Minecraft will take a tougher stance. Some of your “beloved” skins may soon be unavailable – as they will be manually blocked by the developer.
Minecraft is a long-lasting phenomenon. The game captivates young and old alike and has fans in almost all generations. This is not surprising, as the creative freedom in Minecraft is nearly unmatched, appealing to all age groups equally. However, this also makes Minecraft a game where children are present, who therefore need protection from certain content.
And because this could often be circumvented through the various skins, Minecraft will now take a tougher approach.
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A trailer for Minecraft has 160 million views: “This is not a trailer for a game, this is for a generation”
What was the problem? With the skins, meaning the visual design of the played character, there was previously virtually absolute freedom. You could design and upload your own skins, leading to much creativity. Well-known characters like Link (Zelda), Master Chief (Halo), or even a Creeper in a suit could thus become part of your appearance.
However, this freedom also created problems. Because some would choose a skin as an oversized penis, Adolf Hitler, or other tasteless designs.
This is a problem, as the skins are visible when joining public servers where children play – but also, no one else really needs to see such things.
What will change now? In the latest “snapshot”, essentially a test version for the next patch, the option has now been introduced to report player names or their skins. So if you encounter someone with a highly questionable name or offensive skin, you can report them to the developers with just a few clicks.
What are the consequences of reporting? If a skin is reported, it will be manually reviewed by human moderators. If they conclude that the skin actually violates community guidelines, several things can happen:
The skin will be blocked – and that permanently for all Minecraft players.
The reported player will be assigned a default skin.
Can be temporarily or permanently banned, depending on the number and severity of violations.
Basically, it is true that someone with a blocked skin can still play Minecraft – both online and offline. When a skin is blocked due to a report, there will be a message upon logging into Minecraft explaining this.
Of course, after the skin is blocked, a new skin can then be chosen – but one should consider very carefully whether one wants to make such nonsense again, risking their Minecraft account.
Bards are known as charmers and entertainers. In Baldur’s Gate 3, they usually take on the role of supporters. In the College of Valor, however, bards are less funny musicians and more battle-hardened skalds. MeinMMO presents to you an unconventional build that works surprisingly well.
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What is this build? As a bard in the College of Valor, you are at the front lines and lead your companions into battle rather than just cheering them on from the back. Your charisma boosts morale just as much as your determination to slay foes.
Bards are already the undisputed best class in Baldur’s Gate 3. They can do everything, albeit not perfectly, but with the right adjustments, they can fulfill any role. In this build, they wear heavy armor and hit hard instead of relying solely on magic, daggers, or bows.
The College of Valor is one of the stronger variants of the bard in the tier list of the best classes. This is partly because you can choose whether to function more as a tank for your group or as an armored fighter.
Level 3: College of Valor; Expertise in Athletics and Performance
Level 4: Athlete (Strength) or Tough (Strength)
Level 8: Ability Score Improvement (Strength and Charisma)
Level 10: Expertise in Intimidation, if chosen; otherwise free choice
Level 12: Master of the Arts (Riposte and Maneuvering Attack)
Important Spells
Generally helpful spells that provide you or others with a boost include: Accurate Strike, Blade Ward, Heroism, Long Strider
A great advantage of the bard is that you get a third Short Rest. You will see why this is important here:
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A useful feature can make your life in Baldur’s Gate 3 much easier
Playstyle and Group: Like a Viking in a Shield Wall
This is how you play the build: In both variants, you are a front-line fighter who should wear medium armor and carry a shield. This allows you to easily reach an Armor Class of 18 or more and withstand quite a bit.
As you gain a second attack at level 6, you should grab a strong weapon as soon as possible. Battle axes are ideal due to their versatility. As a dwarf, you are proficient with the weapon. Otherwise, longswords or hand axes are suitable, as long as they utilize strength as a modifier.
You primarily attack with melee attacks but use your Bardic Inspiration to give either yourself or others in the group a bonus to attacks. Unlike other colleges, your inspiration also applies to weapon damage and armor.
This is what the perfect group looks like: Ideally, you have other characters with shields standing next to you. Perfect are:
a human mage or wizard for magical damage. Humans are proficient with shields and light armor
any cleric or paladin for support
a barbarian, ideally as a berserker for Viking flair with two axes
If you want to utilize the standard classes of the companions in Baldur’s Gate 3, Gale, Karlach, and Shadowheart are best suited for your group. Try to advance as a shield wall and drive enemies toward you, preferably straight into the arms of the furious berserker.
If you want to further plan your build or try out your group, it is best to use a character planner:
Eight years ago, a Guardian from the Destiny 2 community made a bold thesis on Reddit that received little attention. But now, after all these years, his suspicion proves to be true. The Guardian was right, and the community thinks: This is the ultimate “I told you so”.
Which story is it exactly about? Every week Guardians in Destiny 2 can play the repeatable quest “Veil Containment.” It becomes available after completing the Lightfall campaign and reveals further, extremely interesting story details in the form of audio recordings.
So far, it has been revealed that Darkness represents the non-physical and Light represents the physical.
That both Savathun and the Strike character MSund12 were involved in hiding the Veil from the Witness and that the Guardians have undone that.
There was further information about the founding of the city of Neomuna on Neptune.
Interesting revelations about the character of Maya Sundaresh, whom players have been encountering everywhere in the latest destination Neomuna since Lightfall.
And this is where the mysterious Guardian comes into play. His bold thesis regarding Maya Sundaresh hit the mark precisely eight years ago.
Spoiler warning: The following article will reveal story details about Destiny 2 Lightfall and the activity “Veil Containment”. So please do not read further from here if you have not played the mission yet and want to experience the surprise in the game itself.
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[Spoiler] Destiny 2: This cutscene from Season 21 reveals what the Traveler and the Darkness are
Ignored Reddit thread hits the mark
This is what the Guardian predicted: The respective Guardian had drawn such accurate conclusions from some lore details of the then Destiny story that he unwittingly spoiled the finale of “Veil Containment” occurring eight years later in Lightfall.
His search began with a simple yet fascinating hint about the name “Maya”.
He continued to search for this name – from its Buddhist meaning to its original use, perhaps to establish a connection.
In doing so, he discovered that there is indeed a connection between Maya and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and love, in Hindu mythology.
Maya? Lakshmi? – Both names were known in the Destiny universe.
It increasingly seems like Bungie knew then the thread of the story and used many small subtle ways to prepare players for the upcoming revelation.
What’s next? On August 22 at 6:00 PM, there will be the first information about the final DLC “The Final Form” and then the Guardians will finally uncover the big mystery in 2024 of what the inside of the Traveler looks like. And what is even more important: They will reunite with an old friend.
