The developer behind LoL, Riot Games, has announced that 530 employees worldwide will be laid off. They are also scrapping their plans for their own Twitch and discussing it. MeinMMO reveals what is behind it.
Riot Games, known for the popular MOBA League of Legends, recently experienced a setback. They announced on X that they must lay off 530 employees worldwide from Riot Games, which corresponds to 11% of the company. The reason given is that many new employees have been hired for new projects since 2019, but these projects have not generated the expected returns.
Among the hired projects was also a dedicated livestream platform that was meant to compete with Twitch.
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Song of Nunu brings a fan favorite from League of Legends into the game
Riot Games planned its own Twitch, but is now scrapping it
What is the story behind the scrapped idea? The project, which was estimated to be in development for two years, was supposed to offer an alternative to Twitch. In 2021, Riot Games acquired the company Kanga, which specializes in creating new forms of interaction between e-sports teams and their fans.
The idea of having its own platform that would directly compete with Twitch was said to be an ambitious endeavor. Riot Games invested resources and time into the project, which was supposed to launch under the name Riot Esports Network (REN). How much money was spent on the project in total is unknown – but it is estimated to be a significant amount.
This platform was supposed to allow fans to watch professional players in games like LoL and Valorant. It was also planned to deeply integrate the platform with Riot Games’ games – for example, by offering rewards for players who actively watch live streams.
Reports about the failure came to light through research by the business site Bloomberg .
We tested some ideas for watch platforms, but decided last week to shut down our REN initiative, said the decision announced by John Needham, President of eSports at Riot Games. You can read more about his visions regarding the scrapped idea in the official Riot Games blog post.
Overall, the project was relatively unknown to the public, but was already in internal testing phases. After the announcement of layoffs at Riot Games, other projects of the company were also abandoned, such as Riot Forge, the publishing label for indie developer games – for example: Song of Nunu.
Superheroes for an older audience have become very popular in recent years. Gen V, The Boys, and Invincible are popular examples. On Netflix, there is an anime that goes in a similar direction and combines many entertaining heist elements.
What is Super Crooks about?
The series is based on the comic of the same name by Mark Millar, who has worked for DC and Marvel and also created masterpieces like Wolverine: Old Man Logan
In Super Crooks, it is about Johnny Bolt, a villain who pulls off smaller heists
His ability is the manipulation and creation of electricity
Now he wants to pull off a bigger heist with his great love Kasey and a crew of villains, but things don’t go according to plan
The series was released on Netflix in 2021 and has 13 episodes
The anime was created at Studio Bones, known for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Soul Eater, and My Hero Academia. The anime series mixes, similarly to Great Pretender and Cyberpunk Edgerunners, many elements of Japanese and American productions and styles.
Super Crooks – Trailer for the brutal anime with superheroes
The Boys meets Ocean’s Eleven
The world of Super Crooks resembles that of The Boys. A certain number of the population has superpowers. Among them are classic abilities such as strength or electricity, but also quirky and interesting ones like control of the weather or bad luck. The focus of Super Crooks is on the perspective of the villains, who try to make money with their abilities. For example, one criminal makes it rain to sell his umbrellas.
However, there aren’t many villains left in this world since there are countless superheroes in America who want to become famous. If villains want to succeed, they have to join a syndicate that assigns jobs and takes a large share as commission. Johnny Bolt doesn’t want that, and after unfortunate events, he and his team must pull off a big, but above all, self-organized heist.
These heists are the big highlight of the series. Like in movies such as Ocean’s Eleven, each member of Johnny’s team has a specific task that is necessary for the well-structured plan. As a viewer, you often wonder how the villains are going to escape a tight spot.
For this very reason, the heroes use their abilities in interesting situations very creatively, and it’s not just about brute force. However, the anime is not for the faint-hearted; there are brutal fights and the 16-rated logo is there for a reason.
The characters are as colorful as their abilities themselves, and especially Johnny and Kasey have an irresistible charm that makes each of the 13 episodes entertaining. The many heroes are, like in The Boys, the less likable characters who also have a lot of dirt on their hands. Unlike someone like Butcher, the leader of the Boys from the live-action series, Johnny always acts according to a moral code. This makes him very relatable for the audience.
The design of the characters and the story is influenced by American superhero ideas. The animation style and the fights offer entertainment at a high level, even by anime standards, and are well-choreographed. Watching it is truly enjoyable.
For fans of Invincible and The Boys, the series is recommended, even if you are not an anime fan. Classic tropes are avoided here. Due to the length of the series and episodes, you can binge-watch Super Crooks over a weekend.
Developer CIG has published interesting statistics about Star Citizen. The numbers reveal, among other things, which countries are the most represented in the space MMO. Based on the most popular spaceships, it becomes clear what the favorite activities of the players are.
Star Citizen and its Solo Campaign Squadron 42 have been in development for over 10 years and have already grossed over 661 million dollars during this period. However, the number of players has also continuously increased and currently stands at over 5 million (via robertsspaceindustries.com). Good reason for developer CIG to publish some numbers and statistics from the past gaming year 2023.
These values leave room for speculation about what the favorite activities within the Star Citizen community were in 2023 and how they are distributed across different player regions. One might suspect that German players contributed significantly to this result and fulfil a typical stereotype in the space MMO.
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Star Citizen Alpha 3.22 Trailer
Numbers about Star Citizen that reveal much about our activities
What kind of statistics are these? At the end of 2023, Star Citizen developer CIG on X shared some statistics with the community. The community learns, for instance, from a total of 4 graphics, which countries most players come from.
Another statistic reveals the top 5 spaceships with particularly high play hours. This indirectly addresses a typical stereotype for which German players are often known: We play to “work.” Apparently, we often find our fun in the game by doing a job.
Where are the most players located? The strongest player region is the USA. In second place is Germany, followed by our French neighbors with the third most players. British citizens secure the 4th place over Canada at rank 5.
Top 5 Star Citizen Player Regions
Unfortunately, the statistics do not provide absolute numbers. But with currently over 5 million registered players, it is evident that many fans of Star Citizen live in Europe, and German players account for a large share of that.
