Overview

Difficult Steam Keys for your Steam Account – Part 2

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Richard Griever

Continued from Part 1!

Steam Keys: The Five Games Continued

Ikaruga can be defined in two simple words: Bullet Hell. Games in these genres are maddeningly difficult due to the incessant amount of “bullets” flying around your screen as you attempt to avoid them and shoot down enemies in return. There are tons of other games on Steam under this genre, like Jamestown, but Ikaruga sets itself apart from the others with its notorious difficulty and steep learning curve.

Bullet Hells are easy to get the hang of eventually, but Ikaruga’s twist is going to ensure that that is not going to happen with you any time soon. All bullets are either black or white and your ship can switch between black and white. Only bullets of the opposite color can destroy your ship, e.g. you can tank white bullets if your ship is white. In addition, hitting enemies with the opposite color inflicts double damage.

It’s… overwhelming. Give it a try and you’ll get a run for your money.

Super Meat Boy

This game. This freaking game. Super Meat Boy has been the poster child for difficult games for a while now. It starts off simple enough but quickly ramps up the frustration to insane levels, so much so that you can find videos on YouTube of people suffering through the game while screaming their heads off in rage. Yet even so, it’s all strangely addicting.

The fun of Super Meat Boy really comes down to two simple things: 1) the movement is slick and responsive so you know that every mistake was truly your own fault, and 2) the respawn after death is instant, which leaves no time for you to even consider quitting. Success is always just within reach, making it that much more infuriating when you fail.

But it’s a good kind of fury – the kind that floods your veins with endorphins when you finally succeed. And that’s why we play games like this, isn’t it?

D ark Souls

This is the game that revitalized the wonders of the idea of an extremely difficult game. It’s Dark Souls! Which game? Take your pick; there are a couple lying around on Steam that you could buy for a steal. Wait for a flash sale or maybe the next big sale to get them. You certainly will not be disappointed.

If you’ve no idea how this game plays as, think of Monster Hunter meets Warhammer; a vestige of high, dark fantasy that’s been near non-existent in modern times with a dead simple control system. Fight gigantic monsters, undead humans, and a whole bunch of other stuff in this medieval, post-apocalyptic world. Every encounter, even with just grunts, can be an absolutely brutal experience. Dark Souls isn’t the first in its name though as it is only the spiritual successor of the game, Demons’ Souls released on the Playstation 3, though both are still from the same developer, Fromsoftware.

Don’t mind the accusations of overhyping; the Steam keys are damned well worth the price tag. Which Dark Souls? Take your pick; you won’t be disappointed.

Difficult Steam Keys for your Steam Account – Part 1

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Richard Griever

If trends indicate anything, the success of the Dark Souls series proves that hard games aren’t at all a niche market. Throw in some Flappy Bird in there and you will understand what I mean. This is because difficult games feel so rewarding when completed even though there really isn’t a physical component involved. When was the last time you felt the rush of adrenaline and the rewarding feel of endorphins after you’ve conquered a particularly difficult level or boss?

Oddly enough, however, the mainstream market tended to run the way of the casual and difficult games are notoriously *ahem* difficult to find. We looked for a couple of very hard games you can get for your Steam account so that you don’t lap up your sweat before the hard part comes along.

Steam Account: The Five Games

Super Hexagon [$3]

Super Hexagon is a masochistic game. It’s the sort of game that will challenge your own notion of thinking you have decent hand-eye coordination that’s better than the average gamer. When you play this game, you’ll realize how much you actually suck.

The premise of the game is pretty simple: you’re trapped inside a sequence of concentric, collapsing hexagons and the point of the game is to avoid the solid walls that collapse into the center by moving the cursor in the middle to the empt parts. If you’ve ever played the Brawler’s Guild in World of Warcraft, this is pretty much Hexos without the high fantasy trappings.

Borrowing from Dark Souls from a bit; Prepare to die.

