Pokémon GO: Players miss the dragons in the dragon event – Is there more to come?

Currently, the event Lunar New Year: Unleashed Dragons is running in Pokémon GO. However, some players find that relatively few dragons have been unleashed so far. Now, the hope rests on a global challenge.

What kind of event is this? The Lunar New Year: Unleashed Dragons event started on February 5, 2024, at 10:00 AM and runs until Sunday, February 11, at 8:00 PM. Given the name, trainers were expecting many dragons – and there are indeed some included in the event.

For example, players can encounter the Pokémon Sen-Long in the game for the first time. However, it can currently be found only in raids or field research. The same goes for some of the other interesting dragons in the event, such as Shardrago, Tortunator, Viscora, or Kapuno.

What trainers are currently criticizing: This is a topic in the Pokémon GO reddit community. There, screenshots of trainers are being discussed that show wilderness spawns without a particularly noticeable dragon presence.

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In the comments, trainers discuss that they often see Fynx or Magikarp, but very rarely dragons. And the most exciting ones, some say (via reddit), are hiding behind raids.

At least Dratini and eF-eM are probably easy to find in the wild, especially in windy weather, while other dragons are quite rare. Given the title of the event, the rare appearance of the monsters has led to some criticism.

However, it remains to be seen what else will come in the event – because a current global challenge promises further bonuses.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season “Timeless Travels” in the trailer

What does the global challenge bring in Pokémon GO?

This is the task: Trainers around the world need to make “good” throws. Once a billion “good” throws accumulate worldwide, additional bonuses will be unlocked. As of now (Tuesday, February 6, 1:00 PM), the counter stands at 551,198,562 good throws – so a little more than half is done.

What does the challenge bring? This is not yet 100% clear. However, it is assured according to the announcement:

  • There will be 7 additional spawns in the wild, with 6 bringing possible shiny forms and one coming without a shiny form. The hope is that these will include more dragons for the wild.
  • The raids will also get one additional Pokémon each – one at level 1, without a shiny form, and one at level 3, with a shiny form.
  • Additionally, five Pokémon will have special, exclusive moves upon evolution. These will be ground, fairy, dragon, and normal type moves.

In short: One can only hope that the event scales up again once the global challenge is completed. However, what spawns will be added will only be revealed once all throws are successful. That means: Catch as many monsters as possible.

Want to know what else is happening in the game this month? Then you can find the overview of all events in February 2024 in Pokémon GO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Pokémon GO Live

Palworld: Player discovers brilliant trick to easily defeat strong bosses

In Palworld, there are some tough bosses you can defeat. A player has discovered a genius strategy on how to do this in seconds.

In the world of Palworld, you can find a whole range of Alpha-Pals and bosses to battle. While there are 5 trainers waiting for you with their Boss-Pals in their towers, there are also some Alpha and Boss-Pals you can encounter in the wild.

Defeating them can sometimes be tricky and difficult. However, a player on Reddit has now discovered how they can be defeated in seconds without any problems and shared his strategy with the community.

Start video
Palworld: How you can level up quickly

Defeating Boss-Pals with Pals from the Camp

What trick did the player use? Instead of fighting the boss alone with his team, the player employed a clever trick. He built 2 Pal camps right near the boss. This gave him access to his other Pals, which he could pull out of the camp.

After he had retrieved his strong Pals from the camp, he then approached the boss and briefly attacked him. This caused the boss to retaliate, prompting his Pals to attack the boss in return. Due to the sheer number of attacks from his Pals, it only took a few seconds for the boss to be defeated.

You can see exactly what this looks like in the corresponding Reddit post, which we have embedded here for you:

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What does the community say about this? The community is excited about this idea and praises the player for his ingenuity. Some of the comments are as follows:

  • Hahaha, that’s incredible, writes a Reddit user.
  • To tell the truth, I was initially confused, but then I realized what you were doing – very cool!, reads another comment.
  • I didn’t need my 3rd base, but that is a great idea, says another user.

In response to a comment stating that unfortunately the Boss-Pals can’t be caught this way, the player responds: Just take them all out when the boss is under 10% (sometimes you have to be quick) and finish/catch it yourself.

So if you have trouble with the next strong boss, you might choose this approach. Just try it out yourself to defeat a boss in no time.

Did you already know the trick or have you tried it? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Are you looking for helpful tips and tricks for Palworld? Then take a look at our guides for Palworld.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Former FIFA pro does not want to go to the military, prefers to play EA FC 24: Now he must go to jail

A South Korean content creator for EA FC 24 and former pro-gamer has tragically gotten himself into trouble while gambling. He thought he could avoid military service by faking a test. This is now even costing him his freedom.

Who is it about? ‘WonChangYeon‘ was still active in the FIFA e-sports scene until last summer. In August of last year, he withdrew from the scene and only appeared as a content creator.

The YouTuber has around 170,000 followers and produces new videos on EA FC 24 nearly every day. His activity came to an abrupt end about a week ago, on January 28.

The circumstances of his unwanted YouTube break are as curious as they are tragic. Here you can watch the YouTuber’s latest video for now.

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YouTuber fakes IQ test to avoid military service

What happened? According to the renowned English-language newspaper, The Korea Herald, ‘WonChangYeon‘ was charged with faking his IQ test. He took this test to verify his military eligibility. He is accused of manipulating a psychological test with his answers so that the evaluation mistakenly attributed him an IQ of ‘only‘ 53 and therefore diagnosed him with mental disorders.

“Generally, a score between 85 and 115 is considered an average IQ ‘for adults’ (editor’s note). It is generally assumed that the average IQ is around 100.” (via FocusOnline)

However, the South Korean’s tactic did not work, and the police launched an investigation for ‘refusal of military service’. The exposure of his deception has certainly to do with the fact that ‘WonChangYeon‘ continued to diligently produce content.

We have also reported on a fraudster in EA FC 24. Check here to find out what trick he used: Player falls for a simple trick, loses a million coins in seconds

Here’s what’s behind the investigations: In South Korea, it is still customary for every healthy man between the ages of 18 and 30 to serve his military duty once in a lifetime. Exceptions are only made for top athletes and successful classical musicians. Those attempting to evade service can even face prison sentences. (via ZDFheute)

Tottenham star Heung-Min Son also completed his military basic training in 2020, although in a shortened form, within 3 weeks. It is said that Son demonstrated the same accuracy at the shooting range as he does on the football field. (via FAZ)

Fraud attempt is harshly punished: YouTuber must go to prison

What happened next with the YouTuber? On January 29, the YouTuber had to answer in court. The latter found him guilty and sentenced him to one year in prison, as well as 120 hours of community service.

In a statement on Afreecatv.com, the convicted YouTuber spoke up briefly. We summarize the words of ‘WonChangYeon‘:

After a brief greeting, he promises to organize a detailed statement regarding the matter. He is trying to explain this as soon as possible. Finally, he apologizes for any inconvenience.

This announcement was made on January 29, exactly the day of his court proceedings. Since then, there has been no further news. As soon as the YouTuber comments on his conviction, we will report this to you.

EA is also being ‘sued’ by many fans right now: EA admits huge mistake, does nothing about it – fans are stunned

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: Cresselia counters – The 20 best attackers in the raid guide

The best counters against Cresselia in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With this, you can defeat Cresselia in 5-star raids.

What kind of Pokémon is Cresselia? Cresselia can be found in 5-star raids and comes from the fourth generation of Pokémon. It is a Psychic type.

When is Cresselia in raids? You will find the Pokémon on February 20 and 21, 2024, in 5-star raids of Pokémon. We will show you here the best counters against Cresselia and which types it is weak against (type effectiveness).

Defeating Cresselia in the Raid – With these counters

  1. Mega-Gengar with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
  2. Mega-Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
  3. Shadow-Skrelp with Burden and Shadow Ball
  4. Mega-Banet with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
  5. Shadow-Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
  6. Mega-Houndoom with Last Resort and Leech Life
  7. Shadow-Snivy with Last Resort and Leech Life
  8. Mega-Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Hurricane
  9. Mega-Absol with Last Resort and Dark Aura
  10. Shadow-Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Shadow Ball
  11. Shadow-Gengar with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
  12. Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
  13. Skrelp with Burden and Shadow Ball
  14. Shadow-Houndoom with Last Resort and Leech Life
  15. Hydreigon with Bite and Crunch
  16. Monetigo with Burden and Shadow Ball
  17. Mega-Gyarados with Bite and Crunch
  18. Darkrai with Last Resort and Shadow Ball
  19. Mega-Pinsir with Bug Bite and X-Scissor
  20. Mega-Alakazam with Psycho Cut and Shadow Ball

Weaknesses of Cresselia: The Pokémon is a Psychic type and has weaknesses against Bug, Ghost and Dark. So, focus mainly on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Cresselia.