What do you think about the stunning prediction of the Guardian? Do you believe Bungie has always planned these many details in the game, relying on the fact that Guardians would discover these unforeseen connections in the Destiny universe now, at the end of the saga? And is it the Veil in the video the Red War or not? Feel free to let us know in the comments how you see it.
Other streamers prefer to focus on the challenges in the game and sarcastically show Guardians how to do it right:
Another point that reinforced his theory was a Grimoire entry about Maya Sundaresh and her involvement in researching the Vex simulations and hints regarding the Ishtar Collective.
After the Guardian had put all this together, he wondered, “Could this group of scientists be the breeding ground for the war cult of the future? And could it be possible that Maya Sundaresh later took the name ‘Lakshmi’?”
The idea was forgotten: Over the years, the Guardian’s account was deleted. Although his idea remained online, it was hardly noticed.
However, when the weekly “Veil Containment” in Lightfall dropped the big bomb in August 2023, a few lore-interested players remembered that there was indeed someone who was right about everything and commented on the post.
iMorpheus wrote: “The guy hit the nail on the head eight years ago. Wild.”
xbftw commented: “Holy shit, the ultimate ‘I told you so'”
Under this video, even the “Story Prophet” from back then reemerged under the nickname caseyl5001, whose account was deleted, and shared:
This is my post! I feel so validated right now. I deleted this account and regret it. […] I remember that several comments said it was unlikely since the names were very common and it was probably just a coincidence.
Others are more skeptical, like Rascal0302. He comments: “Honestly, he didn’t foresee it, Bungie saw it and simply copied it.”
And yet, his stunning prediction leaves not only a sense of validation. It also shows the unexpected and deep connections that can exist in the depths of the Destiny universe.
Too much coincidence to not be intentional
Left: Prophecy Dungeon in 2020 | Right: The Traveler in Lightfall in 2023
Did Bungie always know everything? That is perhaps one of the most intriguing questions arising from this revelation of the Guardian’s prescient theory.
As with Savathun in the “The Witch Queen” DLC, the question also arises in “Lightfall”: “Did Bungie’s narrative team have the extensive saga of Light and Darkness laid out in its foundations with the Veil as part of the Traveler from the start of Destiny?”
Maybe not with the Darkness. Still, it’s hard to imagine that Bungie didn’t at least have an inkling of where the journey with Light and Darkness was meant to go.
Some players now believe that Bungie may have even hidden the Veil as early as 2017 in a cutscene during the Red War campaign.
However, different interpretations exist:
Most players believe the depiction in the cutscene simply refers to the three Guardian classes. The arrow for the Hunter, the sword for the Warlock, and at the end, the shield for the Titan.
Others, however, now think it could also represent a spear and a sword as a symbol of duality between conflict and peace. And the shield is not a shield, but the veil.
Make up your own picture: We have embedded the short cutscene from “The Red War” here again. It shows a fallen civilization, pyramid ships, and the aforementioned depiction. Pay close attention at minute 00:53.
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Destiny 2: The Red War – Story Trailer
Also, in other places in Destiny 2 some Guardians are now noticing things that visualize the current story well and that players have unknowingly run past in the game over and over again.
Since 2020, you can also see the circle-triangle symbolism in the dungeon of the Nine called “Prophecy”. Something that the Witness only “shoved” onto the Traveler in 2023.
This circle-triangle symbolism can also be found in the Tower of the Last City. All waymarkers on the walls have been showing it for years, but it has only now become clear to the Guardians.
This could all be coincidence. But it may also be a bit too much coincidence to not be intentional.
It increasingly seems like Bungie knew then the thread of the story and used many small subtle ways to prepare players for the upcoming revelation.
What’s next? On August 22 at 6:00 PM, there will be the first information about the final DLC “The Final Form” and then the Guardians will finally uncover the big mystery in 2024 of what the inside of the Traveler looks like. And what is even more important: They will reunite with an old friend.
What do you think about the stunning prediction of the Guardian? Do you believe Bungie has always planned these many details in the game, relying on the fact that Guardians would discover these unforeseen connections in the Destiny universe now, at the end of the saga? And is it the Veil in the video the Red War or not? Feel free to let us know in the comments how you see it.
Other streamers prefer to focus on the challenges in the game and sarcastically show Guardians how to do it right:
A gamer explains that he claims to have played GTA V on Steam for more than 19,000 hours. The post is controversial, as no one really believes he has played that much.
A user posted on reddit his playing time for GTA V. The screenshot shows the Steam interface, where you can see your playtime in hours. You can clearly see that he claims to have spent more than 19,000 hours playing GTA V.
But in the community, this is not well received. Rather, people are questioning why someone would spend so much time in a game.
Start video
In GTA Online you can finally get to the bottom of the most annoying crew in the game starting next week
Community doubts the authenticity of the playtime
Under the post, there is a strong debate about the authenticity of the post. After all, we are talking about more than 2 years of playtime. Because if you convert the number of hours into days, you get about 791 days, which is more than two years. The same user claims that he has never been “AFK.”
Doubts about the playtime: Many people in the community doubt these figures and do not believe that everything can be above board:
A user jokes that most of that time is surely made up of the long loading times of the game.
Another one explains that the player is supposed to have played at least 6 hours a day since the release of GTA 5.
Others accuse him of an addiction that he urgently needs to address.
However, one thing everyone agrees on: there is no reason to be proud of such a high number of play hours. Many also do not understand how it is possible to spend so many hours in one game.
Many gamers are still playing GTA today: GTA 5 and GTA: Online are still among the most popular games on Steam today. In particular, role-playing servers have gained great popularity. This has even been recognized by developer Rockstar, who now wants to invest themselves:
Pokémon GO is a game that can change a lot – depending on where you play it. However, the difference from Germany to Japan was something that MeinMMO author Max Handwerk did not expect.
You probably know the feeling: you’re on vacation or a little trip, and just curious how Pokémon GO looks here.
I love making these comparisons and thought I had seen every situation.
I made my first steps in Pokémon GO in a tiny village with no noteworthy stops and gyms.
Later, I moved to Hamburg and found plenty of POIs and fellow players in the city park.
Just recently, while hiking in the Thuringian Forest, I encountered the situation of basically having no gyms and stops at all.
Currently, I live in Hannover, where at least there is a reasonable distribution of gyms, stops, and fellow players.
As I said: I thought no stop situation could surprise me any longer.
