Wednesday news, part two:
PUBG's April Fools event adds a touch of high fantasy with a new mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/pubgs-april-fools-event-adds-a-touch-of-high-fantasy-with-a-new-mode/
PUBG will be running a Fantasy Battle Royale event mode for a week, starting on April 1. That's fantasy as in wizards and dragons and magic (oh my).
If you want to join in just follow the special banner in the main lobby. Before beginning a match the game will prompt you to choose from one of four character classes lifted straight out of D&D lore—wizards, barbarians, paladins, and rangers—each brings a different set of skills to the fight.
Minecraft Dungeons is delayed until May
https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-dungeons-is-delayed-until-may/
Minecraft Dungeons is an isometric dungeon crawler that forgoes Minecraft's famous crafting and building in favor of runs through randomly-generated dungeons filled with monsters, traps, puzzles, and other such subterranean fun. It looks quite promising—Chris said in his new preview that it "will be a fun and frantic dungeon crawler—if the loot holds up."
Unfortunately, developer Mojang said today that the expected April release isn't going to happen.
Launch yourself to victory with Fortnite's new Crash Pad, added in today's big patch
https://www.pcgamer.com/patch-notes-fortnite-update-12-30-kingsman-umbrella/
It's Fortnite update time again, and it's a pretty big one. We're well into the second half of the second season of Chapter 2, which means we're well on the way to Fortnite Season 3. Either way, the battle royale machine rumbles on, and we've got a decent set of changes in the Fortnite patch notes 12.30 to enjoy.
QuakeCon 2020 is cancelled
https://www.pcgamer.com/quakecon-2020-is-cancelled/
QuakeCon, the summertime gaming convention that began in 1996 as a small gathering of deathmatchers and grew over the years into a major annual spectacle, has been cancelled. The 2020 event wasn't scheduled to take place until August, but Bethesda said that "uncertainties" caused by the ongoing pandemic means that the planning and preparation required to pull the convention together simply isn't possible—and it's not something people should be focusing on anyway.
Half-Life: Alyx level editor is now the focus of Valve's development
https://www.pcgamer.com/half-life-alyx-level-editor-is-now-the-focus-of-valves-development/
When Valve announced Half-Life: Alyx last year, it said that a level editor would be available to the public, a commitment that remains on the Alyx website. "A set of Source 2 tools for building new levels will be available for the game, enabling any player to build and contribute new environments for the community to enjoy," it says. "Hammer, Valve’s level authoring tool, has been updated with all of the game's virtual reality gameplay tools and components."
Gears 5 multiplayer designer has left The Coalition, citing 'personal issues'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gears-5-multiplayer-designer-has-left-the-coalition-citing-personal-issues/
Gears 5 multiplayer design director Ryan Cleven has left The Coalition after six years, citing "personal issues". The Twitter announcement comes after the recent addition of a new Gridiron mode to the game, a 5v5 take on capture-the-flag.
Rockstar to donate 5 percent of in-game purchases to Covid-19 relief efforts
https://www.pcgamer.com/rockstar-to-donate-5-percent-of-in-game-purchases-to-covid-19-relief-efforts/
Rockstar Games has announced it will donate five percent of revenue from in-game purchases in GTA Online and Red Dead Online to COVID-19 relief efforts. All purchases made between April 1 and the end of May in both games will apply.
Pong is back, and now it's an RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/pong-is-back-and-now-its-an-rpg/
Atari has announced a new Pong game, and it's not just Pong for smartphone with flashy backgrounds. No, it's an RPG starring "humanized paddles", complete with dungeons, cosmetics, loot and probably lore.
>> Even though there's a Steam page for this game, you should keep in mind what day is today.
Monster Boy developer announces DuckTales QuackShots
https://www.pcgamer.com/monster-boy-developer-announces-ducktales-quackshots/
Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment, the developer and publisher of Monster Boy, are now working on a new DuckTales game, apparently. DuckTales Quackshots features Donald and his nephews jumping around the world, exploring ruins and platforming, but given the date it might not be a good idea to take this at face value.
Verdant Village is a high fantasy take on Stardew Valley with an early free demo
https://www.pcgamer.com/verdant-village-is-a-fantasy-stardew-valley-with-a-very-early-free-demo/
If you've built the loveliest farmland, found yourself the handsomest spouse, and grown the tastiest turnips in Stardew Valley, and now you want another life sim to envelop you for the next few months you should try Verdant Village.
Overwatch heroes get googly eyes for April Fools' Day
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-heroes-get-googly-eyes-for-april-fools-day/
This feels like one of those features that players end up requesting as the norm beyond April 1. Overwatch heroes are currently supporting big wobbly googly eyes thanks to a quiet update Blizzard slipped out for April Fools' day.
A Soldat 2 demo and the original Soldat are free on Steam now
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-soldat-2-demo-and-the-original-soldat-are-free-on-steam-now/
Sometimes it's good just to switch your brain off and unleash a flurry of bullets as you not-so-gracefully fling yourself into the sky using a jetpack— that's my experience after playing Soldat 2's free demo. The 2D side-scrolling multiplayer shooter is a sequel to the classic original Soldat. The Soldat 2 demo and the original game are currently available to play for free via Steam.
>> The first one seems to have always been free to play.