Many elements have contributed to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game’s continued relevance over the previous 26 years. Constant releases with new monsters and archetypes that try to shake the game up each set, as well as diverse formats for the game’s many players, can be found in anime like Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. Yu-Gi-Oh! has lacked a real digital card game simulator – other than Duel Links –  for itself over the years, but that has changed with the release of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel.

Today Konami released the long awaited digital version of the Master Duel format of Yu-Gi-Oh! which follows the traditional TCG rules of the game.

There has been a rising demand for tabletop games like Monopoly or even Dungeons & Dragons to be transformed into an easier, digitalized version where the rules of the game are processed automatically by a computer since the emergence of PC games. Other TCGs, such as Pokémon, have long followed suit, and even digital-only card games like Hearthstone have benefited from the trend. Yu-Gi-Oh! released a couple of comparable games, although they were all more like video game adaptations than true digital versions.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel gets Surprise Release!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel was unveiled in July with the goal of eventually filling that void in the Yu-Gi-Oh portfolio. The game has already been confirmed for future World Championships events, as well as a substantial story mode focused on YGO card lore rather than the plot from the franchise’s several anime seasons and spin-offs. And now, much to the amazement of fans, it has been launched without warning across all platforms.

The game is free to play and employs gems as a currency for an in-game shop, like Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links. Players can pay real-world cash to cover gems in-game, or they can simply accomplish special event objectives or story tasks to earn gems for free.  These gems are used to buy packs, create decks, and cosmetic accessories.

I’ve spent a little bit of time with the game so far and can say that the game is not stingy when it comes to giving gems as a reward, but whether this remains the case long term we will see.

Master Duel is here, and it’s built to be the ultimate definitive version of Yu-Gi-Oh! on consoles for hardcore players, after many years of fans longing for a real means to interact with others to enjoy one of their favourite card games. It’s good to see the gap finally filled after Konami shut down previous fan efforts for years with nothing to take their place.

Some players, however, may see this as yet another way for Konami to profit from Yu-Gi-Oh’s long-lasting popularity, given how loyal players will need to spend gems and possibly real money to ensure they own their favourite cards in both Master Duel and Duel Links, as well as any of the other upcoming titles like Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel. For now, though things are looking good for Master Duel.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and mobile devices.

Check out the store for deals and offers on a variety of consoles!

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The post Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Hits All Platforms Today first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Hearthstone is known for providing a new lens through which World of Warcraft fans can connect with the characters and locations that the game has explored throughout time. Hearthstone’s next card expansion pack, Fractured in Alterac Valley, is going to be set in the iconic Battleground from World of Warcraft’s original launch.

The seasonal system in Hearthstone is based on an annual release cycle. It’s based on its own set of fantasy horoscope animals. With Fractured in Alterac Valley, the Year of the Gryphon cycle enters its  final expansion phase. This means it’s the last major release of cards before a new cycle begins.

There will be 135 new cards to gather in Fractured in Alterac Valley, as well as various new features. The Mercenaries, who first appeared in the Year of the Gryphon’s Forged in the Barrens set as unique Hearthstone characters, have now attained max level and are now powerful Hero cards with powerful Battlecries and enhanced Hero Powers.

At least two new features are being implemented, including Objectives, which grant players three-turn bonuses, and Honourable Kill, a card effect that occurs if players kill an enemy minion with precise damage on their turn.

Delayed Release for Hearthstone Expansion

Due to the litigation brought against Blizzard in July, Hearthstone’s release was delayed, and the preceding phase’s Deadmines mini set was only recently released. Hearthstone, on the other hand, appears to be back on track, with a good finish in the Year of the Gryphon.

Hearthstone is preparing changes to its Battleground, Duel, Mercenaries, and Tavern Brawl modes, as well as balancing updates to its Traditional mode and cards, in addition to a new mini-set, seasonal event, and solo experiences.

The unveiling of Alterac Valley certainly brought on a flood of nostalgia for fans of World of Warcraft’s player-versus-player content.  Alterac Valley was one of the first two Battlegrounds in Vanilla World of Warcraft.

Blizzard has been having a lot of trouble recently due to on-going lawsuits, and some employees have even demanded the removal of CEO Bobby Kotick. These persistent issues they have been facing recently have led to other delays too. So it is possible that Hearthstone’s expansions may come to a stand-still.

