5 Anime that are so bad you’ll squirm with embarrassment on the floor

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 6 minutes

Can you endure any anime? You don’t know embarrassment? Then we have 5 anime series for you that are really good – but also incredibly cringe.

Anime can be quite absurd at times. In most cases, they are so bizarre that non-anime fans can only roll their eyes. But even for hardcore fans of Japanese animation, there are some series that send a chill of discomfort down your spine. Some anime are just so “cringe” that you have to wince painfully in front of the screen over and over again.

Nevertheless, you can’t just turn off. Here we show you 5 anime that you will find hard to endure – but still want to bravely stick with to the end because you simply can’t help it.

Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!

Alternative names: WataMote, No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!
Genres: Comedy, Slice-of-Life
Episodes: 12
Stream available on: Currently no known German provider, only available with VPN.

Tomoko Kuroki is a true gamer. Having completed more than 50 virtual lives in college and successfully dated well over 100 guys in dating sims, she is ready for real life at college. At least that’s what she thinks. In reality, she is hopelessly overwhelmed by social norms and pressures and is simply overloaded with managing everyday life. Even the smallest mistakes throw her completely off track, causing her to stumble from one mishap to the next, making her increasingly anxious, which only leads to more mistakes.

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What to expect from Watamote: Watching Tomoko in her daily life is quite amusing. Her well-crafted plans on how to finally become popular are always ultimately thwarted by her own mistakes. Watamote strikes quite a balance. Because every now and then, the tone shifts from “unpleasantly cringe” to “unpleasantly relatable”. Because every now and then, there’s a little Tomoko in all of us who feels overwhelmed by the social rules of society and wishes to escape them.

Why anime have such absurdly long names, we explained here.

Rent-A-Girlfriend

Alternative names: Kanojo, Okarishimasu
Genres: Comedy, Harem, Drama
Episodes: 24 (2 seasons, a third is currently airing)
Stream available on: Crunchyroll

The 20-year-old Kazuya starts college life with a big blow. His first girlfriend breaks up with him after just a month. To cheer himself up, he uses a “rental girlfriend” service, meets the charming Chizuru, and goes on a date with her. When he finds out that Chizuru gives all the guys such a nice time – for which she is being paid – he gets angry and gives her a negative review.

Just when the two are arguing about this, Kazuya receives a message from the hospital that his grandmother is not well. So they rush to the hospital, where Kazuya introduces Chizuru as “his girlfriend” so he doesn’t look like a loser in front of her. Chizuru plays along since it’s just a paid date. The problem is that Chizuru’s grandmother is also in the hospital, who knows nothing about her granddaughter’s side job and thinks Kazuya is Chizuru’s real boyfriend.

The two now have to maintain this facade of a relationship at least in front of their grandmothers, but otherwise want to avoid each other. How annoying that they also live next door…

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What to expect from Rent-A-Girlfriend: Kazuya is not just “cringe”, but often difficult to tolerate. Not only does he misunderstand just about every sentence a woman says and maneuvers both her and himself into complicated situations; he also makes her deal with the consequences. This is compensated, as is typical in the “harem” genre, by the female characters, of which especially Chizuru stands out from the usual “harem cliché mush” and forces you to watch the next episode. Genre-typical “coincidences” ensure that you’ll be rolling on the floor laughing.

However, as the story progresses, the protagonist also becomes somewhat more complex and improves. Even if he may never shed certain negative traits.

More cringe anime (that are still worth watching!) can be found on the next page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pages: 1 2

WoW: After the rework, wizards are left empty-handed – Heavy nerfs for Fire, Arcane, and Frost

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Gloomy times for mages in World of Warcraft. After the rework, there are now some hard nerfs.

The patch 10.1.5 of World of Warcraft was a reason to celebrate for many mages. Because finally, there was a long-awaited rework that removed some of the annoying talents – such as the infamous “Rune of Power” – from the game. Others were sad, that the loyal companion “Water Elemental” can now only be summoned temporarily.

Now there is another reason for dissatisfaction: a few major nerfs are coming.

What will be nerfed? Essentially, the overall damage of mages will be nerfed, although mostly the area damage is in focus. The changes in detail are:

  • Fire
    • The damage of all abilities is reduced by 5%.
    • Flamestrike deals 6% less damage and now deals less damage when more than 8 targets are hit.
    • Fire Blast deals 6% less damage and now deals less damage when more than 8 targets are hit.
    • Blessing of the Sun King now ensures that your next Pyroblast or Flamestrike deals 260% more damage (previously 275% more damage).
  • Frost
    • Frozen Orb deals 5% less damage.
    • Blizzard deals 4% less damage.
    • Comet Storm deals 5% less damage.
    • Below Zero increases damage to incapacitated and frozen targets by 5% / 10% (previously 10% / 20%).
  • Arcane
    • Arcane Barrage deals 3% more damage.
    • Resonance increases the damage per hit target from Arcane Barrage by 10% (previously 12%).
    • Arcane Explosion deals 6% less damage.
    • Arcane Orb deals 8% less damage.

When will the nerfs go live? With the next server maintenance on the coming Wednesday, that is, on July 19, 2023. Until then, you should make use of the strength of mages to perhaps tackle the new Mega-Dungeon “Twilight of the Eternal”.

More about WoW can be found here:
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Blizzard wins lawsuit against Turtle WoW, forcing the largest private server for Classic Plus to settlement
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After Nostalrius came WoW Classic, now the end of Turtle WoW must lead to WoW Classic Plus
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Why is Blizzard doing this? Anyone who has been playing with a mage in the last few days, who roughly knew what they were doing, might have been quite surprised by their damage. Because mages had astonishingly easy times, not only leading the DPS meters but also having a clear lead over the next group member. Especially in area damage situations, mages were simply too strong, with the exception of fire mages: they were just always too strong.

Blizzard is therefore making adjustments and slightly restricting the power of all mages.

What do you think about these nerfs? A good, well-thought-out thing? Or does it ruin the class that has just been made “playable” again?

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

Cheaters have taken down one of the coolest shooters of the past few years and this should be a warning to Destiny 2

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 3 minutes

The gaming world is not free from shadows, and in Destiny 2, it is cheaters who are currently ruining the gaming experience for many. Already now, the motivation of PvP players is noticeably declining. Just recently, the science fiction shooter “The Cycle: Frontier” lost its battle against the plague of cheaters. And Bungie could also be threatened if something doesn’t happen soon.

What happened to “The Cycle: Frontier”? In 2022, the free-to-play extraction shooter “The Cycle: Frontier” was released by the Berlin-based developer Yager. Players enjoyed the game and even praised the solid gunplay as well as the balance of risk and reward.

But already on September 27, 2023, the servers of the shooter will be shut down forever, and after that, “The Cycle” will no longer be playable.

In a statement, the studio shared its reasons for the discontinuation of the game.

  • On one hand, the success was not enough to make “The Cycle: Frontier” financially viable.
  • However, it was probably mainly the increasing number of cheaters that led players to no longer want to play the shooter and turn their backs on it.

The developers of “The Cycle: Frontier” tried to counteract this and implemented further anti-cheat measures. But the damage was already done. Players lost faith in the game, the PvP community fell apart, and the developers found themselves forced to discontinue “The Cycle: Frontier”.

I see clear parallels to Destiny 2 here. Even if the two games are not comparable in size and concept. In both games, cheaters have spread like a swarm of locusts and are destroying fair competition.

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The fate of Destiny 2’s PvP is at stake

The first effects are already noticeable: The cheater problem is already having an impact on the Destiny 2 community.

