Artix Entertainment has revealed the open beta dates for their upcoming MMO, AdventureQuest 3D, in their latest announcement trailer. The open beta for the true cross-platform MMO will be available starting this month from October 18th and will be playable on iOS, Android and PC/Mac via Steam. 

If you plan on checking out the open beta, keep in mind that some platforms will go live before others. There is currently no scheduled time for when each platform will be available to play. 

Along with the announcement of the open beta, Artix Entertainment has also revealed exactly what players can expect in the open beta. 

Shadow Skull Tower

The Shadow Skull Tower will be available upon the launch of the open beta. In order to make it through randomized floors of the tower, players will need to conquer rooms of puzzles, kill-alls and mini boss battles. If players want to make it to the top of the tower to meet the NecroKnight -- who has a surprise waiting -- players will not only need the best items in the game but also a skilled team that can work together.

Mogloween & Haunted House

In the spirit of Halloween, AdventureQuest 3D will be celebrating the yearly tradition of Mogloween, in which the town will go dark and glowing pumpkins decorate the streets. A haunted house will also appear, with more information on this coming soon.

Game Re-Balancing & New Items

Artix Entertainment has taken all player feedback and made a number of changes to the game's balancing, then added some new items into the game. These changes include crafting and being able to buy items with gold.

Volcanic Dragon Area

Volcanic Dragon Area will be the next major area added into the game. This area is set to release in November and is promised to be filled with Dragons!

Closed Beta Badge

Last but not least, if you have participated in the Closed Beta you will receive a new badge for your character page.

For full details on the AdventureQuest 3D open beta be sure to check the games official website here.

Are you excited for the AdventureQuest 3D open beta? Let us know in the comments section below!

Yes, AdventureQuest fans rejoice. With the release of AdventureQuest 3D for PC and mobile approaching this fall, the sight of a trailer should come as little surprise. This latest one debuts the "Guardian," a seeming hybrid of knight and caster, based on the footage. Shown wielding several sword attacks and firing beams of fire from a magic sigil, this new character certainly appears to break the oft-seen mold in RPGs of "have sword, must use," where many blade wielding characters fall immediately into the in-your-face, tanky playstyle. Should this appearance hold true, the Guardian will likely provide a unique and entertaining gameplay experience when AQ 3D finally drops.

Until that day comes though, you can always check out the main AdventureQuest 3D site or the Kickstarter page for more information on the game. Even with the campaign's funding period over, (to the tune of more than $300,000 dollars, no less) the folks at Artix continue to post regular updates on their progress. The game is also available on Steam Early Access for those interested in experiencing the game in its current state, with a similar solution coming to iOS and Android platforms in July, according to the website.

But, who do you want?

Everyone gets a vote (or two), and mine are going towards Banjo-Kazooie and a Splatoon Inkling, but Bomberman, Spyro, Crash, Dig-Dug, and Geno were close 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th choices.

Let us know your vote in the comments below, even if you voted for more than one. Don't worry, we're pretty good at keeping secrets. Unless you voted for Goku, then we're telling!

Last, and certainly least likely, AdventureQuest developer, Artix Entertainment, wants to pit Artix up against Nintendo's finest. 

Yacht Club games has dug its way into our hearts with Shovel Knight. Now they want to see the iron-clad, dirt-scooping hero in Smash. 

Developers of SteamWorld Dig and its sequel SteamWorld Heist want to oil up Rusty and throw him into the fray.  

Team Meat, the creators of the popular indie title Super Meat Boy, want to see their bloody baby making messes in the battlefield. 

Choice Provisions wants Commander Video from the BIT.TRIP series to run his way into battle. 

WayForward wants you to rub the lamp extra hard and send Shantae the half-genie out of her self-titled series (Shantae and the Pirates Curse, Shantae: Risky's Revenge) and into the tussle. 

Playtonic Games, like their next choice, isn't playing by the rules. They are putting in a second vote for Donkey Kong villain King K. Rool.  

Xbox boss, Phil Spencer, is with Playtonic (and about half of the Internet in wanting Banjo and Kazooie up against Mario and Sonic in Smash. 

