Up next in 10
Midnight released last week, so this week our podcast crew shared their first impressions of the expansion. While most of their experiences have been positive, there were a few small points where things didn't quite gel the way they wish they would. Of course, nearly everyone's highlight of the expansion thus far is how almost every NPC tells Turalyon to shut his cake hole, but the storytelling and questing has been a blast, even if we can't get into the Vault yet.
Less exciting was the first true set of Hearthsteel bundles to hit the battle.net shop, including a beautiful tree. We're salty about the pricing aspect, but have to admit it's a pretty nice tree.
Our special guest host this week, columnist Chris Chesno, was on hand to discuss the new Diablo 4 Paladin, which has a trial coming up this week. Plus, oh yeah, there's a Hearthstone expansion releasing next week.
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:10
Hello and welcome to the Blizzard Watch
0:12
podcast. I'm your host, Joe Perez, one
0:15
of several people from the website that
0:17
love to talk to you about Blizzard and
0:20
their video games and whatever else our
0:22
heart desires. Uh, joining me as always
0:24
on this wacky journey is Liz Harper. How
0:27
you doing, Liz?
0:28
>> Adio ho. I'm doing pretty good today.
0:30
How are you?
0:31
>> I'm doing fantastic. Thanks for asking.
0:34
Uh joining us from the frozen north, uh
0:37
may or may not be in a moose suit. I
0:39
haven't decided if that's actually him
0:40
or not. Corey, how you doing, Corey?
0:42
>> Do you have lots of people hanging out
0:44
with you in moose suits?
0:45
>> You would be surprised. And then last
0:47
but not least, uh you may recognize them
0:50
from the site. They write a lot about
0:52
Diablo as well as World of Warcraft.
0:54
Chris, how you doing?
0:56
>> Hey Joe, I'm doing pretty well. How are
0:58
you tonight?
0:59
>> Doing well. Doing well. Well, friends, I
1:02
think we start with the biggest one
1:03
first. And I think we talk about that
1:05
little thing that's been out for a
1:06
little while now.
1:08
>> Uh Midnight. Midnight was available. Uh
1:12
I mean, wow. Is it already been a week?
1:15
>> It's already been great vault. If you
1:17
did stuff, you got your vault today.
1:19
>> Was there a vault today?
1:20
>> I thought there was. Was there not?
1:22
>> No, I thought the vault was I thought
1:23
vault I thought vault was with season
1:24
one.
1:25
>> I don't know. I am level 86. So,
1:29
>> uh, it is with season one because I
1:31
logged in specifically to see if I had a
1:32
vault.
1:33
>> I'm so sorry everyone. I got excited
1:35
about vaults.
1:36
>> Yeah. One more week to wait.
1:37
>> Max level.
1:40
>> Well, I guess we should talk about that
1:41
a little bit. So, the midnight the the
1:43
it has released and let's do like a
1:45
little check-in. I have been playing a
1:48
lot of it. Like a lot a lot of it. I
1:50
think I disassociated for 18 hours this
1:53
weekend leveling uh just random
1:56
characters and stuff. Uh what do you
1:59
guys think of it so far? Like I'm I
2:01
enjoy it. Uh Chris, what do you think so
2:03
far?
2:03
>> You know, um as someone who's been
2:05
playing since the game came out, um but
2:08
my fondest memories came from Burning
2:10
Crusades launch when I rolled a blood
2:12
elf paladin for the first time.
2:13
>> Oh, you're vindicated now.
2:15
>> Oh, absolutely. this this whole section,
2:19
just the the intro and ever song just
2:21
put me back then as a kid playing the
2:24
game. Um, but I I've really enjoyed the
2:28
expansion so far. I've made it through
2:29
the story, uh, working on some some of
2:32
finishing up the quests I didn't get to.
2:34
Um, but my my bigger problem so far has
2:38
been I don't remember anything that
2:41
happened in the final zone. Like, it
2:43
just does not register in my brain. I'm
2:45
going to have to play through it again
2:46
on an alt.
2:47
>> Well, I mean to be fair, I think the
2:49
main quest has you in there for like 5
2:50
minutes.
2:51
>> And that may be why because I only did
2:53
the main quest of that zone to unlock
2:56
standard flying.
2:58
>> Fair.
2:58
>> Wow.
2:58
>> Uh Liz, you I heard you. So, what are
3:01
you what are your thoughts so far?
3:03
>> Uh I think it's great. I think also
3:05
expansions come out and they
3:08
it's very rare that an expansion feels
3:11
bad out of the gate. like it's these
3:14
it's these first um
3:18
>> well as as someone who was playing a
3:20
paladin when Cataclysm launched I can
3:23
assure you that I was one of a number of
3:25
paladins who left the game
3:28
but you know this first impression of
3:30
any expansion that's usually okay I'm
3:33
I'm going out on a this is its strongest
3:36
point that may not be true lots of
3:38
expansions have had really strong
3:40
patches and story beats but when it
3:41
comes out you are jumping in for the
3:44
first time. You are exploring these
3:46
great new worlds and that's that's such
3:50
a thrill factor. You've got this huge
3:52
swath of story, all of these places to
3:55
go and I think I think most of Warlords
3:59
of Drraanor when I think this cuz I
4:01
think you played Warlords and like that
4:04
opening Tenan jungle scenario was
4:07
incredible. some really great
4:09
storytelling. But, you know, as the
4:11
expansion drug on, the expansion
4:14
just kind of drugg on.
4:16
>> What do you mean you don't like mission
4:17
tables and more mission tables and an
4:19
alternate mission table and maybe a
4:20
third mission table?
4:21
>> You know, you know what I like about war
4:23
mission tables is having an add-on that
4:25
finishes my mission tables for me
4:27
because I can't be I You really want me
4:30
to go through this with like a
4:31
spreadsheet to figure out, okay, this
4:34
combin? No. No. I'm outsourcing that to
4:36
an add-on. Um,
4:39
>> not anymore.
4:44
>> But, um, I feel like most expansions
4:46
come out with their best foot forward
4:47
and kind of this most this first these
4:49
first days, weeks are, you know, you're
4:52
seeing this polished story content and
4:54
of course everything has its problems
4:57
and but yeah, it's this first step in is
5:00
almost always great. We're seeing great
5:03
stories, great new places, and this is
5:05
kind of where the height of excitement
5:06
is,
5:08
which I don't want to say it's all
5:09
downhill from here because I I don't
5:11
think that having not even having not
5:14
even hit level 90 yet, I feel like it's
5:16
too early to say it's all downhill from
5:18
here. Uh, but I mean, yeah, it's great.
5:21
I I I love going back to Silver Moon. I
5:26
have I have loved that so much. And uh
5:30
they keep uh I finished I I have not
5:34
done the whole story quest. I am
5:36
obviously not max level yet, but I did
5:38
the uh uh heriner zone
5:42
>> just the other day. I finished that up
5:43
and it's like the I'm not going to spoil
5:46
anything, but the I that zone wrapping
5:49
up like ah I I was like glued to my
5:54
computer right there at the end and I'm
5:56
like I've got to this is this is crucial
5:58
story moment happening here and then I
6:01
lagged out.
6:03
>> Oh,
6:04
>> I had to start that last little bit of
6:06
story quest over because everything
6:09
stopped moving on my screen. So I but
6:13
the story the story's been really fun. I
6:15
like the places we've gone and I really
6:18
love seeing places and characters that
6:20
we've seen before updated in this modern
6:23
time. And I believe I said this last
6:25
week, but I continue to enjoy Loramar
6:28
telling Terellion to shut up. That's my
6:30
favorite part so far. That has that has
6:33
not changed yet. I have not gotten to
6:35
anything better than that yet.
6:38
>> Absolutely. Highlight of the expansion.
6:40
>> Oh yeah. 10 out of 10 for that. Uh
6:42
Corey,
6:43
>> as Liz was saying, like the beginning of
6:45
an expansion is always the best and it's
6:47
it's great seeing everything they've
6:48
been working on for the last few years
6:50
like in a big boost rather than just,
6:52
hey, this is a new zone and you get one
6:55
quest a week. Uh I like Warlords was
6:59
great. The content we got in Warlords
7:01
was never the problem. It was the
7:02
content we didn't get in Warlords that
7:04
was the problem.
7:05
>> Yeah. Um
7:06
>> from what I remember of Warlords. But
7:08
yeah, bring on bring on the the fun
7:11
times and let's see how everything rolls
7:13
out with our next season.