Is there a shiny Cresselia? Yes, you can also get Cresselia as shiny in your collection.

Cresselia and Shiny Cresselia

How many trainers are needed? With the best counters and high levels, you should need about 3 trainers to defeat the raid. With lower levels, but strong counters, you should rely on more trainers.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitch streamer is said to have helped arrest a criminal who terrorized him for a year

A swatter is said to have been responsible for hundreds of police operations for over a year. With the help of a private investigator and a Twitch streamer, he has now reportedly been arrested.

What kind of criminal was he? Under the handle “Torswats,” a swatting service was offered on Telegram for over a year. For a fee, users could trigger a police response.

Services provided by Torswats included bomb threats to schools as well as police responses to well-known personalities, such as Twitch streamers.

Swatting is a practice where fake emergency calls trigger a police response. The term comes from the American term for the specialized police units that respond in such cases: SWAT.
Swatting is not a harmless prank: such an armed police response can be traumatic or even fatal for those involved. We have already reported on this topic at MeinMMO:
Twitch streamer works hard, is more successful than ever in 2022 – But she is extremely sad and completely exhausted
After being banned in his favorite shooter, he gets the developers a police response – Now he has been convicted

In late January 2024, the FBI arrested a 17-year-old who is said to be connected to Torswats. A Twitch streamer is said to have played a crucial role in the arrest.

Swatting has become such a widespread problem among Twitch streamers that it has even been addressed in games:

Start video
Ready or Not shows its streamer level in the trailer

Private investigator assisted the FBI

What role did Twitch play in the arrest? Private investigator Brad “Cafrozed” Dennis works with Twitch streamers who have fallen victim to swatting. He has been working since 2022 to take down Torswats and is said to have provided the FBI with evidence such as the IP address and username of the swatter in January 2023.

The WoW streamer Matt Morse, aka StaySafeTV, also reached out to Dennis. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the streamer reports that he has been regularly swatted for about a year. He was pulled out of his house, where his wife and their small child were present, and faced a group of armed SWAT officers.

The justice system would not prioritize the arrest of swatters, StaySafeTV continues. In a stream, he explained that he additionally supported the private investigator with information. He recognized some characteristics in the writing style of the swatter from conversations on a private Discord server five years ago.

“If this boy hadn’t specifically swatted me, he wouldn’t be in prison now,” StaySafeTV said (via X).

It is unclear whether Torswat was a lone actor or part of a group. There are already reports of a person with the Torswat username claiming to never be caught. However, a copycat cannot be ruled out in this case.

Swatting has also arrived in Germany: “I stopped counting at 50” – Berlin Twitch streamer reports how often the police is sent to him

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PC Gamer
  2. Wired
  3. Vice

Last Epoch: Everything about the release, classes, and prices

Last Epoch is a mix of Diablo 4 and Path of Exile and shows players that even newer hack & slays deserve a chance. We show you everything about the release, the available classes, as well as the prices you have to pay for Last Epoch in our overview.

What is Last Epoch? Last Epoch is a new hack & slay from the developers “Eleventh Hour Games”. The story of the game revolves around the world of Eterra, which is divided into different timelines. The future is in ruins, but with your power, you can travel to the past and prevent devastating mistakes that have nearly wiped out civilization in the future.

The build crafting is supposed to be extensive, but not as complicated as in Path of Exile. Furthermore, Last Epoch is expected to offer more quests than Diablo 4, thereby entertaining players for a longer time.

Start video
Last Epoch: The Trailer for the Action-RPG

Last Epoch: Release – Here’s how long you have to wait

When can I play? Last Epoch will receive its actual release on February 21, 2024. However, if you don’t want to wait that long, you can buy the game on Steam in the Deluxe or Ultimate edition and start playing in early access right now.

Will Last Epoch come to PS5 and Xbox? Many console players are wondering if Last Epoch will also be released on other platforms like PS5 or Xbox, and the developers have made a clear statement about this.

According to various statements from the EHG team, Last Epoch already has controller support being developed. A console release is also planned, but the developers have not yet discussed this with Sony or Microsoft. Therefore, there is no date yet. (via youtube.com, reddit.com)

[toc]

Last Epoch: All 5 classes at a glance – Here’s what they can do

How many classes are there? In Last Epoch, there are 5 primary classes. Each primary class has three subclasses that can be focused on during your journey. Depending on what you choose, your hero will benefit from a variety of new talents.

Start video
Last Epoch: The ARPG Showcases Classes, Battles, and Challenges in the Launch Trailer

We will now explain all classes and their respective subclasses in detail and list them for you:

Mage

What can the Mage do? The Mage is the mage class. You can summon arcane power with him and protect or fend off yourself with various spells. You can expect the following subclasses:

  • Sorcerer
    • Fights from a distance with powers from nature like lightning or meteors
  • Spellblade
    • Fights up close with elemental sword and shield spells
  • Runemaster
    • Fights with runes and creates traps on the ground or elemental rays that can attack from a distance

Rogue

What can the Rogue do? The Rogue is a master with daggers and the bow. You can slice apart your enemies in close combat or attack them from a distance. As a Rogue, you mainly attack from the shadows. You can expect the following subclasses:

  • Bladedancer
    • Fights with daggers from the shadows and defeats enemies in seconds
  • Marksman
    • Fights with a bow and rains down both normal and elemental arrows on enemies
  • Falconer
    • Fights with traps and his loyal falcon, stirring up the battlefield

Primalist

What can the Primalist do? The Primalist is a mix of a barbarian and a druid. He uses the power of nature and defeats his enemies with animal companions or devastating melee attacks. You can expect the following subclasses:

  • Shaman
    • Fights with elemental storms and melee attacks
  • Druid
    • Fights as a werebear against enemies and rips apart his opponents. He can also transform into a walking tree
  • Beastmaster
    • Fights with various animal companions against enemies and is never found alone in battle

Acolyte

What can the Acolyte do? The Acolyte wields forbidden magic and can resurrect enemies or suck the blood from foes’ bodies. You can expect the following subclasses:

  • Necromancer
    • Fights with undead warriors and golems and can summon them
  • Lich
    • Fights in a dark form against enemies and drains their life and essences to strengthen himself
  • Warlock
    • Fights with forbidden spells and manipulates enemies on the battlefield

Sentinel

What can the Sentinel do? The Sentinel is a righteous warrior with holy powers that eliminate any threat. With miracles or crude weapons, he crushes his enemies and brings order. You can expect the following subclasses:

  • Paladin
    • Fights with holy miracles and strengthens or heals his allies in battle
  • Void Knight
    • Fights as a corrupted knight who has absorbed the power of the void to destroy his opponents from within
  • Forge Guard
    • Fights as an unrelenting warrior in melee and makes your opponents pay with every sword strike

Last Epoch: Prices and Editions

What editions are available? Last Epoch comes with three editions that you can pre-order before the release. Depending on which one you choose, you can expect goodies like pets, armor skins, soundtracks, and early access. Let’s move on to the first edition:

Standard Edition

Last-Epoch-Standart-Edition
  • Price: 33.99 € on Steam
  • Contents:
    • Last Epoch – The game
    • Golden Guppy – A pet

Deluxe Edition

Last-Epoch-Deluxe-Edition
  • Contents:
    • Last Epoch – The game
    • Golden Guppy – A pet
    • Digital soundtrack
    • 50 Epoch Points
    • Adolescent Chronowyrm – A pet
    • Fallen Ronin – Skin for your armor
    • Firefly’s Refuge – Skin for the portal
    • Access to early access
  • Ultimate Edition

    Last-Epoch-Ultimate-Edition
    • Price: 63.50 € on Steam
    • Contents:
      • Last Epoch – The game
      • Golden Guppy – A pet
      • Digital soundtrack
      • 50 Epoch Points
      • Adolescent Chronowyrm – A pet
      • Fallen Ronin – Skin for your armor
      • Firefly’s Refuge – Skin for the portal
      • Access to early access
      • Temporal Guardian – Skin for your armor
      • Twilight Fox – A pet
      • Adult Chronowyrm – A pet
      • Celestial Way – Skin for the portal

    These were all the important details you should know about Last Epoch. What do you think of the upcoming hack & slay? Do you believe Last Epoch could compete with Diablo 4 and Path of Exile, or will the game ultimately sink beneath both brands in the long run? Let us know in the comments!

