Baldur’s Gate 3 announces huge 1st patch, promises over 1,000 improvements and fixes

Baldur’s Gate 3 was released on August 3 for PC. Since the release, the developers have provided numerous hotfixes. Now, Larian Studios announced a huge patch with over 1,000 improvements and fixes.

When is the patch coming?

  • So far, there is no exact date for the extensive patch.

Larian Studios has already released three hotfixes to address severe crashes and bugs. A fourth hotfix is currently in development, after which the extensive patch is expected to follow.

In the community update on August 11, the developers announced that they are actively working to improve the player experience. There were also some interesting infographics, including exciting facts about the wizard Gale.

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Baldur’s Gate 3: The release teaser for the new role-playing game for PS5 and Steam

Developers address player wishes and feedback

What is in the works? Larian Studios head Swen Vincke recently announced on Twitter that not only a fourth hotfix is planned, but also a first major patch.

This first major patch will include 1,000 fixes and optimizations to further refine the gaming experience and address various issues of the popular RPG.

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Larian Studios is also planning a second patch that will take player feedback into account. The planned order of updates is as follows:

  • Hotfix 4
  • Patch 1 with more than 1,000 improvements and bug fixes
  • Patch 2 – addressing initial player wishes

What are the biggest wishes of the players? In Baldur’s Gate 3, players spend heaps of time in character creation. The character editor offers a wide range of customization options. A major wish of the players is to be able to change the appearance of their character during their playthrough.

What’s not surprising: Who doesn’t love giving their character a new hairstyle or hair color – and that after starting the game? In Divinity: Original Sin 2, this was possible. The developers have already confirmed on Twitter, that this feature will come. In what form and when this feature will be available is still unclear.

Other wishes of the players: Under the Twitter post from Swen Vincke, players share what features they would like to see:

  • Fishing
  • Access to the inventory of all companions in the camp
  • Pockets for specific items: for example, a pocket just for potions
  • Change group members without having to talk to both
  • Transmog

More about Baldur’s Gate 3: Class Tier List: The best classes & subclasses 2023

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

Guild Wars 2 brings the fairest season pass that has ever existed in an MMORPG

With the new expansion Secrets of the Obscure, Guild Wars 2 gets a kind of season pass. For this, you should regularly complete tasks and in return receive cool rewards. However, the developers give up something very decisive: money.

How does the season pass work? The Wizard’s Vault is a feature of the new expansion that gives you daily, weekly, and rotating tasks that you can complete. In return, success points and the new currency Astral Fame await you.

With this, you can shop in a special store. The rewards there are supposed to rotate seasonally and include not only useful items like Mystic Coins, Laurels, or Resurrection Orbs but also some skins for equipment and mounts.

What makes the system so fair? The Wizard’s Vault only offers free rewards. There is no premium pass. You can’t buy Astral Fame for real money either. You have to earn everything by playing.

Moreover, Guild Wars 2 does without FOMO, i.e. the fear of missing out. Because when the shop rotates, all old skins end up in a “legacy tab,” where you can always buy them, although for a bit more currency.

A first insight into the new areas of the expansion is given by this video:

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Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure – Insight into the Open World

“Works similarly to a seasonal pass”

Is this really a season pass? The new Wizard’s Vault replaces the previous login rewards and daily achievements. These simply disappear. Also, there is no clear reward pass that you need to follow. You can simply buy from the shop whatever you feel like most.

Yet, the system has a lot of features typical of season passes, and even the developers make the comparison themselves.

They emphasize that the system “works similarly to a seasonal content pass in other games” and write:

There is no premium tier of the Wizard’s Vault that offers additional rewards, and players cannot buy Astral Fame with gems or real money.

How is this received? Very well. On Reddit, it is called the “best feature of the expansion” and the “fairest battle pass in the world.” Especially the fact that it does without FOMO is highly praised. Some comfort features are also highlighted.

For example, you can check whether you want PvE, PvP, or WvW missions. If you remove a check, you get more tasks from the other contents displayed. This way, you can obtain rewards through only PvE or only PvP tasks.

WoW went in a similar direction with the trading post that was released this year. Recently, there was criticism because the associated currency was integrated into real money bundles. Furthermore, here you can actually “miss” skins, even though these might be brought back later.

What do you think about the Wizard’s Vault? Is it a useful addition or are such daily incentives unnecessary? And what are you looking forward to most with Secrets of the Obscure?

I myself was able to spend about 100 minutes in the new expansion and have written a first conclusion here: Played the new expansion Secrets of the Obscure – 5 things are really strong, but one thing is annoying.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Guild Wars 2

Steam: The MMORPG Lost Ark makes its weakest players immortal with the new patch

The August update brings many new features and changes for players of Lost Ark. Especially beginners, returnees, and newcomers benefit enormously from this. Under certain conditions, they can now even become immortal.

How does immortality work? With the update on August 16, two specific buffs in Lost Ark have been fundamentally altered. One of them is the so-called Mokoko buff. You will have this permanently as long as you are below item level 1,490.

The other is Procyon’s Protection. This buff activates in Legion Raids as long as you haven’t completed them 10 times, regardless of your gear score. This happens in all raids up to Brelshaza Hard Gates 1 and 2, basically everything below 1,520.

Both buffs were already in the game but are now changing in effectiveness. You keep the previous damage and defense bonuses, but also receive a new ability called Unbreakable Mind.

Unbreakable Mind triggers whenever you take lethal damage. You will then become invulnerable for 3 seconds, regenerate 75% of your maximum health, and get a cooldown reset for getting up and dodging.

The effect has an 8-minute cooldown, so it can usually only be used once per fight. However, when you restart or successfully complete a raid gate, the cooldown of Unbreakable Mind will be reset.

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Lost Ark impressively showcases the new aerial dancer in the fight against the strongest raid boss so far

Gatekeeping is a big problem – Immortal beginners should help

Why take such a step? For several months, Lost Ark has been struggling with so-called gatekeeping. This means that experienced players tend to exclude beginners and lower-level characters from raids. This causes a lot of frustration, especially among returnees and beginners.

The developers have been working on solutions in the past. Bosses have already been simplified and mechanics shortened, where one player could kill the entire group. With the incredibly strong Unbreakable Mind buff, there are now hopes that beginners will be taken along more often.

Can this work? Absolutely, because often in raids it’s not the damage or similar issues that are the problem. More often, bosses have mechanics where all or at least most raid participants need to stay alive.

With the new buff, surviving becomes significantly easier for beginners, thus reducing the potential for raid failures. Veterans may indeed have less trouble taking along even complete beginners.

Whether this will actually work remains to be seen.

New event makes entry better than ever

What else happens for beginners? Alongside the powerful buffs and temporary immortality, newcomers and returnees receive three strong events and a gigantic change that makes life easier with the August update.

On the one hand, the entire progression leading to the endgame will be changed. In the future, you will have to grind significantly less. For brand new characters, there is currently a new story express event that completely eliminates the grind in the leveling phase and rewards you while leveling.

For those who do not want to play that, there is the gifted power pass that catapults your character directly to gear score 1,415 and completes the story for you.

Then the crowning glory is the new express event, which takes a character to item level 1,540. Upgrade chances are increased, engravings are gifted, and valuable jewels are included as well.

Together with the new buff, an update that offers much for both veterans and beginners. What do you think about it? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.

By the way, Lost Ark is still among the 10 biggest MMORPGs in Germany, according to Google.

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

Today, Version 4.0 launched in Genshin Impact with new banners and characters – All information in 2 minutes

Today, on August 16, 2023, the Genshin Impact Version 4.0 “Falling Without Reason, Like a Gentle Rain” was released, featuring the new region Fontaine. Here you will find all the important information regarding the new version summarized.

When will Version 4.0 be released? On August 16, 2023, at 12:00 AM, the update went live in-game. Now, the new Version 4.0 is online.