In the Crucible, you experience daily that even the most committed PvP players are increasingly throwing in the towel and no longer want to engage with obvious cheaters in Iron Banner, Trials, or for division ranks.

These are exactly the players who see PvP as their main motivation for playing, and play Destiny 2 even when nothing is happening in PvE for a long time. They are frustrated and are losing the motivation to stay active.

For them, Destiny 2 loses a crucial part of its appeal without a fair and enjoyable PvP experience, and thus a vicious cycle emerges.

  • The more cheaters appear, the more players lose the desire to face the unfair competition.
  • This leads to a dwindling player base and a negative spiral that is increasingly difficult to break.

The concern that this problem will continue to worsen and could lead to the game’s decline is already in the air.

Anti-cheat measures are not effective or take too long

Players report potential cheaters in-game – yet it feels like it’s getting worse

Bungie is certainly not inactive: As the developer reported in a lawsuit against the cheat provider VeteranCheats, Bungie has invested over $2 million in its anti-cheat measures to protect Destiny 2 and its competitive environment.  

  • This includes internal measures for cheat detection and the use of various anti-cheat software, including BattlEye.

And outside the game, the developer has also taken the legal battle against other cheat providers. Here, one after another, they are being hit with millions in damages.

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At the same time, it is also of great importance for Bungie that the Guardians take their role in the fight against cheaters seriously by reporting suspicious incidents.

The only problem is that players currently do not feel that all these anti-cheat measures are effective enough in the game. While they often receive positive feedback that cheaters have been banned due to reports, it still seems to be getting worse.

So bad that even well-known streamers are extremely annoyed, like GernaderJake who tweeted:

“Losing a perfect game for the third time against cheaters HURTS. In this clip, I am passionately angry and may go a bit too far, but I still think this needs to be said.”

writes the dedicated PvP streamer GernaderJake via Twitter
More about Destiny 2:
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That is why I say: The fate of PvP in Destiny 2 is at stake if the fight against cheaters is lost.

The declining motivation of players to play PvP, as well as concerns about a fair gaming experience should be a warning signal for Bungie. Because the same thing is already happening as with “The Cycle: Frontier”, only this downward spiral is taking place in Destiny 2 much more slowly.

But I am also interested in your experiences. What effects have cheaters had on your gaming experience? Do you report cheats in-game and do you think it is getting worse? Or has nothing changed for you? Do you believe that the current measures from Bungie are sufficient to keep the fraudsters tolerably at bay? Please feel free to share your opinion in the comments.

Some cheaters in Destiny 2 consider themselves particularly clever, manipulate hardware, and are now having problems

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

A quest in Diablo 4 frustrates players, cannot be completed, causes anger against gates

Nicole Wakulczyk Nicole Wakulczyk Reading time 2 minutes

Barricades and gates are probably among the least popular elements in the open world of Sanctuary in Diablo 4. Now they also prevent players from successfully completing the quest “Fury against Fate”.

In fact, Diablo 4 has been running quite smoothly since release. There are a few bugs here and there, but overall, players have complained very little so far. There was even praise for the technical condition.

However, some bugs still prevent quests from being completed or players from progressing.

A player posted a video on Reddit on July 12 showing how he tries to destroy a gate. However, the barricade remains completely unaffected and prevents him from completing a quest. Many players seem to have this bug.

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“Fury against Gate”

Why can’t he complete the quest? To successfully complete the quest, it is necessary to destroy the gate to proceed to the next section of the quest. Players usually have a few NPCs accompanying them, with whom they interact beforehand.

For player u/TheHeartsFilthyLesin, however, the health bar of the gate does not move a millimeter when he attacks it with various attacks. There is also no trace of the NPCs in the video.

In his post, the player writes: “Come on, Blizzard, fix the ‘Fury against Fate’ quest.” Here you can see the video:

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This is how other players are reacting: CourageousChronicler jokes in the comment: “More like Fury Against Gate, am I right?” (via Reddit). In German, his response means: “More like Fury against the Gate, am I right?” elektromas writes: “Uber Barricade, the true endgame!” (via Reddit).

The problem does not seem to be exclusive to u/TheHeartsFilthyLesin. Under his post, many players express that the quest is bugged for them as well. In another post on Reddit, user ivan2340 writes about a possible solution that seems to have helped some players (via Reddit):

  • Set the game display to windowed mode
  • Set maximum background FPS to 1
  • Re-log somewhere outside the cave
  • Go back to the cave at the quest location
  • Click on the cave entrance, alt-tab out of the game
  • Wait until everything has fully loaded at 1 FPS
  • Return to the game, start the quest dialogue and alt-tab out of the game again
  • Wait until the NPCs start screaming
  • The quest should continue normally from there

Another player first destroyed everything around the NPCs that might be in the way. Then he went to the dungeon entrance while the quest dialogue was running and went back to the gate (via YouTube). This way, he was able to successfully complete the quest.

What kind of quest is this? “Fury against Fate” is the third part of a quest line that begins with “Consumed by Pride”. You receive the quest from the NPC Ealda in the Dry Steppes in the area “The Untamed Heights” south of the waypoint “The Onyx Tower”.

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Fortunately, there are many other quests to do in Diablo 4 during this time. The side quest “Unyielding Flesh” is even available in the first area. And it fits perfectly with the game:

One of the best quests in Diablo 4 you can easily miss if you level too quickly

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

Destiny 2: Xur today – location and offers on 14.07.

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 4 minutes

Xur, the mysterious Destiny-2 vendor from the depths of the universe, is a fascinating figure. His appearance always attracts attention and draws numerous players to him, as he sells exotics for in-game currency.

What happened this week in Destiny 2? It has been a tumultuous week in Destiny 2, causing a lot of stir on all fronts. Destiny 2 disproves with its still solid player numbers, considering a quieter Season 21, the community’s speculation that the game has already exhausted its content and technical possibilities.

Shortly thereafter, Bungie was able to achieve a victory over a man who had severely harassed the former community manager and threatened him and his family.

In the now-concluded court case, he was sentenced to nearly $500,000, which made it clear that harassing and threatening developers and employees can have serious consequences.

And some had to wonder what was wrong with the Destiny 2 community when a female player reported on her shocking experiences with other players:

Destiny 2 player is insulted so harshly over a trivial matter that she has to take a break

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All information about Xur on July 14, 2023 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S

When does Xur come? Xur, the agent of the Nine, appears in Destiny 2 every Friday at 7:00 PM. His visit ends again the following Tuesday at 7:00 PM. During this time, all Guardians can purchase exotic items from him.

Where is Xur? This is his stash for the weekend

Xur’s location: Xur is usually located in a public area in Destiny 2 that changes every week. Guardians must find him to shop. However, MeinMMO always posts the exact location and what he has in store shortly after his appearance.

Here is where Xur is located: European Dead Zone, landing spot: Winding Cove

Xur’s inventory from July 14 – 18 – All exotics at a glance

What does Xur have for sale? Xur, the cosmic vendor with a penchant for the mysterious, returns with an alluring offer of exotic treasures. MeinMMO shows you what he has to offer. You can then decide for yourself if you like it.

This is Xur’s offer this weekend

Xur’s inventory from July 14 – 18.

