Part two of the news:
Creative Assembly is doing a Total War: Three Kingdoms AMA today
https://www.pcgamer.com/total-war-three-kingdoms-ama/
Creative Assembly is hosting an AMA on Reddit today, answering questions on Total War: Three Kingdoms' Records mode and battles.
Records mode makes Three Kingdoms a bit more historical and a bit less heroic. Leaders and generals are treated like legends in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (and the Romance mode inspired by it), but this alternative mode makes them less like superheroes. If you're looking for a more traditional Total War campaign, this might be more your speed.
>> This article is from yesterday, and the AMA has already ended.
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock DLC adds radio chatter and new missions
https://www.pcgamer.com/battlestar-galactica-deadlock-dlc-adds-radio-chatter-and-new-missions/
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is getting another DLC expansion in March, continuing the space strategy game's journey through the First Cylon War. The robots are still causing mischief, apparently. Sin and Sacrifice will include 11 new missions, along with a pair of new ships.
Try Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden for free
https://www.pcgamer.com/try-mutant-year-zero-road-to-eden-for-free/
The farm animal tactics game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is quite good: Maybe a little shorter than it should have been, but "a tense, absorbing and atmospheric" game in the style of XCOM. Even so, the front-facing weirdness of the thing—characters include an anthropomorphic duck, a brutish, bipedal boar, and a literal stone cold fox—may have put some people off.
The obvious solution is to give people a chance to try to try the game without paying for it, which of course is why we're here—because a demo is now available on Steam. It's about a 3GB download, and it sounds like it's a pretty thick slice of the game: Funcom said it includes "all content from the beginning of the game, up [to] and including reaching the Ark."
The Division 2 season pass, loot boxes and free episodes revealed
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-division-2-season-pass-loot-boxes-and-free-episodes-revealed/
Ubisoft has revealed its plans for The Division 2's first year, season pass and shop. Over the course of the year, there will be several free updates that add new specialisations and story missions that all players get access to, but season pass owners get early access to new episodes as well as extra missions not available with the base game. Check out the Year One trailer above for a glimpse of the upcoming episodes.
Obsidian has 'three-ish' teams working on different projects
https://www.pcgamer.com/obsidian-has-three-ish-teams-working-on-different-projects/
Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart had quite a bit to say in a new interview with Game Informer about The Outer Worlds, the Fallout-esque sci-fi RPG the studio is currently working on, and its recent acquisition by Microsoft. He also teased a couple of new things that the studio's "three-ish" development teams are working on, and hinted that even though The Outer Wilds doesn't have a release date yet, Obsidian already has its eyes on a sequel.
>> If they have "three-ish" teams, they're bigger than I thought. Or the teams are small. One of the two.
Warframe's first Nightwave, 'The Wolf of Saturn Six,' is live today
https://www.pcgamer.com/warframes-first-nightwave-the-wolf-of-saturn-six-is-live-today/
Steven gave us a rundown of Warframe's "massive" roadmap for 2019, which includes plans for an overhaul of the game's daily Alert and Challenge missions. Digital Extremes kicked that new system off today with the launch of The Wolf of Saturn Six, the first of a series of Nightwave radio events "built on fresh, immediate story-infused gameplay."
You can try Sea of Thieves' new mode early, but only if you're quiet about it
https://www.pcgamer.com/sea-of-thieves-arena-pioneer-opt-in/
Next week's Sea of Thieves update, which is coming on March 6, is a "quality of life, bug fixes, and balancing" update—so, a minor one. It does do one major thing, though, with a change to Sea of Thieves' alpha testing program. After the update, we'll all be able take part in tests of the Arena mode and other future updates, just so long as we don't talk about any of it publicly.
Ghost Recon Wildlands gets a horde mode in Special Operations 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/ghost-recon-wildlands-gets-a-horde-mode-in-special-operations-4/
Ghost Recon Wildlands players who have been waiting patiently for a horde mode have finally had their wishes granted. Today's rollout of Special Operation 4 has added a new PvE mode to the game called Guerrilla that pits a team of four Ghosts, controlled by humans or AI, against increasingly difficult waves of Santa Blanca and Unidad enemies.
Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods trailer showcases a scorched desert game world
https://www.pcgamer.com/grim-dawn-forgotten-gods-trailer-showcases-a-scorched-desert-game-world/
The Grim Dawn expansion Forgotten Gods was announced in March 2018, with an expectation that it would be out sometime in the second half of that year. Today, with March 2019 looming, developer Crate Entertainment rolled out a gameplay trailer showcasing the new desert setting, a new Mastery, and other new content and changes, and said that it will be out—for real this time—next month.
Blizzard is blowing up the Overwatch meta with big nerfs to Zenyatta and Lúcio
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-is-blowing-up-the-overwatch-meta-with-big-nerfs-to-zenyatta-and-lucio/
Just last week, we said that Blizzard needed to blow up the Overwatch meta. What's known as 'GOATS'—a burly composition of three tanks and three supports—has been the dominant strategy for months, and players haven't been happy. In a set of changes announced today, Blizzard is finally doing something.
Anthem is getting a loot overhaul tomorrow – here are the details
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-is-getting-a-loot-overhaul-tomorrow-here-are-the-details/
BioWare has outlined some imminent changes to Anthem's loot system, with changes expected to roll out February 28 or March 1, central US time. Posting to reddit, lead producer Ben Irving acknowledged recent player feedback on the matter of inscriptions and masterworks, and the slow grind associated with these.
Fortnite Season 8 patch notes reveal cannons, a volcano and a ping system
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-season-8-patch-notes/
Fortnite Season 8 starts today, and Epic has already released the patch notes for us to devour. It's going to be a season full of pirates, ninjas and booty, with the island transformed by the appearance of a lava spewing volcano and volcanic vents that boost players into the sky. There's been a UI update, too, which should make Apex Legends players very happy.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is coming to PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy-is-coming-to-pc/
On April 9 we'll finally have the chance to enjoy Phoenix Wright on PC. The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy package contains the 14 episodes that make up the first three games. It's available to pre-purchase on Steam now for $29.99/£29.99
>> I was going to make an obvious joke, but I decided against it.
Plague Inc. is getting anti-vaxxers thanks to a petition
https://www.pcgamer.com/plague-inc-is-getting-anti-vaxxers-thanks-to-a-petition/
Plague Inc., the strategy sim where you create and nurture a pathogen in an attempt to destroy all the pesky humans, is now getting an anti-vaxxer scenario thanks to a Change.org petition.
Ndemic Creations noticed the petition last week, which wanted the developer to add anti-vaxxers as a buff. In Plague Inc. your pathogen has certain traits that makes it more or less effective in different situations and can, during the course of a game, evolve into a more powerful disease. But humanity can take lots of precautions, shutting down airports, giving out inoculations. Anti-vaxxers, then, would be a plague's best pal.
Warsaw looks like a World War 2 Darkest Dungeon
https://www.pcgamer.com/warsaw-looks-like-a-world-war-2-darkest-dungeon/
Warsaw is a 2D turn-based tactical RPG set during World War 2. With a ragtag group of "accidental heroes" you can fight Nazis and attempt to liberate the city. Despite a very different setting, screenshots call to mind Darkest Dungeon, from the character art to how the game displays attacks. Check out the reveal trailer above. It's a bit grim, though.
The Division 2 open beta dates, start times, and what you'll get to play
https://www.pcgamer.com/division-2-open-beta-date/
Ahead of its release on March 15, players will get another chance to fight their way through the streets of post-pandemic Washington DC. The Division 2 will host an open beta beginning on March 1, and it will run until March 4. Check out the open beta trailer above.
Update: The Division 2 open beta can now be preloaded, with it launching tomorrow, March 1. It's hard to miss if you've already got Uplay up. Just click on 'The Division 2 open beta' tab on the top bar and click 'preload now'. Just make sure you've got 45 GB or more free.
Unity of Command 2 trailer shows new 3D look
https://www.pcgamer.com/unity-of-command-2-trailer-shows-new-3d-look/
Unity of Command is one of those rare hexy strategy affairs that manages to feel like a treat for seasoned fans as well as a welcoming entry point for newcomers to the intimidating world of operational-level wargaming. It's one of the best wargames around, and now we're getting a sequel. Take a look at the trailer above.