Which activities are the most popular? In addition to the 5 largest player regions, the ranking of the most popular spaceships is also interesting. Due to the types of ships and their purpose, it can be easily seen which gaming activities were pursued the most in 2023.
In first place for the most flight hours with spaceships is the Drake Vulture. This ship is suitable for solo players who want to be space scrap collectors. It is used for the recovery of unmanned spacecraft.
The most popular ships in the Star Citizen universe
The gameplay loop of such salvage missions involves finding these abandoned ships and systematically recycling them for profit. This also likely explains the remarkable number of nearly 700,000 completed missions, which are also found in the statistics.
In third place among the most-played ships is the Misc Prospector, which is designed for mining. With it, raw materials and minerals can be mined in space and on planetary surfaces. Minerals can also be harvested with smaller ground vehicles or a tool attachment. However, large-scale mining is possible with the Misc Prospector.
CIG has recognized this as well and has been offering an expensive multiplayer ship for conceptual purchase for some time that will overshadow the two previous mining ships. Thus, the gameplay loop of mining becomes larger, and direct processing of the materials obtained before sale becomes possible. Great! Even more work, confirming our stereotype.
German players prefer to be workers rather than bounty hunters
Where does this stereotype come from? The two mentioned spaceships and the associated professions fulfil a classic stereotype that particularly applies to German players. In the past, Germany’s economy has been internationally praised for its high work ethic and great diligence.
What could be better than logging into your favorite game after a long day at work and doing some relaxing work there? This has also been elaborated on by colleagues from derstandard.de.
Some of the most popular games in Germany have always been those in which we can build, create, and work. One of the oldest examples: The Settlers, where we build a city and manage its workers.
What do these activities say about us? Essentially, game mechanics such as city building in the very first Settlers with all its tasks (e.g., mining) may not differ much from spaceship recycling or mining in Star Citizen. Provided that both give a player the same feeling of a relaxing activity.
This is supported by the fact that many players from the Star Citizen community are peaceful spaceship pilots who simply want to relax while completing a few jobs, instead of chasing AI villains or real opponents.
What other statistics are available? Further numbers also reveal the spaceships and weapons responsible for the most bounties, including an impressive number of completed bounty missions. However, nearly 400,000 virtual deaths can be attributed to the lack of a helmet in space.
In January 2024, two well-known German gaming YouTubers announced that they would be reducing the production of their elaborate videos and will focus more on streaming on Twitch: HandOfBlood and Kalle Koschinsky. This is reason enough for MeinMMO to take a look: Why are YouTubers switching to Twitch?
What is the situation? In recent years, Twitch has faced a lot of criticism and lost some of its top streamers.
As early as 2019, top stars like Ninja and shroud switched to Mixer.
However, a new development has suddenly emerged in recent weeks. One of the most well-known German gaming YouTubers, Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe, unexpectedly decided to switch to Twitch in January 2024. Just before that, his friend Kalle Koschinsky had also made a similar announcement.
Start video
Prime Gaming, the secret behind Twitch’s success
YouTube is only worthwhile to a limited extent for many creators
What makes Twitch suddenly attractive again? The motivations for content creators to make a switch may vary from person to person. In his announcement, HandOfBlood mentioned a lack of self-fulfillment and dwindling enjoyment in video production. He felt that he had lost a part of himself in the conceived YouTube videos – the viewers wanted more “Hänno pur” again.
Nevertheless, some patterns can be recognized. One statement arises repeatedly in the discussion: “Elaborate videos are not worth it.” The YouTuber “Jules” shared his calculated hourly wage of €5.29 for the work on his well-composed videos in 2023. He expressed the suspicion that YouTube is simply not made for elaborate videos anymore.
This is partly due to the so-called CPM on YouTube, which indicates how much content creators earn per view. The value is determined individually for each channel and depends on various factors. This leads to situations where the German Twitch streamer Trymacs earns differing amounts with his channels and others receive even just cents.
This type of monetization makes it significantly more challenging for some content creators to earn money with YouTube. Yet it is precisely the relative financial security that makes the video platform attractive for many. For a long time, this security on YouTube opposed a culture on Twitch that promotes a constant “grind” to the point of self-exploitation.
However, content creators have now also come to realize that the all-powerful algorithm favors those YouTubers who regularly create new videos and punishes those who upload videos to YouTube infrequently.
So what is the golden formula? Two elements come together:
YouTube rewards those who regularly upload new videos
Those who spend a lot of time on a single video feel they are not being rewarded for it
For several years now, the trend from the USA has been known where large content creators stream on Twitch and then repurpose excerpts of their videos on YouTube. Streamers like Asmongold or xQc pioneered this trend of live streaming on Twitch and only uploading excerpts on YouTube.
This trend has established itself more and more in recent years, also due to the so-called “reaction meta”: Twitch streamers watch videos from other content creators live on Twitch, be it on YouTube, TikTok, or Twitch, and react to them. Excerpts of these reactions are then published on YouTube.
This way, streamers get the best of both worlds: They stream live on Twitch, interact with the chat and other content creators, gather subs or place their ad deals, and thus stay relevant.
At the same time, they can regularly upload videos on YouTube that require no additional work from them – usually, editors, whether freelancers or employed, take care of the editing and uploading of the videos.
Indeed, both HandOfBlood and Kalle Koschinsky announced that not much would change on their YouTube channels. The former continues to upload videos on his second channel “HandOfUncut” in the same style as before – just that it consists of footage from his stream instead of originally produced videos.
Kalle Koschinsky also continues to contribute to his YouTube channel with recordings from his streams for those viewers who cannot or do not want to tune in live. However, so far these videos have received significantly fewer views than his usual content. It remains to be seen whether the switch to “daily streamer” will pay off in the long run.
Gifted entertainers like HandOfBlood can leverage their charisma and improvisational skills to operate live in the stream while still utilizing and feeding their established reach for YouTube for maximum profit.
