Diablo 4 – Syndication Server

Microsoft is offering big discounts Xbox Series X|S for the holidays

Black Friday may be over, but Microsoft is still feeling the spirit of bargains, with some big Xbox Series X|S sales going on right now

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Black Friday may be over, but Microsoft is still feeling the spirit of bargains, with some big Xbox Series X|S sales going on right now. Many of Microsoft’s Xbox Black Friday deals are actually sticking around, including a pretty sweet console bundle deal.

If you’re just after a console, you get them at a respectable discount for the time being. Microsoft is offering the Xbox Series X for $399.99, which is $100 off its usual $499.99 price. The console comes with 1TB of memory and one Xbox controller. While it doesn’t come with any games, you can purchase a console Game Pass subscription for $1 for your first month and $9.99 per month after that. Game Pass gives you access to hundreds of games, including Bethesda’s library, a hefty number of Sega games, and some of the best indie games around.

The Series S – a smaller, digital-only, less powerful alternative – is going for $249. It normally costs $299.99. Xbox is running a special on the Series S Starter Bundle as well, which gets you the system and three months of Game Pass Ultimate for $239.99. Game Pass Ultimate includes Game Pass for console and PC, so if you game on Windows 10 or Windows 11, you have a pretty solid selection of games to choose from on your PC as well.

You can also grab a Series X bundled with a digital version of Diablo 4 for $399.99, which is essentially giving you a free copy of the game. There’s a similar bundle that includes Forza Horizon 5 instead, and it’s also going for $399.99.

Other retailers, including Amazon, have similar offers running, though the stock and pricing seem to fluctuate a bit more unreliable. It’s worth checking, but make sure to keep an eye on Microsoft’s store as well.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

The best Xbox Black Friday deals on the Xbox Store

We’ve rounded up the best Xbox Black Friday deals on the Xbox Store, including Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter Rise, Sekiro, and more

Xbox Black Friday deals on the Xbox Store are live, with discounts on big names across the spectrum. Whether you’re after a Fromsoft classic, a recent AAA blockbuster, or an older hit you never got around to before, you’ll find plenty to entertain your wallet while these deals last. Most of the games available playable on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, though we’ve noted when there may be a conflict.

The Xbox Black Friday deals are up now through Nov. 30, 2023.

The best Black Friday Xbox deals on Amazon so far

We’ve rounded up the best Black Friday Xbox deals on Amazon so far, including Diablo 4, Star Wars, and an Xbox bundle featuring Starfield

‘Tis the season to seek out hot deals, and Amazon is getting started early with some sweet Black Friday Xbox deals on consoles and games alike. Whether you’re in the market for a starter bundle with one of 2023’s new releases or want to catch up on the hits of yesteryear with Halo Infinite, you’ll probably find at least one thing you’re looking for. Take a trip through space with Star Wars or Starfield, fight a zombie apocalypse, pull off daring heists, or trek through hell and bring order back to Sanctuary – all at a pretty good discount.

We’ll be updating this roundup as more deals go live. Bear in mind that most of these deals are for physical games, which are only compatible with Xbox Series X.

Players think they might be on the trail of Diablo 4’s cow level

The Diablo 4 cow level still probably doesn’t exist, but that hasn’t stopped fans of the action game from trying to find it

The Diablo 4 cow level still probably doesn’t exist, but that hasn’t stopped fans of the action game from trying to find it. After killing 666 in-game cows, a group of dedicated players thinks they have some evidence that might suggest Blizzard has something bovine up its sleeve – or is just toying with people (thanks, PC Gamer).

Discord user and YouTuber Grampa Joe posted an update in the Not Finding A Cow Level Discord server (yes, it’s a thing) about an unusual event that happened when they dispatched their 666th cow.

“Uh hey, so I just got the Musty Tome from a cow after killing about 666 of them (it was hard to count),” they said. “The cow died with a red curse effect and the tome dropped from it.”

That might sound like a lame reward for so much bloodthirsty effort, but there’s some historical Diablo significance attached to the nasty book. It and a few other items are tied to cow levels in previous Diablo games.

That’s a tantalizing clue in itself, but the mystery goes even deeper. You can continue collecting relics – seemingly at random – from other dead cows, and eventually, you’ll have a trio: the Musty Tome, the Metallic Fragment, and the Bloody Wooden Shard, the latter two of which were also important in previous Diablo games.

If you use these relics at Ked Bardu, near the ox statues, you get a key that unlocks the Forlorn Hovel cellar, a mini-dungeon full of cows. Defeating them earns you a stamina potion, another nod to past cow levels. Diablo 2’s cow king dropped eight stamina potions.

