On Sunday you can play the research day with Myrapla in Pokémon GO. What happens there?
When does the research day run? The research day with Myrapla runs on Sunday, September 17, 2023 from 14:00 to 17:00.
You have about three hours to secure the bonuses of the event. Unlike a Community Day, however, the day does not revolve around wild Myrapla spawns, but rather research tasks.
What the research day with Myrapla brings
These are the bonuses: You can get research tasks from Pokéstops that will give you encounters with Myrapla. There is an increased shiny chance for Myrapla – if you don’t have the shiny Pokémon yet, this is a perfect opportunity.
The Myrapla shiny family
In addition, the XXS and XXL versions of Myrapla will also be more common. This should be interesting if you want to participate in the showcases, as Myrapla will be the showcase monster at the event.
Additionally, Myrapla can carry Sun Stones when you catch them, which is helpful for evolving to Blubella.
There are also double catch stardust on top. In the wilderness, the following spawns:
Paras*
Bluzuk*
Knofensa*
Knilz*
Roselia*
Tuska*
Tarnpignon*
and Frubberl
Pokémon marked with an asterisk* can be shiny. However, increased chances only apply to Myrapla.
Is the event worth it? Myrapla and its evolutions are not exactly among the best attackers in Pokémon GO, so don’t expect to strengthen your team. However, shiny collectors are exactly right on this day, as the shiny monster will be easier to catch.
Furthermore, the event is worth it if you need stardust, because: There is double stardust, and wild spawns of Paras, Knilz, and Tarnpignon, which generally provide more stardust when caught.
Are you participating in the research day with Myrapla? Tell us in the comments.
The American “MagickMoonshot” has been streaming on Twitch since 2016 and has been a caster for the shooter Halo since 2018. On Discord, she organizes training matches for women. She has now faced heavy criticism for her decision to exclude trans women.
What event is it about? The Halo caster and Twitch streamer MagickMoonshot planned to host training matches, also known as scrims, via her Discord server. These matches are only for women.
After the offer spread on X, formerly known as Twitter, she felt compelled to clarify: Trans women are not included.
For this announcement, MagickMoonshot is now under criticism.
Start video
A new SF MMO looks like Halo and Starfield – Check out the 1st trailer with shooter gameplay
What did the caster say? In a post from September 13, MagickMoonshot wrote: “I love and appreciate all people, and as a Christian, I believe that God created people in His image (Genesis 5:1-2).”
For this reason, transgender people are not allowed to the “Ladies’ Scrims”.
The post went viral with 4.2 million views – a multiple of what MagickMoonshot usually achieves. While some praised the caster for her decision, criticism mainly poured in from the Halo community.
Many are upset that MagickMoonshot is using her religion to exclude trans women from participation. Zach Lange of NRG Esports also quotes a Bible verse and writes: “Do not use the Lord to justify your lack of acceptance and compassion.” (via X)
Even Halo developer 343 Industries intervened in the form of Senior Community Manager John Junyszek. He writes that the best way to show that they love and appreciate everyone is to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible (via X).
Even the esports division of the US military commented on the situation and said in a statement on X/Twitter: “Halo is for everyone.”
Partners separate from caster
What are the consequences of the post? As a result of her announcement, several partners seem to have distanced themselves from MagickMoonshot. The esports organization Team Status Quo, for which the caster worked as a community manager, distanced itself on X/Twitter from her statements: “sQ supports all, plain and simple.”
Gamer Advantage, a glasses shop, announced on X/Twitter that they are ending their partnership with MagickMoonshot. The partnership director stated that values that promote hate go against their core beliefs and do not represent the values of Gamer Advantage.
How does the caster respond? MagickMoonshot published a detailed statement on September 15 on X/Twitter, reiterating that she loves all people. She has no problem interacting with transgender individuals and has also worked at events that have been open to everyone in the past.
For her personal Discord, however, the caster must stay true to what she believes is right: And that is, not giving the Discord tag “Lady Spartan” to anyone who is not a biological woman.
MagickMoonshot does not know how it will go on. Should she have to withdraw from the gaming industry, she is willing to do so, says the caster.
On Reddit, a user shares a picture of a huge CPU cooler with the community. The cooling tower consists of several Intel boxed models. These extend far beyond the edge of the case, stacked on top of each other.
Gamers and PC enthusiasts strive for ever better solutions to keep their powerful PCs adequately cool and manage the high temperatures. When PCs didn’t yet have glass side panels and came in dull beige colors, standard coolers from Intel and AMD, known as boxed models, were widespread.
The advantage of buying a processor in the boxed variant lies mainly in the manufacturer’s warranty, which generally exceeds the legally mandated warranty of two years. The included coolers were often not the primary reason for purchase and thus often remained unpacked in some corner or were annoyingly lying around on the desk.
Especially the older models of boxed coolers were surpassed by far better and, above all, more stylish models from various manufacturers. What you can still do with the annoying boxed coolers is shown in this article.
Manufacturer shows sleek case, gamers are thrilled: “Great design! Goes directly onto my wishlist”
The Leaning Tower of Intel
What kind of cooler does the photo show? The user “hartigan99” posted a picture of a special processor cooler in the official subreddit “PC Master Race”. It is a creation made from several standard coolers from the CPU manufacturer Intel.
How is the huge cooler construction put together in detail? The individual heat sinks were stacked on top of each other and connected by cable ties. At the top end is a fan that comes with a cooler. The bottom cooler in the tower was installed in the conventional manner. This sits directly on the processor and is connected to the backplate by its 4 plastic pins.
You can see the whole structure here:
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What is the purpose of the backplate? The backplate is a plate attached to the back of the motherboard. It serves to secure the CPU cooler. By providing a secure hold, it is supposed to protect against damage from overly heavy cooler models. Given the current structure and its total weight of at least 8 coolers, it may be doubted whether the protection is still adequate.
Does this assembly work reliably? The creator of the post does not say a word about the efficiency of the cooler formation. It is unclear whether there is sufficient contact between the individual boxed coolers to adequately dissipate the CPU’s heat.