It is therefore no coincidence that German YouTubers are increasingly switching to Twitch now; it is currently the established business model that promises maximum reach.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Steam, the graphically enhanced version of the complex cult hit “Dwarf Fortress” has been enjoying sustained popularity among connoisseurs. However, one mode that the game has in the ASCII version is still missing: the Adventure Mode. In April 2024, it is expected to be released. It sounds like a feast for role-playing gamers who are looking for something entirely different.
Dwarf Fortress has earned a legendary reputation over 22 years as a complex, intricately nested simulation. Amazing stories circulate about dead cats and spilled beer in taverns. However, the game existed for 20 years only without graphics, represented through ASCII code. Therefore, the game was hard to access.
Role-playing mode Adventure Mode is still missing on Steam
Which mode is missing? Dwarf Fortress has a specific mode in the ASCII version called the “Adventure Mode” where you directly control a dwarf or a group and experience personal adventures in the fantasy world, instead of managing the fortress like a drunken dwarven god and looking down at the dwarves as they go mad because they can’t find space to craft but absolutely need to produce something.
Connoisseurs of Dwarf Fortress see the Adventure Mode as a brilliant way to bring the world of Dwarf Fortress to life.
The developers themselves describe their work on this mode as “a completely unique, rough experience that can be fascinating and frustrating.”
What is the problem? The mode was missing at release because countless animations need to be graphically animated, and that hasn’t been feasible in terms of time so far.
In a blog post, the brothers have now announced that they plan to add the mode in April if all goes well.
Dwarf Fortress currently has 95% positive reviews on Steam and costs €29.
According to a leaker, the online shooter Destiny 2 is set to receive activities for 12 players in the future. So far, the maximum has been 6 players in a raid. It could be that this will happen with “Final Shape.”
Where do the information come from?
The information comes from a well-known community member “Liz” and was spread through the Discord server Destiny2Leaks.
As “TheGamerPost” knows, Liz is known for spreading credible information. Therefore, she enjoys a certain degree of credibility.
However, this leak has not been officially confirmed yet. Therefore, it should currently be considered just a rumor.
Start video
Destiny 2: The Most Epic Moments of the Light and Darkness Saga
What does the leak say? Liz merely states that Destiny 2 will bring activities for 12 players in the future.
There is no concrete timeline for when this should happen. But it is likely that Bungie, if they do release something like this, will do it with the release of “The Final Shape” on June 4, 2024, or in a patch afterwards.
In 2021, a bug caused 12 players and more fun in the raid
Why would this be something special? In Destiny, the maximum group size has always been 6 in the raids. However, fans have speculated that Bungie could increase it to 12 for an “epic feeling.”
Bungie even kept this bug active in Destiny 2 longer than necessary, because they noticed how much players enjoyed this “problem.” Ultimately, however, the bug was fixed.
Even back then, some players said this feature brought a breath of fresh air to Destiny 2 and should become a permanent feature rather than remain a bug (via reddit).
Since then, there has been ongoing speculation that Destiny 2 is working on special activities for 12 players, which could revitalize the somewhat stagnant Destiny formula after nearly 10 years.
The DLC “The Final Shape” is scheduled for release in June 2024. Our Destiny expert Britta has summarized what is currently known about the expansion, which has already been delayed amidst much fanfare:
Patrick Jane, as a mentalist, tricks his audience until his family is murdered one day by the serial killer Red John. From then on, he assists the police as a consultant and uses his special cognitive abilities to help solve tricky cases.
Watch The Mentalist if you like the following about Sherlock :
Brilliant investigator in focus
Focus on psychological aspects
Episodic structure, in which one case is dealt with per episode
Complex main character
Consultant who supports the police
This is what the IMDb ratings say: 197,602 users rated IMDb. The series achieves a rating of 8.2 out of 10 stars.
Fun fact: Actress Amanda Righetti (Grace Van Pelt) was pregnant during season 5. Since this did not fit the storyline of her character, care was taken during filming to ensure that she sat behind a computer or other objects in many scenes or was filmed at such an angle that her belly could not be seen (via IMDb)
2. Hannibal
Start video
German trailer for season 1 of Hannibal
The FBI agent Will Graham is an empath who can immerse himself into the thoughts and emotions of murderers so well that he can reconstruct their crimes. During the investigations, he works with the brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who hides a dark secret…
Watch Hannibal if you like the following about Sherlock :
Main characters with special cognitive abilities
(Very) dark elements
Clever and ruthless criminals
Complex plot lines and intelligent storytelling
Exciting visualizations of what goes on in the investigator’s mind
This is what the IMDb ratings say: The series receives an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 stars from IMDb by 271,910 users.
Fun fact: Hannibal actor Mads Mikkelsen shot all the cooking scenes himself, including the trick where he throws an egg into the air, breaks it on the spatula, and then lets it fall into the pan. For this, he was trained by “food stylist” Janice Poon. (via businessinsider.com)
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Rekkles is one of the biggest ADC talents in League of Legends. He switched to support at T1 and is currently playing in the second league in South Korea. But how is he actually doing there?
This is the situation: The European ADC legend Carl Martin Erik Rekkles Larsson has made a remarkable step in his career during the off-season. After previously playing for Fnatic, G2 Esports, and Karmine Corp, he has now joined the South Korean team T1 Esports Academy, not as ADC, but as a support.
At 27 years old, he is already considered one of the veterans in esports, and many were wondering how he would perform in South Korea. Obviously, he can shine not only in the solo queue as a supporter but also in the LCK Challengers league.
Start video
7 Facts about LoL that only true veterans know
Rekkles currently has the highest KDA in the LCK CL
How is Rekkles performing in the LCK CL? Statistically, according to gol.gg, Rekkles currently has the highest KDA in the league at the start of the LCK CL. However, he did not have a good start with his team in this split.
On January 16, he lost with his team 2:1 against KDF Challengers.
So far, they have won a few games, but overall the team has not yet won a best of 3 in this split.
They have also lost to DK Challengers, HLE Challengers, and FearX Youth.