Hearthstone’s latest expansion,  Fractured in Alterac Valley, will release on December 7th.

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The post Hearthstone Expansion Takes Players To Alterac first appeared on Get2Gaming.

This week Pokémon Unite is having its inaugural Halloween Festival! The event begins on Wednesday and adds new stuff to the competitive online game, including a new playable Pokémon, Halloween-themed costumes, and more.

Pokémon Unite is a free-to-play Pokémon spinoff that is available for the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. In the game, two teams of five compete in lane-based combat to see who can score the most points. It also allows for cross-play and cross-save functionality. The event was announced on the game’s official Twitter page early this morning.

Attention Trainers! The #PokemonUNITE Halloween Festival is now live! Relaunch your game to jump into the festivities, and check out the new Costume Party Style Holowear for Lucario while you're there! pic.twitter.com/peykZXTbCX

— Pokémon UNITE (@PokemonUnite) October 20, 2021

The new Pokémon being added to the roster is Greedent, a melee defender that can drop restorative berries for its teammates, is the latest playable Pokémon. This is on top of plenty of new Holowear clothes options for other Pokémon, such as Bandit Style Lucario and Bonfire Style Charizard.

Along with the new Pokémon, the Halloween Festival event provides scary new trainer attire like as a candy bag and a Pikachu-shaped pumpkin mask. Mer Stadium, the fighting arena, is also getting a Halloween revamp for the occasion.

The Pokémon Unite Halloween Festival is open till November 7th. The trailer in the Tweet above shows some of the new content that will feature while the event is ongoing.

Prefer the classic Pokémon formula? Then check out or store and browse our extensive range of Pokémon games and merchandise! We’ve currently got a discount code running on Pokémon: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon too!

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Use ARKEVOLVED10 for 10% off ARK: Survival Evolved (Code In A Box) (Switch)

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The post The Pokémon Unite Halloween event begins on October 20th first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Google has revealed that its Autumn hardware event will be held on October 19th at 6pm BST.

The company has already shared some details regarding the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, including the visual designs. Google announced in August that Tensor, the first system-on-chip it designed, will debut on these new devices. The SoC will power the Pixel 6’s AI-heavy features, such as speech recognition and on-device live captions and translation.

The new models come with significant camera upgrades. The Pixel 6’s camera will allow approximately 150 percent more light in than previous models, and the Pro will also have 4x optical zoom and an additional telephoto option. The new chip, Tensor, will supposedly enhance the phones’ photo processing capabilities too.

Google claimed that a full battery will provide for a day’s usage, but did not give information on exactly how many hours a ‘day’ constitutes.

Both the 6 and 6 Pro will be 5G compatible.

Android 12 is set to be the most significant update to the Android operating system in years.

A few new handy features are dropping with this update.

Monet

Google has created a new theme engine code-named “monet”. Monet generates a palette of pastel colors derived from the user’s wallpaper. These colors are then applied to various parts of the system and their values are made available through an API that the user’s applications can call, thus letting apps decide whether they want to recolor their UI. It looks to be a very aesthetically pleasing update, and perhaps serves as a more efficient alternative to manually customising widgets and application icons.

Scrolling screenshots

Android 12 finally adds a highly requested feature: scrolling screenshots. With this feature, you can take a screenshot of a full scrolling page, without needing to take and combine a confusing series of screenshots. This feature won’t work in every application, but it should work most of the time. It’ll certainly be handy for screenshotting web pages or conversations.

One-handed mode

This will lower the top of your screen so that you can reach the top with your thumb and interact with your phone one-handed. To be honest, I just prefer to use a phone that I can reach the top of with my thumb at any time, but this will be a handy edition for those who want accessibility plus a larger screen for reading & watching videos.

Game dashboard

With the new game dashboard, you get quick access to useful tools like an FPS meter and screen recorder that can be accessed in-game through a floating button. You can also change the device’s performance profile on a per-game basis, stream live to YouTube, or check up on your achievements in Play Games from the dashboard.

Privacy dashboard

This new feature lets you see how often apps request the most sensitive permissions. You will be able to view a timeline of usage for permissions like location, camera, and microphone. From here, you can easily manage which apps have access to sensitive permissions.

