If there’s anything better than a good game, it’s a good sequel to a game. Whether you like building an empire, being a superhero or just mowing through hordes of demons, here are three games coming out this term that you can look forward to.

Sid Meier’s Civilization XI

The Civilization franchise started in 1991 and still serves as the poster child for the modern 4X strategy game genre. Its latest installment by Firaxis Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, hopes to do its predecessors proud in honor of the series’ 25th anniversary. After Civilization: Beyond Earth was criticized by fans for basically being a re-themed Civilization V, this new installment tries to innovate by improving the game’s basic formula.

Like most games in the series, you play as one of the world’s many civilizations, each with its own unique leader and special abilities. This time around, players are treated to the return of old favorites and the institution of brand new faces. Gandhi returns as the leader of India, and Theodore Roosevelt makes his debut as the leader of the United States.

This title retains the series’ classic 4X strategy gameplay, but now there is a larger focus on each individual city. The game’s more complicated mechanics have also been streamlined. Cities now grow to multiple hexes and can be customized by creating special districts with different advantages. Combat also changed dramatically as the majority of one’s army is on a single hex tile. Finally, the AI is designed to make the game both unpredictable and historically realistic. Other civilizations will have hidden motives and will be more interesting to negotiate with.

Rewrite history on Oct. 26 for $59.99 on PC, Mac and Linux.

South Park: The Fractured but Whole

South Park: The Stick of Truth, created by Ubisoft and the South Park creative team, was well received by fans of the series and gamers alike. The game is basically a 12-hour interactive episode where players can create their very own South Park character and mingle with the show’s colorful cast. It’s no surprise that the game has spawned a sequel, one that promises to be every bit as authentically South Park as the first.

In South Park: The Fractured but Whole, the kids have decided that fantasy roleplaying just isn’t cool anymore and that Superheroes is the new hip game of the week. Sadly, this means your character isn’t a mighty king anymore and is now just a nerd in a crown. Don’t worry though, with new classes, customization options and superhero parody storylines, you’ll likely get over it pretty fast.

From what we’ve seen so far, the game is a turn-based RPG, with the addition of a grid-based battlefield. Now you can strategically position your characters and take advantage of the terrain by knocking enemies out of position or into objects for extra damage.

South Park: The Fractured but Whole was originally set to release on Dec. 7 but has been delayed to an unknown date. Pre-order now for $59.99 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One and get South Park: The Stick of Truth for free.

Shadow Warrior 2

The Shadow Warrior series is for people with particular tastes. If all you really want from a game is to sit back, relax and spend a few hours obliterating hordes of demons while splattering their blood and viscera over otherwise pristine environments, you’re in luck. The 2013 remake of the classic 1997 Shadow Warrior has now inspired a sequel with the upcoming Shadow Warrior 2.

Set five years after the last game, the exploits of the game’s wisecracking main character, Lo Wang, have resulted in a world where humans and demons live side-by-side. As fate would have it, Wang runs into trouble with his old boss, Orochi Zilla, and must use his arsenal of over 70 weapons to slice, shoot and blast through anything dumb enough to stand in his way.

The big additions to this installment are a co-op mode with up to three additional players and elements of procedural generation that give each mission a small amount of variation. Other than that, it’s your classic first-person shooter. Find new weapons, upgrade them and basically kill anything that moves.

You can start slashing demons on Oct. 13 for $39.99 on PC, Mac, Linux, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

If you’re looking for more games coming out this term, you can check out the Emerald‘s roundup of 12 other games coming out this fall.

Out of the 223 student organizations currently recognized by the ASUO, only 26 have official meeting or office spaces, according to Julie Scroggins, the student organization advisor for the ASUO. The rest make do reserving space wherever available. This usually means students have to haul materials to the location of each meeting.

As part of the Erb Memorial Union remodel, these student organizations will now have the opportunity to take advantage of the Center for Student Involvement Resource Center, which has replaced confined office spaces previously used by several ASUO recognized organizations in favor of an open, free-to-use space.

The Center for Student Involvement has a variety of resources and tools available for student groups on the UO Campus. (Samuel Marshall/Emerald)

Some student organizations at the University of Oregon had a hard time finding places to meet before the EMU’s renovation.

“In the past, we had student organizations that had office spaces, and by office spaces, I mean some people were literally in broom closets,” Scroggins said.

Now, those closets have been turned into storage rooms and the walls of the offices have been torn down to create a free-to-use open space for students.

Starting this term, the newly formed CSI will provide a variety of services to UO student organizations in a collaborative effort with ASUO. The new space offers services including advising, expanded use of the UO OrgSync system and the opening of a new Resource Center located in EMU 213.

The CSI is a combination of the Student Activities and Resource Center and the UO Cultural Forum, two former EMU programs committed to the promotion of student involvement on campus, according to Mandy Chong, the program director responsible for the CSI.

