In a popular MMORPG, you will be able to summon sandworms starting from July 2023, reminiscent of the brown-gray beasts from the science fiction film “Dune”.
New World has now been on the market for over 1.5 years and continues to receive regular updates that add new content to the MMORPG from Amazon Games.
In July 2023, New World will receive the update “Blood of the Sands” – included is a new raid boss, the giant desert worm “Shah Neshen the Devourer”.
Additionally, there will be a new heart rune ability called “Sandworm Devourer Heart Rune” that allows you to summon a sandworm reminiscent of the giant beasts from the sci-fi epic “Dune”.
How does the new heart rune ability work? With the new heart rune ability, “New World” players can summon their own sandworm and unleash it on enemies.
While it is not big enough to swallow oversized machines, it is sufficient to deal solid damage to an enemy player. Furthermore, the summoned one approaches your foes from below and bursts up from the ground at their feet.
Additionally, according to Amazon Games, the worm is capable of pushing other players off a wall (via newworld.com) and inflicting significant damage with a subsequent bite.
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5 Tips if you want to start with New World in 2023
What is Dune? Dune is a science fiction book series consisting of six novels, on which games such as the upcoming survival game Dune: Awakening and various films are based – including the 2021 film directed by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve.
The film tells the story of the young nobleman “Paul Atreides,” whose family becomes embroiled in a political conflict on the desert planet Arrakis.
A special feature of the desert planet is the mind-altering drug “Spice,” which is produced by giant sandworms living on Arrakis. The brown-gray beasts play a central role in the Dune universe and are known for devouring anything that comes in their way.
There is also already a trailer for the sequel to Dune (2021), on which occasion the German YouTuber Nerdkultur spoke again about what makes the first part so special:
Mortal Kombat is a famous game series that has even been adapted into a movie. The latest installment will be released on September 19, 2023, for PC, Xbox, and PS5. Currently, there is a free trial phase, and some are trying to sell their beta keys.
Currently, the free stress test of Mortal Kombat 1 is underway. Mortal Kombat 1 is supposed to be a kind of reboot of the popular series. With the stress test, the developer NetherRealm aims to put the servers under pressure and test whether there are any issues. This is comparable to the server slam of Diablo 4.
Since this is a private test, only selected players can participate. Some gamers are now taking advantage of this to sell their beta keys at a high price. The keys are sent via email and can be redeemed afterwards.
And some players are indeed willing to spend a lot of money for a key. This is reported by colleagues from Eurogamer.
Start video
Mortal Kombat 1 gets a reboot for PS5 after 30 years and the trailer shows exactly what fans of the series love
Beta keys are being sold on eBay for 200 Euros
Currently, you can find dozens of beta keys for Mortal Kombat 1 on eBay and other platforms. Prices start at around 30 Euros for bids, with one current key already reaching a price of 227 Dollars (about 200 Euros). For security reasons, we are not directly linking to the offers on eBay.
This is what an offer looks like on eBay.
What is the problem with the keys? According to the developer, it is just a code for the beta. Once the beta is over, you need to buy the game on Steam or the console for 70 Euros.
With the code, you can only play the beta until Monday, June 26, 2023. This is also why you should stay away from these codes: You would be paying 90 Euros for only a few hours of play, excluding the download time of the game.
And theoretically, you can also “test” the game for “free” at release in September. Because you can refund games on Steam that have under 2 hours of playtime and are returned within a maximum of 2 weeks of purchase.
Why is this additionally dangerous? The magazine TheGamer reports that some sellers are trying to direct potential buyers to Discord in the product description to conduct the sale of the key there. This should be a warning signal, as sellers are trying to cheat customers this way. This leads to nasty scams.
Such people always exist, trying to sell you rare items for a lot of money. During Corona, for example, scalpers traded graphics cards and PS5 consoles and sold them for a high price. But the heyday of scalpers is now over, and many will not be able to sell their purchased consoles anymore:
The Twitch streamer MontanaBlack says he has invested over 1.5 million euros in a major project that he has been working on for 2 years. The project is set to launch in the coming weeks.
In what context does MontanaBlack say this:
The German streamer, who refers to himself as “the face of German Twitch”, commissioned a video about “the mistakes of Twitch” from the opinion blogger Kuchen.tv and reacted to it.
In response to the video, he takes a stand against Twitch, particularly upset about the ban policy, such as the legendary “Stripper” incident, and that Twitch pays him less than before without providing more. He also criticizes the lack of support from Twitch for major projects.
He also explains that he cannot switch to Kick, among other reasons, because it would jeopardize one of his major projects. He fears that his sponsors might drop him if he switches to Kick, as the platform has a bad reputation in Germany and is too closely associated with the crypto casino Stake.
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MontanaBlack falls out with Mod – BigMac wants money, complains: “9 years thrown away”
This is what he says about his project:
“You will find out about it in the coming weeks anyway, because the announcement or the project, which I have been working on for 2 years – The project that I have been supporting for 2 years, planning for 2 years, is now in its final stages, and it will start in the coming weeks.