For better heat transfer from the top of the processor to the cooler, heat paste is normally used. It could also be conceivable to use this between the individual coolers for more efficient transmission.
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Does the mounted fan provide an advantage? No, not really. It can be assumed that the dissipated heat does not even reach the fan at the top. The main heat exchange occurs much more passively through the much lower heat sinks.
The further the heat source is away, the less effective the heat dissipation is. Coolers with heat pipes, designed to effectively transport heat, are much better choices nowadays.
How about the robustness of the construction? The stability of the tower itself can also be doubted. It is held together only by cable ties and will likely come to a significant tilt when the PC is no longer used lying on its side.
Due to the height, the case can also no longer be closed. The side panel would have to be modified accordingly.
All in all, this is more of a fun project than a serious attempt to cool a system properly. The risk of failure is very high. For your expensive hardware, you should stick to the conventional options from cooler manufacturers.
How’s your PC cooling? Have you also had a go at building your own construction in the computer? Or would you rather stick to the standard models from manufacturers?
Guild Wars 2 recently released its latest expansion “Secrets of the Obscure” and announced that more players than expected are participating in this adventure. However, community reactions are mixed, as not all players are excited about the changes.
The rapid release surprised many, but it fits with the 11th anniversary of Arenanet on August 28. This quick timeframe allowed players to dive into the new content quickly. However, there were also concerns about whether the developers had enough time for quality assurance.
Here you get an insight into the new expansion:
Start video
Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure – Insight into the Open World
40% Player Increase on Steam
What does Arenanet say about the release? In a post from August 14, the developers of Arenanet also commented on the expansion. They expressed their pleasure that “Secrets of the Obscure” is doing better than expected so far.
On the release day, there were so many players wanting to play the expansion that additional server capacities had to be provided to handle the influx of players.
Although many players still launch the game through the Arenanet client, there was also an increase in concurrent player numbers on Steam. Just before the release of the expansion, there were an average of 4700 concurrent players active, which rose to 6500 shortly thereafter. This corresponds to an increase in players of around 40% (via steamdb).
Nevertheless, he strongly criticized the new map areas, which left a visually unsatisfactory impression and often relied on asset recycling. In particular, the so-called “magic world” areas appeared disjointed and generic.
How is the community reacting? One criticism that keeps coming up in the community is the new daily system. In the previous version, players received 12 tasks from different areas of the game and could freely choose which ones to complete. Be it in PvE, WvW, or PvP.
With the expansion, players now have to choose one of these areas at the beginning and then receive five tasks, one of which requires logging into the game.
Before the update, there were daily tasks such as completing certain jumping puzzles or events. Currently, the tasks include collecting 10 resources or completing a “reputation heart,” which represents a quest.
Many players criticize that the dailies have become less challenging and feel less diverse. However, some prefer this change and see it as a positive aspect of the expansion.
“A half-chewed gum in my pocket,” wrote a user on Steam
How are the reviews on Steam? On the popular gaming platform Steam, the reviews for “Secrets of the Obscure” are also mixed. The expansion has so far received only 44% positive ratings and carries the status “balanced.”
Some players praise the new content and systems and are pleased with the fresh story and simplified mechanics that make it easier for new players to get started.
However, there are also critical voices. Some players complain that the new area can only be effectively traversed with flying mounts, such as the Skyscale or the Griffin. Since not everyone owns these mounts, especially the Skyscale, which requires significant time investment, this leads to dissatisfaction.
The new drop system is also facing criticism, as it appears unrewarding in some cases. Players complain that the rewards do not proportionately match the difficulty of the challenges.
A user writes: “I don’t expect every new meta to have Tier-3 loot in the game or whatever, but when I go through a pretty complicated meta and end up with three pebbles, an old glass marble, and a half-chewed gum in my pockets, that leaves a bitter aftertaste. Especially since we had the same problem with EoD, they partially acknowledged it and then… just do it again?”
Despite the mixed reactions, Arenanet has already announced new content and fixes. The community is eagerly waiting to see how the expansion will evolve and how the developers will respond to player feedback.
Amid criticism of Starfield for “lack of passion,” a developer of Baldur’s Gate 3 defends Bethesda. MeinMMO reveals what is behind it.
In the world of video games, there are heated debates time and again. This time, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield are in the spotlight, both hot contenders for the title Game of the Year.
However, while a comparison between the two games is inevitable, a developer of Baldur’s Gate 3 seems unwilling to accept unfair criticism of Bethesda’s employees.
Here you can see 7 gameplay highlights from Starfield:
Start video
7 gameplay highlights from Starfield that you should know about
Baldur’s Gate 3 employee defends Bethesda: This is a duplicitous simplification
Starfield, Bethesda’s new epic, also had a strong launch on Steam and Xbox, attracting thousands of new players at release.
What was said? Kern posted images of review scores for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield on Twitter, claiming that the differences in ratings are due to passion.
Here you can see the Twitter post from Kern:
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In response, Michael Douse, an employee of Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3), quickly reacted on Twitter and called this statement a duplicitous simplification. He emphasized that it is neither true nor right to claim that the developers at Bethesda lack passion.
He added: You can respect these people even if you don’t like the game. But you can’t say they didn’t care about it (the game).
He further emphasized that he and Kern have similar views on the AAA game industry, but it is a leadership problem that should not be blamed on the development teams who pour their heart and soul into their projects.
Many observers, including YouTuber Mischief, praised Douse’s defense of the hardworking Bethesda team.
The development team of Larian Studios has received significant praise and recognition from the player community following the release of Baldur’s Gate 3. This praise was not only due to the game’s gameplay but also to the extraordinary communication the team maintained throughout the development process.
At the same time, the Bethesda development team has also shown that they listen to Starfield players and consider their wishes and needs for the game.
Here, however, you don’t catch monsters, but fight them in the classic Monster Hunter style.
When you start the game for the first time, there is an input field that asks you if you want to enter a referral code before you start hunting. What is behind it?
