Weekly Recap #379 September 27th – MTG Arena, Ashes of Creation Apocalypse, Astellia & More!

MTG Arena Launch Event and Deck Discussion:

MTG Arena Joins Collegiate StarLeague: 0:28

Collegiate StarLeague is bringing Magic: the Gathering to their list of collegiate esports leagues! This league will feature a scholarship prize pool of $50,000 up for grabs, the largest in the CSL this year. This is free for all North American college students and teams, who will form up in teams of three. They will bring their most powerful decks to bear against other MTGA players across a sixteen-week season. The best players across all of these colleges will do battle at the CSL Grand Finals in April 2020, with the winners heading to ultimately do battle against the UK winners in a first-of-its-kind international exhibition battle. All of the action will be streamed on CSL’s Twitch Channel, and CSL will provide tons of content for Magic: The Gathering Arena fans, so you’re gunna wanna stay tuned.

Closers Seth Bundle Giveaway: 1:17

But while you’re at it, check out Jason’s new launch event and deck discussion for the new Throne of Eldraine set over on MMOHuts.com! Plus you might as well pick up the side quest in the form of  a Closers Seth bundle we’re giving away, so make sure you grab yours while you still can! The bundle includes the Gifted Cadet costume bundle, Midnight Phase Wings for 7 days, and 3 day elite status, maid service, and gardening vouchers. All the info for both of these can be found in the description below.

Armored Warfare’s ‘American Dream’ Season is Live: 1:36

The fourth season of Armored Warfare went live this past week, entitled “American Dream”. This season introduces a new character, Douglas O’Reilly. He’s an American hellraiser-turned-resistance fighter, desperately fighting for what remains of his country. Douglas is seeking the truth behind the Enigma organization, no matter what it takes. “American Dream” features this new story arc, as well as new Special Ops Missions, and so much more. Season Four will also feature quality-of-life improvements to take advantage of. Consumable use, ramming damage mechanics, the power of thermobaric missiles, and HE shell explosions were adjusted. The changes were aimed at boosting player satisfaction as a whole. Players can add an explosive selection of new high-level vehicles to their hangar, from the M113 armed with its famous Hellfire missiles to an M48 GAU-8 equipped with a rotating multi-barrel cannon that can deliver up to 4200 rounds per minute. The extra firepower should help the resistance forces stand a fighting chance against one of their deadliest and most nefarious opponents yet.

Veterans Online coming to Steam Early Access this Fall: 2:39

Nuked Cockroach announced this past week that their debut title, Veterans Online, will hit Steam later this fall as a free to play, top-down PVP shooter. Veterans Online aims to blend arena brawling with a variety of PVP maps, modes, and missions. You’ll earn coins in-game to buy weapons at the start of each round which include light and heavy guns as well as consumables like mines and traps, and then dive into heated 5v5 battles. The game will also feature character customization, although we don’t know a whole lot about that just yet. The early access will feature two game modes: Territory Control and Capture the Flag. Additional game modes will come throughout the early access period. Keep an eye out at MMOHuts.com as more news for the game becomes available.

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse Enters Early Access: 3:21

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is now live in Early Access! This is the entry point into the world of Ashes of Creation, where players will fight for survival, or die trying. This free-to-play experience will have a high fantasy setting, where players do battle with magic and steel. They will duke it out across a variety of modes in a vast battle arena. The world known as Verra is on the brink of destruction, and the only one who will be spared is the last player standing. Among the various game modes will, of course, be a battle-royale style mode, castle sieges, and battles against hordes of monsters. A wealth of weapons and combat options await players, who can go alone, or fight with their friends, leveling up and earning prestige on the battlefield. Any rewards earned in Apocalypse will also carry over to the main MMO.