Weapon:  Wings of Vigilance – Pulse rifle for 29 Legendary shards

Titan: Unyielding Skull Fort – Helm for 23 Legendary shards

  • Mobility: +11
  • Resilience: +11
  • Recovery: +11
  • Discipline: +12
  • Intellect: +2
  • Strength: +15
  • Total: 62

Hunter: Fr0st-EE5 – Leg armor for 23 Legendary shards

  • Mobility: +4
  • Resilience: +6
  • Recovery: +25
  • Discipline: +10
  • Intellect: +6
  • Strength: +15
  • Total: 66

Warlock: Crown of Storms – Helm for 23 Legendary shards

  • Mobility: +19
  • Resilience: +6
  • Recovery: +8
  • Discipline: +2
  • Intellect: +15
  • Strength: +15
  • Total: 65

Legendary armor set: Gensym Knight armor from IO/ Asher Mir

Additionally, you can find unique rolls for exotics from no longer available exotic missions from previous DLCs in Xur’s offering each week. However, you can only purchase these weapons from Xur if you own the corresponding expansion.

Currently, he has these two weapons for sale:

  • The exotic hand cannon “Fallen Moon” (Beyond Light DLC) with “Overflow”
  • The exotic scout rifle “Tale of a Dead Man” (Beyond Light DLC) with “All good things come in fours”

Last Iron Banner in Season 21

destiny-2-eisenbanner
Old Iron Banner armors can now also be focused

Here’s what it’s about in the Iron Banner: This week is the last chance to dive into the Iron Banner in Season 21 and fight for glory and honor. Unlike in the PvP endgame, the “Trials of Osiris”, the Iron Banner is not just about winning at all costs, but also about having fun.

It requires skill, strategy, and above all, teamwork. Because those who fight alone will quickly find that they have lesser chances against coordinating opponents. So grab your favorite weapon, howl in a pack, and show everyone who the true ruler of the Iron Banner is.

This loot is available in the Iron Banner: In the Iron Banner, Guardians can earn many weapons and also focus them.

  • The Void Grenade Launcher “Ravenous” with a rapid-fire frame. With high-damage grenades, a guarantee for high damage numbers. All other perks are helpful but not a “must have”.
  • Also the Strand Fusion Rifle “Pressure-Dense Precision” with adaptive frame.
destiny2-season21.eisenbannerwaffen

Both weapons come with the origin perk “Creeping Wolf”. At low health and scored kills against Guardians, you receive enhanced radar and will be removed from the enemy radar.

After your visit to Xur, you can also grab the catalyst for the latest exotic weapon in Destiny 2:

Destiny 2: Here’s how to snag the new exotic scout rifle “Malicious Tool” in Season 21

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

Blizzard will soon nerf some of the best builds in Diablo 4, they are too strong, take everything out with one hit

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

A few clever players are currently building the craziest builds in Diablo 4. With these, they are able to oneshot bosses multiple times and defeat everything else in the game. Blizzard responds, saying: this was not planned and will be changed.

What kind of builds are these?

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Is that allowed? Technically yes. No build is really exploiting a glitch, but rather stacking as many modifiers as possible. This works with so-called “damage buckets” and especially the “vulnerable” effect.

Only Rob’s build works because his opponent cannot die, allowing him to stack damage unrealistically high. However, since he is not actually killing anything with it, it can hardly be claimed as bug exploitation.

This is what Blizzard says now: In a conversation with PCGamer, Blizzard confirmed that such behavior is not intended. Builds should not deal that much damage: “The team will [change the effects] in the near future to improve balance.”

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Such damage was never intended

That such absurd numbers could occur has surprised many fans. Before release, Blizzard said, that such high damage numbers should not occur. This was one of the points that irritated players about Diablo 3.

In the beta, there were already builds that could deal similar damage, but back then it was due to bugs. That now even “real” builds without exploits achieve such numbers should not be the case. However, we do not yet know what the nerfs will look like and when they will come.

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Blizzard is planning a major patch with adjustments before the release of Season 1 on July 18. The developers have already stated that a whole bunch of changes will be included. Patch notes are not available yet.

It is therefore possible that the nerfs will come with the patch for Season 1, or perhaps even with an earlier hotfix. We will keep you updated as soon as we know more about it.

Diablo 4: “It is for the best of the game” – leaders explain why Blizzard is nerfing all the good things

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

WoW gives Draenei what they wanted after years – and some of you will hate it

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Draenei receive new customizations in World of Warcraft. They can now take on the look of sinister Man’ari Eredar.

World of Warcraft has already begun in Shadowlands to grant the heroes of Azeroth more customization options. Although in Patch 10.1.7 the focus is clearly on Night Elves and Undead, another race can also look forward to new features: The Draenei.

What do Draenei receive? The data miners from wowhead found a reward in the game data of Patch 10.1.7 named “Seeing Red”. By completing this achievement, new customizations are unlocked for Draenei characters: The look of the Man’ari Eredar.

Eredar who have turned to Fel magic are called “Man’ari Eredar”.

What are Man’ari Eredar? Man’ari Eredar actually belong to the same race as the Draenei, namely the Eredar. However, the race split thousands of years ago when Sargeras came to Argus and sought to recruit the Eredar for the Burning Legion. The Eredar who fled from Argus became the “Draenei”. The Eredar who entered into the pact with Sargeras were granted the “gift of Fel magic” and became Man’ari Eredar.

One of the Man’ari skin tones. Image source: wowhead
One of the Man’ari skin tones. Image source: wowhead

Unlike the Draenei, Man’ari Eredar have a different skin color. They are mostly depicted as red or mixed with blue. Exactly these customizations will be available for Draenei in the future.

Why is this controversial? Man’ari Eredar have been seen as the clear antagonists in the Warcraft universe for many years. They represent for many the pure evil and are not compatible with the Light – something particularly important to the Draenei, even if that got a little shaken at the end of “Legion”.

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However, it remains to be seen how Blizzard will justify these new customizations. However, the achievement already indicates that there will at least be a quest line in which you have to help Velen. It is conceivable that a group of remorseful Man’ari join the Alliance or at least the Draenei.

What do you think of this new feature for Draenei? A good thing for more customization? Or is it too far removed from the ideas of the Alliance and the Draenei?

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

Politically motivated hackers attack fanfiction site: want to sow hate, produce more love

Mary Marx Mary Marx Reading time 3 minutes

For over 30 hours, one of the most popular websites for fan stories was offline due to a hacker attack. The reasons for this are bizarre.

On July 10 and 11, 2023, the website ‘Archives of our Own’ was offline for about 30 hours. The reason was a DDoS attack. The hacker group Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for the attack.

A chronological account of the attack can be found on the official Twitter account of the website:

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What kind of page is this? ‘Archives of our Own’ is informally abbreviated as AO3 and is an archive for fan content. It revolves around self-written stories (fanfiction), images (fanart), and more related to all areas of entertainment.

This includes games, animes, music bands, movies, and TV shows. AO3 is operated on a non-commercial basis by volunteers. Overall, there are over 11.4 million works from over 6 million users on the site. There are over half a million fan works just for Marvel.

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Who are the actors?

Who is behind the plans of Anonymous Sudan? The hacker group has apparently been active since January 2023 and has been making headlines ever since.

In April 2023, they attacked the website and Facebook account of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in June 2023 targeted Microsoft and its Office 365 programs, causing several hours of downtime for the applications. Western financial service providers are also frequently targeted by their attacks.

The group poses as an Islamist terrorist group that allegedly acts with religious and political motivations.

However, security experts believe that the group has no connections to Sudan or Islamism. Evidence suggests rather a connection to the pro-Russian hacker collective Killnet. This connection was confirmed in February 2023 (via Flashpoint).

There are also indications that the group consists of state-sponsored Russian hackers who repeatedly attack Western targets. The methods and tactics behind the attacks resemble those of state-sponsored Russian adversaries.

‘Anonymous Sudan is a Russian information organization that wants to use its Islamic legitimacy to advocate for closer cooperation between Russia and the Islamic world,’ said Mattias Wåhlén, a threat analysis expert from Stockholm, to Bloomberg. ‘[The hacker group] repeatedly claims that Russia is the friend of Muslims.’