So much passion has gone into this project, but also so much money. All my savings have gone into this project. All the money from the shop, over 1.5 million euros, just from the clothing shop.”
As he explains, he has also gained many “big companies” as advertising partners for the project, meaning he does not refer to typical gaming partners like Acer or Logitech, but rather “big, big companies that also help with such a project.”
Here’s what’s behind it: There are many indications that one of the big streamers are now dissatisfied with Twitch and plan to leave the platform. This started about 2 years ago in the USA, when YouTube poached big Twitch streamers and is now continuing with Kick.
MontanaBlack and the streamer Reved hint that also in Germany, in the coming months, major streamers will be leaving the Twitch platform and signing elsewhere.
Rumors frequently mention an allegedly planned streaming platform called “Joyn”, which has been associated with streamers like MontanaBlack, Trymacs, or EliasN97. There is no official information on this.
MontanaBlack also only says that if Trymacs, Elias, or he were to leave Twitch, it would only show how much Twitch has done wrong in recent years. Because, in fact, he loves the platform.
Whether MontanaBlack’s project will become a German alternative to Twitch or something entirely different, we will probably find out in a few days.
A switch to Kick seems to be off the table for now. He says he has received a big offer but will not switch. If necessary, he can always leave in half a year:
In Pokémon GO cute baby Pokémon make the hearts of many trainers beat faster. Now an artist has designed more of them. We at MeinMMO show you 25 of them and want to know which ones you would like to see in the game.
Togepi, which accompanied Ash and his friends in the anime, has already made many trainers’ hearts beat faster. But also the other baby Pokémon, such as Pichu, Fluffeluff, or Riolu, are popular in the community.
In the meantime, there are a total of 18 different, more or less cute baby variants in the Pokémon world. Not enough yet, as the artist In-Progress Pokémon finds. How he envisions more baby Pokémon, we have summarized below. Additionally, we want to know which ones you would like to see in the game.
Here are the 25 cute baby versions
Who created the images? The artist In-Progress Pokémon is intensively engaged with the little pocket monsters and draws Pokémon that do not yet exist in the anime and the games, but could enrich them in principle.
He shows, among other things, various new evolutions of Evoli or possible intermediate stages of individual Pokémon evolutions, and also repeatedly illustrates how one or another monster could look in a baby variant. He then presents his drawings on social networks, such as his Instagram profile, and on his website.
Which monsters has he created as babies? For several years now, In-Progress Pokémon has been creating images of popular Pokémon in a baby variant. Monsters like Onix, Hunduster, and Skaraborn, as well as legendary monsters like Arktos, Zapdos, and Lavados, have already received cute mini versions.
We show you 25 of the cute baby variants of Pokémon from the first four game generations in the following image gallery:
Time and again, trainers wonder which new Pokémon could soon become part of the Pokémon world. The developers constantly add new pocket monsters. Even though there are currently no indications that these will be new baby Pokémon, we want to know your opinion on the cute minis.
Vote anonymously in the following survey on which baby Pokémon you would like to see in Pokémon GO and feel free to tell us in the comments why you made that choice.
Which baby Pokémon are already available in the mobile game? In Pokémon GO, trainers can currently enjoy the following 18 baby Pokémon:
Pichu
Pii
Fluffeluff
Togepi
Rabauz
Kussilla
Elekid
Magby
Azurill
Isso
Knospi
Klingplim
Mobai
Pantimimi
Wonneira
Mampfaxo
Riolu
Mantirps
Except for Klingplim, you can already find these baby Pokémon in their shiny forms in Pokémon GO with some luck.
In the 8th game generation, Toxel was also introduced as a new baby Pokémon in the Pokémon world. However, the little purple monster has not yet made its way into the mobile game. When this will happen is currently unknown and remains to be seen.
How to get baby Pokémon? In Pokémon GO, baby Pokémon can usually only be found in eggs, unlike other Pokémon games. To secure them, you must first acquire the suitable eggs and then hatch them. With a bit of luck, one of the mini Pokémon awaits you. You can see in the following post which eggs they are hiding in:
How do you like the baby variants from In-Progress Pokémon? Which monster is your favorite and why? Or was your favorite not included? Then feel free to share it with us here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other trainers.
In a video, Twitch streamer Asmongold had the new Battle Pass of Destiny 2 explained to him. He was surprised when he realized that some of the best weapons could simply be purchased through the Battle Pass. Also, the fact that Destiny 2 costs 414 € on Steam with all expansions and packs makes him frustrated.
Several days ago, the well-known Destiny streamer Aztecross referred to Destiny 2 as a microtransaction hell and explained that there are more and more paywalls in the game. Many players joined Aztecross’s criticism and stated that they feel forgotten by Bungie.
Twitch streamer Asmongold also watched Aztecross’s video and was shocked by the monetization practices of Destiny 2. He claimed that the game is “obviously a pay-to-win game.”
