Mechwarrior Online Open Beta Launch - 29th October 2012

Welcome to the long-awaited Open Beta release of Mechwarrior Online! This is the day we've all been waiting for. At long last there will be no more wipes, everything we do from here on out will be 'live'.

There wasn't a client patch deployed, but it seems some things have changed server-side. Repair bills have fallen and the cbills received at the end of each match appear to have increased. This makes the initial grind to buy a mech much more manageable.

Mechwarrior Online Patch Notes - 25th October 2012

Rejoice! For the change log for the long-awaited MWO patch has been released! The forums are currently down, but I the update email has arrived so I can bring you the patch notes hot off the press.

MechWarrior Online BETA Update

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Build Version 1.0.134 (That's right.. Version 1.0!!!)

Mechwarrior Online Tutorial Videos

Well the servers have been taken down and a patch is incoming that will hopefully bring with it the transition to Open Beta. There will be a large influx of new players over the coming weeks, and KageKaze from the official forums has produced a series of tutorial videos to help the new player make their first steps in the world of MWO.

Edit: Open Beta has launched, sign up here.

MWO cReddit Merc Corps Gameplay Videos

Now that the NDA has been lifted, plenty of gameplay videos are hitting YouTube. The set below were all recorded by Defekt from DefektiveGaming, dropping with the cReddit Merc Corp. Each is available in 1080p resolution, so crank up the res, sit back and enjoy!

Ask the Devs Part 19

The questions and answers from the nineteenth round of 'Ask the Devs' have been posted:

Q: Higher Blood pressure , Paul or Fox ? [Helmer]
A: Paul. [Garth]

Ask the Devs Part 17

The questions and answers from the seventeenth round of 'Ask the Devs' have been posted:

Q: Have you guys ever considered making customization more akin to refit kits in Strat Ops? See page 188 for what I mean.[Stormwolf]
A: Yes, and we feel our system is the best mix of tabletop, past MechWarrior games, and our own spin. It allows customizability without compromising the idea and purpose behind the weapon, chassis, etc. [Garth]

Fan-Made MWO Closed Beta Trailer

Trawling through YouTube today I stumbled upon the below fan-made trailer for the MWO closed beta. It has been done in the manner of a lot of 'top frag' videos from CS:GO and the like, being a montage of ingame footage spliced together in time to a soundtrack.

Ask the Devs Part 16 - Answers

The questions and answers from the sixteenth round of 'Ask the Devs' have been posted:

Q: Is it safe to assume that NDAs will drop at Open Beta? Not holding you to it, just wondering - I am working on writing an article, and want a rough deadline for when it needs to be finished. [WardenWolf]
A: Absolutely, why would we have an NDA if anyone can play? [Garth]

Q: Will robots with torso angle of 360 degrees, such as Thanatos or Thor from MechWarrior 4 Mercenaries? [Motharre]
A: We currently don't have plans to do this, although we may for future Mechs. So, the best answer I can give is 'maybe', sorry. [Garth]

Q: Will there be more graphic options? [ALacKOfLife]
A: Absolutely, we'll be adding them over time. [Garth]

Q: Would you guys consider adding the Panther, Wolfhound or Dervish? [Stormwolf]
A: We consider any canonical Mechs - I can't say whether or not we'll add those, though. [Garth]

Q: What of those real-world individuals (and potential MWO players) who were "inducted into the BT canon" (such as those who participated in the Lawyers, Guns, & Money event, and other such BT-related events) - would they be able to somehow claim use of their own "BT-canonized" names? [Strum Wealh]
A: Oh I would love to do that. There are no concrete plans but I think it's a great idea that we hold events to allow something like that. So, not planned, but would love to! [Garth]

Q: How will the maps for battle be chosen? Random for each battle or maps wiil be associated with specific planet or mission or something else? [Jurious]
A: It will depend entirely on the mode you're playing. Some will be random, others will be choices. [Garth]