But then I went to Japan for a week as part of the Pokémon World Championships. And what awaited me in Tokyo and Yokohama – I did not expect.
So many stops that you can barely click properly
Not only did Yokohama gradually become Pokémon City over the week and an absolutely contagious Pokémon enthusiasm developed: Pokémon GO also had a prevalence that I had not known before.
To make it short: there were simply so many PokéStops and gyms that you could hardly play properly. Everything was so ridiculously close together that you constantly clicked on the wrong thing when you wanted to tap somewhere. If you’re used to just a handful of stops nearby, it’s crazy to suddenly have so many options.
You can see what it looked like here:
Stops, gyms, raids, routes: In Yokohama and Tokyo there was everything in large quantities
For a player like me, who knows significantly fewer stops from Germany, it was like a Pokémon GO paradise. I don’t know exactly how much XP and Pokémon I collected during this time – but it was a lot.
But it didn’t stop with stops and gyms. Overall, Japan felt like a bonus level in Pokémon GO, because everything was so much easier. Raids that I can’t manage at home because of missing players were completed here within seconds because the lobbies were so full.
You clicked into a raid and suddenly had around 20 fellow players without even having to organize anything. The event Pikachu collapsed after three seconds, Cresselia didn’t last much longer. At the event site of the Worlds, I was less surprised by that – but even in the city, I experienced such situations. It was dreamlike.
Another example: the routes. While I can hardly find routes at home, in Japan I could sometimes choose from 18 at once. It was impressive how many players had seemingly made sure to distribute the new feature across the city.
What was challenging, however, was taking gyms, or earning coins. New challengers showed up so quickly that the Pokémon barely lasted long enough in the gym to bring home even 10 coins.
It was an impressive trip, as it showed me how the game can feel when you have a huge community present. It’s a pity that it usually only works in a similar way here during big events.
What was the best place you have ever played Pokémon GO? Tell us in the comments!
Al’ar’s Ash is one of the rarest mounts in World of Warcraft. But now you have a bonus chance for the mount.
There are many rare mounts in World of Warcraft that still evoke envy or wonder today. One of the first mounts of this kind is the Phoenix Al’ar, obtainable through the item “Ashes of Al’ar”. In fact, this is a very, very rare drop from Kael’thas Sunstrider in the raid “The Eye” – but there is now another source from which you can obtain the mount with a bit of luck.
What kind of mount is it? Al’ar’s Ash is still a unique and beautiful mount even today, more than a decade after its release. The orange-gold Phoenix from Kael’thas Sunstrider leaves red streaks in the sky and is still one of the most beautiful and rarest mounts.
There are many players who have tried for years to obtain this Phoenix and have never had any luck.
This is not surprising, as the drop chance is only 1.70% – and you only have one attempt per character per week.
Al’ar’s Ash is still one of the most beautiful mounts. Source: wowhead
How do you get the bonus chance? To do this, you need to make use of the “Timewalking: The Burning Crusade”. More specifically, you need to complete the quest “Disturbance Detected: Black Temple”. This is a mission that is only active during the corresponding Timewalking.
The quest requires you to defeat Illidan Stormrage during the Timewalking in the Black Temple – in its Timewalking variant. This means you need a (somewhat) capable group to tackle this raid in Timewalking.
While the raid is not particularly difficult and is significantly easier during Timewalking than it was at launch, you still need a raid group to have any chance. It’s best to check the “Looking for Group” channel to see if someone is trying to set up such a raid group – or just create your own.
You can pick up the quest directly in the Black Temple (entrance area) or in Shattrath.
Community is excited: In the World of Warcraft subreddit and in the comments on wowhead, the fact that you can now obtain Al’ar’s Ash from another source is praised. Many first thought it was a bug or that fellow players were “trolling” them by claiming that the Phoenix was obtainable from the Timewalking chest. However, there is now so much evidence that has confirmed this.
Have you also had such luck and obtained Al’ar’s Ash? Or is this mount still eluding you?
In Baldur’s Gate 3 you can play the ultimate villain. However, lead author Adam Smith interprets “Dark Urge” as the most heroic playthrough. You can find more details on MeinMMO.
As the “Dark Urge” you have no memories of the past. You only feel an eerie sense of having committed terrible deeds. A mysterious force tries to push you to create chaos and violence. The Dark Urge is a mad killer, which can quickly lead to an inner conflict.
Here are 5 helpful tips to make your life easier in Baldur’s Gate 3:
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5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3
Dark Urge – “Possibly the most heroic playthrough”
The Dark Urge is not the right choice for everyone. The character loves everything related to blood and violence. He literally feeds off killing.
However, the lead author of Baldur’s Gate 3, Adam Smith, recently revealed in an interview with PC Gamer that he plays the Dark Urge in a different way. For him, the playthrough with this character is possibly the most heroic of all.
My Dark Urge resists the dark impulses and deeply regrets all the terrible deeds that have been done. […] For me – and I will try to remain as spoiler-free as possible – the experience of playing through the Dark Urge could be the most heroic variant. When one confronts one’s inner demons, resists them, and ultimately survives together with loyal companions, in my opinion, the most epic version of the game is created.
Adam Smith
Adam Smith has a deep affection for the RPG and finds a particular fascination in his “Dark Urge Monk.” Instead of a mad killer who shows no remorse, he plays a tormented hero with a conscience. He plays him as a character with a good heart.
Whether you accept the dark nature of the “Dark Urge” or fight against it. The character presents one of the most fascinating gameplay options. So it does not necessarily mean that you will experience a completely evil playthrough with the Dark Urge.
It is still up to you how you resolve the inner conflict of this mysterious and bloodthirsty character. You could still achieve a good and epic ending.
A new MMORPG called Wayfinder was released on Steam a few days ago. However, the reviews are quite weak, with Mostly Negative ratings.
On August 17, 2023, the Early Access of Wayfinder launched on Steam. However, players are anything but enthusiastic. As of August 20, 2023, the ratings stand at Mostly Negative with 30% positive reviews out of about 8,000 reviews. Even Overwatch 2 is currently rated even worse on Steam.
What are players upset about? Many people are frustrated that the game is completely unplayable in its current state. Either they can t even get onto the servers, or they are plagued by technical problems.
As soon as 5,000 players are on one server, it seems that’s it, and you receive an error message. And when the game crashes, you have to wait in line again, and the fun starts all over:
A player angrily states that according to Steam, 17,000 players are playing Wayfinder, but 12,000 are stuck in the queue because the servers can only accommodate up to 5,000 players.
A review refers to the game as a new Queue Hell , reminding players of Lost Ark and New World.