VVVVVV [$5]

Remember how hard Super Mario was when you were a kid? What about Contra? Prince of Persia? Or maybe even Metal Slug?

Now imagine if those games didn’t have a jump button. VVVVVV is an odd ball platformer with retro graphics akin to the ones mentioned above that will have you almost punching your screen due to sheer frustration. It’s one of the best platformers ever developed and would be a shame if you didn’t take the plunge into maniacal difficulty.

Again, you can’t jump in the game, but, instead, reverse gravity in a stage to get you through some of the obstacles within its stages. It’s not as easy as it sounds and certainly not so easy to play. This is one hell of a difficult gem of a game that will give you your money’s worth.

Continued in the next part.

10 Bundles to Get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 2 – Redeem Code

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Richard Griever

The continuation of our 10 Bundles guide for the Steam Summer Sale!

6. Assassin’s Creed Bundle Redeem Code

Ubisoft is Ubisoft; sometimes they’re evil and other times… they’re as evil as EA. But the Assassin’s Creed franchise is undeniably one of the best IPs in modern gaming. These games don’t always go on sale, so if you get a chance or are even remotely interested in picking up the series, I suggest that you go for the Assassin’s Creed bundle that goes for a meager $62.96 considering the amount of content in it. Don’t worry; Unity’s mostly fixed now, so go nuts and get to know the assassins of yore through this redeem code.

7. Serious Sam Franchise Redeem Codes

Like, holy crap, $10 for the Serious Sam complete pack. Serious Sam is a solid FPS classic that should not be ignored by the shooter aficionado. Furious first-person shooting, relatively fast paced movement, and tons of crazy enemies make this IP old but still gold. This bundle has EVERYTHING you would possibly ever want or need from the Serious Sam franchise. With a jaw-dropping 90% discount, I’m not even sure why you still even want to mull over if you are buying this classic or not.

8. Borderlands Steam Keys!

Borderlands. Enough said. Also, redeem code.

The most awesome shoot-and-loot franchise is on a nutter sale at just $21.53. The Borderlands triple pack consists of the original Borderlands and its DLC, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

What’s even crazier than that? The Borderlands “Take over your life” bundle offers all of those above but has the addition of the Tales from the Borderlands from Telltale games. Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones – ring any bells? Yes, the solidly fantastic story driven Tales game rounds up your Borderlands experience nicely with only an increased cost of $4.67. In my opinion, it’s the latter that’s more worth it. Tons of content and many different games; can’t go wrong here.

9. Telltale Bundle Redeem Codes

Like I mentioned earlier, Telltale is just amazing at story telling. Don’t like the rest of the Borderlands series but like the storybook gameplay of Tales from the Borderlands? Well, you can skip all that and just get the Telltale bundle redeem code that has all the Telltale classics and modern gems to sate your story pangs.

This bundle isn’t exactly cheap as it’s going for the price of $82.84, but with the crapton of games in it, you will absolutely get your money’s worth – I guarantee it.

10. Homeworld bundle Steam Redeem Code

Okay, this final bundle doesn’t include games with 70-plus percent discounts or massive packaged savings. But Homeworld Remastered and Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak redeem codes are both stellar RTS games worthy of rebooting the legendary PC-centric Homeworld series, and if you buy them as a bundle, Gearbox will knock another 10 percent off the top of the 50 percent discounts being applied to both games. Both can be yours for $38.23 total—a meager price for some top-shelf strategy action. (If you’re looking for even more fine RTS gameplay, Ashes of the Singularity is on sale for 50 percent off during the Summer Sale, too.)

And that’s it! Happy redeem code hunting, everybody!

10 Bundles to Get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 1 – Steam Keys

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Richard Griever

The Steam Summer Sale; a legendary event for gamers all over the world to obtain treasured copies of amazing games at the lowest of prices. Many might have felt turned off over the fact that Valve shied away from Daily Deals and Flash Sales during the Summer Sale as a whole, instead opting for a “what you see is what you get” approach, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that Steam is the place you’ll only ever find amazing deals on AAA games and their Steam codes.

