Items tagged with Overwatch
Last year's Overwatch League was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that temporarily pumped the brakes on some interesting AI projects, as well. At the time, Blizzard and IBM were set to announce that Big Blue was about to become the cloud, AI, and machine learning analytics partner for the game's official e-sports platform. Blizzard and IBM hope that this partnership will lead to figuring out new ways to evaluate performance, fix balance issues, and much more. Now that Overwatch League is back on for 2021, the partnership is starting to bear fruit. IBM has developed an AI-powered ranking system that will not only separate the wheat from the chaff, but hopefully also bring the best of...
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Competitive multiplayer games are growing in popularity more than ever, and players need every edge they can get over their competition. To help with this, NVIDIA created NVIDIA Reflex, which is a suite of technologies that optimizes gaming experiences to reduce system latency in games. Now, the tech is coming to Overwatch, with players able to take it for a spin on the Public Test Region today. As NVIDIA explains, Reflex is “a revolutionary suite of GPU, G-SYNC display, and software technologies that measure and reduce system latency in competitive games.” To boil that down, Reflex simply reduces "motion to photo" system latency (your interactions versus the time it takes your screen...
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Major events all over the country are being canceled as organizers fear the spread of the coronavirus. The latest events to be canceled are all March and April Overwatch League events. The live events have been canceled globally due to fears of the coronavirus. The Overwatch League wrote on Twitter that it was closely monitoring COVID-19 (coronavirus), city-level recommendations and mandates, and all guidelines set forth by the CDC." The organization noted that after working in close collaboration with the teams, it decided to cancel all Overwatch League events that were scheduled for March and April. Events that were set to be held in Florida, Toronto, San Francisco, Atlanta, London, Dallas,...
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You all had better watch out, because Blizzard is bringing its top team shooter over to the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo's September 4th Direct broadcast opened with the news, in fact. After previous leaks and whispers of a potential Overwatch Switch port -- especially after an Overwatch-themed Switch case briefly appeared online -- a port seemed inevitable, if slightly late. Now that Overwatch Switch is just around the corner, what kind of performance can we expect? The same day of the Direct reveal, Blizzard employee Nazih Fares took to Twitter to provide the performance information. Overwatch on Nintendo Switch targets a stable 30 FPS in both docked and portable modes, and plays...
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There has been a rumor that Overwatch would be heading to the Switch, and during the recent Nintendo Direct broadcast, it was confirmed to be true. Overwatch Legendary Edition is in fact bound for the Switch, arriving on the hybrid game console on October 15 in North America. Eager fans can preorder the game now. "Become the vibrant, powerful heroes of Overwatch! Line up the perfect shot using Nintendo Switch’s built-in gyroscopic motion controls, or engage the opposing team with the analog control sticks," Nintendo says. Switch players will be able to hop in and have access to 31 heroes on 28 maps. But it is the motion controls that could potentially set the Overwatch experience on the...
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There is reason to believe Blizzard Entertainment may be prepping a port of Overwatch over to the Nintendo Switch, and soon. Otherwise, the recent discovery of a short-lived listing on Amazon for an Overwatched-themed case for the Switch makes little sense, especially if, as the listing claimed, it's a licensed product. Nothing has been confirmed, but according to the listing (which has since been yanked offline), the case sports the following features... Sturdy outer shell with rubberized handle and durable dual zipper pulls Molded interior fits Console in handheld mode, and features felt lining plus zippered mesh storage Built-in padded screen-protector flap includes storage for nine game cards...
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Deals and sales are popping up like spring daisies in April. Amazon in particular is offering some products for nearly 50% off this weekend. While you prep your Easter egg hunt or Passover seder, keep an eye on out for a discounted Toshiba 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV, TCL 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV, Amazon Echo Dots and Fire TV sticks, and many more items. Several of these products are also available through Amazon Prime, so you will be able to cash in on free shipping too, if you are a member. If you have been itching to upgrade your Game of Thrones viewing experience, now may be the time to strike. Amazon is offering discounts on a few different TV and media...