What a referral code is and how to find it
How do I get referral codes? All players in Monster Hunter Now have their own referral code that can be shared with new players.
This means that when you start the game for the first time, you can ask friends who already have and play the game to give you their referral code so you can enter it at the start.
The community also shares codes: If your friends don’t play Monster Hunter Now, you can also try using codes from the community.
For example, players in the Monster Hunter subreddit share their referral codes in a megathread.
We will link the post with the referral codes here (via reddit)
However, it may be that certain codes have already expired as they can only be used 20 times per month. But you can try these codes, for example.
Where is my own code? You can find it in the main menu when you click on your profile. Then, click on the small QR code under your character where it says View. Now scroll down to get your referral code.
From Hunter Rank 6, which you can quickly reach during the tutorial, you can then receive rewards for referral codes.
Attention! The friend code displayed above is something different from the referral code.
Two weeks before the official release of EA Sports FC 24, several BVB stars reacted to their new ratings in Ultimate Team. One particular rating did not sit well with two players. A BVB youngster, on the other hand, accepted his card gracefully, even though it is only silver.
What’s it about?: Recently, a video was uploaded on BVB’s YouTube channel, where the players first predict their ratings and then react to their actual stats.
Featured are BVB players Julian Brandt, Marius Wolf, Julien Duranville, and FIFA streamer Erné. While Duranville makes his predictions alone, the established players Wolf and Brandt predict the values for each other. Afterwards, they receive their cards.
This is how the stars of Borussia Dortmund reacted to their stats: After the reveal of the actual stats, the BVB stars were asked for their opinions. First up was right-back Marius Wolf. He expressed his general satisfaction with his card. But he commented on his speed only as follows: ’81?! That’s outrageous.’
No issues were seen in Julian Brandt’s qualities when predicting for his colleague: He nearly guessed all the stats right or at least close to the actual values.
Only the predicted physicality with a rating of 35 was far from the 79 that Wolf actually has on his Ultimate Team card. Brandt might have had a little fun with that, but the retaliation was not long in coming, as his supposed speed in FC 24 would also cause a stir.
Speaking of predictions: The release of EA Sports FC and the web app are getting closer. Here you can find everything regarding the launch of the web app for EA Sports FC.
Speed prank: YouTuber Erné tricks Julian Brandt
After Wolf, it was now Brandt’s turn to comment on his card. When asked about his speed value of 62, he did not seem very enthusiastic: ‘As if I’m Mario, dude.’ Possibly a reference to the Nintendo superhero Mario, known for his little tiptoeing steps.
In contrast, BVB content creator Erné appeared visibly amused, probing the wound and asking Brandt for his assessment of his speed again. Brandt brushed the question aside: ‘Oh dude, we don’t need to talk about that.’
Erné resolved the situation shortly after and presented Brandt’s correct card. With this, the Dortmund offensive player could live much better.
Youngster Duranville, on the other hand, must have felt pranked by EA Sports as well.
BVB kid gives himself stats of a gold card, but EA …
The just 17-year-old Julien Duranville clearly does not lack self-confidence. In his prediction, he gave himself stats that would easily qualify for a gold card. He rates himself with a strong 83-speed and 86-dribbling, as well as solid 72 in shooting and 75 in passing.
But he made the calculation without EA.
What does EA Sports think of Duranville’s overall rating? Like most new players in the game, no matter how promising they are, Duranville starts out with a silver card. Only in speed did the BVB youngster almost hit the mark. Instead of 83 speed, EA even gives him an 84.
The remaining values are far below his predicted stats. Duranville takes it in stride. When asked if he is happy with his first card, he replies: ‘For my first card, yes.’
At least the youngster can boast his speed rating ahead of his two colleagues Brandt and Wolf.
In the Tier List for Season 29 of Diablo 3, we show you the best classes, builds, and items. We take into account the balance changes from patch 2.7.6.
What is happening in Diablo 3? Starting from September 15, Season 29 in Diablo 3 will begin. With patch 2.7.6, the “Visions of Hostility” will start as the seasonal theme. At the start of a new chapter, players begin with seasonal characters at “zero” and climb up to the maximum level of 70.
In our Tier List, we show you the classes and builds with the greatest potential in Greater Nephalem Rifts in Season 29.
What makes Season 29 special? This is the last season in which Blizzard will release “new content” for Diablo 3. This time, there are some highlights such as a solo mode, portals with boss encounters and powerful loot, new monster affixes, a Paragon cap, and changes that the community has requested. You can find more about it in our overview:
Who creates the Tier List? We base our Tier List on maxroll.gg. The website develops this Tier List through extensive testing and mathematics. It is backed by the team around Rob, Wudijo, Northwar, Facefoot, Raxxanterax, and Chewignom.
We show you the Tier List as a graphic in the article and go into the top 3 builds of each class on this and the following pages. There is also a link to the build so you can replicate it easily and understand the mechanics.
The complete Tier List for Season 29 (via maxroll.gg)
What does Tier “S” to “F” mean? This Tier List consists of the best builds available in the game. The ratings from S to F assess the potential of these builds in Greater Nephalem Rifts. The S-Tier is the best. However, keep in mind that builds in the F-Tier can also be strong; they just have less potential.
You can use the Tier List for Season 29 as a guide for the strongest builds for each class. Essentially, it comes down to who grinds more and finds better gear in Diablo 3.
This is what we show you here: On this and the next 6 pages of the Tier List, we show you the top builds for Barbarians, Demon Hunters, Witch Doctors, Crusaders, Monks, Necromancers, and Wizards. Click on the links behind the builds to read the full explanation on the maxroll.gg website. There you will find all items, gems, abilities, and runes.
If builds are named “LoN” or “LoD”, these are abbreviations for the legacy bonuses. You receive these through a legendary gem or a set of rings.
S-Tier: Raekor Boulder Toss (via maxroll.gg): With the Raekor set, you enhance your boulder throw and with this mobile build, you can move quickly. You don’t have to play entirely in melee. That is a good thing because the build is quite “soft” and you need to position yourself well.
