In Diablo 4 Season 1 has started. However, some players complain that you can waste your Battle Pass with a wrong click.
The new Season 1 has started and now you can finally unlock skins, cosmetics, and other fun things in the Battle Pass.
Those who purchased the Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4 can get a “Premium Pass” for free, but there are plenty of players who want to skip the first season because they find the skins rather boring or because they do not like the season mechanics.
However, some players are venting that the system in Diablo 4 is designed to waste your valuable Premium Pass (via reddit.com). At least when you are playing with a controller on PC or consoles.
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Diablo 4: The Official Announcement Trailer for Season 1
In the menu, your “mouse cursor” is directly on the Premium button
What is the problem? If you open the Battle Pass menu with a controller, your interface is directly focused on the Premium button. If you click the confirmation button again because you actually want to view your progress and not pay attention, you activate your Premium Pass.
A user has recorded the “problem” and shared it on YouTube:
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In Diablo 4, there is also no warning or hint that you are now activating your Premium Pass. As one player reports, this activation cannot be undone. A screenshot with Blizzard’s customer support shows this.
If you have clicked “only” accidentally, you will have to make do with it. There is no refund.
Players are angry: Many people on Reddit are upset about this strange design decision. One person writes:
It is what it is. I play with a controller on PC. Literally, the seasons tab opens and you select buy Battle Pass. One wrong press and it’s activated if you have the Deluxe/Ultimate [Edition].
And the season journey tab is 2 buttons above the buy button. So the chance of accidentally pressing it is quite high.
Others also explain that this cannot be the point. Some express their surprise that there is no hint at all. At least a confirmation and an explanation would be expected before the purchase. Instead, Premium is simply activated and the 20 levels are credited.
More about Season 1: If you haven’t started with Season 1 yet and need a tip on which class to play, check out the following article. Here we give you tips and a trick on how to choose your next class:
Under the keyword “Glorbo,” players of the MMORPG World of Warcraft outsmarted an AI that then sold false information as full-fledged, planned features.
Artificial Intelligence is currently one of the biggest topics in business and science. The technology has the potential to turn our entire daily lives and work upside down.
Currently, however, we are still in a kind of testing phase: Where are the limits of the technology? Where can we use it meaningfully, and where do we prefer to rely on a human brain?
Because the fact that human brains still have it shows, once again, the example of a group of WoW players. As BBC reports, they outsmarted an AI into believing its illogical lies.
Currently, several MMORPG competitors are emerging that have set their sights on WoW. The trailer provides an example:
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New MMORPG aims to compete with WoW, showcasing the first class with gameplay
What lies were they? It was about a new feature called “Glorbo.” What sounds like a crazy planet from the cartoon Rick & Morty, the players sold to an AI as the latest announcements for World of Warcraft.
Part of Glorbo was also the “mandatory item Klikclac,” an “epic quest to eliminate Quackion, the aspect of ducks” and the “small, cozy island Zoop.”
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How did they do it? As BBC reports, an automated article appeared on the site “ZLeague” (via archive.ph).
The AI likely pulled its information from Reddit, where the players disseminated the information (via reddit.com). Members of the subreddit had already suspected that AIs publish information from the forum unchecked on some websites.
“Players of World of Warcraft (WoW) are excited about Glorbo’s introduction,” headlines the website, just like the Reddit thread.
WoW developer celebrates the action: On Twitter, “@Zorbix” comments on the issue and is happy that he can finally talk about Glorbo: since the information is finally known. They have been working on the features for almost 15 years.
In the tweet below, Zorbix, Senior Game Producer at World of Warcraft, explains that this is just a joke as well. He congratulates the people behind the action, showing that we will likely be safe from AIs for the time being as long as we still use our brains.
Doctor Who has had many incarnations and companions. However, one companion is so dark that you won’t see her in the series.
Who is this companion? The companion is The Squire, who first appears in the Doctor Who story “The Then and Now.” She was by the side of the War Doctor, who is an incarnation of the Doctor.
However, The Squire had no good intentions.
The Squire actually wanted to shed her Dalek nature
What were the intentions of the companion? The Squire is a Dalek double agent sent to spy on the Doctor. In the meantime, The Squire and the War Doctor got separated (via screenrant.com). The Squire then wanders through the universe for a thousand years before meeting the Doctor (the eleventh incarnation) again.
In the process, The Squire is severely injured in a fight. When she awakens, she remembers her Dalek origins. She confesses that she not only deceived the Doctor but also tried to shed her nature and be The Squire (via Tardis Wiki).
Ultimately, she cannot shed her wicked Dalek programming, and The Squire’s Dalek origin becomes visually more apparent in the confrontation. When The Squire tries to hit the Doctor with her laser weapon, what remains of her is killed by the Doctor’s wife, Professor River Song.
What are the Daleks? The Daleks are malevolent, non-human aliens in the science fiction series Doctor Who. The appearance of the genetically modified figures resembles oversized salt shakers. They were first introduced in the 1960s and are the most well-known adversaries of Doctor Who. The goal of the Daleks is to dominate the universe and exterminate all other living beings.
In Doctor Who, the War Doctor was seen as part of a special episode of the series. That he had companions was not even a topic in the series, and he dropped the name “Doctor” there.
The composer of Final Fantasy has stated that a small feature makes the game’s music more dynamic. Many gamers find this great and wish for it in other games as well.
The developers of Final Fantasy XVI have now explained that on the PS5 not only the game but also a small software will be installed. This ensures that the music sounds much better and is more cohesive.
Many players are now stating on Reddit that they want this feature for other games as well. Because once you experience it, you don’t want to play without this feature anymore.
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Final Fantasy XVI Ascension Trailer
Software on the PS5 processes music in real-time
What exactly will be installed on the PS5? FF16 composer Masayoshi Soken explains that the game installs a “Mini-Soken” on the PS5. This is supposedly a reference to his name (via natalie.mu):
If you play FF16, a ‘Mini-Soken’ will be installed along with the software on your PS5. The ‘Mini-Soken’ processes the music in real-time and adjusts the volume to match the style and pace of the respective game.
