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Gamescom 2021’s full schedule

Gamescom 2021 is just around the corner and it’ll be going completely digital this time around. Though the event was looking to be a hybrid with some on-site events alongside online ones, the German Games Industry Association decided to keep it remote. Officially kicking off on Aug. 25, Gamescom 2021 will be live for a total of three days, wrapping up on Aug. 27. Fans can enjoy the show from the comfort of their home since it’ll be free and there will be many attractions to tune into throughout the

You can earn an Independence Day-themed avatar in Smite right now

America just finished celebrating its birthday, but that doesn’t mean the freedom has to stop ringing. Right now in Smite, you can earn an exclusive Independence Day avatar. But that’s not all. Image via Hi-Rez Studios If celebrating our independence with the beautiful avatar displayed above isn’t a good enough reason for you to log on, then perhaps two times everything for the rest of the day will be. For the rest of today on Smite, players will be able to earn twice as many Worshippers, XP, and Favor. Hi-Rez

U.S. Department of Justice opens antitrust inquiry into Overwatch League’s soft salary cap, ‘competitive balance tax’

The U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division is probing the Overwatch League over its soft salary cap policy that discourages teams from excess spending, sources familiar with that inquiry told Dot Esports. The probe is being headed by DOJ trial attorney Kathleen Simpson Kiernan, who works for the Civil Conduct Task Force subdivision of the antitrust division in Washington. Kiernan and other DOJ attorneys have contacted and interviewed several former Overwatch League employees, according to sources. The nature of Kiernan’s investigation is not criminal, sources said. DOJ officials did not

Gamescom 2021 goes entirely digital

Despite initial plans to run as a hybrid online, on-site event, gamescom 2021 will now be held exclusively online.  The German Games Industry Association made this decision following “extensive discussions” with its gamescom partners and exhibitors. The event will now pivot to being a digital event available free of charge in August for all fans.  “Even though the hybrid concept was very well received by the partners, we had to recognize that gamescom still comes too early for many companies in the industry due to the required planning reliability,” said

Blizzard Monthly Active Users Drops as Revenue Climbs

Top GamesBlizzard is losing monthly active users even as its revenue climbs. | Photo courtesy of BlizzardBlizzard is losing millions of monthly active users over time, but the company's revenue continues to climb, according to its latest quarterly earnings report.Blizzard's numbers show it has 27 million monthly active users across its games. Although that number is very impressive, it represented a 29% drop from the first quarter of 2018, when Blizzard had 38 million monthly active players. Two million of those players left the ecosystem between the last quarter of

Epic Games v. Apple: The start of the next big antitrust war for the iOS developer

It was a big day on March 12, 2018, in Cary, North Carolina, as Epic Games geared up for its next big announcement: Fortnite was coming to mobile. The battle royale title had grown significantly over the preceding months, transforming Epic into one of the biggest companies in the world.  The mobile launch added another layer to that rise and tapped into a larger audience than many PC or console games had lured in. The cultural phenomenon became apparent and Fortnite soon landed merchandising, music, and film collaborations, from hosting

Vorax Suspends Director After Anti Democratic Comment

Vorax co-owner Aristóteles “Toti” de Azevedo was suspended from his duties in the esports organization Wednesday after a comment on Twitter expressing anti-democratic views.  The message that caused Azevedo’s suspension was a reply to a tweet by Vorax CEO Marina Leite, in which she expressed her disavowal of the military coup that happened in Brazil on March 31, 1964, throwing Brazil into a 21-year dictatorship. Azevedo, on the contrary, wrote: “I never thought that I would stop and analyze the possible benefits of the army taking power again in Brazil…

Activision Hires Former Trump Official as Chief Administrative Officer

Brian Bulatao testifying before Congress after firing the State Department's independent watchdog mid-investigation. | Pool/Getty ImagesActivision has hired a former Trump administration official, Brian Bulatao, as its new chief administrative officer, Kotaku reports. His hiring was announced internally around the simultaneous promotion of Armin Zerza to chief financial officer.Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick told employees of the hiring in an email Kotaku viewed, emphasizing Bulatao's military veteran status and his time as Under Secretary of State for Management at the US Department of State. At the Department of State, Bulatao

10 Best Selling Xbox One Video Games

It’s hard to believe that we’re out of the Xbox One console generation. The last-generation of console platforms had some great video game titles and quite a few big sellers. When it comes to the best-selling video game titles on the Xbox One, we have you covered. Below you’ll find the 10 best selling Xbox One video game titles to have released so far. #10 Halo 5: Guardians The Halo franchise is a massive one and fans have been following the series since the first Microsoft Xbox console release. Throughout