Weekly Recap #387 Nov. 22nd – Path of Exile 2, HRX 2019, League of Legends in 2020 & More!

Path of Exile 2 makes its shocking debut, Brawlhalla gets Capture the Flag and a mobile version, League of legends begins its preseason 2020, Neverwinter goes to Hell, and it seems like the god line up for Smite in 2020 is really gonna stand out.

What’s good everyone! JamesBl0nde here with your weekly recap for gaming news and announcements for the week of November 22. 

Well, right after last week’s recap, we had two gaming conventions kick off, so let’s talk about the major news from the weekend first!

Path of Exile 2 Announced: 0:22

To start off, we have huge news from Path of Exile’s convention ExileCon: the announcement of Path of Exile 2. POE 2 will offer a brand new seven-act storyline that takes place 20 years after the death of Kitava. There will be a brand new set of playable characters, and although they fall into the same class archetypes of the original game, the new exiles will have access to a set of 19 new ascendancy classes. There will be a lot of other major changes, including the way support gems are socketed and changes to the passive tree. Path of Exile 2 is a new seven-act storyline that is available alongside the original Path of Exile 1 campaign. Both the old and new storyline lead to the same shared Atlas endgame. Path of Exile 2 retains all expansion content that has been created over the last six years and introduces a new skill system, the new ascendancy classes I mentioned, engine improvements and more. Unfortunately there’s no release date for Path of Exile 2 yet, but there’s hints that a beta may be available in late 2020. no worries it will be worth the wait.

Path of Exile 3.9.0: Metamorph League / Conquerors of the Atlas: 1:36

Of course, while POE 2 is in development, the regular cycle of leagues and updates every three months will continue! The next update was also announced at ExileCon. Titled “Conquerors of the Atlas,” the update will include a bow rework, new Atlas mechanics, new end game bosses, and of course, lots of powerful new items. The Metamorph League will launch alongside this update, featuring a new mechanic that lets you build your own boss, determining what mechanics it has and what loot will drop. Conquerors of the Atlas and the Metamorph League will launch on December 13 for PC, hitting consoles the week after.

Path of Exile Mobile: 2:12

And if all that wasn’t enough news about Path of Exile, there’s one more surprise announcement Grinding Gear had up their sleeve: Path of Exile mobile! Now I know, everyone has mixed opinions about mobile games and I can’t blame you. But this is promised to be a complete Path of Exile game – without pay to win elements. To avoid awful mobile mechanics like energy bars, gacha draws, and intrusive ads, Grinding Gear Games has decided to build this mobile adaptation themselves. They even have a “mobile fall guy” to blame! 

Now, if all the Path of Exile hype this weekend wasn’t enough, Hi-Rez Expo was also going on with a handful of announcements for SMITE and Paladins. 

SMITE: Heimdallr Teaser: 2:52  

First off, everyone’s favorite 3D MOBA, SMITE, has offered a teaser of its 2020 lineup and season 7, starting with the upcoming Norse god Heimdallr  the Vigilant. Heimdallr will, oddly enough, be cast as a Hunter, throwing around his two axes and traveling using the rainbow bridge Bifrost. Heimdallr’s abilities haven’t been fully revealed yet, but we won’t have to wait long – he’s coming to SMITE in December.

SMITE: 2020 Lineup & Season 7 Teaser: 3:15

Hi-Rez also teased a few other gods coming in 2020, including the long requested Baba Yaga. No other gods have been officially confirmed from the teaser, but the roster is supposed to include surprise gods and at least one more community request.

Paladins: Tiberius Teaser: 3:29

If SMITE isn’t to your preference, Paladins is also getting a new champion soon: Tiberius, the Tigron Weapons Master. Come to battle against Raum, Tiberius has glaives that act as projectiles, and a large sword he can throw and recall. It’s predicted he’ll excel in mobile damage. Tiberius should begin battle in Paladins in January.

Rogue Company: Behind the Scenes: 3:50

Finally at HRX, Hi-Rez revealed a new behind-the-scenes look at its upcoming action shooter, Rogue Company. This was primarily a short dev diary talking about the team behind Rogue Company, and how the game is being built for tactical decision making and objective-based gameplay. Definitely worth checking out the video if you’re looking for a new shooter at the link below.

 Alright! With ExileCon and HRX out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the other major announcements from this past week.

League of Legends Preseason 2020 Trailer: 4:15

Continuing on the competitive PvP streak, the classic MOBA League of Legends has begun its Preseason 2020, and brings with it a few major shake-ups to the formula. First off, Summoner’s Rift will be getting a new Elemental Rift feature, where the map transforms into one of four Elemental Rifts after the second Elemental Drake dies. Each of these rifts has unique terrain changes in the four jungle quadrants that will certainly change the course of the game. The Elder Dragon has also been adjusted to no longer favor the winning team, and given a new execute mechanic. There’s far more changes than just these, of course, so make sure to check out the full news linked below.