    • Price: 48.99 € on Steam
    • Contents:
      • Last Epoch – The game
      • Golden Guppy – A pet
      • Digital soundtrack
      • 50 Epoch Points
      • Adolescent Chronowyrm – A pet
      • Fallen Ronin – Skin for your armor
      • Firefly’s Refuge – Skin for the portal
      • Access to early access

    Ultimate Edition

    Last-Epoch-Ultimate-Edition
    • Price: 63.50 € on Steam
    • Contents:
      • Last Epoch – The game
      • Golden Guppy – A pet
      • Digital soundtrack
      • 50 Epoch Points
      • Adolescent Chronowyrm – A pet
      • Fallen Ronin – Skin for your armor
      • Firefly’s Refuge – Skin for the portal
      • Access to early access
      • Temporal Guardian – Skin for your armor
      • Twilight Fox – A pet
      • Adult Chronowyrm – A pet
      • Celestial Way – Skin for the portal

    These were all the important details you should know about Last Epoch. What do you think of the upcoming hack & slay? Do you believe Last Epoch could compete with Diablo 4 and Path of Exile, or will the game ultimately sink beneath both brands in the long run? Let us know in the comments!

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    Gamer secretly visits company that sells graphics cards on Amazon for way too cheap – Wants to know what he finds there

    Scammers are constantly trying to lure customers on Amazon with offers that are too good to be true. A user recently went to check it out.

    On Amazon, you can frequently find offers for graphics cards and other expensive hardware that are too cheap. A gamer decided to have some fun and visited the address of a potential scammer. He was not surprised to find out that there was no company located there.

    What did the user do? Several users discussed nasty scam offers on Amazon on reddit. However, one user explained on reddit that he lives not far from the mentioned address of the company and intended to pass by the next day.

    When he passed by the next day, he noticed three things:

    • At the mentioned address, there is an administration building of the government. In the posted picture, you can see the entrance gate of the government building.
    • There is no sixth floor in the building at the mentioned address, which is stated on Amazon. On the roof, he only finds a wooden door and some snow.
    • He could not find any company that sells graphics cards or hardware, no matter how hard he tried.

    He himself stated as a brief update under the post:

    For those of you who have checked in with the Remindme’s, the address provided on Amazon was unfortunately, but somewhat expected, a fake address.

    You can protect yourself against scams, but not against mistakes

    Are there ways to protect yourself against scams? The most important tip when buying things on Amazon is: Only buy offers that are sold and shipped directly by Amazon. Then you are on the safe side. You can also be quite sure about sellers who ship through Amazon directly. Because here, the items are already in an Amazon warehouse.

    But even here, things can go wrong; for example, you may receive the wrong product or another buyer may have exchanged the goods in the box for something else. Such incidents, where people receive wrong graphics cards from Amazon, happen repeatedly and can never be completely prevented.

    Such errors like receiving the wrong item are particularly nasty, as at first glance, the purchased products and the seller seem reliable. The swap in the box may, in the worst case, only be noticed by the next buyer.

    And then this buyer has a problem when the purchased product doesn’t work or is even non-existent. Because in the worst case, the seller may consider this buyer a fraud. This happened to a father of the family who wanted to report a fake graphics card to Amazon.

    Gamer buys graphics card on Amazon, receives fake product – seller refuses refund until “real” item is returned

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    Art Director of Baldur’s Gate 3 explains: Players want to look cool and not realistic

    Baldur’s Gate 3 impresses with its variety of gameplay options and equipment choices. In an interview with PC Gamer, Alena Dubrovina, Art Director at Larian Studios, discussed the challenges of armor design, barbarian armors, and her key learnings.

    Who is Alena Dubrovina? Alena Dubrovina is recently the Art Director at Larian Studios. During the development of Baldur’s Gate 3, she worked as Lead Character Artist on the game. Previously, she contributed designs for Divinity: Original Sin 2, among others.

    In her portfolio on Artstation.com, she explains which characters she worked on and what she designed: Among other things, she contributed the head models and corresponding textures for Karlach, Raphael, and Ketheric Thorm. The starter outfit of Astarion also comes from her.

    On X.com (formerly Twitter), she also mentioned that she is responsible for some of the underwear designs in Baldur’s Gate 3:

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    Style over practicality

    What did the designer learn? Especially at the beginning of development, Alena Dubrovina repeatedly pointed out that certain designs simply weren’t practical or realistic:

    I realized that [practicality and realism] were not the goal. The main thing is that [the armor] looks cool, fits into the game environment, and tells the story it needs to tell.

    Dubrovina is also pleased that they have not yet received any complaints from the community about the armor design.

    One of the biggest challenges was perspective

    What were the challenges in development? In conversation with PC Gamer, Alena Dubrovina shares her experiences as a designer for Baldur’s Gate 3. Specifically, armor designs were a group task that she tackled together with other artists and writers.

    One of the biggest challenges was that the armors and outfits in Baldur’s Gate 3, unlike in Divinity: Original Sin 2, had to look good not only in top-down perspective but especially in cutscenes.

    Specifically, the designs and corresponding patterns were difficult to implement. There were several designs that looked unique and very good up close, but from a distance appeared very similar.

    Start video
    Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release

    Many armor designs also had to be discarded if they were too wild or extravagant when the technical animators vetoed: some designs were simply not practical for animated characters in a game world.

    Nonetheless, the team had the chance to be very creative: Sometimes we came up with something we hadn’t done before. Then we did a small test, and if everyone was satisfied, we realized it.

    Barbarians don’t get shoulder pads

    Which class posed particular problems? Specifically, the team probably brainstormed longer about the armor of the barbarian class, as here guidelines from Dungeons & Dragons had to be followed:

    “Technically, their outfit is not considered protection. That was a big challenge for people who had never designed such armor before! The briefing says ‘armor’ because it occupies the armor slot as equipment. So you constantly want to add shoulder pads. Or you want to add some sort of protective belt or breastplate. And whenever we received the sketches, we said: ‘No, no, that shouldn’t be armor, that’s too protective!’ We had to stick to the design behind it.”

    Why don’t barbarians wear traditional armor?

    Barbarians in Baldur’s Gate 3 as well as Dungeons & Dragons fundamentally do not wear armor that could increase their armor class. They start at level 1 with the ability Unarmored Defense. As long as a barbarian is not wearing armor, their armor class is 10 plus their Dexterity and Constitution modifier.

    You can read more about the specifics of barbarians here: Best Barbarian Build – How to play Karlach correctly

    Moreover, the Art Director talks about the fact that trends from the real world are also important for video game armor designs. It is important not to isolate oneself in the process and be the one person working quietly in a corner – always in the same style: I believe Baldur’s Gate 3 is also so successful because we made it as diverse as possible.

    Indeed, Baldur’s Gate 3 shines through variety: No run is ever the same, the different classes allow you the most diverse approaches to the problems posed in the game, and you can choose from 10 different developed romances. However, some players are asking for even more.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
    Source(s):
    1. POC Gamer

    Company offers modular laptop, aims to revolutionize the market – But how well does it work?

    The company Framework offers unique notebooks: These devices can be assembled modularly, thus avoiding the drawbacks of other mobile devices. But how well does this idea work?

    Notebooks and other mobile devices have a disadvantage: The components are almost always permanently installed; at best, you can still swap out or expand the RAM and SSD. Unlike a desktop PC, however, you can neither replace nor upgrade the GPU, processor or other parts.

    The disadvantage of notebooks is therefore undeniable: The devices often become outdated after just a few years.

    What does Framework do differently? The company Framework is based in California and was only founded a few years ago (2020). It has also become known through financial support from YouTuber Linus Sebastian, the head of “Linus Tech Tips.”

    Framework wants to take a unique approach when it comes to notebooks: The notebooks are modularly built, and you can replace or swap pretty much any component. The company states:

    Our philosophy is that through well-considered compromises in design and trust in customers and repair shops with the access and information they need, we can create fantastic devices that are still easy to repair. And what’s even better: What we’ve done to enable repair also opens up the possibility for upgrades and customization.

    via frame.work

    Recently, the new 16 series introduced new models with larger displays.

