Massively Overpowered

When CCP Games/Fenris Creations launched EVE Vanguard’s Operation Avalon open alpha yesterday, we mostly considered it through the lens of the in-development MMOFPS rather than through EVE Online itself. However, the OG MMORPG is also running a concurrent event that ties into the Vanguard hoopla, and it’s worth a look even if you have no interest in Vanguard’s “extraction adventure” gameplay.

NCsoft has formally revealed its monetization plan for Aion 2 when its global edition arrives in the west this fall. “Our goal is to be transparent about the entire approach,” NCsoft says, noting that “some areas may change as […] preparation for launch continues.” So here’s the overview: The game will launch free-to-play and will be funded with a cash shop, optional $15 monthly subscriptions, optional battle passes, and founder packs.

Brighter Shores, the MMORPG built by one of the OG RuneScape founders under the Fen Research banner, hit early access back in 2024 and is still trucking along with updates, the most recent of which arrived earlier this week with something called clue divination. Basically, Bonewrights – which is totally a thing in this weirdo game – can quest for a special skull that can use to acquire clues for investigation bounties.

Suffice it to say that there is no shortage of opinions as to what the community thinks is essential to Classic Plus. As we endure a full summer of waiting before all is (hopefully) revealed at BlizzCon, thoughts on the structure of WoW Classic’s most daring version yet are being flung all over the place. There are many good ideas and observations but no full consensus across the board. Of course, why would there be?

If you’re a PvPer in Guild Wars 2 – or maybe especially if you’re not – ArenaNet has invited you back for the seventh run of its PvP Rush event. Now, the studio has always been very low-key about these events, with very little fanfare. In fact, “low-key” is exactly the word I used back in 2024 when the first one began. But in a nutshell, this particular event offers a limited-time set of achievements that push players into a specific type of content during that period.

Palworld has been something of a phenomenon since it started its early access run back in 2024, both for good and not-so-good reasons, depending on who you are (and whether you’re a Nintendo lawyer). With the critter collecting survivalbox heads to its massive 1.0 release this Friday, July 10th, the developer is marking the twin milestones of its pending full launch and the reveal of 40 million players worldwide with a video address to fans.

Today is bringing some new things to look forward to in Subnautica 2, assuming you’re looking forward to the alien underwater horrors that can populate the multiplayer survival sandbox, as the Adaptive Measures patch brings on some new features for players to look forward to.

A few years ago, one of my own family members was laid off after Microsoft bought out the company he’d worked for his whole adult life and then on a whim closed it down. Any goodwill Microsoft bought in the last decade has been dumped straight down the drain in the last few years of buying and firing frenzy and idiotic AI gambles, and that’s without even considering gaming.

Did you know Jubilee’s actual name is Jubilation Lee? Bit of a miss in the name department there, honestly. Of course, X-Men fans and Marvel Rivals players know her as Jubilee, and her debut in the kickoff of Season 9, the Mystery of Thebes, which arrives July 10th, sees her taking to the field as a Strategist-type character whose fireworks disorient and damage foes even as they aid her teammates.

Do you want the experience of having a cat on your desk? Wait, we should probably clarify, if you own a cat you are very accustomed to having a cat on your desk. Do you want the experience of having a very specific cat on your desk, and by “very specific” we mean Y’shtola? Because Final Fantasy XIV has just announced that the Y’shtola Nendoroid is available for pre-order, a posable little chibi figure in her now iconic post-Shadowbringers style.