Even if you play without issues or take a long time, you will get a feeling ‘Good music plays in a good place’, and even when the fight ends, the music concludes appropriately to the scene. This is possible because the ‘Mini-Soken’ works hard in real-time.
How are the reactions? Many gamers are very enthusiastic about this and state that they would like such a feature for other games as well. This would make many games feel much more dynamic.
Other games tend to use the “sledgehammer” method: When a fight ends, the music abruptly cuts off and the next track begins. Here, the dynamics are often lacking, and it always feels very forced and not fitting to the game.
That’s why many players are positively surprised and state that such a feature belongs in many more games. One person writes:
When you notice that the music synchronizes with the status of the fight, you wish that all games would do this.
Another adds that he has noticed it as well but did not know the reason for it yet: “I’ve wondered about this too. I’ve noticed how well the music fits throughout. I really appreciate that. The music in this game is insane.”
If you’re looking for a reason why you should buy Final Fantasy XVI, then read the comment from Cortyn on MeinMMO:
A group of traders tried to deceive gamers by selling old graphics cards as new. Now they have been arrested by the police.
The high depreciation of cryptocurrencies led to thousands of miners in China desperately trying to sell their graphics cards .
A group of fraudsters took advantage of the situation and bought the used graphics cards from the miners to later resell them as “new.” They did this so skillfully that most buyers hardly noticed they had purchased a used graphics card.
Graphics cards worth around 2 million euros were found
Now the police in China have arrested 7 people who were selling such old graphics cards as brand new. As VideoCardz reports, a group in China had professionalized their business with old graphics cards, which they sold to people as new.
They were tracked down after a year-long investigation by the police in the Bincheng district of Binzhou city. The police found numerous mining cases without their graphics cards in a warehouse.
Only seven of the 22 people involved in the fraud were arrested and must now face court. The value of the counterfeit cards was estimated at over 2 million dollars.
Used graphics cards can be recognized with a keen eye
How can you recognize such a graphics card? The YouTuber Iskandar Souza has already provided a few tips. Pay attention to the discoloration of the memory on a purchased graphics card. If the graphics card has been used for a long time, the memory turns yellow. The YouTuber explains that the memory on new cards is black and then slowly discolors.
To hide this, miners blacken the graphics cards – this way they can conceal the yellowish tone of the memory. However, there are also other signs of a used graphics card:
missing or discolored warranty stickers.
missing or loose screws.
Discoloration on the chip or memory of the graphics card.
Re-soldering memory onto a new board is a common practice in repairing and refurbishing graphics cards. In this case, the product is often labeled as “refurbished” rather than “new” in retail.
In Germany, used items must also be declared as used. Products such as graphics cards are only considered new if they have not been used, installed, and made from new materials.
Read more about the unfair tricks of miners in the following article:
My Friendly Neighborhood has been available on Steam for a few days now. Behind the title is actually a horror game, but the scare factor does not come from the dismemberment of corpses and decapitations. Rather, it comes from murderous killer puppets.
What is the story behind My Friendly Neighborhood? A show called “My Friendly Neighborhood” was a puppet show on Saturday mornings, but over time lost the interest of viewers. One day, suddenly the antenna of a film studio broadcasts old episodes of the show, which had long been canceled.
The technician Gordon needs to check things out and enters the film studio, which should actually be abandoned. His goal is to repair the antenna on the roof. But the puppets seem to be unhappy that their show has been canceled and are lurking in the film studio.
So we have to fight our way through the killer puppets to get to the roof.
The puppets are the highlight of the game: they look as if they have just escaped from Sesame Street. There are sock puppets or even puppets that look like Ernie & Bert. Combined with their murderous intent, this creates a unique gaming experience.
Maybe the trailer for My Friendly Neighborhood will convince you to take a look at the game:
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My Friendly Neighborhood presents itself in the launch trailer
But the main character does not simply accept the puppet terror, but knows how to defend themselves skillfully. How do you fight against puppets from a children’s show? Of course, with the alphabet!
For example, we can use the stenographer. This is a unique weapon with which we can fire the ABC. In this way, we keep the annoying puppets at bay.
In the film studio, we also find relics of the puppet show. On site, there is an old set from the television show, but also halls that have been decorated with crayons and cardboard. If the puppets weren’t breathing down our necks, we could admire the varied sets at leisure.
Like other survival horror classics, My Friendly Neighborhood is supposed to include some puzzles. The mechanics do not seem too complex. Presumably, simpler puzzles were chosen for the game, as we are under stress because of the puppets and can hardly think clearly.
If the article has piqued your interest, you can currently buy the horror adventure with a 10 percent discount on Steam. Until July 25, 2023, the title costs only 26.09 euros instead of 29.99 euros. If you are still unsure about the purchase, you can try the game first in a demo on Steam.
At the time of writing, the game has very positive ratings. A total of 374 players have given the title 96 percent positive ratings. Horror fans can definitely jump in here!
Riot Games likes to try out all sorts of absurd ideas in their development of new champions for League of Legends. This aims to provide the company with maximum creative freedom to design interesting champions. One idea for the champion Aphelios was that it should interact with the real world.
How does champion design work? It takes months for a new champion to be designed and ultimately released. On average, about 1 year. The designers plan not only the abilities and the design but also the associated story within the LoL world.
During development, however, there is a lot of experimentation between design and abilities. Riot’s philosophy encourages trying out all possible ideas in the development of new champions, leading to crazy ideas that often do not make it into the actual game.
What were possible ideas? In a Twitch stream, Lead Champion Designer August Browning discussed general design philosophies as well as planned ideas from Senior Game Design Manager Bradford “CertainlyT” Wenban that never made it to the live servers.
CertainlyT was involved with the champions Darius, Zyra, Thresh, Yasuo, Kalista, Zoe, and Aphelios and also worked on the reworks of Mordekaiser, Graves, Caitlyn, Warwick, and Akali. Therefore, he has been part of some of the most creative champions in the game.
For Zoe’s ultimate, for example, a second application was planned. A kind of panic button that gave Zoe the ability to teleport to a random location on the map instead of teleporting back and forth.