All that, combined with the fact that Blizzard actually removed a quest called The Oxen Gods in July 2023 has players convinced that some kind of cow trickery is afoot. Maybe it’s true, and Blizzard has some kind of labyrinthine plan for Diablo 4’s cows in one of the upcoming expansions.

Or maybe the team just wants to see how long people keep looking for something that isn’t there.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Resident Evil, Diablo 4 headline October Prime Day deals on Xbox games

Resident Evil 4 Remake and Diablo 4 lead the charge in October Prime Day deals on Xbox games

Resident Evil 4 Remake and Diablo 4 lead the charge in October Prime Day deals on Xbox games. While it looks like Xbox is waiting until Black Friday for steep discounts on first-party games, its third-party studios are filling the gap this Prime Day with discounts on games ranging from Star Wars to One Piece and more. Bear in mind that these are for physical Xbox games, so if you have a Series S, you won’t be able to take advantage of these deals.

Some of the prices have fluctuated throughout the day as well, though we’ve included alternatives where they exist.

Blizzard says you can expect a new Diablo 4 expansion every year

Blizzard is moving Diablo 4 to a yearly release schedule in a manner not unlike Destiny 2, franchise manager Rod Fergusson said

Blizzard is potentially moving Diablo 4 to a yearly release schedule in a manner not unlike Destiny 2, franchise manager Rod Fergusson said in a recent interview. That means you can expect big Diablo 4 expansions once per year, with several seasons in between that offer supplementary quests and storylines (thanks, Dexerto).

“When you look at the launch of the game and this first season, we see that as building a foundation on which we can build for the future,” Fergusson said. “So, as we look at our quarterly seasons, and we look at our annual expansions, those are the things that we’re really focused on for our live service.”

The news comes a few months after Blizzard confirmed that the team was working on two expansions at the time Diablo 4 launched. That announcement fit with Blizzard’s approach to previous Diablo games. The studio launched critically acclaimed expansions for Diablo 2 and Diablo 3, with a second expansion planned for each that ended up getting canceled.

Fergusson evidently wasn’t just talking about the team’s plans for launching the two announced expansions. He told Dexerto’s Patrick Dane that Blizzard has plans that go “well into the future…it’s years and years.”

Associate game director Joe Piepiora previously said Blizzard doesn’t intend you to play Diablo 4 forever like the best MMOs, but it sounds like that might not be the case anymore.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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The first Diablo 4 XP boost weekend is coming up soon

Blizzard announced the first Diablo 4 XP boost weekend, where you get bonus gold as well, and it’s just around the corner

Blizzard announced the first Diablo 4 XP boost weekend, where you get bonus gold as well, and it’s just around the corner. From 1 p.m. Pacific on Sep. 1, 2023, through the same time on Sep. 5, 2023, all Diablo 4 players will earn 25 percent more XP and gold. The game is also on sale for 25 percent off from now until Sep. 5, 2023.

“Stoke the fire, gather round, and rally your most savvy of companions to slay demons with renewed fervor,” Blizzard said in the event announcement post. “The Blessed Mother’s cruelty is matched by her generosity, but not for long. Rise to new heights and earn more Gold for your bloodlust in the Mother’s Blessing Weekend!”

A 25 percent XP boost might not sound like much, but it adds up and can cut down on the Nightmare Dungeon grind quite a bit, a useful little upgrade if you’re trying to level up your seasonal realm character and complete some of the season’s more difficult challenges. It’s even handier if you’re just getting started in your journey through Sanctuary, when options for leveling up quickly are few – and Blizzard removed some of the best in previous patches.

The timing seems pretty convenient too. Starfield early access goes live on Sep. 1, 2023, ahead of the full launch on Sep. 6, 2023, and that’s the same day that Baldur’s Gate 3 releases for PS5.

Whatever the reason behind this sudden incentive to play Diablo 4 again, hopefully it won’t be the last time Blizzard makes the grind a bit easier to handle.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Blizzard halts Diablo 4 trading to stop cheaters

Diablo 4 trading is on hiatus for the foreseeable future as Blizzard works out a solution to stop cheaters and item duplication glitches

Diablo 4 trading is on hiatus for the foreseeable future as Blizzard works out a solution to stop cheaters and duplication in the RPG. As we usually see with games like this, including Diablo Immortal and Lost Ark, players are using gold and item glitches to get more than their fair share during trades, and Blizzard isn’t happy about it.