What is a DDoS attack anyway?
The abbreviation stands for the English “Distributed-Denial-of-Service attack” and describes a deliberately induced overload of the data network by sending a multitude of requests to the respective website.
The sheer volume of requests causes the site to collapse. Because of the sheer number of requests from many computers, the source of the attack can initially not be blocked.

Why the attack on the fan page? In a statement, the group claims to have attacked AO3 because “the site is full of disgusting stuff and other LGBTQ+ and NSFW things”.

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Hackers fail in their efforts

However, the hackers’ plan does not succeed. Early on, the operators of AO3 post a statement regarding the veiled intentions of the hacker group and a call that they do not tolerate anti-Muslim remarks:

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In response, they receive a lot of love and support from their community for their ongoing fight against the DDoS attack.

How does the community respond? In addition to supporting the operators of AO3, the community sets up alternative Discord servers where stories and images of their favorite fandoms can be shared during the duration of the attack. Alternatively, they read on other sites like Wattpad. Necessity breeds creativity.

@pianokeyswithh

A place to trade fics, make friends, talk about fandoms, finding lost fics and writing fics! 90 members and counting ask to join #ao3 #ao3fanfic #ao3fanfiction #ao3isdown #discord #server #discordserver

♬ original sound – Maddy McKenzie

Instead of hate, AO3 and the volunteers working under pressure there are showered with love, while, of course, simultaneously the first fanfictions about the DDoS attack are already being written.

Among other things, you can already find the first love stories between the AO3 website and the DDoS attacker. Many of these also take a sexually explicit direction. Some other users post homemade awards on social networks stating that they “survived” the outage of AO3.

The site itself assures that no account data was stolen and that for the moment account invitations have been disabled. The latter are needed for new users to register on AO3.

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

Diablo 4 is the most downloaded game on PS5, even surpassing the new Final Fantasy

Nicole Wakulczyk Nicole Wakulczyk Reading time 2 minutes

June was an important and promising month for game releases. In particular, titles like Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter 6, and Diablo 4 were highly anticipated – the latter having dethroned all others.

Sony released the top downloads on PS5 for June 2023 (via PlayStation Blog). The lists clearly show a winner regarding digital downloads in the USA and Europe: Diablo 4.

The following positions feature other top titles, but there are significant differences between the USA and Europe.

Season 1 in Diablo 4 starts on July 20. You can watch the trailer here:

Start video
Diablo 4: The Official Announcement Trailer for Season 1

Lilith tops the list

Which games are in the top spots? The game that was downloaded the most on PS5 in June 2023 is Diablo 4. This was likely partly due to the server slam, which was well received by players. Although Blizzard wanted to “destroy the servers”, everything went smoothly, and fans were thrilled.

How successful is Diablo 4? While Blizzard has not disclosed exact sales figures for Diablo 4, they achieved a revenue of 666 million US dollars within 5 days (via activisionblizzard.com). After the first week of release, they recorded 276 million gameplay hours.

In second place for the most downloaded games in Europe is Final Fantasy XVI. A game that was also eagerly awaited by many fans. MeinMMO demon Cortyn completely immersed himself in Final Fantasy XVI for a week and reveals how good the game really is – and whom it disappoints:

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In third place is F1 2023, while Street Fighter 6 is found only in sixth place in Europe, followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In the USA, however, Street Fighter 6 stands at third place.

The last position in Europe is held by Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales at the tenth place for the most downloaded games on PS5.

These are the top 10 downloads on PS5 in Europe and the USA

Here is the list of top downloads for June 2023 on PS5 in Europe:

  1. Diablo IV
  2. Final Fantasy XVI
  3. F1 2023
  4. Grand Theft Auto 5
  5. FIFA 2023
  6. Street Fighter 6
  7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  8. Cyberpunk 2077
  9. NBA 2K23
  10. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

The list in the USA looks somewhat different:

  1. Diablo IV
  2. Final Fantasy XVI
  3. Street Fighter 6
  4. Grand Theft Auto 5
  5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  6. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  7. NBA 2K23
  8. FIFA 2023
  9. MLB The Show 23
  10. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

On PS4, Diablo 4 also takes first place among the most downloaded games – but only in the USA. In Europe, Minecraft ranks first on the console, followed by FIFA 2023. Diablo 4 is in third place on PS4 in Europe.

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When it comes to free-to-play titles, Fortnite ranks first in both the USA and Europe, on PS5, but also on PS4. Apex Legends and Overwatch hold the last places in Europe here.

In Sony’s subscription model, shooters are also included that you can play for free, alongside free-to-play titles:

PS Plus Extra: The 5 best shooters you can play for free on PS4 and PS5 thanks to the subscription

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. GameSpot
  2. PlayStation Blog

EA Sports FC 24 mixes women and men in Ultimate Team, sparking a heated debate about realism

Thomas Dummer Thomas Dummer Reading time 3 minutes

On July 13, the official release trailer for EA Sports FC 24 was released. The developer company also announced further details regarding the inclusion of female players in Ultimate Team. This sparked a heated debate in the community about realism in the new football simulation game.

The player pool in Ultimate Team will be expanded to include female players. This is not well received by all fans. One aspect in particular is causing significant controversy.

The EA Sports FC 24 trailer highlights some new features that await us in the new game.

What sparked the debate? Women and men will be placed on the field together. This marks the beginning of a new era for EA Sports.

Considering the mixing of women and men, changes arise for the following aspects in Ultimate Team:

  • Packs and Transfer Market: Female players will be added to the packs. The players drawn can then also be sold or bought in a shared transfer market.
  • SBCs, Promos, and Objectives: Female players can be used for Squad Building Challenges as mentioned in the team building. Female players will not only be unlockable as objectives but can also be used to complete other objectives during new promos.

You can read the FAQs again on ea.com.

There seems to be little disputable content at first glance. As with the cover for the Ultimate Edition, however, much has been debated online. In particular, one piece of information led to a heated discussion.

In the gameplay trailer, you can see what it looks like in the game:

Start video
EA Sports FC 24: The official gameplay trailer

Fans are discussing realism – No distinctions between ratings of female and male players

In the FAQ “How will the ratings work?” EA explains that all female players will be compared to male players and will receive their ratings from the kickoff mode in Ultimate Team. This means that a female player with an overall rating of 85 will play similarly to a male player with an overall rating of 85.

In the subreddit dedicated to the new game, this is causing discussions. One thread with over 1,000 comments is addressing the new features that are being hotly debated. (Status: July 14, 14:00)

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Link to the Reddit content

Female players as strong as male players – is this still realistic? Opponents of the implementation of women in Ultimate Team completely dismiss the realism of the new football simulation game. “TheBizarreCommunity” summarizes his displeasure about the lack of realism in a comment: “This has nothing to do with real football anymore, it’s just Fortnite with balls.” (via reddit.com)

Or do women even perform better due to their body types? Reddit user “shakeer13” references his experiences from countless matches in Pro Clubs and suspects that the body model of women could become the new meta in EA Sports FC 24 because they are much more agile than men – a combination that has traditionally been strong in FIFA. (via reddit.com)

Are there opposing voices? Certainly: “Isit 77” sees the inclusion of female players in Ultimate Team as a huge opportunity to make women’s football and their idols more well-known. He adds that no 15-year-old would know who Eusebio or Socrates were if they weren’t icons in Ultimate Team. (via reddit.com)

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„I have never seen anything like this“ – Twitch streamer pities the opponents of the new world champion in FC 24
von Julian Schröder
Wonderkid dominates in the largest tournament of FC 24, directly claiming the title
von Julian Schröder

Many agree: Realism is not a priority

Many users are trying to defuse the debate, arguing that EA Sports FC is a video game and that realism does not necessarily have to be the top priority. “LN-14” writes: It’s funny how people are upset about it as if Ultimate Team was ever realistic. (via reddit.com)

User “Black_n_Neon” expresses a similar sentiment and comments: “I don’t want to hear any of you talk about realism while you’re playing Cech as a striker.” (via reddit.com) Here, the discussion refers to the shapeshifter card of Icon Petr Cech, who received an OP striker card during the event and was found in many teams.