The CSI Resource Center has an open meeting area and storage space, and provides event and craft supplies for use by all ASUO recognized student organizations. These resources can also be used by organizations that have registered with the CSI but are either still in the process of starting up or are too small in scope to become ASUO recognized.

The CSI is working to create a welcoming environment for the entire campus community by supporting the UO Student Activities Board in developing events and assisting with campus-wide event planning. The CSI hopes to streamline the process for students interested in starting a student organization, help improve and track event attendance and provide resources such as storage space, computer access and a closet known as the “Supply Nest” that contains craft materials and event supplies available for student use.

“There’s a lot of student organizations on campus and they need support,” said Chong. “This is a great way to get them the support for whatever their endeavors may be.”  

The Resource Center also features computers reservable computers for student organizations, easily movable tables and chairs and first-come first-serve long-term storage cabinets that can be reserved on a yearly basis.

According to Carter Fritsch, the programs administrator for the ASUO, the CSI is an independent entity that will be working closely with the ASUO to help facilitate the creation of new student organizations and can assist them in becoming ASUO recognized.

Previously, all student organizations needed to go through the lengthy process of  becoming ASUO recognized in order to take advantage of things as simple as consistent meeting spaces, but now they can get a certain level of access by simply registering with the CSI.

“We’re really invested in making this process work for everyone,” said Fritsch. “I can speak as a student, student leader and ASUO executive staff member, that this is one of my highest priorities: to get them access.

The CSI Resource Center is run by a combination of ASUO professional staff and student employees whose main roles are advising and assisting event planning for student organizations. This includes Scroggins, whose role is to help educate student organization leaders on how to establish goals for their organizations and how to utilize the resources the CSI provides.

“The space is intended for ASUO recognized student organizations and student organizations that register through the CSI,” Scroggins said. “To insert a generic idea … the Monopoly club, they just want to get together with a group of people who want to play Monopoly. They don’t really want to be a part of the ASUO because they don’t want to have to create bylaws and attend mandatory meetings. They just want a place to get together and play Monopoly.”

Another resource that the CSI is promoting alongside their new Resource Center is expanded use of OrgSync, which all students will now be automatically signed up for. The CSI is favoring OrgSync over different forms of communication such as email or social media as it is more suited to managing student organizations and seems to be a more reliable way to communicate. Through OrgSync, the CSI will be able to aid in the transition of leadership by giving relevant access to an organization’s new leadership.

“Our hope is that [OrgSync] will be the one place that students will go to find out what’s happening on campus, to get involved and to find their news and information,” said Scroggins.

The CSI has inherited the combined budget of the Student Activities and Resource Center and UO Cultural Forum but has also increased the scope of what it hopes to accomplish with said budget.

Some of the projects that the CSI wishes to enrich with its funds this year: the expansion of the Queer Film Festival and the Intersectional Events team, providing the services of the Resource Center, expanding the weekly Fishbowl Fridays event and maintaining a contingency fund for impromptu events, such as last year’s UCC Vigil, Chong wrote in an email.

Now, all students need to start a club on campus is an idea and a couple of likeminded individuals. No need for bylaws or an abundance of paperwork.

“I’m excited for [CSI],” said Fritsch. “Quite honestly, it should have existed before this. As an organization run by students, the ASUO didn’t have the infrastructure and staffing necessary to create and maintain another status beyond what it already does. I’m really excited to see what happens with our new registered student organizations.

For those interested in the CSI and its new Resource Center, there will be an open house on Oct. 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Resource Center, so that students and student organizations can meet the staff, tour the space and mingle. You can find more information about the CSI online at https://emu.uoregon.edu/center-student-involvement.

Out of the 223 student organizations currently recognized by the ASUO, only 26 have official meeting or office spaces, according to Julie Scroggins, the student organization advisor for the ASUO. The rest make do reserving space wherever available. This usually means students have to haul materials to the location of each meeting.

As part of the Erb Memorial Union remodel, these student organizations will now have the opportunity to take advantage of the Center for Student Involvement Resource Center, which has replaced confined office spaces previously used by several ASUO recognized organizations in favor of an open, free-to-use space.

The Center for Student Involvement has a variety of resources and tools available for student groups on the UO Campus. (Samuel Marshall/Emerald)

Some student organizations at the University of Oregon had a hard time finding places to meet before the EMU’s renovation.

“In the past, we had student organizations that had office spaces, and by office spaces, I mean some people were literally in broom closets,” Scroggins said.

Now, those closets have been turned into storage rooms and the walls of the offices have been torn down to create a free-to-use open space for students.