The rework of Akali originally had the idea that she could latch onto projectiles from team members. However, the most interesting idea came from the ADC Aphelios. Since he is closely tied to the moon in the game’s lore, real moon phases were also supposed to influence the champion.
How was Aphelios supposed to work? It was planned that Aphelios would gain strength depending on the moon phase. On full moon, it would be the perfect time to pick Aphelios. August Browning describes the basic idea as follows:
The idea would be that if you go outside at night and see a full moon, you think, I should play League of Legends now, Aphelios is strong at the moment. I think that’s a really creative way to engage players with the game.
However, the idea did not make it into the actual game. One must not forget that League of Legends is essentially a competitive game, and such mechanics can also diminish the usefulness of a champion.
Nevertheless, Aphelios has become a controversial champion, which recently caused a stir at the MSI:
In the action RPG Diablo 4, the hotfix 3 for update 1.1.0 was released overnight from July 21 to July 22. Nightmare Dungeons will never be the same again.
What is there to know about the patch? Hotfix 3 was announced on July 21 during the Campfire Talk with the developers. The patch is now live, has brought some bug fixes, and has adjusted the difficulty of Nightmare Dungeons. They are now significantly easier:
Monsters in Nightmare Dungeons are now weaker. Nightmare Dungeons at level 100 now correspond more to level 70 before the patch.
Examples:
Level 35
Health reduced by about 2%
Damage reduced by about 1%
Level 50
Health reduced by about 20%
Damage reduced by about 1%
Level 70
Health reduced by about 60%
Damage reduced by about 54%
Level 100
Health reduced by about 82%
Damage reduced by about 79%
Level 100 remains the highest and most difficult level, even if the nerf here is the strongest.
Why these adjustments? This was discussed earlier in the stream. The Nightmare Dungeons are supposed to be replaced by other content that should “test” you. However, it is still unknown when this content will arrive.
What else did the patch bring? In addition to the dungeon adjustments, there were also bug fixes. You can find the English patch notes in the spoiler box:
1.1.0 Hotfix 3 – Bug fixes
Fixed an issue where additional Blood Lances from the Gore Quills aspect could sometimes not deal damage.
Fixed an issue where the Answers in the Ashes quest could have progression blocked if Varshan was killed before the quest updates to the step to defeat him.
Fixed an issue where the dungeons Buried Halls and Endless Gates dungeons were not giving players proper rewards upon completion.
Fixed an issue where the Akhan’s Grasp Nightmare Dungeon was not giving players proper rewards upon completion.
Fixed an issue where the Moonrage Malignant Power would cause the Wolves power to be unequipped from the action bar.
Fixed an issue where the Subterranean Legendary aspect was dealing far less damage than intended.
Fixed an issue where the Frozen Terror Malignant Power could also fear the player with it equipped.
Fixed an issue where Malignant Hearts could be duplicated when salvaging them, logging out immediately, and logging back in.
Fixed an issue where Tier Skips wouldn’t be properly rewarded in certain scenarios.
Fixed an issue where Whispers sometimes wouldn’t grant experience on completion.
Nightmare Dungeons are significantly easier in Season 1, but there is currently no compensation for the most challenging ordeals. Upcoming updates are also expected to readjust some changes from update 1.1.0, which were not well received by many players.
New information will be available next week during the next Campfire Talk.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Canadian streamer xQc became a millionaire on Twitch and bought a diamond-studded Rolex – yet he doesn’t know how to wear it.
Who is this about?
Félix “xQc” Lengyel is a Canadian streamer who became a millionaire with Twitch. His career began in 2018 as an Overwatch professional, and he became a star on Twitch by reaching a young audience that identifies with him. He also puts in an enormous amount of hours on Twitch.
In 2021, a leak about Twitch revealed that xQc earned $648,000 in one month. In May 2023, just one month before his switch to Kick, xQc had around 72,000 active subs on Twitch, which would amount to about $250,000 a month at a 70:30 split.
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From Overwatch professional to number 1 on Twitch to 100 million $ – Who is xQc?
xQc doesn’t know how to wear his Rolex
What’s the deal with the Rolex? xQc bought a Rolex for Christmas in December 2022, which he proudly showed to his viewers during a stream (via YouTube).
Now Asmongold has reacted to a video in which famous streamers are portrayed as classes of an MMO – including xQc:
About the Canadian, it is said that he needs “epic gear” to increase his “ability power.”
The video shows a clip of the stream in which xQc presents his Rolex and struggles to wear it. He fights with the clasp of the expensive watch for several seconds. A voiceover in the video says sentences like “I can’t use this yet” or “My level is not high enough to use this.”
Viewers mock xQc: Asmongold is having a great time watching xQc struggle with the clasp of the Rolex. A clip of the scene was eventually uploaded to the YouTube channel “Asmongold Clips.” In the comments on the clip, viewers mock xQc.
One user writes: “I’ve said it before, but xQc has the largest disparity between net worth and IQ in history.” Another user adds: “XQCxQc did not complete the quest ‘What time is it?'”
We embed the YouTube video of Asmongold’s reaction here:
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Furthermore, the streamer bought a car for €300,000, even though he has no driver’s license. He also registered the car in the name of his then-girlfriend Adept, from whom he is now separated.
The heads of Diablo 4 spoke in a stream about the future of the game. In doing so, there was already a taste of what the upcoming Patch 1.1.1 is supposed to bring, which is already in the works.
Patch 1.1.1 is coming “in the next weeks”, more precise information will be revealed on July 28 during the next Campfire Chat.
What’s in the patch? The core of Patch 1.1.1 revolves around reversing or at least correcting the partly too harsh nerfs from Season 1. Specifically, the developers promised:
Improvements to legendary powers for Sorceresses and Barbarians
a higher monster density in Nightmare Dungeons and Hell Tides
a new tab for the loot chest, with the adjustment to gems planned only for Season 2
Leveling from level 50-100 should go significantly faster
The patch is supposed to go live “a few days after the Campfire Chat” on July 28, a specific date is still pending. In addition, there will be more patches before Season 2, which the developers have not yet discussed.
