Weekly Recap #396 Feb 21st – Blade & Soul Complete, Fortnite Goes Top Secret, & More!

Transcript and timestamps follow.

More insane footage of Blade & Soul Complete, Bless Unleashed gets a release date, Fortnite’s experimenting in espionage, and Star Wars The Old Republic offers a private mansion on… Alderaan?

Whats good everyone! JamesBl0nde here with your weekly recap for gaming news and announcements for the week of February 21st 2020. Thanks for being patient with us as we had to take a week off but I mean all we really missed is a bunch of Valentine’s events and a few things I’ll catch you up on in this recap but to kick things off…

Battlecraft Launch Trailer: 0:31

Do you enjoy strategy games, but get a little frustrated waiting for someone else to make a move? Does the idea of thwarting a smug opponent who thinks they have you beat appeal to you? Well, Battlecraft might just be the game for you. Launching this week on Steam, Android, and iOS, the free-to-play Battlecraft features a simultaneous turn system which promises it’s always your turn. How does it do that exactly, I have no idea. The game also features over twenty different heroes to collect. With both single- and multi-player modes available, it looks like a great way to keep people guessing. Could be fun.

New Blade & Soul Complete (Unreal 4) Videos: 1:10

Blade & Soul fans have been anxiously awaiting the stunning looking Unreal 4 update, and NCSoft has again delivered some gorgeous teaser trailers for the Korean version known as “Blade & Soul Complete”. The Korean version is launching a brand new version called “Frontier World” that will feature the new Unreal 4 engine changes, and these trailers show off a lot of actual gameplay – from the new combat system, to races and classes, to even what appears to be a new Sky Seer class. There’s no exact date on when these changes will roll out to the West but we will be getting them, so stay hyped! This could be the answer to Blade & Soul 2. Its kinda like a Path of Exile 2 type thing

Blade & Soul: Shroud of the Assassin Preview: 1:55

But while you wait, Blade & Soul has launched a new major update titled Shroud of the Assassin. This patch introduces the third specialization for Assassins, the Way of the Phantom. This adds a new stance which allows assassins to step briefly into the Shadows to enhance their abilities, plus summon Shadow Stalkers to assist in battle. Not only that, but the Lyn race can now finally be Assassins! The update also includes a Valentine’s style event which will run until March 25.

Bless Unleashed Announces Launch Date and Founders Packs: 2:25

Meanwhile XBox One exclusive Bless Unleashed announced the game will officially be launching on March 12, 2020.  In addition to the release date, Bandai Namco also gave us more information on the founders packs for the game. Coming in three tiers — Deluxe, Exalted, and Ultimate — all of them feature head start programs at seven, ten, and fifteen days respectively, as well as the exclusive Ivory Unicorn, Ironclad Rhino, and Inferno Stallion mount (again, respectively) along with plenty of other bonuses. So if you don’t want an Ivory unicorn, which I don’t blame you, then uhh yeah get the exalted which is an ironclad rhino.  You can pick up these founders packs today on Bless Unleased’s website.

Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 2: Top Secret Launch Trailer: 3:11

It’s hard to avoid Fortnite news when it happens, and this week Fortnite dropped Chapter 2 of Season 2, nicknamed Top Secret. The theme is spy games, and players will join up with the Ghost or Shadow operatives to try to take over the isle. This features brand new hidden locations across the map, new infiltration encounters, and stealthy gadgets and decoys to trip up the enemy. What’s in it for the best spies? Well, a brand new battle pass features over 100 rewards including bonus styles, wraps, and 1500 V-bucks to refill your wallet.

TERA’s ‘Crescent Sea’ Update Now Live: 3:45

Another big update this week from En Masse to the PC version of TERA with the Crescent Sea update. The new elin valkyrie class leads the way with this update, proving a tiny terror with a massive runeglaive. A special leveling event is ongoing to help players get their new valkyrie up to speed, and players who hit 70 with their valkyrie before March 3 will get a Crimson Dragon Mount. The update also introduces the Sea of Honor five-player dungeon, unlocked through a special Voyage Map found by clearing dungeons and defeating field bosses.