7:14
>> Yeah, I I will say this and before I
7:17
start talking about the the the first
7:19
season, um I do think that the start of
7:21
the expansion was good. Um mechanically,
7:26
playwise, play pattern-wise, the amount
7:28
of stuff that was available at the
7:30
beginning and the things that you could
7:31
do once you hit max level and the
7:33
variety of choice that you could add to
7:35
your gameplay at max level. Uh there's
7:37
so much to do that even people like
7:40
Hazelnutty
7:41
uh you know made a video of here's all
7:44
the stuff you can do at 90 and I haven't
7:46
seen one of those in a long time. Um, I
7:50
actually think and I'm probably going to
7:53
get flamed for this, but I have very
7:55
strong strong opinions about the story
7:59
and outside of her and the direct story
8:02
revolving around Lothar, I do not think
8:05
the story is very strong or compelling
8:08
and that may change, but like whenever
8:12
Terellion is on screen, I just think to
8:13
myself, the stakes have never been lower
8:15
or you know or is on screen and it's
8:19
like where were you at the beginning of
8:20
all this? You're some real great hunter
8:22
and yet where were you? Uh like
8:25
>> well, you know, she
8:26
>> I'm not spoiling any stories, but
8:28
>> she had to get over some stuff.
8:31
>> No, they don't. That's the character
8:33
flaw for both of them. Sorry.
8:38
>> Yria has been telling us for a long time
8:41
now throughout The War Within that she
8:45
hurts everyone she loves and has to stay
8:47
far far away. So, of course, she can't
8:50
be here with us to help us in Silver
8:52
Moon. You know, this is too close. Too
8:55
many things she cares about. She has to
8:57
stay on the other side of Azeroth.
9:00
>> Yeah. And then,
9:00
>> yeah, I I don't know why you don't
9:02
understand this clear plot arc.
9:04
>> I I 100% understanding frriging the
9:07
woman character. I get that. Um anyway,
9:09
um
9:13
>> um Yep. Well,
9:15
>> this is where this is where Liz gets mad
9:16
because she knows I'm not wrong. Uh
9:19
>> you aren't wrong. You are not wrong.
9:20
>> Like
9:22
because here's here's and here's my
9:23
thing and and I I complained about this
9:25
before. Everything that's being done
9:27
with feels like it was originally
9:28
written for Leand, right? Like
9:30
>> everything that's been everything that's
9:32
being done for feels like it was written
9:34
for Anduin.
9:35
>> And Anduin and Leaddin.
9:37
>> Yeah. It's it's it he feels crammed into
9:40
the story. Yeah. It's like
9:42
>> but and that said like the Heraneir
9:44
storyland the story of Herodar or
9:46
Herendar fantastic the story immediately
9:49
revolving around Silver Moon City and
9:51
involving Lothamar fantastic the
9:54
individual zone story of Zulaman
9:57
fantastic
9:59
uh the story about what's happening in
10:01
the the the void area
10:04
uh the like anything out like the main
10:08
overarching story just feels like the
10:10
weakest part of it. And I think that's
10:13
really weird to say because most of the
10:15
time when an expansion first releases,
10:18
it's that overarching story that feels
10:20
the most compelling by design. So, like,
10:24
we're in a weird spot. But that said,
10:26
again, not all bad mechanically,
10:29
uh, character-wise, I think most classes
10:31
are happy. I think, uh, most, not I'm
10:35
not saying everybody, because I know
10:36
people have gripes. Gameplay seems
10:38
solid. People are having fun in the
10:40
dungeons. The dungeons feel very fun uh
10:44
even up through mythic uh like just
10:46
plain mythic level. Uh they feel very
10:48
doable. They feel very fair. They don't
10:51
feel like they have a whole lot of
10:53
gotchas. You can kind of see when keys
10:56
become available. Uh you will wind up
11:00
kind of like where the trouble spots are
11:02
going to be. You can kind of know where
11:03
they're going to be. So I kind of like
11:05
that. and a lot of it seems to be a
11:08
response to them nerfing a lot of
11:10
add-ons. So, like this is a really good
11:12
opening so far. So, that's my two cent.
11:15
That said, on March 17th, uh we will
11:18
have the official start of season 1,
11:21
which will bring with it Bountiful
11:23
delves as well as mythic plus dungeons,
11:26
a normal and heroic version of voidspire
11:28
and the dream rift raids as well as wing
11:32
one of LFR. And then uh sorry, I
11:36
apologize. Mythic Plus and Mythic Raids
11:39
are the week after season 1 starts. My
11:41
apologies.
11:42
>> Yeah.
11:42
>> So,
11:43
>> uh so uh I think I think I think I may
11:46
have written some of this down
11:48
backwards. Uh yes. Um Mythic Yeah, carry
11:52
on.
11:52
>> That's okay. My Mythic Zero is is
11:55
already available so you can kind of get
11:56
an idea of what's going on. Uh, as a
11:57
matter of fact, most of Liz's and mine,
12:00
our guild has been doing a ton of Mythic
12:03
Zero runs because they're fun, which is
12:05
great.
12:06
>> Not me.
12:07
>> Not yet.
12:07
>> Not me.
12:08
>> Yet.
12:09
>> Uh,
12:11
>> time to drag Liz through a bunch of
12:12
Mythic Zeros.
12:13
>> Well, I would have to be level 90 first.
12:16
And one thing I will say, it feels like
12:18
leveling is very slow. It feels like I
12:21
am spending forever leveling to
12:24
leveling. Uh I I need to do the mythic
12:27
zero thing myself, but I was spending
12:29
the last couple nights when when people
12:31
were offering in guild uh very nicely to
12:34
hey, come with us. I I was spending that
12:36
time uh sweeping through the zones and
12:38
trying to uh get the highest rep I could
12:41
get with everything to unlock the
12:42
champion pieces.
12:44
>> Yeah, cuz I was going to say each rep
12:45
has a champion piece. I think they're
12:47
pretty low, too. So like I think it's
12:50
like what seven for most of them. One of
12:52
them is at like six or eight. Like it's
12:54
it's not bad.
12:55
>> Yeah,
12:55
>> it's between
12:57
>> it's somewhere between seven and nine
12:59
for all of them, I believe. And uh rep
13:02
that that early rep that you just get
13:04
from questing feels like it's being
13:06
handed out pretty freely.
13:08
>> Yeah, it leaves you at six with most of
13:09
them just by doing the main quest and
13:10
nothing else.
13:11
>> At least.
13:12
>> Yeah.
13:13
>> So, these champion pieces don't feel
13:16
like a really high ask.
13:18
>> I would agree. I would agree. I would
13:20
like to also talk about some of the
13:22
other stuff that's coming in. uh the
13:24
near future for it, unless there's
13:25
anything else you guys feel strongly
13:26
about here. Uh but the spring player
13:29
housing that we talked about before, the
13:30
bundles went live, the the decor stuff,
13:33
um which includes a smattering of trees,
13:36
gazeos, swings, the type of stuff you
13:38
would expect for spring to sort of be
13:40
about. Uh there are bundles or you can
13:42
buy each piece uh individually. Uh is
13:46
noted here, and I should thank them for
13:49
pointing this out. You want to buy that
13:50
tree, it'll cost you $2.50 50 cents a
13:52
United States dollars. Boy howdy, that
13:56
seems like such a steal. Here's a bucket
13:59
for my sarcasm. Um, and then apparently
14:02
there's also a bundle where if you buy a
14:03
bunch of Hearth steel, you get a gazebo
14:05
for, and I'm going to air quote here
14:07
very largely, free. Um,
14:10
>> free gazebo. Whoa.
14:12
>> I I am really curious how many people
14:14
are actually going to shell out for some
14:16
of this. Like I know people will and I'm
14:18
not gonna harsh on them for doing it,
14:19
but I'm really curious how many people
14:21
are going to do that.
14:21
>> I have to say this is a really nice tree
14:23
though. This is a really nice tree.
14:26
>> Do would you say that tree?
14:27
>> It's a cherry blossom, right?
14:29
>> Yeah,
14:29
>> it's a cherry blossom and it like it it
14:32
leaves fall off it. It's animated.
14:34
>> So it's not just a static tree. It's a
14:36
tree with falling cherry blossoms.
14:39
>> I mean it's
14:40
>> I mean
14:40
>> it's a really nice tree.
14:41
>> I mean this is nice as possible.
14:43
Minecraft did that a long time ago and
14:45
they didn't charge and they didn't
14:46
charge me $2.50 to do it.
14:50
>> I So, okay. I
14:52
>> I I go on.
14:54
>> You got to make the You got to make your
14:55
your paid for content really nice. And
14:57
that's always been the worst part is
14:59
like every time you see the store mounts
15:01
or the store pets, they're always going
15:03
to be a little nicer than what you can
15:05
get in game for free. minus of course
15:07
like ultra prestige mounts like mythic
15:11
clears and high rank gladiator stuff,
15:13
right? But even then you you do see a
15:16
lot of extra stuff on the store stuff
15:19
that doesn't quite or get replicated
15:21
anywhere else.
15:22
>> So it's always disappointing when you
15:24
see the
15:25
>> especially on a paid for game that has a
15:27
sub a monthly sub subscription price
15:29
where you're seeing a store and I I
15:31
understand all the reasons why you do
15:34
but it hurts sometimes. Well, I mean,
15:37
especially because like there's again
15:39
some of the seor is incredibly
15:41
beautiful, really well thought thought
15:44
of, really well put together.
15:46
>> Like I'm seeing beautiful trees,
15:48
beautiful furniture, like the the the
15:50
old hanging pod chairs from the 70s, but
15:53
like a tree version of it.