A contentious topic. It remains to be seen whether the fears of some users will come true. At the latest by the launch of EA Sports FC on September 29, we will know more.

We are interested in your opinion on this matter: What do you think about the mixing of women and men in Ultimate Team? Is realism important to you in video games? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

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

Destiny 2 player is insulted so harshly over a trifle that she has to take a break

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 4 minutes

The online gaming world can be an exciting place for players to come together to experience adventures. Unfortunately, it is also a place plagued by toxic behavior and harassment. A recent story of a female player in Destiny 2 highlights this in a shocking way.

What did the female player from Destiny 2 report? For many female gamers, it is nothing new to play in a male-dominated environment. Especially in the shooter genre, female gamers have learned to keep up with their male counterparts and skillfully ignore insults, sexual remarks, and discrimination, not letting it get them down.

But sometimes situations still arise that can shake even the strongest of spirits. This happened to the Guardian BPM41N.

The player reported this week via Reddit about a toxic experience in Destiny 2. She received a flood of hate messages that overwhelmed her psyche so much that she is currently taking a break from gaming to avoid risking such an experience again.

At the same time, this experience made her so angry that she decided to raise awareness within the Destiny community about this problem.

Start video
Destiny 2: “Season of the Depth” lets Guardians dive into the water

After the match, inappropriate messages followed

“No one should have to experience this”: It all started with a seemingly harmless little thing that happens every day in Destiny 2. After the Guardian finished an Iron Banner match in the game, she received an unexpected yet not uncommon fireteam invitation, which she accepted. But there was no new, friendly acquaintance waiting for her.

I greeted everyone friendly, but was confronted with insults, threats, and sexist remarks. […] I will not elaborate on these messages to avoid revealing too many details, as it got quite disgusting.

reports Destiny player BPM41N

The player reacted briefly but then decided to turn off the console and continue her day. Not her first incident in Destiny 2, but, as she emphasizes, one of the worst, because it didn’t end there.

After 8 hours of work, I come home and want to relax a bit by playing. But when I turn on my Xbox, I notice that I have more messages than usual. […] All 5 members of the fireteam bombarded my inbox with messages that I have never received in my 12 years of online gaming. These messages disturbed me, as they contained detailed threats with inappropriate content. While reading, I felt deeply humiliated and anxious. Something I hadn’t felt online in many years.

Others advised the player to immediately contact Microsoft and Bungie so that this incident would have consequences. She was also advised to adjust her settings in Destiny 2 so that only friends can contact her and invite her to activities. This would better protect her from such toxic individuals.

More from the Destiny community:
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Destiny 2: Players annoyed by endless apocalypse fantasies: “How many more times must the opposite be proven?”
von Britta ♤ BeAngel
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Destiny 2: Fans would rather watch YouTube than play the story in ‘The Final Shape’ themselves
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

In anonymous spaces, people lose respect: It is good that this Destiny 2 player shared her experiences publicly. Also because her story can encourage others to speak out about similar experiences so that such behavior is no longer tolerated. Some victims remain silent out of fear of further attacks and may even think they are to blame, which is not the case.

No one should be insulted and humiliated because of a small thing, be it in-game or outside. It is a sign of disrespect and makes it clear that the toxic culture of online games, like Destiny 2, is far from over.

“Juicy Gnu,” one of the largest German gaming YouTubers, explained to MeinMMO Editor-in-Chief Leya Jankowski in this article how these assaults in gaming actually occur.

Has something similar ever happened to you in Destiny 2? And how would you react if you witnessed something like this in the game but were not directly affected? Feel free to leave us your opinions on this.

How strong the Destiny 2 community can be, especially in dark times, it has proven many times: Murder of a Guardian unites the Destiny 2 community: ‘We do not forget those who die’

She then blocked all accounts in Destiny and on her Xbox, reported them, and deleted the messages so she wouldn’t have to see them anymore. But that didn’t stop the situation.

destiny2-dungeonfallen-fuer-blaubeeren-lustigerspaßmitanfaengern
Not every behavior can be dismissed as harmless fun

The next day, her inbox was again filled with inappropriate messages. But not just from 5 accounts, like the first time, but from 31 different accounts. Despite a certain numbness towards such incidents, she felt shocked by this action.

These individuals, like those I mentioned in this post, made me feel unwelcome and afraid to even try PvP activities, and it has led me to feel uncomfortable in many player interactions.

This is how the Destiny community reacted

Astonished players demand severe consequences: On Reddit, her report was commented on with 2,000 upvotes, astonishment, but also concern.

The player Awesomedude33201 writes: “This sounds like people who would send death threats to Bungie employees and community managers.” referring to the current lawsuit that Bungie had filed against a man who threatened the developer’s staff and studio.

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Destiny 2 wins lawsuit of $400,000 against man who threatened employee – Expert explains why this is so important
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

Some players also apologize on behalf of these individuals, like Historical-Message14: “I’m sorry that you or anyone has to deal with this. Hopefully, you can return to Destiny and enjoy it peacefully again.”

Others advised the player to immediately contact Microsoft and Bungie so that this incident would have consequences. She was also advised to adjust her settings in Destiny 2 so that only friends can contact her and invite her to activities. This would better protect her from such toxic individuals.

More from the Destiny community:
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Destiny 2: Players annoyed by endless apocalypse fantasies: “How many more times must the opposite be proven?”
von Britta ♤ BeAngel
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Destiny 2: Fans would rather watch YouTube than play the story in ‘The Final Shape’ themselves
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

In anonymous spaces, people lose respect: It is good that this Destiny 2 player shared her experiences publicly. Also because her story can encourage others to speak out about similar experiences so that such behavior is no longer tolerated. Some victims remain silent out of fear of further attacks and may even think they are to blame, which is not the case.

No one should be insulted and humiliated because of a small thing, be it in-game or outside. It is a sign of disrespect and makes it clear that the toxic culture of online games, like Destiny 2, is far from over.

“Juicy Gnu,” one of the largest German gaming YouTubers, explained to MeinMMO Editor-in-Chief Leya Jankowski in this article how these assaults in gaming actually occur.

Has something similar ever happened to you in Destiny 2? And how would you react if you witnessed something like this in the game but were not directly affected? Feel free to leave us your opinions on this.

How strong the Destiny 2 community can be, especially in dark times, it has proven many times: Murder of a Guardian unites the Destiny 2 community: ‘We do not forget those who die’

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

A large SF MMO from Berlin dies despite 92% positive reviews on Steam: “Greed has ruined it”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The SF-MMO Dreadnought was released in 2018 on Steam, a year earlier aspiring commanders could already play it on PlayStation 4. Especially in the beta, the “World of Tanks in space” generated excitement. Even in the last 30 days, it had 92% positive reviews on Steam. But somehow the spark never caught on: Greedy microtransactions allegedly brought the game down, some claimed.

What was the idea behind Dreadnought?