    Notebooks from the company rely on an extremely modular design

    What can be replaced? The idea behind it is both revolutionary and genius: You buy a notebook and can easily upgrade the hardware later with just a few steps. At Framework, this is exactly possible:

    • The motherboard can be easily replaced along with the processor unit.
    • You can integrate a GPU unit on the back for more performance.
    • You can swap the keyboard and touchpad.
    • Ports can be integrated as expansion cards into your system and can also be swapped out.

    This also makes repair options incredibly easy. While with modern notebooks, you first have to search for the maintenance cover and then hope that the manufacturer hasn’t permanently soldered the RAM and SSD, here you can easily plug in and unplug all components.

    Framwork Notebook 13

    Testers: Framework is incredibly easy to handle, but far too expensive

    What are the advantages? Many testers, such as colleagues from TheVerge, explain in their review that the notebooks are incredibly easy to use. With just a few steps, you can swap out parts, making repairs easier than with any other device.

    Moreover, Framework offers modern hardware that you can install in your device. Theoretically, you can swap out the motherboard every year and always stay up to date with the latest technology.

    What are the disadvantages? The biggest disadvantage, and everyone agrees on this, is the very high price of a device from Framework:

    • For the new Laptop 16, you pay at least 1,579 Euros for the base system.
    • For each additional upgrade, such as more RAM or additional expansion cards via USB ports, you pay extra. For an additional dedicated graphics card (RX 7700S), an extra 450 Euros are required.
    • With several upgrades, you will easily exceed the 2,000 Euro mark. For a fully equipped model, you will likely pay more than 2,500 Euros.

    With such high prices, it quickly becomes clear: Framework is definitely not a device for the masses, but rather a niche project. Or as TheVerge writes in its conclusion: “The Framework Laptop 16 is already the dream of every nerd: groundbreaking, fun, entertaining, and incredibly promising.”

    A project for enthusiastic nerds, but not for people who just want to buy a new notebook. Colleagues from TomsHardware see it similarly and add: For the same price, you can get a gaming notebook with significantly more performance.

    The upgradeability also has a downside: Spare parts or new components only come from Framework itself. If the company goes bankrupt or disappears, you will no longer have a chance to upgrade or repair your hardware. This is clearly pointed out by Arstechnica. Unless Framework later sells its plans and licenses to third parties, allowing owners of a Framework model to continue obtaining spare parts.

    Other exciting ideas: Manufacturers repeatedly test new ideas to sell devices. Years ago, HP tested a particularly interesting notebook. A particularly strange idea, a mini mouse in the notebook, has not caught on:

    A laptop for around 4,500 Euros contained such a strange idea that it is still extinct 27 years later

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    EA FC 24: German professional dramatically misses World Cup participation, his teammate makes it to the final

    The former FIFA World Champion Umut Gültekin from RBLZ Gaming has missed the early qualification for the individual World Championship in FC 24. In the decisive round, the professional from the Red Bulls narrowly lost. His teammate, on the other hand, secured the ticket to the final event in the summer.

    This was the situation:

    • Due to their strong performances in the Global Qualifiers of the FC Pro Open, Umut “RBLZ_Umut” Gültekin and Anders “RBLZ_Vejrgang” Vejrgang from RBLZ Gaming, the eSports division of the German Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, qualified for the final tournament of the competition.
    • As two of a total of 20 participants, the two professionals fought not only for the title and a prize money of 80,000 US dollars for the winner but also for one of the four coveted World Championship slots.
    • Both managed to survive the group stage and thus advance to the quarterfinals as two of the eight remaining players. However, only reaching the semifinals guaranteed a World Championship ticket.

    Umut faced the Dutch pro Levi “LevideWeerd” Weerd from Team Gullit as the second-placed player in group A. On the other hand, Anders, as the winner of group C, had to deal with the Brazilian Gabriel “Young” Freitas, who is contracted with Tuzzy E-Sports.

    Quarterfinals turn into penalty shootouts

    This was how the quarterfinal went: The tournament bracket ensured that the matches of both Leipzig players were held at the same time. A spectacular back and forth on both virtual fields finally culminated in the ultimate thriller.

    Both Umut (3:3 vs Levi) and Anders (5:5 vs Young) had to go to penalties. The young Dane managed to save himself into the shootout with the last action just seconds before the final whistle and remained ice cold in the end.

    Start video
    EA FC 24: How the new dribbling mechanics work

    Teammate Umut, on the other hand, suffered a dramatic failure and had to bury not only the dream of winning the inaugural title of the FC Pro Open but also the secure qualification for the World Championship in summer 2024.

    This is how Umut can still make it to the World Championship: But there is still hope! Two more tickets will be awarded through the official partner leagues, which also include the virtual Bundesliga from Germany. If Umut reaches the finals of the local individual championship, he could still fulfill his dream of participating in the World Championship again.

    EA FC 24: FC Pro Open Bracket Knockout Stage

    For his 18-year-old RB colleague, the tournament ultimately ended just as dramatically. With a 4:3 victory against Umut’s conqueror Levi de Weerd, the Dane, known as a FIFA wonder kid, advanced to the Grand Final.

    Last-minute goal secures title in the FC Pro Open – Winner provocatively cheers in Anders Vejrgang’s direction

    However, Anders had to face Paulo “PHzin” Chaves from Brazil in the final in the most bitter way possible. With a last-minute winning goal for the final score of 5:4, the South American came out on top and denied the young talent his first individual title – and added particularly painful celebrations.

    After his golden goal in injury time, PHzin couldn’t resist celebrating joyfully and provocatively. With the significant glasses celebration gesture, for which his opponent Anders Vejrgang is known, he made his rival truly feel the defeat.

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    The young Dane remained calm, however, and took the lost final at least outwardly composed – along with a fair handshake with the deserving champion. The prize of 60,000 US dollars for the second-place finish should help to digest the painful end. Umut at least secured 30,000 US dollars for his top-8 placement.

    With the end of the tournament, the dynamic live cards of the FC Pro players have now also reached their final upgrade status. In our tracker, you can find out how strong the individual professionals are now.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    Pokémon GO: Catching Sen-Long – in which Field Research and Raids you can find it

    In Pokémon GO, you can catch Sen-Long in the field research and raids of the Lunar New Year event right now. We show you exactly where.

    What kind of event is this? The Lunar New Year event is currently live in Pokémon GO. This event runs until Sunday, February 11, 2024, at 20:00. The focus of this event is on Dragon-type Pokémon.

    One of these Pokémon is Sen-Long, which is available for the first time in Pokémon GO. The Pokémon, which has Dragon and Normal types, comes from the 7th generation of games. How strong Sen-Long is, we have already looked at for you.

    Start video
    Pokémon GO shows the new season “Timeless Travels” in the trailer

    In these Lunar New Year field research and raids, you will find Sen-Long

    Is there Sen-Long in field research? Yes, you can obtain Sen-Long from field research. However, there is only a single field research task where you can receive Sen-Long as a reward. This task is Win 3 Raids. However, there is not only Sen-Long waiting for you as a potential reward.

    Instead, you may also encounter a Shardrago or a Tortunator. So it could happen that you need to complete this field research several times before encountering a Sen-Long here. If you do meet Sen-Long, it may also appear in its shiny form.

    Is there Sen-Long in raids? You can also encounter Sen-Long in raids. It awaits you in 3*-raids, just like Shardrago and Tortunator. The advantage of the raid compared to field research is that you can specifically search for and challenge Sen-Long when you are looking for this Pokémon.

    Additionally, you need to participate in raids anyway to complete the field research where you have a chance to get a Sen-Long. In the 3*-raids, you also have the chance that Sen-Long is shiny.

    Is there Sen-Long in the wild? Unfortunately, you cannot encounter Sen-Long in the wild.

    What do you think about Sen-Long and the possibilities to obtain it in the current event? Are you actively hunting for it, or are you less interested in this Pokémon? Feel free to let us know in the comments and discuss with other trainers. We also have an overview of the events in February 2024 in Pokémon GO for you.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    A new game on Steam is just right if you’re into dungeons, looting and leveling up

    As part of the Steam Next Fest, fans of dungeon crawlers can get a glimpse of the upcoming game Dungeonborne. As is typical for the genre, there will be a lot of fighting, looting, and leveling up, and yes, also dying. MeinMMO author Christoph Waldboth looked at the demo of the game and shares his impressions.