Overall, he currently has a KDA of 7.1 after 11 games – averaging 2.2 kills, 1.4 deaths, and 7.5 assists per game. KDA is not everything, but the statistics show that he seems to be doing quite well.
Rekkles is especially known for his Janna, but he also shines on champions like Senna and Renata. As a former main ADC, Senna (marksman support) is also a great fit for him, and he proves that.
In his first game in this split, he had a strong performance with Senna, you can see his stats here:
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For some victories, he was also awarded as Player of the Game.
What could be the problem? The obvious problems lie in communication. As a European in a South Korean team, Rekkles wants to learn some Korean words to be able to make some shot calls. Rekkles said it is fine for him to play and not talk since he has been playing for a long time. However, his teammates are newbies and need guidance in-game. He wants to learn some words so that they can follow him.
It remains to be seen how the T1 Academy team will continue to perform in the LCK CL. Next Monday, January 29, they are set to play against DRX Challengers at around 11:00 AM. Let’s see if they can secure the victory in this best of 3 this time.
Diablo 4 has received a new Uber boss with Season 3: the Echo of Malphas. The boss is the only source for the unique tuning stones of the Seneschal. MeinMMO reveals how to summon and fight the boss.
Summoning the Echo of Malphas – Here’s how it’s done
The Echo of Malphas is an Uber boss in the “Vault of the Loom.” You can find the entrance in the Hall of Torment, in the round portal room to the north, the largest of the gates. You must have completed the seasonal campaign beforehand.
As with other Uber boss dungeons, the boss is guaranteed to be in the dungeon but must be summoned. You need 7 Glowing Cores and 250 Shattered Stones for this.
After that, you need to conquer a vault, at the end of which Uber Malphas awaits you.
What does the Echo bring me? Only from Uber Malphas can you get the particularly powerful, unique tuning stones for the Seneschal. While they are optional for most builds, they are generally the best you can have.
Additionally, the Echo of Malphas has a high chance to drop legendaries and has a chance for 925 items, which are the best in the game.
Note that Uber Malphas is an absolute endgame boss. Since Patch 1.3.0a, he is fixed at level 100 and has 30% more hit points. Here you can find the full patch notes for Patch 1.3.0a.
Start video
Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 3
Echo of Malphas – Tips for the Fight
To summon, you need Glowing Cores. You can obtain this new currency in 2 ways:
Heralds of Malphas: You can find these minibosses in the open world at the arcane tremors. The corresponding events are already the best farming method for levels and loot, so you will get the cores along the way, although not guaranteed.
The Glowing Cores are a new currency that can only be found since Patch 1.3.0a. Before that, you needed Pearls for the summoning. Accordingly, there is a bit of confusion in the community.
In the video, you can see how Malphas is summoned and fought:
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To be allowed to fight the Echo of Malphas, you must complete 4 wings in the vault, each granting you a key stone, just like in the campaign. At the end of each wing, there’s loot.
Therefore, bring at least 22 stacks of Zoltun’s Protection with you at the shrine at the entrance – better more, just to be safe. You will need these for the chests. Since the first patch, you receive 10 stacks of protection for each pearl, so be generous. In the fight against Malphas himself, you should pay attention to the following:
The construct is static in the center and calls forth pillars for support. Take care of these as quickly as possible.
Regularly, chakrams emanate from the construct, circling around the platform. The attack is extremely fast; nevertheless, you should try to dodge.
The fight has various phases with corresponding elements that start when you destroy one of the pillars. A single elemental resistance like against Duriel will not be enough.
The fight against Malphas is purely a single-target fight. Consequently, builds that are only strong when many enemies are present are of no use at all. Meanwhile, you need a build that handles the vault well before the fight. If you need help, you can find the best builds in Diablo 4 Season 3 in our tier list.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus grew up with books. His first really thick tomes were all fantasy works. They have influenced him to this day and in a lasting way. Now, the very books that started it all are coming to Steam – and it’s double!
I love fantasy. Whether in books, movies, series, or video games: If I have a choice, I watch, read, or play something from the fantasy genre. It doesn’t matter if it’s clean high fantasy, rough low fantasy, or the dirty, dark whatever Warhammer is doing – the latter has become my favorite.
My first fantasy books were the Redwall saga by English author Brian Jacques, which came to Germany in 1998. The series somehow always flew under the radar, at least here. No wonder, the books were released almost simultaneously with Harry Potter. However, I never really liked that; it was just too exaggerated for me, and even the word “Muggle” seems silly to me to this day. Yes, feel free to spit on me, but I can’t get into that universe.
Redwall is special. Jacques doesn’t just write about magic but combines fantasy with fables and a wonderful medieval world. At the center is the namesake, Redwall Abbey, built of red stone. The inhabitants are mice, rats, badgers…
Despite its seemingly cute presentation, Redwall is quite brutal. Sword fights and deaths are not uncommon. Nevertheless, the series captivated me as a child; I read the first volume at about 8 years old. I was such a big Redwall fan that my first battle tag in Warcraft 3 back then was “Lord Raunklinge,” one of the badger rulers from the series.
Start video
The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology – The Trailer for the Adventure Game
Redwall gets 2 games on Steam and I want both
Recently, I received an email from a smaller PR company. Subject: some new games on Steam. Normally, I just skim through such things, but this one caught my eye. It was about Redwall. And yes, about my Redwall.
The saga is getting two games on Steam, both of which are set to be released in 2024:
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends – A cooking simulation where you play as an innkeeper serving guests. A true cozy game with cute characters and heartwarming small-town stories. Releases in Q1 2024.
The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology – Essentially “just” a compilation of the previously released “Scout” games from Redwall, but all acts in one game. This is about solving puzzles in a platformer adventure and skillfully overcoming jump or balance puzzles. Releases on February 21, 2024.
There were already Redwall games on Steam before, but they were either incomplete or pure text adventures with no real high standards. The new games won’t be blockbusters either, but they bring back a piece of my childhood.
In researching this topic, I even stumbled upon more that flew completely under the radar for me as a fan.