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Diablo 4 shows gameplay trailer for Season 1 and some players mock it
Patch notes will come earlier from now on
To prevent chaos like with Patch 1.1.0 from happening again, patch notes are now supposed to be released earlier. According to Community Head Adam Fletcher, the goal is to make all changes public at least a week before the next major patch.
This is intended to better prepare players for what is coming. Whether there will be a full week of lead time for Patch 1.1.1 is still open, as it could also just be a few days.
Additionally, Associate Game Director Joe Piepiora promised that major changes to balance and meta will now be changed at predictable points – for example, at the start of a season. There will no longer be annoying and comprehensive changes in the middle of a season.
In case of doubt, certain builds should simply remain too strong if the developers cannot provide an appropriate alternative. However, if they only restrict fun in favor of balance, they would fail, it is said.
Meanwhile, a major dispute is brewing in the community:
After major criticism of patch 1.1.0 and season 1 in Diablo 4, Blizzard spoke with the community during an emergency stream. There, the executives explained how the patch came about, what improvements are being made now, and promised that something like this will never happen again.
The key points from the stream:
Nighmare Dungeons will be nerfed soon: Level 100 should be as hard as Level 70 is now. Instead, new content is coming that is meant to “test” you.
If builds are completely OP in the future, they will remain so until alternatives can be designed, rather than being nerfed directly.
Significant balance and meta changes should come at obvious times, such as the start of a season. Patch notes should be released at least one week in advance.
When will the changes come? So far, there are no concrete dates for any of the changes. However, a hotfix is expected to come during the night (German time) that adjusts the Nightmare Dungeons. Patch notes for this will follow.
Moreover, patch 1.1.1 is supposed to be released in “the next few weeks.” More information will be available on Friday, July 28, during the next campfire chat. What we already know will be read shortly on MeinMMO.
The developers also explained during the stream why the changes were made and answered questions from the community. They have already revealed some of their plans for the future.
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Diablo 4: The Official Announcement Trailer for Season 1
“If it’s no longer fun, we have failed”
Associate Game Director Joe Piepiora and Game Director Joe Shely talked in the stream about the reasons for the nerfs in patch 1.1.0, as well as about the changes that are yet to come.
As previously mentioned in one of the earlier talks, the short explanation is: nerfs occur because they are necessary. Vulnerability and reduction of cooldowns were too strong traits that restricted build possibilities. This is precisely what they want to ensure.
Nerfs like those of the Sorceress and the Barbarian are not productive in this regard. Fun must be maintained, even with adjustments. Specifically, they stated: if a build is OP, then it should remain so until alternatives can be provided. Only in the case of “game-breaking” issues will they react immediately.
The goal is always to ensure a wide range of builds that players can experiment with. No “mandatory” skills like everything with vulnerability should be necessary. Furthermore, patches should better adjust the dials in the future and be announced early.
Following the explanations, there was a Q&A with the community. You can watch the full video on YouTube; we have summarized the key points for you here:
Leaderboards will come in season 3 with newly created content for that.
The notorious Uber Uniques are meant to remain rare but not so rare. The drop rate will be slightly increased at some point, but the idea is that they should not define a build.
There will be more tools against control effects from enemies.
Leveling will be easier; the required XP from level 50 to 100 will be adjusted, and there will be more opportunities and challenges at world tier 4.
Adjustments to some of the most annoying creatures like skeleton archers and charging monsters are coming.
Campaign bosses will come back in some form as opponents, but the developers are not allowed to say how and when yet.
It will become easier to find item upgrades and things like loot filters.
Crashes and technical problems on PS5 and Xbox will be fixed.
New ways to customize and craft equipment will be introduced.
Builds focusing on companions will be improved. This concerns druids and necromancers.
There were also questions about features like build loadouts and a group finder. Both are things that the team is discussing repeatedly, but nothing concrete can be said yet. So these features are definitely still far in the future, if they come at all.
Several hotfixes have already been made that reverted changes from patch 1.1.0:
Today, on 21st July, the path to exotic opportunities opens again in Destiny 2 as the mysterious Agent of the Nine, Xur, has arrived. With his eerie appearance, he promises you Exotic and Legendary gear that will expand your collection and enhance your power in the fight against the darkness. We have captured his offerings for you.
What happened this week in Destiny 2? Before we dive into the mysterious world of Xur, let’s take a brief look back at the events of the past week in Destiny 2.
The free summer event “Solstice” has begun. So there are again glowing armors to earn or purchase. Depending on how much grind you want to invest and whether you still need armor with high stat values.
In addition, there was a general boycott call during the event not to purchase cosmetics in the Destiny 2 shop. This was intended as a statement against Bungie’s “microtransaction hell”. However, some see it critically, as ultimately no one has to buy anything.
For those more interested in the story saga of Destiny 2, this week has provided some rewards. In the lore drop mission “Veil Containment” on Neomuna, there were interesting discoveries to make.
In recent weeks, you could play this mission repeatedly to hear voice lines and learn more about the story of the Veil and the experiments with the object. This week, however, it was particularly important information regarding the Lightfall mystery, as you learn what the Veil actually is.
In this cutscene, Bungie has already revealed what Light and Darkness actually are and where the Witness comes from:
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[Spoiler] Destiny 2: This cutscene from Season 21 reveals what the Traveler and the Darkness are
All info on Xur for July 21, 2023 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Having taken a look at the Destiny week, let’s return to Xur. His location and offerings can sometimes be unpredictable, but one thing is certain: If you are looking for exotic items in Destiny 2, then Xur is the vendor you should visit.
When does Xur come? Xur, the Agent of the Nine, appears in Destiny 2 every Friday at 19:00. His visit ends again on the following Tuesday at 19:00. During this time, all Guardians can purchase exotic items from him.
Where is Xur? This is his stock for the weekend
Xur’s location: Xur likes to hang out in remote places to showcase his Exotics. Where exactly he is each week remains a well-kept secret until the reset at 19:00. However, MeinMMO finds out his location and offerings every Friday and shares them with you.