“We’ve suspended player trading in Diablo IV until further notice due to a gold and item duplication exploit,” a Blizzard representative said on the game’s subreddit. “We are working on a fix to amend this issue and will update you once we’ve reinstated the ability to trade. Once that is done, we will continue to monitor this activity to ensure a healthy playing experience for all.”

“We thank you for reporting this exploit to us and your patience.”

Suspension of Trading Notice
by u/SinfulScribe in diablo4

Players who take advantage of these glitches will likely get banned, though Blizzard clarified that those who unwittingly traded with cheaters will be unaffected.

The trading scene in Diablo is one of the more important parts of the endgame. Here, you can buy and sell gems and certain pieces of equipment using in-game currency. If you’re lucky – and loaded with gold – you can walk away with some pretty nice augmentations for your characters, so it’s unsurprising that players game the system and try for unlimited gold or rare items, especially with how long it takes to grind for anything in Diablo 4.

Blizzard didn’t offer an anticipated timeframe for when it might restore Diablo 4 player trading.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Final Fantasy 16 and Diablo 4 led strong games sales growth in June

June saw a significant bump in spending growth across the games industry, led by Final Fantasy 16, Diablo 4, and strong hardware sales

June saw a significant bump in spending growth across the video games industry, led by Final Fantasy 16, Diablo 4, and strong hardware sales. Mat Piscatella, executive director of Circana, formerly NPD, said sales totals in software, hardware, and accessories reached $4.7 billion. That’s a nine percent increase over spending in June 2022 and makes June 2023 the second most profitable June on record.

Hardware spending increased 28 percent compared to last year at the same time for a total of $454 million, and the PS5 continues its streak as the year’s best-selling console.

Diablo 4 took the top spot on the software charts, with Final Fantasy 16 in second place, and Street Fighter 6 close behind. These knocked Tears of the Kingdom to fourth place from its top spot in May and put Jedi Survivor in seventh, following its stint in the top three the previous month.

June 2023 US Video Game Market Highlights from Circana – June 2023 U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware and accessories reached $4.7B, a 9% increase vs YA. It was the 2nd highest spending ever achieved in a June month, trailing only June 2021’s $4.8B. pic.twitter.com/lZ8IceiZaJ

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) August 2, 2023

Other notables on the chart include Spider-Man Miles Morales, which jumped up to ninth place from its previous position in 31st, helped no doubt by the announcement of Spider-Man 2’s release date during Summer Game Fest. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life debuted at number 17 and pushed God of War Ragnarok down to 18th.

On the yearly sales charts, Tears of the Kingdom remains in second place, with Diablo 4 entering at number three. Final Fantasy 16 landed at ninth place and Street Fighter 6 in 10th. Piscatella said Street Fighter 6’s launch sales were double those of Street Fighter 5.

Candy Crush Saga, unsurprisingly, remains one of the best-performing mobile games, though Genshin Impact has dropped off the top 10 list for the time being. That’s perhaps understandable, as the latest round of updates introduced no new characters.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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The first new Diablo class in nearly 10 years is coming to Immortal

The Blood Knight, the first new Diablo class in over a decade, is coming to the Diablo Immortal mobile game soon, with brand-new skills

The Blood Knight, the first new Diablo class in almost a decade, is coming to Diablo Immortal, the series’ mobile game spinoff, soon. Blizzard announced the Blood Knight during a new livestream that, despite being devoted to Diablo 4’s first season, had plenty of information about the new class ahead of it’s debut on July 13, 2023.

The story behind the Blood Knight is that they were once bitten by a vampire, but halted the curse before they became fully enthralled. Now they exist in limbo, part monster and part human, but the bright side is they get a nice mix of powers to take down monsters with.

The Blood Knight uses a polearm for close-range melee attacks, and they also have a suite of shadow and blood abilities to attack foes from afar. Blizzard says their one drawback is the Blood Knight’s limited mobility, but you can make up for that with legendary essences that modify their standard abilities.

Some of them give the Blood Knight a leaping attack, for example, while others bestow life-stealing abilities on them so the Knight can stay alive longer.

You have the usual choice of two ultimates for the Blood Knight. One is a 3-hit polearm combo followed by a 5-hit combo that stuns foes at the end. The second uses a slashing attack up close or a dagger throw when you’re further away, and you can augment the attack so it deals more damage or ricochets.

Finally is the Abomination meter. This charges similarly to the ultimate meter and, when full, gives the Blood Knight a new primary attack, a blood rush skill that covers a lot of ground quickly, and a 3-hit combo that launches, slams, and stuns foes.

You can check the Diablo Immortal blog site for all the details.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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