Redwall has become a huge world, but nobody has noticed
The saga by Brian Jacques now includes not just 22 books – of which only 9 have been translated into German – but also films and series. They are all quite old, but Netflix has been working on a new adaptation since 2021.
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any new information on that for a while; at least the production hasn’t been canceled. The fact that even I haven’t heard about it may be because I didn’t read English books as a child and teenager. Today, that might be different.
Redwall will not experience a sudden surge from the new games. But anyone who is into fantasy that takes a bit of a different approach should definitely check out some of the saga – whether it’s series, films, books, or now soon the games. My warmest recommendation, even if it’s of course through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia.
The start of Season 3 in Diablo 4 was mixed: After the acclaimed Season 2, the new content felt simply slow. There was criticism and even insults. Blizzard released an emergency patch a few days later. Now the opinion has completely turned around: Season 3 is suddenly a hit. And the changes are not the only reason.
This was the criticism:
Season 3 brought some new features, including a companion for all players and a new type of dungeon, the vaults. The theme of the season is arcane constructs.
What players are saying now: After almost entirely negative comments on Reddit and in the forums, the voices are now predominantly positive. There is only little criticism left, and when there is, someone immediately counters.
Players say: Season 3 is now really good. “I take everything back that I said,” says one user on Reddit. “I used to hate the season […] now I am at World Tier 4 and it is my favorite season so far.”
As a plus point, the user mentions the now permanently available Hell Tides. Even the Seneschall, the companion construct for everyone, is super useful. Especially when using the right combinations of runestones. At first, the Seneschall was useless.
Yet Blizzard didn’t really change anything about it.
Start video
Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 3
Blizzard tweaks vaults, players are now at World Tier 4
In the emergency patch 1.3.0a from January 27, Blizzard primarily changed how the vaults themselves work – thus passively buffing the Seneschall. Or rather: It is now faster to level him:
Leadership and calibration stones drop more frequently
What is probably more important for the sudden change of opinion is that players are now further along in the season. They are not crawling around at low levels but are at World Tier 4.
The vaults are now better than the nightmare dungeons for some fans. The mob density is great, there are no annoying side quests to do, and the most important thing: There’s finally a big loot explosion at the end. Exactly what I said just a few hours earlier: The feature that annoys everyone makes me happy – just a bit later.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
TheGrefg broke a viewer record on Twitch in 2021 with his own skin in Fortnite and became world-famous. However, he is now dissatisfied with his skin and wishes for adjustments. MeinMMO reveals what’s behind it.
How did the Twitch streamer become famous through Fortnite? The Spanish streamer TheGrefg’s own Fortnite skin was presented as part of the Fortnite Icon Series, a special format by Epic Games for well-known streamers. Big streamers regularly receive a skin in Fortnite modeled after them. TheGrefg introduced the skin in his stream and attracted a ton of viewers.
The Spanish streamer TheGrefg broke the record for the most simultaneous viewers in a Twitch stream by a solo streamer with this Fortnite event in January 2021. With over 2.39 million concurrent viewers, he easily surpassed the then-record holder Ninja with his “Drake Moment”.
For over a year, TheGrefg held this record and became world-famous. Before that, TheGrefg was primarily known in Spain and South America, as he speaks Spanish. Currently, TheGrefg holds the second place on the record list, after the streamer Ibai broke his record with 3.44 million viewers.
All of this sounds nice and good, but three years later, TheGrefg is no longer satisfied with his skin.
Start video
18-year-old Fortnite streamer buys a Lamborghini for 193,000 € – When he wants to show off, everything goes wrong
TheGrefg is upset about his skin in Fortnite, complains about Epic
What is the problem with the skin? Many players and TheGrefg himself criticized that the skin is not authentic enough and does not adequately reflect the appearance of the streamer. The skin has even become a meme in the community. Players compare the skin with other streamers or well-known personalities from sports – for example, with Cristiano Ronaldo.
This criticism and also his supposedly personal dissatisfaction with his Fortnite skin led him to officially demand changes to the skin from Epic Games, but the desired reaction from Epic Games did not materialize.
With the latest update, the Content Creator-skins were made compatible with LEGO Fortnite, including TheGrefg’s skin.
TheGrefg says:
Now, with the LEGO styles coming for my skin. Change my face model so it looks like me, maybe after all these memes?
The suggestion to also update the normal non-LEGO skin was rejected by Epic Games. The response from Epic Games, as the streamer recounts, was about: If we ever update your face and put it on your skin, then not right now. We are very busy with all the updates at the moment.
TheGrefg commented on the situation and Epic Games’ response with an ironic tone:
Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I asked to change my face three years after [the skin was released]. How could I do such a thing? I apologize. We should probably change my skin’s face better in the year 2069 (…).
Despite the rejection of his demands, TheGrefg expressed satisfaction with the new LEGO version of his skin, which he believes comes closer to his appearance than the original.
Apart from the lack of changes to his appearance, TheGrefg complained about the technical problems that led to delays in the relaunch of his skin, causing deadlines to not be met.
He stated that the game had lost his respect until his concerns were addressed.
Despite the difficulties, it remains to be seen how the relationship between TheGrefg and Epic Games will develop and whether the wishes will ultimately be fulfilled.
Spin-offs are nothing new in video games. Well-known brands eventually get smaller offshoots. There was supposed to be an unofficial Mario Kart representative for the hardcore Soulslike Bloodborne, which is soon to be released for PC, but Sony has now reached out to the developers.
Anyone waiting for Bloodborne 2 or a PC port has been frustrated for years. However, on January 31, 2024, an unofficial game in the Bloodborne universe was supposed to be released: Bloodborne Kart. Inspired by the fan demake of the Soulslike, the game was to heavily draw from Mario Kart, only set in the dark gothic world of Bloodborne.
But now Sony has contacted the developers, and unlike Nintendo with fan projects, Sony is less radical and aggressive in this case.
Bloodborne is known for its dark and merciless world:
Start video
Bloodborne Debut Trailer
The game will still be released, but it will look different
As Lilith Walther wrote on X.com, the release of Bloodborne Kart is now delayed. Sony has contacted her, and Walther has to change the name and designs derived from Bloodborne. Unlike Nintendo and fan projects, it will not be canceled. It can still be released, just with a different name and branding. However, a new release date has not yet been announced.