Here is where Xur is located: In the Tower in the Hangar of the Last City.
Xur’s inventory from July 21 – July 25 – All Exotics at a glance
What does Xur have on offer? Xur’s offerings consist of Exotic and Legendary gear that help Guardians increase their power against the darkness. He always has an Exotic weapon for sale and a piece of gear for each class (Titan, Hunter, and Warlock). It’s worth checking his offerings regularly to perhaps snag a good deal.
This is Xur’s offer for this weekend
Xur’s inventory from July 21 – July 25.
Weapon: Black Talon – Void Sword for 29 Legendary Shards
Titan: Synthoceps – Gauntlets for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +22
Resilience: +11
Recovery: +3
Discipline: +12
Intellect: +2
Strength: +20
Total: 70
Hunter: Lucky Pants – Leg Armor for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +11
Resilience: +3
Recovery: +18
Discipline: +11
Intellect: +10
Strength: +10
Total: 63
Warlock: Flee Artist – Arm Armor for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +6
Resilience: +21
Recovery: +8
Discipline: +15
Intellect: +12
Strength: +2
Total: 64
Legendary Armor Set: This week Xur is selling the seasonal armor from Season 13, the “Season of the Chosen”, called “Hauer Loyalty Set”.
You can also watch the full offer again in the video from Nexxoss Gaming:
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In addition to the regular offerings, Xur has also been selling unique rolls for Exotics from previously unobtainable exotic missions from past DLCs every week for a few seasons. However, you can only buy these weapons from Xur if you also own the appropriate expansion.
Currently, he has these two weapons on offer:
The exotic hand cannon “Chaperone” (Beyond Light DLC) with Moving Target
The exotic scout rifle “Redrix’s Broadsword” (Beyond Light DLC) with Snapshot Sights
Trials of Osiris from July 21 – July 25 – Map, Weapons, and Info
After Lord Saladin gave the 14th Saint a round of vacation last week, things are back in action in the Trials, the PvP endgame of Destiny 2. Starting today, July 21, players in Destiny 2 can compete in the 3v3 matches of the Trials or “Trials of Osiris”.
What are the Trials of Osiris?
The Trials of Osiris are a weekly PvP event where teams of three Guardians compete against each other in a tournament-style format to claim victory. This is the endgame in PvP and takes place every weekend. There is only one exception, which is when the Iron Banner event is active. Then the 14th Saint takes a break in favor of Lord Saladin.
What map is up this week? Unlike regular PvP, where maps rotate, in the Osiris Trials, only one specific map is fought on every weekend. Guardians must therefore focus on this special map and adjust their strategy accordingly to succeed in the matches.
The map this week is: Altar of Flames
If you are interested in playing the Trials with a fixed team, MeinMMO recommends the Callout Maps via Warmind. This way, you can effectively describe to your fireteam where the enemies are on the map, which is useful information for the entire team.
How to get your loot: The Trials of Osiris have a reputation rank system. Your top loot reward from the PvP matches is currently available for:
Seven victories
50 rounds
the notorious flawless run, which leads you to the Lighthouse
This is the reward for a flawless run: Every week you can also expect a special weapon at the Lighthouse, which you receive for your flawless run, i.e., 7 victories, as a Master version. You can earn the weapon until the upcoming Tuesday, July 25, at 19:00.
As a reward, you always receive an Adept weapon if you make it safely to the Lighthouse.
However, be aware that two weapons will soon leave the Trials pool at the end of Season 21. So if you want the SMG “Unyielding Duty” and the hand cannon “Exalted Truth” in a Godroll and as a Master version, you only have a few weeks left to do so.
“Unyielding Duty” will be available for the last time on July 28 as a Master version.
“Exalted Truth” can be earned for the last time in its Master version on August 4.
This week’s Adept weapon is: The shotgun “Astral Horizon”
You can focus your Trials engrams at the 14th Saint on your desired weapon. Additionally, there are upgrade prisms and ascendant shards. Remember that your rewards increase further once you have a complete pass – even if you lost one or two matches.
When do the Trials officially start? The Trials of Osiris begin today, July 21, 2023, at 19:00 and end with the weekly reset on July 25, 2023, at 19:00.
Which exotic armor or weapon are you hoping to be able to purchase from Xur this weekend? Or do you not have time for the exotic vendor because you prefer to head to the Lighthouse in the Trials? Let us know in the comments.
But beware: You still need to watch out for this weapon in Destiny 2:
Ultima Online is considered, alongside Everquest, the progenitor of modern MMORPGs and was in many ways more open and advanced than the modern theme park MMORPGs that appeared 25 years later. The creator of the masterpiece, Richard Garriott, reflects on a possible sequel.
What kind of game is this?
The “Ultima” series was groundbreaking for PC gaming in the 80s. It is the brainchild of Richard Garriott, who appeared in the games as the fictional character “Lord British”. The developer also presented himself as a leading figure of the role-playing series outside the ship.
Ultima Online was released in 1997 and was known for its extensive PvP system and an economic system that gave players a lot of freedom. At that time, MMORPGs were uncharted territory, there was nothing to orient oneself to.
Today, Ultima Online is considered a progenitor of the MMORPG boom that we have been experiencing since WoW in 2005. Together with Everquest, it stands as one of the two pillars upon which MMORPGs in the West are built. Ultima Online was the first MMORPG to reach 100,000 subscribers, as EA once proudly announced.
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5 old MMORPGs that are still actively played
“Never has there been anything comparable after Ultima Online”
This is what Garriott says now: According to the website Gamesradar , the father of Ultima, Richard Garriott, has been thinking for a few years about the idea of developing a sequel to Ultima Online: It is said that he has internally pitched ideas at EA and publicly announced them on Twitter.
His plan probably includes:
To largely maintain the PvP experience from the original game
But to make an Ultima Online 2 more accessible through technological innovations
A fan gushed on Twitter on July 19: Ultima Online is the greatest game that ever existed. It had a perfect PvP balance, great skills, and incredible freedom. Nothing comparable has appeared since.