With that said, to increase your chances of getting the best deals and your money’s worth, we hunted down 10 game bundles that you’ll absolutely love to have. Some of these can be so ridiculous that it might not seem real – but believe us; they’re as real as real can be!

Just as an addendum, these bundles will even discount from the price if you already have a game’s Steam keys found in the bundle. The amount you pay will be even LESS than what it already is. Now, take a gander and get to buying because the sale ends on the 4th of July!

10 Bundles and Their Steam Keys

1. Deus Ex bundle Steam Keys

Made up of the original Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Invisible War, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Deus Ex: The Fall, the entirety of the Deus Ex bundle is crazily amazing that it hasn’t let up as a strong seller this Summer Sale. This is Deus Ex: One of the best franchises to ever grace the gaming landscape and it’s going for the extremely low price of $8.24. How is this something you are not buying yet? If anything, this is the best time to purchase the franchise if you haven’t gotten into it yet as the next Deus Ex game, Mankind Divided, is coming out in August. Get to know it, now!

2. The Witcher Trilogy Bundle Steam CD Key

The Witcher. Enough said. Well, maybe there’s a bit more to say about it. The original Witcher wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking release from the relatively unknown CD Projekt Red at the time, but it slowly became a household name one Witcher 2 came around, and the finally solidified itself upon the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Made by an obscure Polish developer, an new IP, and basically a world we’re all not used to, it’s amazing how the Witcher pulled itself through the muck of the unknown and made itself one of the best franchises the world has ever known. If you haven’t caught up with the story of the past game or are interested to get into the world of the Witcher, The Witcher trilogy Steam CD key goes for a meager $26.52 compared to purchasing Wild Hunt alone for $40. Not to mention that there’s this $20 deal for the Witcher 3’s amazing DLC, Blood and Wine, so it’s definitely a no brainer to buy the bundle.

3. Turn-based Strategy Bundle Steam Codes

Steam has also packaged similar games together to create themed bundles around specific genres. Most slip in a full-priced game or two and the occasional stinker, but a couple stand out from the crowd.

The $39.82 turn-based strategy bundle, which includes The Banner Saga, Invisible Inc., Hard West, Gremlins Inc., and Thea: The Awakening. That’s a great lineup, and you’ll save 10 percent more than if you purchased the games separately.

4. JRPG bundle Steam Keys

This is a similar bundle for Japanese RPG fans, with Valkyria Chronicles, Tales of Zestria, Disgaea PC, Agarest: Generations of War, and Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 collectively selling for $42.88. Valkyria Chronicles alone makes this a worthwhile bundle due to its status as a modern classic. Throw in there the raunchy Agarest and Hyperdimension Neptunia, along with another modern classic in the form of Disgaea, it’s really hard to go wrong with this.

5. Hotline Miami combo pack Steam CD Key

Hotline Miami is a glorious, pulsing, neon-dripping homage to over the top violence, decked out in retro aesthetics. The mix of brutal, fast-paced action and intoxicating audiovisuals activates something in your monkey brain that compels you to play just… one… more… time—even if the story makes no damned sense.

During the Steam Summer Sale, the Hotline Miami combo pack offers bothHotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2 for just $5. There’s no extra bundle discount in play, but for $5 for two great games, who cares?

Overwatch Should Be on Your Steam Account

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Richard Griever

It’s an unlikely thing to happen considering Blizzard having its own platform for its games, but a guy can dream, can’t he? With Overwatch being the strongest game right now in the mainstream landscape, one can’t help but think of the increased success they may have if only it were also released on Steam. Never mind the politicking of game developers between each other or the possible money they may earn or lose through this, but I’m merely talking about the possible increased popularity of the game.