Is there anything positive? Yes, several players say that the game is fun and looks really nice when it actually works. The game has great potential, and many on Steam hope the developers will soon get a handle on the issues.
Many see Wayfinder as a great opportunity for MMORPGs. Many gamers are reminded of the failed WildStar and therefore have high hopes for Wayfinder. However, currently the majority of the player base is simply dissatisfied. The developers have also commented on the situation, promising improvements.
Developers want to solve problems and simplify queues
What do the developers say? On Steam, the developers explained on August 19 that they simply weren t prepared for the influx of players. Because in no beta had so many players flooded the servers as during the EA on Steam.
Due to technical problems, they had to limit the number of players on the server. This would then lead to the unwanted error message Maximum Player Limit Reached . The developers explained:
We will make further optimizations to the queue and servers in the coming days and weeks until all players are in the game and can play.
What happens next? Overall, many players are left with a bitter aftertaste. For many, Wayfinder is one more reason to steer clear of so-called Early Access games.
A new video from “Julien Bam” impressively shows how much quality there is on YouTube. It is receiving praise and a lot of upvotes.
Many have turned their backs on German YouTube. Videos in the style of “Trash TV” and various pranks have driven away numerous viewers. However, there are some gems in the German sector that stand out even in a global comparison. One of them is Julien Bam with his “main videos”, which now tell an entire saga.
The latest installment of the series, “The Man in the Moon – Act 1 (Songs from the Bean)” was released yesterday on 19.08.2023 and immediately took German YouTube by storm.
What is the series about? The “Songs from the Bean” saga now includes 9 main videos and a whole series of smaller offshoots. Telling the whole story could take a while, as the “JCU”, the “Julien Cinematic Universe”, has become quite extensive and intertwined.
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At its core, it’s about magical beans. When consumed, they give one certain “superpowers” – one can suddenly perfectly imitate the music style of a certain musician and magically escape from tricky situations.
Especially when one watches the first videos of the series, which are now 4 years old, and compares them with the newer videos, it becomes obvious how much the quality has improved. Besides some quite impressive effects, like crashing spaceships or impressive camera movements, the series still maintains its quirky and sometimes slightly childish humor.
A trademark is also that Julien repeatedly incorporates other YouTubers and musicians. In the latest installment, for example, you see the (infamous) Money Boy as a nasty alien boss or Younes Jones and Sturmwaffel in various supporting roles.
This is how the community reacts: On German YouTube, the videos always hit like a bomb. Just 5 hours after the release, the current “The Man in the Moon” had more than 700,000 views and nearly 170,000 upvotes, with less than 1,000 dislikes.
Meanwhile, the view counts, 22 hours after release, have risen to 1,500,000.
In the comments, the latest video is celebrated and especially the high quality is praised. Here are a few excerpts from the comments:
“This is no longer YouTube. This is so much more. The JCU reaches a peak here that has never been seen on YouTube Germany. The quality of pacing, dialogues, characters, acting performance, and visual effects is magnificent.” – Shadestan2240
“Every time I see something like this, I remember why I want to make sketches and films. The whole team is a gigantic motivation and it’s incredible what you have created. An absolute masterpiece.” – ColinTM
“It feels so good to enjoy this incredible content. It feels like there are only reactions, beef, and Let’s Plays on YouTube. Thank you for being there!!!” – Fumanshu85
The comments and the like-to-dislike ratio speak a clear language. This is apparently among the best that “YouTube Germany” currently has to offer. No matter whether you like the parodied music or not – the production quality must simply be acknowledged.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has existed since 2008 and to this day, several films about the superhero universe are released every year. MeinMMO author Niko Hernes is actually a big fan of superheroes, but he has a lot to complain about the current MCU.
When Nia DaCosta says in an interview that her Marvel film will be different from the others, I can only shake my head. For years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been, for me, a collection of mediocre films without heart and soul.
And this development makes me really angry because I am actually a superhero fan. Comics, games, and series on the topic are incredibly fun for me. However, the MCU, which back then ushered in a new era of blockbuster cinema, is something I find incredibly generic today.
This is based on three main points:
Lack of consistency in the film’s plot
You have to have seen movies or series to understand parts of the story
The films and some series feel the same and look the same
Start video
Marvel Studios’ The Marvels – Teaser Trailer
Every film feels the same
In my opinion, the MCU films of recent years do not stand on their own. They are always part of the larger universe and have to contribute to the next big event.
This creates no creative experiments, but instead films that, no matter the theme of the film, must be squeezed into the typical MCU framework. And for me, no film symbolizes this more than Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Director Sam Raimi could have made a surreal horror film here with elements of his classics like The Evil Dead. And there are few moments that show this, but the film still has to be like every MCU film.
The film Eternals, which according to Rotten Tomatoes wasn’t very popular anyway, also feels like an unplanned film without a red thread. Chloé Zhao is actually a talented director with an eye for nature and landscape. You can see hints of that, but each time they are destroyed by the dialogues and story.
Why Thor: Love and Thunder is different
Do I even like any of the newer Marvel films? Yes, and one of them is probably surprising. I really liked Guardians of the Galaxy 3. I enjoyed telling an emotional story that focuses on a side character.
The other film I appreciate is Thor: Love and Thunder. Thor 4 by director Taika Waititi is too silly for many, but I don’t understand that. It fits for me with the new Thor that we know since Thor 3, and in general, you can notice Taika Waititi’s slapstick influence, who always tries to balance between funny and silly.
If you know 5 Rooms Kitchen Coffin or JoJo Rabbit by Taika Waititi, then you know how frontal he uses humor. And unlike in films like Avengers Infinity War, where the occasional jokes pull me out of the drama, Thor 4 is silly from the start.
For me, the most important thing is that Thor 4 feels different from the other films. Yes, it doesn’t fit everyone’s taste, but why does every film actually have to do that? Why not experiment with genres and why not do something outside the MCU? Not every film needs to be as silly as Thor 4, but you should experiment and allow the director more freedom and personal style.
Thor himself also has his issues with the 4th part:
What do I wish for from the Marvel films? Personally, I believe that creativity outside the MCUs would do Marvel and Disney good. Give me a real horror film, a drama, or an exciting thriller. If you separate such films from their universes, you have a lot of creative freedom. This also partly works for me in Guardians 3 and Thor 4.
The Batman showed in 2022 that you can also be successful away from the classic superhero feeling. The series The Boys is successful and bloody and rated 18+. Not every film needs to be targeted at FSK12, and a greater willingness to experiment from the Marvel Studios would also make me happy to sit in the cinema again.