  • “World of Tanks in space” describes it quite well: Dreadnought primarily focused on size. The spaceships that players controlled were massive and rather sluggish battleships with gigantic dimensions. Every broadside had to be well thought out.
  • Dreadnought aimed to give players the feeling of commanding a huge battleship: You were the commander of a massive space barge, not a nimble starfighter, but a hefty star destroyer.
  • However, on Steam, the game could never really establish itself: Player numbers had been stuck in the double digits for the past 3 years: Now, on June 11th, it came to a complete end. The servers shut down, it can no longer be played.

This was the trailer for the release of the open beta on PS4:

Start video
Trailer: Dreadnought Free2Play Shooter on Steam & PS4

SF-MMO Dreadnought closes on July 11th on Steam and PS4

What is the farewell like? The farewell to Dreadnought was actually planned for March 19th, but the game was granted an extension until July 11th.

On Twitter, the team posted a message expressing their “mixed feelings” about the farewell. They were grateful for the journey, had created something very special, but were also looking forward to focusing on new projects.

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Link to the Twitter content

On Twitter, some express their regret over the end of Dreadnought. They say things like: I don’t even know how this happened. I thought it was so great in the beta, but then I lost track of it.

What caused the game’s failure? Looking at the player numbers on Steam, Dreadnought was never really successful; it seemed to be too niche and never managed to achieve a certain level of recognition:

  • In October 2018, it had an average of 1,682 players on Steam
  • By March 2019, it was only 124 players. From then on, the game never really recovered.
  • Finally, when the end was already in sight, there were still about 29 players online on average per day.

Upon its release on PS4 in 2017, developer Yager faced the challenge of switching from full-price titles like Spec Ops: The Line to free-to-play with microtransactions. Thus, there were “boosters for faster collection of experience points.” The game also offered “hero ships” with particularly thick equipment.

Why is this problematic? Generally, microtransactions that provide any, even slight, advantage are considered “problematic.” Purists typically only accept purely cosmetic items.

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Players see this as a reason for failure: In the reviews of the game on Steam, which are otherwise predominantly positive, it is frequently noted that these microtransactions ultimately stood in the way of the game’s success:

If microtransactions are your priority, this will happen. A promising concept was completely ruined by greed.

Another user with 1,080 hours in the game states: The game lost many players when it transitioned from beta to release. Apparently, the microtransactions back then caused a mass exodus:

At least it was never pay-to-win. It wasn’t as bad as people said, especially when players found out that you could farm credits and experience points in the “Proving Grounds” mode.

Other reviews mention that Dreadnought is a unique game without any real alternative. However, many believe the microtransactions had significantly hindered the game. One person says they wouldn’t mind spending money on a DLC, but it would need to contain some real effort.

Some fans urge Yager to release the source code so that the game can continue to live on.

This is what it’s about: Although it’s understandable, one shouldn’t talk about “greed” in such a case. Yager certainly didn’t become rich with “Dreadnought” from an average of 30 players.

For MMOs that are meant to be continuously developed, financing is challenging:

  • The model of selling purely cosmetic items only works for extremely successful games like Fortnite or League of Legends.
  • Practically all other games must find a compromise between “fair free-to-play” and economic pressures.
  • Ultimately, the market can only support a limited number of games-as-a-service titles at the same time. Games that fail to generate and maintain a “buzz” at release are inexorably heading for an end.

The Berlin studio Yager is currently not having a good run: In addition to Dreadnought, it had to shut down its second MMO “The Cycle.” However, the studio’s financing seems secure, as it has a strong partner in Tencent:

Steam: German response to Escape from Tarkov shuts down servers in autumn

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PC Games (mikrotransaktione)
  2. 3djuegoespc

Pokémon GO: Trainers are desperately searching for showcases, where is the new feature?

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO, trainers want to participate in showcases, which has been possible for almost a week. But not for everyone.

What is this feature? The new PokéStop showcases were introduced for the 7th anniversary of Pokémon GO and offer a new gameplay element.

There, you can send Pokémon to compete at specific PokéStops. For example, trainers were able to submit different Squirtles at the start of the new feature. The one with the largest Squirtle ultimately won the showcase. Similar competitions are expected to come in the future.

Whoever wins the showcase will receive some rewards at the end. You can find an overview of the showcases in Pokémon GO here.

However, there has been a problem with the showcases from the beginning: not all trainers can see them.

The showcases are part of the new season in Pokémon GO:

Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season ‘Hidden Gems’ in the trailer

Where are the showcases in Pokémon GO?

This is the problem: While some trainers have already secured their first victories in the showcases, others are still searching in vain on their map for them.

Players reported from the start that to this day they’ve not found a PokéStop showcase, for example in the Subreddit TheSilphRoad for Pokémon GO.

Others at least report getting a pop-up at stops where a showcase would theoretically be, but then being unable to interact with it further (via reddit).

So there is obviously a problem here.

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What does Niantic say about this? On Twitter, Niantic Support has already addressed relevant inquiries several times and emphasized that the issue is known and being investigated. They also refer to a bug website where there should be a corresponding update once the problem is resolved.

Currently, it says there:

  • Some trainers cannot see PokéStop showcases.
  • Description of the problem: Some trainers cannot see the PokéStop showcases at PokéStops, while other nearby trainers can.
  • Status of the problem: Under investigation
via Niantic Helpshift

This post was last updated 7 days ago. It seems there is still no solution. As soon as there is any new information, we will keep you updated on MeinMMO.

Have you already been able to participate in a showcase? How did it go? Let us know in the comments!

Otherwise, the next event in Pokémon GO is approaching: A hat full of sleep.

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

Microsoft explains that Activision Blizzard made a big mistake with Call of Duty

Nicole Wakulczyk Nicole Wakulczyk Reading time 2 minutes

In the ongoing deal for Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, new documents reveal insights into Activision’s plans with Call of Duty. The popular shooter was supposed to be the key to success – but they failed.

According to a new document from Microsoft, Activision had planned to grow with the acquisition of Call of Duty. Ultimately, this was a “resounding failure” (via Twitter).

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 the series returned to Steam:

Start video
CoD Modern Warfare 2: Important changes explained quickly – With gameplay

“The attempt was a resounding failure”

Why did it fail? According to Microsoft, Activision Blizzard had the plan to remove Call of Duty from Steam and sell the digital PC version of the shooter exclusively on its own Battle.net launcher. They wanted to lure players to the platform. The number of monthly active users of the launcher remained constant over the years, while the user count on Steam increased.

The document states:

Activision’s attempt to move the digital PC sales of Call of Duty exclusively to its Battle.net platform was a resounding failure. Before 2018, Activision sold digital versions of Call of Duty titles for PC via Valve’s successful Steam platform. In 2018, Activision decided to remove the game from Steam and make it exclusively available on Battle.net, mainly in an effort to attract users to its own platform and grow it.

via Twitter

Thus, Activision announced in 2018 that it would skip Steam upon the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and release it exclusively on the Battle.net launcher (via Kotaku). Activision held onto the plan for five years, but fans were frustrated.

In 2022, they reversed course and released Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on Steam.

The hoped-for increase did not materialize

What led to the change of heart? Activision’s plan to lure players to its own platform has failed, it is stated. While the number of monthly active users on Steam doubled over the years, it remained relatively constant on Battle.net:

The monthly active users of Battle.net remained relatively constant during the time it had exclusive access to digital sales of Call of Duty on PC, from 2018 to 2022. RX5055, p. 50. During the same period and without access to Call of Duty, the monthly active users of Steam increased by several tens of millions and nearly doubled from 67 million MAUs in 2017 to 132 million MAUs in 2021.

(MAUs = monthly active users)

via Twitter

In another excerpt from the document, Microsoft points out that platforms can also be successful without the shooter. Microsoft stated that “Activision has not released a single Call of Duty title for the Nintendo Switch” (via Kotaku).