Starting this term, the newly formed CSI will provide a variety of services to UO student organizations in a collaborative effort with ASUO. The new space offers services including advising, expanded use of the UO OrgSync system and the opening of a new Resource Center located in EMU 213.

The CSI is a combination of the Student Activities and Resource Center and the UO Cultural Forum, two former EMU programs committed to the promotion of student involvement on campus, according to Mandy Chong, the program director responsible for the CSI.

The CSI Resource Center has an open meeting area and storage space, and provides event and craft supplies for use by all ASUO recognized student organizations. These resources can also be used by organizations that have registered with the CSI but are either still in the process of starting up or are too small in scope to become ASUO recognized.

The CSI is working to create a welcoming environment for the entire campus community by supporting the UO Student Activities Board in developing events and assisting with campus-wide event planning. The CSI hopes to streamline the process for students interested in starting a student organization, help improve and track event attendance and provide resources such as storage space, computer access and a closet known as the “Supply Nest” that contains craft materials and event supplies available for student use.

“There’s a lot of student organizations on campus and they need support,” said Chong. “This is a great way to get them the support for whatever their endeavors may be.”  

The Resource Center also features computers reservable computers for student organizations, easily movable tables and chairs and first-come first-serve long-term storage cabinets that can be reserved on a yearly basis.

According to Carter Fritsch, the programs administrator for the ASUO, the CSI is an independent entity that will be working closely with the ASUO to help facilitate the creation of new student organizations and can assist them in becoming ASUO recognized.

Previously, all student organizations needed to go through the lengthy process of  becoming ASUO recognized in order to take advantage of things as simple as consistent meeting spaces, but now they can get a certain level of access by simply registering with the CSI.

“We’re really invested in making this process work for everyone,” said Fritsch. “I can speak as a student, student leader and ASUO executive staff member, that this is one of my highest priorities: to get them access.

The CSI Resource Center is run by a combination of ASUO professional staff and student employees whose main roles are advising and assisting event planning for student organizations. This includes Scroggins, whose role is to help educate student organization leaders on how to establish goals for their organizations and how to utilize the resources the CSI provides.

“The space is intended for ASUO recognized student organizations and student organizations that register through the CSI,” Scroggins said. “To insert a generic idea … the Monopoly club, they just want to get together with a group of people who want to play Monopoly. They don’t really want to be a part of the ASUO because they don’t want to have to create bylaws and attend mandatory meetings. They just want a place to get together and play Monopoly.”

Another resource that the CSI is promoting alongside their new Resource Center is expanded use of OrgSync, which all students will now be automatically signed up for. The CSI is favoring OrgSync over different forms of communication such as email or social media as it is more suited to managing student organizations and seems to be a more reliable way to communicate. Through OrgSync, the CSI will be able to aid in the transition of leadership by giving relevant access to an organization’s new leadership.

“Our hope is that [OrgSync] will be the one place that students will go to find out what’s happening on campus, to get involved and to find their news and information,” said Scroggins.

The CSI has inherited the combined budget of the Student Activities and Resource Center and UO Cultural Forum but has also increased the scope of what it hopes to accomplish with said budget.

Some of the projects that the CSI wishes to enrich with its funds this year: the expansion of the Queer Film Festival and the Intersectional Events team, providing the services of the Resource Center, expanding the weekly Fishbowl Fridays event and maintaining a contingency fund for impromptu events, such as last year’s UCC Vigil, Chong wrote in an email.

Now, all students need to start a club on campus is an idea and a couple of likeminded individuals. No need for bylaws or an abundance of paperwork.

“I’m excited for [CSI],” said Fritsch. “Quite honestly, it should have existed before this. As an organization run by students, the ASUO didn’t have the infrastructure and staffing necessary to create and maintain another status beyond what it already does. I’m really excited to see what happens with our new registered student organizations.

For those interested in the CSI and its new Resource Center, there will be an open house on Oct. 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Resource Center, so that students and student organizations can meet the staff, tour the space and mingle. You can find more information about the CSI online at https://emu.uoregon.edu/center-student-involvement.

Friday, Sept. 30 — Fall Opening Reception at Jordan Schnitzer (1430 Johnson Ln.) 6-8 p.m. Free.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will be kicking off the new school year with a yearly reception, inviting the public to view the most recent exhibits.

This year’s featured exhibits include “Scrimmage: Football in American Art from the Civil War to the Present,” which showcases over 150 years of American football artwork; “Between the World and Me,” which explores the civil rights movement and the history of black culture in the United States; and “Gay Outlaw: Mutable Object,” which features a variety of artwork from San Francisco-based artist Gay Outlaw.

The following day, Saturday, Oct. 1, will feature the museum’s first 45-minute guided tour of the school year, which is free with the cost of admission. Admission is free for UO students and faculty.