Start video
Destiny 2: Teaser trailer for the DLC “The Final Form”
God Rolls in the Season Pass, Asmongold finds “pay-to-win”
What is he angry about? In his video, Asmongold addresses that you can buy “God Rolls” through the Season Pass. And he does not think that is good. He explains:
Just so I understand this correctly: You can get these equipment items faster by buying levels of your Battle Pass that give you the items needed to craft these things that give you a Gold Roll for your weapons? Guys, I find that pretty bad.
And Asmongold believes that Destiny 2 can’t do any better in the future. This has already been seen with Diablo Immortal:
Isn’t it crazy that I’ve never played this game [Destiny 2] but already know exactly what’s going to happen? Because it’s the same damn thing every single time. It’s so sad. It’s the same song and dance.
Another point that concerns Asmongold: Buying everything on Destiny 2 on Steam costs 414 € if you purchase all expansions and packs that Bungie offers there.
Asmongold is frustrated by the idea of spending 414 $ for a game and buying 12 individual parts. He says: “Gaming in 2023 – it’s insane.”
Despite being pointed out by fans in his chat that some content in the 12 DLCs is duplicated and you only need to purchase 4, he remains undeterred in his criticism of this offering.
Asmongold also finds it rather crazy that there are further microtransactions in the Bungie Store that would cost him more than 10,000 $ if he were to get every item from the store.
Why is a “God Roll” so exciting? A God Roll refers to an item in Destiny that has the ideal combination of stats and properties. Such a weapon or armor is significantly more effective and also more desirable. Everyone wants to find and own such an item. Such items are very rare, and only a few Guardians find the perfect “God Roll armor.”
The possibility of now directly purchasing such “God Rolls” through the Battle Pass shocks Asmongold. He can understand the frustration of players who are upset about this, especially considering that the Battle Pass is the only way for new players to access old items that have since been removed from the game.
While Aztecross continues to provide his content on Destiny 2 and will criticize the loot shooter, another well-known Destiny 2 streamer has taken a much-needed break. There’s even praise from the developers personally:
The hack’n slash Diablo 4 could receive a significant performance boost in the future. Behind the magic word “Direct Storage” lies a new technology that is supposed to improve loading times, especially performance.
In a conversation with PCGamer, Blizzard explained: “MS Direct Storage is currently not activated, but we plan to enable it in the future.”
For many gamers, this could mean a significant jump in performance. For a long time, Microsoft wanted to bring this potentially interesting feature for gamers only to Windows 11, but now Direct Storage is also expected to come to Windows 10.
But what is Direct Storage and why could gamers benefit in the long run?
Start video
When should I break down or sell items in Diablo 4?
Direct Storage benefits from fast SSDs
What is Direct Storage? When decompressing certain data, the processor (CPU) is especially busy. Direct Storage hands this task over to the graphics card (GPU), which can handle this task much faster. Instead of moving the data between the processor and RAM, the GPU can use its significantly faster video memory.
In combination with a fast NVME SSD, loading times are supposed to be reduced by around 40 percent.
In simple terms: Thanks to Direct Storage, your games load significantly faster – both at startup and in cutscenes and similar scenarios, as these can be calculated (rendered) much faster. Furthermore, the processor is not burdened as much, resulting in less heat generation.
Btw, Direct Storage benefits both PC gamers and gamers on Xbox. Both the console and the PC can use Direct Storage.
Can you try Direct Storage already? Since January 2023, Direct Storage has been active in the controversial game Forspoken. Now Direct Storage is also expected to come to Diablo 4. This should lead to significantly shorter loading times and could reduce latency to a minimum. In Forspoken, loading times are reduced by 15 to 30% depending on the setup.
Interestingly, DirectStorage 1.2 even supports old hard drives (HDDs). For a long time, Microsoft stated that the true potential of Direct Storage could only be achieved with an SSD or NVMe.
Direct Storage activates itself on your computer without you needing to do much
Do I need to activate Direct Storage? No, you can do little yourself. Microsoft has already integrated DirectStorage directly into the DirectX API. Once the game developers activate the feature in their game, usually a single click and a game restart is enough to enable it.
Also advantageous: Windows will activate the technology automatically when all requirements are met. At that point, you will not need to do anything else except start your game that supports Direct Storage.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were hardcore rivals for many years. That’s why the Terminator actor once tricked the other action hero into taking on a really bad movie.
In the American talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked in an episode from October 2019 whether it was true that he tricked Sylvester Stallone into giving him a bad movie.
The actor admitted that he indeed set a little trap for his then-rival to saddle him with a bad movie project titled Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and laughs as he tells the story.
Here you can see a trailer for Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot featuring Sylvester Stallone:
Start video
Stop! Or My Mom will Shoot – Action Comedy with Sylvester Stallone
“Who has more muscles, who has more success at the box office?”
Then the Terminator actor explains that there was a great rivalry between the two action stars in the 80s. They competed fiercely for the best projects:
It was all about who makes bigger movies. Who has more muscles, who has more success at the box office? Who kills more people? Who kills people more creatively? Who has bigger knives? Who has bigger guns?
And I started running around with machine guns that were only meant for helicopters, which were usually mounted on helicopters or tanks. It was crazy, it was total war.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was offered the project Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. However, when he read the script, he quickly realized how bad it was and had absolutely no interest in the role.
