Phil Xavier

Phil Xavier — Phil Xavier, also known as Red, began his Blizzard adventure many years ago, with such titles as Rock N' Roll Racing and Blackthorne -- but it was the one-two punch of Warcraft II and Diablo that really took hold of his nerdy heart. He is also deeply interested in other games, especially for the Switch (but without ignoring the PC and PS4), and in discussions about game design (and game-making) in general. There is a place called rcnsk.com where he writes stuff unrelated to Blizzard Watch, but the truth is that there's nothing really in there yet.

The Queue

The Queue: Busy Busy Busy

by Phil Xavier on July 18, 2025 at 1:00pm

I’ve been very busy these days — work, personal life, relatives, everything seemed to hit all at once. I’ve barely had time to play videogames! WoW has been almost completely on hold (since I do have to prioritize keeping up with Hearthstone), and despite being super close to completing 100% of the achievements on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, my progress has slowed down to a crawl.

Oh well! This is The Queue, where even writers who are super busy can still find some time to answer your questions — you’re just that special.

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The Queue

The Queue: People die and Valeera collects pieces of gear from their corpses

by Phil Xavier on July 11, 2025 at 1:00pm

Valeera won’t stop collecting. Not until the map is 100% explored.

This is The Queue, where I make it a habit of turning certain questions into silly vignettes. It’s good creative exercise, I tell you!

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Hearthstone

How to win the Lost City Recipe! Hearthstone Tavern Brawl

by Phil Xavier on July 10, 2025 at 9:00am

Welcome to the Lost City, explorer!

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Hearthstone

Hearthstone’s next expansion Lost City of Un’Goro takes us back to Un’Goro, reintroduces Quests, and adds the new Kindred keyword

by Phil Xavier on July 8, 2025 at 8:00pm

There's a hidden Tortollan city deep in the Un'Goro Crater, and Hearthstone's latest expansion, The Lost City of Un’Goro, is taking us there.

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The Queue

The Queue: Zen Fishing

by Phil Xavier on July 4, 2025 at 1:00pm

All I need in life right now is to sit on a fluffy cloud and spend all day fishing while gently floating above a placid body of water.

This is The Queue. You know the drill.

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Hearthstone

The decks you need to win Hearthstone’s The Lost City of Un’goro Pre-Release Tavern Brawl

by Phil Xavier on July 2, 2025 at 3:00pm

For the third time in a row, you can try out the cards from an upcoming expansion in a special pre-release Tavern Brawl: this time, The Lost City of Un'goro cards are here ahead of the official release on July 8.

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The Queue

The Queue: Turtles > Dinosaurs

by Phil Xavier on June 27, 2025 at 1:00pm

Turtles are friends. We all like turtles. Even scary zombies like turtles.

Dinosaurs cost $158.

The solution to that Dinos vs. Tortollans battle is easy. Turtles win!

This is The Queue, where the philosophy behind reptilian warfare — and more! — is in vogue and consequential. You ask, we deliver.

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Hearthstone

Hearthstone adds King Krush, the first cosmetic pet, but to get him you’ll probably have to deal with predatory monetization

by Phil Xavier on June 24, 2025 at 6:17pm

Hearthstone is going to add interactive cosmetic pets that cheer you on as you play — but what should have been a fun addition to the game is marred by the rather predatory process of actually acquiring said pet.

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The Queue