This stylish YouTube video explains everything again:
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Lilith Walther on the future of Bloodborne Kart (via. YouTube)
Before Bloodborne Kart, Walther was known for her Bloodborne demake, which was supposed to showcase a PS1 version of the game. That was even playable and adapted a small part of the game. Bloodborne Kart is even more ambitious, but still maintains a PS1 aesthetic.
There will be 12 playable racers
16 maps
A campaign mode
Boss battles
Local split-screen
Versus battle mode
Even without the Bloodborne characters, the game seems to become interesting due to its aesthetics and the announced content.
Fan projects are quite common in popular communities. While companies like SEGA are more benevolent towards fan projects, Nintendo is known for fiercely protecting its brands and ideas, even resorting to lawsuits. Nintendo has also reacted to the huge success of the survival game Palworld: Palworld: Pokémon Company issues statement – How they handle the Steam hit
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel has lashed out at Nintendo, their console Switch, and the company behind the Pokémon games, Gamefreak. During a livestream on Twitch on January 26, he couldn’t hold back: The reason for his rant apparently is the current debate about Palworld.
This is the situation:
A survival game called Palworld has recently been released, which is achieving great success on Steam but is also receiving some criticism: Because the “Pals” in the game look quite a bit like Pokémon.
In Palworld, you can not only collect, battle, and breed the little monsters, but also have them work as slaves and even eat them. Additionally, there are firearms.
Some Pokémon fans have been discussing this, and xQc is right at the forefront.
Start video
Palworld is in Early Access and there is already a Pokémon mod
xQc rants about puristic Pokémon games that risk nothing
This is what xQc says: The Franco-Canadian was annoyed that Pokémon handles its own brand so puristically and risks nothing, trying nothing new. He got worked up:
“The truth is: You will sue them, but not for the money, but because you internally know that you totally messed up and are complete dog crap. Your company has been following what others are doing closely. Your console is dog crap and your games are trash. Fix your stuff, do something.”
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This is what he says about the Switch: The successful handheld console Nintendo Switch particularly annoys xQc: It is “outdated”, an “ancient console”: The games are “outdated” and would break down.
Every smartphone is better: Every “crappy Nokia” phone is better, even a Tamagotchi would work faster and better than a Switch.
What does he say about Pokémon? The Pokémon games lack energy and they lag. It is time for Nintendo to pull its head out of its ass and do something.
They can sue him as much as they want; they can sue anyone.
What’s behind this: xQc’s outburst does not come from a fondness for Palworld. He hasn’t streamed it on Twitch yet, but it apparently stems from a growing aversion to Nintendo. In March 2023, he had already lambasted Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (via dotesports).
Here too, his complaint was that the Switch is “ancient” and Nintendo is lagging behind modern technology. What it could achieve with better hardware is “completely insane.”
Tears of the Kingdom is considered a masterpiece by many and was a strong contender for the Game of the Year 2023 – the Nintendo Switch also has many fans and was a sales hit.
The concert series “Genshin Concert Tour: Melodies of an Endless“ stopped in Düsseldorf on January 20, 2024. As a big fan of the music from the HoYoverse games, MeinMMO editor Marie Friske couldn’t miss the opportunity and was present live.
On January 20, 2024, the grand event of the Genshin Concert Tour: Melodies of an Endless Journey took place at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf.
As a huge Genshin fan, I had to be there. So I took two friends with me and trekked with many other gamers to the huge concert hall.
If you want to listen a bit to the Genshin music yourself, there is an official recording of the concert in Shanghai here on YouTube:
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Upon arrival, I saw several characters from my beloved game. Among the visitors were also some cosplayers who came to the event in lovingly designed costumes.
Generally, the time before the concert felt like a small community meeting. I quickly got into conversation with like-minded people, and we helped each other out when we lost orientation in the hustle and bustle.
Unfortunately, things were a bit chaotic around the concert, and at times the organizers seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the enormous crowd wanting merchandise and the distribution of special tickets as well as the in-game benefits that could be obtained on site.
Many fans wanted to get the concert merchandise, but instead of an orderly line with barriers, a large crowd pushed in front of the small merchandise booth, and even though I stood in line for half an hour, I had to give up with empty hands as the concert began – just like many others.
Especially the combination of image and sound allows me to immerse myself in the music
Arriving at my seat, I look at a gigantic screen in front of which the orchestra is placed. Parallel to the pieces, not only are the musicians shown in close-ups, but also suitable scenes from the game are displayed. This allows me to quickly classify the songs even without a program and immerse myself even better in the fantastic world.
Throughout the evening, different pieces of music from Genshin Impact, sorted by regions, are played.
My absolute favorites of the concert were definitely the Liyue pieces: especially “Rex Incognito” and the boss music from Childe, which are even more powerful live than in the recordings and nearly knocked me off my concert seat. I sit there spellbound during the songs, forgetting everything around me and just getting carried away by the music.
I was not alone in this. As soon as the first notes of Zhongli’s trailer music sounded, enthusiastic cheers went through the crowd and thunderous applause filled the hall after the orchestra had played the last notes.
Here you can see the Zhongli trailer where Rex Incognito can be heard
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Genshin Impact: Character Demo – „Zhongli: The Listener”
Genshin Impact – Overall a work of art
HoYoverse not only makes damn good games but also creates wonderful music. Whether in Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd or Genshin Impact: The various, diverse melodies are simply great and full of emotions.
Be they touching songs like Fragile Fantasy, which make your heart melt, or powerful and epic songs like the Dvalin boss music. They all have one thing in common: they are musical masterpieces that touch the soul – especially when the fan’s heart already beats for the game.
As I reflect on the experiences of the night, I realize that I have come to appreciate and love Genshin Impact even more in the last few hours.
The concert made me realize that the game is not only exciting in its design and storytelling, but that even the soundtrack itself is a true gem that makes Genshin Impact an artistic masterpiece in all its facets.