However, he wanted his rival to accept the movie. Sylvester Stallone, who is also called Sly, contacted Schwarzenegger and asked if he knew about the movie. The Terminator then replied that he was considering taking the role and that the movie was a great idea.
Here you can see the entire YouTube clip where Arnold Schwarzenegger tells the story. Fast forward to Timestamp 6:48:
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“When he heard this, due to our competition, he immediately called and said: ‘No matter what it costs, I’m doing the movie,'” Schwarzenegger says laughing. “So he made the movie. And of course, the movie totally flopped.”
The MMORPG Palia is being developed by former developers of WoW and LoL and is set to release for PC and Nintendo Switch later this year. Additionally, there were new updates regarding Blue Protocol and the upcoming patch for WoW. We have summarized all the news.
Guild Wars 2 has announced the release of a new fractal for July 27 (via Twitter). There was also a leak about Steam that included the name for the new expansion (via MassivelyOP).
The latest expansion Necrom for ESO has been released on PlayStation and Xbox.
On June 24, Lost Ark introduced the latest class “Soul Eater,” which will be available in Korea on July 19 (via Twitter).
Black Desert celebrates a total of 50 million players worldwide and is giving away two great codes for that, including 1,000 Cron stones that prevent your equipment from being destroyed.
What happened with the small MMORPGs:
Lord of the Rings Online has introduced the new playable race of River Hobbits with the new Mariner.
These are the MMORPG news of the week at a glance. What was your personal highlight? Did you experience anything interesting this week that you would like to share? Or have we perhaps forgotten something important? Please feel free to write it in the comments here at MeinMMO.
For those looking for the best MMORPGs currently, you will find it here:
Black Desert was released in 2016 as a sandbox MMORPG with a strong focus on freedom and offers PvP in the open world starting from level 50. However, in recent years, the game has changed significantly, according to MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch. Even pure PvE players can have fun with it now.
Initially, Black Desert was referred to by players as a mix between an ARPG like Diablo and a PvP sandbox MMO. The constant grind was the main focus. However, several theme park elements have now been introduced to lighten the gaming experience and allow for new paths. I have tested how well you can progress as a PvE player over the past 3 weeks.
On May 24, the summer season in Black Desert started, and since the new expansion Land of the Morning Light was to be released shortly thereafter, I created a completely new character and have played from level 0 to now level 60 with useful equipment.
So far, I have only experienced PvE and at times even had a lot of fun. On the season servers, there are not only faster experience points, but PvP is also disabled, making it much easier for newcomers.
While it doesn’t quite reach the quality of a classic theme park MMORPG like WoW or FFXIV – especially in the early levels – anyone looking for a new game and who hasn’t given Black Desert a chance yet should perhaps reconsider their opinion.
Who is speaking here? Alex is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO and plays several titles simultaneously. He has spent most of his gaming time in Guild Wars 1 and 2, SWTOR, ESO, and New World. Recently, he has been searching for new games and has discovered his love for Black Desert.
Follow the main story and unlock a fast travel system
For the journey, I created my first giant and completed the various main stories exclusively with it. At the beginning, I chose the “old start,” which I would recommend to every beginner. Although you can now also start directly in the addon areas with a new character, it’s a bit more challenging there.
The main quest consists of about 400 tasks up to level 53, but don’t let this large number confuse you. Many of them mainly involve running and dialogues.
Throughout the quests, you will be guided through the game world, get to know the first three major cities, and defeat various groups of enemies. There are also regular small boss battles that are challenging but doable, especially for inexperienced players.
If you ever lose track of your main quest or the overview in general, you can press “O,” which will open a window displaying all quests in the game and show you where you can accept them.
The quest log in BDO
About level 53, after you have completed the main stories of Balenos, Serendia, and Calpheon, you can then engage in the Magnus quest line. This takes you to another world where your equipment doesn’t play a significant role.
Instead, you need to solve over 20 small puzzles. For this, you must:
Collect stones in the correct order
Capture horses and harness them to carts
Find hidden items
Remember the order of glowing pearls
Sneak through a series of laser towers without being hit
The quest line can be a bit annoying if played in one go because some tasks lack basic explanations, and you sometimes have to try different paths. However, spread over several days, it can be a lot of fun.
The Magnus quests also have many cool rewards, including a PEN boss gear (a strong equipment item) and various wells in the open world, which will become a fast travel system. This also unlocks many places later where you can grind. Additionally, the fast travel system connects the storage of all cities in the game. This removes several annoying elements from Black Desert that I criticized heavily at the release.
Using the newest well, you also enter the new area Land of the Morning Light, which strongly focuses on PvE.
Start video
Black Desert – Trailer “Land of the Morning Light”
New story chapters and the solo bosses
In Land of the Morning Light, you can expect 8 storylines that you can follow through quests. While these may start a bit slow, later interesting twists emerge. They are all accompanied by cutscenes and even English voice lines. Thus, the quests here are among the best in the game.