15:55
>> Like the re and new ceiling life
15:58
shelves, uh new windows, new trelluses,
16:02
like it's all extremely pretty. It's
16:06
also pretty, in my opinion, expensive.
16:10
25,500 harst steel for an entire bundle.
16:13
Granted, it comes with, you know, 21
16:16
pieces of decor, but that's what how
16:20
much?
16:21
>> $25.
16:22
>> Yeah, $25. And I understand
16:24
>> $25.
16:26
>> And again, I understand somebody's going
16:27
to be out there, oh, I get it. The
16:29
mounts and stuff like that are also $25.
16:32
I don't know, man. I don't know.
16:33
Especially when I'm looking at how much
16:36
decor they throw at you for doing
16:38
literally anything in the game at this
16:39
point.
16:40
>> But not any cherry trees.
16:43
>> See, I I absolutely agree uh with with
16:47
you guys on this. Like I haven't even
16:49
dove into housing all that much.
16:52
Partially because of my fear
16:55
>> when they announced this and I know I
16:57
I've talked about it in in our chats um
17:00
but never wrote an article about it or
17:02
anything. Um, but the fear that a lot of
17:04
people had when they announced housing
17:05
was that they were going to nickel and
17:07
dime the community. And while they
17:09
haven't done that yet, it sure seems
17:12
$2.50 a pop, that hurts quite a bit. And
17:16
and to Cory's point about armor and
17:19
stuff not um, you know, the in-game
17:22
stuff not not looking as good as the
17:23
paid shop stuff. I'm going to comment on
17:26
that when we talk about Diablo.
17:30
Yeah, I was going to say I think you
17:31
have some opinions on that one.
17:32
>> You think
17:33
>> you think you know pain? No. No, you
17:36
don't. Um I Okay, I do I have to jump in
17:40
here. I have said a lot of unkind things
17:43
about Blizzard and specifically unkind
17:46
things about this spring bundle because
17:50
it came out here. It was $35. Was it
17:54
$35? No, maybe it was 25. Okay. It was
17:57
it was expensive
18:00
and uh then it vanished off the Blizzard
18:02
store and I was like
18:05
some people said uh they're going to cut
18:07
the price of it. They've seen all these
18:08
complaints. They're going to cut the
18:09
price of it. And I'm like there is no
18:11
way they're cutting the price of this
18:13
bundle. They've thought this out. This
18:15
is ridiculous. This look at the tree.
18:18
This beautiful tree in this bundle that
18:19
costs $7.50
18:23
because that's what it cost. It was it
18:24
this you you're looking at this tree at
18:26
$250 it was $7.50
18:30
and then Blizzard put it back on the
18:32
shop and instead of one tree it came
18:33
with three trees and the individual
18:36
trees only cost $2.50. So I I did not
18:41
give them credit for that. I thought
18:43
they were just trying to make us buy
18:45
trees at $7.50 each and that was
18:48
intentional when they were just trying
18:50
to get us to buy trees at $250. And I
18:53
just feel like you could go to
18:54
>> It's a nice tree. It's a nice tree.
18:56
>> I feel like you could go to a garden
18:57
store and buy a real tree for $7.50.
19:00
>> Oh no.
19:01
>> Obviously not.
19:04
>> Um I I maybe maybe if it was like a 5 in
19:07
tree like the sort of size range
19:11
>> you put in the ground, you come back in
19:13
a decade and it's a proper tree
19:15
>> and it's maybe a little bit of a tree.
19:18
Yeah. So Blizzard is clearly still
19:21
thinking about pricing here. Um, but
19:24
also apparently these these things are
19:26
popular enough that Blizzard is putting
19:28
time into them. I do feel like they're
19:29
still putting a lot of stuff in the
19:30
game. There's a ton of stuff in the
19:32
game. I want that tree, but I'm not
19:34
going to pay 250 for it. I'm not going
19:35
to pay real money for this because I'll
19:37
start going crazy. All of that being
19:40
said, all of that being said, I want to
19:42
make a final consiliatory point, which
19:44
is that, you know, if you're mad about
19:47
this, don't get mad at the developers.
19:48
Don't yell at anyone. It's not worth it.
19:50
You know, these are decisions that are
19:52
being made way higher up the corporate
19:55
food chain saying, "Okay, we've got to
19:56
make x amount of decor that sells and
19:59
makes y amount of money." These are not
20:02
the artists who are working on this game
20:05
probably really enjoy making cool things
20:08
to go in your houses and someone else
20:09
has decided, okay, well that tree cost
20:12
250 a piece and you know that's that's
20:17
not the fault of any of the artists.
20:18
That's not the fault of any of the
20:19
developers. That's not bad faith on the
20:21
part of anyone working on the game. But
20:23
someone higher up said, "Well, we got to
20:24
make money doing this." So yeah, put a
20:26
price tag on that tree.
20:29
Uh, so I am not thrilled about the
20:31
pricing scheme, but you know, the the
20:34
people who work at Blizzard love the
20:36
games they work on and they are making
20:38
this beautiful cherry tree to make a
20:40
beautiful cherry tree, not because
20:42
they're trying to torment you because
20:44
it's a beautiful cherry tree that costs
20:46
money.
20:46
>> Yeah, let's I think we I think we move
20:49
past it at this point because we know
20:50
the people making the items are not to
20:52
blame. We know that.
20:54
>> Yeah,
20:54
>> but we can still be salty about the
20:56
price.
20:58
I I I just wanted to state that for the
21:00
record because there's so much
21:02
complaining and grumpiness on the
21:03
internet and it's like, yeah, I I'm a
21:06
little grumpy, but also this is not this
21:08
is not the developer fault. Whoever made
21:10
this tree, whoever made this tree, this
21:12
is the most beautiful tree in the game.
21:15
This is a great tree.
21:17
>> If anybody wants to get Liz a belated
21:18
Christmas gift, buy Liz a very beautiful
21:21
tree. That's what I'm hearing.
21:23
>> But there's other things that are coming
21:24
that you can buy.
21:25
>> Yeah. Because
21:27
>> let's talk about the Habitat for
21:28
Humanity charity dog because we know
21:30
that that's coming
21:31
>> also on also on March 17th. Liz, would
21:34
you like to tell us about the very good
21:35
boy?
21:36
>> He's a very good boy. His name is Roffus
21:38
and um he he's an adorable dog that uh
21:42
has a little he has a little tool belt
21:44
with a little hammer and uh yes, he's
21:47
the latest charity pet benefiting
21:49
Habitat for Humanity. and he will. So,
21:52
there's a little weird one here, which
21:54
is Rufus is available in modern and
21:58
classic.
21:59
So, you get a twofer here. And
22:02
>> the good boy travels dimensions.
22:05
>> The good boy travels dimensions. He goes
22:07
into the past. And um also he comes with
22:12
some decor items. He's got a dog house
22:14
for your house. That's only in modern
22:16
houses are not going into classic that I
22:19
know of. And um he's got a dog house and
22:22
a dog bed and he will hang out around
22:24
your home. So he is your very own
22:27
personal independent contractor to help
22:30
you around the house or to just look
22:32
adorable.
22:32
>> I I love him. I only have one complaint.
22:35
Why are there no walls on his dog house?
22:38
>> He built his dog house.
22:39
>> It's just a frame.
22:41
>> Joe, just a frame.
22:43
>> Joe, you got to remember something.
22:45
>> What?
22:46
>> He's He's a roofer. He's not a waller.
22:48
Uh
22:51
>> 10 out of 10. Uh acceptable. Acceptable.
22:57
>> One thing we do not know about our our
23:00
newest goodest boy is what he will cost.
23:03
I traditionally
23:05
traditionally these pets uh have been
23:08
$10 I believe. And uh Blizzard has not
23:10
announced a price, but we will find out
23:12
next week. It'll be very exciting. We
23:14
will learn something. And you know, I'm
23:17
sitting here thinking, I'm not paying
23:19
250 for that tree. And I'm thinking, how
23:22
much would I pay for this adorable dog?
23:25
He's got a little hard hat. He's got a
23:27
little hammer and a tool belt. How much
23:30
would I pay to have this adorable dog?
23:32
And also, I can feel good because part
23:34
of that money is going to charity.
23:36
>> I'm going to guess $25 because it seems
23:39
like that's a
23:40
>> decent amount.
23:41
>> Yeah, I'm kind of in that same camp. I
23:43
think 25 is probably going to be what I
23:45
would expect this to pop up for. I'll be
23:47
surprised if it is less. Um, but I
23:50
usually buy the charity pet anyway. So,
23:51
I mean, I I like doing things for
23:54
charity, so even if it's a silly digital
23:58
uh dog, that just makes me even that
24:00
much happier. I heard you uh pipe in
24:02
there, Chris.
24:03
>> Yeah. What I wanted to say, even the
24:05
finer print, and I actually I agree with
24:07
you guys on the $25 price tag. That's
24:09
what I was thinking as we were talking.
