Newly announced Twitch distribution deal drives an average audience per minute of 408,000 for the opening day broadcast

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Overwatch League roared to life last week at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, with four days of intense competition between all 12 teams of the world’s first major global city-based professional esports league.

Buoyed by a newly announced two-year deal with Twitch, the Overwatch League’s exclusive worldwide^[1] third-party digital broadcast partner, opening day drew an impressive average audience per minute of 408,000, and 280,000 for the week. More than 10 million viewers tuned in over the four-day period via Twitch, MLG, and Chinese streaming partners ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV—not to mention the countless additional viewers at watch parties worldwide. On Twitch and MLG alone, the peak concurrent online audience of 437,000 hit during the highly anticipated day-one matchup between Dallas Fuel and Seoul Dynasty. In addition, tickets to Blizzard Arena Los Angeles were sold out for the entirety of opening week.

“We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Overwatch League’s opening week of play,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG). “But this is only the beginning. With more than 35 million Overwatch® players, the Overwatch League has the potential to become one of the most-watched leagues—of any kind—in the world.”

“Since we announced Overwatch League at BlizzCon 2016, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when the global competitive Overwatch community could come together under one banner,” said Nate Nanzer, Overwatch League commissioner. “Opening week was that coming-out party—for the fans, both in-person at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and tuned in by the millions all over the world, and for the players, whose love for the game came through crystal clear.”

“We had high expectations for the inaugural broadcast of the Overwatch League on Twitch, given our platform’s passionate fanbase for Overwatch,” said Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch. “They really put on an amazing show and fans showed up en masse to support and celebrate Overwatch. Based on the response from the community, Overwatch League is off to a great start and we look forward to watching how the season progresses. This league demonstrates the power and potential of esports, and we’re thrilled to continue expanding our partnership with Blizzard.”

Viewers can tune in to catch all the action on Twitch, www.mlg.com, the MLG app (on iOS and Android), www.overwatchleague.com, and the Overwatch League app, which launched last week for iOS and Android. Blizzard gamers also can get easy access to the Overwatch League via a new Overwatch League tab in the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app.

The first season of the Overwatch League runs until June, with playoffs and finals scheduled for July. For the inaugural season, all regular-season games will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art live-event venue in Burbank, California, custom-renovated for Blizzard Entertainment esports events. Fans can purchase tickets to attend matches, which will be played each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A full schedule and information about ticket sales can be found at www.overwatchleague.com.

About the Overwatch League^™

The Overwatch League^™ is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—Nasdaq: ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,^[2] Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.

© 2018 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE, BLIZZARD and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING is a trademark of Major League Gaming Corp.

[1] Not including China.
[2] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the dates, events and features of the Overwatch League, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180117005551/en/

Overwatch League
Mark Van Lommel, 949-955-1380 x61147
MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com

Source: Overwatch League

News Provided by Acquire Media

This weeks snapshot brings some performance boosts for data pack loading & command execution. We’re moving offices next week, so there may a bit of silence surrounding snapshots as we settle down and figure out where the new best pizza place is. Priorities, you understand.

A full changelog can be found on Minecraft.net:

• Updated the horse model again (check out a photo below)
• Applied new translations from crowdin
• Improved performance of command parsing & data pack loading
• Improved performance of command execution
• Allow /data get ... something to work on non-numeric values
• Added commands to the profiler (/debug)
• Added /particle <name> <pos> shortcut for when you really don’t need much else
• Fixed bug MC-122196 – Language options are blank
• Fixed bug MC-123285 – Crash on startup with a debug log4j config
• Fixed bug [                 ] x 16

To get snapshots, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 1.13 will have a lot of experimental snapshots that may break everything and smell funny. This may be one of those snapshots. This is what happens when Mojang are changing all the things! 

Share your thoughts on how 1.13 is shaping up in the comments below!

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: Culver City, California

Requirements:

• 4-6+ years programming experience
• At least 2 years of working with Unity in C#
• A history of developing software architecture and a history of shipping commercially successful products.
• Loves to work with lean teams in a collaborative environment!
• Demonstrated knowledge of several of the following platforms, with specific programming experience of more than one: iOS, Android, or browser-based games.

Nice to Have: 

• C++, ActionScript 3/Flash, Python  Adobe AIR, Starling, Feathers, Flex.
• Familiarity with git.

Responsibilities:  

• Help lead the design and development of our next multi-platform game interfacing with company stakeholders throughout the project duration.
• Play a substantial role in day-to-day coding, participating in performance profiling, optimization and general troubleshooting as necessary.
• Participate with the rest of the engineering organization providing valuable input on the company’s long-term engineering roadmap and helping identify areas of opportunity for improvement.
• Participate in prototyping meetings to provide technical perspective

Interested? Apply now.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has named the 68 games that have been nominated for awards in the 21st annual D.I.C.E. Awards event. 

This year, Horizon Zero Dawn leads the nominees with 10 nominations across multiple award categories including Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, and Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition.

Following just behind, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has received 6 nominations this year while Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and Cuphead are all tied for third with 5 nominations each. 

Other notable titles up for more than one award include Gorogoa, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Super Mario Odyssey.

AIAS members are expected to start the voting process today and will reveal the official list of this year’s winners at the event itself in Las Vegas on February 22.

The full list of all 24 award categories and nominees for each can be found on the AIAS website, while a select few categories can be found below. 