Even without Call of Duty, the Nintendo Switch is a great success and ranks among the best-selling consoles worldwide.

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We will keep you updated on how things progress with Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, and Call of Duty.

After Microsoft raised the prices for the Game Pass and Xbox Series X, they are now enticing with a promotional offer for the subscription:

Xbox Game Pass: After the price increase, a popular offer returns

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

„Can you help me find a partner?“ – Twitch streamer responds too honestly

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

On Twitch, the clip of Korean streamer “Bossberry” goes viral. A viewer asked her if she could help him find a girlfriend. His mother would be very happy. The answer was short: “No, as long as you’re watching me, that’s impossible.”

This was the interaction:

The streamer read a chat message from “TrayHatter” out loud in the Twitch stream: “Berry, can you please help me find a girlfriend? I would really appreciate it. That would make my mother happy.”

Without a second’s hesitation, the streamer replied.

Sorry, if you keep watching me on Twitch, I think you’ll never get a girlfriend. Sorry.

Twitch clip of Korean streamer goes viral

How successful is the clip? Alone on Twitch, the clip has reached more than 100,000 views with this short interaction and has also been discussed on Reddit.

Why is this clip so popular? The clip apparently taps into a “self-flagellation” impulse among many Twitch viewers.

The motto is: If you’re watching foreign women on Twitch, you’re such a nerd that you’ll never get a real girlfriend. They wouldn’t understand how one can watch “Just Chatting” women.

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In the forum reddit the clip is discussed:

  • The top comment is “The truth really hurts”
  • One says the streamer must have known that the questioner had a “humiliation fetish”

There is then a discussion about whether there are even women who watch Twitch. One says he had girlfriends who watched Twitch with him. There is nothing wrong with that, one should not change who one is just to find a partner.

But he is confronted with the fact that it is indeed strange to explain to a girlfriend why you watch a “Just Chatting” streamer.

A potential girlfriend might find that odd.

The harshest response is probably: It must be great to be able to talk to your girlfriend about how beautiful Alinity’s breasts look today.

Here is the clip with the dry response:

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Link to the Twitch content

“Just Chatting” streamers as a substitute for girlfriends

What’s behind this: The discussion plays with the idea that single men develop a parasocial relationship with “Just Chatting” streamers, which they then see as a substitute for a “real girlfriend”:

With this “truth”, viewers are confronted by Berry’s statement.

The clip also goes in a direction where some single men who spend a lot of time on the Internet describe themselves ironically as losers and then talk about “my wife’s boyfriend” who can do everything much better, is much more masculine, and puts them in the shadow.

More on this:

Twitch deletes emotes for “Simp” – What is a Simp anyway?

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

„This is simply the dumbest thing that has ever existed“ – Ryan Reynolds proposed a plot that was even too absurd for Deadpool 2

Marie Friske Marie Friske Reading time 2 minutes

Ryan Reynolds, the actor of anti-hero Deadpool, pitched his plot idea for the superhero sequel to the film studio. However, it was too crazy even for the creators.

The first Deadpool film, released in 2016 with Ryan Reynolds in the lead role, already thrilled numerous Marvel fans with its sarcastic humor and partly quirky moments.

For the second part of the superhero film, Ryan Reynolds came up with some very special ideas and proposed them directly.

In the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on August 14, 2018, the actor revealed the pitches he made to the studio for Deadpool 2.

Here you can see a trailer for Deadpool 2:

Start video
English trailer for Deadpool 2 with Ryan Reynolds

A chair was supposed to be the centerpiece of the entire film

The entire story in Reynolds’ pitch was about how Deadpool tries to steal the big red chair from The Voice. But the studio vehemently rejected the idea: “That’s just the dumbest thing ever, so no.”

Although Ryan Reynolds didn’t participate in The Voice, he did appear in Masked Singer, as you can read here at our colleagues from Moviepilot.

But Reynolds doesn’t get discouraged so quickly and pitches another idea. In the second part, Deadpool builds his own team with X-Force. The studio excitedly thinks about the collaboration of various heroes like in the Avengers.

Here you can see the YouTube video where Ryan Reynolds shares his ideas:

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via YouTube

Ryan Reynolds enthusiastically says: “They are all fantastic and they are huge stars, it’s going to be great. Brad Pitt will do it.”

“Wait a minute, back up. Brad Pitt will do it?” the conversation partner asks in confusion. Reynolds explains that he will play one of the X-Force team members. When the studio inquires which character Reynolds means, the response is:

I said: “He will play the Vanisher.” They asked: “What powers does Vanisher have?”

And I replied: “He doesn’t speak and is invisible.”

Ryan Reynolds via YouTube

The counter-question arises, why one would cast Brad Pitt for such a role. Reynolds quickly explains that he will indeed be seen in the film:

For a whole quarter of a second when he dies from an electric shock.

Brad Pitt and his Vanisher cameo, which lasts only a moment, made it into the final version of the film together with the X-Force team.

A scene with Hollywood star Johnny Depp, on the other hand, did not make it into the fantasy blockbuster, even though it was quite expensive:

16 million dollars cost a single scene with Johnny Depp: even though it doesn’t appear in the film

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

Action game on Steam suddenly has 193,000 players, but we Europeans are supposedly too bad to like it

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

The action game Naraka Bladepoint was able to set a new peak of player numbers on Steam, although a journalist believes that the large skill gap deters Western players.

Which game is it about? Naraka Bladepoint (PC, Xbox, PS5) is a battle royale released in August 2021 that focuses on action-packed combat and parkour movement. You can climb towers, mountains, or houses and swing through the air with a grappling hook.

In addition to ranged weapons like bows, Naraka Bladepoint primarily focuses on melee combat with swords or staffs. Additionally, there are various potions that can heal you or provide boosts.

Gameplay-wise, Naraka Bladepoint is characterized by the mix of melee attacks and fast movement, and it is visually set in an Asian fantasy setting.

Start video
Naraka Bladepoint celebrates the F2P transition with a new trailer
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Why has Naraka Bladepoint suddenly gained so many players? Naraka Bladepoint was released on July 13, 2023, for the PS5 and simultaneously transitioned to free-to-play. The game can now be played for free. Previously, players had to pay between €19.99 and €50 for the battle royale, depending on the version.

With the F2P transition on July 13, the player numbers on Steam also skyrocketed. Naraka Bladepoint was able to set a new peak with 192,000 simultaneous active players. The old record was 186,707 players and dates back to December 2021. In June 2023, Naraka had an average of 39,403 players, with a peak of 133,315.

Journalist believes the skill gap is too high for Western players

Who says Europeans are too bad for the game? Jake Lucky is a US gaming journalist who reports about games and streamers on Twitter. On July 12, Jake Lucky spoke in a post about Naraka Bladepoint and said he was curious about how the game would perform in Western countries after transitioning to F2P.

He speculated that the skill gap might be one of the reasons why the game has never been as successful in Western countries, including Europe, as it is in Asia. There, Naraka Bladepoint is “huge” (via Twitter).

Why Jake Lucky believes that the skill gap is only a problem for Western players, he did not explain in detail. However, in the comments, there were both players who shared his assessment and players who saw the problem more in too many bots in public lobbies.

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Why is the skill gap a problem? The skill gap refers to the difference in abilities among individual players. The greater the skill gap, the greater the difference between players and their skills.

In Naraka Bladepoint, for example, extremely skilled players meet complete newcomers. This can cause frustration in a battle royale, as there is no respawn. This means that if you lose a confrontation in Naraka Bladepoint, you’re out and have to look for a new match.