    What game is it about? Dungeonborne is the name of this PvPvE game, which at first glance might remind connoisseurs of the controversial genre representative Dark and Darker. In Dungeonborne, players either venture alone or with up to two companions into a dark fantasy dungeon. There, they fight from a first-person perspective against various opponents and human players, loot treasures, and ultimately leave the dungeon through one of the rare portals.

    Only then is the loot theirs. This means Dungeonborne, similar to Dark and Darker, can be classified into the extraction subgenre. In contrast to games like Escape from Tarkov, there are no firearms here. Combat is based on class, using swords, daggers, staves, and more.

    Start video
    Dungeonborne – Official Gameplay Trailer

    A Matter of Class

    Who can you play as? Before the adventure begins, I create a new character in the rudimentary editor. The chosen class is especially important. The options are: Warrior, Priest, Rogue, Swordmaster, Fire Mage, Ice Mage, and Death Knight. I decide to go with the Rogue because I like to be sneaky.

    In the menu, I can adjust my equipment. I can add new weapons, armor, or items to my inventory, improve my gear with a blacksmith, and exchange the found loot for gold with a merchant.

    However, I first need to find this loot. To do this, I choose one of the two playable maps in the demo. On one, I can join a team of up to three players, while on the other, I venture into battle alone. I choose the group and quickly find two random companions. Let’s go, into the adventure.

    The first round is short and educational

    How does Dungeonborne play? Quite well in the demo. But, one step at a time.

    The corridor in front of me is dark. Fortunately, I have a torch with me. Together with my team members, I move forward, and the first skeleton appears around the corner. The first-person combat system works simply and directly. Various combos and special abilities provide variety and diversity. The abilities, like the Rogue’s temporary invisibility, have a short cooldown before they can be used again.

    The skeleton has no chance against us alone. We hit hard, and I realize that I also deal damage to my own team. So, I need to be more careful.

    Additionally, I am horrified to find that the skeleton has nearly taken my entire health bar with just two hits. I have no healing potions with me. One of my team members generously gives me a bandage. At least.

    We three move on and encounter another player. Fortunately, he is traveling alone and has no chance against us. We loot him and find our first treasures.

    After a countdown, the map’s radius is restricted. Anyone standing outside of it takes significant damage, similar to Fortnite. So we hurry on and save ourselves in the safe zone. However, around the next corner awaits an ambush. Three skeletons and a goblin attack, and I die. Thus, I lose all the loot and return to the lobby.

    In the next round, I get much further. I even spot one of the coveted portals through which you can flee the dungeon. Unfortunately, another player stops me, and I come up short. Again, I am dead, and again, all the loot is gone.

    Dungeonborne develops a certain fascination even in the demo. Be it the atmospheric ambiance of the dark dungeons, or the desire to find more treasures in the next round and successfully escape. Once accomplished, the character can level up, and the equipment can be improved. Over time, life in the dungeon becomes easier. But every beginning is hard.

    Dungeonborne is fun but has some issues

    What is the game’s status? Currently, Dungeonborne can be tried out in a demo on Steam. It quickly becomes clear that the game does little new, but is already an entertaining and exciting representative of its genre.

    From a technical standpoint, there are still some construction sites. For example, there is room for improvement in the hitboxes of the enemies. Too often you hit air or get hit, although you were actually far enough away. When an attack succeeds, the hit feedback still leaves something to be desired, depending on the chosen weapon. The game also feels quite sluggish; there is no way to sprint, instead, you meander slowly through the dungeon. This contributes to the oppressive atmosphere and may be intended by the developer.

    When will the game be released? There is still no exact date for the release. In the meantime, all genre fans can enjoy themselves in the demo. In addition to the two playable maps, there is also an arena where players can battle in a deathmatch. Plus a training map and the option to play custom duels.

    Those who enjoy Dark and Darker or similar dungeon crawlers will likely have fun with Dungeonborne as well. Despite minor flaws, it is already an atmospherically dense game that motivates even more by its high level of difficulty. Just like the motto: Just one more round. If you like extraction games but prefer shooting, you can also check out this new game as part of the Steam Next Fest.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    LoL: A student dreams of becoming a pro, but his idol advises against it – Now he is close to his dream

    In South Korea, League of Legends is an integral part of the culture and is deeply integrated into daily life: even on television. In a Korean TV show, a young LoL player was able to meet his idol Faker in 2021. His dying father had made this wish possible. Faker gave the boy a reality check. But three years later, the story now has a special ending. Because the young man is attending a professional LoL school.

    What a meeting that was!

    • The TV show was called “About Time.” The episode with Faker aired in 2021.
    • A father was seriously ill with cancer and bought a meeting for his son with his idol Faker, the legendary LoL player, for about €4,000. The boy’s biggest dream was to become a LoL professional.
    • Faker, usually cool, was moved by the father’s story. But the living legend was tough with the aspiring professional himself.
    Start video
    The Life of Faker – Why He is a Living Legend

    In a TV show, Faker is moved to tears

    What the father said: There were heartbreaking scenes back then. The man said his son was currently in the seventh grade and dreamed of becoming a LoL professional. He was his only child. He himself didn’t have much time left, as he had been diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer that couldn’t be treated anymore.

    He had been in treatment for two years, and his son had supported him during this difficult time when he was desperate. He could only hold on because he thought of his only son.

    The father said he had applied to the show so that his son could see his favorite player, Faker, once.

    Faker was moved by the story at that time and had to wipe away tears.

    Faker takes all illusions away from the boy

    This is what Faker said to the boy: Faker spoke with the boy during the meeting (via YouTube). However, he showed concern: Because the boy was just a “Diamond” player at that time; by that age, he should have already been a Master, as Faker thought.

    He warned him: Some would leave school early to become professionals but failed to make the jump from Master to Grandmaster. Dreams are good and nice. But reality is harsh; many talented players fail on the way to becoming professionals, so one must be honest and cautious.

    Faker urged the rather intimidated disciple to set high goals if he wanted to become a professional player. He was also better than many of his classmates at that time but far from good enough to become a professional because he considered LoL just a hobby.

    “It is easier to lead a camel through the eye of a needle than to become a professional,” said Faker.

    Faker gave the boy some tips for the road, even played a one-on-one against him, and in the end, there were autographs.

    The meeting was a mix of “reality check” and “I get to meet my idol” for the boy.

    faker-lol
    Faker talks to the young man seriously.

    The boy is preparing professionally for a career as a LoL professional

    Here’s how the story continued: On South Korean breakfast television, there was now a reunion with the boy from back then three years later (via YouTube).

    He has since found his place at a LoL academy and is working hard to become a LoL professional.

    His coach confirms that he has the potential to become a professional: He could make his debut in a professional LCK team in 2024 or 2025 if he continues to develop this well, it was said.

    However, he doesn’t have an easy time at the LoL academy: As one of the teachers there says, students are expected to play LoL for 8 hours a day – even on weekdays. The students train rigorously under the supervision of former professionals and prepare for their careers.

    But they also emphasize that overall development is important to instill the necessary professionalism in them. Above all, they want to teach the boys a good attitude.

    How is the boy doing? The most important point of contact for the boy seems to be his mother, who supports him in his endeavor to become a professional. Nowadays, there are many professional players, the mother says. Therefore, she is okay with her son “only playing video games.”

    To Faker, the boy says: It is still his dream to become a professional and to see Faker again, this time as a player himself. He has just one request for Faker: He needs to keep playing for a while longer until he is ready.

    Faker is still the greatest for him.

    What’s behind it: The story that moves so many LoL fans right now and that many take as proof of what a fine guy Faker is, also shows how differently LoL is perceived in South Korea compared to e-sports here in Germany: There, LoL is truly an integral part of the culture, with game shows, e-sports academies, breakfast television, and personality stars.

    Even a presenter said on breakfast television that after the segment and the look at the LoL academy, it became clear to her how huge e-sports and gaming have become in South Korea.

    For mothers, “My son will become a LoL professional” is even a realistic career option.