A total of 600 Primogems are waiting for you in the mailbox as compensation for the troubleshooting and the update period.

Here you can see a trailer for the new Version 4.0:

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Genshin Impact Version 4.0 “As Light Rain Falls Without Reason”

These are the new contents of Version 4.0 in Genshin Impact

What new characters are there in Version 4.0? With the sibling trio Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet, the first playable characters from the new region Fontaine are introduced in the game.

  • Lyney is a 5-star character who fights with a bow and Pyro
  • Lynette is a 4-star character who fights with a sword and Anemo
  • Freminet is a 4-star character who fights with a claymore and Cryo
More on the topic
Genshin Impact 4.0: Here are the new banners and characters
von Marie Friske

Note: You will receive the new character Lynette for free. Once you’ve reached Adventure Rank 25, you can permanently obtain her starting from Version 4.0 through the event page “The Curtain of the Magic Show Never Falls”.

What banners are there in Version 4.0? The first phase will run from the start of the update until September 5, 2023, at 5:59 PM, and will include these special banners:

  • “Magic Between Light and Shadow”: featuring Lyney as a 5-star character; Lynette, Bennett, and Barbara as 4-star characters
  • “Revealing Heavenly Secrets”: featuring Yelan as a 5-star character; Lynette, Bennett, and Barbara as 4-star characters
  • “Divine Work” with “Bow – First Great Magic” and “Bow – Aqua Simulacra,” several limited 4-star weapons

In the second phase, the two 5-star characters Childe (Hydro, Bow) and Zhongli (Geo, Polearm) will have their reruns.

What events are there in Part 1 of Version 4.0? More information is available about these events that will soon start in the new version of Genshin Impact:

  • “Curious Curiosities Brawl”: Event period from August 24, 2023, 10:00 AM to September 11, 2023, 03:59 AM; with Bennett, Primogems, and Wisdom Crown as rewards
  • “Nature Encyclopedia – Tracing Evidence in the Realm of Water”: Event period after the update to Version 4.0 until August 28, 2023, 03:59 AM; with Primogems, Hero’s Wisdom, and materials for weapon ascension as rewards
  • “Genius Invocation: Flame of the Blacksmith Realm: Strategy Game”: Event period during Version 4.0

What else is there in Version 4.0? The new region Fontaine will bring numerous contents, such as new enemies and animals, as well as an underwater world. Additionally, the new version provides players with the continuation of the Archon Quest and the legendary mission “Felis Fuscus” with Lyney.

Furthermore, 2 new artifact sets will be added to the game and system improvements will be carried out, such as regarding the map’s layer view, watching a TCG duel in co-op, and the character joining animations.

Here you will find an overview with all promo codes that you can currently redeem.

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

Outcast 2: New trailer shows the fantastic world of Adelpha, strongly reminiscent of Anthem – Coming for PC, PS5 and Xbox

THQ Nordic shows the lovingly designed world of Outcast 2 in the new trailer and surpasses graphically its cult predecessor after over 20 years.

What is the trailer about? You get a glimpse into the world and the tasks you will take on here. Your journey takes you through desert areas, snowy landscapes, fantastic forests, and even underwater you will discover the ecosystem of this world.

In this, you play as Cutter Slade and zoom through the different areas with a jetpack. It’s about understanding how everything in Adelpha is interconnected and can live in harmony. You get to know the plants and creatures of the planet and learn to care for them and positively influence the whole system.

The more decisions you make with your own style of play, the greater the influence on the world and the plot of the story. You shape the path of your journey individually and at your own pace.

But dangers also arise in this otherwise peaceful world for the hero. For Adelpha is being exploited by a robot army and its inhabitants are enslaved. On your journey, you support the resistance and confront the invaders with the right strategies.

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Outcast 2: Fantastic World Adelpha, Reminds of Anthem

What excites about the trailer? The trailer impresses mainly on a visual level. Many players in the comments (via YouTube) are enthusiastic about the beautiful areas and the lovingly designed creatures. In contrast to its predecessor from 1999, however, no major gameplay innovation is expected. The ability to use the jetpack and zoom through the world is, however, an extension of the old gameplay that most are already looking forward to.

What fear exists? The actual joy about the stylish successor of the cult game from the late 90s is tempered by some concern in the comments. Looking at the YouTube comments under the trailer, it becomes clear that some players feel reminded of Anthem by the trailer, which leads to divided opinions.

Anthem initially thrilled with its look and graphic strength, but in retrospect, the game was subject to much criticism. Due to the fear of a similar disappointment, expectations for Outcast 2 seem to remain limited.

That for Outcast 2, however, the old team from Belgium, which worked on the first part, is coming together again gives many hope that they will once again create a game that can excite just as much as before. Because even though Outcast remained unknown for a long time, it has developed into a cult game over time.

Where is it being released? Outcast 2 – A New Beginning is set to be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox. A precise release date is not yet known.

If you don’t want to wait, you can already embark on a journey with Cutter Slade in the 2017 remake of the first part. Outcast – Second Contact can be found on Steam for PC.

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A 5-year-old research in Pokémon GO torments players: “I will die before I complete the quest”

In Pokémon GO you need to complete various special research tasks. Some of them are really difficult to solve – and have been challenging trainers for years.

In Pokémon GO you can complete various special researches. They usually consist of several steps that revolve around catching, powering up, battling, and collecting Pokémon.

One of these special researches that every player receives first appeared in 2018 and is called A Mysterious Discovery. This research must be completed to obtain the coveted Pokémon Mew.

However, trainers frequently report struggling with the task. The culprit is the transforming Pokémon Ditto.

Trainers search in vain for Ditto, can’t complete quest

What is the problem? Catch a Ditto – this task in step 5 of the research is easily stated, but very difficult to solve. Because hunting Ditto specifically proves to be difficult: it disguises itself as other Pokémon and only reveals itself once you have caught it.

There is a limited list of Pokémon that can be Ditto, but an encounter with the Transform Pokémon is not guaranteed. Events where Ditto appear more frequently are also quite rare.

This means trainers have to rely on their luck to eventually catch a Ditto. And this is exactly where the problem lies, as several trainers share on reddit.

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This is what trainers say: In the subreddit for Pokémon GO, a trainer shared his progress on the task under the title This. Damned. Challenge. He describes that he simply cannot find any Dittos, even though he knows the transformation list.

In the comments, he receives a lot of support, as others have problems as well.

  • I caught a Ditto BEFORE I got the task, and then couldn’t catch another one, and that drives me so crazy, writes user nxxptune (via reddit).
  • The same here. I’m convinced I’ll die before I complete this quest, says user DollimusMaximus (via reddit).
  • I took about 4 months to find one. I finally got one from a Rattata, describes another (via reddit).
Start video
Pokémon from the Paldea region will soon appear in Pokémon GO!

In fact, Ditto is not the only monster that players are after.

Equally notorious is the legendary Pokémon Tornadus, for which players need to take a snapshot for a research task – only you can’t currently find it in the game, as it is not in the raids.

Also, for other researches, such as the quest about Meltan, you need Ditto. Trainers also warn regarding A Mysterious Encounter: In the next step, you have to evolve Magikarp into Gyarados, which costs 400 candies. So it is advisable to avoid consuming your Magikarp candies beforehand.

Do you also have a monster you have been hunting for ages that is blocking your research progress? Let us know in the comments!

And to find out what else is happening in the game, check out the overview of all events in August 2023 in Pokémon GO.

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2 months after the release of a new MMORPG hope there is criticism: „Do the developers even play it themselves?“

Blue Protocol celebrated its release in Japan on June 14, 2022, and is set to come to the West in 2024. However, the MMORPG is currently under strong criticism. There are discussions about missing content and problems in the endgame. Recently, the developers embarrassed themselves with the presentation of the latest class.