In Season 14 in League of Legends Caitlyn is actually quite an undramatic champion. She’s not really bad, but the ADC is currently not achieving any successes. A well-known player has found a new item combination with her passive that sounds very strong.
Which item is it?
On X.com xFSN Saber posted his new Caitlyn build, with which he claims to have risen to Grandmaster. He himself is one of the best Caitlyn mains in LoL. But now he plays a seemingly unusual build at first glance. The focus of the build is the bruiser item Titanic Hydra. This is mainly used by melee fighters. His build then looks as follows:
Storm Razer
Titanic Hydra
Infinity Edge
Lord Dominik’s Regards
More AD, for example Bloodthirster or Collector
Titanic Hydra seems quite unusual at first with its health values. However, it’s mainly about the active ability of the item, because if you do it right, you can trigger Caitlyn’s headshot mechanic twice. You just need to activate Titanic while the headshot is flying.
Start video
LoL Season 2023: The Cinematic “The Brink of Infinity”
Titanic Hydra doubles Caitlyn’s passive ability
When Caitlyn hits enemies with auto-attacks, she collects stacks, which are doubled when she attacks from the bush. Once she reaches 5 stacks (4 in the bush), her next auto-attack is a headshot that deals a lot of damage.
If enemies are hit by her W or E ability, she can also cause a headshot on that enemy that doesn’t cost any stacks.
The special thing about the active ability of Titanic Hydra is that you can cancel auto-attacks with it, thus interrupting the animation and getting a second auto-attack out faster. However, for Caitlyn’s headshots, it seems to work that you can trigger a second headshot while the first one is still flying if you use Hydra.
This only works with Titanic Hydra, not with Profane Hydra, which seems to be more useful for a lethality build on Caitlyn at first glance, as only Titanic Hydra resets the auto-attack.
Also on Reddit the community reacts to the new build.
CSDragon: The technique is frightening
Steve1789: Oh, look! Another bug that Vandiril has already mentioned, yet it still makes it into the live version!
InZomnia365: This is not just a problem for Cait, but for Titanic overall. Every ranged champ can exploit this.
Many users also consider the build to be bad since it has not yet prominently appeared in the statistics. For xFSN Saber, however, Titanic seems to be working successfully on Caitlyn. Whether this build works in practice for all players is questionable, as one must hit a certain timing.
The Brazilian national football player Gabriel Jesus (26) is known for his love of gaming. He regularly plays on Twitch with teammate Neymar. However, he is now in trouble with Counter-Strike 2: His account was banned for cheating, despite being so valuable.
Who is he?
Gabriel Jesus is a striker for Arsenal and has played 64 matches for the Brazilian national team.
In his free time, the Brazilian streams on Twitch, together with Neymar, a good friend, and Casemiro.
But now the 26-year-old has trouble with Steam.
Start video
Counter-Strike 2 heralds a new era – The most important changes in the video
Striker complains about ban for cheating
What is his problem? As the striker writes in a tweet from January 22, his account on Steam received a VAC ban in Counter-Strike 2. He believes that this is unfair.
According to a report from “NowArsenal“, the ban occurred while he was playing for Arsenal during a 5-0 victory on Saturday, January 20.
Such a “VAC” ban is a serious matter: You receive it only for cheating. It results in a permanent ban. The system is meant to ensure the competitive integrity of Valve’s games.
However, football fans of Jesus reacted differently. Here, some suggested he should rather focus on the other “shooting and hitting”, namely for Arsenal.
At the moment it is still unclear whether and when the ban on Gabriel Jesus will be lifted.
The skins and skin trading in Counter-Strike 2 are out of control. The sums involved are huge. With his €35,000, Gabriel Jesus is no exception:
For a few days now, the leading Twitch streamer Asmongold (WoW, Palworld) has a new woman in his life and his legendary gamer room: the streamer Kaise. This does not sit well with some fans, who apparently live their lives through the streamer: they claim she is only with him because he is so famous.
What’s the deal with Asmongold and women?
Although the streamer Asmongold is a millionaire and extremely successful, he is the prototypical MMORPG nerd and plays into these clichés: his room is cluttered, he survives on fast food, and his personal hygiene is questionable.
He frequently jokes about this image: women are not for him, as they expect him to shower daily and make other completely impossible demands. He gets along best with Emiru, a member of his group OTK, who embodies sarcasm.
Twitch streamer Asmongold says: “Stop watching streams at 3 AM if you don’t have money!”
A Canadian who speaks Mandarin and Cantonese suddenly appears in the room
This is Kaise: The new woman who suddenly seems to live in Asmongold’s legendary gaming room is Kaise, a Canadian Twitch streamer who speaks English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
She is originally from Vancouver, but is visiting Austin, Texas, where Asmongold has set up his headquarters.
The streamer wants to conquer the kingdom of cockroaches
These were the first appearances of Kaise: That Kaise suddenly seems to be living with Asmongold has not been commented further, but the fans had questions, especially about how it smells in the legendary cluttered room. Kaise said:
“The house doesn’t smell, but it’s still disgusting. But I can fix that. I’ll set it right, we’ll do this together, we can do this together. Don’t worry. I am the last hope in the kingdom of cockroaches. No, in reality, I will destroy the kingdom of cockroaches. I will destroy all cockroaches.”
Kaise can barely move in Asmongold’s room, it’s so cluttered:
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Since Kaise speaks Mandarin, she can also explain to Asmongold how he is perceived in China. This is something she should find out for the streamer and “read real comments from real Chinese people.”
She then asked him somewhat offended. “Did you really say China is a prison and Taiwan is an independent country?”
“Let me guess: they don’t like that?” Asmongold asked.
No, they don’t like it at all.
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What do the fans think of this relationship? The fans, many of whom have developed a somewhat unsettling parasocial relationship with Asmongold, practically living his life, find Kaise suspicious. They assume she surely has an OnlyFans, that she is only after the money and the fame that Asmongold’s relationship brings her. They believe she is only dating him to increase her reach.
She is currently being labeled a “gold digger”, meaning she is only with a man to benefit financially from him.