24:11
Um there uh in the finer print it says
24:14
from March 17th through May 12th,
24:17
Blizzard Entertainment will donate 100%
24:19
of the purchase price minus uh minus any
24:22
chargebacks, refunds, um whatever to
24:25
Habitat for Humanity. So it's even
24:27
better. Uh get a pet and all of the
24:30
proceeds will go to Habitats of
24:31
Humanity.
24:32
>> Man, that's how they're going to get $25
24:34
out of me. They're not going to get that
24:36
250 tree. But
24:38
>> And how much are the WOW tokens going
24:40
for these days? Just out of idle
24:42
curiosity.
24:43
>> Wow token is $20 USD.
24:44
>> Well, I mean, but like to buy with your
24:46
gold fluctuates.
24:47
>> I think it's about three I think it's
24:49
about 300,000 right now.
24:50
>> Yeah, it's it's been it's been
24:52
fluctuating between 260 and 300,000.
24:55
>> That's just a $500,000 pet if you break
24:57
it down.
24:58
>> Oh yeah, putting that right into
25:00
context.
25:01
>> 500,000 gold. Sorry, not dollars.
25:02
>> Yeah, I was going to say
25:05
Well, you know, it's it's a kind of
25:07
context.
25:08
>> It's a kind of context. I there's plenty
25:10
of time right now. Midnight early
25:12
expansion is great for making money.
25:14
Roll some
25:16
>> uh gatherers through the new zones and
25:17
sell everything that isn't nailed down
25:18
to other players and retire to your
25:20
fabulous home.
25:21
>> I am terrible at making gold. I mean,
25:23
I'm doing my best here, but I'm really
25:25
bad at it. Well, that's okay.
25:27
>> Making a bunch of gatherers and rolling
25:28
through the new zones and selling
25:30
everything that could be gathered to
25:32
>> but I'm also I'm like I want to level my
25:34
professions, but you know, I've like I'm
25:37
simultaneously broke and also my
25:41
professions are kind of very lowend. So,
25:44
I'm I'm not sure what I'm doing here.
25:46
I'm doing both of these things wrong.
25:49
>> You just got to wait a month.
25:50
>> When when in doubt,
25:51
>> for your profession. Yeah. When when in
25:53
doubt, you can always just hang out at
25:54
the Argentina, which brings us to our
25:57
next coin. Uh, the key to the Arcatina
25:59
now has a 15minute cool down. Uh, if
26:02
you're not familiar with the Arcina, it
26:04
is this wizard bar is really the best
26:06
way that I can put it. It's a pocket
26:07
dimension bar where uh the Sons of
26:10
Lothar hang out and do serious important
26:12
work like keep an eye on that mug over
26:15
there that's filled with beer. Um,
26:17
you're brought there as part of the
26:19
storyline. you go there with uh
26:20
Eratritor and his really bad haircut. Uh
26:23
and you when you leave it sends you back
26:26
to Silver Moon. Um so now when you use
26:29
the key it operates like a Hearthstone.
26:31
It sends you into the Argentina. Um and
26:34
then when you exit it, it dumps you back
26:36
into Silver Moon. This is a fix from
26:39
what it was doing before where you could
26:42
be in a dungeon, use the key, go into
26:46
the Arcantina, and then zone out and be
26:49
from the Arcina and be back at the
26:50
dungeon. So, it made mythic resetting
26:54
really weirdly weird. Um, so they they
26:57
adjusted it and dumped people in the
26:59
Silver Moon and as and as a compensation
27:02
for it, they reduced the cool down on it
27:04
as well. I'm okay with this. I think
27:06
this is great. I love the Arcantina as a
27:08
little kind of like side piece and I
27:11
think the key, you know, still being
27:13
useful and feeling like a uh mischievous
27:16
wizards item is right on brand. I don't
27:19
know what you guys think.
27:20
>> I think this is Go on.
27:22
>> By all means, Liz, go ahead.
27:25
>> We're just gonna We're gonna act like
27:27
we're all Canadians here tonight. Um
27:31
>> No, I insist. After you, but I
27:36
I I think this is probably better for
27:39
most average players. Uh some of the
27:41
stuff Blizzard was addressing with this
27:43
change was that people were using this
27:46
to hop around the world in convoluted
27:49
ways. So you could um you could go into
27:54
a follower dungeon and then use your key
27:56
to the Arcantina to teleport to the
27:58
Arcantina and then use your key again
28:00
which teleported you back to where you
28:01
were and you would wind up outside the
28:04
dungeon. So you would have just hopped
28:06
from wherever you were to being outside
28:09
this dungeon where presumably you want
28:12
to be. So you people were using it as a
28:14
way to kind of slightly get around the
28:17
world. But I think doing it like this
28:19
and it's just kind of a little you can
28:20
get to the Arcantina or you can get to
28:22
Silver Moon. You can't it doesn't hop
28:24
you anywhere else. And I think that's
28:27
that's just more useful for the average
28:29
person than an ability to get to the
28:31
Argentina and back to where you were. I
28:33
you know the Arcantina for me when when
28:37
it's introduced in the story I really
28:38
enjoyed it at there that point but even
28:40
just like hanging out there is kind of a
28:43
cool thing like I I know it feels like
28:46
it's just they they said in in the the
28:49
pre-in like oh it was this cool place
28:52
that we came up with and it it really
28:54
felt like it was meant to be something
28:58
more but I love what it is and just the
29:02
fact that It also makes it so that I
29:04
don't necessarily have to set my hearth
29:06
stone in Silver Moon. I can set it
29:09
wherever and I always have a hearth back
29:12
to Silver Moon.
29:14
>> I love this cheesy get around like your
29:17
Hearthstone stuff. I had bags full of
29:19
random teleports to other places. So,
29:22
it's always great to have like that
29:23
extra I'm going to be here, but I really
29:26
want to get to Northrren, so I have this
29:28
teleport without being an engineer cuz
29:30
they have all the fun to
29:31
>> Well, I just think it's also part of
29:32
their campaign to make uh the one really
29:34
cool shaman ability recall uh
29:36
inconsequential
29:37
uh and nerf us into the ground. Uh but
29:40
you know what is close to the ground but
29:42
not nerfed? Did you know that we now
29:45
have something called elf hounds in
29:47
Silver Moon City? Uh these are wonderful
29:50
little fluffy companions that are
29:52
dachshunds
29:54
and uh they're absolutely adorable. Uh
29:57
you can get a companion pet, a toy, or
30:00
you can just hang out with them around
30:02
the city. I like little stuff like this
30:04
and I think this is one of the reasons
30:06
why I think Silver Moon is probably the
30:07
best capital city that we've had in a
30:10
long while. It feels lived in in a way
30:13
that the other cities don't. And little
30:15
touches like this are just like Yeah.
30:18
Why wouldn't they have, and I'm an air
30:20
quote, elf hounds. Uh they're just
30:23
fluffy and cute and they they bark at
30:25
things and they they just want to be
30:27
mischievous and that's perfect, right?
30:30
Uh I love them. So go ahead.
30:32
>> I I love this tiny little bit of
30:35
storytelling that was like, "Yeah,
30:37
Silver Moon has their own kind of dog
30:39
and it's a dachshund. Someone someone
30:43
came up with this idea and I I love that
30:46
person and want to be their best
30:47
friend." I mean why and why not like
30:49
gilans get mastiffs
30:51
>> so now like the elves get toxins perfect
30:55
and noon are not a pet
30:59
>> are you sure I've heard they could be
31:00
house trained
31:01
>> uh if I can't skin them they're not a
31:03
pet anyway um
31:05
>> wasn't there a time you could
31:07
>> uh uh yes anyway um but yeah no I think
31:12
it's a really great story time and Chris
31:14
Corey what do you guys think of it
31:16
>> I love that They're seemingly on a quest
31:19
to recreate every breed of dog in
31:21
Warcraft. And I wholeheartedly support
31:23
that. I I demand more. Just more.
31:27
>> Yeah.
31:27
>> Give Give me all the cute things. All of
31:30
them.
31:31
>> Well, I'm going to stop giving you cute
31:34
things for now and instead I'm going to
31:36
ask you to move on to some Diablo I
31:38
stuff because
31:40
>> Wait, go ahead.
31:40
>> Joe is Joe is so mean to us.
31:42
>> I am.
31:42
>> Before we get on Warcraft, I know Joe,
31:44
you're so mean. The I did want to
31:46
mention that once again, Warcraft
31:49
sponsored a Edmonton Oils hockey game.
31:51
>> Oh,
31:52
>> for I don't know why. Um, hockey is fun.
31:55
Warcraft is fun. They're looking to
31:57
branch out in their marketing possibly,
31:59
but once again, they invited me and my
32:02
beautiful lady to go to an Edmonton
32:05
Warriors hockey game. And just like last
32:07
time, they gave me an experience that I
32:09
don't think I was ever going to get
32:11
before in my life. So, thank you,
32:12
Warcraft. They put me third row on the
32:15
rink and let me tell you, if you've
32:18
never gotten to sit third row at a
32:19
hockey game, it is something. You that
32:22
puck hitting the boards is like a
32:25
gunshot.
