Gaming: Google teases gaming service; Epic sues Fortnite fest; Overwatch pairs with Monopoly

Today’s gaming news focuses on the world of PC gaming, with two of the biggest esports games dealing with all the tertiary requirements of being a huge media property while Google begins wading into the realm of Steam.

First, let’s talk about the giant. Google has a gaming project it’s revealing at the Game Developers Conference on March 19 and the rumor is that it’s a subscription gaming service that would offer up a library of games for a subscription fee — think Gamefly meets Steam.

According to Engadget, the invitation shows a cryptic light at the end of a hallway with only the mysterious "gather around" to tease attendees. The company seems to have its fingers in every technological pie, so its possible focus on a game streaming service makes sense. That said, while the conference would be an ideal place to sell developers on this idea, it’s not confirmed that it’ll be its debut.

More concrete news comes from the world of esports. Battle royale top dog Fortnite has been an international sensation that’s live events have sometimes been a let down. According to Variety, the latest event in the U.K. — Fortnite Live Norwich — was so bad that Epic Games is suing the event organizers.

The weekend fest charged £12 - 20 for outdoor laser tag, a climbing wall, and archery...which seems a bit strange considering how none of those things are video games. Almost 3,000 people showed up and all were seemingly disappointed.

Here’s one fan’s experience:

“1 climbing wall between 3000+ children,” the Twitter user wrote, “4 go karts between the same amount, nobody dressed up as characters, people still queuing 2hrs after gates open.” With the event’s Facebook page now deleted and guests clamoring for refunds, Epic has taken action into its own hands. The company has issued a claim against Exciting Events, the organizers, in the High Court of London.

“The quality of our player experience is incredibly important to us, whether it’s inside the game or at official public events like last year’s Fortnite Pro-Am,” Epic said in a statement. “Epic Games was not in any way associated with the event that took place in Norwich.” If the event stole the Fortnite brand for its strange county fair, it could face a lot more trouble than some disgruntled attendees.

Finally, Overwatch, Blizzard’s team shooter, is teaming up with a board game for a crossover. Monopoly Gamer Overwatch Collector’s Edition is set to be released on April 8, bringing beloved characters like Mercy and D.Va to the world of property acquisition.

Check it out:

Gamers can take over areas on familiar maps similarly to how they'd capture control points in the real game. The game is available for pre-order now at the price of $49.99.