Playtonic Games is currently working on Project Ukulele, the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie. Still, the ex-Rare development team is actively rooting for the bear and the bird as DLC. 

The Super Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot was announced during Nintendo's last Direct presentation and ever since then, we've heard a lot of internet-shouting as to who deserves a spot. Be it best friends, worst enemies, or gaming grandmas, everybody has been giving their opinions, and game developers are no exception. 

Here is a collection of video game developers, both big and small, who are actively promoting their characters for inclusion in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U.

I was an Air Bender well before Aang came along.

Besides developing games at Artix Entertainment, I am also a balloon artist, capable of twisting up squeaky colorful creations of anything that I (or eager onlookers) can imagine.

After 10 years of being a professional airhead, I’ve made balloon creations of just about every animal, every princess, every superhero—everything. I am always up for a challenge, and in order to keep my hands busy with something else besides Battle Gems, I decided to make some video game character balloon art.

Let’s play!

Nintendo Balloon Animals

More popular than Nerf Guns and Tamagotchis and the little gray weasel that rolled around on a ball, the Super Nintendo was hailed as the most beloved toy during my childhood. And for good reason too—Nintendo created some of my most memorable memories, and now I get to create tangible visual representations!

 Mario

From NES to N64 and beyond, Mario has always been my favorite plumber with questionable eating habits.

 Goomba

Don’t let that face fool you. This Goomba is not a fun guy. 

 Bob-omb

BWAAHA! *pulls out needle* Now I get to have my revenge!

Oh yeah, I just made a Kirby balloon animal. Sneaking this in to see if anyone notices...

Final Fantasy Balloon Animals

It is undisputable fact that Final Fantasy X is the best RPG ever created, but not enough balloon animals have been created in its honor. I am here to change that.

 Cactuar

What’s the best thing about Balloon Cactuar? It can’t attack with 10,000 needles!

Black Mage

Okay, so he’s not from FF X, but a classic character nonetheless. I’ve always loved Kazuko Shibuya’s Black Mage from the original Final Fantasy games—and here’s my 3D version!

Chocobo

And last but not least… it’s not Final Fantasy without Chocobos! Unless it’s FF 1, because they didn’t flock onto the scene until FF II. /history lesson

World of Warcraft Balloon Animal

So tell me… who else took the day off to play Warlords of Draenor? *shifty eyes* Well. I couldn’t, because I spent way too long trying to design a World of Warcraft-themed balloon animal.

 Orc

This guy *started off* as Thrall… but do you have any idea how difficult his facial hair is? To create out of balloons nonetheless? And there’s like NO WAY I could make his armor set. Geeze, I’m just a balloon artist, not a magician.

Artix Entertainment Balloon Animals

And now to plug in some shameless self-promotion! I’ve worked at Artix Entertainment for the past 5 years, and I’ve twisted some AdventureQuest Worlds-themed balloons here and there, but… I never took photos of my work! Screenshot or it didn’t happen, amirite?

 Artix the Paladin

This paladin is so popular that an entire video game studio was named after him! Also helps that he’s the CEO’s avatar.

Drawing on balloons with sharpies and paint markers is just as insanely difficult as it sounds. And the face is what really makes the balloon creation pop—figuratively, of course. I attempted drawing Artix’s Battle Gems expression, and… well… it kinda makes him look a bit too happy.

So I gave him some plastic surgery and planted a new face on the Artix balloon. And now he looks a bit too Anime!

But I am still a bit partial to the first Artix face… so I gave the real-life Artix action-figure a face-lift, too. 

Hehe, they’re all so silly, aren’t they? And they are a foolproof way to guarantee that no real work will get done the rest of the day (unless Vines and Tweets count as work).  

 Twilly the Moglin

No, no, this isn’t a shiny red Pikachu; it’s actually a little red healing Moglin named Twilly. He’s been around since Artix’s first RPG AdventureQuest at www.BattleOn.com, and is always there to offer a helping hand… um, paw.