    Faker is now considered a national treasure in his home country. He is even more revered in South Korea since his victory at the Asian Games:

    LoL: Faker (27) wins the game of the world stars, probably avoids an early career exit – didn’t even have to play himself

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    „After 1,000 hours still not boring“ – player explains why Diablo 4 is still fun for him and not for others

    One part of the community of Diablo 4 is complaining about the game while others continue to have fun with it. A player reports on Reddit why he is still not bored even after 1,000 hours and what others seem to be doing wrong.

    Some are whining about Diablo 4, find the endgame too boring, had nothing to do after a few weeks. Season 2 was highly praised, described as the “definition of fun”, but there was also criticism. The endgame content was too hard and had to be adjusted. And Season 3 was first criticized, then it became a hit.

    On Reddit, the user “yxalitis” explains on February 4 why he is still not bored with Diablo 4 after 1,000 hours – while others are. He advises players: If you don’t want to do something because you find it boring, then just don’t do it.

    On February 6, “Lunar Awakening” starts in Diablo 4. An event that offers a bit of variety in the game and provides an XP bonus:

    Start video
    Diablo 4: Lunar Awakening – All new content of the event

    “The only purpose of a video game is entertainment”

    Why is he still having fun? Even after 1,000 hours in Diablo 4, “yxalitis” still has no boredom and continues to enjoy the content. This is primarily because he forces himself to do nothing. People who do 500 runs at Uber-Duriel to farm specific uniques would complain about how boring it is.

    He says: Just don’t do that. He only does what he feels like in Diablo 4 until he no longer feels like it. When he reads that there’s nothing to do, he can only say: really? On some days he does dungeons to level up the seneschal and to get glyph XP. On other days he goes into the helltide. And when he has enough materials, he and his clan-mates take down the bosses.

    And when I no longer feel like playing after all that, I stop, and I don’t feel like it’s a fault of the game.

    I love the core gameplay of Diablo 4, all the activities mentioned above can be summarized as: “Kill demons”. Not: “Get Uber-Uniques” or “Farm mats” or “Level up glyphs”, those are side effects, consequences of how you kill monsters.

    If killing monsters is not the main reason you play, then you will eventually get bored with the game.

    The only purpose of a video game is entertainment. I don’t watch TV shows that I find boring, I don’t play games that I find boring, and I certainly don’t play a game for hundreds of hours just to tell everyone that it’s “boring”.

    “yxalitis” on Reddit

    “A quick way to ruin the fun”

    What does the community say about it? Some agree with him and still have fun with the content after many hours in Diablo 4. Others disagree and believe that you are “forced” to do certain content to progress.

    We summarize a few comments from the Reddit post:

    • “Once you reach [level] 100, the activities are definitely limited and they need to add more. I think the leaderboards will help with that. But even now you still have 4 other classes to grind.” – keegsahart
    • I agree, I’m still having a blast with D4 and have logged quite a few hours. I have three level 100 characters, […] and there’s no sign of me stopping. […] I believe many people treat D4 like a job, they find a meta build online and grind for hours […] then they play the exact same skill loops over and over until their brain melts… That’s a pretty quick way to ruin the fun.” – Invictus-87
    • “I don’t completely agree with you. It’s not that people choose specific content. They are somewhat forced to do certain content if they want to make specific progress with their character. If you want […] to reroll affixes, you need forgotten souls. To obtain them, you MUST do helltides. If you want to level up glyphs, which is an important part of your endgame progress, you MUST do nightmare dungeons or vaults. If you want uniques, you MUST farm bosses, and to farm bosses, you MUST do […] specific activities.” – jMS_44

    A change to the helltides at least makes it easier to farm loot and materials for summoning a boss. The rate at which helltides appear has been increased, and certain chests now visually differ from others.

    This makes it significantly easier for players to target the chests, whereas previously external websites were needed for this. The change has been positively received: Small change makes it easier to find the best loot in Diablo 4

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    The Fortnite World Cup made teenagers millionaires: But in hindsight, it was a mistake

    Five years ago, in July 2019, the World Championship in Fortnite took place: In retrospect, it was the peak of the Fortnite hype in e-sports, but the event left a bitter aftertaste and has not been repeated since. There are serious doubts about whether some people rightfully won their $17 million back then.

    What an event it was back then!

    • The Fortnite World Championship took place in New York from July 26 to 28, 2019.
    • A total prize pool of $30 million was up for grabs.
    • There were 4 categories: Solo, Duo, Creative Mode, and “Pro+Am,” a show match featuring streamers.

    Why was it such an event back then? Those who qualified for the World Championship in Solo or Duo received $50,000 in prize money. The top 4 in Solo immediately became millionaires, with the later winner Bugha, who was 16 at the time, receiving $3 million in prize money.

    But the qualification was tough, as millions were playing Fortnite at the time, yet only a handful of players were allowed from each region. Even big Twitch streamers like Ninja, who pulled all the strings, failed to qualify for the Fortnite World Championship.

    Epic Games lowered the age limit for participation to 13 years before the World Championship, and veteran shooter pros like Ninja, who was in his late 20s at the time, had no chance against the underage competitors. The later second-place finisher Pslam was already a Methuselah at 24 among the participants.

    He finished 14th in Duo and 25th in Solo: the Brit Benjyfishy

    Start video
    Mother takes 15-year-old son out of school so he has time for Fortnite – This is how it went for him

    Everything revolved around the World Championship and qualification

    How could one see the hype? Leading up to the World Championship, the qualification tournaments were always played on weekends. This affected the “rhythm” of Fortnite:

    • In 2018, Fortnite’s viewership on Twitch fluctuated by weekdays: The key days were usually Fridays because the legendary community tournaments “Fortnite Friday” took place, but even a Monday was at times the strongest day of the week.
    • Leading up to the Fortnite World Championship, everything was about qualification tournaments on Sundays.

    The qualification worked in a way that players entered lobbies with “regular” players and had to accumulate as many points as possible by killing and surviving – a real rush, a hunt for the high score.

    For months, people eagerly followed whether their favorite streamer could still qualify for the tournament. The matches were tough and competitive.

    Players and viewers gorge themselves on Fortnite World Championship, are then satisfied

    The effect of the event: The Fortnite World Championship itself went, at first glance, well. The viewer numbers were decent – e-sports seemed to be entering the mainstream.

    But after the World Championship, the air was out of e-sports: Everything had boiled down to this central event for $30 million, players and viewers had almost played themselves into burnout with the months-long Fortnite qualification games, where everything was at stake, and after the Fortnite World Championship, the game lost its breath:

    • In March 2019, Fortnite still had 101 million watched hours on Twitch.
    • In July 2019, when the World Championship took place, Fortnite was still watched for 90.5 million hours.
    • By September 2019, the number had dropped to 60.4 million hours – the hype was over.

    Positively speaking, one could say: The hype around Fortnite was already waning in 2019, but the Fortnite World Championship kept it alive for a while longer. In any case, the end of the Fortnite World Championship also had a significant impact on Twitch.

    This continued: Viewer numbers in e-sports declined, prize money shrank, and Fortnite only reached future highlights on Twitch with season highlights, i.e., the PvE events.

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    Great doubts about the integrity of the e-sports event in hindsight

    This was the sporting problem of the event: What was never quite talked about: In retrospect, the format of the tournament proved to be a huge problem for the sporting integrity of Fortnite, as the winners were determined in matches where 100 players competed against each other – i.e., the best players in the world. All on one map. Everyone against everyone.

    Fortnite was never designed as an e-sports title but was hastily brought up in a few months as a PUBG variant: Fortnite is a battle royale game that only offered e-sports because teams desperately wanted it in 2018.

    The battle royale concept revolves around tension and show, where anything can happen at any moment. The goal is to entertain the viewers of a streamer, never was it meant to ensure fair competition.

    Anyone who has played a battle royale knows how unfair it is when you land and find nothing, while the opponent comes rushing at you early with a shotgun.

    pubg-titel
    PUBG clearly inspired Fortnite.

    In e-sports, the problems become even more complex.

    When 100 people play together on one map: How should one avoid manipulation? How could Epic Games prevent individual players from coordinating with the motto: “We’ll stay away from each other as long as possible so that we can survive long and collect many points.”

    There are some indications that something like this happened before the Fortnite World Championship: A then 19-year-old coach Hugh Gilmour had trained a large part of the later winners:

    According to his statements, people who went to him for “coaching” earned $17 million in prize money at the Fortnite World Championship: He trained the players who later placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th in the solo tournament – and also teams 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 in the duos.

    These players knew beforehand that they would face each other in battle royale games at the World Championship – and all visited the same coach.

