Warchild Armistice Bundle is Now Available on Steam!*

In partnership with War Child charity, the Armistice bundle is a collection of best-selling titles that promote or have non-violent playthrough options and are donating up to 100%* of developer proceeds towards children affected by conflict.

Supporting games include:

• Styx: Shards of Darkness (Focus Home Interactive) – Donating 30% of developer proceeds to War Child UK
• Styx: Master of Shadows (Focus Home Interactive) – Donating 30% of developer proceeds to War Child UK
• This War of Mine (11 bit studios) – Donating 50% of developer proceeds to War Child UK
• Democracy 3 (Positech Games) – Donating 100% of developer proceeds to War Child UK
• Verdun (BlackMill/GameDrive) – Donating 50% of developer proceeds to War Child UK

*Discounts ends November 13 at 10AM Pacific Time

Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning real-time strategy game evolves with free access to the Wings of Liberty^®campaign, ranked ladder multiplayer experience, and all Co-op Commanders^†

ANAHEIM, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The interstellar battle between the terran, zerg, and protoss is about to consume even more of the galaxy, as Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the ultimate real-time strategy game will soon be free to play.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171103005838/en/

Beginning November 14, players around the world will get free access to the full award-winning Wings of Liberty^® campaign and the elite multiplayer competition of StarCraft^®II’s ranked ladder, including all the latest units and balance updates through the latest release in the series, Legacy of the Void^™. Players will also enjoy expanded access to StarCraft II‘s highly popular co-op mode, with all Co-op Commanders playable for free.^†

“StarCraft II is one of the highest-rated PC games of all time, and we’re excited to give even more people around the world a chance to find out why it has inspired such a passionate global community,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “With the massive Wings of Liberty single-player campaign, endlessly replayable co-op mode, prestigious ranked ladder, comprehensive map-making tools, and more, StarCraft II now delivers the ultimate real-time strategy experience completely free.”

Those who wish to experience later chapters in the StarCraft II story can purchase the additional single-player campaigns, Heart of the Swarm^®, Legacy of the Void^®, and Nova Covert Ops^®, individually ($14.99 USD each) or together in the Campaign Collection ($39.99) through the online Blizzard Shop. For a limited time, players who already own Wings of Liberty (as of October 31, 2017) but have not yet purchased Heart of the Swarm will be able to get the latter campaign free by logging in to the Blizzard Battle.net^® desktop app and claiming their free Heart of the Swarm gift between November 8 and December 8, 2017.

As a thank-you to the dedicated StarCraft II player community, those who already own any version of StarCraft II prior to October 31, 2017 will receive a special Eidolon Ghost skin and three portraits commemorating their founder’s status in the game after StarCraft II goes free starting on November 14.

StarCraft II is available today for Windows^® and Mac^® PCs fully localized into English, Brazilian Portuguese, European and Latin American Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese. Learn more about the game at www.starcraft2.com.

^†Access to ranked ladder granted after earning first 10 wins of the day in Unranked mode or Versus A.I. mode, or upon purchase of any campaign, the Campaign Collection, or the War Chest. Co-op Commanders available for play free of charge through level five. Purchase required to advance a Co-op Commander beyond level five—with the exception of Raynor, Kerrigan, and Artanis, which are free to play up to and beyond level five.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^®, Hearthstone^®, Overwatch^®, the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm^®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*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 features, functionality, and release dates of free StarCraft II content and the price, availability, and release dates of Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, Nova Covert Ops, and the Campaign Collection 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/20171103005838/en/

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Andrew Reynolds
Global PR Director
949.955.1380 x14301
areynolds@blizzard.com
or
Bob Colayco
PR Manager
949.955.1380 x14198
bcolayco@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

News Provided by Acquire Media

Publisher Perfect World has announced the closure of the Seattle-based development studio for Runic Games, something made public the same day it was revealed that it hit Gigantic developer Motiga with severe layoffs.

In a statement received by Gamasutra, Perfect World says that the decision came as a result of “the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service.” Runic’s latest game, the single-player action adventure game Hob, released just over a month ago. Before that release, Runic made a name for itself through the 2009 action RPG Torchlight and its followup Torchlight 2.