Kingdom Under Fire 2: Grave of Time Trailer: 4:18

Kingdom Under Fire 2 has launched its third major content update: Grave of Time. The main attraction here is the aptly named Grave of Time raid, for up to eight players. New units can be obtained from the raid, which include the Lightningmancer for Grey Wood, Steam Tank for Bersia, Full Armor Worshipper for Bulging Horn, Desert Armored Beetle for Crazy Nose, and the Modernised Rifleman for Hironeiden. The update also includes an all new solo mission: Dimensional Test where you try and fend off 50 waves of enemies until you’ve won, or are overrun.  There’s no resurrections allowed here either!  To celebrate the launch, Kingdom Under Fire 2 will be Free on Steam this weekend (2/20 until 2/26), with the game 50% off if you choose to purchase it during this time!

Star Wars: The Old Republic ‘Alderaan Noble Estate’ Stronghold Trailer: 5:09

Star Wars: The Old Republic is still staying alive after Episode IX’s release it seems, as this week they released the update Pinnacles of Power. Players can now establish their own personal headquarters at the Alderaan Noble Estate, an upscale retreat in the mountains of Alderaan. Snowy mountains, crisp cascading waterfalls, secret passages hidden in the rocks… what’s not to love? Well, I mean, if you follow Star Wars lore you know it’ll end up in pieces eventually but why not embrace the moment?

Portal Knights: Druids, Furfolk and Relic Defense Expansion Now Live: 5:38

Portal Knights has released a brand new expansion featuring its first new class.  The ‘Druids, Furfolk, and Relic Defense’ expanion lets players create the all new druid, which can transform into a variety of forms like a bear, a spider, and even a slime. In addition to the new class, the Furfolk race was introduced, which comes complete with customization options for fur color, ears, and much more. Beyond the new class and race, though, you’ll get to experiance three new arenas, requiring you to defend ancient relics using traps, magic, and your own skills. Expect to earn some pretty good stuff by completing these arenas too, like maybe a unicorn or a dragon mount, perhaps? In addition to the expansion, a free update has also been launched that gives players access to basic mounts like horses and pigs, as well as Creative Mode additions to really help players build plenty of unique adventures.

League of Legends: Eternals Explained: 6:28

Riot’s still working hard on their 10 year anniversary promises, and this week is no exception as they’ve revealed changes to the Eternals system in League of Legends. Eternals was announced last year as a new way to progress and track stats on your favorite champions, but Riot admits that after feedback they realized they missed the mark. Instead they’ve revamped their initial plans so that there are ways to earn Eternals without spending RP, creating more exciting things to track, and offering discounts to players with large champion pools. The full details are broken down in a dev blog which is contained in the description below.

Shadow Arena Beta Test Launches Feb. 27: 7:02

Pearl Abyss has revealed it’s upcoming beta test for Shadow Arena, its massive 40 player arena brawler. Taking place from February 27 until March 8, interested players can sign up on the Shadow Arena website. For those who might not be aware, Shadow Arena was once part of Black Desert Online, but evolved into its own game with features from MOBAs, battle royales, and the MMO genre. Play alone, or as part of a team, but know that it’s going to come down to your own personal skill to succeed. Shadow Arena is scheduled to launch sometime in the first half of 2020 for PC, and is expected to be released for consoles sometime shortly after.

Allods Online: Soul of Darkness Trailer: 7:39

And in a final surprising twist, My.Games has revealed a teaser for an upcoming expansion to Allods Online. Seems this old MMORPG hasn’t been forgotten yet, as the developer team announces their plan to introduce a new storyline, a new squad dungeon, and some major quality of life changes. That includes updating the Stronghold system that lets players earn rewards on their own and more directly influence the Stronghold, preventing artifacts from losing their abilities as they weaken, improving professions, added spark experience, and much more. Surprising to see something like that come to such an old MMORPG but it’s probably going to make a lot of people happy.

Either way that’s about it for all the major news and announcements for this week, for more information on the news topics, check the links in the description below, feel free to discuss the news or even more news in the comments below and don’t forget to like, subscribe, hit that little bell icon to get notifications and of course share this video! But until next time guys that’s going to be it for me… I’m JamesBl0nde… see ya out there gamers!