Saturday, Oct. 1 — Archives Fest at Knight Library (1501 Kincaid St) 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

This weekend, UO Libraries will be hosting Archive Fest 2016 in an effort to raise awareness of its cultural resources. The day will include a viewing of writings and artwork from Ursula K. Le Guin and Ken Kesey, a tour of the Pioneer Cemetery, a screening of UO’s historic film collection and more. For more information visit http://researchguides.uoregon.edu/archivesfest.

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 & 2 —  Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic at Matthew Knight Arena (1390 Villard St) 7:30 p.m. & 2 p.m. Admission: $18 – $353

The Professional Bull Riders will be in Eugene this weekend as one of the last stops of its Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic tour. This will be one of the last opportunities this year to see competitors attempt to score the points necessary to move on to the World Finals. You can learn more at http://www.matthewknightarena.com/event.

Tuesday, Oct. 4 — Beer 201 at Provisions Market Hall (296 E 5th Ave) 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. $25

Mike Coplin, the founder of Eugene Beer Week, will be holding the second class on beer on Tuesday. This meeting will cover regional styles, food pairing and flavor blending. Beer and light snacks are provided; full meals can be purchased for an additional fee. You can learn more at http://provisionsmarkethall.com/event/beer-201/.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 — Jake Martini and Jake Dejongh at the Ciderhouse (390 Lincoln St.) 6-8 p.m. Free.

Acoustic singers and songwriters Jake Martini and Jake Dejongh are a local country-folk duo that will be performing at the WildCraft Ciderhouse next week. The venue itself specializes in small-batch seasonal dry ciders made from regional ingredients. You can learn more at https://wildcraftciderworks.com/.

Thursday, Oct. 6 — One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Richard E. Wildish Community Theater (630 Main St, Springfield) 6:30-9:00 p.m. Free.

Springfilm will host a special showing of the classic 1975 film based on the 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, written by Ken Kesey, which is considered by many to be one of the best films ever made. You can find more information at http://www.wildishtheater.com/wptest/.

Imagine an arena of cheering fans bathed in fluorescent light, all focused on a group of headphone-clad competitors in the center of the room. Instead of dashing across a field, dribbling a ball or crashing into one another at full force, these student-athletes sit at desks, swipe mice across tabletops and tap away on keyboards. Behind them is a large screen where colorful characters battle, hurling fireballs, destroying buildings, and competing for dominance in a vibrant fictional world. This is the playing field of Pac-12’s newest sporting event: eSports.

While not every eSports competition may be as grandiose as tournaments like The International, presented by Valve, or Blizzard’s Heroes of the Dorm — gaming competitions with cash prizes ranging from thousands to millions of dollars — the University of Oregon is now participating in a joint effort with the Pac-12 to bring such spectacles to collegiate competition at UO.

Last May, the Pac-12 announced that it would be officially endorsing eSports competition later this year through Pac-12 Networks — a sports-focused television network owned by the Pac-12 Conference. In the months since, Pac-12 Networks has contacted associated universities to begin talks on how to organize and support what it calls “The Pac-12 Networks eSports Program.”

Consumers spent $22.41 billion on the video game industry in 2014, according to the Entertainment Software Association. The Pac-12’s decision to get in on a budding industry is being mimicked by other sport organizations, such as the NBA: Philadelphia 76er’s CEO Scott O’Neil announced Wednesday they are buying two eSports teams, Dignitas and Apex, on the premise of “getting out in front.”        

According to Ryan Currier, vice president of digital products for the Pac-12 Networks, there are several reasons why the Pac-12 makes a great candidate as the first major conference to endorse eSports competition.

“First, college eSports is in its initial stages, but Pac-12 universities are increasingly involved in it through passionate student groups and have had success in existing competitions,” Currier said. “Second, eSports also has compelling ties to the academic missions of our schools, including departments at Pac-12 universities such as computer science, visual and cinematic arts, engineering and others.”

The previous two championship teams from the Heroes of the Dorm tournament were from University of California, Berkeley and Arizona State University, both of which are Pac-12 schools. Members of the winning teams received up to $25,000 a year in rewards for tuition.

Each of the Pac-12 schools are invited to participate in the first year of competition and each will be responsible for establishing its own competitive team. Representatives from each university have been involved in ongoing talks about collegiate eSports.

There’s also been much discussion on who exactly will organize and support a collegiate eSports team at UO. So far, none of the athletic programs from any of the 12 universities have been involved with the upcoming eSports program. Instead, the Pac-12 Networks has primarily reached out to established eSports clubs and leaders for input. As of right now, it is unclear where eSports teams fit in at UO.

The Pac-12 Networks requested that schools have both a faculty and student representative to participate in ongoing discussions, while not necessarily being involved with the team later on. For UO, the staff representative is Erica Swanson, the director of parent and family programs. The student representative is Carter Fritsch, the programs administrator for the ASUO and vice president of the only ASUO-recognized eSports-related student organization, the UO Smash Club — a group that meets weekly to play Super Smash Brothers games.