Garriott is immediately on hand and ponders:
“A new Ultima Online, brought up to date, but with pretty much the original rules – and a new Ultima 4/10 for single player … Now we just need to buy EA.”
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What does Garriott think of EA? However, EA, which has owned Ultima for eternity, seems to be the problem. Ultimately, Garriott is disappointed with how EA, which took over Ultima Online in 2004, is treating his masterpiece. From his perspective, it is treated poorly at EA and kept alive by a small team at Broadsword.
When the fan tells him: It feels like you could do more for Ultima Online than EA or Broadsword are currently doing, Garriott replies:
Broadsword is doing the best they can under the circumstances, but EA abandons Ultima.
Ultima Online 2 was announced 24 years ago, discontinued 22 years ago
Were there plans for an Ultima Online 2? Actually, yes. Already in 1999, an Ultima Online 2 was announced that was supposed to bring Steampunk elements. However, the game was discontinued in 2001 due to fears that a sequel could reduce the subscriber numbers of Ultima Online. The MMORPG market suddenly became too tough for EA.
A second planned MMORPG set in the Ultima universe failed due to the closure of Garriott’s company Origin Systems and the dispersal of the development team.
Fairly speaking, it must be said that even Lord British lost a lot of fame and glory after the Ultima era: with his MMORPG project “Shroud of the Avatar,” many lost their faith in the king of MMORPGs. According to Garriott, others were to blame for the bad reputation of his MMORPG:
The former star of Fortnite on Twitch, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, has taken up a new hobby like some other streamers: He opens loot boxes in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). Even at a wedding, he opens paid loot boxes in a suit using his Steam Deck. This is viewed critically. It is considered a gambling addiction.
What is this trend?
In the shooter CS:GO, there are loot boxes that contain weapon skins. These skins are traded for real money. Prices can go up to $150,000. Since it became known that CS:GO will receive a boost with the major update CS2, Twitch streamers have been investing hundreds of thousands of US dollars in loot boxes and opening them live on stream. The viewers watch them do it.
In Germany, Twitch streamers like ohnePixel or MontanaBlack are shaping this CS:GO trend, while in the USA, Ninja, TimTheTatman, and even DrDisrespect have caught the fever.
But Ninja seems to be taking it too far now. He has already gotten into trouble opening loot boxes under the influence of alcohol and mocking another streamer. Now he is going overboard again.
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Through Fortnite to the largest streamer on Twitch – Who is Ninja and what is he doing today?
The image shows Ninja opening loot boxes at Nadeshot’s wedding
This image went viral: The former head of YouTube Gaming, Ryan Wyatt, shared a photo on Twitter on July 21 showing Ninja opening loot boxes using the Steam Deck.
The photo is from the wedding of e-sport team leader Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag. He owns the fashion-oriented team 100 Thieves and was a former professional in Call of Duty.
Ninja stands there in a suit in a situation where he should actually be having fun, blocking out everything around him and instead opening loot boxes in CS:GO. His friend Cloakzy stands by, astonished.
The photo has already received over 1 million views:
How is this being discussed? Mainly negatively. The photo and the practice of case-opening in the live stream are criticized especially because loot boxes are essentially like gambling, and real gambling has been banned in certain casinos on Twitch.
At the same time as the ban on traditional gambling at one-armed bandits, it has become a trend to open loot boxes, for example in Pokémon, FIFA, or now in CS:GO. In the comments, people say:
“I think that’s called gambling addiction.”
“Cool, let’s all become addicted to gambling. Streamers who showcase that should be treated like streamers who showcase gambling.”
“One could even say that’s worse than gambling because it’s about video games.”
“The only thing worse is: None of them have cases for their Steam Deck.”
A user says: This is a gambling addiction. They could buy any skin on the market that they want instead of doing this.
Twitch streamers flaunt their wealth, teasing unfortunate DrDisrespect
How do streamers react to this? They don’t seem to care much about the criticism.
TimTheTatman posts a video showing him, Ninja, and Cloakzy sitting in a private jet, opening loot boxes on the Steam Deck and writes, “Our hobby travels with us.”
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Ninja even shares the photo of himself with the astonished Cloakzy. He seems particularly proud that he has found so many valuable “knives” in CS:GO, while DrDisrespect seems to be struggling: he finds nothing.
It is noteworthy that DrDisrespect even opens loot boxes. He is actually considered an “old-school gamer,” who rejects such things. In 2019, he had complained about FIFA streamers who do not play but only open boxes.
In Germany, Jan Böhmermann once dealt extensively with the problem of “loot boxes and gambling in gaming:”
But even then, the criticism of Twitch streamers did not reach them at all. Trymacs, who was even shown in the contribution while opening loot boxes, was sure: although Böhmermann shoots against Twitch streamers who promote gambling in the video, he is not talking about him:
A man from Nebraska earned 100,000 euros in just one year with relatively little work. How did he do it?
Our title image is a symbolic image.
Sam Curry is a young man from Nebraska who earned 100,000 euros within a year. And that was with his 20-hour job. What is special about him is that he has a lot of experience in the computer field and looks for security vulnerabilities as a hacker. The BBC reported that he was able to make that much money with relatively little working time.
As a so-called “White Hat Hacker,” he can earn a lot of money, even though the competition is fierce. And the income is enough to easily finance other hobbies, as he explains.
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As a “White Hat Hacker,” he earns a lot of money
What does a “White Hat Hacker” do? Although most people probably think of something negative when they hear “hacking,” it is something positive here. Because these hackers do not sell found security vulnerabilities on the dark web or other dubious sites to harm people, but sell them to companies.
Large companies like Google, Facebook (Meta), or Microsoft offer so-called “bounties”: If someone finds a security vulnerability, they report it to the respective company and receive the reward or bounty (in English, bounty) paid out.
Hackers like Sam Curry can earn a lot of money with this, depending on how severe the security vulnerabilities are. For some vulnerabilities, you can get several tens of thousands of euros. This can pay off with three or four vulnerabilities.