The company says that Runic Games will continue to exist as a part of Perfect World, but it is worth noting that the Seattle office that it shut down Runic’s sole location. 

As always, if you or someone you know has been affected by layoffs or a studio closure, you can email Gamasutra to share your story confidentially.

The full statement can be found below: 

“Following the news that Motiga has reduced the staff of its studio, Perfect World Entertainment can confirm that as the publisher of Gigantic, the game will continue to be available on our platforms. A core team of developers remains at Motiga, who will work with us to support the game and its players, including moving full steam ahead with the upcoming November update and future content. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contributions in making Gigantic the outstanding experience it is today.
 
Perfect World Entertainment recently closed the Seattle office of Runic Games as part of the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service. We’re grateful to the team for all of their hard work bringing incredible experiences like Torchlight, Torchlight 2 and Hob to life. Runic Games will remain a part of Perfect World Entertainment’s portfolio of studios, and its games will continue to be available to players, as we stay committed to supporting and growing Runic Games’ beloved franchises.
 
The staff reduction at Motiga and the closure of Runic Games Seattle were unrelated. Perfect World Entertainment stands committed to delivering the best massively multiplayer online gameplay experiences to our players.”

Update: Runic Games has released its own statement through its website, confirming that today marks the last day for the studio and, it seems, for its staff as well.

Gigantic developer Motiga has been shuttered according to reports from multiple employees. 

As reported by Destructoid, the studio was apparently closed by Gigantic publisher Perfect World, which quietly acquired the company in May last year. 

Various Motiga staffers broke the news on social media, but studio CEO and co-founder Chris Chung confirmed the story with a candid statement, though he later admitted he might not have “all the facts.” 

“All of Motiga was acquired by Perfect World last year. Perfect World decided to announce the arrangement as partnership by the directions from corporate for the reason we were not privy to,” he commented.

“Yes, [the closure] was the corporate decision. It was a budgetary decision at the highest level. Perfect World as a public company has a profitability goal and they decided to cut parts of the company that were not profitable. 

“In short, Gigantic was not making enough revenue. Unfortunately, Motiga is not the only Perfect World studio being impacted by the decision.”

Although it’s not exactly clear what went on behind closed doors, it might not come as a huge surprise. Motiga has flirted with layoffs and cutbacks for the best part of two years, often making headlines for those exact reasons. 

It meant Gigantic had a rocky road to release, and had to be rescued by Perfect World after funds ran dry. While the game finally launched earlier this year, it’s now unclear what the future holds for the free-to-play MOBA.

Update: Gamasutra has received confirmation from Perfect World that significant layoffs have occurred at Motiga, reducing the staff to only a “core team of developers” to support Gigantic. Additionally, the publisher has revealed that it has closed Runic Games’ Seattle office. The full statement can be found below:

“Following the news that Motiga has reduced the staff of its studio, Perfect World Entertainment can confirm that as the publisher of Gigantic, the game will continue to be available on our platforms. A core team of developers remains at Motiga, who will work with us to support the game and its players, including moving full steam ahead with the upcoming November update and future content. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contributions in making Gigantic the outstanding experience it is today.
 
Perfect World Entertainment recently closed the Seattle office of Runic Games as part of the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service. We’re grateful to the team for all of their hard work bringing incredible experiences like Torchlight, Torchlight 2 and Hob to life. Runic Games will remain a part of Perfect World Entertainment’s portfolio of studios, and its games will continue to be available to players, as we stay committed to supporting and growing Runic Games’ beloved franchises.
 
The staff reduction at Motiga and the closure of Runic Games Seattle were unrelated. Perfect World Entertainment stands committed to delivering the best massively multiplayer online gameplay experiences to our players.”

Disneyland Adventures is available now for the Xbox One family of devices and Windows 10 PC on Microsoft Store.

We recently had the opportunity to have an in-depth chat with Jorg Neumann, Head of Production, Global Publishing, Microsoft Studios to talk in greater detail about the re-imagining of this game.