On the island itself, you can also engage in boss battles. There are a total of 8 bosses, each with 10 difficulty levels. The special thing is: Your equipment contributes only about 10% to your attack and defense. The rest you grind through bonuses on the island itself. This allows beginners to avoid frustrating equipment grind and instead work directly towards a goal.
Further details about Land of the Morning Light can be found in this article:
Equipment grind has been significantly reduced by the season
One of my biggest criticisms of Black Desert has always been the equipment system. The chance that items can lose their level or even break. The fact that you have to learn how to collect and use so-called fail stacks correctly. The issue that everything can still go wrong and you can end up without equipment. For me, that’s pure frustration.
In the season, it’s somewhat different:
You receive the Naru gear through quests, which you can upgrade relatively easily to level +15 and also up to PEN (6 additional levels) afterwards.
The first 16 levels nothing happens on a failure, and after that, it can drop down again, but the chances for that are low, and you lose nothing in durability. Therefore, you can simply keep upgrading until you reach PEN at the end.
This works so well because in the course of the quests and the season pass, you get enough upgrading materials. You are basically flooded with them.
When it reaches PEN, the Naru gear then transforms into Tuvala equipment, which you can also upgrade the 5 levels to PEN. Here the upgrading is a bit more tedious because the durability of the item suddenly plays a role.
On the one hand, you receive materials that guarantee an upgrade up to TRI (level 3) at least for weapons and armor. Additionally, thanks to the free season pass and daily login rewards, you get enough cron stones, which you can use to prevent the degradation of the equipment. Thus, you should be able to get your Tuvala gear to PEN without much grind, except for jewelry.
The PEN Tuvala gear is sufficient to farm in some high-level zones. You can also exchange it at the end of the season for boss gear, which is one to two levels below (depending on the method). Boss gear at PEN brings you into the regions of 600 gear score. The maximum is just over 700, but achieving that becomes ridiculously tedious due to the grind and is only required in very few areas.
Boss battles and dungeons in the PvE endgame
Those who wanted to experience true endgame PvE in 2016 were rather disappointed in Black Desert. A core element has always been and is grinding the same regions to earn silver and upgrade materials to improve equipment, only to grind at a new slot again.
However, over the years, new PvE content has been introduced:
New bosses and boss events have been introduced in the open world that can be defeated alone or in groups.
Additionally, there are life skills such as fishing, gathering, and mining, processing professions, the ability to create economic chains with the help of NPCs, sailing with a ship across the seas, and of course, housing, where you can let loose in your own instance.
Although Black Desert focuses more on PvP in the endgame – such as with the outpost battles to control the game world or the new PvP arenas – but even as a PvE player, you can spend hundreds of entertaining hours in the game. This is mainly due to the action combat system, which is incredibly fun once you understand the basics, abilities, and combos.
What are your experiences lately with Black Desert? Have you given the MMORPG another chance or are you playing something entirely different? Do you have any other recommendations for PvE MMORPGs besides the big titles?
In Diablo 4 there are many ways to get equipment items. Monster groups not only have specific combat styles, but they also drop specific items. We clarify about monsters and their loot drops.
In a subreddit, it was pointed out that monster groups drop certain items in Diablo 4. According to maxroll.gg, enemies not only have individual personalities and combat styles, but there is also a chance for specific items that they drop when killed.
Monsters and their Loot Drops
What loot can I target? These are the monster families and their drops:
Bandits (Bandits)
primarily found in Kehjistan & Dry Steppes
Brawlers, Sharpshooters, Throat Splitters
have no special abilities
Loot: Daggers, Maces
Beasts (Beasts)
Scosglen & Shattered Peaks
Bears, Werewolves, Woodland Spirits (trees that attack you)
Fire Wolves can turn invisible
Loot: Chests, Crossbows, Swords
Cannibals (Cannibals)
primarily found in the Dry Steppes
fight with swords & axes
Loot: 2H Axes, Axes, Helms
Cultists (Cultists)
Hawezar & Kehjistan
identified by red hoods and death masks
perform rituals, summon other monsters
fight with knives & fireballs
Loot: Daggers, Helms
Drowned (Drowned)
found on all coasts
possessed by statues and bells (if you see a large bell, the Drowned are not far)
fight with melee weapons & water magic
Loot: Scythes, 2H Maces, Pants, Boots
Fallen (Fallen)
Shattered Peaks & Kehjistan
melee & explosive damage
shamans resurrect defeated Fallen with their rattles, kill them first
Loot: Axes, Staves
Ghosts (Ghosts)
found everywhere in Sanctuary
fight with bows, swords & magic
Loot: Bows, Wands
Goatmen (Goatmen)
frequently found in the Dry Steppes
fight with axes and thrown projectiles
shamans empower the members, kill them first
Loot: 2H Axes, Axes, 2H Staves, Totems
Skeletons (Skeletons)
primarily found in Shattered Peaks & Kehjistan
melee & ranged combat
Tower shooters deal significant damage
Loot: Crossbows, Shields, Swords
Snakes/Nangari (Snakes)
swamp areas of Hawezar
shoot poison, throw acid bombs, bite
Loot: 2H Polearms, Swords
Spiders (Spiders)
Dry Steppes, but primarily dungeons/basements
throw webs that immobilize you
parasitic spider hosts “throw” multiple spiders when killed
Loot: Chests, Focus, Gloves, 2H Swords
Vampires (Vampires)
Shattered Peaks, but primarily dungeons/basements
Loot: Bows, 2H Swords, Wands
It is recommended to go loot in dungeons, as the spawn rate of monsters and elite opponents is often higher than in the open world. You can increase the chance of certain items by exploring different dungeons in the corresponding region.