He explained in an interview with the BBC that hackers compete with each other for the best “bounties.” However, hackers usually work closely together. The “White Hat Hackers” form a large, global community, and he would know many people in dozens of different countries.
Sam Curry noted in a conversation with bugcrowd.com that the payment is just a bonus for him:
I am financially secure and can spend my time traveling and building side projects that I am personally interested in. I love hacking – the fact that someone pays me for it is just a bonus.
Many companies therefore spend a lot of money to convince hackers to sell the vulnerabilities to them rather than offering them on the dark web or other sites.
For people like Sam Curry, security vulnerabilities are likely still a lucrative job. Other people also earn a lot of money thanks to ChatGPT, but do not hack websites or companies:
When Baldur’s Gate 3 launches on Steam in August, the role-playing game will bring some changes compared to Early Access. MeinMMO shows you what.
Baldur’s Gate 3 celebrates its full release on August 3rd. The role-playing game has been playable since October 2020 in Early Access, but with the release of the final version, new content will be added.
In addition to pre-made playable characters and new classes, new mercenaries that you can create yourself will be added to the game. There will also be updates for the character editor, a new crafting system, and new story acts (via Steam).
We have created an overview of the changes between Early Access and the final game and summarized it on MeinMMO.
[toc]
Changes for Act 1, Addition of Act 2 and 3
With the full release of the game, Baldur’s Gate 3 will be supplemented by the second and third acts. During Early Access, only the first act was playable.
Additionally, even Act 1 in the final game has 33% more content than at the start of Early Access, as much has been changed or added.
Introduction of “Origin Characters” including the “Dark Urge”
Starting August 3rd, Baldur’s Gate 3 players can play so-called “Origin Characters.” These are pre-made heroes who bring “their own stories, desires, and attitudes towards the world” with them.
If you prefer to play a self-created character instead of a pre-made one, it will also be possible to take the Origin Characters as companions on your journey.
With the introduction of the Origin Characters, additional “The Dark Urge” will be playable, giving you the opportunity to embody an ultimate villain.
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Baldur’s Gate 3: The release teaser for the new role-playing game for PS5 and Steam
Introduction of Hirelings – Mercenaries for your Team
If you are not interested in having the Origin Characters as companions, or if you manage to scare them away somehow, you will have the option to rely on so-called “Hirelings” in the final game. These are mercenaries who can temporarily join your team.
With the full release, you will have 12 Hirelings available for recruitment – one for each class. Each of them has their own name and appearance and can be redesigned at any time.
New Class and Subclasses
In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are 12 classes in the final game, as the Monk is added to the role-playing game, which was not available during Early Access. According to lead writer Adam Smith, the Monk is even the strongest class.
Additionally, Baldur’s Gate 3 promises to bring at least one new subclass for every class introduced during Early Access at the full release of the game. In total, there will be 46 subclasses, of which nearly half are new.
Baldur’s Gate 3 will allow you to combine classes (“Multiclassing”) or create new ones (“Respeccing”) in the final game.
Through multiclassing, you can shape your class as you wish or as your role-playing requires. A warrior, for example, might be able to cast arcane spells, and rogues can master divine magic.
Through respeccing, or reassigning your skills, you can redesign your build. This is meant to encourage players to try new combinations and experiment. In Early Access, both respeccing and multiclassing were not possible.
Alchemy as Crafting System
The release is supposed to bring a new crafting system with the art of alchemy, allowing you to transform herbs, wild mushrooms, crystals, and monster parts into useful items.
You can then create a variety of extracts with ingredients from the wilderness, which you then combine into potions, poisons, and oils. The final products can ultimately be used to consume or apply to your weapons.
Update for Character Editor
The character creation toolbox is also expected to have evolved compared to the Early Access phase. There are animations that briefly present the different races as well as various options added.
Some of the new options give you the opportunity to freely customize your character regarding body shape, voice, pronouns, and genitals:
Chris Evans (Captain America) raved to Anthony Mackie (Falcon) about a great scene in Avengers: Endgame. However, his colleague knew nothing about the big plot twist for his character in the film.
Avengers: Endgame is the grand finale surrounding the well-known group of heroes as they engage in battle against the alien supervillain Thanos.
Towards the end of the film, an aged Captain America is seen. It is time for someone else to carry the iconic shield of the hero. Steve Rogers chooses Sam Wilson as his successor, also known as Falcon.
As Chris Evans recounted on The Tonight Show on November 5, 2019, he accidentally spoiled the scene to the actor playing Falcon, Anthony Mackie, even before filming.
Here you can see a trailer for Avengers 4: Endgame:
Start video
German trailer for the Marvel movie „Avengers 4: Endgame“
“You give me the shield?”
Marvel is also cautious with the actors not to reveal too much information about the events in the films, as Evans makes clear in the conversation.
However, the actor had already received the script for an important scene in Avengers: Endgame in advance. The moment when Captain America hands his shield to Falcon. Evans already knew that Mackie was to carry on the legacy of the hero.
Here you can see the YouTube video where Chris Evans tells the story. Jump to 1:25:
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The two actors not only got along well in front of the camera but also behind it. Both filmed in Atlanta, and Evans invited some people over to watch football together.
Mackie was the first guest to arrive. Evans, who thought his colleague already knew about the scene, enthusiastically said:
“Hey man, isn’t this scene fantastic?” And he said, “Which scene?” And I replied, “The… The scene where I give you the shield.”
In that moment, Evans realized that Mackie had no idea what was going to happen at the end of Endgame. The actor quickly grabbed the script and handed it to his colleague.
“I saw him reading the scene for the first time where he receives the shield, and he was so happy that you immediately think: ‘Man, maybe I took this moment away from someone like Kevin Feige… But it was so beautiful to experience this moment,” Evans excitedly recounted in the show.
He found it particularly beautiful that the handover of the title “Captain America” somehow only took place between him and Mackie, similar to the two characters in the film.
Two other actors, however, held a strange competition in their free time:
Yesterday, Season 1 in Diablo 4 started, and soon many players faced a new problem. The products of a new game mechanic clutter the inventory, but we will tell you what you can do about it.