What is Disneyland Adventures and what makes it different from the 2011 Xbox 360 title?

Disneyland Adventures is a remastered and re-imagined version of the 2011 Xbox 360 title that allows children, families, and Disney fans of all ages to explore Disneyland Park. In anticipation for the Xbox One X launch, we really wanted to make this franchise shine and bring the magical world of Disneyland Park to life like never before, so we gave it an upgrade to true 4K Ultra HD visuals and HDR support, and made it available to play on both console and Windows 10 PC.

Now anyone can enjoy the game on controller, mouse and keyboard, and Kinect. And additionally, through the power of Xbox Play Anywhere you can pick up where you left off on another Xbox One device or Windows 10 PC, bringing all your saves, game add-ons and achievements with you.

Tell us about how you collaborated with Disney on Disneyland Adventures.

There had never been a game specifically about Disneyland Park when this was developed, but the team had a strong plan that we felt confident in and pitched Disney on how we could achieve this. They really loved the idea and we’ve had a strong collaboration with them ever since.

Even though they loved the pitch, Disney challenged me on how much I actually knew about Disneyland Park. I responded with, “Yeah of course I love Disney, I have two daughters and we’ve watched all the movies together and I’ve been to Disneyland Park several times.” But they asked again, “how much time have you spent in the park?” I was certainly no expert and told them such, so they invited me and the whole team to the park and gave us full access to the park.

The team and I spent about five months exploring and examining the park, took about 50,000 photographs, went to all the special places like Walt’s Apartment and Club 33, and collaborated with the legendary Disney Imagineers.

Does the game have the entire park in it or just parts of it?

It’s the entire Disneyland Park. We really wanted to pay homage to the magic that is Disneyland, so we made sure Disneyland Adventures is a digital version of the entire park. The hard work the team did in collaboration with Disney resulted in a very accurate depiction of the park in digital form – so much so that Disney sometimes uses the game as a training tool to help them really know the ins and outs of the park. If you know where to find your favorite attraction or coffee shop in the park, you’ll find it in the exact same place in the game.

How would you describe the gameplay of Disneyland Adventures?

Disneyland Adventures allows children, families and Disney fans of all ages to step into Disneyland park to explore the worlds of their favorite attractions, engage in challenging adventures and interact with many beloved Disney characters.

Think about it essentially as an open-world game filled with Disney content – we have 43 Disney character encounters where you can give characters such as Donald or Snow White a hug, get their autograph and photograph, and receive a quest. We have over 100 quests that allow you to go around the park and solve problems in return for magical items. For example, Red Beard may ask you to photograph all the items on his list.

Other things we have that are a nod to the fun and magic of Disneyland park are the hidden Mickeys – which are an obsession for many people. We include many of the hidden Mickeys that are in the real park, plus a few newer ones as well.

And finally, we have the attractions in Disneyland Adventures. In the world of Disney, attractions are not just rides that you sit in and that’s it. When we were working with the Disney Imagineers on this game, the one thing that was clear is that every ride is a story and an adventure where there are Yetis, pirates, ghosts or runaway trains. So, for this game we actually take you to the world of the attraction with a unique adventure and story to tell – for example, you’re not just sitting in a vehicle flying through London in the world of Peter Pan, YOU, yourself, actually fly through London collecting coins as you make your way to Neverland, where you ultimately battle Captain Hook and his crew.

Disneyland Adventures features 18 iconic, interactive Disneyland Park attractions – you can fly through Neverland at Peter Pan’s side and take up your sword to fight Captain Hook, battle your way to the island in Pirates of the Caribbean, partner with a friend to enjoy the fascinating world of Alice in Wonderland and many more of the wonderful worlds of Disney. What I love best about this is that it’s a co-op game, so parents can play together with their kids.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

I love that we can bring the magic of Disneyland to the living rooms of families everywhere in a fun, innovative way and I’m excited to give this to gaming and Disney fans of all ages. You can purchase the game now for $29.99 USD and pick it up at any major retailer, on Xbox.com, in the Xbox Store or Microsoft Store.