Brawlhalla: Mobile Announcement Trailer & Capture the Flag Mode: 4:51

If 2D brawling is more your style, Brawlhalla has some big news this week: it’s coming to mobile! Yes, Brawlhalla is also making itself accessible to mobile gamers, with a promise of cross-platform play. And to top that off, Brawlhalla launched a new game mode this week – Capture the Flag! The classic team battle style is available now, offering a new twist to the game and its meta. 

Warhammer: Chaos & Conquest Launches on PC: 5:17

While Path of Exile and Brawlhalla are going to mobile, Warhammer: Chaos & Conquest is doing the opposite, and coming from mobile to PC! The free to play strategy game is now available on PC through Steam and the Microsoft store and also includes crossplay and platform syncing. This is a collecting-style strategy game and it still keeps its mobile mechanics and business model, so player beware – but if you’ve wanted to try out a Warhammer strategy MMO, it can’t hurt to download it. Find out more in the description below.

Ragnarok Transcendence Pre-Registration Begins: 5:45

If you’re a classic MMO lover, you might be interested to hear the news that Ragnarok Online is getting a new version. Called Ragnarok Transcendence, the new version promises a greatly updated UI, rebalanced gameplay, new pets, and more. This trailer doesn’t show any of that off, but if you’re interested, you can pre-register now and even get a bonus pack for your trouble. As always, hit the description for the links you need.

Neverwinter: Infernal Descent Announcement Trailer: 6:08

Another well known MMO, Neverwinter, has also announced a major update in the form of Infernal Descent. Taking place in the Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus campaign, this level 80 campaign will have players descending into the Nine Hells in an epic quest. The update will introduce a new adventure zone and dungeon along with new NPC heroes. Infernal Descent is set to heat things up on January 21 on PC, but there’s also an ongoing event for the next three weeks that throws you into a hellish arena to compete for prizes if you want a taste of hell now. 

Blood of Steel Gameplay Trailer: 6:40

In other new game announcements, Blood of Steel has announced its English version is almost ready for release. This historically based MOBA features legendary historical figures like Joan of Arc and Alexander the Great battling in a medieval style world. The game will have 5v5, 7v7, and 10v10 modes. Unlike most MOBAs, players will also be commanding their own military units on the battlefield, from common soldiers to archers and calvary. Not only that, the game also promises an action based dueling mode with blocks, dodges, defense breaks, and charges. Looks pretty interesting. Blood of Steel is launching on Steam early next year but closed beta testing is expected to start soon. 

Wild Terra 2: New Lands Announcement Trailer: 7:20

And not to be outdone, Juvty Worlds – the creators of Wild Terra – have surprised everyone this week with the announcement of Wild Terra 2. A brand new MMO built the same way as the original, Wild Terra 2 will be a player-run and player-funded sandbox MMORPG. It will have new features, areas, seasons, improved graphics, and more. We only have a new trailer for now but it definitely looks improved from the original Wild Terra!

Legends of Aria New Dawn Launches December 5: 7:44

If you’re a fan of sandboxes but can’t wait for Wild Terra 2, Citadel Studios announced this week that its sandbox MMO Legends of Aria will be offering a free to play option starting on December 5. It’s a great way to get in the game to try it out, or play without ponying up for a subscription. The December 5 update will also bring back the Wilderness, a much loved open PvP area. Plus there will be brand new features, including thieving skills, the ability to declare citizenship to a town, and much more! All the details can be found at the link below. 

Half-Life: Alyx Announcement Trailer: 8:14

We can’t end this recap without talking about one huge announcement this week: Valve revealed Half-Life: Alyx! Yeah, it’s a paid title, and it’s for VR, but come on – it’s Half-Life! 

Deals of the Week: 8:30

And finally, it’s time for our Deals of the Week! First up there’s some great games for free on Steam this weekend : the first-person hack and slash Warhammer Vermintide 2, the hit FPS Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, the popular fighting game Street Fighter V, and the strategy simulation Prison Architect. The Epic Game store is also offering Rayman Legends for free this week, so there’s something free for everyone. New on Twitch Prime this week are an exclusive skin for Rocket League, the Jolly Prime bundle for RAGE 2, and a 30 day Kar98k for PUBG: Mobile. Fast and free, there’s your guide to something new this weekend. 

On a final sad note: Brad McQuaid, creator of EverQuest, Vanguard, and Pantheon, passed away this week. The news was announced on Pantheon’s social media on Tuesday. Whether you liked him or not, McQuaid had a huge influence on MMOs over the decades. Rest in peace, Aradune.