Weekly Recap #372 August 9th – Hearthstone, World of Tanks, Brawlhalla & More!

War Thunder Begins Operation H.E.A.T.: 0:25

War Thunder has officially launched the Operation H.E.A.T. event which will run until August 26th. In that time, players can acquire six new and exclusive vehicles, as well as some camouflages and decals. These new vehicles include tanks like the BT-7, the P-59A Airacomet (forgive me if I mispronounced that), the Bf 110C-6 and more. To participate in the event and unlock these new vehicles, all you have to do is participate in regular Random Battles where you’ll earn Marks of Distinction. Once you have enough, you can unlock the vehicles and other prizes. You can also sell the coupons for these vehicles on the Gaijin Market if you feel so inclined.

DC Universe Online is Now Available on Nintendo Switch: 1:01

DC Universe Online, the free to play MMO by Daybreak Games, is now officially live on the Nintendo Switch! DCUO’s debut on Switch brings with it more than 30 episode’s worth of content for players to experience anywhere they want, spanning locations from Gotham to Metropolis and even the city beneath the waves, Atlantis! The best part is that players don’t need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play. You can dive right in for free and create a superhero or villain and fight alongside iconic DC characters like Batman, Superman, The Joker, and plenty more. The game also has two new episodes on the way based on the Dark Nights: Metal comic book series: Episode 35 – Metal part 1 will release in September, with its follow-up, Metal Part 2 releasing in December.

Hearthstone’s Saviors of Uldum is Now Live: 1:44

Hearthstone’s newest expansion, Saviors of Uldum, is now live! The new expansion introduces a ton of new hero-altering quests for players to complete, and new spells to cast in the form of Plagues. There’s even a new keyword, Reborn, which allows minions to return to play with 1 health after being destroyed for the first time. Players who log into Hearthstone now will receive a random Legendary Quest card. Blizzard also teased a new Solo adventure entitled Tombs of Terror which will launch in September.

World of Tanks: 1.6 Update and Czech Holidays: 2:10

World of Tanks received a pair of updates this week! The first, which is the 1.6 update, adds British light tanks, and a re-balance to Personal Missions. Friendly Fire has also been disabled in Random Battles. It is still possible for SPGs and other vehicles to be branded “team-killers” though. Any player who receives this mark will lose their protection from friendly fire. The second update includes the groundwork for a new series of events celebrating the Czech Holidays. These events begin today and will coincide with the Tank Festival, so you can work on both at the same time and double up on rewards. Further details for both these updates, including the full patch notes, can be found in the description below.

KurtzPel’s PVP Season 1 Begins Today: 2:46

KOG Games announced on Wednesday that the first PVP season of Kurtzpel has begun! The first season, which will run until November 5th, 2019, will let players take advantage of the all-new Season Level rank achievements. These will net players special prizes every time they hit a new tier of strength.

Heavy Metal Machines Gears Up For Metal League 5: 3:03

After the success of the previous Metal Leagues, Heavy Metal Machines is finally bringing the action to the North American servers! Metal League 5 is the next tournament coming to the game and has been organized in partnership with ESL Play. Beginning on August 10th, players from around the world will be able to compete for a 5,000 dollar prize pool. There’s no registration fee, and to enter players only need to enter the Metal League queue in-game on the proper day and time. After six weeks of competition, the top eight teams will proceed to the finals to be held on September 21st in best of three matches. The champions will take home $2,000. The second place team will win $1500, while the third and fourth places will receive $1000 and $500 respectively.

EVE Echoes Offers a New Universe of Exploration in Select Territories 3:42

NetEase and CCP Games are lteaming up for the next EVE title, EVE Echoes, which will enter closed alpha later this month! EVE Echoes is a new mobile sci-fi MMO set in a parallel universe of New Eden. The Closed Alpha of Echoes will begin on August 26th, and run for four weeks, ending on September 20th, 2019. To participate, players need only sign up on the game’s website. Players who meet the technical specifications will be emailed prior to the Closed Alpha’s start date. EVE Echoes takes a lot of design cues from traditional EVE; players will forge a path to glory through interstellar combat, resource gathering, industrial manufacturing, trade, exploration, and more. The game will utilize NetEase’s proprietary graphics engine, NeoX, in combination with CCP’s designs to realize boundless, stunning star fields, majestic planets, and unpredictable asteroid belts at an unprecedented level of detail on mobile devices.

Brawlhalla x WWE Crossover Reveal Trailer: 4:36
Brawlhalla Patch Notes:

The superstars of the WWE are headed to Brawlhalla! The Rock, John Cena, Xavier Woods, and Becky Lynch are heading to the game in the form of awesome new skins for existing characters. There’s also a new game mode headed for Brawlhalla called Brawldown which takes place in the middle of a WWE ring complete with working ropes, steel chairs, and tables! Each of the new characters will have their own roster slot, custom lock-in animation and signature effects, and will mirror the abilities of Sentinel, Hattori, Bodvar, and Gnash respectively. This update for the game also features a slew of balance changes to each of the game’s weapons, as well as buffs for Azoth and Isaiah. The full patch notes can be found on the game’s website.

Steel Circus Enters Early Access on Steam Today: 5:14

The solar system’s most popular sporting event made its debut this week as Steel Circus entered Steam Early Access! The fast paced 3v3 multiplayer sports title looks to combine hero-based gameplay with the strategy and teamwork of a sports game as teams of 3 pass, tackle, and shoot in futuristic battles. The early access is open to the public with no keys required to play. The current build of the game features six champions and two arenas, with plans for regular updates featuring new champions, arenas, customization, and balance changes in the future. Each champion in the game can be unlocked for free, but there will be an All Champions pack available for 19.99 USD.

Dogfighter -WW2- Releases in the Fall for PS4: 5:51

Dogfighter World War 2 is an upcoming PS4 exclusive Battle Royale which will launch in North America this fall! Dogfighter will let players take to the skies of both European and the Pacific theaters of World War 2 in a new and exciting way. All of the game’s planes are faithfully recreated and each match will support up to forty simultaneous players. There will be two versions of the game available at launch: the first is the free to play Battle Royale, and the second is a paid DLC campaign called “Into the Fire” which offers a single player story mode with cinematic cutscenes.

Drone Strike Force Announces Weekend Demo: 6:21

Odisi Games and NGD Studios revealed this week that Drone Strike Force is launching on PC via Steam on August 16th, 2019! The competitive, skill-based game will offer new challenges in the FPS genre with six-axis gameplay. Anyone who wants can join them in their weekend long open beta that begins today, August 9th, and runs through Sunday the 11th. All you have to do is go the Steam page for the game, download the demo, and take to the skies.

SMITE: Interview with Team Rival’s fineokay: 6:46

SMITE: Mid-Season Raffle 2:

SMITE fans will want to click over to MMOHuts.com and check out our interview with Team Rival’s fineokay! Jason had the chance to sit down with him and talk about a range of topics including his transition to Rival, what it’s like to play solo lane professionally, and his projections for the future of the team! While you’re there, check out our second Smite Mid-Season Giveaway! Two grand prize winners will receive the Vigilante Susano skin and a Sweet Victory Battle Pass, and five more winners will be chosen to receive just the Vigilante Susano skin. There are a ton of ways to gain more entries and increase your chances of winning a prize, so head on over and enter!