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Comcast Spectacor is a big name in the sports world, and it owns the Philadelphia Flyers. The company is set to expand in a major way into gaming with a new stadium that will be the very first meant specifically for eSports gaming. The investment into the stadium, called Fusion Arena, for now, is said to be $50 million. The stadium will break ground this summer and will sit on a 47-acre stadium complex site that Comcast Spectacor currently leases in South Philadelphia. The arena will be smaller than a football or basketball stadium, seating 3,500 people and will be placed on a parking lot next to Xfinity Live! and will be within walking distance of Linc, Citizens Bank Park, and the Wells Fargo...
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The Overwatch community has been shaken by a controversial “social experiment”. “Ellie”, the first female North American Overwatch Contenders player, was actually an imposter. Both Blizzard and Overwatch Contenders team Second Wind have confirmed the sad truth. Overwatch Contenders is a tournament for potential pro players. Twelve teams in each of the seven Contender regions battle it out multiple times a year, and the winners have a chance of joining the Overwatch League. Overwatch Contenders team Second Wind signed on a player only known as Ellie at the last minute. Every other player has listed their full name and gaming handle, but Ellie reportedly did not want...
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It's all fun and games until someone takes a NERF dart to the eye. Any survivor of a NERF war will tell you that NERF foam dart and ball spewing weapons can be a blast. Hasbro and Blizzard Entertainment have teamed up to taunt gamers with a new NERF shooter that fans of the Overwatch game franchise will likely lust after. The weapon is called the NERF Rival Overwatch Reaper Wight Edition Blaster. NERF calls this thing a blaster, indicating it’s a pistol form factor but it's based on the looks of Reaper's shotgun from the game. The design of the weapon is true to the game and isn't made to shoot those NERF darts, but to shoot newer NERF Rival ball-style rounds. The blaster can hurl those...
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Overwatch has a new champion, and he's quite the shocker. His name is Hammond, and he is a genetically-engineered hamster that commands a mech and has taken on the alias "Wrecking Ball". If that seems a bit hard to swallow, remember, this is Overwatch we're talking about here. In combat mode, Wrecking Ball is a quadruped mech, traversing the landscape to unleash hamster-tinged death to all that oppose him with quad cannons. However, the mech suit can also convert into roll mode, which allows bumps up the maximum travel speed (and hence the name Wrecking Ball) and gives the him the ability to roll over opponents, inflicting damage. Rounding out his abilities are a Grappling Claw, an adaptive...
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Overwatch is getting ready to celebrate its second anniversary with a major event, and coinciding with that is a new brand new map called Petra. The new map is located in Jordan and brings Deathmatch gameplay to competitive gamers who are itching to climb the leaderboard, with "heroes facing off against one another until one hero scores enough eliminations to win the match." "Take in Petra’s majestic views, from high vistas to twisting passageways and deep caverns. Travel along deadly cliffs, but be careful to not fall off! A dilapidated bridge stretches across the map, and the ground underneath it can crumble away to reveal a lethal pit. Hopping on a green jump pad will boost you up to...
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For almost as long as video games have been around, players have wanted the ability to play against each other no matter what platform they are on. Xbox players want to fight PC gamers and PS4 gamers and vice versa. The catch is that Sony isn’t into cross-platform action. Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan, who is also the VP of Blizzard Entertainment, has let slip that Overwatch players might gain the ability to share progress between game consoles and PCs. Kaplan said in an interview recently that his team has "frequent and ongoing discussions about" adding that feature. Kaplan also noted that sharing progress between consoles and PC would be "something [the team at Blizzard] would like...
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Blizzard has announced that it is rolling out a new tool for Overwatch players that will allow them to avoid people that make their gameplay experience less than ideal. This less than ideal gameplay can be because the player and you clash and don’t communicate well, or perhaps the player doesn’t meet your expectations for team play and skill. To help you avoid having to deal with this sort of player Blizzard has added a new "Avoid as Teammate" option. If you choose to use the option, the matchmaker won't place you on a team with that player starting with the next match for up to one week. Blizzard writes, "Sometimes you don’t want to play with someone as a teammate because you...
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A new poll has been published by UMass Lowell-Washington Post that looked at the popularity of competitive gaming among young adults in the 14 to 21-year-old age range. The poll has found that among that group, e-sports are about as big and popular as football. A full 40% of people who fall into that age group says they are fans of football while 38% of the same group say they are also fans of e-sports. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (Marco Verch) This is a good thing for the popularity and growth of new e-sports leagues like The Overwatch League that launched in January. That league plays major matches in the former "The Tonight Show" studio in California. The matches are streamed all...