What is going on with Blue Protocol?

  • In 2019, the first closed alpha test for the game took place. Since then, we at MeinMMO have regularly reported on Blue Protocol and its progress. It made headlines back then primarily with its stylish anime graphics and action combat system.
  • After a rather calm phase between 2020 and 2022, several tests took place in Japan this year, culminating in the release.
  • The hype was initially great. The entry looked really good, and the fun combat system led me to describe Blue Protocol as the best MMORPG since 2014 after 12 hours of gameplay.
  • However, the longer you play, the more problems and content gaps emerge. Hardcore players criticized this after just two weeks, but now most casual players have reached this point as well.

While the developers are already working on content updates, they are not setting the right priorities here, at least according to players in the forums.

However, the biggest criticism was directed at the presentation of the new class. A video clip was shown without explanations from the developers. They then held a Q&A but were unable to answer many questions. The question arose several times: “Do the developers even play Blue Protocol themselves?”

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Blue Protocol: Dungeon Gameplay

Hard Grind and Nothing to Do at the End

What are players criticizing? While it is incredibly fun at launch to slash enemies, use jumping attacks, and enter the first dungeons as early as level 4, it becomes clear over time that many elements are simply missing or not functioning.

One example is the taunt in dungeons, through which you often do not get the attention of the enemy. This makes group play difficult because in the end, everyone just plays DPS, and a random person has to somehow survive.

Moreover, Blue Protocol relies on a few skills during battles that you can take along. There is theoretically a large selection that fits into these slots. However, since most of them are rather weak, there is a lack of build diversity. Additionally, Bandai Namco has now announced the nerf of the best skills instead of buffing the weak ones.

Another point of criticism is the grind. Many dungeons must be visited dozens of times to acquire the materials needed for upgrading gear. Since there is absolutely no trading system, you have to earn everything yourself and in the stipulated way.

Lastly, the adventure board is criticized. It is said to be too complicated and “player-unfriendly”. You need to complete numerous tasks to reach new ranks, but tracking them is very cumbersome and urgently needs an upgrade.

Blue Protocol Adventure Board
On the left side, you can see the main tasks, each of which has sub-tasks, see the right side of the image.

From the perspective of the Japanese community, there is also a general lack of content. This includes new dungeons and raids, new areas, but also side aspects such as housing or more incentives to play as a guild.

Moreover, the new event in August did not help. There was no new story; instead, players had to hunt down a ton of goblins and were presented with old dungeons in a new look.

What criticism is there of the shop? Blue Protocol is Free2Play and relies on a gacha system in the shop. While you can only acquire armor skins, emotes, or mounts through it, they can still cost a lot. On Reddit, there are reports that you might need to invest up to 100 euros for a certain emote and up to 500 euros for an armor skin if you’re unlucky.

Bandai Namco has announced the introduction of a guarantee (after 110 attempts), but the number is still considered too high by many.

Weapons tickets, which increase the chance of more gem slots in weapons, and the extraction of gems from weapons are also criticized. Both can be bought for real money in the shop.

Developers Show the New Class but Don’t Know It

What was the problem with the new class? In Dev Stream 10, the developers presented the new class Blitz Lancer. However, there was supposed to be no “in-depth presentation” because the press would take care of that.

Instead, the developers simply played the class for 10 minutes without commenting on it. During the stream, mainly the sounds of the mouse and keyboard could be heard. This caused confusion, especially since the gameplay was not very good, as many players commented.

It got even more bizarre during the concluding Q&A. Players asked questions about the Blitz Lancer, but the developers could not answer many of them. According to translations, many answers were supplemented with sentences like “That’s what the skill does, right? At least I thought so.” Other developers reportedly also answered with “I can’t remember either” at times.

This segment was reportedly a huge disappointment for Japanese players. You can learn more about this and generally about Dev Stream 10 in this video:

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What happens next? Blue Protocol is set to receive an update every month and will initially continue to be supplied with new content. The game launched with over 600,000 players, but some have already turned away.

When will the game come to us? Blue Protocol is expected to be released in 2024. By the way, there is still no exact release date for us. Until its release, a lot can change regarding content, and it is also clear that we will not receive the identical shop as in Japan.

What do you think of the current state of the MMORPG? Are you still actively following Blue Protocol?

Amazon also made negative headlines recently regarding censorship in the game: Amazon removes a feature from the new MMORPG Blue Protocol: Acceptable in Japan, not with us.

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

In Remnant II you can become a vampire and eat your fellow players

Don’t feel like annoying teammates? In Remnant 2, you can devour your colleagues like a vampire – and will be rewarded with a powerful force.

In Remnant 2, there is plenty to discover, and not all rewards are obvious. After all, the game doesn’t explain everything, and many things are only experienced by exploring the world and engaging with what is happening on the screen. This is also the case with a “vampire ability” that you have during a special event. Not only is it quite funny, but it also comes with a really strong reward.

Start video
We played Remnant 2 – Is the co-op game worth it?

How do you become a vampire? To become a “vampire,” you need to be on Losomn. If you get lucky, you can start the event “The Feast” in the grand hall of Losomn. It begins when you lift the quest item “Ravenous Medallion” in front of the correct door. In that case, you will see a grand feast and can indulge in the food.

However, this will give you the debuff “Ravenous,” which slowly but surely reduces your health points while enemies swarm in from all sides. It’s a classic multi-wave battle.

The real secret of the event is a new interaction that is only possible while you have the debuff “Ravenous”:

Instead of helping your teammates as usual, the command is replaced by another phrase. Over your colleague, it briefly says “Eat me!” instead of the usual “Help” command. Those who don’t read quickly or just look at what happens will witness this incident:

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You lift your colleague up, look into their eyes for a moment, and then bite into their neck to suck their blood, leaving them dead on the ground.

What does it bring? As a “reward” for this act, there is the trait “Glutton.” This is quite powerful; it increases the usage speed of your relics by a whopping 30%.

After all, all involved players unlock the trait, not just the killer. Even the freshly killed friend is rewarded with the new trait.

The only downside to this is that you must play in multiplayer to obtain this trait. Because it is only unlocked when you devour another player. It is not available in solo play and thus remains inaccessible to you.

Have you already become a “vampire” in Remnant 2? How did you react when your teammate tore your throat open?

Remnant 2 was considered an insider tip but then became a massive success on Steam.

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Steam: „A funny and extraordinary game“ – New tip offers turn-based tactics and base building

In the indie scene, there are small hidden gems for practically every genre on Steam. Especially unusual genre fusions can be found in abundance. Cantata is also a fusion of several games and offers you extraordinary tactical gameplay.

What kind of game is this? You are exploring and conquering a foreign planet. As the commander of various factions, you must manage your bases, keep an eye on your troops, and pay attention to the different resources.

Threats come not only from the opposing factions but also from the planet itself, which presents hurdles in your conquest. The combat is turn-based and resembles X-COM or Into the Breach.

Start video
Cantata – Trailer of the tactical secret tip on Steam

Fans of building games should keep an eye on the new game from the creator of The Settlers:

The Settlers creator shows first gameplay of his new game – Expert predicts a hit on Steam if it continues this way

Unlike any other strategy game I’ve played

What else does Cantata offer?

  • Extraordinary pixel graphics
  • Local and online multiplayer
  • 9 story chapters
  • Map editor

The gameplay is a fusion of many elements from other strategy and tactical games. Base building and resource management have elements from Civilization, exploring and conquering reminds of Command and Conquer, and the active combat with units is reminiscent of X-COM and Into the Breach.

The presentation of Cantata is a highlight. The soundtrack and dialogues are complemented by the beautiful pixel graphics.

How is the game rated? On Steam, the game currently has only 72 reviews, with 81% of them being positive. Most reviews are from the early access version, which has continued to develop until today (via. Steam as of: 16.08.2023 10:32).