Game of the Year

• Cuphead (StudioMDHR)
• Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp.)
• Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)

Mobile Game of the Year

• Cat Quest (The Gentlebros)
• Fire Emblem Heroes (Intelligent Systems)
• Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal)
• Monument Valley 2 (ustwo games)
• Splitter Critters (RAC7 Games)

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Ready At Dawn)
• Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin (Double Fine Productions)
• Robo Recall (Epic Games
• Space Pirate Trainer (I-Illusions)
• Wilson’s Heart (Twisted Pixel Games, LLC)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal)
• Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp.)
• Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft Entertainment)
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
• Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)
• Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Ready At Dawn)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Ready At Dawn)
• Robo Recall (Epic Games)
• Star Trek Bridge Crew (Red Storm Entertainment)
• The Invisible Hours (Tequila Works)
• Wilson’s Heart (Twisted Pixel Games, LLC)

D.I.C.E. Sprite Award

• Everything (David OReilly)
• Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal)
• Night in the Woods (Infinite Fall)
• Pyre (Supergiant Games)
• Snipperclips (SFB Games)

The Xbox Insider Program had a great 2017, and we have even more great content planned for 2018. For newcomers and experienced Xbox Insiders, we’d like to go over a few tips for participating in playtests and previews through the Xbox Insider Program.

Join a Playtest or Preview via the Xbox Insider Hub

To join a playtest or preview, launch the Xbox Insider Hub and navigate to Insider content from the side menu.

Insider content displays all playtests and previews you’re eligible to participate in. At minimum you’ll always find Xbox Insider Program (which you’re automatically enrolled in) and Xbox One Update Preview (where you can register to preview system updates) in Insider content.

TIP: If you’re confident you meet the requirements for a playtest or preview and it isn’t displayed in Insider content, ensure you’re signed in to the Xbox Insider Hub with the correct Gamertag.

When you select a playtest or preview, it opens a details page where you can Join. After joining, content will appear (if available) in the tabs at the top of the details page. View Announcements, participate in Quests or Surveys, and read about bugs under Known issues.

The content that displays on the details page is always specific to the playtest or preview, while the content appearing on the Xbox Insider Hub’s landing page is from all previews and playtests you’ve registered for.

TIP: Quick Polls do not appear on the details page and are accessible by selecting Quick poll from the side menu on the Xbox Insider Hub landing page.

If for any reason you’d like to unenroll from a playtest or preview, return to the details page and select Manage (which replaces the Join button). From the available options, select Unenroll, then select Done.

TIP: For certain games and apps, after unenrolling it may be necessary to uninstall/reinstall the game or app to revert to the current public version.

FAQs

My friend has access to a playtest or preview, why don’t I?
Each playtest or preview has different requirements. Xbox Insiders will see different content on the Insider content page based on what they’re eligible to participate in.

How do I get access to more playtests and previews?
Participate in the Xbox Insider Program and earn XP; Xbox Insiders with the most XP often receive first access to new playtests and previews. Some playtests and previews may also have other requirements, such as signing up through a website, or participating in the Xbox One Update Preview. In addition, it’s a good idea to check the Xbox Insider Blog for more information about upcoming opportunities.

How can I earn XP to be eligible for more playtests and previews?
Complete Quests, Surveys, Quick Polls, and Ratings in the Xbox Insider Hub. A great way to earn fast XP is to join the Xbox One Update Preview, where you can rate system updates and participate in Quests or Surveys for new console features.

Ratalaika Games are no strangers to porting games to the Switch – League of Evil, The Count Lucanor, and I and Me are just a handful of their past porting projects – and now another one is on the way: Rotten Mage’s tower defence game, Spacejacked.

In Spacejacked, your job is defend your spaceship against a relentless horde of aliens. The game’s press release tells us to expect arena shooter action, tower defence tension, and multi-arena madness, and you can get a taster for what is to come in the trailer below.

You’ll need to keep an eye on the floor and the ceiling, whilst navigating between arenas via gravity flipping and teleporters. There is a Story Mode, a Challenge Mode, and an Endless Mode, as well as various weapon upgrades to unlock, too. Whilst no date has been set for the release just yet, Ratalaika says that it is “aiming for Nintendo Switch releases to coincide across Europe and North America”, with more specific details coming later in the year.

Is this one going on your potential wishlist? Let us know what you think below.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild was brought to a touching conclusion in the latest, and final, DLC The Champions’ Ballad. Not only did this tie up all of the loose ends in the plot, but it also provided a challenging new dungeon, oodles of side quests and stuff to unlock, and your very own divine beast, the Master Cycle Zero.

There’s a lot of content here for just a single DLC, and you might find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed when planning how to tackle it. You might even struggle to beat it. That’s why Nintendo Life is here though, to help you conquer all challenges and unlock that tasty new motorcycle.

So without further ado, here’s our complete guide to beating The Champions’ Ballad DLC once and for all.

Before You Begin

Before you even think about starting the Champions’ Ballad, make sure you’ve first installed the DLC. If you haven’t bought it yet, do so from the eShop then press start on the Breath of the Wild icon, hit ‘Software Update’ then ‘Via the Internet’. This will download the DLC so you can start it as soon as you boot up the game.

You do have to defeat all four divine beasts though, so make sure you’ve done so to avoid disappointment. That’s the only requirement, thankfully. You don’t have to beat Calamity Ganon or anything like that.

The Champions’ Ballad

The Champions’ Ballad DLC is split up into six separate challenges that you must beat to complete it and unlock the Master Cycle Zero. Here’s a list of the challenges in order, including links to the full walkthroughs.