Steam Account: The Horrid Truth

Surely, just because a game is featured on Steam, it doesn’t exactly mean instant success for it. Take Battleborn, for example; an otherwise amazingly wonderful game overshadowed by Overwatch. Valve wouldn’t be able to help the poor title out even if it wanted to due to the innate ineptitude of the game to market itself against a far more experienced and powerful game developer such as Blizzard.

Steam accounts will just have to settle with the tons of other Steam games up for sale in the Steam Summer Sale of 2016 that’s going to end on the 4th of July. We might not have access to Overwatch, especially those folks who simply abhor the Battle.net client, but we’ve got tons of AAA games up for grabs at the click of a mouse. Still it would be sweet to add Overwatch in our tidy collections in our Steam account.

Team Fortress 2 is a nice replacement for Overwatch, but a near-decade old game doesn’t hold up much against a young powerhouse backed by one of the most successful game companies to exist. Heck, Valve isn’t even doing much about TF2 at the moment and are only content with maintaining Steam’s dominance as the third party platform on PC. Think of all the lost potential; we should have much more on our Steam account.

With TF2 as an F2P game, it’s no surprise that Valve won’t take care of it like it used to as it brings in little money compared to everything else they handle on Steam. Overwatch is another story because Blizzard’s new IP is well taken care of and has tons of money-making potential past the 7 million copies of it already sold worldwide.

Steam Account Value: Steam Summer Sale Tips!

Posted on June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 by Richard Griever

With a huge band, the Steam Summer Sale of 2016 kicked off this June 23rd as it Steam tradition would dictate. Tons of games are up for grabs on sordid discounts. Not even AAA titles are safe from the price slashing.

If you haven’t made it a point to browse the game platform’s wares yet, we suggest that you go take a good look now before your the sale ends on July 4. This may be your biggest chances to buy amazing titles such as the Witcher and the Borderlands series to raise your Steam account value.

There are literally tens of thousands of titles to buy and take advantage of the the Steam summer sale with. This does, however, serve as a problem for the more discerning gamer with specific tastes. Due to the massiveness of the Steam marketplace, it can be hard to sift through the crap to find the few gems hiding beneath the dusty veneer of mediocrity.

We have a couple of tips that just might cinch it for you, saving you precious time and, most of all, money.

Steam Account Value: The Tips and Tricks of the Trade

1. Highlighted Deals

These are normally on the front page of the Steam store and there’s a new one everyday just like on normal days. Always check out the games on highlight as these are the most discounted of any other game, ranging from 50% to 75% discount. Of course, if you don’t find what you like, there’s really nothing we can do there.

2. Steam Smartphone App and Trading Cards

It would be more advantageous to have a better reputation outright due to the 15 day wait before the sale of any unverified trading cards. But selling rare cards or a ton of popular ones in bulk at the start of the sale could yield some interesting profits for you. Remember that you should never buy cards at the start; once the market is saturated with tons of trading cards due to the large influx of games bought and played, that’s when you can go nuts. You’ll most likely get a really good investment with this.

3. Don’t be greedy for more discounts

“What you see is what you get.”

This is a philosophy that Steam’s been adapting more and more with their massive sales like these. Back in the day, you’d get a 33% off sale on a specific game only for it to go even lower a few days later. This time around, the discount found on Steam games in these sales won’t ever go lower until after a few more months, and sometimes, it won’t even go lower. In fact, it can go against you and have a smaller discount compared to the Summer sale by then. Don’t be cheap and just grab a game you like if it’s in the right price range this summer sale.

4. Check the Reviews

So you just found a game that’s only for a dollar. It aesthetically looks good and is your kind of genre. Even for that low price, check the reviews and other third party sources. Take your time before you invest in a game; no matter how cheap it is. Because, if you don’t, you’ll more likely end up with a bunch of crappy games that have no bearing on your Steam account value.