32:25
>> The first time the puck gets passed
32:27
along the boards, you will be in awe
32:30
because it just skitters along them like
32:32
a whip crack and
32:34
>> you're like, I didn't know anything that
32:36
was around people could move that fast.
32:39
It it is not a it is not a story for me
32:42
to tell during the main podcast, but
32:43
next week during the pre-show, ask me
32:46
about some of my hockey stories from
32:48
when I was a player. And uh being on the
32:51
ice, it's a completely different sound.
32:53
Oh boy.
32:54
>> Oh, I I can imagine. Uh so they had a
32:56
couple cosplayers out dressed up as
32:59
blood elves holding up cute signs that
33:01
said, "We will prevail and glory to the
33:03
Oilers." Um, they were doing a photo op
33:06
with them on the main concourse. You
33:09
could spin a wheel and you could win
33:11
game time and uh, collector's editions
33:13
and a limited edition Warcraft/Emonton
33:17
Oilers t-shirt featuring Hunter the
33:19
Lynx, the Edmonton Oilers mascot. Uh,
33:21
glowing purple and voidy with a Warcraft
33:24
W on his chest. And it was it's still
33:27
great. Uh, I cannot recommend I don't
33:30
know. You're never going to be able to
33:31
get it. I think it was a one-time thing
33:32
for this event. Uh, but I really love
33:34
that I got one.
33:36
>> You know, this this promotion this
33:38
promotion seems like you should have
33:40
waited held the hockey promotions until
33:42
we're going back to Northrand.
33:44
>> That's the perfect time for a hockey
33:47
promotion.
33:48
>> It would be the the cold and everything
33:50
would go hand in hand together. So,
33:52
well,
33:53
>> so here hear me out. Hear me out here.
33:55
Right.
33:55
>> Okay.
33:56
>> We go back to Northrand. Two things need
33:59
to happen. One, I'm going to say it cuz
34:01
I say it every time we bring this up.
34:03
Playable Tuscar. Two.
34:05
>> Sure.
34:06
>> You advertise it by having a bunch of
34:08
people in Tuscar costumes playing hockey
34:10
in real life. I need this so bad.
34:13
Blizzard, give it to me.
34:15
>> They've got the ins now. And amazingly
34:19
during the game uh twice I overheard
34:23
random people from around me in the area
34:25
on the concourse
34:27
>> talking the like groups of people out to
34:29
see the hockey game. Obviously the
34:31
average hockey crowd is not super tuned
34:34
in on video games but the guys in the
34:37
groups were always going to be like hey
34:38
what's Warcraft? And it was the women in
34:40
the groups that were like oh it's a
34:42
video game you you know it's a fantasy
34:44
game. And so maybe the next time they
34:46
sponsor a hockey game, it'll be part of
34:47
the PWHL and we'll see the the women get
34:50
in on the action.
34:51
>> I mean, maybe uh but again, we'll see.
34:55
And I would like to see more cross
34:56
promotion with it. But I'm also glad
34:57
that hockey is getting attention and not
35:00
just football and I may be selfish in
35:02
that because I love hockey and I love
35:05
when hockey gets crossromotions because
35:06
it almost never
35:07
>> They did also do a football cross
35:08
promotion at a Patriots game for the
35:11
>> No, no, no. We don't talk about the
35:12
Patriots here. Anyway, um,
35:16
for anybody who's been listening to the
35:17
show, I'm in Buffalo. You understand
35:19
why.
35:21
Um, so let's move on to speaking of
35:24
demons. Thank you, Corey, for that
35:26
segue.
35:27
>> Uh, Chris, would you like to tell us and
35:30
maybe start going through some of the
35:31
Diablo stuff so I can drink and, you
35:33
know, you can you can be a little bit
35:35
prominent for me? Go ahead.
35:37
>> Absolutely.
35:39
Uh so in the last week uh we learned an
35:44
absolute boatload about the warlock
35:47
class. Um and perhaps out of all the
35:52
information we got, one thing that we
35:54
picked out of the information that
35:56
Blizzard gave us at that point was that
35:58
they've said that no class will be left
36:00
behind. And when they brought that up,
36:03
they were talking about how strong
36:06
Warlock seems. uh and Paladin going into
36:10
Lord of Hatred. Um so they're going to
36:13
bring everybody up to that as a base
36:15
level as opposed to slowly nerfing um
36:18
Paladin and Warlock down to where
36:20
everything else is.
36:22
>> When they nerf the Paladin, I'm going to
36:24
stop playing. This is a threat.
36:29
>> You know, World Warcraft players have
36:31
been making that threat for a long time
36:33
and we're still here.
36:35
>> I was promised. I have it on good
36:37
authority that at one point Liz
36:39
physically quit the game because of it.
36:41
>> I did. I did. Um, Cataclysm. If you
36:45
Okay, guys. If anyone here played a You
36:48
were It was Wrath of the Lich King. You
36:50
were a paladin and you went into
36:53
Cataclysm, you stopped being a paladin
36:55
for one one way, one reason or another.
36:57
you were no longer paladin because the
37:00
class changed so dramatically
37:03
that it was just there was a good chance
37:06
that was when you were going to walk
37:07
away. I mean, I've looped back. I love I
37:09
love my paladins. I love being the
37:11
battle cleric class fantasy. I'm I'm
37:14
waiting in hope for a World of Warcraft
37:16
support paladin. I think that'd be
37:18
really cool. Anyone who's listening out
37:20
there, support paladins.
37:23
I'm that's that's going to be if
37:26
Blizzard adds that I'm just I'm never
37:28
there's not going to be any talk about
37:29
what I'm meaning ever again. Uh
37:32
>> I played a paladin in Cataclysm and I
37:34
kept playing.
37:35
>> Well, what but what about what about
37:38
what about Paladins and Diablo? Have you
37:40
played those?
37:41
>> I have not pre-ordered my next
37:43
expansion, so I haven't played the
37:44
Paladin and Diablo.
37:45
>> Uh I have See, I'm in that same boat. I
37:48
have also not played the Paladin and
37:49
Diablo yet, but I have heard only good
37:52
things. Uh the the Paladin you can uh
37:55
play right now if you've pre-ordered.
37:57
The Warlock you can't, but it does look
37:59
pretty impressive.
38:00
>> I want to break in here real quick cuz
38:02
Chris can correct me if I'm wrong.
38:04
>> Isn't there going to be a Paladin free
38:05
trial coming up?
38:06
>> What?
38:07
>> Whoa.
38:08
>> There absolutely is. And it starts
38:11
tomorrow.
38:13
>> Tomorrow being what date? Thank you. Uh
38:16
tomorrow, March March 11th, 2026. should
38:20
start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Standard
38:23
Time so long as everything goes
38:25
according to plans.
38:26
>> And what time will that run until what
38:27
day?
38:28
>> March 18th. So, exactly one week. So, if
38:31
you're listening to this close to our go
38:33
live date, you may have a few days left
38:36
to give it a shot and highly recommend
38:38
that you do.
38:39
>> Um, but that's uh that's the first week
38:42
of season 12 in Diablo is going to be
38:45
the Paladin free trial. So you can also
38:47
jump in, check out your uh paladining
38:50
skills as well. I not having a paladin.
38:54
There wasn't a paladin Diab class on
38:56
launch in Diablo II. It feels like this
38:59
is a class that this is a game that
39:01
needs paladins. If if any game needs a
39:04
paladin, it's Diablo. It begs for
39:07
paladins. And I will say that the
39:10
Paladin in Diablo I 4 is some of the
39:12
most fun I've had in a Diablo game since
39:15
Diablo II, like straight up,
39:18
>> um, I think that from a class
39:22
perspective, the way that the Paladin
39:24
plays right now in Diablo II is I would
39:28
say a more strong word than this, but I
39:30
don't want a bad rating. Uh, it is darn
39:32
near perfect. Um, I I do not struggle to
39:36
have fun with it. I there's tons of
39:38
different ways you can build it that
39:39
just make me giggle. Uh like literally
39:42
it is the body explosion fiesta that a
39:46
paladin should be. Um and it it is
39:49
essentially what crusader should have
39:51
been. So like it is absolutely fantastic
39:55
class design. Like
39:57
>> if there wasn't the midnight expansion
39:59
for me to play, I'd be playing even more
40:01
Paladin. I really like it. Like they did
40:04
a very very good job. And again, like I
40:08
if you are listening to this and you get
40:10
a chance to uh sit down and you have
40:13
Diablo I want to give the the pallet in
40:15
the free trial, I really recommend you
40:18
do it and give it a good chance cuz like
40:21
it is it is incredible and plays so
40:24
satisfyingly compared to almost all of
40:27
the other classes with maybe the
40:29
exception of bear druid in my opinion.
40:32
I'm glad to hear you say that because I
40:35
also um haven't pre-ordered yet and I've
40:40
been wondering about Paladin quite a bit
40:42
and in in writing the article we put out
40:45
earlier today uh about the free trial.