Whenever an app is accessing your phone’s camera or microphone, you’ll see an indicator in the status bar. New toggles let you cut off access to the camera and microphone, preventing any app from using them.

Conversations widget

Do you have a contact you frequently talk to? Android 12’s new Conversations widget lets you see their latest message or status update, right from your home screen.

This is just a small selection of some of the new Android 12 features, and of course you can expect the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to take full advantage of them all.

We still lack some key information on the new phones, for example, how many CPU and GPU cores there are and how much RAM the devices boast. All will surely be revealed at the event this month.

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3 days to go…

The post Google Pixel 6 launch event on October 19th first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Since its beginnings as a successful series of strategy games in the 1990s, Warcraft has developed and evolved in a variety of ways. Warcraft has become a huge franchise inspiring several video game titles, a long-running series of books, and World of Warcraft, the most successful MMORPG ever developed.

Following the success of titles like Hearthstone, Blizzard announced earlier this year that the Warcraft series will be making fresh ventures into the realm of mobile gaming. This will take the form of two new titles in the Warcraft franchise. We are yet to hear details of what these games will be.

Warcraft has been one of the most famous PC games since its debut, producing the extremely popular World of Warcraft, which boasted tens of millions of players at the height of its popularity. Now, the series is set to enter the mobile market for the second time. A new job posting hints at how the new Warcraft mobile game may increase the franchises cast of characters.

Blizzard recently advertised a Senior Concept Artist position on the job search website, Indeed, for an unknown mobile Warcraft project. As well as other features of the game needing designs such as creatures and characters, the main thing to pick up from the job listing is that it specifically states there is potential to develop new characters. This means we could possibly be seeing some fresh faces joining the already iconic roster fans are familiar with.

The Warcraft mobile games would be the next in a long line of mobile games from Blizzard’s most successful franchises. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, released in 2014, has become one of the company’s most successful titles, inspiring a multitude of other online collectable card games. Diablo Immortal was revealed at Blizzcon 2018 and is set to be released in 2022, whereas  there were reports of Overwatch heading to mobile at some point, earlier this year. So, Blizzard have really been making the push to expand their portfolio of games to the mobile market.

At this point in time, not much has been revealed about the two Warcraft mobile games. Other than being confirmed, the only thing we know is the two games are both in advanced stages with their production. Blizzard did however point out that they were encouraging players to check out their classic titles, so potentially these games could take some influence from there. These announcements came from CEO Bobby Kotick during a financial earnings call earlier this year.

As it stands, two Warcraft games are in development for mobile platforms, with a release date yet to be revealed.

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!3 DAYS!

The post New Characters Could be Joining the Warcraft Franchise first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Using your phone as a controller now possible with Google Stadia

Google has revealed a new feature Google has added “Phone Link” to Stadia, allowing you to play games using your smartphone as a gamepad on Android TV devices, your Chromecast, and through a web browser. Previously, Stadia required that you have a dedicated Stadia controller to play games using the service; you can use the phone link to connect a third-party gamepad. These include Xbox and PlayStation controllers that can be connected through Bluetooth, wifi, or USB via the Phone Link accessory.

To connect and utilize this is simple, the “controller” icon has to be pressed in the Stadia app, and “Phone touch gamepad” would then be connected. Tapping this will launch a new menu that confirms that you can use your phone as a virtual controller to play on any screen. To utilize this fully, one would have to use the same Wi-fi network to operate this within a local server.

Stadia’s “bridge mode” is very helpful in this instance. The game streaming platform will immediately recognize any controllers connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth or wired connection. Once connected, the controls on the screen disappear and you will have gaming access for your phone; with this, “Playing on TV” is shown on the screen.

You can use your phone as a bridge to connect unsupported controllers to your TV for playing. With Phone Link utilized, you can connect third-party controllers to your smartphone and then have those controllers work when playing on your TV.

YouTube channel 9to5Google has outlined much of its setup here:

Using your phone screen as a controller may not work for many 3D games due to the lack of tactile controls. This means it lacks the precision of an actual gamepad. But, if you don’t have enough controllers for a multiplayer experience, it is a useful tool.

Stadia’s “Phone Link” tool is available to use now.

The post Google Stadia’s new “Phone Link” feature turns your smartphone into a controller first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Square Enix updated the Steam page for its Final Fantasy V and VI remakes to announce the two titles are to be removed for good.