According to Swanson, one topic that has inspired debate is whether or not collegiate eSports competitors would fall under NCAA amateur status. If so, this might bar them from competing in other competitions, such as Heros of the Dorm, or from earning revenue by Twitch-streaming and creating YouTube content, as many professional gamers do.

Another concern that Swanson noted is whether Title IX requirements for equal opportunity based on gender will apply. According to a survey by WellPlayed, an eSports tournament production company, the viewership of eSport events is roughly 94 percent male and 3 percent female. At competitions, females only represent one of every 10 competitors.

More concerns include which games should be played, which companies would agree to have their games featured and what level of fantasy violence is acceptable for broadcast by the Pac-12 Networks.

“I’m just so fascinated and encouraged by the thoughtfulness that’s happening at the Pac-12 level and by the representatives from the schools,” said Swanson.  “There have been a few female members  involved in those discussions and they’re concerned about what it means to be a female gamer. Even though women are involved, they are still underrepresented, in terms of female professional or amateur gamers.”

Tryouts for the Pac-12 Networks eSports Program collegiate teams may begin as soon as October or November. According to Currier, there will be a competitive season that will include head-to-head matchups and events. This will likely include a tournament in conjunction with a Pac-12 championship event.

Another faculty member who has been involved in the discussion is Julie Scroggins, the ASUO student organization advisor, who is excited for the potential to increase student participation on campus by taking advantage of the opportunity to cater to the gaming generation.

“I think the more variety of things we can offer students to find something they can connect with the better,” said Scroggins. “There’s a pretty low entry point and you don’t necessarily need to be awesome and to always have been playing well to be a gamer. I think that’s exciting.”

Blizzard decides to retire Battle.net brand in favor of a more Blizzard-centric name

Blizzard’s Battle.net service, its longtime online gaming platform, has served gamers since the release of Diablo in 1996 and has been featured in nearly every Blizzard game since. In an effort to tie its properties closer to its overall brand, Blizzard has announced it will be retiring the Battle.net name in favor of one that associates the platform more closely to the company’s brand.

Blizzard claims this is part of a larger strategy to eliminate unnecessary divides in its overall image and cited two new services, Bizzard Voice and Blizzard Streaming, as examples of how the company is centralizing its services under one name. Blizzard has assured its fans that the name change will not affect the service itself and none of the features that Battle.net provides should be affected.

Battle.net serves as a single client that hosts all of Blizzard’s games and servers in one place and has also enabled Blizzard to keep some of its older games relevant, such as allowing them to release a major update to Warcraft 3, which was released in 2003, earlier this year.

Blizzard has not yet revealed a new name but has promised updates in the weeks to come.

Poland honors CD Projekt Red and The Witcher franchise with Geralt of Rivia stamp

Earlier this week, Poczta Polska, the state administered postal service of Poland, released a limited edition stamp depicting the iconic protagonist of The Witcher RPG franchise, Geralt of Rivia. Within days the stamp had already sold out and has since been removed from the Poczta Polska website.

Whether you are a hardcore stamp collector or just a fan of the Witcher series, you can still find the stamps through services like eBay, provided you’re willing to pay the trans-continental shipping cost. Regardless, the stamp will be available for a limited time and will most likely see several reprints before it is out of circulation.

The latest game in the franchise, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was critically acclaimed and won several awards, including Game of the Year from IGN and Game Informer, as well as best RPG of the year from The Game Awards.

Star Wars: Battlefront releases iconic Death Star Battle this week as DLC

The Death Star is one of the most iconic elements of the Star Wars franchise, and the battles that involve it prove to be some of the most exciting and important in the original trilogy. As of Tuesday, Sept. 22, you can experience some of those epic fictional battles yourself through the new Star Wars: Battlefront downloadable content, “Death Star.”

This new “Death Star” DLC features five new maps in or around the infamous battle station, including several space battles, which were absent from the Battlefront reboot that fans have been clamoring for. The DLC also features two new heroes, the bounty hunter Bossk and Chewbacca himself, as well as a slew of new vehicles, weapons and Star Cards.

Now you can infiltrate the Death Star as Han Solo and Chewy or blow it up in a climatic trench run as Luke Skywalker. Whether you’re dogfighting off the bow of a star destroyer or running the infamous Death Star trench, you’ll likely experience one of the most authentic and visually impressive depictions of the Star Wars universe through the DLC for this high-budget EA title.

The DLC is now available as an addition to the base game as part of the $49.99 Star Wars: Battlefront Season Pass along with the game’s other four DLC packs. It will later be available separately for $14.99.