40:48
Um I was trying to come up with some
40:51
basic builds for uh people to try
40:53
because you are capped at level 25. Um
40:56
so I was I was looking at it just going
40:58
man this looks great. I just I don't
41:00
know though like is that enough to push
41:03
me? Warlock pushes me a little bit. But
41:06
I I always respect your opinion. So
41:09
you're saying it's great. Why, man?
41:12
Don't get me started.
41:14
>> No. And honestly, Paladin's also one of
41:16
the the very few classes that like by
41:18
level 10 or 12, you're going to have an
41:22
idea of like how good it is for you and
41:25
what it kind of tickles. Which is why
41:27
like if even if they cap you at 25,
41:29
you'll know that's there. They can cap
41:32
it at 25 and they know what they're
41:33
doing because by then if you're not
41:36
sold, you'll never be sold. Yeah. Also,
41:39
uh moving past that free trial, Chris, I
41:42
think there's another collab happening
41:44
with Diablo II. Do you want to talk
41:45
about that a little bit?
41:46
>> Yeah. Um out of nowhere, apparently
41:50
we found out that they're doing a collab
41:52
with Doom: The Dark Ages. another
41:55
another another Microsoft owned game.
41:58
Just throwing it out there.
41:59
>> It makes so much sense. It's such a
42:01
perfect collab.
42:03
>> The vibes the vibes on this collab are
42:05
immaculate. The only the only question
42:07
is why not sooner?
42:10
>> Well, yeah. I mean, like I I admittedly
42:13
I haven't played Dark Ages. I own it.
42:15
Just haven't played it. Um
42:17
>> pretty sure I totally play that already.
42:19
>> But but
42:20
>> is that how people wind up playing
42:21
games? Cory tells them to play them and
42:23
then they get played.
42:24
>> Well, he just posted that he had lots of
42:27
games to play and I saw that Doom: The
42:28
Dark Ages was part of it and I said,
42:29
"You should play Doom: The Dark Ages."
42:32
>> And then I played Balders's Gate 3 all
42:34
the way through instead.
42:35
>> Oh boy.
42:37
>> So, uh, that's the I know.
42:39
>> But we can but we can get our own Doom
42:42
Guy armor. Uh, unfortunately though,
42:45
it's gonna be in the shop.
42:47
>> Yeah, it's it's a shop item. I'm not
42:49
going to lie, this is the first time
42:52
since Diablo II has released that I have
42:54
considered purchasing an in-game thing
42:56
for Diablo. Like,
42:57
>> it is really cool.
42:59
>> It wasn't cool.
43:00
>> It wasn't the Carrian armor.
43:01
>> No.
43:02
>> Or any of the other Blizzard crossover.
43:04
>> I I really am considering throwing money
43:06
at this because I need this on my
43:07
Paladin. I absolutely need to look like
43:09
Doom Guy. I need to rip and tear until
43:12
it's done. Sorry. I the the thing is the
43:16
Caragan armor was only for uh spirits uh
43:19
spirit born. That was that was the class
43:22
specific armor for spirit born and it
43:23
looked real weird on him. So
43:27
>> I I don't I
43:30
um this is what I said I said earlier
43:32
that I was going to get started when we
43:33
got to the Diablo stuff with spending
43:35
money. Um, I I I spent a little bit of
43:40
time not too long ago adding up the I I
43:43
went through the the list of the stuff
43:45
in the shop and I said, "You know what?
43:47
This is stuff that's available right
43:48
now."
43:49
>> And I would buy all of this and then I
43:52
added up how much it would cost in in
43:54
cash.
43:54
>> Wow.
43:55
>> Don't do not do that. How many $100 was
43:58
it?
43:59
>> I think it was like $400 or something
44:02
like that. And the thing is is like I if
44:06
they were half the cost that's that's
44:09
that's it. Like that's where I'll stop
44:12
so that we I don't go I have time. Um
44:16
>> isn't it isn't it amazing if they had
44:18
released these Blizzard collabs with the
44:21
Diablo stuff where you got like all the
44:23
other Diablo or all the other Blizzard
44:24
guys put onto your Diablo characters.
44:26
That had been $5 a class. Boom. Done. I
44:30
would have bought three of them easily.
44:32
maybe four, but 25 bucks a pop, that is
44:36
a lot.
44:37
>> And one thing to remember, like you
44:39
might go into World of Warcraft and buy
44:41
a cosmetic armor for that might cost you
44:43
$25 or a set of cosmetics that cost you
44:45
$25. In Diablo I 4, armor is class
44:50
specific. So if you're all of these
44:53
armor sets, typically a full set of
44:55
armor cost cosmetic armor cost $25 and
44:59
that will be for one class in the game.
45:01
No one else can use that armor
45:03
appearance. So that it does feel kind of
45:05
bad to go and spend $25 and it's like,
45:07
oh well, this season I want to play a
45:09
paladin. I don't Oh, I don't own the
45:10
paladin armor. The doomg guy armor does
45:13
seem like it's crosscl class. I mean,
45:15
it's not in the story yet to look at,
45:16
but the way they described it sounded
45:18
like this is going to be a crossclass
45:19
armor set, which is very cool. Maybe
45:23
worth some extra money.
45:25
>> I'd really like to believe that. But in
45:26
the the promo picture they showed, there
45:28
was four like three or four different
45:29
classes there and they all had different
45:31
helmets.
45:32
>> Okay, then maybe not. Maybe I just made
45:34
that up in my heart of heart that lives
45:36
in hope.
45:37
>> Believe me, I I wish for it to be true.
45:40
There will there will be some free
45:42
Diablo related rewards. Uh Doom related
45:46
rewards on a reoquary during season 12
45:50
that will be free and you can just work
45:52
through the reoquaryy, earn all of those
45:54
free Doom rewards. Um but they do not
45:58
include the Doom guy armor and I'm
46:00
pretty sure they don't include I don't
46:02
think they
46:03
>> at least that's what the relic image
46:04
does shows, right? The the one thing I
46:07
was looking at and I was like, "Wow, I
46:09
really I actually kind of want that."
46:10
Was the little demon pet. And I think
46:12
that's also the cocka demon.
46:15
>> Yes. I'm like guy.
46:17
>> I love it. I love it. I must have it.
46:19
Oh, no. I maybe I don't need to have it
46:22
that much.
46:22
>> For me, the fact that I can earn the uh
46:26
shield and the uh slayer sword, it's all
46:29
I need to know.
46:30
>> I mean, yeah, there are some cool
46:31
looking things in here. It's it's worth
46:33
buying. and the the this collab, it
46:35
feels like it feels like a good fit
46:37
between the two games. And the the looks
46:40
are very cool. It's just whenever I see
46:42
something cool in Diablo, it's like,
46:44
"Oh, but there's this thing in the shop
46:46
that's way cooler and it costs $25 or
46:50
more." Um,
46:52
>> that said, if anybody wants to buy me a
46:54
special gift card to have the Doom Armor
46:56
on my guy, uh, I will not say no.
47:00
But I think we should move on from that
47:01
and talk about Oh, go ahead.
47:04
>> I do I do want to loop back to uh season
47:07
12 because we've talked about season 12
47:11
before, but Blizzard actually has
47:14
changed a lot about season 12 since they
47:16
first announced it. When it was first
47:18
announced, it was just going to be it's
47:20
a short season. We know it's short
47:21
because uh Lord of Hat expansion is
47:24
coming out on the 28th and new seasons
47:27
launch with expansions. Historically,
47:28
that's just how they've done it and how
47:30
they appear to be planning on it this
47:32
time. So, we know this is a short
47:34
season, but it only had one mechanic,
47:37
which was going to be killstreaks.
47:39
Killstreaks are really cool. I mean, in
47:41
a Diablo, a killstreak mechanic that
47:43
buffs you up the more things you kill.
47:46
It just feels awesome. And there's going
47:47
to be bloodied gear to collect that will
47:50
power up your kill kill streaks. And
47:52
it's like, well, yeah, that sounds
47:54
great. Is there anything else? And back
47:57
when the season was first announced,
47:58
Blizzard said, "No, that's it." Except
48:01
more recently, they have told us that
48:02
actually in season 12, you'll be able to
48:04
do all of that kill streak and stuff,
48:07
but you will also be able to become the
48:10
butcher. Not just not just fight the
48:12
butcher. You can also do that, but there
48:15
are multiple ways to become the butcher
48:19
and slaughter your fellow players or
48:22
slaughter demons as the butcher with a
48:25
completely unique set of butcher
48:27
specific skills. Um, so in Helides,
48:30
we'll have special butcher altars that
48:34
you go to with offerings of fresh meat,
48:38
of course, uh, that you will then use to
48:41
become the butcher and then slaughter
48:43
just a ton of demons. And in the fields
48:45
of hatred, PvP zones, there's going to
48:47
be a new event that kill, kill, kill,
48:50
and the person who gets the most kills
48:52
gets to become the butcher. And
48:54
presumably you continue with the
48:56
killing. That's kind of the whole that's
48:58
all you do. in the game. And there and
49:01
there's also an event or a dungeon
49:04
called the slaughter house that you go
49:07
in and you wear the butcher the entire
49:09
time. You just go in and you're the
49:11
butcher and you kill things. And
49:12
Blizzard has not told us very much about
49:15
what this is, which is why I don't know.