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    Why is that strange? If a coach trains a large portion of the later winners, one can speculate that something is not right and that there have been agreements over the paths to take.

    It would be enough to recommend each player their own “landing points” so that they could stay out of each other’s way as long as possible in the match to gain a significant advantage. Maybe they would also be told where to go next after the landing point to avoid strong opponents for as long as possible: the loot routes.

    This part of the Fortnite e-sport story has never really been clarified. No one has a real interest in looking into it closely, neither Epic Games nor the players involved.

    Months later, in November 2019, the suspicion arose on Reddit that the coach had “not helped players through training” but by dictating the loot routes to avoid other players.

    Even though this never really turned into a scandal, it stands to reason that Epic Games had its suspicions, as something like the Fortnite World Championship has never happened again.

    Later, Fortnite implemented strangely appearing rules: In 2020, “jumping” was banned because jumping by professionals was seen as a signal: “Don’t harm me, and I won’t harm you either.”

    Fortnite completely buried the World Championship, never revisiting the idea

    These are the aftereffects of the Fortnite World Championship: To put it bluntly: maybe Epic Games found the 2020 pandemic quite convenient, as it provided a good excuse not to hold the Fortnite World Championship on-site in 2020.

    Even when the issues with the COVID-19 pandemic eased, no event even remotely close to it ever returned.

    The e-sports of Fortnite switched to online tournaments starting in 2020 and never returned to that level.

    Many pros from the “golden age” switched to Valorant for a long time. Fortnite has drawn attention in recent years through PvE events; there is barely any talk of e-sports anymore.

    Many of the then winners of Fortnite switched games conspicuously early or ended their careers outright:

    Fortnite: Austrian became world champion and millionaire at 17 – Ends career at 21

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    Pokémon GO: Spotlight Hour today with Dratini and XP bonus

    Today, on February 6, 2024, the Spotlight Hour with Dratini kicks off in Pokémon GO. In this guide, we show you everything about the times, shinies, and the bonuses of this short event.

    What kind of event is this? Every Tuesday evening, Pokémon GO hosts a Spotlight Hour for you. For the duration of 60 minutes, a Pokémon is in focus along with a bonus. Niantic determines the combination of Pokémon and bonus at the beginning of each month.

    Today, you will encounter the Pokémon Dratini from the first generation. It belongs to the Dragon type and can evolve into Dragonair and Dragonite.

    Spotlight Hour on February 6 – Start, Shiny, and Bonuses

    When does it start? As you know from previous Spotlight Hours, the event also starts today at 6:00 PM local time. The content will be active for you for one hour. The event ends again at 7:00 PM.

    What bonuses are active? During the event, you will see wild Dratini almost everywhere in Pokémon GO. If you want to attract even more of these Pokémon, you can light incense.

    Additionally, you will receive double the amount of experience points for catching Pokémon.

    Today marks the first Spotlight Hour in February 2024. You can see what to expect in the upcoming dates of the month here:

    Can you catch Shiny Dratini? Yes, the shiny form of Dratini has been in Pokémon GO for quite some time. With some luck, you might catch one during the event today. However, keep in mind that the chances of shinies are not increased during Spotlight Hours.

    Is it worth participating in the Spotlight Hour today? Dratini can evolve into Dragonite, which is one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO. It is strong in battles against other trainers and also in raids. Joining can really pay off for you.

    Will you participate in today’s Spotlight Hour? Share your thoughts about it here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other trainers.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    New survival game offers 40 hours demo on Steam – But even that is not enough to see everything

    A new game, Soulmask, has been released on Steam, which apparently wants to follow in the footsteps of Conan Exiles, Valheim, and RUST. To convince players, it offers 40 hours of playable content before purchase. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus tried it out and now knows why the developers are so generous.

    Actually, Soulmask wasn’t really on my list for this year. We are already getting tons of new survival games in 2024, which I already know will be fantastic.

    Then, Soulmask simply released a 40-hour demo on Steam, without really preparing anyone for it. That’s when I first heard about the game and was amazed at what they want to achieve:

    • A large sandbox world – Okay, that has become standard for modern survival games.
    • Large servers for dozens of players, even a true MMO according to the Steam page.
    • Own tribe, essentially slaves like in Conan Exiles but much more complex, with tasks and roles.
    • An almost souls-like combat system with 8 weapons and 58 (!) combat skills.
    • Plus the namesake mask, which comes with some mystical abilities.

    All in all, very ambitious, maybe a bit too much. But I was too intrigued and had to try it out. After the first few hours, I am still not sure if Soulmask can deliver what it promises.

    Start video
    Soulmask grants first impressions in action-packed teaser

    A huge world for your own tribe!

    First of all, Soulmask actually brings the foundation on which everything kind of builds: a gigantic map. I spent a quarter or half an hour just searching for something and was still deep in the jungle. Luckily, there are customizable map markers, otherwise I would have been lost even with a good sense of direction.

    However, the start is… slow. Soulmask is still a survival game, like pretty much every other one in the last 5 years. I start almost naked, have some tasks that guide me through the features and spend the first 2 hours just gathering sticks, stones, and grass.

    But then it gets exciting. The mask that is attached to the character during creation has magical powers. With it, I can improve my combat and gathering skills and even persuade the local people… uh… to join my tribe.

    The first base quickly becomes too small because the production chains become quite long rapidly. Just to craft a level two weapon, I need leather, which has to go through three different crafting stations. Additionally, I discovered a few interesting features:

    • Animal husbandry and riding.
    • Extensive cooking with buffs like in Valheim, for which I even need to be able to use pots – No bowl, no soup!
    • Various rarities in crafting for better gear.
    • Boss fights and exploration of ruins and dungeons to unlock new skills.

    However, here is where the first, perhaps only, but really big problem with Soulmask becomes apparent. Everything is incredibly vast…

    A huge world? For your own tribe?

    For the mentioned weapon alone, I need a workbench that I first have to craft. Without considering the hunt for leather, I had to invest about 10 minutes just to produce the materials and the workbench itself. About half of that again for crafting the weapon.

    I could only shorten the time in 3 ways:

    • I use my tribe members to manage the crafting stations.
    • I delegate tasks to other players when I play in a clan.
    • Or I raid other players who have already produced what I need.

    The last option was off the table for me. On one hand, I’m playing solo, and on the other, I was on a PvE server. Teasing other players was thus not possible. Full loot is available, meaning: I lose EVERYTHING if I die to NPCs, and anyone can then grab the loot.

    The other two options also didn’t work. The tribe members have decent AI and store produced items independently. But giving them a task takes about as long as just doing it myself. They are mainly useful as guards or for continuous tasks, otherwise only conditionally.

    I had no teammates, even though the world was full of people. But that’s another problem because wherever I wanted to build, someone was already there, blocking the spot for my campfires. I need those for protection and crafting. It might be due to the demo, but even in the farthest corner of the map, someone has built a damn villa out of grass.

    It’s clear that the game is definitely designed for multiplayer. Tasks should be distributed, and territories of the map should be defended with your own tribe. Alone it’s slow; with a private server that may come later, it could be quite cool.

    The demo has technical issues – But warns about them too

    The “ugly” sides of the demo were bugs and especially connection problems. Actually, the combat system is pretty cool and even more refined than that of Conan Exiles with interesting weapons and play styles.

    However, the fights only work if you can hit and parry when the opponent reacts. I moved somewhat jerkily at times, enemies teleported, and I only succeeded in performing a parry by chance, which then led to a (pretty cool) finisher.

    Soulmask has an Asian touch, and this shows in both good and bad ways. For example, the female proportions are clearly exaggerated and not subject to physics as they should be.

    The positive side: The world is incredibly beautiful. When the sun rays fall through the canopy and bathe the forest in a warm orange, the jelly-like upper body is quickly forgotten.

    Soulmask is currently planned to be released only for PC. You can find the game here on Steam.

    40 hours of demo are not really enough

    All in all, I feel that with the 40 hours, I won’t get very far. The experience is also limited to level 30, which is… generous. It will take a while until I get there. Probably around 15 to 20 hours.

    But just looking at how long the production chains for bone weapons are, I don’t want to know how long I’ll have to work on a pair of iron swords. That will probably take a whole evening if I still have to farm the ore beforehand.