  • Hurvey Dernts: Unlike any other strategy game I’ve played
  • Roar: I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this game until recently. The gameplay feels fresh and I love the art style.
  • Alison: I’m not an expert in tactical games, but I’m having a lot of fun with it. The characters are all very different, and every time I see a new character portrait with dialogue, I have to greet it with an “Oh” and “Ah.”

If you’re interested in a mix of elements from many strategy games that have been meaningfully harmonized and find the presentation of Cantata appealing, you should take a look at this title. Until August 22, you can also get the game with a 10% discount for €17.99.

If you have €6 to spare and want to play a strategy game, you should check out Thronefall:

German strategy expert presents hidden gem: “The best €6 you can spend on Steam”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PCGamesN
  2. Steam

Singer of one of the most famous metal bands explains why his music and gaming fit together so well

Megadeth have been one of the big players in the metal scene since the 80s. With a new event, players all over the world can embody them even in World of Warships and other Wargaming titles. It’s a good reason to ask singer Dave Mustaine: What connects metal and gaming?

What happened with Megadeth? On August 28 and 29, a major event featuring Megadeth called Metal Fest will take place in four Wargaming titles. In World of Tanks Modern Armor, World of Tanks Blitz, World of Warships, and World of Warships Legends, you can play as commanders and vehicles inspired by the band.

Although the band has been represented in numerous other video games with their music, such as Gears of War, Operation Flashpoint, or Flat Out 2, their characters have never been playable in-game. For the first time in 40 years, the band’s mascot Vic will also have a voice, specifically as a commander of a tank or ship. Overall, the band has introduced over 350 new voicelines into the game.

Wargaming emphasizes that they chose Megadeth because they are among the top 10 favorite bands of their fanbase, and metal and gaming simply go well together. You hear that often, so we took the opportunity to ask lead singer Dave Mustaine why that is.

It’s not the first exciting collaboration from Wargaming:

Start video
World of Tanks celebrates Christmas with Arnold Schwarzenegger – Excites fans with emotional trailer

“First and foremost, the community always comes first”

What connects metal and gaming? According to Dave Mustaine, it is primarily the friendship and camaraderie that the shared hobby brings. Whether in multiplayer games or in metal communities, you have something that binds you together.

This may also be due to the fact that both emerged from a niche. Neither metal nor gaming was really embraced by society, especially in the 80s and 90s. Fans of both subjects were mostly among themselves, and they were happy when they found someone who liked the same things.

Dave also mentions that it happened similarly in different neighborhoods and the metal community there. You simply grow closer together: “First and foremost, the community always comes first. When you have multiplayer games, it gives you a sense of camaraderie with the people out there. That creates the same glue that keeps us together in our metal communities.”

Metalheads and gamers have the same role models: Dave further explains that both genres work with great role models. As a comparison, he brings up an action film: “Who is the guy climbing onto the plane? Who is the superhero? It’s always someone with rock’n’roll in their blood, and I love that guy. I don’t want to be the little boy who is scared and hides.”

Action scenes in movies are also often underscored by metal or rock music to make the mood more exciting in general. It’s similar in games. There, the player controls a usually very strong character, who they want to be at that moment. That also connects the two communities.

In addition, many players enjoy stepping into that role and showing other fans in multiplayer titles how they accomplish things that others can look up to. These role models play a significant role for Dave in the interaction between metal and gaming.

One of the event ships in World of Warships is the Rust in Peace

“It shows you the beauty in the simplicity of things”

Why is the connection still so strong today? Today, 40 years after the founding of Megadeth, both gaming and metal music are much broader in society. Events like Wacken or Gamescom regularly bring tens of thousands of like-minded individuals to the same places.

Dave Mustaine continues: “It’s just a lifestyle. It actually shows you the beauty in the simplicity of things. Some things don’t have to be complicated to be good. There are so many things in my life that are simple and so wonderfully made.”

Besides the lifestyle, it’s also about the feeling and the message that both media and the communities behind them often convey. In games, it can often get brutal, and even in the lyrics and melodies of metal songs, not everything is always cheerful.

Nevertheless, one stands by an opinion: “I personally believe that as a songwriter, you can spread things that are important to gamers. Because at the end of the day, it’s always the message. Peace and love, that’s simply it. In the end, peace and love will always win.”

Why don’t other music genres have this? Mustaine doesn’t really have an answer to that, but personally believes it just doesn’t fit: “I think metal simply fits best.” Country music and pop music have cool lyrics and catchy melodies, but that’s not what you want to hear while gaming, says Dave.

Moreover, in gaming as well as in the metal scene, there is still a large share of word-of-mouth. Friends recommend good music and strong games, that’s just how you grow up. Again, it comes down to the basic attitude of fans from both worlds.

“The coolest thing is when you share things”

What makes multiplayer better than single-player? Two of Megadeth’s most successful songs were inspired by the game The Punisher from 2005. A classic single-player game, of which Mustaine long thought he enjoyed more: “I’m not a huge gamer, no matter how you flip it. But when I can play, I enjoy it a lot. The connection between the powerful music and the strong scenes in the game just does something to me.”

In multiplayer titles, he saw the problem being in synchronization with other players for a long time. Also, to avoid any embarrassment: “I like it when I play alone. It’s easier to hit restart and no one sees my low scores.” But the camaraderie in online games excites him.

The coolest thing about games is anyway when players share things, when high-ranking individuals help beginners. Mustaine also draws parallels to traditional martial arts that he practices himself: “I also love helping out myself. I taught many young candidates things in the past because it just feels rewarding.”

A Megadeth game is the logical consequence

How a ‘clonk’ led to a Megadeth game: We also asked Dave what his best gaming experience has been so far. And he told us how a “clonk” paved the way. Especially in the old arcades, he loved to be there, he says. One of the highlights there were the pinball machines.

These made a satisfying sound when you earned a new round of pinball, a pleasant “clonk,” as Dave describes. This sound actually gave him a rush that no electric game has been able to bring back to this day.

Nevertheless, it was this clonk that led to the creation of a Megadeth game. When the band was building their first website back then, they wanted to include things that fans could do. Together, they selected many little things from old classics and built a whole game on their website with it.

A new song, just for a video game – and it has to be really good

How does the game look so far? What started with the clonk and a website has been actively developed since 2017. The band wants to release its own game, with the chance to unlock an exclusive Megadeth song.

However, the project has been restarted in the interim and is still delayed. That’s why Dave emphasizes how grateful he is for the collaboration with Wargaming and how cool he finds it to actually be in a game before his own is finished.

Why is it important to respect the players’ time: Nevertheless, the band has clear goals for its own game, which is primarily to take the players’ time seriously. They absolutely wanted to avoid releasing a game for which people take four or five days and in the end are disappointed.

Therefore, the song that can be obtained also has to be really good: “We want to make sure it’s captivating and that the music is worth their time. As a player, you invest a lot of time to uncover the mystery in that game and find the song. If you then hear something you’ve heard 10 times before, that would be silly. That simply should not happen.”

Until then, you can be in World of Warships as Megadeth starting August 28. There, you can earn exclusive ships that play Megadeth classics like “Tornado of Souls” while you’re out on the water.

What do you think about that? Do you see things similarly to Dave Mustaine? Do you believe in the strong connection between metal and gaming? Or do you have completely different theories? Feel free to write us in the comments here on MeinMMO.

Other metal bands also feel at home in gaming: Saltatio Mortis about ESO and the love for MMORPGs – ‘There’s nothing cooler than interacting with other players’

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

Diablo 4: A crossbow that was sold for 30 billion gold forced Blizzard to ban trading

In Diablo 4, Blizzard had to pull the emergency brake and temporarily suspend player trading. Trading has only been possible again for a few hours. The trigger for the trading ban was an auction for a crossbow that broke all dimensions. The amounts that were bid could only be explained by a ‘gold exploit.’