For more information and images of the monsters, you can find them on maxroll.gg.
Dungeons can also be worth looting:
Start video
Diablo 4: That’s why you should check every cellar
Other Opportunities: Oboluses and Whispering Tree
What do I do with Oboluses? To obtain “Whispering Oboluses”, you must complete public events in Sanctuary. You can then use these as currency at the Curiosity Merchant to gamble for specific items.
We reported on the 70-year-old player who shares tips on proper Obolus gambling. In a subreddit for Diablo 4, another player has now mentioned another way to optimally use their Oboluses.
How can I strategically use Oboluses? To increase the chance of a specific item, u/Prowner1 developed a gambling tool to calculate the optimal Obol usage.
With this, you can determine which object to focus on at the Curiosity Merchant to obtain the desired legendary aspects.
Here you see a screenshot of the tool page:
In the tool, you can filter by class and aspect, and there is also a search function. Once you click on an aspect, a suggestion for the optimal item to gamble for, including justification, appears below.
Alternatively, you can use the bounty system of the Whispering Tree. You will receive quests to fulfill in the world – find corpses and kill minibosses, clear basements, kill groups of enemies.
What do I get from the Whispering Tree? Once you have accumulated 10 points, you can exchange them at the Whispering Tree for a loot box. The boxes belong to specific equipment groups. Additionally, there are “Chaos Collections” that contain a colorful mix of equipment items.
Shooting for the 3rd season of the survival show 7 vs. Wild is about to start. With Max “Trymacs” Stemmler and Jen “Knossi” Knossalla, two of the biggest German Twitch streamers are on board. Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris did not want to freeze in Canada, but still wants to benefit from the show.
What is 7 vs. Wild? It is a survival show by adventurer Fritz Meinecke, broadcast on YouTube. The basic formula of 7 vs. Wild consists of 7 participants armed with 7 items fighting for survival in the wilderness for 7 days.
However, in the second and third seasons, there have been changes to the number of items and participants. In season 3, 7 teams of two will fight their way through the wilderness of Canada for 14 days. This year, several content creators are participating, while the focus has previously been more on participants with outdoor experience. The following are participating:
Max “Trymacs” Stemmler and Wieland “Rumathra” Welte
Jens “Knossi” Knossalla and Sascha Huber
Kevin “Papaplatte” Teller and Dominik “Reeze” Reezmann
Fritz Meinecke and “Survival Mattin”
The “Naturensöhne” Andreas Schulze and Gerrit Rösel
How does he plan to cash in? In a stream, MontanaBlack recently reacted to Fritz Meinecke’s introduction of the location for season 3. It apparently suddenly becomes clear to the streamer what it actually means for him when half of Twitch Germany is fighting for survival in Canada:
Guys, I will farm so many subs during the time when they are all at 7 vs. Wild. No one will be online at Twitch, dude. I’ll be online every day 24/7.
During the shooting, MontanaBlack wants to stream more often and thus rake in plenty of subs. Someone has to take care of the viewers of the other participants while they are not there.
The streamer is already pondering, perhaps EliasN97, who once replaced him at number 1 on Twitch, will be nominated: “Then I’ll have Twitch to myself.”
You can check out the whole reaction here:
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Even if MontanaBlack did not want to participate in 7 vs. Wild, he raves about Canada: It is a beautiful country. On the other hand: It is not that different at Ilsebach in his hometown Buxtehude; there are also water lilies.
Regarding the accusation from a viewer that MontanaBlack did not want to participate himself and is now giving tips to others, the streamer wants nothing to do with it: He can still express his opinion. We can probably look forward to plenty of survival backseating.
Today, on June 24, 2023, there was a new patch for Diablo 4. The hotfix has fixed the glitch through which you could collect infinite experience points.
The patch notes in German – What has changed? Blizzard introduced the patch in the official forum and explained it in detail.
Here are the patch notes:
Gameplay fixes:
A problem has been fixed where monsters could spawn infinitely in cellar events.
Class changes
Barbarians: Reversal of a performance change that accidentally reduced the damage of “Hammer of the Ancients”.
Developer’s note: We released hotfix 12 today, which included stability and performance improvements that affected “Hammer of the Ancients”. These changes were solely for backend performance but inadvertently affected gameplay as well. It was not intended to reduce the damage of Hammer of the Ancients through this change. We have reverted this change as it was not intended.
Many players wished that Blizzard would punish the players who exploited the glitch extensively and profited from the error. Someone wrote in the Diablo subreddit: “I hope Blizzard acts tough and quickly against such violations.”