    Soulmask has a lot to offer. Maybe too much. The game is fun, taking many features that have already worked well. But I’m not sure if it might have been smarter to elaborate more on the main feature of the mask and skip the Factorio-like crafting.

    Still, I think that Soulmask is a solid game. It’s not significantly better, but definitely not worse than the mainstream hits like Conan Exiles and Valheim. Just different. Those looking for some variety will definitely not go wrong here. The only issue could be the current competition: Palworld is making a big splash, and even a new survival game from Germany is really strong.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    Pokémon GO: Selfe counter guide with the 20 best attackers

    The 20 best counters against Selfe in Pokémon GO have been summarized for you in this raid guide. To help you defeat the raid boss quickly, we show you the best moveset here on MeinMMO.

    What kind of Pokémon is it? Selfe is a Legendary Pokémon from the fourth generation of games. Together with Vesprit and Tobutz, they represent the trio of the lake legend.

    When can you battle against Selfe? You will find Selfe from May 12 to May 21, 2025, in level 5 raids, but not in this country. To participate, you will likely need to use a remote raid. It will be found alongside Vesprit and Tobutz in the gyms of their respective regions.

    The best counters against Selfe in raids

    1. Mega Gengar with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
    2. Necrozma Dawn Wings with Dark Claw / Shadow Ray
    3. Mega Tyranitar with Bite and Twister
    4. Shadow Tyranitar with Bite and Twister
    5. Mega Banette with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
    6. Shadow Skelabra with Burden and Shadow Ball
    7. Mega Houndoom with Standpauke and Leech Life
    8. Mega Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Ascension Rush
    9. Shadow Snibunna with Standpauke and Leech Life
    10. Mega Absol with Standpauke and Counter
    11. Trikephalo with Bite and Twister
    12. Shadow Gengar with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
    13. Tyranitar with Bite and Twister
    14. Shadow Mewtwo with Psycho Blade and Shadow Ball
    15. Darkrai with Standpauke and Shadow Ball
    16. Giratina (Origin Form) with Dark Claw and Phantom Force
    17. Shadow Kramshef with Standpauke and Dark Aura
    18. Mega Gyarados with Bite and Crunch
    19. Mega Pinsir with Rage Blade and Cross Scissor
    20. Skelabra with Burden and Shadow Ball

    Weaknesses of Selfe: Since Selfe is a Psychic type, it is particularly weak against attacks from Bug, Ghost, and Dark types.

    Can you catch Shiny Selfe? Yes, you can now catch the shiny form of Selfe in Pokémon GO.

    How many trainers are needed? Trainers who use the best counters, are at least level 40, and have some experience with raids can defeat Selfe with just three people; it is even possible to do it with two if your counters are stronger. If you have lower levels, you should rely on more players in your group.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    In the new MMORPG that Amazon is bringing, you transform into Godzilla and tear down castles

    The most exciting new MMORPG, set to come to Europe in 2024, is called Throne and Liberty. It is expected to be released for Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X. NCSoft (Guild Wars 2) now presents a new 3-minute video showcasing a powerful siege golem at work. It has a vibe of Godzilla attacks Tokyo”.

    What kind of MMORPG is this and when is it coming to us?

    • Throne and Liberty is one of the largest new MMORPGs from South Korea. It has been in development there for a long time and is the latest part of the major series “Lineage” – something like the WoW of South Korea.
    • In South Korea, Throne and Liberty was released in December 2023. Amazon intends to bring it to Europe by the first half of 2024, but there are doubts about whether they can meet the release date. Amazon is reportedly having problems with the console version.
    • The latest news about the MMORPG is that NCSoft is making efforts to place a stronger focus on PvE and is planning new dungeons here. However, today we are showing images from the PvP aspect of the game, from siege battles.

    The siege golems of Throne and Liberty:

    Start video
    Throne and Liberty: Introduction of the Siege Golem

    One-Man Demolition Company

    This is shown in the new video:  In Throne and Liberty, players have the opportunity to transform into a siege golem and intervene in fortress battles.

    Players can purchase “Golem Slates” and transform into a golem.

    While in golem form, players constantly lose health and can only use their abilities. The transformation can be ended at any time.

    The video mentions that there are 4 different types of golems in Throne and Liberty:

    • The “Stone Crusher” is good at destroying walls and can deal high damage to structures.
    • The “Battle Carrier” serves as a carrier for an attacking force and can carry allies over walls.
    • The “Doom Hammer” is a ranged fighter and loves to throw lava balls at fortresses.
    • The “Jump Attacker” has the Hulk jump and stuns enemies when he lands.

    The English names like “Stone Crusher” are heard untranslated in the South Korean version of the video.

    This is behind it: This looks like an exciting innovation in the MMORPG.

    Although I can already imagine the discussion that the tank wants to play the cool “Stone Crusher,” but in the end, the guild forces him into the lame, yet surely more useful “Battle Carrier.”

    Moreover, the video also shows that multiple golems can attack a castle simultaneously.

    Well, I’m curious.

    More about Throne and Liberty: All about the release, classes, and gameplay of the new MMORPG

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
    Source(s):
    1. mmorpg.com

    EA FC 24: The best Icon-SBC so far is here, letting you choose between 4 random legends

    In EA FC 24 a new icon SBC has just been launched that can bring really strong legends into your team. The special thing: This time you have the choice of 4 players. But is the expensive gamble worth it?

    What is this new icon SBC? The new icon SBC (Squad Building Challenge) has a catchy name “87+-Icon-Professional Choice (Base, Thunderstruck or Winter Wildcards)” and is available in Ultimate Team until Sunday, February 11.

    Upon completing this task, you will be presented with 4 random icons, each having a rating of at least 87. You can choose one.

    Eligible icons include base, Thunderstruck or Winter Wildcards, which is why true stunners like Ronaldinho (94), Cruyff (95) or Pelé (96) could pop up. The condition is that you have to submit 3 teams:

    • A team with a total rating of 87 including a TOTW card
    • A team with a total rating of 86
    • Another team with a total rating of 86

    Since you don’t have to worry about chemistry conditions, the SBC is at least easy to solve from a building perspective. You just need high-rated players – but they can be expensive. If you need coins for that, you can get them through trading in EA FC 24.

    How much does the icon SBC cost? If you check on the portal futbin, the SBC is estimated to have a total price of a hefty 400,000 coins (as of February 5). However, this only applies if you have to buy all players new. If you already have SBC fodder in your club, the challenge can turn out cheaper.

    But is the expensive SBC worth the investment at all? We show you how high your chances are for top cards.

    Start video
    EA Sports FC 24: Update teaser for the UEFA Euro 2024

    Your chances for the best cards of the “87+-Icon-Professional Choice” SBC

    These cards are in the draw: A total of 47 different icon cards will be drawn. There are big names like Ronaldinho (94), Cruyff (95) or Pelé (96), each with a market value of over 5 million. However, there are also, as always, duds, and there are quite a few of them. Riquelme (89), Scholes (89), Rush (88), and Barnes (89) say hello.

    Here are some numbers regarding the chances of getting top cards:

    • A total of 25 of the 47 available cards have a market value of over 400,000 coins. This means that 53% of the icons are worth more than the SBC itself.
    • However, there are few real stunners. Only 13 cards break the million mark.
    • 22 cards are worth less than the SBC price (approximately 400,000 coins), and 7 of those cards are even below 100,000 coins.

    So if you have extreme bad luck, the SBC might present you with Riquelme (89), Owen (89), Rush (88), and van Nistelrooy (91), whose combined market value is even lower than the price of the SBC. If you want to see all available cards, you can find them here (via futbin).

    Is the SBC worth it? That’s hard to answer, as it’s pure luck which icons you are presented with. But with a selection of 4 cards, the chance is at least greater that at least one of the cards belongs to the better ones. However, the chance of top stars like Ronaldinho or Cruyff remains infinitesimally small.

    Generally, the same applies as always to roulette SBCs: Be careful and don’t put your most important players into this SBC. It can happen that you draw 4 cards that absolutely do not fit your team. However, if you have enough card fodder in your club to significantly reduce the SBC price, you can test your luck.

    One thing is clear: If you are currently trying to improve your team, you should not rely on the icon SBC. Instead, invest your coins in players from the transfer market, where you know what you’re getting.

    If you want to know how high the chances for TOTY cards were, then take a look here:

    EA FC 24: Players open thousands of packs without success, not pulling a single TOTY – “The worst pack weight of all time”

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.