Zorbak the Moglin

Meh heh heh! Zorbak is the most evil Moglin in all of AQ Worlds. I mean, that kind of goes without saying—just look at that diabolical staff. #StraightUpEvil

And there you have it – my hands and lungs have been exhausted for your amusement. I hope you have enjoyed everything, and I would love to hear your comments below as to what new video game character balloon animals I should twist up next!

P.S. I also made a balloon version of my 2014 Dragon Slayer Awards Trophy! But with a pink sword. Because we gatta have a little bit of Beleen flair in there!  

The creators of Cookie Clicker are working together with the creators of Battle Gems and Adventure Quest: Worlds to bring you a new game: Adventure Quest: Dragons. The new game is launching in October on Apple iOS, Android, and Web-browser play.

Dragons lets you hatch and raise one of 12 unique dragons to maturity. Among the unique, animated dragons are Slime, Fairie, and Steampunk Dragons among others. Some of the other dragons are redesigns from those already in the Artix games lineup.

Each dragon has a unique origin story. The Steampunk Dragon is built from blueprints instead of hatching from an egg. This dragon is classified by serial numbers instead of breeds. Instead of training him, you can upgrade hardware and his AI. Don't get carried away, though. He might become sentient and become the dawn of the robot uprising.

Each dragon has a particular gem that players will need to click on to earn points for their dragon. You can purchase upgrade with these gems and your dragon can go hunting gems on his own. Adventure Quest: Dragons is an idle interface game, meaning that your dragons can still earn gems while you are away from the program and even when the app is closed. The game also takes care of the monotonous grinding in the background for you. Only the major decisions are left to the player. Artix encourages you to take that free time to check out other Artix games like Battle Gems, OverSoul, and MechQuest.

Kermit the Frog is the first to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge naked and he proudly announces that fact in his video. He names a few celebrities who are also co-stars in The Muppets latest film as nominees but he isn't the first "of his kind" to be challenged. Cookie Monster was challenged by Rachael Ray, though he preferred a cookie challenge.

For more information about Lou Gherig’s Disease and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, go to www.ALSA.org and discover how you can be a real-life hero.

Let's #StrikeOutALS with the #IceBucketChallenge as #IceBucketGamers!

Mega64 was nominated by Game Grumps and Screw Attack. In turn they nominated-- get ready--Edward Snowden, Oprah Winfrey, Viggo Mortensen, Paul McCartney, Kevin Spacey, and Casey Anthony. Their video is quite unique I must say. They did put a plea out on Twitter requesting assistance for contact information for both Edward Snowden and Casey Anthony.

\n

Does anyone have Edward Snowden or Casey Anthony's twitter handles? Want to inform them they were nominated but only finding fanpage BS

\n— Mega64 (@Mega64) August 21, 2014

They aren't the only interesting videos out there I assure you.

5 Second Films takes the California drought into serious consideration in this cinematic event of a lifetime. They nominated Tom Watson because there isn't a drought in England.

Devin Super Tramp who is known for some amazing Assassin's Creed parkour videos, took his own unique ice bucket challenge. He nominated Shay Carl, Logan Paul and Dude Perfect.

PlayStation San Mateo HQ took the ice bucket challenge and nominated Bobby Kotick of Activision, Tony Bartel of GameStop, and Jim Ryan of PlayStation Europe.

The Completionist took the drought in California into consideration with his challenge. He in turn nominated James Rolfe of AVGN, Matt Patrick of The Game Theorists, and The Warp Zone.

"That Bucket Came From the Moon!" That's right folks you heard right. Bungie has delivered a stellar Ice bucket Challenge from the MOON! Ghost from the upcoming Destiny has answered by challenging "Jonathan Irons" from Call Of Duty: Advance Warfare, "Joel" from The Last Of Us, and George Lucas himself.

In addition, Bungie has promised 20% of all proceeds from the Bungie Store (www.bungiestore.com) to the ALS Association until September 9th.

How's that for caring?