Q: I'm curious how Jenner/Catapult/Stalker would even stand after getting knocked down, but I would see them as being the slowest in getting up, followed up by Mechs with arms but no hands, and with Mechs like the Atlas/Commando/Hunchback getting up the quickest thanks to their hands. [Monsoon]
A: You can try this yourself - lie down and get up without your arms. (it's possible, trust me.) For our Mechs there will be no difference. Mech standup times are roughly identical. [Garth]

Q: Any plans for going underwater in maps that would allow it? [Rasgueados]
A: No plans currently but... hmm... [Garth]

Q: If you were a Timberwolf, what dev would you have to pay off for them to spill the beans about your existence? [Hawkeye 72]
A: Paul Inouye. [Garth]

Q: The bloodthirsty Gods of you...do they have names? If they have...what are their names? [Nash]
A: Shub'Niggurath The Impossible, Crom The Destroyer, The Emperor Of Man, and Thor God of Lightning. [Garth]

Via the Official Forums

My Comment: Out of the above I'm looking forward to the NDA drop and the potential to fight underwater, something I don't think any previous MechWarrior game has attempted. I imagine ejecting down in the depths would be rather hazardous though!

Inner Sphere News Roundup - Week of 3rd Sept. 3049

Welcome to the weekly roundup of news from the Inner Sphere, for the week of 3rd September 3049.

Mon. Sept 3, 3049:
Alisander Dunbar, son of Lady Mariette Dunbar of Ares, has disappeared; rumors suggest Maskirovka connections.

(Someone Else's) Average Day In Beta

A followup to the 'Another Average Day In Beta' Developer Blog post has been unleashed upon the world, entitled '(Someone Else's) Average Day In Beta'.

Video: Founder's BattleMech - Catapult

The final promo video for the Founder's mechs is now out. Presenting the CPLT-1C Catapult. A long-range fire support mech that features racks of deadly LRMs and a brace of Medium Lasers for close-in work. The Catapult even features jump jets to give you that extra maneuverability.

Catapult CPLT-C1

Class: Heavy
Weight: 65 Tons
Speed: 64 km/h
Jumpjets: Four
Armament: 2x LRM15s; 4x medium lasers
AKA: Death you can't even see

MechWarrior Online Q&A from Ten Ton Hammer

An interview with Russ Bullock, President of Piranha Games, Inc.

Via Ten Ton Hammer

What role does each of the four BattleMech types serve?

It really depends on how you play the game, but generally speaking you have four BattleMech types: Light, Medium, Heavy and Assault.

Light Mechs are fast and great for things like recon and scouting. They are also great for things like raids or surgical strikes on enemies – especially in hard to see areas or areas that are dense (urban environments, etc.)

Video: River City Map Reveal

The official MWO YouTube channel has just posted the below video, covering one of the beta maps, River City.

Nestled within a coastal valley, River City, ravaged by war, is the first urban setting map for MechWarrior Online. From stealth scouting to long range support and right down to all out brawling, players will find areas in River City that suit their needs. The river itself, spanned by two bridges, divides the city into two opposing sides. A fortified citadel dominates the centre of the city and players will fight for control of two key sites: a space port high on a plateau and a crucial industrial port facility on the ocean shoreline. Surrounding the city are hillsides that are still in conflict and the odd airstrike and artillery barrage can still be seen off in the distance. Pools of fire and rubble throughout the city drive home the point that the pristine condition of the city is now just a remnant memory of the past.

The Beginning of the MWO Hub

The MWO Hub is here to bring you up-to-date news, guides and videos for Mechwarrior Online, the long-awaited next installment in the Mechwarrior franchise.

MWO is a  free-to-play mech combat game set in the Battletech universe that draws on a rich universe built up over 30 years of previously published games, books and novels to bring you an authentic experience of piloting a 5-storey tall battlemech.


The game is currently in closed beta and under a strict NDA, so for the time being we will be unable to publish any guides that do not come from the official website. However, once the game hits open beta and the NDA is lifted, we will release a veritable slew of gameplay and strategy guides perfect for helping new pilots get acquainted in the world.

Although we cannot post guides, we will be dishing out articles on the universe in which Mechwarrior Online takes place, ranging from Mech readouts and Faction guides to a history of the major events in the timeline so far.

So suit up, strap in, and prepare for a ride!