When did Blizzard intervene?

  • On the night of August 14, Blizzard disabled trading in Diablo 4 between players. Players could no longer exchange items. It was stated that the feature would remain ‘disabled until further notice.’
  • This morning, on August 16, around 7:00 AM, Blizzard then gave the all-clear: Trading is possible again (via twitter).
  • Blizzard had to block trading because players had found an exploit that allowed them to duplicate gold.
Start video
Diablo 4: Necro-Gameplay from the Minion Build – 5 Minutes of Melting Enemies

Auction for crossbow runs completely out of control

How did it become apparent? The video “The 30 billion gold crossbow that turned off trading in Diablo 4” shows an auction via Discord:

  • A user offers the rare crossbow “Cut Symbol” on Discord, with an item power of 799 and 2 empty sockets. The seller says the crossbow is only 1% below a ‘Triple Max Roll,’ so nearly perfect.
  • He set the minimum bid at 150 million gold.
crossbow-diablo
This is the crossbow in question.

The gold cap of 10 billion was reached after 19 minutes

This is how the auction went: Within just a few minutes, the highest bid is already at 4.5 billion gold.

When it exceeded 10 billion gold, the actual gold cap in Diablo 4, there was then a discussion about how so much money can even be transferred – “After all, we are a group,” comes the answer. Money plays no role anyway. They would then come with “multiple gold bearers” to hand over the gold.

It is also striking that the bids soar to completely absurd heights because several super-rich players are bidding high and want the crossbow at all costs.

The losing bidder drops out about half an hour after the auction starts at 30 billion, but not because he no longer has gold, but because he can only lead 2 friends whom he trusts enough to carry that much money.

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Link to the YouTube content

At this point, it became clear that something must be wrong with the economy in Diablo 4 if gold seems to be so readily available that it is simply worthless.

If the maximum bid does not depend on the amount of gold available, but rather on how many people you have whom you can trust with such sums, then something is surely very rotten.

The crossbow was seen in the community as a sign of how broken the economy in Diablo 4 is.

More on the topic:

Blizzard disables trading in Diablo 4 due to something that already destroyed Diablo 2

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

Gamer buys 2 TB hard drive for 2 €, but the supposed bargain turns out to be a flop

A gamer reports on reddit about buying a 2 TB hard drive for around 2 €. The flea market deal seems to have paid off for him at first glance. But upon closer inspection, he realizes that something important is missing from this storage device.

Where did the purchase go wrong? A visit to the flea market can yield great bargains, but some turn out to be duds, as a reddit user reports. The object of his desire was a 2 TB hard drive from Seagate, which he had purchased for the equivalent of 2 €.

The best price for a new purchase is currently around 70 €. At that time, he thought he had won the jackpot.

Start video
Synced confirms its release in Summer 2023 with plenty of action in the trailer

Function test unsuccessful

What was the result of his test? When he connected the storage device, it turned out to be a huge flop. According to him, he could only hear two clicks. The new owner of the hard drive did not mention any further operational noises or any recognizable function.

What did the affected person do next? For this reason, he decided to open the drive, which is usually not a good idea. Since such mass storage devices contain electronics with finely machined parts, there is an unavoidable risk of dust contamination of the interior when opened by laypeople. This contamination, in turn, leads to severe damages to the internal components and makes data recovery very complicated to impossible.

Rude awakening regarding the cause of the error

Where was the problem? Under the given circumstances, the reddit user had nothing more to lose and discovered that crucial mechanical components were missing inside. The metal disks that represent the actual data storage were absent. Therefore, saving files without these components is technically impossible.

Mockery in the comments

What do other users on reddit say about his story? Many of the comments on this post are filled with schadenfreude but also express sympathy for the unlucky one:

  • “Congratulations, you spent 2 € for a strong permanent magnet and a blue plastic hard drive holder.”
  • “Don’t forget the solid metal case; it’s great for awesome DIY projects.”

Have you had similar experiences? And if so, how did they turn out for you?
User buys new gaming PC for 1,000 euros with AMD graphics card – Regrets the purchase immediately upon opening his package.

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

Baldur’s Gate 3: Scratch – How to Get the Cutest Dog in the Game

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can add not only heroes but also cute companions to your group. The absolute sweetest is Scratch, a fluffy dog. However, you can completely overlook him, which is why we have created this guide.

How do you get Scratch? You can find Scratch in Act 1 in the east of the Emerald Grove. You can walk east from the waymarker “Destroyed Village” and then move north along the wall.

Alternatively, you can come from the Druid Grove and simply walk through the river southward. Before the Owlbear Cave, you then turn and head straight towards the sweet dog.

Scratch is “hard to find” because there is no quest leading you to this location. With a bit of luck, you may never encounter this loyal companion. You can see the exact position on this map:

Baldur's Gate 3 Finding Scratch
Map via Map Genie

How do we get Scratch on our team? You need to earn his friendship, as a loyal dog, he waits by the body of his old master. But that is a state we want to change.

To do so, you roll for Persuasion and “Handle Animals”. In general, you need to be careful in the dialogue. If you shout at the corpse, a fight will ensue between you.

If you convince him, Scratch will not immediately join your group, but will wait for you in camp. On your next visit, you can then simply take him with you.

Play and fight side by side, but take good care of him!

What can you do with Scratch? At first, you can pet him and later play ball with him. Additionally, Scratch will bring you random items, sometimes even useful things like healing potions.

Once you have the ball, he can also be summoned as an ally to assist you in battle.

Can Scratch die? Yes, both in battle and in your camp. In battle, however, it’s not a big deal. The sweet dog can be summoned again at any time.

It looks a bit different in camp. If you create fire fields there and Scratch walks through, then his death is of a permanent nature.

What do you think of Scratch? Does the little dog appeal to you?

If you prefer to assemble a combat-strong group, you can find useful tips here: Baldur’s Gate 3 guide to companions – how to create the best group.

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

WoW: You only have two weeks to get this transmog set at the dragon race

A new event has begun in World of Warcraft. However, time is running out, because those who want the rewards need to hurry.

In World of Warcraft, there is a new event currently running for the first time. The “Kalimdor Cup” event offers some exclusive rewards but also requires a bit of time. This way, you can already get a feel for what flying with dragons in the old world will eventually feel like.

What kind of event is this? In the Kalimdor Cup, there are a total of 16 different dragon races on the old continent of Kalimdor. Completing all the races rewards you with a new currency that you can exchange with the event vendor.

As with all other dragon races, there are “normal”, “advanced”, and “backward” modes. The goal is to beat the timer and ideally finish the race with a gold time to achieve victories and perform as best as possible.

At Lord Andestrasz, the event and your quest chain begins.

How can I participate in the event? To be able to participate in the dragon races in Kalimdor, you should first travel to Valdrakken and visit Lord Andestrasz. You will find him at coordinates 26 / 48, on the western side of the Obsidian Hollow. There, you can accept the first quest and also view the vendor selling the rewards for the event.

You can buy the rewards from Maztha, who stands next to Lord Andestrasz.

However, note that the event only runs from August 15th to August 28th – you have about 2 weeks to earn all the rewards.

What rewards are available? All rewards are purely cosmetic. In addition to some customizations for your dragons, there is primarily a transmog set. WoW fans should already be familiar with the set, as the dwarf in the first cinematic of Dragonflight wore it. The dragon rider set consists of 7 individual pieces, each costing 20 of the new badges. In total, it costs 140 badges.

If you also want the customizations for your dragons, you will need another 100 badges.

If you have already purchased all the rewards, you can directly buy reputation at Valdrakken for surplus badges. However, this is only offered when you actually own all the items.

Have you already participated in the dragon races? Or can you not relate to it at all?

