14 DAY TRIAL // The winter holidays are almost upon us and this means that quite a lot of different games, both online and offline ones, are getting special updates to mark the season not to mention the various traditions that players might have in real life.
The last week saw quite a lot of major patches drop for a variety of games and this has certainly sparked my interest, as well as those from my friends, so here are some of the most impressive ones that are currently available.
Valve is really celebrating
First up, at least in my opinion, is the Dota 2 Shifting Snows update, which not only included a winter-themed version of the iconic map, complete with snow, a Santa Claus hat for Roshan, or a Christmas tree with presents for the entrance to his cave, but also gameplay enhancements. Patch 6.83 for the iconic game was bundled with the update and introduced quite a lot of different changes to most of the 100+ heroes available in Dota 2.
I would already jump into the title because of the tweaks made to heroes and items, in order to see if they actually have an impact, but the winter-themed map and the other goodies included in Valve make the online game an even more attractive way of spending some of my free holiday time. Sure, it's no Frostivus, but at least it's a good way of reminding yourself that Dota 2 is getting into the holiday spirit.
Valve also took care to introduce the holiday spirit in another one of its popular titles, as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive got its winter-themed update earlier this month and, just like with Dota 2, something extra was added on top, in the form of the overhauled version of the Train map, which boasts revised sections, better visuals, and balanced gameplay.
Valve wasn't the only studio getting into the holiday spirit, as Rockstar, after a few leaks and a bit of teasing, finally presented the Festive Surprise update last week for Grand Theft Auto 5's online mode. While it doesn't include the long awaited online heists, which are now scheduled to appear in early 2015, it does bring snow to Los Santos, not to mention a variety of goodies. From great weapons, to temporary fireworks, new vehicles, and more, there are plenty of things to enjoy in the open world action adventure experience.
Just like with Valve, Rockstar also added a variety of gameplay changes and bug fixes in the update in order to ensure that players won't encounter issues or unbalanced gameplay when jumping into the title this holiday season.
Blizzard isn't getting into the spirit
Unfortunately, some other studios are missing out on the holiday mood, with Blizzard being probably the biggest. Besides World of Warcraft, which has its Feast of Winter Veil event, other titles, from Diablo 3 to StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, or Heroes of the Storm aren't enjoying any specific events or at least visuals. While I'm aware that Blizzard has just a limited number of resources, it can provide fans with at least a few different things to ensure that they're reminded of the winter holidays inside their favorite games.
Do you enjoy seeing special winter updates in your titles or do you just want play as a Grinch? Share your thoughts below by leaving a comment.