A-Tier: LoD HotA (via maxroll.gg): The second strongest build for the Barbarian in Season 29 plays with the Hammer of the Ancients. The advantages of the build include high durability and fast attacks. Your chance for crits is also quite high. However, it takes a long time to assemble the LoD build and the gameplay style is quite one-sided. In Season 27, this build was still in the S-Tier.
B-Tier: Savage Frenzy (via maxroll.gg): This allows you to chop through your enemies in a relatively fast pace, but you have little AoE damage. For groups, you bring good buffs, but are bound by cooldowns.
C-Tier: MotE Leapquake with Starter Set (via maxroll.gg): The Might of the Earth set is the starter set for Season 29. If you want to use this, this build is suitable. It is easy to play by jumping from group to group. A playstyle worth trying. If the monster density is rather low, the fun factor of the build decreases.
Bonus: The popular Whirlwind build has again only made it to B-Tier this season. While it is still strong, it loses a bit of potential compared to last season. If you have always wanted to test new builds for a Barbarian, Season 29 is your chance. If you want to stick with “Spin to win”, you can find the Whirlwind build on maxroll.gg.
On the next page, we will show you the best builds for the Demon Hunter in Season 29 of Diablo 3.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The film drama Brokeback Mountain won three Oscars in 2006, starring: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. However, completely different actors were originally planned – but they declined.
In an interview with IndieWire, Gus Van Sant talks about the plans he originally had for Brokeback Mountain. The director was supposed to take on the project, but his enthusiasm was dampened by the difficulty of casting the leading roles. Ultimately, Ang Lee took over the direction of the film drama.
You can see Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt together in the crime film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino. A particularly bizarre scene was not even in the script. You can find out more from our colleagues at Moviepilot.
Here you can see the German trailer for Brokeback Mountain:
Start video
Brokeback Mountain – English Trailer
The “usual suspects” all declined
This was the difficulty with casting the leading roles: Gus Van Sant was to direct Brokeback Mountain, but he ended his work on the project. He felt that the love story needed a strong, famous cast – but that did not work.
In an interview with IndieWire, Gus Van Sant commented on the issue:
No one wanted to do it [the film]. I asked the usual suspects: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ryan Phillippe. They all declined.
What I could have and probably should have done was cast more unknown [actors] and not worry about the leading actors. I was not ready.[…]
The producer and screenwriter of Brokeback Mountain, Diana Ossana, confirmed this to IndieWire via email: “Yes, all these young gentlemen declined the project for various reasons.”
Ultimately, both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal received Oscar nominations for their roles and disproved, according to IndieWire, the belief that playing homosexual characters would cause irreparable damage to one’s career.
How successful is Brokeback Mountain? In 2006, Brokeback Mountain received three Oscars in the categories of Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. It was nominated for a total of eight Oscars.
It grossed around 178 million dollars worldwide (via IMDb). On Rotten Tomatoes, Brokeback Mountain has an audience score of 82% positive ratings.
Another example of a role in a successful film that a famous actor declined is Matrix. Keanu Reeves achieved international fame as the main character Neo in Matrix. However, he was not the first choice for the lead role.
Will Smith was offered the role. However, he declined and instead participated in another film, which flopped badly:
For fans of The Elder Scrolls Online, there are some really good updates coming soon: Group Finder, an endless dungeon, and better XP distribution.
The developers behind The Elder Scrolls Online have released a lot of details about the next major patch. Update 40 brings numerous improvements in almost all areas of the game and should make leveling and playing together especially more enjoyable. There is a Group Finder, significantly better XP distribution, and also an almost endless dungeon that is supposed to bring constantly new challenges.
Group Finder should deliver better results
One of the biggest innovations is the Group Finder feature, which is being updated to the current state of the genre. In its functions, the Group Finder is more or less in line with the standard as seen in other MMORPGs. Additionally, you also have a few further customization options and filters to select more precise requirements for your teammates.
The new Group Finder coming soon in ESO.
This way, you can not only select the desired activity – such as a dungeon or PvP – but also set further requirements, such as:
Number of Champion Points of the players
Use of voice chat
the play style
The desired composition of the group roles
This should make it faster and more precise than before to find like-minded individuals for various adventures.
Endless challenges in the Endless Archive
A new feature of ESO will be the “Endless Archive.” You can visit the archive either alone or alongside a companion or fellow player.
A large part of the Endless Archive is generated randomly. You will encounter enemies you have already defeated and great bosses that you have encountered during your ESO journey. If you survive 4 cycles, each consisting of 3 sections and a boss fight, a special opponent will await you in the fifth boss fight, which can only be found in the Endless Archive.
If you wish, you can continue, as the difficulty increases more and more. The longer you are on your journey and the deeper you advance, the better and more exclusive rewards await you.
The new class sets from the Endless Archives.
While you only have a limited number of attempts (or deaths) each time before your run ends, you can significantly improve your character. In the Endless Archives, you will find verses and visions.
Verses are temporary enhancements that are only active for the next section and then are deactivated at its end.
Visions are longer-lasting enhancements that persist throughout your entire current visit in the archives.
The whole experience is rewarded with a new currency that you can exchange at the merchant for permanent buffs in the archives. Additionally, there are some cool collectibles, such as a new mount, a companion, and new sets for all classes.
This makes the Endless Archives a “roguelite” experience – since the verses and visions change with each run and can then be chosen anew. Anyone who knows and liked “Torghast” from WoW will feel right at home here.
Better XP – and that everywhere
With the update, the developers have also looked at a variety of quests in the game and carefully examined how much gold or experience points can be obtained from these quests. As there has previously been a strong imbalance, the rewards have been adjusted in many cases.
The result should be that quests of similar scope and effort offer a comparable amount of gold and experience. This way, each quest should feel appropriate. The rewards are therefore more uniform and you no longer have to rack your brain about which path is the most efficient to gain maximum gold and maximum XP.
Additionally, the rewards for daily quests from the Mage Guild, Warrior Guild, and the Undaunted have been fundamentally improved.