What does the outlook for the future look like? Due to the current writers’ strike in the USA, Marvel’s schedule will shift a bit. Whether The Marvels fulfills my wish, I doubt. In the new version of Blade, there is potential to do something different, and Deadpool 3 could finally herald a more brutal MCU and the exit from the FSK12 hell.
And I am also looking forward to Marvel Zombies and hope it at least brings a bit of horror to the MCU. But as with everything, we have to wait for the projects to be released. What do you think about the current MCU? Are you disappointed like me or still actively engaged? Write it in the comments.
At least the second season of Loki looks promising so far:
Many people are now annoyed by Diablo 4and Blizzard has now stated that at least 2 things will be revised, which many players are complaining about. One is the overcrowded inventory and the other is the controversial elemental resistance.
The release of Diablo 4 has been 3 months ago and the 1st season has begun. However, many players are dissatisfied with the hack and slash. Especially the annoying inventory system of Diablo 4 is a constant topic for many users.
But now Blizzard has stated that two new features are on the way. One of them is supposed to deal with the inventory and correct at least one thing.
What are they working on? Primarily, two requested features are in progress:
a loot filter for the inventory to sort your stuff.
The revision of elemental resistance.
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Diablo 4: The Official Announcement Trailer for Season 1
Inventory filter and elemental resistance are in progress
Why is this being revised? Players in Diablo 4 have long complained about the far too full and confusing inventory. The overcrowded inventory menus are absolutely no fun, and it becomes really annoying when you want to find very specific equipment in the inventory.
Elemental resistance has also been a topic among players for a while. Many consider the value to be useless and have already demanded that it be abolished altogether. Now Blizzard wants to take another look at this value.
When will the changes be released? There is still no release date for the loot filter and the revision of elemental resistance. However, the revision of elemental resistance is supposed to happen at the start of the 2nd season.
Many players welcome the changes and hope that there will be further meaningful changes in the future. Because loot is one of the most important features in Diablo 4. At the same time, loot is so complex that it is extremely difficult for the average player to identify upgrades:
On Steam there are numerous shooters that offer either PvE, PvP, or a mix of both. But which shooters are the most popular?
How was the list compiled? To determine the 5 most popular shooters on Steam, we took a look at the player numbers of each game. In particular, the number of average active players over the past 30 days was significant (as of August 18, 2023).
What kind of game is this? Call of Duty has a slight advantage over other games on the list. The renowned shooter franchise combines several titles under one common umbrella.
Both the 2022 released Modern Warfare 2 and the “Battle Royale” offshoot Warzone share player numbers on Steam.
Moreover, it is quite possible that the numbers for Modern Warfare 3, which will be released on November 10, will also fall into the same category, as Activision states players can seamlessly continue their journey, progress, and story for a year for the first time (via callofduty.com).
How popular is it? If the player numbers for MW2 and Warzone were shown separately, a place in the top 5 for the shooter series would have been fiercely contested. In the past 30 days, the CoD combination averaged 65,119.9 players.
With the upcoming release of Modern Warfare 3, player numbers are expected to rise again – at least temporarily. CoD veterans from 2009 can at least look forward to the return of all maps from the original MW2:
What kind of game is this? Team Fortress 2 is a hero shooter released in 2007 by Valve, where you play with unique characters in various PvP modes to achieve victory. Each hero has special abilities, weapons, and roles within the team.
Classic modes like Payload and Capture the Flag are played. Team Fortress has also inspired games like Overwatch, which, however, has had a rather modest start on Steam and is even one of the mostpoorly rated games of all time.
Otherwise, Team Fortress 2 is particularly characterized by its rather comic-like style as well as its quirky humor.
How popular is it? Team Fortress 2 averaged 96,601.6 players over the past 30 days. This is a bit weaker than in July 2023 but stronger than in the previous months of May and June.
However, Team Fortress seems not to be popular with everyone – developer Valve avoids providing the hero shooter with regular updates or even a remaster despite its success. This has led to Team Fortress 2 players being envious of another shooter.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some of the strongest builds in Baldur’s Gate 3 are hidden behind very special combinations of classes, abilities, and talents. MeinMMO reveals why polearm paladins are considered completely OP in D&D.
What kind of talent is that?
Polearm Master allows you to make extra attacks with halberds, spears, staves, and pikes.
Especially in combination with a paladin, Polearm Master becomes a deadly tool that can wipe out many opponents in one round.
This is the strong combination: Polearm Master together with a paladin is one of the best combinations known among D&D players. It is similarly strong in Baldur’s Gate 3.
This is what makes the build so strong: As a polearm paladin, you have several advantages in battle:
you can attack opponents with a reaction when they get too close – this usually only works when they run out of range
by default, you already have another attack as a bonus action per round
paladins inherently gain a second attack at level 5
What makes the paladin so strong in conjunction with the talent is his Smite. You have “Divine Smite” as an action by default, which you can use to enhance your next attack. You add 2d8 additional damage plus one further d8 per spell level used.
In addition, paladins also have the choice of other variants that can ignite, frighten, or smash opponents. Depending on the situation, you can enhance an attack, and that works as a Polearm Master with almost any attack.
The only disadvantage: in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are only a few truly strong polearms. The currently known strongest polearm is a glaive, which is hidden behind a long quest and certain decisions. Otherwise, primarily rely on halberds.
Level 2: Choose “Great Weapon Fighting” as your fighting style
Level 4: Choose the talent “Polearm Master”
Level 8: Choose the talent “Great Weapon Mastery”
Level 12: Choose the talent “Sentinel”; alternatives are: “Lucky”, “Savage Attacker” or an ability improvement
Raw attack power on paper is indeed inferior to fighters or barbarians with this build, but your true strength comes from the Smite. You generally benefit from having bonus damage on every attack. Poisons, oils, or dipping into fire help you immensely.
5 Tips to Level Up Your Characters Properly in Baldur’s Gate 3
Polearm Paladin – Here’s how you play him
In principle, you play like a fighter: attack an enemy with full strength and use your Smite. Depending on the circumstances and group, various types of Smite may be more sensible.
However, pay attention not to waste your reaction unnecessarily. You need it for a third attack when an opponent moves towards you or when you want to attack using the Sentinel talent. Especially ideal if a tank is standing next to you.
A barbarian or fighter can push enemies out of your reach with the shove ability to force them to run back to you on their turn. This way, you also force another attack per round without the Sentinel.
Use your spell levels exclusively for Smite when you are going for pure damage. For Oath abilities, it’s best to use Inquisitor’s Might (against many opponents) or Oath of Enmity (against bosses).
