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Overwatch League Announces 7 Founding Cities and Owners

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After heavy speculation and trepidation on the part of esports organizations, the Overwatch League has been officially announced. OWL Commissioner Nate Nanzer revealed the first 7 cities that will be participating, along with their owners.

There are currently 5 U.S. based teams, and 2 in Asia. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and CEO of the Kraft Group founded a team for Boston. In typical sports rivalry fashion, New York City also has a team, owned by Mets COO Jeff Wilpon.

Along with these new faces to esports, three established organizations also picked up spots. Andy Miller, founder of NRG esports, bought a spot for San Francisco. Noah Whinston, CEO of Immortals, has set his team of Los Angeles. Ben Spoont, CEO of Misfits, will have his team play for the Miami/Orlando area.

Overseas, Chinese Internet Technology Company NetEase secured a spot in Shanghai. And of course, you can’t have an esports league without South Korea. Kevin Chou, cofounder of Kabam (a social game app developer), will have his team play in Seoul.

It’s interesting to note here that there are only three confirmed teams in the league. One of which, NRG, only has three active members, and they didn’t make it past qualifiers season zero of contenders. Misfits finished last in the European group stages. Immortals won the North American season zero, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the region.

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime had the following to say in regards to the announcement: “Overwatch is a game about a diverse group of international heroes who fight for an optimistic vision of the future, and the Overwatch League is an extension of that spirit… We’re building this league for fans—esports fans, traditional sports fans, gaming fans—and we’re thrilled to have individuals and organizations who are as passionate about professional competition as we are, and who have extensive experience in all three fields, representing our first major international cities in the league.”

The OWL also revealed information on how the inaugural season will play out. Season 1 will take place solely at an esports arena in Los Angeles, to allow owners to prepare their own venues for future home and away play. Games will take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Each team will also be running amateur events in their communities, to give local players a chance to show their skills on a larger stage.

Financially, the OWL announced  teams “will be able to share in the Overwatch League’s overall financial success and be rewarded for investing in their home cities.” Teams will receive a share of advertising, ticketing, and broadcasting deals, as well as keep all locally made revenue up to a set amount. After that set amount is reached, a portion goes back in for a league-wide revenue sharing pool. Overwatch players themselves can support their teams with special in-game items.

A plethora of teams (Denial, Movistar Riders, Fnatic, Dignitas, etc.) have dropped their rosters, citing a lack of trust in the league. Now that it’s announced, and there are a confirmed 7 cities and owners invested in the league, it’s only a matter of time before some of the top-tier teams (Rogue, EnvyUS, Lunatic-Hai, Runaway) buy in. With an official announcement finally here, things may actually be looking up for Blizzard’s Overwatch League.

Check out the Overwatch League announcement video here! You can read their full statement on their site here, and follow the league on twitter here.

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Helldivers 2 has quickly become one of Sony’s top-selling games in the US

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Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.

According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.

He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.

Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.

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The developer of Stellar Blade for the PS5 Expressing gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support amidst a recent controversy surrounding censorship

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Shift Up, the Korean developer, seems to be reconsidering its contentious alterations to the Stellar Blade outfit. In a message to fans, they have urged everyone to stay tuned for updates and expressed gratitude for the passionate feedback from players. For those who may not be aware, a petition gained significant attention over the weekend when gamers discovered changes made to a few of the game’s costumes through a day-one patch.

The launch day update includes a fantastic New Game + mode, but some players were disappointed by the changes made to protagonist Eve’s outfit. These alterations sparked debates about censorship. Director Hyung-Tae Kim later clarified that this was the studio’s original vision, but he acknowledged that it may require further persuasion to win over users. Internal discussions were also underway to address any concerns.

There is no definitive confirmation regarding the reversal of the outfits, but considering the language used in the statement and the widespread controversy surrounding the alterations, it is highly likely that a future patch will restore the original costumes. If you want to get a sneak peek at all of Eve’s different outfits and learn how to unlock them, be sure to take a look at our comprehensive guide, All Outfits and How to Get Them.

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Will Stellar Blade be available for PC?

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It’s quite possible. Fans all over the world are interested in Shift Up’s highly anticipated action-adventure game, Stellar Blade. With its captivating post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Nier and a compelling protagonist named Eve, it’s no wonder the game has generated such widespread attention.

The game consistently impresses with its stunning visuals and high-octane action, leaving players in awe with each new trailer.

Yet, just like other noteworthy second-party and third-party game releases, fans are pondering: Will Stellar Blade be available on PC?

In this article, we delve into the details to determine the platform availability of the highly anticipated title.

Will Stellar Blade be available on PC? Allow me to provide you with the answer.

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Unfortunately, Stellar Blade will not be available on PC, at least not initially. Currently, the game is only available on PlayStation 5 starting on April 26, 2024.

Regrettably, it appears that there is no indication of a potential PC release for Stellar Blade in the future. In most cases, trailers for PlayStation timed-exclusive titles conclude with a disclaimer that specifies the duration of their exclusivity.

In the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch trailer, it is explicitly stated that the game will only be accessible on other platforms starting on May 29, 2024.

Regrettably, when it comes to the stellar blade, there is no indication of such.

It’s important to note that Sony Entertainment Interactive published Stellar Blade, unlike Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This means that the chances of it being released on PC or other platforms in the near future are even slimmer.

However, it is worth noting that there is a chance the game might be released on PC in the future, given PlayStation’s track record of bringing their exclusive titles to the platform. However, it could be a while before this comes to fruition.

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