WRUP: Somehow, it’s the last weekend in July — and Team Blizzard Watch has a gaming backlog

Happy Friday, Watchers! We’ve made it through another week, and that means it’s time for another weekly(ish) WRUP: What aRe yoU Playing?

Who’s leading us off this week? Read on to find out!

Christian “Kalcheus” Thoma

• Diablo 4 – Season 1
• Season: a Letter to the Future
• Final Fantasy 16

This may be more of a dream than a reality as my CPU coolant setup needs replacement. But if I can get that done I’ll finally be able to start my Season 1 character in D4 (I’m playing Sorcerer because everyone thinks the class is doomed). In addition I’m still trying to finish up Season: a Letter to the Future but other obstacles keep getting in my way but I believe that barring a failure to fix my PC I’ll be able to do so this weekend.

I also have not made much progress in FF16, so maybe a busted PC will help me get moving on that. Regardless I still hope to make progress on it if I can get my two “Season” games progressed well I’ll have time.

Nick Marino

• Diablo 4
• WoW Classic
• TW3: Blood and Wine

Despite it being viewed as literally unplayable, I’m having quite a bit of fun on my Sorcerer in Diablo 4 and I’m hoping to unlock WT3 this weekend. I also fell back into the WoW Classic rabbit hole but who knows how long I’ll stay here this time. I’ve also realized I don’t really “play” the Blood and Wine expansion as much as I just walk around, listen to the soundtrack and take screenshots. The B&W OST is one of my favorite gaming soundtracks and I love the environmental design of Toussaint.

Ted Atchley

• SNAP
• HSBG
• SWTOR

SNAP: I am continuing my pursuit of Infinite, SNAP’s equivalent to Hearthstone’s Legend rank. Between weekly card releases, Featured Locations, and Hot Locations, the meta in SNAP moves rapidly. I feel like I’m in an elevator. I’ll climb to 97 and then fall back down to 92 and then climb again. (Infinite is rank 100.)

HSBG: HSBG provides a pleasant break from SNAP. It’s a different game and mindset. I’m conflicted about the addition of quests. Sometimes, your hero, quest and the cards offered just come together beautifully. You become this unstoppable juggernaut. Other times, the hero, Quests, and card offered all want to go in different directions. It was like you never had a chance.

SWTOR: I’m still working on my play through of the Sith Warrior story. Vette is such a fun companion to have along. I’ve completed the first chapter through Nar Shaddaa and Balmorra. The end of the chapter didn’t have the explosive revelation of some of the other origin stories. I hope the story improves in the next chapter through Alderaan and Tatooine.

Phil Ulrich

• Pokemon Legends Arceus
• World of Warcraft
• Diablo 4
• Real-life socializing??

I’ve been dipping back into Pokemon Legends Arceus recently, as a lot of the ‘mons from that game — especially the legendaries only catchable in the postgame — are now usable competitively over in Pokemon Scarlet, so I have been, as one does, catching them all. Whoever designed the control scheme for this game was on a bender, but I really appreciate that someone looked at Breath of the Wild and went “but what if it had Pokemon in it??” It’s a lovely game, and usually quite fun. (I say usually, because I’ve reached a point where I have to use a technique to enable a catch that has up to this point been optional but four legendaries make it mandatory.)

Outside of that, have been playing a fair amount of WoW — dipped my toe into the megadungeon last week for the first time, and outside of the Morchie fight I’d say that’s really fun! I don’t know that I’m looking forward to it being a Mythic+ dungeon in a couple expansions, though. But we’ve got Ahead of the Curve knocked out now, last night we got Glory of the Aberrus Raider, so for the rest of this patch we’re just kind of taking it easy raiding-wise with Sarkareth kills to try and snag a legendary for our two evokers, some Mythic+, some more megadungeons, some alt raids.

Still deep in D4. I don’t want to say for sure I’m ahead of everyone else on staff on my seasonal character (Other Phil has a habit of passing me up, and Matt as well as on his four barbarians) but I’m definitely up there — level 48, have unlocked WT3, starting the grind I’m familiar with of Heltides and Nightmare Dungeons. Ask me about my rainbow rogue spec if you want something silly.

And last but certainly not least, I have two opportunities this week to go out and see real people. Besides a game night on Saturday where we finally are getting six people together to continue a very long game of Charterstone, we have a 21st birthday do-over. Last year my wife’s cousin had a bout with a fairly rare autoimmune disorder that caused her to miss her 21st birthday; she’s clawed and fought her way back and so we’re celebrating multiple things this year, not just another trip around the sun. :)

Phil Xavier

• Diablo 4
• Spy x Family season 2

I’m taking it kinda slow in Diablo 4, but still making a little progress every day on my Rogue. No, I haven’t abandoned Sorcerers, but I do plan on trying a different class each season; I’ll probably roll a secondary Sorceress on the side at some point, though.

I also decided to finally resume watching Spy x Family, aka the most wholesome show ever made, with its second season. I love it.

Sara Hanson

• Sleep
• Diablo 4
• WoW
• Visit family down the coast
• Movie night at home

I am so far beyond exhausted it’s not funny. I have started a new contract this week and have been in office every day while my access gets sorted. I’m hoping that by next week it will be all good and I will only have to go in 2 days per week. It has also been super cold here and the A/C for the office seems to be balanced around full occupancy instead of the handful of people who are coming in. So on top of the commute, I’ve been in the office freezing – all of which is very tiring.

Goals for this weekend is to push further into Diablo 4 and tray and get to the first Capstone if possible. WoW this week we will be again pushing for Heroic Sarkareth, our best attempt so far was around 3%, so it’s in sight, but not quite there yet.

I have a long overdue visit to my folks down the coast for lunch on Sunday. Which means family tech support, because it always does, this time I have to transfer data from my mums old iPad to a new one, she had dropped the old one shortly before I visited last time and it was utterly smashed, still working but getting on for 5 years old, so time to replace it.

Plans for Saturday is to play games, have steak for dinner, open a bottle of wine and watch a movie or two later in the evening. We have a fairly decent home theatre set up, so often prefer to watch things at home than go to the local theatre.

Mitch “Mitch” Mitchell

• Diablo 4
• Resident Evil 4 (?)
• Bonfire/Party
• Family dinner
• Elden Ring/Zelda/WoW

Friday evening will hopefully be spent relaxing and playing through more of the D4 campaign with the partner. We’re close to done with Act 3 and… yeah, okay, we’re way behind. But we’re getting there!

Focusing on the campaign will be a little easier now, too, as I not only beat Tears of the Kingdom last weekend, but I also immediately followed it up with getting Keystone Hero in WoW. That’s not to say I’m done with either game — but I can put them a little on the back burner.

Otherwise, it’s largely a weekend of social gatherings in one form or another. When we’re not out of the house or playing D4, it’ll be a mix of the usual (Elden Ring/Zelda/WoW) with the possibility of Resident Evil 4, which I came close to beating back in May and then, well, Zelda.

That’s us for this week! I hope you enjoyed this little peek into our lives, and if you have a moment, why not tell us — What aRe yoU Playing?