5. Check out Our Latest News on the Summer Sale

Take a look at our own listings on Steam games that are on sale for a specific day and you just might even find recommendations from other users about specific games. But, in the end, nothing’s ever wasted on your Steam account so long as you actually like what you buy. Don’t be shy, but be careful with your purchases. Happy hunting, everyone!

Steam Account Value: The Summer Sale – Day 1 and 2

Posted on June 24, 2016June 24, 2016 by Richard Griever

So, this Steam Summer Sale is just as insane as any other Summer Sale, but it may just be the craziest one yet. Late 2015 to early 2016 has been a pretty amazing year for gamers in general with so many good releases like Dark Souls III and a bunch of other games that I really don’t care about. With that said, you know you’re going to hurt your wallet with the tons of games you will want to buy that increases your Steam account value. Past this nifty little vid about how awesome the sale is going on right now is a small list of the first two days of the sale, July 23-24, so that you can plan out your purchases, if any, much better than just rummaging through the Steam store and inadvertently choking the life out of your Steam account with unnecessary purchases.

We’ll be updating this page for every day that there are additional information on the new sales until the very end.

Steam Account Value: Sales on!

Steam Summer Picnic Sale 2016 – Day 1

Sale runs from June 23rd – July 4th.

This year’s deals will remain at the same price for the entire sale (like the 2015 Winter Sale). You should be safe to buy a game at any discount as it’ll be that price for the entire sale. There will still be a post each day to focus on featured deals.

Highlighted Deals

Title	Disc.	$USD	$CAD	€EUR	£GBP	AU ($USD)	BRL$	Metascore	Platform	Cards	PCGW
NBA 2K16	80%	11.99	15.99	9.99	7.99	13.99	19.98	87	W	No	No
Darkest Dungeon	40%	14.99	16.79	13.79	11.39	14.99	27.59	84	W/M/L	Yes	Yes
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen	33%	20.09	26.79	20.09	16.07	20.09	50.24	81	W	Yes	Yes
Stardew Valley	20%	11.99	13.59	11.19	8.79	11.99	19.99	88	W	Yes	Yes
The Banner Saga 2	20%	15.99	17.59	15.99	11.99	15.99	29.59	83	W/M	Yes	Yes
Ashes of the Singularity	50%	19.99	21.99	19.99	14.99	19.99	36.49	69	W	Yes	Yes
Vanishing Realms™	20%	15.99	17.59	15.99	11.99	15.99	29.59	N/A	W	No	No
PAYDAY 2	75%	5.00	5.50	5.00	3.75	5.00	9.25	79	W/L	Yes	Yes
Stellaris	10%	35.99	39.59	35.99	31.49	35.99	65.69	79	W/M/L	No	Yes
This War of Mine	75%	4.99	5.49	4.74	3.74	4.99	9.24	83	W/M/L	Yes	Yes

More Highlighted Deals

Title	Disc.	$USD	$CAD	€EUR	£GBP	AU ($USD)	BRL$	Metascore	Platform	Cards	PCGW
The Mean Greens – Plastic Warfare	25%	7.49	8.24	7.49	5.24	7.49	14.99	56	W/M/L	Yes	Yes
Grandia® II Anniversary Edition	50%	9.99	10.99	9.99	7.49	9.99	18.49	80	W	Yes	Yes
60 Seconds!	50%	4.99	5.49	4.99	3.49	4.99	9.99	N/A	W/M	Yes	No
War for the Overworld	57%	12.89	14.18	12.03	9.88	12.89	24.07	65	W/M/L	Yes	Yes
Cobalt	65%	6.99	7.69	6.99	5.59	6.99	12.94	69	W	Yes	Yes
Surgeon Simulator 2013	80%	1.99	2.19	1.99	1.39	1.99	3.99	71	W/M/L	Yes	Yes
Game Dev Tycoon	33%	6.69	7.36	6.02	4.68	6.69	13.39	68	W/M/L	Yes	Yes
Kholat	60%	7.99	8.79	7.19	5.99	7.99	11.99	64	W	Yes	Yes
The Solus Project	20%	15.99	17.59	15.19	11.99	15.99	29.59	79	W	Yes	Yes
Orcs Must Die! 2	75%	3.74	4.24	3.74	2.74	3.74	6.99	83	W	Yes	Yes
Gauntlet™ Slayer Edition	75%	4.99	4.99	4.99	3.74	4.99	9.24	68	W	Yes	Yes
Anno 2205™	40%	23.99	29.99	23.99	17.99	27.57	59.99	72	W	Yes	Yes
Banished	66%	6.79	7.47	6.45	5.09	6.79	11.89	73	W	No	Yes
The Jackbox Party Pack 2	65%	8.74	9.79	8.04	6.64	8.74	16.09	N/A	W/M	No	No

