Austin Wood
Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with 12DOVE since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.
Latest articles by Austin Wood
![Helldivers 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pgRhknMFBgMPN3oD36zUwB-320-80.png)
Helldivers 2 has been a masterclass in making live service games fun, from handling balance patches to surprising players with unannounced updates
By Austin Wood published
Opinion Opinion | Helldivers 2 is a live service game that actually feels like it needs to be live
![Spice and Wolf Holo](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sHc8zLCfgPHDpGKmic75rE-320-80.jpg)
The fantasy anime I've waited literally 15 years for is finally airing next month and I simply will not shut up until you watch it
By Austin Wood published
news There's still nothing else quite like Spice and Wolf
![Helldivers 2 story trailer](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xQqxHC7BhT8oYKYqymXYs9-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 propaganda hits a new peak as devs lie about flying bugs while players forge documents: "These traitors are working overtime to fill your heads with lies"
By Austin Wood published
news Don't believe the lies, cadet
![Helldivers 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TN2k7yNmoc5HibiHoxKmxW-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 players are closing in on their first "permanent" win in the bug war, so surely nothing will go horribly wrong when game master Joel presses a big red button
By Austin Wood published
news "Breaking: Helldivers to permanently contain bugs"
![Astlibra Revision](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wK6aoExCYxu4VnWYASgfES-320-80.jpg)
Japanese solo dev behind surprise Steam mega-hit weighs in on the term JRPG: "This is a term I heard for the first time since it's not used in Japan"
By Austin Wood published
Feature A useful chat with Astlibra Revision creator Keizo
![Astlibra Revision trailer girl](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3Dpu3pYUUqAzxv29KdvSFQ-320-80.jpg)
The solo dev behind one of the wildest narratives in JRPG history agrees "it was a miracle that the story came together in the end"
By Austin Wood published
news Astlibra Revision creator Keizo was also reeling from the story a bit
![Astlibra Revision](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RrQTbfW4zJ57974qmBDDnJ-320-80.jpg)
Meet the Japanese solo dev who spent 15 years making the bizarre game that's secretly one of the highest-rated JRPGs on Steam and a personal favorite of mine
By Austin Wood published
feature Astlibra Revision creator Keizo explains the making of the unexpected epic
![Genshin Impact Chiori swords](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VS2fQEyPzwo6aXXtevfC7h-320-80.jpg)
Genshin Impact 4.5 release date and time - When the Chiori banner starts
By Austin Wood published
news New five-star Geo character Chiori debuts in the first half of version 4.5
![Granblue Fantasy Relink](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eWNdHCUchBq2gaUAeh27Lk-320-80.jpg)
One of the best action RPGs of 2024 gets better as Granblue Fantasy Relink rolls out the kind of endgame live services would kill for, plus more gorgeous characters
By Austin Wood published
news Granblue Fantasy Relink has yet another epic boss battle on the way
![Genshin Impact Arlecchino](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gaKeW4jz2FP2g5umb6HfgY-320-80.jpg)
After almost 2 years, Genshin Impact confirms Arlecchino for update 4.6 in one of the open-world RPG's most-anticipated reveals ever
By Austin Wood published
news Arlecchino will be the second playable Fatui Harbinger
![Ex Astris](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9hrJeMPKhxcp3Fv4cLrD8A-320-80.jpg)
This sci-fantasy RPG came out of nowhere and had pretty much everything stacked against it, but somehow I ended up loving it anyway
By Austin Wood last updated
feature Arknights studio Hypergryph released Ex Astris, an RPG with no microtransactions, and it whips
![Holo X Break co op](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2YWg7hZcsXngM3QwfNosfc-320-80.jpg)
Beloved indie dev "miraculously" lands co-op game featuring 9 of the biggest vtubers on Earth, but pays a heavy price: "My cringe ass trying to voice act"
By Austin Wood published
news Holo X Break features several Hololive talents, but not without cost
![Helldivers 2 intro screaming](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EXDcNogeJNk6h2T9JCMxXH-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 boss says players unlocked mechs "4x faster than we thought," and are now calling in so many EXO-45s that the servers are struggling again
By Austin Wood published
news Y'all are calling in so many mechs that even the servers are getting democratized
![Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Aerith and Tifa suited](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P4gijcKrYmXGCZhPXeDkwi-320-80.jpg)
Final Fantasy 7 writer "regretted" parts of the original JRPG and saw Rebirth and Remake as a chance to "properly portray Aerith and Tifa’s friendship"
By Austin Wood published
news Kazushige Nojima shares his hopes for the remake trilogy
![Helldivers 2 mechs](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tYwEtHPF3dfHmbGqi3L5V-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 finally gets its mechs in our first post-launch Stratagem after players liberate Tien Kwan in record time
By Austin Wood published
news The mechs have arrived, I repeat, the mechs have arrived
![Helldivers 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ew9bQTUUihnM5rx7nh6UHD-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2's annoying armored enemies are getting nerfed, devs look to tone down "spawn rates and health pools"
By Austin Wood last updated
news The most-requested Helldivers 2 change is coming, people
![Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update Night City sightseeing binoculars](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oq9ttkybC6euqFS3bAbzX4-320-80.jpg)
CD Projekt dev congratulates Cyberpunk 2077 player on finding an Easter egg photobomb after the RPG's latest update
By Austin Wood published
news The devs were just chatting about how nobody had found it yet
![Helldivers 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VyRa3WvghKwFxcSHTQD9CP-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 CEO says Arrowhead has "taken action internally to educate our developers" after game balance debates got out of hand
By Austin Wood published
news Comments from community and development figures fanned the flames
![Helldivers 2 intro cutscene helldiver thumbs up](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b7zVhtkF4hGfWxChzHcEMR-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 balance lead says the "don't nerf, only buff" approach is a horrible idea as the community reacts to top weapon nerfs
By Austin Wood published
news "I believe players are scared of nerfs, because it will ruin the fantasy of a weapon"
![Stalker](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KUM5WsPLgrXYEf4jhGqu6j-320-80.jpg)
The original legendary Stalker trilogy, still an open-world FPS icon, gets "refined for console" in surprise Xbox and PlayStation release
By Austin Wood published
news The Stalker games that started it all finally jump to consoles
![Destiny 2 Gambit's Drifter](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XUXRetiPTMVcBwgt7sGuXL-320-80.jpg)
Oops, Destiny 2's best farm ever was literally just the MMO playing itself: bugged Lost Sectors were auto-completing and spitting out free Exotics in seconds
By Austin Wood published
news Farm it before it's patc– and it's been patched
![Helldivers 2 mechs](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CiAyGWtLvsqwL4mCBkbZJV-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 dev casually confirms mechs are coming "soon" – meet the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit
By Austin Wood published
news Arrowhead announces what we've all been hoping for
![Temtem trailer](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tEXnxKaVFj67dSZmYLxQGT-320-80.jpg)
Putting out an MMO fire, Temtem devs confirm the last big update for the "MMO-lite," cut "all of the microtransactions in the game," and tease another new game
By Austin Wood published
news Temtem is almost out of new content, but the sort-of MMO will stay on for "a really, really long time"