But don’t worry, there’s a very good reason for it.

After July 27, both games will no longer be available to purchase due to the Final Fantasy Pixelated Remaster being released the very next day (at least, some of them). It is said to be staying more faithful than other remasters of the series’ older titles, which is a lot more that can be said about the Final Fantasy V and VI remakes.

Final Fantasy V and VI: What went wrong?

Final Fantasy V and VI were widely severely criticised by fans due to them both being ports of the mobile version, which were poorly received as well. Some criticisms were that the mobile-ported remakes came off as cheap exploitation towards the fans, and the remade art and gameplay quirks made the experience inferior to the original versions and GameBoy Advanced ports.

Therefore, what Square Enix is doing is the right way to go about introducing Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. Removing the games from Steam will help focus the attention on the new additions and make it as simple as possible for fans and newcomers alike as they won’t be confused about what game they are attempting to buy.

What to expect from Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster:

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster includes remasters of the first six Final Fantasy games for fans to enjoy. Square Enix plans to release them singularly in sequential order, starting with the first three in the series dropping on July 28, so Final Fantasy V and VI will have the longest wait, however it looks like it will be worth it.

The collection will keep the games’ 16-bit art style while improving the visuals and sprites of the games, suggesting to fans that this may be the best way to experience the older titles so far.

The original trailer announcing the collection didn’t show what the games would look like, however, 30 minute Youtube video showcased more about the games before getting deleted. Fear not, Twitter user Wario64 managed to share screenshots of what to expect.

Final Fantasy V and VI pic.twitter.com/E1thrxj8rE

— Wario64 (@Wario64) June 29, 2021

So far, there has been a lack of confirmed console releases and a sparse amount of details that have left fans feeling worried. At the moment the games are only set to be released on Steam and mobile devices, but if they do well, the collection could be expanded. For now, fans can expect the first Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster game to be released in July for PC and Mobile.

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The post Final Fantasy V and VI will be removed in time for Pixel Remaster Collection first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Twitch can now broadcast any smartphone game, but only on Sony handsets

Sony and Twitch have announced that anyone, who owns an Xperia Z3+ or Xperia Z4, can now start broadcasting LIVE game-play of any game on their phone to Twitch’s website. This will also work on the Xperia Z4v, once it launches later in the year.

This move is a first for Twitch on mobile, as it has only previously worked on phones when developers built Twitch software into their iOS releases. Live game-play is HUGE, and with over 1.5 million using Twitch to share videos, both Sony and Twitch are aiming to capitalize on this.

So, are you wondering why it’ll only work on Sony handsets? This is because this isn’t really a Twitch app. Sony Mobile developed it specifically for its devices in partnership with the gaming-video giant. Brooke Van Dusen, the head of Twitch’s business development, has said said in a statement that – “the Twitch community is now prevalent on every major platform.”

Twitch for mobile is definitely going to be competing against the likes of the app currently on consoles and PC. Here’s to hoping it takes off and really makes an impression!

The post Twitch – Broadcasts Any Smartphone Game but Only on Sony Handsets first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Plague Inc.

Players raise $76,000 for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa

What a genius way to help raise money for the Ebola cause and via a very apt game! The players of ‘Plague Inc.’ have managed to raise $76,000 to go towards organisations fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. 

Ndemic Creations, the developers of Plague Inc., announced a campaign to raise money for organizations like the Red Cross, Disaster Emergency Committee and MSF. This was announced back in November last year. James Vaughan, the owner of Ndemic, announced the results of this push to help. He said that over 800,000 players have visited PlagueInc.com/StopEbola.

“The current Ebola outbreak is highly concerning and I wanted to do something to help,” James Vaughan told Polygon. “Obviously due to the nature of the game, Plague Inc. highlights the risks of infectious disease and helps players understand the importance of taking action. By showing a message in game, it can reach people who might not normally think about donating to a charity in this situation.”

Vaughan added further – “I’m extremely proud of the Plague Inc. community, together we have raised a significant amount of money for charities across the world and provided an example of how groups of gamers can come together and be a force for good.”

Plague Inc. is available for mobile devices and PC.

The post Plague Inc. players raise $76K for Ebola fight first appeared on Get2Gaming.