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

New MMORPG on Steam relies on “endless exploration” and plenty of PvE – Starts beta in 2023

WorldShards is a new indie MMORPG that promises you many freedoms. The focus is on a colorful fantasy world with countless flying generated islands. On these, you are supposed to fight, gather, and build your own house. Additionally, cats play an important role.

What kind of game is this? WorldShards is a sandbox game. You are not necessarily following the quests but have the freedom to enjoy the game as you wish. You are a human and have been transported to the world of Murrlandia, which is ruled by cats.

However, there was a “CAT-a-strophe” that destroyed the world. Now you have the task of rebuilding it.

  • There are no classes. Instead, your playstyle is shaped by the weapon and armor you carry. Leveling up is also omitted; instead, you specifically improve your skills.
  • The MMORPG uses an action combat system, where you can sneak up on enemies and eliminate them without drawing attention.
  • The game world is supposed to be very diverse thanks to many procedurally generated islands, and exploration is in the foreground. You will discover secrets, solve puzzles, and fight against difficult bosses. Each island will be generated only for your group, and you will primarily meet other players in the cities.
  • You have your own island where you can build a house and workbenches. There will also be a guild island.
  • Crafting is supposed to play an important role.
  • PvP, on the other hand, only takes place in special arenas. The focus of the game is supposed to be on PvE, exploration, and social contacts.

WorldShards is supposed to offer a German translation for the interface and for subtitles; however, the voice output will only be available in English.

When will the game be released? The full release for PC is planned for Q3 2024. This can be inferred from a detailed roadmap on the website. Later, it is also expected to be released for consoles.

However, a multiplayer beta is supposed to start in the fourth quarter of 2023. You can sign up for this beta now.

Here you can watch the trailer for the beta announcement:

Start video
WorldShards – Gameplay Trailer for the Closed Beta

The beta is free and starts with over 500 crafting recipes

How can you participate in the beta? To do this, you simply need to register on the official website. Entering an email address is sufficient. Selected participants will be notified by email at the start of the beta.

What is included in the beta? According to the roadmap, you should be able to visit the tutorial, the capital, and the first islands. There you will find various quests and challenges.

Additionally, housing with decorations, gardening, fishing, and some Collectibles. For crafting fans, there will also be a system with more than 500 recipes.

How is the game funded? There has been no statement on this yet. Accordingly, there are also no pre-order packages or similar offers.

However, many developers from Lowkick Games previously worked on games like World of Tanks or Allods Online, which are Free2Play MMOs with a shop. The FAQ states that all items in the game must either be found or crafted by players. It is likely to be a cosmetic shop.

What do you think of WorldsShard? Could this sandbox MMORPG with a focus on PvE and cats excite you?

If you generally like sandbox MMORPGs, you should keep an eye on this title: New MMORPG is considered by many to be a great sandbox hope – What makes Pax Dei so special?

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

Baldur’s Gate 3: I now know what the ‘Dark Urge’ is and it makes the character so much better

Baldur’s Gate 3 tells the stories of many different heroes. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus decided to play as the “Dark Urge”. The character is constantly drawn to murder. Now the background is clear – and the game gets even deeper.

Originally, I played the absolutely insane murderer just as a meme. While testing, I thought to myself: give it a try, someone else will play it at the launch anyway. Probably a bard since it’s the best class.

But then I took over the test save and decided to continue playing the character. There’s something about it, having flashbacks and invasive thoughts that don’t match what you actually plan.

Now I’ve been playing for over 60 hours on just that one save file and regularly struggle with myself, because the character’s wickedness slips from my hands. I constantly have the opportunity to do cruel things… and then I do them, because they just fit.

Surprisingly, the ladies in Baldur’s Gate 3 find this quite alluring, which is a truly unexpected but welcome side effect. I always wanted to pursue a romance with Minthara.

Additionally, as the story progresses, it becomes clearer how important the Dark Urge actually is for Baldur’s Gate 3. Now I’m close to the end of the game and have discovered who I really am. Suddenly, everything makes sense.

Spoiler Warning: I try to reveal as little of the actual story of Baldur’s Gate 3 as possible. But of course, I talk about who the Dark Urge is and reveal what happens to the character at the end of the game. As a buffer, here are a few details about the classes:

Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3: Developers give 30 minutes of tips on all classes

Am I just a killer without memory?

A short excursion into the origins: with the character “Dark Urge” you start as a person without memories. We know from the character selection and information that the character is constantly overcome by a lust for murder.

The Dark Urge is a crazy murderer, feared even by his friends. Upon the first contact with a human corpse, suddenly distinctly positive memories awaken.

The Dark Urge revels in brutality, blood, and violence. Anything related to killing is good for the character – even if they don’t want it. This leads to an inner conflict: how much of those thoughts are their own and how much should one give in to them?

Throughout the game, it becomes clearer and clearer that I am not just a “Jack the Ripper” serial killer. Murdering was my lifestyle and the thing I was so good at that I was rewarded for it.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Dark Urge final form
A blessing that my butler delivered to me is Bhaal’s Butcher form (right).

Murdering your own sister to please dad

During the 3 acts of Baldur’s Gate 3, it occasionally becomes clear who I could really be. But only shortly before the end, in Act 3, is the identity truly revealed: I play as Bhaal’s daughter, the god of violence and literal murder incarnate.

This makes me a direct sister of Orin, one of the three main antagonists of the game. She is the one who stirred around in my brain with a scalpel, which is why I can’t remember anything anymore. And she is the one to whom I owe this damn larva.

So I became a lapdog for a long time – before the actual story. These circumstances will become important later, as Orin challenges me to a duel. She claims to be dad’s favorite child. I know better. And I want revenge.

The conflict culminates in a fight where either I kill her or she kills me. The ultimate blood sacrifice before the eyes of Bhaal, who finally decides who the true worthy descendant is. Spoiler: me, of course.

I am chaotic evil and I love it

At first, I struggled to commit truly “evil” acts just because they fit the character. With the knowledge of who I am, it gets easier and easier. I embrace my origin and become the Sword Coast equivalent of the Joker.

I kill, but not indiscriminately, rather always with a goal. Even if the target may be something minor like: This cat is annoying because it thinks it can command me around. I am the daughter of literal murder. Mess with me and see what happens.

However, the motto is always to prove to Bhaal that Orin is not worthy of his name. I am his legacy and I want to prove it now, even the actual end of the story is largely irrelevant to me. I want to pursue my goal.

The Dark Urge has transformed for me from a somewhat shaky character, who is “evil just because they are evil”, into an entity whose story I understand. As if I were reading the memoirs of a serial killer. Or rather: reliving them.

I will probably start anew sometime in the future. Again as Dark Urge, but this time to find out how one can resist their urges. Because that is also possible. In any case, it’s no wonder that the character has such a strange allure:

I started Baldur’s Gate 3 twice and was disappointed: Only when I did what many warned against did I like it

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

Guild Wars 2: The new expansion Secrets of the Obscure played – 5 things are really strong, but one thing is annoying

Next week, the new expansion for Guild Wars 2 will be released. During a press event, MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch spent about 100 minutes in the new content. Much of it looks really good for a seemingly small expansion. Unfortunately, he is disappointed with the visual design of the areas.

Secrets of the Obscure came almost out of nowhere. The expansion was announced on June 27, and the release is already set for August 22. Many players, including myself, were concerned that the content would be somewhat sparse as a result.

This concern was not confirmed at the press event. Of course, it will be slightly smaller in scope than End of Dragons from last year, but given the short time frame and the new update structure, that is not much of a surprise.

What is important is that Secrets of the Obscure contains everything that is needed for a good Guild Wars 2 expansion, including huge world events, cool boss fights, new achievements and skins, new possibilities for your characters, as well as a fully voiced story.