Featured: Fruit Bats coming to HiFi Music Hall this Friday

“Fruit Bats has always been one of those bands [that has] never been the biggest band in the world, but we tend to get a lot of props from other big, notable bands,” Eric D. Johnson, Fruit Bats’ singer-songwriter, told the Emerald.

While the name of the Portland-based indie-folk band may not ring a bell, you may recognize those that have covered its songs. The Decemberists have covered “When U Love Somebody” and My Morning Jacket tried its hand at “Wild Honey.”

“It’s very flattering to think that our peers and people who are these heavy-hitters are going out there and repping for us,” Johnson said.

In his story-filled albums, Johnson will introduce you to well-sketched characters, as he does with the song “Heart Like an Orange” off 2011’s Tripper. He sings with a nasal timbre, like The Shins’ James Mercer with a permanent head cold: “Tried to live on the beach and was seared by the sun / Back on the farm, his folks were up in arms, crying ‘our baby’s a bum!’ / But them Florida girls kept him at ease / Ginger and rose and jasmine and all the other smells on the breeze / Up from the marshes she came to him / like a flip-flop floatin’ on a wave.”

Fruit Bats is playing at the HiFi Music Hall this Saturday, Sept. 23. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 on the day of the show. Doors open at 9 p.m. Show starts at 10 p.m. 21+.

Listen to “Humbug Mountain Song” by Fruit Bats below.

 Monday, Sept. 19 — Gumbo Groove at The Beergarden (777 W 6th Ave.) — 7-9 p.m. Free.

As part of The Beergarden’s second annual Oktoberfest celebration, it will be hosting a variety of live performances from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3. This Monday, you can see the Grateful Dead inspired Gumbo Groove playing what they call Folk-Fueled Fungrass. You can learn more about The Beergarden at its website: http://www.beergardenme.com/happenings/

Tuesday, Sept. 20 — Stone Soup: ‘Privacy Is For Wussies’ Book Signing at Barnes and Nobles (1163 Valley River Dr) — 7 p.m. Free.

Jan Eliot, creator of the Stone Soup comic strip featured in over 250 newspapers across the nation every week, will be at Barnes and Noble signing copies of her 11th book of comics, Privacy Is For Wussies. Details about the signing can be found at: https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061815472-0.

Wednesday, Sept. 21 — What So Not at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Ave) — 9 p.m. $20-$30.

You can check out What So Not, the electronic music project by the Australian record producer Emoh Instead with special guests Tkay Maidza, Graves and Jarreau Vandal, this Wednesday at WOW Hall. What So Not is best known for its hit song “Gemini”(featuring George Maple) and has garnered more than 80 million streams across SoundCloud, YouTube and Spotify. You can learn more at http://www.wowhall.org/events/what-so-not-tkay-maidza-graves-jarreau-vandal.

Thursday, Sept. 22 — Day of Caring with Nearby Nature at Alton Baker Park (100 Day Island Rd) — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nearby Nature has partnered with the United Way of Lane County’s Day of Caring 2016 this year to help clean up Alton Baker Park by helping to prune invasive plants and encourage healthy growth. A water bottle and suitable clothing are advised for participants. You can learn more at https://www.eugenecascadescoast.org/event/day-of-caring-with-nearby-nature/34406/.

Friday, Sept. 23 — UO Flock Party at the EMU (1395 University St.) — 5-8 p.m.

As part of the new student orientation and Week of Welcome, the University of Oregon will be hosting its annual Flock Party at the EMU. The Flock Party features an activity fair composed of student organizations, free food and giveaways. You can learn more about the Flock Party and Week of Welcome at https://orientation.uoregon.edu/week-welcome-schedule.

Saturday, Sept. 24 — UO Ducks Football vs Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium  (2727 Leo Harris Pkwy) — 2:30 p.m.

Following a late game loss against Nebraska last weekend, the Ducks (2-1) return to Autzen Stadium for its Pac-12 home opener. The Colorado Buffaloes (2-1) are also looking to rebound after a 45-28 loss against the Michigan Wolverines. Oregon is 5-0 against Colorado since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 conference in 2011. Visit www.goducks.com for more information.

Chris Metzen retires from his position at Blizzard Entertainment.

If you’ve ever played a Blizzard game, you might recognize the handiwork of Chris Metzen, Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development at Blizzard Entertainment. If you don’t know what he looks like, you will most certainly recognize his voice. From the character Thrall from the Warcraft franchise to the standard marine unit of the Starcraft series, Metzen has voiced a wide array of characters in the many games he has helped create.

Metzen recently announced that as of September 2016 he will be retiring from his position at Blizzard Entertainment. A heartfelt letter from Metzen to his fans was posted on the World of Warcraft online forums by Community Manager Kaivax on Metzen’s behalf. The letter expresses Metzen’s admiration for the teams he has worked with, his appreciation for the support of his fans and how proud he is of all that he has accomplished while working for Blizzard.