Finally, you can always make an attack with the end of your polearm as a bonus action when an attack hits, or you can even execute a full additional attack when you critical hit or kill an opponent. If you want to plan your character first, you can find the right tool here:
A company wanted to throw away a graphics card. But a gamer is instead happy about the free upgrade.
The RTX 3060 is one of the most popular graphics cards that gamers can install in their systems. A gamer is now very lucky and received an RTX 3060 as a gift from his employer. Because he wanted to throw it away.
Managers want to dispose of wrong delivery because the effort is too great
What kind of graphics card is this? The player himself explained on reddit that only RTX 3050s and GT 1650s are sold in the store where he works. But in the last shipment, an RTX 3060 was mistakenly included that they hadn’t ordered. And his boss wanted to dispose of it because that would have been the easiest for the daily routine in the company:
The department heads who have no idea about PC parts decided that it would be too much effort to register them for sale in the system and told us to just throw them away. There was only one item in the order, and they didn’t even want to bother returning it. So I took [the GPU]. I couldn’t stand the thought of this card being thrown away out of ignorance.
At home, he now wants to replace his old GTX 1080Ti with it. And this could be really worth it for him, depending on the scenario.
What was the problem? The user described the “problem” with his department heads so thoroughly that not only the business but also the involved persons could be identified. Under his post, some users already warned him that he should urgently remove details. Because such a rant isn’t really worth risking your job over. If his bosses read this, it could have serious consequences and ultimately harm other people.
In the updated post, several details have now been removed. For an RTX 3060, he probably didn’t want to risk his job after all.
Old GPU offers more performance but fewer features
Is the “upgrade” even worth it? On paper, the 5-year-old GTX 1080 Ti is slightly faster and offers more performance than the RTX 3060. However, one should not overlook that the RTX 3060 is the significantly more modern GPU with:
RayTracing
DLSS
long-term software support
Furthermore, the RTX 3060 offers faster and larger video memory and is (depending on the manufacturer) also significantly quieter than a GTX 1080 Ti. The new graphics card also consumes less power (power consumption) than the old GTX 1080 Ti.
Some users even recommend that he sell both the GTX 1080 Ti and the RTX 3060 and then use the money to buy a faster graphics card. That might ultimately be the most worthwhile.
In the most frustrating case, the user would then also have to upgrade his remaining hardware. Which upgrades are absolutely not worth it for a gaming PC, you can find in the following article on MeinMMO:
Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street was the head of the LoL MMORPG for years. However, in 2023 he left Riot Games and founded his own company, which is now working on a new game. While there are hardly any details, it sounds really good.
“We don’t want to radically change the genre, but we want to do it right,” Ghostcrawler writes in his latest tweet. And that’s exactly what I want to hear from an indie studio. As silly as it sounds, but for really big innovations, you need a company with a lot of money. That probably won’t be the case with a newly founded studio.
Innovations in MMORPGs are always difficult anyway. Many long for their old title in a modern guise, with modern game systems and a new world and new stories. Because nothing is as fun as exploring a new world for the first time.
But even aside from this tweet, Street writes things that sound really good to me. And they give me more hope than the big LoL MMORPG by Riot itself.
Who is speaking here? Alex is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. He actively plays Guild Wars 2, ESO, Black Desert, and New World. Additionally, every new game is immediately tested.
Start video
The 3 largest MMORPGs in Germany in 2023, according to Google
“I am not the best developer, but I can listen to players well”
The new game is aimed at MMO fans. At its core, it addresses players who like titles such as WoW or Final Fantasy XIV. Ghostcrawler also wants to reach players who think they don’t like MMORPGs but appreciate at least parts of them.
He emphasizes that they are not creating a game for the “younger generation“, but they won’t be young forever.
Another important aspect is the openness of the development. Players should be involved the whole time. He promises that you can get hands-on experience with the title very early, much earlier than at other companies:
I often use analogies from the restaurant sector, so let’s try it here too. We will have an open kitchen where you can watch the preparation of the dishes and try them on the way.
We know this approach will not please every player. But don’t worry. We will make sure you know when the game is ready so you can try it out.
In several tweets, Greg Street emphasizes that while he may not be the best developer, he sees his strengths in his love for the genre and in communicating with the community. This foundation will guide the development of the new MMORPG.
Dungeons, Raids, and a lot of Action at Launch
What is known about the game’s content? Well, not much, not even a name. However, the launch of the game will likely be very action-packed, as there will not be a launch with many running and talking quests. Generally, worldbuilding will take place over time and not bombard the player too quickly.
This can at least be inferred from a tweet:
A tip: World designers, including dungeon masters, do not send their group to any city with more than 20 NPCs that they have to talk to just a few hours after the game starts. It destroys all momentum.
My opinion: Almost every RPG introduces you too quickly to civilization while players are still learning and enjoying combat.
Let characters engage in battle within a maximum of 15 minutes. Don’t drown new players in world building until they actually care about the world.
And I completely share this opinion. Guild Wars 2 solved this quite elegantly for me by throwing me right into a mission with other players at the start and even fighting a big boss at the end.
I immediately feel that my little section of the world is threatened and that I need to look for the cause. This creates a connection, like as a Charr to the region of Ascalon and the spirits there.
However, I wish that the action continues a bit further afterward. Too quickly, one lands in typical quests and in the first city. Ghostcrawler also has an opinion on this:
Do I want to buy a bunch of equipment from the merchants? I don’t know! I just started your game 30 minutes ago. Does this world work like that? Do I need good gear? Do I want to spend money at the inn or just camp? I damn well don’t know yet.
Our role in the story of Guild Wars 2 is also often that of a higher soldier, not that of the great leader. Even at the end of the main story, we were an important part, but Sylvari Traherne was the leader of the pact. This could also be the case in the new MMORPG.
I like it when you are just a persistent person, not the chosen one, not the champion of the world, and that for as long as possible. Personal taste.
Ghostcrawler has not yet commented on further game content. However, we still know some of his views from his time at Riot Games:
He wants to deviate from the standard with the camera perspective only if there is a truly important reason. But he himself is a big fan of the third-person view. A similar statement was made about the combat system. Street seems to be more of a fan of tab targeting.
The image Ghostcrawler is currently painting of his new MMORPG sounds simply fantastic. A kind of modern WoW Classic with dungeons, raids, and tab-targeting as the combat system, but with a completely different and action-packed start.
It doesn’t bring any crazy innovations and is not aimed specifically at young players, but rather the older MMORPG generation. Furthermore, Street repeatedly emphasizes the close exchange with players and the early tests that are planned.