When will Update 40 be released? A release date for Update 40 has already been revealed. The update will be released on PC / Mac on October 30 and two weeks later, on November 14, also on Xbox and PlayStation.
What do you think of the innovations? Exactly what you wanted? Or rather uninteresting?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In February 2023, Wild Hearts was released for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. This was supposed to be a new service game for EA, an action RPG like Monster Hunter. Although the reviews at release were decent, the game could not generate hype. The high price of €80 and performance issues on PC were criticized. Player numbers on Steam have since plummeted. Now, EA is allegedly discontinuing the game.
What kind of game is Wild Hearts?
Wild Hearts was heavily inspired by “Monster Hunter”: Players hunt massive monsters in an alien world.
For hunting, players use 8 different weapons such as katanas and rely on items they can craft.
The hope of the developers Omega Force (Koei Tecmo) was that Wild Hearts would become a new game series that would continue for a long time, similar to Dynasty Warriors.
Start video
Wild Hearts: Everything about the new hunting game in 3 minutes
Good reviews at release, but little interest and much criticism
How was the game received at release? The reviews were relatively positive, averaging around 80%. Even MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus found great enjoyment in Wild Hearts.
However, many players criticized the price of €80, which was considered too high. From many, one heard at release, “they were waiting for a sale.”
Technical flaws in the PC version were also criticized. Even the first patches could not resolve the performance issues on PC.
It was also noticeable that EA failed to draw gamers’ attention to the game in any way. Wild Hearts received little visibility on Twitch at release: A sign that the launch of the game went largely unnoticed.
Several updates have been released that brought new monsters: But the last patch came on July 13, which is already 2 months ago.
The game still currently costs €42, with reviews on Steam at 48%.
“EA has pulled the plug”
This is now the news: A user on reddit says, in typical EA fashion and as many expected, EA has “pulled the plug,” meaning the development of Wild Hearts has ceased. He is a moderator of a Discord and learned this from insider sources.
He wants to announce this news now before the official news hits people.
It is said that EA expected to have its own Monster Hunter, but when success did not materialize, they showed no patience.
As a consolation, the Reddit user says that Monster Hunter 6 will likely be announced next week at a gaming fair in Tokyo.
How credible is this? This news has not been officially confirmed. US media have initiated inquiries with EA. We will update our articles as soon as an official statement from EA is available.
Currently, EA is still selling Wild Hearts at a 40% discount on Steam.
But given the current player numbers, it seems likely that not much will happen with Wild Hearts anymore.
Wild Hearts got lost in the hype of Hogwarts Legacy
What’s behind this: Wild Hearts started under no good star: Especially the price tag scared many away, and the poor performance on PC didn’t help either. EA’s reputation for ending service games early did not help the game either.
Additionally, there was a lack of willingness or conviction from EA to spend a lot of money on marketing for Wild Hearts to establish it as a brand.
Even at release, some users from MeinMMO said they had not heard anything about the game and that “Wild Hearts” sounded more like a dating simulation than a monster hunt.
In February 2023, it seemed that not many potential buyers had waited for Wild Hearts: The gaming world was mainly talking about Hogwarts Legacy, which was released on February 10, 2023, exactly one week before Wild Hearts.
After release, attention for Wild Hearts quickly dwindled, and only a small core group continued to discuss the game, who found enjoyment in it and still genuinely liked it today. But even these players have a strong alternative in “Monster Hunter.”
The story of Wild Hearts strongly resembles that of Anthem: EA also wanted to create its own version of a successful service game with the “Everyone is Iron Man” shooter from BioWare, but when success was not achieved, development was halted swiftly and the plug was pulled.
For service games, continuous development, communication with fans, and a constant “media buzz” around a game are essential. If a service game disappears from the public eye early, it is not a good sign:
The developers of the popular survival game Rust on Steam recently announced a new decision. Due to the changed pricing policy of Unity, they have decided not to support the engine anymore. Instead, they announced Rust 2, which “definitely will not be a Unity game.”
What is Rust? Rust is a popular online multiplayer survival game developed by Facepunch Studios. The game was first released on February 8, 2018, on the Steam platform.
It has attracted a loyal fan base with an impressive 87% positive ratings since then.
In Rust, players find themselves in an open, post-apocalyptic world where they must fight for survival. The game offers wild adventures, chaotic shootouts, the possibility to build huge houses, and a unique role-playing experience.
Here you can watch a trailer for the game:
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Rust – Official Trailer
What does Unity have to do with it? The controversial decision of the Rust developers followed the planned change to the payment system of the Unity engine. Unity is used by many game developers worldwide to create their games.
Developers using the “Unity Pro” tier will be charged lower fees per download. They will also only have to pay at higher download and revenue thresholds. The changes are set to come into effect at the beginning of 2024.
In a blog post with the provocative title “Unity can get fucked”, Garry Newman, the video game developer and owner of Facepunch, criticized the planned change. Newman stated that tracking installations was a chaotic undertaking, as there were various reasons why games would be reinstalled. He listed new installations, new computers, giveaways, and also piracy.
What really makes Newman angry? Newman emphasized that the costs themselves are not the main issue, but the fact that they were not informed about it.
He said: “We were not warned. We spent 10 years developing Rust on the Unity engine. We paid them every year. And now they changed the rules.”
In a comparison, he drew parallels to Adobe Photoshop and imagined that Adobe would charge users for viewing an image. Similarly, that users would receive bills for the last 20 years afterwards. “That’s just not possible”, Newman said in shock.
What is Newman planning now? In conclusion, Garry Newman admitted that he should have changed his plans as early as 2020 when Unity went public.
Newman also announced a sequel to the survival hit: “Let’s not make the same mistake again, Rust 2 will definitely not be a Unity game.” Although no further details about Rust 2 have been released yet, the announcement of the sequel remains exciting news for fans.
What would you wish for Rust 2? What changes should not be missing in the game? Feel free to write it in the comments.