Starting as a graphic designer for the company back in 1993, Metzen eventually shifted into the role of a creative director after helping create the fictional universe for the Diablo franchise. He went on to help create the fictional universe for the Warcraft, Starcraft and Overwatch franchises as well. One popular example of Metzen’s work is the character Soldier 76 from Overwatch, who was inspired by the main character of a graphic novel series created by Metzen.

The Steam Review system is being updated by Valve to improve performance and discourage abuse.

Since it’s debut in 2013, the Steam Review system on Valve’s popular Steam gaming platform has been a great tool for gamers looking to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to finding new sources of entertainment. Despite its current usefulness, Valve has recognized that the Steam Review system still has room for improvement and have announced their plans for its latest update

The new update will include expanded search options that will allow consumers to search based on specific parameters, such as how many copies of the game were purchased on the Steam platform or by how many were claimed via game keys given away by the developers or sold by third party distributors. It will also let you divide the type of reviews so that you can see only positive, negative or both.

Some of the system abuse issues that Valve hopes this update will circumvent include developers sending out large amounts of free keys and claiming them as sales and the practice of developers taking down their games and reposting them under new names to eliminate negative reviews.

One of the ways Valve hopes to combat these problems is to rank reviews from those who received the game from a source other than Steam itself lower than those who purchased the game on the platform itself. Valve has also announced it intends to cut ties with any developers found abusing the system in the future.

Hearthstone Welcome Bundle and Tyrande Whisperwind priest hero arrive in the latest update.

Hearthstone is a popular virtual card game by Blizzard Entertainment, but the barrier to entry at this point can be kind of intimidating with card packs costing $1 each the majority of active players already having substantial collections.

In what seems to be an effort to even the playing field and drawn in new players, Blizzard is now offering the Hearthstone Welcome Bundle. The bundle costs $5 and comes with 10 classic set packs and guarantees that buyers will get one of the classic set class specific legendary cards. Whether you’re new to the game or are just looking to fill out your collection.

In addition to this bundle, Blizzard has added a new hero portrait for the priest class. Priests can now be represented by Tyrande Whisperwind, the night elf High Priestess of Elune from Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft.

Some other minor updates include an update to the suggested deck recipes for specific classes and the removal of certain cards from the Arena format.

The world of Azeroth has faced many threats over the last dozen years. Armies of undead threatening to devour all life, ancient evils awakening to break the world apart and even an invasion of orcs from another timeline trying to repeat a brutal history. All those threats pale in comparison to the Burning Legion, an army of immortal demons whose only goal is to eradicate all life in existence. Azeroth is the only world to ever defeat the Burning Legion before, a mistake the Legion intends to correct.

World of Warcraft is over 12 years old, but thanks to six expansions worth of content, graphical updates and refined game mechanics, it still holds up to most modern standards. Such a legacy might seem intimidating at first glance, but the game’s latest expansion, World of Warcraft: Legion, has made it much more accessible to anyone interested in giving it a try.

Whether you’re entirely new to the game or have played one of the past iterations, Legion comes with a free boost to level 100 for a new or existing character. This lets you get straight into the game’s most relevant content immediately and gives you the opportunity to go back to older content at your own leisure. Boosted characters start in a special single-player scenario that will teach you the basic game mechanics you would have learned while leveling from 1-100. The expansion also features the new Demon Hunter hero class that starts at level 98.

One thing Blizzard Entertainment has strived to do with this expansion is to focus on storytelling and what they call “the class fantasy.” They have tried to make specializations for each of the 12 classes unique, resulting in 36 drastically different play styles with their own themes. Each class also has a class-specific storyline that varies in tone and style. The paladin class stands as a champion of justice that rallies the forces of light to fight back the demon hordes, while the warlock uses knowledge of dark magic to enslave their own army of demons to fight fire with fire.

An in-game screenshot of the new zone Azuna. (Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment)

Legion is all about doing things at your own pace. Zones and dungeons scale to your level, which makes enemies retain a certain level of challenge even at max level. This also allows players to pick the order in which they progress through the expansion’s four new leveling zones. Maybe you want to go to Stormheim to battle with Vikings first or to Azuna to aid an ancient dragon and his cursed ghost neighbors. Once you hit max level you’ll unlock Suramar, a fifth zone devoted mostly to in-game storytelling.

Before you even begin leveling, you’ll be introduced to a new form of progression that will carry on after you reach level 110: your artifact weapon. Each class has an artifact weapon for each of their specializations. Every weapon has a unique skill tree that requires a resource called Artifact Power. Gaining certain thresholds of Artifact Power will allow players to spend it on a new ability in their talent tree. Each artifact has its own unique quest and backstory and some, like the Ashbringer and Doomhammer, are well known legendary weapons from the game’s lore. You can also unlock additional appearances and color schemes for each weapon.