While the last two points carry some risk and Crowfall has shown that this can also be a nail in the coffin, Ashes of Creation has managed to maintain a small hype over the years this way. And if what has been shown is good, I prefer a small world for testing rather than writing about theories and blog posts for years without seeing gameplay.
And after the latest statement about the LoL MMORPG, I am sure we will see gameplay from the Ghostcrawler MMO before we see it from Riot Games itself. Meanwhile, his development studio doesn’t even have a name yet.
What do you think of the MMORPG? Are you as hyped as I am or are you waiting for more information first?
An MMORPG that also doesn’t belong to the mainstream managed to captivate me with its trailer:
In Anime it gets wild – but gay and lesbian marriages are a taboo. So great that a couple is now quickly “de-married” retroactively.
The world of anime is colorful and often quite bizarre. Besides the “beach episode” cliché, the often very similar harem protagonists, questionable tentacle monster attacks, and also the repeatedly alluded incestuous relationships, there is actually nothing that the medium shies away from. Nothing? Almost.
Because with a marriage between homosexual characters, a limit seems to be reached, as Ninotaku explains.
What kind of video is this? German-speaking anime fans are likely to know Nino Kerl as “Ninotaku TV” on YouTube. In his videos, he informs not only about the latest topics related to anime itself but also about the whole surrounding – such as the problems in production or the reasons why many anime never get a second season.
In one of his latest videos, he takes on a topic that is particularly important to him. Because while anime hardly shy away from depicting even the most questionable things, one thing seems to be a taboo: homosexual couples saying ‘I do.’
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What happened? In one of the latest Gundam anime (“Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury”), the engagement of the two protagonists, Miorine Rembran and Suletta Mercury, occurs very early on. The relationship between the two is an important element throughout the series, even though this may seem rather unusual for Gundam series.
That this relationship ultimately leads to a marriage is implied at several points. As Ninotaku reports, an interview with the two protagonists’ voice actresses was published in the magazine “Gundam Ace”. The voice actress for Suletta revealed here that the two characters got married after the final battle.
This is confirmed elsewhere: After all, the two characters are each wearing a wedding ring in the anime’s epilogue. A post by the American Gundam account on Twitter also featured the two characters, and in the alt text of the image, it was clearly stated: “Suletta Mercury is sitting on the left side of the image and holding the hand of her wife Miorine Rembran, who is sitting next to her”:
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Such alt texts are written so that Google can better assign images. In addition, these texts are read aloud to blind people through assistive devices so they can form an idea of the displayed image.
The “evidence” is therefore quite clear that the two characters got married at the end of the series.
All the more strange it becomes later, because: In the digital version of the magazine “Gundam Ace”, the story was retroactively modified, and the passage regarding the marriage was removed. The change was made because there was “an error in the original interview,” and they want to “leave the interpretation of the relationship of the two ladies to the audience.”
Why was this done? As Ninotaku explains, Japan is the only country in the G7 states where marriage between homosexual partners is still not recognized. The reason for this, in his eyes, is the conservative ruling party, which stands mainly for “traditional marriage,” meaning only between man and woman – even though the majority of the Japanese population supports the legalization of same-sex marriage (71%, according to Kyodo via nzz.ch)
Ninotaku finds it particularly ridiculous that such marriages are denied while much more tasteless topics, like the sexualization of minors or rapes, repeatedly find a place in anime.
The topic is also being discussed vigorously in the comments under the video.
What do you think about it? Does it fit your image of anime, where Yuri and Yaoi series are also very popular?
Actually, there is a subscription requirement in Final Fantasy XIV. Players must pay a monthly fee to be able to log into the game. Since MeinMMO editor Jasmin had too little time, she skipped the payments in recent months. However, a free promotion brings her back to the game.
I joined Final Fantasy XIV very late. When I started the game, the Endwalker expansion was just announced. A friend encouraged me to just give the game a try, after all, the first expansions are free. And I fell in love instantly.
After I saw the credits roll during Endwalker, I enjoyed the endgame content for a few more weeks – but after some time I let my subscription expire. Due to a career change, it was no longer worthwhile to invest a lot of time in the game.
Has that changed now? But Square Enix has currently started a promotion to bring back lost players like me – and it worked. If you meet the following conditions, you can snag up to 14 days for free:
You own the full version of FF14
You do not have an active subscription
Your subscription expired at least 90 days ago
Then you have the chance to log in for free. The promotion period coincides with the period from August 9 to 31, 2023, which is the Gamescom week, which even has its own role-playing game this year. However, if you are not attending the convention or only for a few days, you can focus intensively on the new content of Final Fantasy XIV.
Why is it worth returning? You can use the game time, among other things, to progress further in the story. Since the end of Endwalker, Square Enix has been releasing new updates that move the story forward.
This way, you are well prepared for the upcoming Dawntrail expansion, which MeinMMO presents in a trailer:
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Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail – Trailer for the new expansion
The Dawntrail expansion will be released in summer 2024. Before that, there will be Patch 6.5 in October 2023, followed by Patch 6.55 in January 2024. The quests between the expansions often bridge the old content and lead to the new adventures.
And the story in the patch quests after Endwalker is captivating. I was immediately hooked by the content that awaited me after the final battle against the last boss. It takes the group to another shard world, which has been overtaken by darkness this time.
Furthermore, the dragons are again coming into focus in the story. We experience the tale surrounding Azdaja and Vrtra and the consequences of the conquest of Meracydia.
If you are not interested in the story and just want to focus on the endgame content, you will soon be able to skip most of the story and catch up with a summary:
How do I find my way after returning? Final Fantasy XIV has many mechanics to make it as easy as possible for returnees like me. If your active time was a bit longer ago, you can stick to the following things:
Get the returnee status and receive a green plant icon. This way, other players can recognize that you are new.
At the same time, you can join the newbie chat, where a mentor is assigned to you, and you can ask questions about the game.
Your main quest will be indicated to you with a special symbol. You can recognize where to go to progress in the main story by the meteor symbol.
Against weak mobs and training dummies, you can practice your rotation again if you might have forgotten it.
The community in Final Fantasy XIV is considered to be very helpful. In no other MMORPG were players so patient when I didn’t immediately understand a content. Instead of insults, I often received tips on how to defeat boss XY. Bad apples were rather rare.
No wonder, then, that Final Fantasy XIV is not only one of my favorite MMORPGs but also convinces our MMORPG specialist Alexander:
Is it worth it as a newcomer? Even if you have so far avoided Final Fantasy XIV, I can highly recommend the title to you. As already mentioned, you can skip the story for real money if you fear losing track.