The latest champion Briar from League of Legends had one of the worst starts of all time, competing with Syndra for the poor win rates. Riot is now responding with an emergency buff. MeinMMO reveals what this is about.
On September 13, the new champion entered the Rift. However, her arrival did not go as planned, as she struggled from the very beginning with a win rate that is among the lowest of all time at the start of a champion. This precarious situation forced Riot Games to act quickly and implement an emergency buff for Briar.
Here you can see an animated video of Briar:
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League of Legends Briar – Animated Video about the new Jungler
Riot responds with emergency buff after particularly poor start of Briar
What was buffed?? Riot August, the lead champion designer of LoL, commented on the buff on Twitter: An immediate buff was implemented for Briar, which is intended to grant her additional survivability in case things go wrong.
Briar’s buffs at a glance:
HP stats: increased from 590 to 610
E-Cooldown: reduced from 18 to 16
E-Damage Reduction: increased from 35% to 40%
Although these improvements may not seem particularly drastic at first glance, they are intended to provide Briar with more resilience. August explained:
We are being cautious here, as we assume she will become stronger when players familiarize themselves with the specifics of her equipment.
What do the statistics say? Briar currently has the lowest win rate of all champions across all ranks, standing at just 33.38% (as of: 15.09.23). Additionally, due to frequent bans, she also has a low pick rate.
It is understandable that it may take some time for players to fully master her nuances. Her unusual approach requires skillful decisions, good timing, and tactical considerations that cannot be learned overnight.
Moreover, she has only recently been on the live servers. Therefore, these statistics are still in their infancy.
It remains to be seen whether Briar’s win rate and influence on the game will actually improve as players become more familiar with her equipment, or whether further adjustments are needed.
However, the developers remain optimistic and hope that Briar will gain strength over time as players unlock her full potential.
For EA Sports FC 24, a Web App and a Companion App are expected, just like the FIFA series. When will they arrive?
Update, September 16, 2023: Finally, we know when the Web App for EA Sports FC 24 will be released. According to the latest Pitch Notes from EA, the release date for the Web App is September 20, 2023. That’s 2 days before the start of Early Access. However, the exact time when the Web App will be available is still unknown.
The Companion App for smartphones launches a day later, on September 21, 2023.
Continue reading the original post here.
What is the Web App? For the Ultimate Team mode in FIFA, there has been a Web App for years that allows players to manage their FUT club. There, you can edit lineups, complete SBCs, open packs, or claim rewards. The Web App can be used in a browser.
Since EA Sports FC 24 is bringing back the Ultimate Team mode at launch, a Web App and Companion App are also expected for this game.
What is the Companion App? The Companion App is basically the same as the Web App, just as an actual app for iOS and Android. It is not used in a browser, but downloaded from the respective app stores.
But when can we expect it?
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EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Team Deep Dive Trailer
When will EA Sports FC 24 release the Web App and Companion App? Possible release date
When will the Web App and Companion App for EA FC be available? There is no official release date for the apps yet. However, based on previous releases, you can roughly deduce when you can expect the apps.
Based on last year’s release, the week of Monday, September 18, 2023, seems likely for the Web App of EA FC 24. That would be a few days before the release of the Ultimate Edition of EA FC 24, which starts on September 22, and 11 days before the official EA FC release on September 29.
The Companion App would then be expected a day later.
How is the possible release date determined? Both apps have previously been released before the official launch and even before Early Access. For orientation, here are the dates from the FIFA 23 release:
FIFA 23 had its official release on September 30, 2022, with the Ultimate Edition starting on September 27, 2022.
The Web App was released on September 21, with the Companion App following a day later on September 22.
Since the Ultimate Edition this time offers a few more days of Early Access, an earlier release of the Web App and Companion App is also conceivable.
However, please note that this is still just speculation based on past releases. The FIFA series has often oriented itself on previous releases, but it is still possible that releases this year will deviate.
As soon as official information is available, we will keep you updated here.
Destiny 2 has gone through many changes. Whether in the sandbox or in modes like the Crucible, players had to cope with it. Now Bungie has another change in mind for the upcoming DLC that you might not like.
What does Bungie have planned in the new DLC?For the upcoming DLC ‘The Final Shape’ significant changes are to be made to the economy of Destiny 2. The legendary shards, the currency that players have known since the launch of the loot shooter, will be completely removed from the game.
This has good reasons: According to the team, the community faces a major problem. The players who have been playing since the release have amassed a huge fortune or have cheated their way through bugs, while new players never manage to build a cushion for their needs and live in poverty.
The gap between the rich and poor is therefore far too great, which is why Bungie wants to completely kick the currency out of the game and try something new.
Here’s the appropriate trailer for ‘The Final Shape’ with cool insights into the expansion:
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Destiny 2: The Final Shape – The last DLC of the first saga
Bungie is soon raiding your piggy banks
How has Bungie planned the changes? The legendary shards are set to completely disappear from Destiny 2 with the release of ‘The Final Shape’. But before that happens, Bungie will already start in Season 23 to make changes to merchants and their prices.
This mainly includes the purchases of weapons and armor, which could still be done with legendary shards before the change, but soon will only be possible with glimmer and accumulated engrams.
In line with this, the amount of glimmer and engrams you can score during your gameplay will be increased. However, the total amount of glimmer remains capped at 250,000.
Moreover, the prices of legendary shards will be removed from the Monument to Lost Lights in the Tower. However, how Rahool wants to handle the matter and how players should now purchase his rare goods after the change was not addressed.
What happens to my accumulated shards? These will be completely wiped and you will receive no compensation for it. It looks like a fair sacrifice, since many players have exploited bugs to amass many shards from Ikora or other methods.
What do I get now when dismantling items? The loot you receive varies depending on the item. Mainly, you get glimmer based on the item’s rarity ranging from two to four digits. Additionally, depending on rarity, there is a chance to pull enhancement cores from items.
The chances for legendary armor and weapons are at 25%, while for exotic weapons and armor, it’s 60%.
Moreover, ships and sparrows will soon cost nothing when you pull them from the collection. Bungie does not want you to waste your hard-earned currencies on cosmetic items.