49:17
Is it a dungeon? Is it an event? Is it a
49:21
boss? Is it because they've said we'd
49:24
like to leave some surprises for you.
49:27
So, they have not explained what this is
49:28
at all except that you will be the
49:30
butcher for the duration of whatever the
49:33
thing is. So, all of this sounds very
49:36
interesting. This brings the season up a
49:38
little bit. Um, and it's still it's
49:40
still going to be a very short season.
49:42
And I don't know, maybe maybe becoming
49:44
the butcher will be like, "Oh, that was
49:45
fun one time and now I'm Hey, I'm trying
49:47
to be a paladin over here. I don't want
49:49
to do this." Um, I would like to take a
49:52
poll of the crowd here. Who would be
49:54
excited to become the butcher in Diablo
49:56
I?
49:57
>> No.
49:58
>> Who wouldn't?
49:59
>> Uh, see, and I'm kind of on Joe's side.
50:02
I I not really. Doesn't do anything for
50:04
me.
50:04
>> I don't I don't play Diablo to be a
50:06
demon. I don't play Diablo to control
50:08
demons. I will never touch the Warlock
50:10
and at all, period.
50:11
>> I play Diablo to slaughter demons as a
50:15
Nephilim or as a hero. I don't I don't
50:18
give a bleep about uh being the the the
50:21
the butcher. Cool for people that do,
50:24
not me.
50:24
>> I play able to kill things and it
50:27
doesn't really matter if the things I'm
50:29
killing are demons or people. Hey, bring
50:32
on the butcher.
50:32
>> Spoken like a moose.
50:36
>> You can you can become the butcher and
50:39
then also continue killing demons. I
50:40
mean, that's not off the table. So, it's
50:43
just it's an interesting twist. It's not
50:45
something they've uh really done before.
50:47
And I feel like maybe they feel like
50:49
they can be a little more experimental
50:50
because this is a really short season
50:53
with kind of a limited power scope. So,
50:56
it'll be interesting. I I haven't played
50:58
the last couple of Diablo I seasons just
51:00
cuz time time.
51:03
Um, but I I think I've got to make time
51:06
to check this one out. And it's like,
51:07
where'd you find that time? I'm I
51:09
haven't decided yet. I haven't figured
51:11
that part out.
51:11
>> Well, I know there's going to be one
51:12
other thing that's probably going to
51:13
potentially take up some of your time.
51:15
So, uh, maybe we can quickly go through
51:17
some of the Hearthstone stuff cuz
51:18
whoever I I I know Liz, you still
51:21
occasionally look at it. I don't know if
51:23
you're dabbling anymore.
51:25
>> Uh, I dabble, but I'm I'm really dabbly
51:28
at this point just because it is so hard
51:30
to keep up with so many games and
51:32
Hearthstone in particular. You know, you
51:35
know Joe, you're you're a magic guy. You
51:37
know how many sets Wizards of the Coast
51:39
puts out a year.
51:40
>> Don't open that can. Do not open that
51:41
can.
51:43
I just I I know you will understand
51:46
because Hearthstone only does uh three
51:48
main sets and then three mini sets every
51:51
year, but that's still six sets of cards
51:52
a year and it just it just adds up. It's
51:55
hard to keep up with the competitive
51:57
scene and the meta and just keep
52:00
playing. It's, you know, you're always
52:01
kind of treading water to stay on top.
52:04
So, I I do not keep up like I used to.
52:06
But uh next week they are rolling out an
52:08
expansion called Cataclysm which is uh
52:12
it's we've already talked about a
52:14
cataclysm a little bit today. It's
52:16
Deathwing is coming to Hearthstone
52:18
literally as a card and um he is
52:22
bringing back an old an old mechanic
52:26
called Colossals which were minions that
52:30
were spread out across multiple cards.
52:32
It's like a it's a big minion that has
52:34
many parts. So, and they usually buff
52:36
each other in different ways. And to
52:38
defeat it, you've got to defeat each
52:40
little part of the minion. So, it's a
52:43
really cool mechanic. It fits in with
52:45
the Deathwing aesthetic perfectly cuz
52:48
these are just multi-art beasts that
52:51
might take up your entire board. And um
52:55
it also has a mechanic called shatter
52:59
where you will draw you'll draw a card
53:02
and the car the card with the shatter
53:04
keyword it the card splits in half when
53:06
it's in your hand and one will be on the
53:10
left side of your hand and one will be
53:11
on the right side of your hand and you
53:14
can either play those cards separately
53:16
or you can play all of the cards in your
53:18
hand between them to combine them again
53:21
when they come back together in your
53:22
hand which I think is such a strange and
53:25
a a neat conceit. Like if you're
53:29
thinking about this from the from the
53:30
angle of like a physical card game, this
53:32
is just doesn't work at all. Right? But
53:35
in a digital card game, you can do weird
53:38
things like this where it's like, okay,
53:39
you draw a card. Well, now that card
53:41
splits into two cards, but you can
53:43
combine them again if you bring them
53:45
together in your hand. So, it's but it's
53:49
both a cool conceit and it's just it's a
53:52
fun little little gameplay mechanic. Uh
53:56
Hearthstone does have a few things where
53:58
like the position of a card in your
54:00
hand, which you can't rearrange cards in
54:02
your hand. The order you draw them in is
54:04
the order they're in your hand. So, I
54:06
think it's a really cool mechanic. I
54:08
think Deathwing Coming back sounds
54:10
really cool. It has a really strong
54:13
theme to it. It has these cool colossal
54:16
minions for every class. And I think
54:18
it's I think it's a really solid
54:20
expansion. It's also hard to keep up uh
54:22
with everything that's happening in
54:23
Hearthstone all the time. But this is a
54:26
good one. This is a good one. And uh
54:27
Blizzard is also making uh the last set
54:31
completely free. So, if you're during
54:34
the expansion, during Cataclysm, you
54:37
will have access to a ton of cards for
54:41
free to play with from, I believe, the
54:43
last expansion or possibly the last two
54:45
expansions.
54:46
So, if you're a free-to-play player,
54:49
this is actually a great time to jump
54:51
in. Even if you don't buy any Cataclysm
54:53
cards, for the duration of Cataclysm,
54:56
they're giving everyone free access to
54:58
some recent sets. So you can go in and
55:00
just you'll just have access to all of
55:02
these cards to play with, to build decks
55:04
with, to mess around with. So this is a
55:06
great time to jump in if you're
55:08
interested in Hearthstone. And it is
55:10
free to play. Like everything free to
55:13
play is free to play, but can be very
55:15
expensive. But it is it is a
55:16
free-to-play game. You can go in and
55:17
check it out and try your hand at
55:19
building decks from the core set and
55:20
from some of the stuff that's going to
55:22
be free during the duration of this
55:24
expansion, which will be about 3 months.
55:26
Three or four. Yeah. Time. How does it
55:28
work?
55:29
>> Fine.
55:30
>> I really love seeing Deathwing again. I
55:32
He is just my favorite dragon.
55:34
>> He's so big and angry and I love it.
55:36
>> Well, you know, he has a he has a theme
55:38
and he's sticking with it.
55:40
>> Fair.
55:41
>> It's a It's a It's a fun expansion with
55:43
a great theme and I think it's going to
55:44
this is going to be a good one. This is
55:46
going to be a good one. This looks like
55:47
a really solid expansion coming out this
55:49
year to to kick us off. Oh, well, I'm
55:52
very glad to hear that and hopefully
55:53
people will enjoy that as hopefully our
55:56
listeners at home are enjoying the
55:58
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will find some really unhinged thing
57:32
said during the podcast and it just
57:34
becomes this beautiful bite-sized uh
57:36
thing that I will tell people, oh,
57:38
what's your podcast about? I'll just
57:39
give them the link to that and be like,
57:41
that's it. I don't give them any more
57:43
context and it always works. Um, also,
57:47
if you because a new expansion is out, I
57:49
do want to remind you that we do have a
57:51
book guide available uh at
57:53
blizzardwatch.comcraft-books.
57:56
uh highly recommend going through that.
57:58
You don't have to read everything, but
57:59
it gives you a good idea of where to
58:00
start or where the timelines are uh and
58:03
will help you catch up so that you are
58:05
in the current mindset for midnight.
58:09
Think I got everything in there, folks.
58:11
Um there's one last thing I want to
58:12
cover before we go away. Uh and it's
58:15
something that I found out this weekend
58:17
and made me very excited amidst the
58:20
melancholy of weird stuff that was going
58:22
on. And it's Starcraft news. It is
58:25
however
58:26
>> weird
58:27
>> not what you're expecting. So we talked
58:30
about this a while ago where uh Archon
58:32
Studios is making a miniature game based
58:36
off of Starcraft. Uh it is a miniature
58:38
war game uh that is in the same vein as
58:42
your f skirmish games or like Warhammer
58:45
40k or war machine things like that.
58:49
Well, this past weekend or this past
58:51
week uh was the Gamma Expo for 2026.