Franchise Deals

Item	Disc.
Sonic Franchise	50%
Assassin’s Creed Franchise	35-75%
Call of Duty Franchise	50-67%
ARMA Franchise	20-80%
LEGO Franchise	30-75%
Deus Ex Franchise	75%

Summer Sale Special Bundles

Item	Disc.
First-Person Puzzle Bundle	+10%
JRPG Bundle	+15%
Building Bundle	+15%
Point-and-Click Bundle	+10%
Party Games Bundle	+15%
Metroidvania Bundle	+15%
Turn-Based Strategy Bundle	+10%
Survival Bundle	+10%

Hardware Deals and Bundles

Item	Disc.	$USD
Steam Link	30%	$34.99
Steam Controller	30%	$34.99
Steam Controller + Steam Link Bundle	37%	$62.98
Steam Controller + Rocket League Bundle	40%	$41.98
Steam Controller + XCOM 2 Bundle	40%	$65.98
Steam Controller + Grim Dawn Bundle	35%	$48.73
Steam Controller + Civilization VI Bundle	18%	$89.98
Steam Controller + The Talos Principle Bundle	56%	$39.98

Redeem code: Overwatch’s Incoming Competitive Mode

Posted on June 23, 2016June 23, 2016 by Richard Griever

PSN Redeem Code: Blizzard’s Info on Competitive Mode this end of June!

Overwatch’s competitive mode was supposed to be released at the same time with the actual game, but it was then delayed to late June. While it isn’t much of a problem for most folks, it’s been a bone of contention for players that want to take Overwatch to hyper esports levels right off the bat. No matter because it is coming and coming very soon with a lot of reworking, tweaks and rewards.

First of all, the seasons for the competitive mode are expected to last for about three months, lining up properly with the four seasons. Naturally, the first ever season of Overwatch would be the Summer competitive season.

Next, the company plans to tweak the Assault format to cut down on the number of matches going into Overtime. It happens anywhere from 35 to 50 percent of the time, which Blizzard felt was a bit too high.

Blizzard also overhauled the entire progression system of the game and the competitive tiers that people got used to back in beta have been removed completely. In their place is a new system that will feature a matchmaking ranking that is based on a player skill rating from one to 100. Player skill ratings and averages will be shown before and after matches, and you will also be able to see if you are playing against a pre-made group. Xbox redeem code for Overwatch. Blizzard says that this may result in skill ratings occasionally dropping, but the company plans to monitor this system to make sure it is working as intended.

Lastly,Blizzard added some cosmetic incentives to competitive play via golden weapons and various other things. These will include new sprays and player icons that will only be obtainable during each season. A pretty good time to get an Overwatch redeem code then for some esports competitiveness.

Steam Account Value Pick: Phantom Brave on PC!

Posted on June 23, 2016June 23, 2016 by Richard Griever

Oh, holy crap, when did this get by me? Nippon Ichi, the creator of the extremely famous Disgaea series, isn’t too well known for making PC releases other than the Disgaea PC sometime back. With the release of Phantom Brave on Steam, it’s pretty clear what direction the company is taking. The console industry certainly is a small demographic considering that the IPs Nippon Ichi often develops are for niche markets. What better way to find more of this niche market than by having their beloved games, such as Phantom Brave, available on a previously unexplored platform? And even more importantly, a platform as big as a Steam account?