Alongside your artifact weapons, you’ll be introduced to your class hall. This is an area in the game that only members of your specific class can enter and serves as your home base. From here, you can command champions to go out and unlock or complete quests for you in the world or accompany you as you do them yourself. For those that have played the previous expansion, Warlords of Draenor, it functions similar to the Garrison, yet requires much less micromanaging. It can also be managed out of the game with the new Legion Companion app for iPhone and Android devices.

Once you hit max level, there are a variety of options to keep progressing your character. One new feature is World Quests, which are recurring events that appear in any of the new zones and change daily. If you want to group with other players you can do dungeons, which have four difficulty settings. Professions are also much more in-depth and have their own quest lines and catch-up mechanics. Player vs. Player content has also been revamped to feature a prestige system that gradually unlocks a set of PvP specific abilities that can be reset for cosmetic rewards. Two 25-player raid tiers, The Emerald Nightmare and The Nighthold, as well as a slew of different world bosses, will be gradually released over several weeks starting Sept. 20.

The expansion’s first major content patch, Return to Karazhan, has also been revealed, which will feature the fan favorite raid remade as a five-player dungeon.

Legion can be purchased as an addition to the base World of Warcraft game for $49.99 and additional monthly subscription costs.

Featured: Monday, Sept. 12 — Carl Verheyen Band at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401)

The Carl Verheyen Band will be making their third appearance at WOW Hall this week as part of their The Grand Design Tour 2016. The tour will continue all along the west coast throughout September.

The band will be playing a mix of blues, rock, jazz. The three members of the band are: Carl Verheyen, a member of Supertramp and a Grammy-nominee; Dave Marotta, who has performed for various television and movies such as American Idol and CSI and John Mader, who has performed in various musicals, like Disney’s The Lion King, Mamma Mia, and Wicked.

The show starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $18 in advance and $20 at the door.  You can learn more about the event at http://www.wowhall.org or by calling (541) 687-2747.

Tuesday, Sept. 13 —  Beer 101 at Provisions Market Hall (296 E. Fifth Ave.) —  5-6:30 PM. Admission is $15.

For beer enthusiasts and novices alike, Mike Coplin, the founder of Eugene Beer Week, will be hosting an event called Beer 101, where participants can learn about the history of beer and the process of brewing. Attendees will be able to sample a wide variety of aged beers. You can find more information about the event at http://provisionsmarkethall.com.

Wednesday, Sept. 14 — Get The Led Out at McDonald Theatre (1010 Willamette St.) —  8 p.m. Admission is $25.

If you’re a fan of Led Zeppelin, then Get The Led out might be right up your alley. Featuring several multi-instrumentalists, the six-member band tries to capture the high-intensity feeling of a Zeppelin concert, with an American twist. You can learn more about the show at http://www.mcdonaldtheatre.com/index.html.

Thursday, Sept. 15 —  El Grito – Fiesta Cultural at Springfield City Hall (225 N 5th St) — 5-7 p.m. Free.

You can enjoy a taste of Mexican culture this week at this family-friendly event, which features music, folk dances and Mexican food. You’ll be able to enjoy the music of DJ Pedro Pacheco, smash open pinatas, and spend the evening experiences Mexican culture. You can go to http://lanearts.org/fiesta-cultural/ got more information.

Friday, Sept. 16 — Hockey Eugene Generals vs Tri-City Outlaws at The Rink Exchange (796 W 13th Ave) — 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.

If you’re a hockey fan and want to support your local team, the Eugene Generals will be having their first game of the season this week. The team has just recently moved up to the United States Premier Hockey League and will be playing as part of the newly created Pacific Division. You can find more information or purchase tickets online at http://www.eugenegenerals.com/.

Saturday, Sept. 17 — African-American History in Oregon Lecture at Lane County Historical Society and Museum (740 W 13th Ave) — 2-3 p.m. Free.

Artist and sculptor Bill Rutherford will be leading a lecture on African-American history in Oregon. The speaker has been co-sponsored by Oregon Black Pioneer, which is a source of information on the cultural heritage of African-Americans in Oregon. The lecture will be held alongside an exhibit sponsored by OBP, which is called Rails Through Eugene. You can find more information at http://lchm.org/.

Sunday, Sept. 18 — Piccadilly Flea Market at Lane Events Center (796 W 13th Ave) – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $1.50

If you’re a bargain hunter or are just looking for a new treasure to add to your collection, you can stop by this month’s Piccadilly Flea Market. The market has been running since the 1970s and is one of Lane county’s oldest running family event. You can find more information at http://www.piccadillyflea.com/.