As evidence for this theory, they point out that the woman was staring into the camera and didn’t look in love at all while gazing at the old bearded man.
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Whether this remote diagnosis holds up is questionable. Because although he may give the impression, Asmongold is quite self-reflective and knows what he is doing.
He still speaks affectionately and friendly about his last girlfriend, Pink Sparkles. Their relationship failed back then because he wanted to stay in the province while she wanted to move to the big city. The image he projects to the fans, which they live through, is ultimately just that, an image. While Asmongold may be a nerd who plays World of Warcraft for 60 hours a week, he is also a businessman and essentially runs a media company with his brand.
9,999,999 gold coins in World of Warcraft – and earned in just one year. A player shows how to do it – even without extensive auction house knowledge.
Getting gold in World of Warcraft can be quite a lengthy and difficult task. While many can barely cover their basic costs, such as repairing or buying potions and enchants, a few manage to amass a lot of gold – mostly through the auction house. But you can also become rich with crafting professions. On the WoW subreddit, a player shows how he achieved this with a single profession.
Leatherworking has brought Jackthedoggo to gold cap within a year.
What is the gold cap? In World of Warcraft, the term “gold cap” refers to having 9,999,999 gold coins. At this point, no more gold can be collected on that character. However, you can store the gold, for example on alt characters, to continue increasing your wealth.
The gold cap is sometimes also regarded in-game as a price limit for auctions. Because if, for example, a particularly rare mount is available in the black market auction house, the price usually quickly rises to this gold cap. So it is not only the upper limit of possession for a single character, but also the maximum amount that an offer in the game can cost.
How did he achieve this? Those who think that Jackthedoggo farmed in a particularly clever way or mastered the typical auction house game to perfection are mistaken.
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In a lengthy post, he explains that he achieved all the gold primarily through leatherworking. Although he also has alchemy as a secondary profession, this only helps him reduce the costs for his own needs for potions and does not bring in actual gold.
At the beginning, Jackthedoggo specialized only in belts, as there was a constant and high demand for them. He never asked for large tips or prices but simply set a minimal amount that ranged between 5,000 and 7,000 gold. Some only paid that, but many would have given significantly more money, and there were days when he would log out with several hundred thousand gold coins in profit.
Gradually, he then specialized in other armor pieces – after the belts came the bracers and so on.
By the way, most orders he received during the weekend, where he mostly focused on them while waiting for invitations for “Mythic+”. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, he spends between 2 and 5 hours trading – so that takes up most of his time, which ultimately led to an average income of around a million gold per month.
He also emphasizes that he initially ignored crafting professions and only got into them later. As long as one specializes in one or two recipes, it is not a big obstacle to earn gold with the professions even as a latecomer.
In any case, his post seems to have convinced some that the professions in World of Warcraft Dragonflight might not be as pointless as some initially thought.
Since the switch from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2, the tactical shooter has faced criticism repeatedly, but what bothers the fans so much? Here is an overview.
What is the current opinion of the community on CS2? Based on user reviews on Steam, the opinion on CS2 is currently relatively balanced, but many players still find the state of the shooter not good.
Of the just over 275,000 reviews, 68% are positive (based on the ratings given since September 30th for the switch from CS:GO to CS2). At first glance, this may not seem too bad, but CS:GO had over 7.5 million reviews at the time of the CS2 release and the CS:GO shutdown with significantly better 88% positive reviews (via Steam).
Even on Metacritic, the shooter only has a user score of 4.2 (out of 10 possible points). CS:GO is at 7.3.
Nevertheless, there is currently an upward trend for CS2. The criticism on social media seems to be somewhat decreasing, and the Steam ratings are not as bad as they were at release. Just in October, CS2 had 45% negative reviews, making it one of Valve’s worst-rated games.
Players are frustrated with technical problems and cheaters
What is the criticism of CS2? There are various aspects that disturb fans of the shooter. Most notably, it is frequently mentioned that CS2 is a step back compared to CS:GO. Players want CS:GO back, at least until CS2 reaches the technical standard that the community expects.
On the technical side, there are various issues that are not functioning optimally. The biggest point of criticism is probably the anti-cheat system. Looking at the negative reviews of the shooter on Steam, it quickly becomes clear that Valve is struggling to get the cheater problem of the tactical shooter under control.
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
On the other hand, there are primarily bugs and glitches that are causing unrest in the community. It all started with the so-called “Michael Jackson” peek, where the character’s body adopted a very awkward stance while peeking with the AWP. It looked like Michael Jackson in the song Smooth Criminal.
Some time later, there was the “Air Peek,” where players were launched outside the map on the Vertigo map, remained standing on a pixel in mid-air, and got an unexpected angle on an opponent’s path (via X.com)
However, some players are simply not satisfied with the netcode. It is often read in the game’s subreddit that Peekers Advantage is worse than ever and very frustrating. As a result, holding an angle is currently just not as rewarding as it was in CS:GO. This weakens weapons like the AWP compared to its predecessor.
What is Peekers Advantage? Peekers Advantage means that the player who goes into combat from cover has the advantage, while the player holding an angle is at a disadvantage. So if you aim down a corridor, and your opponent suddenly runs into that corridor from the side, they have the advantage over you.
A relatively small point of criticism from players concerns the content that CS:GO had, which is missing in CS2. At the forefront are mainly maps, as CS2 only has 10 different maps. Maps like Cache, Train, and Assault are completely absent.
The option to carry the weapon in the left hand is still not available in CS2. In Valorant, the probably biggest competitor of Counter-Strike, this option is available. Modes like Danger Zone and War Games are also missed (via Reddit)
At least the community or workshop maps are now available in the tactical shooter. These were completely absent at the release of CS2 in September 2023. However, players now have the opportunity to play aim training, warm-up, or surf maps created by the community.
What players definitely appreciate about CS2 is the improved graphics. The game looks much better, which also benefits the skins that hold high value in the shooter. All in all, Counter-Strike, despite the criticism, is a financial success and was able to earn 900 million euros in 2023.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