58:54
Gamma is an expo where uh shop owners
58:58
and uh shop runners, managers, event
59:00
runners uh are invited to kind of get a
59:04
leg up on what's going on in the
59:05
industry. So, me having access to this
59:08
information, I got to hear a lot of
59:10
really cool stuff about it and I kind of
59:12
wanted to run through it for people that
59:13
may be interested in this. Um, so it is
59:17
a player and local game store first
59:20
offering which is in joint from Blizzard
59:24
with their IP as well as Archon Studios
59:26
which is fantastic to hear. Um, they
59:29
have not forgotten that their player
59:30
base makes this game. Uh, which is
59:32
great. Um, it's very new player
59:35
friendly. Uh it's colored plastics
59:37
available from the get-go uh with
59:39
translucent pieces which means that
59:41
unpainted models if you don't want to
59:42
paint look absolutely fantastic. Um the
59:46
translucent pieces especially for the
59:47
protos are so cool looking at the uh
59:50
pylons that you you know when you need
59:51
to build additional pylons. Um army
59:54
building follows very similar to the
59:56
game. If you've ever played the RTS
59:58
games they're doing the army building
1:00:01
very much like that to stay true to it.
1:00:03
Uh the rules are going to be completely
1:00:05
free online, which is absolutely
1:00:07
massive. And there's going to be an app
1:00:10
made available for players to army build
1:00:12
and track the game that's from my
1:00:14
understanding going to be free. Um this
1:00:18
is absolutely fantastic. Um and just
1:00:21
like really like out of the gate,
1:00:23
they're looking to really bring back
1:00:24
Starcraft into players lives in an
1:00:26
interesting way. We've often talked
1:00:28
about RTS games kind of hit or miss, and
1:00:32
I mentioned this a long time ago that I
1:00:34
never understood why they didn't just
1:00:35
make it a tabletop war game. Thank you,
1:00:38
Archon Studios and Blizzard. This is
1:00:39
exactly what I've been asking for for 20
1:00:42
years. Um, other things of note is like
1:00:46
they're doing a pipeline throughout the
1:00:48
entirety of the year with pre-orders
1:00:50
going live as of the time of this
1:00:52
recording today, March 10th. Uh, and
1:00:55
running for, I believe, until the end of
1:00:57
the month, so March 31st or 30th,
1:01:00
whatever the last day is. Um, and
1:01:02
they're going all out on this. So you're
1:01:05
getting your Goliath, your hydrolisks,
1:01:07
your stalkers, you're getting siege
1:01:08
tanks, ravagers, you're getting
1:01:10
immortals, you're getting named
1:01:11
characters like Zeratol, Nova, Zagura,
1:01:14
Tacadar. These are all getting model
1:01:17
representations uh in the game. And all
1:01:20
the point structures and everything are
1:01:22
based completely around how the RTS
1:01:26
plays. And the best part is for all
1:01:29
those players that were are worried
1:01:30
about how do you preserve game balance,
1:01:33
um, one of the things of the RTS's,
1:01:36
especially the ones that have three
1:01:37
playable factions, was always about
1:01:39
balancing them to always sort of have a
1:01:42
rock paper scissor effect where you won
1:01:44
about 33% of the time. They've balanced
1:01:46
what they're releasing this year in
1:01:48
Armies through their play testing to
1:01:50
have them almost always win about 30% of
1:01:52
the time, which is absolutely fantastic.
1:01:56
And the price point is going to be about
1:01:58
the same as what you would see for box
1:02:00
sets for big games like Warhammer 40k.
1:02:02
Like a complete set of Tan versus Zurg
1:02:05
is going to be about $220.
1:02:08
So again, not what we expected for like
1:02:11
an RTS style game. Like I think we all
1:02:14
expected maybe a new video game or a new
1:02:17
like Nova or first person shooter or
1:02:19
something set in that universe. This is
1:02:21
looks like though it's shaping up to
1:02:22
sort of fill that niche for RTS games
1:02:26
and miniatures like bridging that gap in
1:02:28
a really cool and unique way. I think
1:02:31
this is really cool. And if you guys
1:02:34
want to ask me any questions before we
1:02:35
call it here, lay it on me real quick.
1:02:37
>> Will you be paint buying this and then
1:02:39
painting it yourself? And when will we
1:02:41
see the pictures?
1:02:42
>> Uh yes, I will already be pre-ordering
1:02:44
it because I'm ordering it for the shop.
1:02:46
Uh, and as soon as they come in, I will
1:02:48
probably drop every other project I'm
1:02:50
working on and paint these immediately.
1:02:51
Yep.
1:02:54
I I was going to ask something similar.
1:02:56
Um, not not necessarily were you going
1:02:58
to paint them, but just when they came
1:02:59
in, if if you would get get pictures
1:03:01
because this sounds awesome. Um, I
1:03:04
played the X-Wing tabletop game for a
1:03:06
little bit and they were really detailed
1:03:07
as well. So I I love tabletop games that
1:03:11
have red detailed models that come when
1:03:14
you buy them if you want them or you can
1:03:16
paint them.
1:03:17
>> Yeah. And and I think the best part
1:03:19
about it is like they're designing it in
1:03:20
such a way that unlike other war games
1:03:21
where there's this endless march to
1:03:23
consume new product. They're just
1:03:25
building it so you can have as many of
1:03:27
the units as you play and you play it
1:03:29
like the RTS. I'm really interested to
1:03:31
see the finished products for the hero
1:03:32
units because like and I'll go like the
1:03:34
faction heroes like Rainor, Swan, Nova,
1:03:37
Han and Horner, Tykis, Steppman, and MX
1:03:40
are all available for Terran, Carrian,
1:03:43
Zagara, Abur, Stoov, Daka are all
1:03:46
available for uh the Zerg. And again,
1:03:49
these are ones that were not available
1:03:50
in the RTS, but they were available some
1:03:52
of them in Heroes of the Storm only. And
1:03:54
here they are. um or the the protos
1:03:57
getting Artanis, uh Vorizon, Carax,
1:04:00
Allerak, Phoenix, and Zeratol like
1:04:03
they're going in and I think that's
1:04:04
really cool. Uh and it think it might
1:04:07
also breed some more life into Starcraft
1:04:10
and if it's wellreceived
1:04:12
maybe maybe
1:04:15
it will prove to Blizzard and the powers
1:04:16
that be that they need to do more with
1:04:19
the Starcraft IP. And from what I saw
1:04:21
from the reports from local game stores,
1:04:23
enthusiasts, people who have never
1:04:25
played a war game before but love
1:04:27
Starcraft, pre-orders are already going
1:04:29
through the roof. So like I'm very
1:04:31
hopeful for the future of Starcraft. And
1:04:33
yes,
1:04:34
>> speaking
1:04:34
>> go ahead.
1:04:35
>> of speaking of breathing new life into
1:04:37
Starcraft. They did just announce today
1:04:39
that at Blizzard at Blizzcon 2026 for
1:04:42
the Classic Cup, they have reunited
1:04:46
Artosis and Tasteless to be the
1:04:48
announcers for it. So they are they are
1:04:50
still they do still remember that like
1:04:52
these big figures that could galvanize
1:04:55
the community into loving the game
1:04:57
exists and that they're going to get
1:04:59
them involved with the game again at
1:05:01
least for exhibition match.
1:05:03
>> Yeah. I and honestly I think stuff like
1:05:06
that is what helps bring the IP back.
1:05:08
And if they can bring that IP back and
1:05:10
they there's hope for not only that but
1:05:12
other games that have sort of gone in
1:05:14
maintenance mode for long term like
1:05:16
Heroes of the Storm like
1:05:18
>> oh
1:05:18
>> we we we have an opportunity for our
1:05:22
beloved pieces of of IP to maybe come
1:05:25
back. It may not be necessarily in the
1:05:27
form that we expect but I think this is
1:05:29
really really hopeful. But I think
1:05:32
that's going to do it for his friends.
1:05:33
Do you have anything else you want to
1:05:34
say before we we close out? Uh, I do
1:05:37
want to add right here at the end for
1:05:38
anyone who's still listening, uh, we are
1:05:41
looking for writers for Blizzard Watch.
1:05:43
So, if you're interesting, did head over
1:05:45
to blizzardwatch.com. I'm going to make
1:05:47
sure that link is up at the top of the
1:05:48
page. And, uh, if you know anyone who
1:05:50
might be interested in writing about
1:05:51
Blizzard games, uh, send
1:05:55
them our way because we would could use
1:05:57
a few extra hands to talk about all of
1:05:59
these things. all of this Diablo, all of
1:06:02
the Diablos and all the Warcrafts and
1:06:04
the many, many things that are
1:06:06
happening.
1:06:06
>> All right, thank you very much, Liz, and
1:06:08
thank you our wonderful listeners at
1:06:10
home. Thank you, Chris and Corey, for
1:06:12
joining us on this wonderful uh
1:06:14
endeavor. And friends, we will see you
1:06:17
next week.
1:06:17
>> Bye, everybody.
1:06:19
>> Goodbye.
#Gaming Reference & Reviews