Stephan Frost of WildStar chose to donate to ALS but Tony Rey decided otherwise. He nominated Mike Zadorojny of ArenaNet, Greg Street of Riot Games, and Dave Kosak of Blizzard Entertainment.

Hot Pepper Gaming, who was nominated by Sunder Gamer, takes the California drought into consideration and takes a spicy challenge. They nominated Amy Dallen of Geek and Sundry, Stephan Frost of WildStar, and Andrew W.K.

Artix Entertainment was nominated by many and in great show of support, challenged Blizzard Entertainment, Rockstar Games and Zynga!

Phil Spencer accepted Notch's challenge and in turn nominated Gabe Newell of Valve, Shuhei Yoshida of Sony, and Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo. Major Nelson got the chance to dump that bucket--too lucky man!

Markus "Notch" Persson provides us a silent challenge, unrelated to the others but did get others in the gaming community involved as well. He nominated Phil Spencer of Xbox, Bobby Kotick of Activision, and Cliff Bleszinski.

What can I say about Antti Ilvessuo of RedLynx? This ice challenge or ice bath is interesting to say the least. I love the effects and the rubber duckies. You must watch to see what I mean. Antti nominated Yves Guillemot the CEO of Ubisoft, Sam Lake of Remedy Entertainment, and Geoff Keighley, well-known video game journalist and presenter.

Daniel Nixon in turn nominated creative director Antti Ilvessuo of RedLynx, Jack Pattillo of Achievement Hunter and Eric Neustadter (e) of Xbox Live.

Awe poor Zack Cooper from Ubisoft Toronto. I did apologize to Zack for this one, I felt so bad. We did agree that the water tower would've been awesome, since he had so many ideas. This Champion, that he is, nominated Community Developers Gabe Graziani, Nik Schmidt, and Xbox Canada's Raj Patel.

The Ubisoft Support team was nominated by me (muahahaha) and in fun nominated Zack Cooper (Ubisoft Toronto), Justin Kruger (Ubisoft), the Frag Dolls, and Daniel Nixon (Ubisoft, RedLynxGamer, TrialGames).

I'm sure many of you are aware by now of the growing ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. You see videos posted all over social media promoting awareness of ALS or Lou Gherig’s Disease all in good fun. The challenge is: People make a video of themselves dumping a bucket of ice water on their heads, post it on social media sites and then challenge friends to do the same within 24 hours and/or donate $100 to ALS. Many do both like all of us in these videos you're about to see.

I was challenged by a reader on Twitter on behalf of the Video Game Industry that I met through Ubisoft Support. What transpired from my challenge and my nominees, has shown nothing but tremendous support from the gaming community. This is our way of showing everyone that yes - the gaming community cares about raising awareness for a worthy cause.

Can we say, not just #icebucketchallenge, but #icebucketgamers?

ALS is otherwise known as Lou Gherig’s Disease, and the #IceBucketChallenge is all about increasing awareness of this fatal neurological disorder. A lot of people think that the Ice Bucket Challenge is just a viral publicity stunt… and they’re right!

Thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge, more people than ever before are aware of ALS, and the ALS Association has blown fundraising goals out of the (ice) water.

So in the name of an excellent cause, indie game studio Artix Entertainment joined the effort to raise awareness for ALS. On a hot and sunny Florida afternoon, Artix gathered the bravest, most water-resistant team members to take the frigid plunge (see video above)!

In addition to rusting a full set of armor, Artix Entertainment is making a donation at www.ALSA.org. Everyone here at Artix strives to help the community in every way possible, which is just one of the many reasons Artix Entertainment is nominated in the Dragon Slayer Awards for Best Community Management Team.   

Adam Bohn, CEO and Paladin of Artix Entertainment, also challenged three other video game studios to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge:

• Blizzard Entertainment
• Rockstar Games
• and Zynga  

Let’s hope they don’t get cold feet. Or maybe they will—it’s pretty hard to avoid that when getting drenched with a bucket of ice water.

For additional information about Lou Gherig’s Disease and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, head to www.ALSA.org and discover how you can be a real-life hero.

Together we can #StrikeOutALS with the #IceBucketChallenge!