Whether Blizzard will punish the players who exploited the error is not known. We will keep you updated when we know how it will proceed.
Collect money and XP fairly: If you want to collect money (and experience points) in a fair manner, then check out the following guide here on MeinMMO. MeinMMO reveals where you can currently farm gold best and how you can save your gold:
PS Plus Extra has been Sony’s new subscription model for a year, offering you a lot of games. If you have the subscription, you can expect many different genres. Many shooters are included as well. Here are the 5 best you can play.
What is PS Plus Extra? PS Plus Extra is the second tier of the PS Plus subscription on PS4 and PS5. With the subscription, you can play many games for free from a large catalog. Similar to GamePass, you can expect a good mix of several genres.
What does “the best” mean? To create the ranking, we rely on the Metacritic page and their critic score. The value is an average rating of several reviews from journalists and gaming sites. (As of: 23.06.2023)
How do we make the selection? When we refer to “shooters,” we mean first-person shooters and have sorted the ranking to create a good mix. Some games resemble shooters but primarily have other gameplay elements. For example, we excluded games like Deus Ex Mankind Divided.
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5. Far Cry 5
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal |Meta-Score: 81 (PS4)
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Far Cry 5 Story Trailer for the open-world shooter in rural America
What kind of game is this? Far Cry 5 is a classic Ubisoft open-world game. You explore the world, activate radio towers, and shoot enemies out of their strongholds.
The biggest highlight of Far Cry 5 is the setting. You find yourself in rural America, confronted by gun nuts and wild animals like bears or alligators. The villain ranks alongside Vaas and Pagan Min and is, typically for Far Cry, a highlight.
Joseph Seed, as a religious cult leader, is an interesting opponent rarely seen in blockbuster games. In addition, you can expect quirky side characters who are as crazy as the world itself.
4. Doom Eternal
Developer: Id Software |Meta-Score: 87 (PS4)
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DOOM Eternal official trailer
What kind of game is this? Doom (2016) has a score of 85 and would thus rank above Far Cry 5, but we summarize the two new Doom titles. Doom is the forefather of today’s first-person shooters and made a comeback in 2016. Doom Eternal continues the story of the Doom Slayer and lets him loose on hell again.
Doom Eternal is a reimagining of old shooter virtues. With many weapons, you shoot various demons in levels. You must manage and use your weapons wisely, as demons have different weaknesses.
If you’re looking for a more traditional shooter experience, you’ll find a wonderful piece of software in Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. Furthermore, both games feature a fantastic soundtrack by Mick Gordon, which perfectly fits the bloody action fest.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A company in the Middle East developed a game console that you could only buy there. The star of the console was a penguin.
In the 1980s, the Kuwaiti Sakhr Software Company, led by its CEO Mohammed Al-Sharekh, decided to create excitement with a console based on MSX. MSX is an open 8-bit home computer standard that was primarily used by Japanese and South Korean companies starting in the 80s. The operating system was based on Microsoft BASIC.
Cooperation with Konami brings penguins to Arab console
How did the penguin get to the Middle East? To actively sell its new console, the Sakhr Software Company entered various partnerships, especially with East Asian countries. Because a lot of software for MSX was developed, especially here.
Ultimately, they teamed up with Konami, a Japanese manufacturer and publisher, allowing Konami to bring its games to Sakhr’s model.
One of those games was Penguin Adventure from 1986. You take on the role of the penguin Penta, who must rescue the penguin princess with a golden apple. The game was developed by a team around Hideo Kojima, who was 18 years old at the time. Today, most people probably know him more for games like Metal Gear Solid or Death Stranding.
Today, Penguin Adventure is considered one of the best action games ever released for Microsoft’s MSX. Compared to modern games, “Penguin Adventure” actually seems quite modern since it offers many contemporary features:
There were boss battles.
You could buy items for your journey.
And there were several mini-games that you had to overcome.
Additionally, you could unlock new abilities for the protagonist Penta.
Company ceased development of the console, but the company still exists today
What happened next? In the following years, further models of the console were released and continuously adapted to new developments. Even the second version (MSX 2) was taken over by the company. However, Microsoft ceased the development of MSX in the 1990s, marking the end of the console era in the Middle East.
What does the Arab company do today? In 1992, the last console was released in the Arab market, and then it focused again on software development. By the way, the Sakhr Software Company still exists today.
This is by the way not the only strange console that made it to market. The giant Apple also once attempted to create a game console, but was not very successful:
The head of Remedy was eager to have a quote from Stephen King to introduce the horror adventure Alan Wake (Xbox, 2010). The “King of Horror” granted his wish.
Which game is it about? Alan Wake is an atmospheric horror game from Remedy Entertainment. Players control the titular writer, who travels with his wife Alice to a remote village to overcome his writer’s block.
However, after the sudden disappearance of his wife, Alan Wake must confront the forces of darkness, armed only with a flashlight and a simple revolver.
The thriller adventure was released in 2010 exclusively for Xbox, before a PC release followed in 2012. In 2021, the game was given a polished remaster version, and the long-awaited sequel is expected to be released later this year.