However, the three areas leave a somewhat bland aftertaste. They do not make a good visual impression. The magic world feels so disjointed and generic. Additionally, there is a lot of recycling.

You can get a first impression of the game world here:

Start video
Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure – Insight into the Open World

The Skyscale, World Events, and a Huge Boss Fight

Our press tour began in the new area of the Skyscale Archipelago. There we were presented with the first highlight: the updated Skyscale. It is one of the best mounts in Guild Wars 2, which you can now unlock through a new collection.

The new collection is supposed to be better structured than the old one, allowing newcomers to quickly obtain the mount. However, those who have already completed the old collection or do so in the future will be rewarded with new bonus effects, such as the siege turtle charging faster and launching you further. A win-win situation for everyone.

Additionally, right at the first waymark, there is an adventure with the Skyscale, where you have to complete an obstacle course while also hitting 30 targets with the new Fireball ability. This attack can also be used while flying and without dismounting, which is a great addition. Only aiming is a bit clunky at first, as you feel like you are on a stationary cannon in action mode, but you also have to control the mount simultaneously.

New is also the ability for the Skyscale and the Griffon to utilize ley lines now. A fantastic addition, especially for older areas. You can see more about the new Skyscale and its ability in this video clip:

Start video
Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure – The new Skyscale

The second positive new feature are the new world events that made up a large part of the preview. You will learn a new skill that allows you to activate the “Rift Hunts.” These come in sizes 1, 2, and 3. The higher the size, the more players will be needed to complete it.

This new feature does not only eliminate the annoying trips to the bounty board but also gives you more control over which events you want to participate in. The Tier 1 hunts should even be doable solo.

In the bounties, you first need to defeat simple mobs to then lure out the boss. However, we encountered a bug where no boss appeared twice, so I can’t say much about the difficulty.

However, the events are worth it for two reasons. Firstly, there are mini pets and skins as rewards. Secondly, the essences obtained as rewards are needed for the new legendary armor.

Guild Wars 2 Rift Hunt
This is what the rifts you can hunt look like.

However, the absolute highlight was the big boss fight at the end of the area. We can’t reveal too much about it, but it is reminiscent in scale and phase changes to the Harvest Temple event in End of Dragons. Dozens of players will need to work closely together to achieve success.

We were also shown a strike mission, which may be the second mission aside from the fight from the open world. The boss Cerus resembles a mix of the raid bosses Cairn and Sabetha. It takes place on a round platform, and you have to run together into green fields and avoid a wall of fire. For our press group, the boss was not feasible given the short time available.

The Coolest Battle Pass of All Time and the New Equipment

To provide players with long-term content, the Vault of the Wizard is being introduced. It completely replaces the previous daily achievements and the login rewards, but it also offers a bonus of 10 achievement points if you complete three of them daily, ensuring that new players have no disadvantages.

The Vault is a type of battle pass, but completely free of charge. You receive rewards for completing specific tasks per day, per week, or per “cycle.” These include gathering resources, participating in PvP matches, or defeating enemies in WvW – so far, so normal.

New is that you can declare yourself as a PvE, WvW, or PvP player. This should give you more tasks that match your player type.

GW2 Vault of the Wizard

Also new is a currency that you can earn through the Vault. With this, you can obtain items from the real-money shop, such as transmutation crystals or resurrection orbs, material bags like those from the laurels, and…. new weapon and mount skins that can only be obtained through these achievements. At launch, there are already two mount skins to earn.

The rewards are supposed to rotate regularly, but old ones will never be lost. They will then be placed in a “legacy tab” where you can purchase them at any time. You will also be able to buy mystical coins, laurels, and other content from the login rewards through the rewards.

New are the relics, which are an absolutely great addition to the equipment system. The runes are being revised and will now provide you with stats instead of a special effect as a sixth bonus, such as 120 power or 120 precision.

You will get the effects through the relics, which are located in the interface next to the earrings. These can be easily swapped with a click, allowing you to combine various effects with different runes. This will loosen up the rigid meta and increase build variety.

We have screenshots of some of these new effects:

New Weapons, New Achievements, New Legendary Armor

With Secrets of the Obscure, not only the features described here will come into play, but also a few other things that I will summarize briefly:

Every class will receive a new weapon master training that grants access to the weapons of all elite specializations, even if they are not equipped. A ranger can thus always use the druid staff, even if they have not selected the elite specialization. This is also meant to increase build variety.

Furthermore, every class will get a brand new weapon in a later patch, the ranger will, for example, receive the mace for main and off-hand.

The new expansion also offers over 70 new achievements, including diving goggles, new masteries, including one that allows you to create ley lines at certain locations, and legendary armor that is only obtainable through PvE activities in the open world. So, you will not have to run raids anymore.

My Big Disappointment: The Areas

Secrets of the Obscure brings us basically three new areas: the Skyscale Archipelago, Amnytas, and the Tower of the Wizard as a hub. The tower itself is a huge, round platform that strongly reminds me of Arborstone in its layout. However, the barren walls, the tiled floor, and the stairs do not look impressive and do not possess anything distinctive to Guild Wars 2. They could exist in any other MMORPG.

The Skyscale Archipelago is, however, my biggest disappointment. With its floating islands, it reminds me more of a cobbled-together fractal. This is further supported by the fact that they simply reused old assets for the islands.

One island is called Ur-Maguuma and has the typical jungle style along with pocket Raptors. In Jade-Mech-City, everything resembles Cantha, while the ravaged Garrenhof looks strongly like Kryta. Additionally, Rata Novus plays a role again, but this time in an established state. Still, none of that resonates with me. Instead of a unique world, the archipelago feels like a mishmash of the best locations from Guild Wars 2. I was really looking forward to a new setting.

Guild Wars 2 Secrets of the Obscure Amnytas
An image of the new area Amnytas.

The third area, Amnytas, remains a mystery to me, possibly because the map in the test did not load completely. There were blue patches everywhere, the textures were incorrect, and everything appeared somewhat torn apart.

The positive aspect is that we can walk around huge fortresses here, which is at least a new setting. But even here, everything feels like a lot has been cobbled together. Overall, there is a lack of a visual overarching theme for the expansion, which my colleague Petra Schmitz pointed out to me and which I can no longer overlook since then, even if I would like to.

Overall, Secrets of the Obscure makes a surprisingly good impression given the relatively short development time. It is also positive that there will now be a major update every quarter that will bring new areas, fractals, strike missions, and more for the expansion. The concept sounds very good on paper.

Secrets of the Obscure Has Great Potential

In 2022, End of Dragons was released, and for me, it was the expansion with the best story so far. While I can’t speak for the new story yet, I can speak for the overall structure of Secrets of the Obscure. And it makes me very happy.

I like the new world events, I like the adjustments to the Skyscale, and I think the relics are a good addition. However, the real highlights are the new boss fights and the Vault of the Wizard. For me, ArenaNet seamlessly continues from the Harvest Temple, which I enjoyed very much. Both the difficulty and the visuals can convince.

The Vault of the Wizard, on the other hand, replaces the boring daily achievements, and there are cool rewards that can now be earned. In addition, there will now be plenty of new build options, which has been lacking as a theme in the years 2018 to 2022.

However, the areas leave a bland aftertaste. Even in End of Dragons, I wasn’t impressed by the visuals. My highlights are still the snow regions and Ascalon. Neither of these is represented here, and instead, there is more jungle (base game, Heart of Thorns) and more jade. Overall, there is a lack of an optical theme that the expansion can hang on, which is disappointing.

Nevertheless, my hype is ignited. If an expansion of this standard really comes out every 12 to 18 months in the future, Guild Wars 2 will continue to thrive for a long time.

Alexander Leitsch

MMORPG Expert at MeinMMO

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

Magic: The Gathering: Fan finds the One Ring, sells it for $2.6 million – reveals now what he is doing with the money

A fan of Magic: The Gathering has found the unique LOTR card and sold it for a high price. Now he reveals what he is going to do with the money.

The popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering introduced a new expansion in March 2023. In a crossover with “The Lord of the Rings,” some well-known characters and legendary places from Middle-earth were to be included in the game boxes starting June 23.

What kind of card is it? The big highlight of the LOTR special edition is an extremely rare card, of which there is said to be only one: the One Ring.

In addition to its extreme rarity, the card also impresses with its unique design, as it is illustrated without a border and adorned with Tengwar script characters. Furthermore, the Ring has the matching serial number 001 of 001.

Magic The Gathering LOTR the One Ring

Fan buys collectible box spontaneously, finds valuable card

Who found the card? On June 30, 2023, just a week after the card’s release, a fan from Toronto randomly found the One Ring in a booster pack.

Brook Krafton, the lucky finder, spontaneously bought two collectible boxes and the Ring was in the sixth booster of the second box.

Fan sells the One Ring for $2.6 million

What is the card worth? It quickly became clear to collectors that the card would be worth a lot of money; after all, it is a true unique item. Even before the card’s release, a buyer offered $100,000 for the One Ring, but he was left empty-handed.

The same goes for the company Dave & Adam’s, which deals with collectible cards, comics, and signed memorabilia. Dave & Adam’s offered $1 million for the unique card.

Ultimately, the rapper Post Malone emerged as the winner of the bidding. He allegedly paid the lucky finder $2.6 million for the card (via TikTok).

Krafton himself also wanted the card to go to someone who appreciates it. As a fan, he would have liked to keep it, but selling it changes his life.

Start video
LotR Return to Moria – Summer Game Fest Trailer

Finder contacts financial advisor, plans his retirement

What is the finder doing with the money? On TikTok, Krafton now talked about his plans and what he is doing with the money he received from selling the card.

He mentioned that he had considered buying a house, but that comes with additional costs. He has done a lot of research and has engaged with people who have come into large sums of money and lost it.

Furthermore, Krafton has contacted a financial advisor and made a plan that would allow him to retire at the age of 55. Until then, he wants to continue renting and working normally to cover his expenses. He also does not want to buy a car and will continue to travel by bus.

Additionally, Krafton reveals that he has invested the money and only receives a small monthly amount to pay his rent and bills. The rest goes back into the investment.

Nevertheless, Krafton is also considering buying a small house for his parents when they retire. He also has some “fun money” that he can freely use. Possible uses include charitable purposes, further investments, and buying more Magic cards.

Not everyone pays money for “Magic: The Gathering” cards, as an incident from Indianapolis (USA) shows:

Magic: The Gathering – Thieves steal an entire pallet of cards worth $300,000, simply walk away

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

LoL: A professional caster says he loses an important job because he was wrongfully banned by Twitch

24-year-old Brit Adrian “Jamada” Wharlton-Thorne (24) has a serious problem: He is a professional caster for League of Legends, but he cannot perform his job because he was banned by Twitch and is not told why. He is missing the European Cup of LoL, an important source of income.

Who is he?

  • Jamada has previously worked as a coach in League of Legends, but is currently earning his money as a caster, commenting on games live.
  • He specializes in the Chinese LPL league and the EMEA region: Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
  • Originally, Jamada would cover the LoL tournament “EMEA Masters” in August and September, essentially the “Champions League of European teams,” but there is a problem with that.

Wishing to win the European Cup, Eintracht Spandau:

Start video
Everything you need to know about the LoL team Eintracht Spandau – in 4 minutes

Twitch ban on personal channel prevents job appearance

What is the problem? Jamada states (via reddit): He was given a 14-day ban for “hate speech” on his personal Twitch channel on August 10.

This ban prohibits him from appearing on Twitch: He cannot pursue his job as a caster at the LoL tournament.

For the first time in 3 years, I might miss the group stage of a tournament where I am a core member and for which I have a lot of passion to participate. At the moment, these are the only workdays I have been hired for this month, and through further personal messages I have recently received, it would be incredibly difficult to lose this income.

Caster runs into a wall of silence at Twitch

What was he banned for? That’s the absurd part: He doesn’t know. He was simply informed that he was banned for “hate speech.” He doesn’t know the details.

An appeal was rejected without comment.

He has spent days trying to find someone to talk to at Twitch, but he can’t reach anyone: He just can’t get through.

Even the Reddit thread in LoL with over 8,300 upvotes and 190 comments went unanswered.

What’s behind this: Twitch’s ban policy has long been viewed as opaque and arbitrary: Streamers often cannot understand exactly why they were banned.

This “hate speech” is the same reason German Twitch streamers Scurrows and Orangemorange were banned from Twitch for 2 weeks without any details. They have appealed against the ban and indeed, Orangemorange is now not to be banned from Twitch in such a manner until 2026 (via Twitter).

Orangemorange won the legal battle while Scurrows lost it.

Maybe the way to court would also be an option for the unfortunate and desperate caster. The LoL tournament has already started. Without him.

Twitch blocks 2 German casino streamers, one during a peak – “Lawyer has been contacted”

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

Twitch: MontanaBlack dares to ride the roller coaster despite acrophobia, 80,000 people watch him suffer

Marcel MontanaBlack” Eris (35) is one of the biggest streamers on German Twitch. However, he had to give up his throne in 2022 to the Berliner Elias “EliasN97” Nerlich. With an IRL stream, “Uncle Monte” is again leading the Twitch charts.

What was that for a stream? On August 13, 2023, MontanaBlack swapped his gaming den for the real world and hosted an IRL stream from Heide Park Soltau. With this type of stream, the 35-year-old had already found great success in 2022.

While most probably associate a visit to the amusement park primarily with fun thrills, some attractions pose quite a challenge for MontanaBlack. The Twitch streamer has a fear of heights – and his viewers apparently quite enjoy seeing him suffer.

Start video
MontanaBlack is one of the most well-known streamers in Germany – This was his very first video

80,000 people watch as MontanaBlack overcomes his fear of heights

How did the stream go? Together with his buddy Marc Gebauer and well-known IRL streamer Adam “SkylineTV” Wolke behind the camera, MontanaBlack strolled through the amusement park, tried out the stalls, and snacked.

The viewers felt especially entertained when the Twitch streamer struggled with his fear of heights. Clips of his ride on the roller coaster or the free fall with the Gyro Drop Tower dominate the streamer’s channel.

You can watch the VoD of the stream here, at 15:15 it goes on the roller coaster – beware, there are plenty of curse words.

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As MontanaBlack mentioned on an earlier occasion, the IRL streams for him are “underwear streams”: he holds them on weekends so that viewers can watch them on a lazy Sunday.

However, he moved his visit to the Hamburger Dom to a weekday, hoping there would be less going on and he would attract less attention. Apparently, MontanaBlack is still trying to figure out how best to make the IRL streams work for him.

In any case, the concept is working, as the streamer was rewarded with an excellent rating. On average, almost 67,000 people watched MontanaBlack during his escapades, with a peak of nearly 83,000. Thus, MontanaBlack currently stands far ahead in first place on German Twitch (via sullygnome). Just as the 35-year-old had planned.

Also in terms of watch time, MontanaBlack was momentarily at the top, but had to concede to his Twitch colleague EliasN97 and his subscription marathon that started on Sunday.

For MontanaBlack, it was the first major IRL stream since his trip to Wildpark Schwarze Berge had legal repercussions. At that time, a mother obtained a temporary injunction because she and her daughter were visible in the background of the stream.

Probably for this reason, the Twitch streamer had considered renting the entire Heide Park for his project. Ultimately, however, he decided against it: the right feeling would also require other people, sometimes you have to stand in line.

Dispute over a few seconds on Twitch: MontanaBlack wants to go to court over a stream

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