How do I pay Xur now? Bungie already has a new currency in mind, an alternative way to compensate the good vendor. It is not known what Xur should be paid with after the changes, but we suspect the return of strange coins from Destiny 1 or something else curious. However, silver, the premium currency for real money, could also be possible.
What do you think of the change? Do you find it a shame that your piggy banks are being raided? We advise you to spend as many shards as you can before the change and use them to acquire enhancement materials. This way, you won’t lose everything for nothing.
An action game won the hearts of many players in 2020 and was awarded various prizes. Now there’s new information about its successor.
Which game is it? The action game “Hades” was the big surprise in 2020 and one of the most celebrated games of the year. On Steam, the roguelike dungeon crawler from Supergiant Games boasts an impressive 98% positive reviews from over 214,000 reviews.
Furthermore, Hades was nominated for “Game of the Year” in 2020 and won the titles “Best Indie Game” and “Best Action Game.” Additionally, it received a Hugo Award for “Best Video Game” and a Nebula Award for “Best Game Writing.”
At the Game Awards 2022, Supergiant Games announced Hades 2, a sequel that also received a reveal trailer. Now the developers have announced that Hades 2 will start Early Access in 2024.
You can watch the reveal trailer for Hades 2 here:
What is Hades 2? Hades 2 will also be a roguelike dungeon crawler. This time, you will take on the role of “Melinoe,” described by Supergiant Games as the “immortal princess of the underworld.”
You will explore a mysterious world full of myths and fight against various beings. Melinoe possesses the power of Olympus and can imbue her legendary weapons with ancient magic. Additionally, you can enhance your skills with the gifts of Greek deities.
Like its predecessor, Hades 2 is expected to have a high replay value and will offer new locations and challenges during various playthroughs. Furthermore, Supergiant aims to deliver a “atmospheric” and “moving” story combined with action-packed gameplay.
When will Early Access start? As Supergiant Games announced on its official website, Hades 2 is set to enter Early Access on Steam and in the Epic Games Store in the second quarter of 2024 (via supergiantgames.com).
However, the developers cannot yet specify when exactly the full release of Hades 2 will be.
What made Hades so good? Pretty much everything. Players on Steam praise the story and dialogue, as well as the versatile gameplay with a high replay value.
Whether it’s the music, the English voice acting, or the combat system with its impressive selection of weapons and godly gifts, everything is well-received by players. The design of the game world, the atmosphere, and the focus on Greek mythology are also appreciated.
If you haven’t tried Hades yet but are now interested, you can currently purchase the roguelike on Steam for 50% off (12.25 € instead of 24.50 €).
If you already know Hades and are looking for other roguelikes that will entertain you for hours, check this out:
In Pokémon GO a new button comes into play that helps you to complete routes properly.
What kind of button is this? As players in the subreddit TheSilphRoad report about Pokémon GO, they have found a new button in the game: a route-completion button.
This is a small change in itself, but many players are likely to appreciate it. Until now, routes simply ended automatically as soon as you reached their endpoint and had collected enough meters.
The button, which is supposed to come into play with version 0.283.0, seems to give players the option to decide when the route is finally completed. This is quite helpful as it is expected to solve a problem from the past weeks.
We embed the corresponding post here for you:
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Disappearance problem with Zygarde cells hopefully a thing of the past
Why is the button important? One of the main reasons for players to follow a route is the Zygarde cells. You need them for the evolution of Zygarde and they can only be found on routes.
The problem: The cells often spawn only at the end of the route and can be quite difficult to see. It can take a little while to recognize them. And if things go badly, the route ends before you have collected the Zygarde cell.
Players have complained about this problem in recent weeks as it was very frustrating not to be able to get the rare Zygarde cells after the route ended simply because it ended automatically.
With the new button, we can hope that at least this problem with routes is now resolved. How this will be affected should show as soon as the new version is available to all players.
In addition, many players have had the problem of not being able to find routes near them, especially in less busy areas. Meanwhile, the level at which you can suggest routes in Pokémon GO has dropped to level 40. Then you can only hope that they will still be approved.
A company is being criticized for allegedly selling AI-generated content for a lot of money. In reality, the work is supposed to be done by real peoplewho are paid very poorly.While sources criticize the poor conditions, the company denies the allegations.
But now sources report that the tasks were actually taken over by poorly paid employees. MeinMMO explains what the allegations are about.
Company hired 3D artists for quality control
What products are involved? The company claims that its AI model transforms 2D data into 3D models, which can then be used for games or other products. The company offers various subscriptions to finance its 3D models:
For $150 a month, subscribers get 10 models.
For $300, there are already 20 models per month.
From $1,000 a month, you get an unlimited number of 3D objects plus direct support from an employee.
They claimed that this content is generated entirely by an AI, and that no human is involved.
What is the problem? Other sources report, according to Techspot.com, that the company does not have the 3D models made by the AI at all. Instead, real artists are said to be behind it, who develop the models by hand and receive between $1 and $4 per model.
The company claims that they only hired 3D artists a year ago to train the algorithm. However, sources say that some artists only get to see the original 2D image before creating a 3D model from scratch. That has little to do with training.
What is the truth behind all this? Overall, the situation remains quite opaque. There is no real statement from the company admitting the problems, and no employee has so far confirmed the allegations against the company.
So far, there has also been no public demonstration of the in-house AI model. Therefore, it is impossible for outsiders to know exactly how good the company’s AI model is, but according to sources, some results are simply unusable.
Layoffs due to AI: In other areas, artificial intelligence has become so advanced that some companies are laying off entire teams to replace them with AI. You can read more about this on MeinMMO:
Macabre solutions are sometimes the best in Baldur’s Gate 3. With the body of a dead girl, you can easily overcome the toughest boss fights.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are few limits to creativity when solving problems. One can also happily throw morality and decency out the window – because even the strangest things can be misused as weapons and problem-solving approaches. Especially macabre is a player who shares his story on Reddit. He explains how he trivialized one of the hardest fights with the corpse of a dead girl.