With Season 1, a new type of gemstone was introduced: Malevolent Hearts. They are the special game mechanic in Season 1 and are dropped after a hard fight by Malevolent Monsters.
You can insert the hearts like gemstones into certain socket slots in amulets and rings, instead of the gemstones you would normally use.
Collecting the hearts has shown that it can quickly fill up, because: There are not only 4 different colors, but also different effects that the hearts can have.
You cannot stack the Malevolent Hearts, so they clutter valuable space in the inventory and stash. However, there are a few things you can do so you can continue to collect important loot and not have everything blocked by Malevolent Hearts.
This will remind many of the space problem due to gemstones. There was a trick to save space:
Start video
Diablo 4: With this trick, you save inventory slots
Here’s what you can do:
There are a few ways to create space in your inventory and stash or not waste it at all.
Leave Legendary Items Behind
Yes, you read that correctly. But they are quite valuable at the beginning, right? Correct. And because they are so valuable, there is a delivery service for them in Diablo 4. If you find Legendaries or Uniques, you can comfortably leave them behind because: They will be sent to your stash during loading sequences when leaving areas.
You will find your items in the cities where a stash is available – recognizable by the chest symbol on the map. But be careful, the chest for the delivered legendary items only has 10 slots, so you should empty it from time to time.
Break Down Malevolent Hearts
You can also break down Malevolent Hearts that you do not want to use. This will give you Secret, which you can use to create new hearts or so-called Seekers. You use Seekers to target specific enemies:
Insert Gemstones into Item Sockets
To save space, you can simply insert the gemstones into the empty sockets of the equipment items you want to break down. When breaking down, you will receive the materials of the items as well as the inserted gemstones back.
Alternatively, you can also just leave them behind, or only take the gemstones with higher quality levels.
Don’t Be a ‘Loot Mess’
At the beginning, you start with your season character, with an empty inventory, empty chests, no money, and no materials. Of course, it’s important to gather everything anew to be able to work on your build. Nevertheless, it is not always sensible to take every item.
Experience has shown that you can forgo one or the other piece of equipment. You will still eventually get the materials you need for upgrading.
An upgrade of your equipment is not worth it at the beginning since you will continuously find new, better items. So it’s worth it if you have materials in abundance and want to take the boosts, as well as if you are sure you want to keep the items.
The desire for an extra pouch for gemstones existed before the season; instead, more materials were added. Whether anything will change regarding this remains to be seen.
Tonight at 8 PM, another stream will take place in which the developers will address the adjustments of the season update and the strong criticism that arose along with the patch notes:
Diablo 4 received a lot of criticism before the launch of Season 1 regarding the patch notes and endgame content. Social media, forums, and Reddit were filled with negative comments, and there were even calls for a boycott. Then the season started, and the demand was so high that hardly anyone could log in.
This really happened: On July 20, Season 1 started at 7:00 PM German time directly with enormous waiting queues. Players were stuck logging in for over an hour and had to wait for “joining game”.
The influx was so large that the servers buckled under the load. Even those who could log in were greeted with lags and rubberbanding. Exactly the problems that one mainly knows from big AAA releases that everyone is waiting for.
Although some players were annoyed by this, at the moment, the ridicule over those who previously predicted the death of Diablo 4 prevails.
Start video
Diablo 4 shows gameplay trailer for Season 1 and some players mock it
“Best boycott ever, well done, bedwetters!”
The by far largest thread in the subreddit received over 16,000 upvotes and more than 3,100 comments within the first day after the season started. The title: “I thought you all quit? Can you please disappear so I can log in?” Accompanied by a picture of the login queue.
The post follows mockery that exactly those who complain about the state of Diablo 4 are also those who play the most. They would always complain but then still put in another 200 hours into the game.
However, it is important to recognize that the loudest voices do not reflect the community. The user pp21 summarizes:
I wish the super-hardcore and extremely loud D4 players would understand that patch notes are simply unimportant to many people. They just play the game. They don’t follow guides step by step or worry about reaching level 100 faster than others.
This is literally a game about killing demons and upgrading gear to kill stronger demons. That’s all. And people will still do that with Season 1 and patch 1.1.
Amid the cynical comments, there are several such contributions that address where the conflict in the community comes from. Most of those who enjoy the game would simply not visit Reddit. This leads to an accumulation of opinions, which become echoes of the same criticism.
However, Blizzard seems to have been affected by the loud criticism. The developers have already announced that they want to talk extensively about the patch and Season 1:
A 69-year-old streamer of the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV documented his attempts to master the Anabaseios raid series on YouTube when he was suddenly surprised by the creator of the series.
What was that situation like? The 69-year-old streamer goes by “Pokochii BigMum” on Twitter and primarily streams Final Fantasy XIV on YouTube. In a stream from July 18, he was facing the Anabaseios raids on epic difficulty.
During a brief break between attempts, the Japanese streamer received a surprising visit in their chat: Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, personally stopped by to cheer on the streamer.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV – in 2 minutes
Solidarity Among Gaming Veterans
How did the exchange between the two go? The conversation between the streamer and the father of Final Fantasy took place in Japanese, but one doesn’t need to be proficient in the language to hear the disbelief and joy in the voice of the 69-year-old as a simple “Nice to meet you, I am Sakaguchi” appears in his chat.
Afterwards, the just nine years younger Sakaguchi spoke about his own experiences with the raid. He and his group were actually in the same spot as Pokochii and his group. He concluded by saying to the streamer, “Let’s do our best!”
We have embedded the stream here for you. The surprise visit in the chat occurs around 02:31:00.
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After the conversation, the 69-year-old streamer dove into his next attempt with newfound motivation.
Sakaguchi himself mentioned the exchange later on Twitter, potentially dispelling any doubts about the authenticity of the chat visit. Apparently, he had treated himself to a new haircut the same day and was enjoying the nice weather – it makes raiding much better.
While Pokochii at the age of 69 is still actively streaming, other content creators are slowly feeling their age. The LoL streamer Tyler1 hit his limits during a 24-hour stream and promised: He would never do this again.