Former MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic was discouraged by this situation. He described the combat system as “genius,” but found it frustrating in combination with the “battle royale” game mode.

Although he masters games like Sekiro and Elden Ring effortlessly, he repeatedly encountered players in Naraka Bladepoint who “easily demolished” him and had tricks that he did not understand while watching or were not taught by the game.

You can read Marko Jevtic’s complete report on MeinMMO:

Naraka: Bladepoint could be the best battle royale on Steam if it weren’t so frustrating

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

Largest troll in the history of WoW destroys entire guild, ruins 10,000 hours of gameplay

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

This is probably the biggest troll in the history of World of Warcraft. Tens of thousands of hours ruined – by a single player.

Trolls in MMORPGs like World of Warcraft are not uncommon. But where an item gets “ninjaed” or a guild bank is looted, such problems can be fixed relatively quickly. But the guild “HC Elite” is unlikely to recover from this incident anytime soon. Because a troll nearly wiped out the entire hardcore group.

What happened? The guild “HC Elite” had set the goal of completing all raids in WoW Classic with “hardcore” characters. These are characters that have never died – because then they would have failed the challenge.

We had previously reported on this guild, such as when they completed Blackwing Lair or also tackled Ahn’Qiraj.

Now there was only one raid left on the plan: Naxxramas.

Only 3 bosses were missing until the big success. But with that came a few of the toughest fights, such as against the infamous Four Horsemen.

However, HC Elite was unaware that a troll named Tinyviolin69 had slipped into their ranks, and would now stifle their grand dream in its infancy.

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How did the fight go? The fight works in such a way that the horsemen need to be tanked in different corners of the room. One of the main tanks, Tinyviolin69, had to tank his boss Sir Zeliek in one corner of the room. He did that for a while, before moving the boss to a completely different position. The boss casts a spell every few seconds that jumps to nearby characters much like a chain lightning.

Within seconds, the raid and thus the guild were wiped. Of the 40 active players, only 4 survived the incident.

This meant that the work of 40 people, all of whom had invested several weeks into their characters, was destroyed by a troll.

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Who is Tinyviolin69? Tinyviolin69 has not only become one of the main tanks, but also has a significant history as a troll and cheat. He had previously engaged in multiboxing in WoW Classic just to dispel entire raids of their powerful world buffs. He later received a ban for accepting real money to not steal players’ buffs.

However, the guild took him in because the incidents were years ago.

This is how the community reacts: The incident is being discussed intensely in the WoW Classic community. Many simply express their schadenfreude and post plenty of memes about how “a little violin” could wipe an entire raid group.

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Others are disturbed and a bit frightened by the “performance” that was delivered. Getting a hardcore character to level 60 and earning the trust of a guild over 2 months, just to then earn the hatred of the entire guild in one of the final fights, is seen by some as “next level” insane.

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By the way, Tinyviolin69 claims until the end that it was just a simple mistake that he made. Based on the incident – which makes such an oversight nearly impossible – and his history, hardly anyone seems to take him seriously.

At least: A few players from HC Elite seem relieved that it is finally over. Even though the pain probably runs deep, having failed so close to the goal.

What do you think about it? An “epic troll” who achieved an incredible feat? Or just the absolute worst?

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

Pokémon GO starts today ‘A Cap Full of Sleep’ with new Pokémon

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO the new event A Cap Full of Sleep is starting. It brings a new Pokémon and puts sleepy monsters in the spotlight. All info.

When does the event take place? A Cap Full of Sleep starts on July 15, 2023 at 10:00 AM local time and runs until July 16, 2023 at 8:00 PM.

Thus, it runs for just one weekend. Accordingly, you should make use of the time to search for the sleepy monsters. More events in July from Pokémon GO can be found here.

Among other things, you can encounter a new Pokémon. Additional bonuses are available for players using the new Autocatcher GO Plus+. We summarize everything here.

All bonuses from A Cap Full of Sleep in Pokémon GO

New Pokémon appears: You can encounter the drowsy Pokémon Koalelu during the event. It is roaming in the wild but is considered a rarer spawn. So plan some time to search for the Pokémon.

Pokemon GO koalelu
The new Pokémon (via pokemongolive.com)

Can Koalelu be shiny? No, the Pokémon will not be available as a shiny variant.

Which monsters appear? The event revolves around sleepy Pokémon, accordingly the spawns have also been adjusted. Here we summarize all event spawns, possible shinies are marked with an asterisk*.

In the wild:

  • Pummeluff*
  • Abra*
  • Traumato*
  • Relaxo*
  • Voltilamm*
  • Teddiursa*
  • Bummelz*
  • Wolly
  • Somniam* (With luck)
  • Koalelu

In Raids:

  • Level 1: Abra*, Galar-Flegmon*, Traumato*
  • Level 3: Duflor, Relaxo*. Enekoro, Folikon
  • Level 5: Regieleki
  • Mega-Raids: Mega-Lohgock*
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Bonus for players with GO Plus+ brings Relaxo with sleep cap

The new Autocatcher GO Plus+ was introduced back in February, which among other things brings a Relaxo with a sleeping cap as a bonus.

This is now coming into use: Anyone who connects a GO Plus+ with Pokémon GO receives a special research task, during which one can obtain the Relaxo.

Trainers have already shared the special research on reddit. Part of this research will apparently involve tracking your own sleep with the GO Plus+. This, in turn, points to another game that can be used with the Autocatcher once it is released: Pokémon Sleep.

In this game, everything revolves around collecting Pokémon while you sleep. A small review of Pokémon Sleep can be found here.

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

Court rules: Emojis can seal contracts, leading to fines of tens of thousands of euros

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

A farmer made a deal with a buyer. He used an emoji that has now become his downfall.

A Canadian farmer negotiated with a customer for a big deal. Specifically, it was about 87 tons of flax that he wanted to sell to the customer. Flax is one of the most important materials in the textile industry, so it is traded at a high price.

But during the negotiation, the farmer made a “mistake” that is now costing him a lot of money (via The Guardian).

Emoji on a document leads to fine

What was exactly the problem with the emoji? During the negotiations, the farmer received an image of a contract with a request to confirm it. He sent the famous thumbs up as his response.

According to his own statements, the farmer intended it only to show that he had received the message, not to agree to the contract. He did not even have time to look at it.

However, his contracting party saw the emoji as confirmation of his request and thus of the contract. The court also recognized that this symbol is “an unconventional means of signing a document.” In this particular situation, it is valid as it “serves the purpose of a signature.”

Why does he have to pay a fine? The Canadian was unable to deliver the agreed 87 tons of flax by the end of the deadline. As a result, the customer filed a lawsuit, claiming that the farmer had accepted the agreement by sending the emoji.

Therefore, the court decided that the farmer must pay a fine equivalent to 56,000 euros, as he could not fulfill the agreement with the buyer.

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Emojis have been around for over 20 years, the smiley is even older

Who actually invented the emojis? The inventor of emojis is the Japanese Shigetaka Kurita. In 1999, he programmed 176 small images for a telecommunications company that could be used in addition to text in an SMS. Emoji is Japanese and translates to “picture character.”

The idea behind such faces that can convey emotions is even older. On September 19, 1982, computer science professor Scott Fahlmann sent the first electronic smiley, formed from three punctuation marks. Most users might be familiar with the smiley.

Today, there are hundreds of such small images that can be integrated into messages. Depending on the operating system or manufacturer, the images differ in details, but mean the same thing. On iOS, for example, emojis look different than on an Android phone.

A man hid 2,200 computers in a barn for 23 years, now he is selling the devices on eBay for 100 euros

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