Black Desert on PS4 Releases Second Major Update Today: 4:10

Black Desert on PS4 released a huge update this past week with some serious new content to play through. The Awakening feature has arrived, which permanently boosts a character’s combat power, and unlocks new skills and weapons to use. All ten classes have the ability to be Awakened, allowing players to realize their true power, alongside unique play styles. In order to awaken, a player must hit level 56 and accept a quest provided by their Black Spirit. Once complete, they will receive a mythical weapon to wield. In addition, two fan-favorite classes come to the MMO, Lahn and Ninja. Each brings its own style of agile gameplay and precision combat to Black Desert, and have their own skills and abilities to master. The desert kingdom of Valencia also comes in this update, with sandstorms and new enemies to endure. A new world boss comes with this region, the mighty Kutum. Absolute Skills were also brought for all classes, to bring devastating, powerful attacks. This update also adds new gameplay elements, such as villain marks. Regardless of a players Karma, killing another player in this region grants a villain mark. They will be treated as hostile by other players, and once killed, they will be sent to Pila Ku Prison to serve their time and gain de-buffs.

Heavy Metal Machines Begins a new Season: 5:23

Season 6 has arrived in Heavy Metal Machines, and the new pass is called “Knights, Dragons and a Two-Headed Ogre”!  This new season of content is medieval themed and takes us to noble Rockalot. This parallel universe has noble (and not so noble) knights doing battle on the road. The new skins are gorgeous and have new effects for characters skills. This is only the start of the surprises though, with some mysterious events on the way at the end of October. Said the  Development Director at Hoplon, “We are extremely proud of the artistic quality we have achieved in this 6th Heavy Metal Machines season. The medieval theme and the new skins influence the pilot’s abilities and have a greater quality than any other skin available in the game. We are sure the community will like it.” The pass and update is now live, hop in and see if these new skins really do rock.

Atlas To Receive Xbox One Release and Steam Crossplay: 6:11

During “Inside Xbox”, Grapeshot Games announced that ATLAS will be heading to Xbox One’s Game Preview service on October 8th.  ATLAS will also launch with crossplay support, so Steam players can work together with Xbox players to explore the same massive world. Xbox One players will also have Keyboard and Mouse support, to ensure full game parity, and an even playing field. Grapeshot Games also announced optional new single-player and private session modes for those who wish to go seafaring with just their friends.

TERA Reveals ‘Skywatch: Aerial Island’ Update for PC: 6:42

Tera revealed a new update, coming in October for PC for their North American audience. Aerial Island will mark the end of the Skywatch series of updates and will include the floating region of Exodor. There are four quest-filled zones in this area, and of course, new BAMs. There will also be new dungeons to tackle more powerful gear to earn. To get ready for this, there are some events coming to the game to help players gear up for the challenges that lie ahead. First, there’s a leveling event that will grant a host of beneficial rewards at certain level milestones to help players on their journey to level 68 where they can start tackling new content. Tera is also super-charging gear progression from October 1st through the 15th with improved enchanting and upgrade chances on high-end weapons and armor. During that same period, completing select high-level dungeons will yield improved drops. Finally, there’s the Harvest Festival Hall event with fun, spooks, thrills, and enough candy to give even the largest of Big Ass Monsters a sugar rush. This event runs for the entirety of October so when the time comes, head on over to the Eldritch Academy, speak with Serena, and get to blasting enemies with Candy Cannons! Lots happening in Tera all of the sudden.

Dauntless Launches with 1.0 Update: 7:51

Phoenix Labs has officially launched Dauntless with “Aether Unbound”, itss 1.0 update. Aether Unbound includes the new aether strikers weapon, along with the new Dire Behemoth, Tempest Stormclaw. A new Bounty system has replaced weekly quests and Hunt Pass part breaks. A new Hunt Pass, of course, is available. Dauntless is available now as a free download on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on the Epic Games Store, and offers seamless cross-platform play that allows players to easily access their account on any platform. Not to mention Dauntless will launch on the Nintendo Switch sometime later this year.

Astellia Online Launches: 8:28

If you haven’t noticed Astellia Online is also launching this weekend! You’ll be able to download the game from the official website on September 28th and dive into a game world looking to take the MMORPG genre back to its roots by combining traditional gameplay mechanics with modern visuals to create something brand new. Of course keep an eye out on MMOHuts.com for any special announcements, live streams and more!