Spoiler warning: This article contains some details from Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate.
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
What kind of corpse is this? If you take care of Astarion’s questline and visit Cazador’s palace, you will face some tricky puzzles and encounter strange events. One of them is a dead girl named “Victoria”. She is actually part of a small puzzle and poses a threat to the heroic party, as she has a necrotic aura that deals damage continuously.
The story behind this is that her father tried to protect Victoria’s blood from vampires. However, this “curse” remains active even after her death.
The catch is: You don’t have to lift her curse; you can simply “take” Victoria’s body and carry it around in your inventory. The chaos this creates is demonstrated, for example, in this little clip:
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Because even in your inventory, the curse continues to function, dealing damage to you and all nearby creatures every few seconds.
But this can be wonderfully exploited, as “resoundingboom” describes in the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit:
As a regular tavern-goer, I immediately put [Victoria] in my inventory, left the palace, and tucked her away in a safe corner of my camp for future use.
While I was completing the mission at the Steel Watch Foundry on the lowest level, I thought it would be the perfect time to test the Victoria bomb. So, I simply threw her in the middle of the room before the fight and then rolled for initiative. Here comes the big, bad Steel Watcher, several normal Steel Watchers, and they all run straight into the center of the AoE effect. My turn comes, and I notice that her curse is not bound by the regular rules of turn-based combat, but instead, her AoE is triggered every few seconds.
The self-destruction of the Steel Watchers amplifies this chaos, and the whole battle is over without my team having to do anything.
After that, I isolated her back in my camp for future applications.
Why does this work? This is mainly due to the freedom of gameplay that one has in Baldur’s Gate 3. The game imposes very few restrictions or limitations on what is possible – if you want to exploit a cursed corpse for combat, then Baldur’s Gate 3 simply allows that. Whether this is now “creative” or “macabre” (or just both) is something everyone must decide for themselves.
The only actual bug seems to be that the necrotic aura ticks every second instead of only once per turn in combat. This really looks like a rather unintended mechanic that contradicts everything else you experience in Baldur’s Gate 3.
“I secretly put the dead girl in his inventory”
This “trick” can also be combined with other nasty methods. You can not only drop the corpse on the ground, but also secretly place it in other people’s inventories via pickpocketing. This is reported by Reddit user “stucaboose,” who managed to defeat one of the final boss fights this way. He put the girl in Gortash’s inventory:
This is how I killed Gortash.
Greater Invisibility, crept up to him, and literally stuffed the body of the poor girl into his pocket. Looks like you don’t have to make a stealth check when shoving things into people’s pockets.
Then, I slipped away and let him sit there with his guards.
Of course, one might wonder whether it is really realistic to secretly stuff a corpse into someone’s pocket – but sometimes you just have to accept that absurd ideas work far too well in Baldur’s Gate 3.
This is how the community reacts: The community of Baldur’s Gate 3 is both fascinated and disgusted by this method. The corresponding article has nearly 7,000 upvotes by now. Here are some of the most popular reactions:
“Obviously, I didn’t play the game correctly.”
“Baldur’s Gate 3 is probably the only game you can say you use a dead child as a weapon.”
“I just love that in this game, you often have the thought: ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if you could do XYZ’ – and so often you can do exactly that.”
What do you think about this “use” of a corpse? Macabre and immoral – or somehow funny that it is possible?
Season 1 of the live-action adaptation of One Piece was so successful that Netflix has greenlit a continuation. The creator of One Piece himself, Eiichiro Oda, announced the happy news to all fans. At the end of the announcement, he also confirms a new character who will appear in Season 2.
Attention, Spoiler: The following text will contain spoilers about the character that will appear in the second season of One Piece. We will explain who it is. If you have no idea who Tony Chopper might be, you should skip the article.
Who is it about? Eiichiro Oda sketches Tony Chopper, the reindeer, at the end of the announcement. This confirms that the fluffy character will be part of Season 2. So at least 5 of the 6 arcs are included that we could imagine as part of Season 2.
This is what we already know from the anime and manga about Tony Chopper:
Chopper works as the ship’s doctor for the Straw Hat crew
His home is the winter island Dum Island
He ate the Human-Human Fruit and is now half reindeer, half human
With the Rumble Balls, he can greatly increase his strength and assume multiple mutations
Like every member of the Straw Hat crew, he has a dream: He wants to be able to heal every disease in the world one day
Chopper received his training from Doc Bader and Dr. Kuleha. Accordingly, it is highly likely that both characters will also be part of the second season.
You can see the video revealing Season 2 and the image of Chopper here:
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So far, there is only the drawn image of Chopper to see, showing him in the manga and anime. Since Chopper ate the Human-Human Fruit, fans are already wondering how the little reindeer could look in the live-action adaptation.
It might be challenging to depict a talking moose on two legs with an actor. Alternatively, Chopper could only be portrayed through CGI effects. We will find out what it ultimately will be when the cast for Season 2 is announced.
If you missed Season 1, the following trailer on MeinMMO might convince you:
Start video
One Piece – German Trailer for the First Season of the Live-Action Series by Netflix
These important characters might also appear
Who else could appear in Season 2? At the end of the last episode of Season 1, there was also a character seen who is almost certain to appear in Season 2. We are talking about Marine soldier Captain Smoker, who will already make life difficult for the Straw Hats in Logue Town.
Also, towards the end of Season 1, it was shown how Buggy and Alvida talked in a bar. The two will likely return in Season 2 as well, one of them even with a new look.
Another important character, who will become important by the end of Season 2 or at the latest in Season 3, is Vivi. If the Netflix series adheres to the manga template, we might already meet the blue-haired Baroque agent in Whiskey Peak. In the Alabasta arc, she will then make a larger appearance.
When will Season 2 come out? In an interview with Variety, the production team has already revealed that the script for Season 2 has been completed. It will take about 12-18 months before Season 2 sets sail. Accordingly, we can expect that the continuation of One Piece will be available sometime from September 2024.