Steam Account Value: A Gem of a Series

Initially released in 2004 for the Playstation 2, Phantom Brave found itself moderate commercial success but quite some acclaim from RPG aficionados. As a tactical role-playing game, Phantom Brave’s gameplay occurs on an isometric board, akin to the Disgaea series and other tactical games like Final Fantasy Tactics or Vandal Hearts. Unlike the Disgaea series, however, there are only a few true playable protagonists and most unit creation is done via “phantoms” through Marona, the female lead.

Marona sends out phantom allies and has them inhabit inanimate objects throughout the playing field, like rocks or trees, that determine their overall combat capabilities. Specific objects give specific stats and abilities to specific classes, making it a tactical decision as to where to confine a specific phantom. Up to 14 phantoms can be dispatched during any given battle, but the phantoms can only be confined to the physical world for a particular number of turns. The number of turns that a character can stay confined is based upon their class.

Steam Account Value: A Great Story

Phantom Brave comes from a period in time in the gaming industry where there was a strict adherence to maintaining a fantastic story. Akin to its Nippon Ichi contemporaries, Phantom Brave hosts a long and great story that distinguishes itself from the Disgaea series by maintaining a serious sense of self with only a few sprinkles of comedy in between.

If you’ve never played this game, then I suggest you stuff up your Steam account value with this amazing game. Buying steam keys for this is also going to be a big deal because the success of Phantom Brave (and Disgaea PC beforehand) will determine if Nippon Ichi will continue to publish their games on PC. Believe me, this game is worth every penny.

Steam Codes: The Dismal Battleborn

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Richard Griever

Battleborn, one of Gearbox’s huge hopes for this generation, is going down in flames as we speak. It’s population has been dwindling since its launch back in May 3 and hasn’t been able to change it up ever since then. It has become even more difficult for the Gearbox game to bounce back with Overwatch overshadowing (lol) it in every aspect and completely getting dominated in social media. Overwatch memes, jokes, PotGs, fan art, advertisements, and literally everything under the sun has been able to push Battleborn into obscurity. Adding more fuel to the fire, or, rather, the lack thereof, Battleborn, as essentially closer to a moba than Overwatch, has failed to make a dent in the moba-playing communities of LoL and Dota. Here on out, where is it supposed to go?

Steam Codes: The Lack of Star Power

Screw Team Fortress 2, LoL, Dota, and CS:GO: the real fight is between Battleborn and Overwatch. But, at this point, it’s no contest! Overwatch has gone to soaring heights of popularity that none have ever imagined it ever reaching and Battleborn takes the opposite route into the shadows of deep obscurity. What went wrong for Battleborn? Certainly not the choice of having Steam codes, that’s for sure.

Marketing. Plain and simple.

Battleborn is not a horrible game. No, not by a long shot. In fact, compared to Overwatch, Battleborn has a lot more going for it as a game. With tons of content including different multiplayer game modes that aren’t only entrenched in the moba tradition, and a single player component that folks sorely want for Overwatch as well, it should have performed better.

But the very fact that Blizzard was able to hype up Overwatch to a degree that none could compete with is what sealed Battleborn’s fate. The only thing Overwatch can truly offer, other than the solid and stellar team-based gameplay, was its cast of extremely attractive characters. Battleborn was not able to do the same with their cast despite being uniquely awesome as well. Everybody knows who Tracer is, even if they don’t play Overwatch. But on the other end of the spectrum, I ask a couple of my friends who… well, I couldn’t really ask them if they knew who the Battleborn mascot is because I don’t even know who it is.

For a game that touts itself as a hero-based shooter, Gearbox failed to make anybody care about the heroes – even their own playerbase. At 800+ players on a Sunday night, that’s not an unfair assessment to make.