Game Talk Live

New Overwatch updates include social features like endorsements and a “Looking for Group” feature as Blizzard practices positive reinforcement. Plus, the reveal of Hero 28 (aka Wrecking Ball) is a big surprise for fans, but it’s not without controversy. With continued meta changes, like the Symmetra rework and major map updates, players and onlookers are eager to see how these adjustments will affect Overwatch League. Guests: Sofia Hariz, Courtney Williams, and Matt Buchholtz

The popularity of Epic Games’ Fortnite among young gamers is leaving kids vulnerable. Luckily, streamer Ninja chooses to tone down vulgar language for his underaged audience, and teachers adapt by incorporating game terminology into their lesson plans. At the same time, children as young as 9 are being sent to rehab for their Fortnite addictions, and the World Health Organization (WHO) now categorizes Gaming Disorder as a mental condition. Guests: Jon Brence aka Kawaii Guy and Ian Tingen of Power Level Productions

Bethesda claims the new WB Games/ Behavior Interactive Westworld mobile game is a rip-off of Fallout Shelter– so they’re taking them to court. Meanwhile, companies like tencent aim to adapt their mobile games for the Nintendo Switch. Plus, Pokémon GO adds Friend Codes and Trading features as attempts to reinvigorate the game. Guests: Kevin Mahoney and VampireKitten

VidCon 2018 finally wrapped, closing with big platform updates from Instagram and YouTube. Meanwhile, the future of content creator conventions is threatened by uproar following Tana Mongeau’s failed rival conference “TanaCon” and Logan Paul’s mobbing incident last year. With so much turmoil we are left wondering: What is the true nature of streamer-worship culture? Guests: Nati Casanova aka The Zombi Unicorn and Joshua Ovenshire (Jovenshire)

Developers claim that Twitch is killing their single player games. With titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 removing their single player campaign and Fallout 76 bringing multiplayer to the series, streaming services are showing their powerful influence on game development. It’s clear that “Games as a Service” is not just a lucrative opportunity for publishers but also a strategy to keep games relevant and trending on Twitch. Guests: Khail Anonymous and Malika Lim of Hyper RPG

The League of Legends Summer Split kicked off last weekend, and Echo Fox & Team SoloMid rose to the top. With new LOL Esports franchises, the bizarre state of the meta, and Week 1’s technical issues, Riot Games’s massive MOBA is reverting to its wild west roots. Guests: Echo Fox’s SeungHoon ''Huni'' Heo and Nick D’Orazio of InvenGlobal