, so new players can jump into the expanded game at a reduced price. This discount will apply to both the PC and Switch versions.
Dandy Dungeon is by Onion Games, which is working on the Switch version of Moon: Remix RPG Adventure.
Scheduled maintenance will result in Fortnite downtime, barely a week after the v12.20 update dropped. The downtime will begin at 2 AM ET, and while no end time has been announced it will likely only take a couple of hours if previous updates are anything to go by.
While patch notes haven’t been released for the v12.21 update, it’s most likely to be fixing performance issues related to new features added in v12.20–particularly the Choppa. The update may also look at the FPS issues that have been on Epic’s radar since v12.00.
Overall, as a .01 update no big changes or new items are expected from it, but hopefully it will address some of the performance issues that Fortnite players have been suffering.
It’s no wonder the Fortnite servers are having difficulties as schools close across the world and bored kids try to find something to do. An increase in Fortnite and Call of Duty players has already measurably impacted internet traffic in Italy, and the same is expected to happen in other countries where lockdowns and school closures are being implemented.
Season 2 of Fortnite Chapter 2 will continue until April, so we can expect more updates and new content before then. Check out our Fortnite Season 2 roundup to make sure you get the most out of Epic’s battle royale game this season.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Xbox Live has gone down again, for some at least. The Xbox Live Support page notes that “Purchase and Content Usage” is affected right now. This is a big deal, because in some cases, these new Xbox Live issues are preventing people from launching their games to begin with.
The support pages notes that the game Smite, in particular, is affected by these latest Xbox Live issues, but the problems seem to extend beyond that game alone.
Just minutes ago, GameSpot’s repeated attempts to boot Call of Duty: Modern Warfare all failed. In a tweet, Activision Support said it’s looking into the issues.
GameSpot was also unable to load the Xbox Store due to the network issues. As always, your mileage may vary, and things may be working normally for you. Xbox Live is a global network that relies on server infrastructure that exists around the world and depends on a number of different factors for smooth operation.
We are aware that some users are experiencing issues making purchases and redeeming codes. Our teams are currently investigating the issue. You can find updates here or on our status page at https://t.co/dG2dbISiH7.
Bells are the main currency in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and you’ll need a lot of them if you want to upgrade your house, buy furniture and clothes, and build various structures around your island. There are a lot of ways to make bells, and while it largely comes down to either selling things or otherwise finding money, there are some things you should know to help maximize your income and manage your bells.
First off: You can only hold 99,999 bells in your pockets at once, so it’s a good idea to deposit bells in the Nook Stop machine at Resident Services so they don’t take up pocket space. We recommend saving up a bells this way rather than paying off your loans in small increments in case a pricey item ends up in one of your stores–you’ll want the extra money for surprise purchases from time to time.
Generally, you can sell any items you don’t want or need at Nook’s Cranny, though we don’t recommend selling any crafting materials, like wood or iron–you’ll get more money by crafting with those items. You can take any fossils that Blathers has assessed but are already in your museum and sell those, for example, or sell any furniture you’ve found but don’t want. Below, you’ll find tips for selling specific items to maximize your profits, plus some other key money-making tips.
Fruit
Each island has its own native fruit: either apples, oranges, peaches, cherries, or pears. By trading with friends or traveling to deserted islands using a Nook Miles Ticket, you may come across one of the fruits not native to your island (and your mom will also send you a few toward the beginning of the game). You can sell non-native fruits for 500 bells apiece, or 5,000 bells for a stack of 10. We recommend planting non-native fruits as you get them so you can have your very own non-native fruit trees for a consistent source of income. If you have a friend whose native fruit is different from yours, you can also pick your own fruits and sell them on your friend’s island to make more money. You may also find coconuts, which sell for 250 bells each.
Fish And Bugs
One of the most consistent ways to make money is to catch and sell bugs and fish. First, if you’re low on pocket space and can’t get to the store easily, we recommend releasing any bugs or fish that aren’t worth a lot. This is especially important if you’ve traveled to a deserted island via a Nook Miles Ticket and there are other, more valuable fauna there. Our fish guide and our bugs guide both list the price you can get for each bug and fish we’ve caught so far.
You can sell any fish and bugs at Nook’s Cranny; if the shop is closed, it’s better to store them and sell them the next day than use the box outside, as that box only gets you 80% of the standard price. However, before you sell any fish or bugs each day, check for one of two random visitors: Flick or CJ. They buy bugs and fish, respectively, for a massive 50 percent markup and will stay on your island until 5 AM the next day. You can find Flick wandering around different parts of the island if he’s visiting, while CJ will usually be near water. Prioritize catching fish or bugs on the days they’re visiting to make fast money.
Hot Items
Once you have Nook’s Cranny unlocked, Timmy and Tommy will select one “hot item” a day that they’ll buy for twice the usual price. Hot items are always ones you can craft yourself and already have the DIY recipe for. Some are worth far more than others, so we recommend crafting and selling one to see how much it’ll get you. If you have the spare resources and it’s worth over a thousand bells, it’s probably worth crafting a few to get some spare change. It’s best to store crafting materials instead of selling them, since you’ll get a better return for crafting hot items and selling those.
Money Rocks
You know the rocks scattered around your island? One rock every day will spew money when you hit it instead of stone and iron. You need to hit it eight times in rapid succession to maximize your reward, and because you’ll recoil when you hit it, it’s a good idea to dig a few holes behind you before hitting any rocks so you don’t have to readjust. If done correctly, you should walk away with 16,100 bells every day.
Money Trees
As you explore your island each day, you might come across a glowing spot in the ground. If you dig it up, you’ll get 1,000 bells, but if you bury some bells there, you’ll grow a tree that produces bells! This isn’t the most consistent or quick way to get money, but it’s relatively easy. We recommend burying 10,000 bells–you can take out a bag of bells by clicking on the bell amount in your inventory menu–which should get you a tree that produces 30,000 bells.
Mystery Tour Islands
Using a Nook Miles Ticket, which costs 2,000 Nook Miles, you can visit a random island on a “mystery tour.” There are a lot of benefits to this, but some of these islands are especially good for making money. You could find an island covered in money rocks, an island covered in rare flowers that attract rare butterflies, or even an island crawling with tarantulas. We recommend emptying your pockets of everything except the essentials before you leave for an island so you can carry as much home with you as possible and have an even bigger payout.
The Stalk Market
The stalk market is Animal Crossing’s version of the stock market. Every Sunday, Daisy-Mae will come to your island and sell you turnips for a fluctuating price, usually somewhere around 100 bells for 10 turnips. The idea is to buy turnips from her and sell them to Timmy and Tommy later in the week for a higher value. The catch is that turnips will rot after a week. Timmy and Tommy change their prices every day when they open and again at noon, so you want check with them before and after noon every day to monitor the turnips’ value. Most of the time, you’ll get a better price later in the week, but if your turnip prices are garbage, it’s a good idea to ask some friends how their markets are looking so you don’t lose too many bells.
Balloons
You’ve probably seen a balloon floating above your island with a present attached to it. These balloon presents can contain a number of different things, and sometimes, they’ll contain bags of bells! We’ve seen as much as 30,000 in one balloon, so definitely keep a slingshot on you at all times so you can shoot down these presents.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
