Weekly Recap #463 August 13th – Naraka Bladepoint Launches, Date for BnS Unreal 4 Update & More!

JamesBl0nde recaps the MMO gaming news for the week of August 13, 2021! Transcript follows.

Rocket League takes things way out to the wild west, Black Desert’s latest playable class gets her awakening, Blade and Soul’s Unreal Engine 4 update is just around the corner and this new battle royale will have you brush up on your grappling and sword play skills.

What’s good everyone, JamesBl0nde here with the weekly recap for gaming news and announcements for the week of August 13th 2021 and yet another short and sweet recap for you this week but as you can tell we’re kicking it off with a bit of World of Warships!

For the first time, submarines will be joining ranked battles in World of Warships!  This change completely elevates the balance of matches, and their inclusion will be closely and carefully monitored to ensure a fair time for everyone.  This update also brings about a new season of clan battles, ongoing early access to Dutch cruisers, changes to commander skills, and several balance and bug fixes.  Update 0.10.7 is live now, with ranked matches starting next week.

Also in the Wargaming space, Update 1.14 for World of Tanks is also available now.  Brand new Czechoslovakian heavy tanks, which also offer two different firing configurations for maximum carnage on the battlefield.  An all new random battle map also makes its debut, with Safe Haven joining the complement. Set in 1960s Japan, Safe Haven is a summer map designed as a demilitarized port with two major areas offering different strategic options.  Several balance changes have also been made, especially when it comes to premium tanks, plus changes to personal missions to artillery to make them easier to complete.

Season three of Rogue Company is here, and it looks like a trip to Japan is in order!  The new Palace map is sure to put you in the mood, as the Japanese architecture and falling cherry blossoms paint a vivid landscape.  Of course, with a new season comes a new battle pass, full of 50 new rewards earned simply by playing. As usual, expect plenty of unique themed items, titles, and more. Some pretty extensive balancing passes have also been made, so log in to enjoy The Kyoto Job!

Speaking of a whole new season, Rocket League Season 4 has launched! Make your opponents eat your dust quite literally in the new Deadeye Canyon arena.  The Wild West theme doesn’t stop there, with a new Rocket Pass featuring a new car — the Outlaw.  Over 70 tiers of new loot and themed cosmetics await. Plus you can gain even more rewards by completing seasonal challenges, and competitive play rewards at the end of the season depending on your rank!

Do you play a Corsair in Black Desert Online, wishing you could also get a cool awakening like the other classes?  Well, now you can!  Launched this week, the awakening for the Corsair has her wielding a sword and harpoon gun hybrid to decimate her opponents, all while also calling on her shipmates — a loveable bunch of animal companions you see here — to assist her in combat of course, not just to be cute.  Weaving ranged combat with melee strikes, this awakening will surely bring a whole new strategy for players to master.

In keeping with the fantasy theme, EverQuest II has released the Toil and Trouble update. A decidedly magical adventure awaits you in this witch and warlock themed update, complete with a new area to explore, an all new raid dungeon to conquer, and three solo and heroic dungeons to tackle. 19 all new collection quests await players, along with six new tradeskill collections, not to mention plenty of daily and weekly missions for each dungeon and the raid. Keep in mind you will need an All Access membership to experience this new content.

Blade and Soul players have been waiting a while for their game engine to be updated. Well, the wait is almost over, as the Unreal Engine 4 update launches on September 8!  Oh, is a complete graphical and technical engine overhaul not enough for you?  Well, how about the fact the Dual Blades class also launches with the update?  These speedy melee attackers believe strongly in the idea that the best defense is overwhelming offense.  New systems are also coming in November, so keep an eye out for additional news when that time gets closer.

Let’s shift focus one last time.  Legends of Runeterra announced its newest expansion this week: Beyond the Bandlewood.  Being an area of mischief and mayhem, the theme for this expansion is multi-regions, and the decks you can build with keep that in mind!  Look forward to over 100 new cards to collect with this expansion, featuring the all new Bandle City region.  Beyond the Bandlewood is set to launch on August 25.

Battle Royale games have been around for a little while now, but none of them have quite captured one facet in particular: unfettered melee combat.  Naraka: Bladepoint looks to change that, and better yet, it’s available now!  Zip around the battlefield freely through grappling devices and/or parkour, and engage in 60 player strategic melee skirmishes.  The launch of the games also comes with the brand new Yoto Hime character, as well as a fiery chainsaw and a new dagger option.  The game gained over one million players during its public beta test on Steam, so you’ll find no shortage of people to combat!

Finally, we have the Epic Games Store free game of the week, only one this week, and on the dock this week is Rebel Galaxy.  A game all about exploration, trade, and combat in the outer reaches of space, Rebel Galaxy will let you determine whether you’re a swashbuckling hero, a cunning and skilled trader, or an eager and blood-thirsty space pirate throughout your travels at the edge of the universe.

But with that said, that’s about it for all the major news and announcements for this week. Be sure to stay safe, and keep your families healthy! Like always you can find more information on the news topics, linked 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, wash your hands a bunch, 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!