However, no player will be left behind. Thanks to the randomly chosen content of the dailies, veterans are often grouped with beginners and run the beginner dungeons with them.
This ensures that especially in low-level areas, no dungeon remains empty and players do not have to wait for hours until they find players who want to run the content with them.
With the quests, there is also regular gear that is adjusted for the level. This way, you are well equipped at every level to dive into the trials, dungeons, and other content.
Overwatch 2 launched on August 10 on Steam and has already boasted the title of “worst game on Steam” just days after its release. Now, the head of Overwatch 2 has commented on what he thinks about it.
Overwatch 2 is Blizzard’s first PC release since the introduction of the Battle.net launcher. However, the release has not been well received. The game has nearly 150,000 reviews (as of 19.08.2023) and its status on Steam is “extremely negative.” This has made Overwatch 2 the worst game on Steam – at least according to the users.
In addition to criticism of Blizzard and poor FPS performance, there are also numerous negative reviews that only express opinions through memes or recipes.
Start video
Overwatch 2: The 2nd season brings new heroes – and quite crazy skins
Head understands that many are unhappy about the canceled PvE content
How does Blizzard respond? In a blog post, Aaron Keller, the Game Director of Overwatch 2, commented. He explained:
Even though it’s not fun to be bombarded with reviews, it was great to see how many new players have entered Overwatch 2 for the first time.
Many of the reviews on Steam mention the cancellation of the much larger PvE component that was announced in 2019 as one of the main reasons for their dissatisfaction with the game. I understand that. This announcement was about an ambitious project that we ultimately could not realize.
If we can’t turn back time, what can we do? We can continue to expand and improve Overwatch 2.
Keller also stated that they want to continue developing the game and adding further features. However, what they have planned for the future was not revealed in the post.
However, according to a China specialist, the review bombing largely stems from the fact that Chinese players are extremely angry at Blizzard because they can no longer play Overwatch. In January 2023, they shut down live streaming for Overwatch there:
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Release on Steam is a big success, despite devastating critiques
How is the game doing on Steam? Surprisingly well. Despite the many negative reviews, around 50,000 players still play Blizzard’s hero shooter daily on Steam. At times, the new game even climbed into the top 10 bestsellers on Steam, although it is officially a free-to-play game. This indicates that many players are willing to invest money in Overwatch 2.
Blizzard has likely achieved its goal of reaching a new user group for its shooter. Especially if Blizzard can manage to keep the new players engaged consistently.
Are there PvE missions in Overwatch 2? Yes, there are, and Cortyn has tried them out for you. However, the price for the handful of missions is quite steep. You can read more about it directly on MeinMMO:
Hi-Rez Studios develops the popular games SMITE and Paladins. Now there were plans to switch to an AI voice output in their own games. However, this did not sit well with the players or the voice actors.
Now the creators of Paladins and Smite, Hi-Rez Studios, have gotten into trouble on social media after a voice actor discovered plans to use AI to clone voice recordings.
Players and voice actors vented their frustrations on Twitter about the company, which then eventually withdrew its plans and announced a change to contracts.
AI Is Supposed to Clone Voices, Players Are Angry
The voice actor Henry Schrader posted on Twitter that the company Hi-Rez Studios allegedly has plans to clone voices. So he writes on Twitter:
For those who do not know yet: Hi-Rez Studios, the creators of Paladins and Smite, have stated that they will use AI to clone voices and have refused to enter into contracts that would protect the actors.
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The post by voice actor Henry Schrader garnered so much attention that the president of the studio, Stewart Chisam, presented a modified version of the contract addendum on Twitter.
This smoothed things over for the time being, but players are still upset. And concerns not only involve the game studio but also many other areas of life. AI has been gaining power for months.
What Is Behind the Discussion? For months, the functions and capabilities of AI have been discussed. Many are not only impressed by the capabilities, but are also afraid that artificial intelligence could eventually take over jobs.
The angry reaction from voice actors is therefore not surprising. The use of AI would likely mean the end of their work or at least a reduction in their time.
The fear of becoming obsolete had to be experienced firsthand by a woman:
A streamer accidentally makes exactly the right sound – and Blizzard takes the opportunity to poke fun at it.
Who is Voxy? Voxy is a Twitch streamer perhaps best known for her content around the Magic card game. Most of her streams end up on YouTube, but those videos have typically had rather modest view counts, mostly ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand.
However, a few weeks ago, she collaborated with another streamer on Hearthstone. They created two videos that were well-received by both communities: It was about a Magic player evaluating various Hearthstone cards and creating an arena deck while the Hearthstone player did the same with her Magic deck.
For Voxy, this video was the breakthrough, as it had 139,000 views.
Watching and evaluating the cards – and presumably also the success – had Voxy “hooked,” so she wanted to check out Hearthstone. Together with her viewers, she primarily played the solo adventures, as there is no time limit, allowing her to look at, get to know, and plan the cards at her leisure.
What happened next? During the solo adventure “Dalaran Heist,” Voxy activated a Discover effect and was confronted with the “Weasel Tunneler.” The art of the card depicts a small, cheekily grinning weasel with a felt hat on its head and a cigar in its mouth. The sight amused Voxy so much that she first burst into laughter and could hardly control herself.
The community found it even more amusing because during her laugh, Voxy sounded almost exactly like the sound the Weasel Tunneler makes when played: a particularly throaty, raspy laugh.
When addressed about it, Voxy initially reacted indignantly and was sure that she did not sound that terrible – but only until she heard both sounds back-to-back:
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This is how Blizzard reacted: At Blizzard, there was apparently someone who found Voxy’s videos just as amusing as the community did. Because just a few days after the incident, Voxy received two packages from Blizzard at her doorstep.
In the first package, just as Voxy expected, was a felt hat, so she could visually get a bit closer to the Weasel Tunneler. Even though Voxy playfully tumbles a bit in front of the camera, she and the community seem to be happy about the gift as she reads Blizzard’s message:
We really laughed loudly about your Weasel Tunneler saga, even if we didn’t sound as awful as you. Enjoy these little keepsakes of your true self, and we’ll see you in the Dalaran Heist.
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When putting on the hat, she laughs so hard at her own appearance that she has to make the iconic sound of the Weasel Tunneler again.
The second gift is also well-received. It is a mug featuring the “Weasel Tunneler” design along with the phrase “Up to no good” – that was Voxy’s first assessment upon seeing this card.
Even if Blizzard receives a lot of criticism from the player base in the Hearthstone area – at least they made a streamer and her pretty positive community happy.