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Blizzard has announced a new deal that it has in place with Twitch that will roll out a new "Cheering" feature for the Overwatch League. This is the league for gaming that Blizzard first started to talk up last year and saw the game company purchase the old "Tonight Show" studio to host matches and fans. The new Cheering feature will unlock exclusive in-game items for players and Blizzard says that the system will help support the league and sponsors. Blizzard wrote, "Here’s how it works: express your Overwatch fandom in Twitch chat by Cheering with Bits, a virtual item offered by Twitch. As individual, team-based, and global Cheering milestones are reached, you can unlock rewards including...
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If you somehow have missed out on all of the immense hype and commotion surrounding Overwatch, you are about to receive yet another opportunity to get your feet wet -- free of charge. Overwatch typically costs $40, but Blizzard will have a free weekend event starting on Friday, which will last through Monday (February 16-19). During the Overwatch Free Weekend, gamers will have access to all 36 heroes along with 17 maps to enjoy. A number of game modes will be available including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade. In a rather smart play by Blizzard, "newbs" to the Overwatch community will be able to carryover their accumulated loot boxes and customizable items if they purchase the full...
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As the popularity of online gaming increases, so too does the number of nefarious players that prefer to be vitriolic and dampen everyone else's fun. Fortunately, when this happens to a game as popular as Overwatch, which is run by a company that cares a lot about everyone's experience with the game, the situation isn't as bad as it could be. Toxicity in Overwatch is nothing new, and unfortunately, it simply comes with the territory. Game lead Jeff Kaplan has detailed the issue before. But don't fret -- it's not as though he's sitting around, doing nothing and simply talking about the problem. If you're the victim of some abuse, though, it may feel like things haven't changed fast enough....
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Way back in 2015 (remember it?), Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman sat in front of a fireplace for a solid 45 minutes, sipping Lagavulin scotch. At the time, opinions differed on whether the pseudo advertisement was creative, effective, or just outright dull. It left a mark, regardless, and it seems Blizzard is more than happy to try to replicate that magic. Out of nowhere, Blizzard's Overwatch Twitch stream started up yesterday, presenting a simple fireplace scene. Many began to wonder what was going on, but before long, the game's lead director, Jeff Kaplan, took a seat. You can see where this was going. Sitting next to a plate of cookies, a bottle of milk, and an Overwatch mug, Kaplan sat...
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Brace yourself folks, winter is here! It so happens that I spotted the first snowfall—a dusting, really—of the season where my home office is located in Tennessee, then found out that Blizzard Entertainment is prepping its seasonal Overwatch event, Winter Wonderland, for December 12 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC. That in and of itself is news, but to go along with it, Blizzard is finally releasing a Hanzo skin. "There's obviously going to be a lot of legendary skins. I don't want to reveal them all, I want to leave some surprise for you when you log into the game. But I can tell you a long awaited Honzo skin that you've seen before maybe in one of our comics is coming...
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Overwatch is one of the most popular shooters on the planet, and has had some cool Halloween content for fans recently. It is also the basis for some of the biggest eSports tournaments out there. The game currently has about 35 million monthly players and thanks to its popularity, the Blizzard Entertainment Overwatch League has landed two major sponsors that have the pockets deep enough to offer up prize money to the gamers fighting for the win: HP and Intel. HP has said that its Omen by HP gamer-centric brand will be a multi-year sponsor for the Overwatch League. The official announcement of the sponsorship was made at the BlizzCon 2017 event in California. With a brand like HP sponsoring...
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Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, you know that Overwatch has been a smash hit in the gaming community; especially with regards to eSports competitions. Blizzard on occasion released new skins for its characters -- as witnessed by the recent Summer Games event -- and a new leak shows us more of what Blizzard has in store for its 2017 Halloween Terror event. We say "more" because Blizzard has already revealed costumes for two popular characters: Reaper gets into the Halloween spirit dressed as Dracula, while McCree goes vampire hunting as Van Helsing. The nights grow cold And monsters appear A great evil gathers And Halloween draws near... pic.twitter.com/98CXWqQ0gc —...
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