Heather Newman

Contributor

Heather Newman has reported on games for more than 25 years, with an internationally syndicated column and stories in dozens of magazines. In World of Warcraft, her Mythic Plus dungeon team was No. 1 in all-star points in North America for a number of weeks for slightly cheesy reasons. She scored one measly point against Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel in Unreal Tournament and was, exceedingly briefly, top 50 world in Halo.

Latest articles by Heather Newman

Alleria, an elf touched by the void, stands proud among the ruins of a familiar city in World of Warcraft: The War Within.

World of Warcraft: The War Within's art direction leans into Warcraft's history and a 'feeling of nostalgia', says lead artist

By Heather Newman Published 17 April 24

news Blizzard looked at WoW Classic to inspire the new zones.

news

An image of the Isle of Dorn, a new zone in World of Warcraft: The War Within.

World of Warcraft: The War Within alpha's first zone is beautiful, melancholy, and surprisingly polished

By Heather Newman Published 17 April 24

WORLD'S WAR Internal conflict, external beauty.

WORLD'S WAR

WoW Classic devs on the changes they've liked most in Season of Discovery so far: 'It just sounds like utter chaos, but I've just been having a blast'

By Heather Newman Published 6 April 24

classic twist A case to try the less-Classic version of WoW Classic.

classic twist

How the WoW Classic team decides what to change in the 20-year-old game

By Heather Newman Published 5 April 24

#somechanges Blizzard explains its approach to tweaking WoW Classic while "preserving the original feelings."

#somechanges

WoW Classic Season of Discovery devs are aiming for 'fun,' not 'perfect balance'

By Heather Newman Published 5 April 24

news Their approach is "very much divorced from the idea that everything has to be pristine from a numbers standpoint."

news

WoW: Dragonflight meta achievement hunting

I've spent hundreds of hours to become one of just 0.13% of Warcraft players who have Dragonflight's ultra-rare meta achievement, and WoW did it suck

By Heather Newman Published 5 April 24

Meta Slog Too many of Dragonflight's achievements are excruciatingly random, and I had to get them all.

Meta Slog

WoW Classic made the 'radical change' to stop testing new content with players to bring back a sense of 'mystery and discovery'

By Heather Newman Published 4 April 24

Interview Blizzard tells us why it's running Classic's Season of Discovery without a PTR.

Interview

A World of Warcraft Orc and Night Elf battle in pirate outfits

Blizzard secretly made a battle royale game inside World of Warcraft to 'break the rules' it's had for 20 years

By Heather Newman Published 19 March 24

news Plunderstorm will live on a separate server than your regular characters.

news

A World of Warcraft Orc pirate fighting off a raptor in a grassy zone

World of Warcraft’s battle royale mode won’t force you to PvP so everyone can 'have an awesome pirate party with your friends and collect plunder’

By Heather Newman Published 19 March 24

news Patch 10.2.6's Plunderstorm is a mode for everyone.

news

World of Warcraft void elf character Xal'atath looking intently in a close up

Blizzard's World of Warcraft patch schedule suggests The War Within expansion will launch in August

By Heather Newman Published 19 March 24

news We did the math.

news

Here's how powerful you need to be for each WoW Classic dungeon

By Heather Newman Last updated 5 March 24

Dungeons and Dragons Grab some guildmates and get stuck in.

Dungeons and Dragons

How Blizzard balances and rebalances World of Warcraft's raids to evolve with players: 'It is important to keep in mind the audience that is engaging with an encounter at a given time'

By Heather Newman Published 19 February 24

Practice makes... Raid balance in WoW is never a static goal: it's a moving target.

Practice makes...

World of Warcraft's lead storyteller quietly left Blizzard last fall: 'I've felt the itch to stretch my creativity in new directions'

By Heather Newman Published 13 February 24

news Steve Danuser reflects on his favorite WoW tales, with no announcement on future plans.

news

A night elf faces off against an orc warrior in World of Warcraft Classic, amidst the dense shadowy woodland of Ashenvale.

All WoW Season of Discovery Phase 2 runes

By Heather Newman Published 8 February 24

Power up SoD Phase 2 runes can change up the playstyle of many classes.

Power up

WoW Classic zone levels - an orc shaman is standing in Orgrimmar

Every Phase 2 class quest in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery

By Heather Newman Published 8 February 24

World class Many classes get new questlines at Phase 2’s higher levels.

World class

WoW SoD Phase 2 - a player is standing in a red-skied Stranglethorn Vale during the Blood Moon PvP event

Everything you can do in WoW Season of Discovery Phase 2

By Heather Newman Published 8 February 24

Just a phase Season of Discovery Phase 2 offers a ton of new content.

Just a phase

Atlus was 'extremely careful' about Persona 3 Reload changes: 'Good things do not get old with time, and greatness does not fade away'

By Heather Newman Published 6 February 24

news The remake was made to "keep the story and game experience of Persona 3 in a state where it could be enjoyed with today's specs," says Kazuhisa Wada.

news