The developers even promise the “best-looking game of 2023” (via GamePro).
Start video
Alan Wake 2 – Summer Game Fest Trailer
David Lynch meets Stephen King
What’s up with the intro? Right from its opening sequence, Remedy makes it clear where the inspirations for Alan Wake came from. We wind through a mountain pass, floating over pine forests as the glowing sunset slowly gives way to the fog.
Like the iconic mystery series Twin Peaks, Alan Wake also takes place in an apparently idyllic small town in the coniferous forests of Washington. As soon as the protagonist’s voiceover, spoken in German by Morit Brendel, begins, the second major influence becomes evident.
For Alan Wake begins with a quote from the legendary horror author Stephen King:
Nightmares exist outside of logic. There’s little point in trying to explain them. They are the antithesis of the poetry of fear. In horror stories, the victim constantly asks “Why?”, but there is no explanation and there shouldn’t be. The unresolved mystery haunts us the longest and is what we ultimately remember.
This atmospheric opening caused quite a chill back then and still holds its impact years later, as comments under a YouTube video show: “I will never forget how I played the game for the first time on my Xbox 360. It’s a true work of art!”
Sam Lake: “It was very generous”
How did the intro come about? As Sam Lake, the creative director of Remedy, revealed to Eurogamer at the Summer Game Fest, he longed for a quote from the author to open the game.
After all, the style of the “King of Horror” fits perfectly with the supernatural haunting that awaits Alan Wake in the game. Fortunately, Stephen King was on board and only requested a symbolic fee for his quote:
As far as I know, he wanted $1 for the usage rights. [It was] very generous.
The quote comes from an essay that Stephen King wrote in 2008 for Entertainment Weekly. Titled “Why Hollywood can’t do horror,” the author discusses the failure of major film studios to capture the feeling of fear correctly while appealing to the masses.
For even more horror fun, MeinMMO demon Cortyn has compiled a list of the best horror animes. From brutal moral questions to more pleasant horror comedies, everything is here – but we don’t know what Stephen King thinks about the series.
As part of a weekend deal, you can currently play the football sim Football Manager 2023 for free on Steam. If you’re convinced after trying it out, you can expect a 50% discount.
What is this offer about? The Football Manager 2023 is currently reduced by 50% on Steam. Instead of €59.99, the football sim now costs only €29.99. This offer is valid until Thursday, June 29, 2023.
So you don’t have to buy a pig in a poke, you can try the game for free all weekend. If you want to spend some cozy hours on the couch or balcony, that’s also possible, as Football Manager 2023 is verified for Steam Deck.
You can find the offer on Steam here. You can watch the official launch trailer in our video:
Start video
Football Manager 2023 – Official Launch Trailer with Real Stars
Who is this game worth it for? Football Manager is basically the nerdy brother of FIFA. Developer Sports Interactive clearly focuses on realism and offers you countless opportunities to manage your team down to the smallest detail.
Besides the actual matches, you also take care of transfers, training, PR… or you can leave the tedious tasks to your digital employees and focus only on the parts that you really enjoy.
Football Manager 2023 is therefore just right for football fans who like to micro-manage and come up with elaborate strategies. On the other hand, those who value quick action and polished graphics are probably better off with FIFA.
How good is the game? On Steam, Football Manager 2023 has a total of 87% positive ratings, ranking second among the highest-rated football games, just behind Pro Soccer Online with 92%. Of the recent reviews, FM can convince in 91% of the cases.
We’ve gathered some reviews for you:
XTurnerX: “The absolute heaven for people who have always found the career mode in FIFA too little.”
BudSPencer: “For years, I barely play any games other than the FM series. The perfect football simulation for true football fans or aspiring coaches in real life to spend hours on statistics or tactics drafts.”
c0mr4d3_cl4u5: “It remains the best management simulation on the market and thanks to a great community, it’s as immersive as possible.”
Additional reviews also repeatedly refer to the high addictive potential that leads to seemingly endless hours in the game. One Steam user jokes after 700 gameplay hours that he hasn’t played enough to get a good feel for the game.
However, others criticize the rather small differences from its predecessor Football Manager 2022 and the now fairly outdated graphics of the “Match Engine”.
If you’re still unsure whether the game is really for you, take advantage of the offer and test the Football Manager 2023 for free first.
If you prefer FIFA or want to try both this weekend, it’s worth checking out the Shapeshifters event that started yesterday, on June 23, 2023:
A 35-year-old man hoped to make quick money through a job on Twitter. However, the job turned out to be stealing Pokémon cards worth thousands of euros.
What kind of story is this? As reported by the Japanese news site Yomiuri, a 35-year-old man was arrested by the police in Tokyo. He is suspected of stealing approximately 1,500 Pokémon cards.
According to the report, the suspect allegedly broke into a collectible card store around 5 AM. There, he reportedly pried open a display case with a tool and stole about 1,500 Pokémon cards worth approximately 1,150,000 yen, which is roughly €7,300.
The curious thing is: The man allegedly confessed to committing the act on behalf of an unknown Twitter user. In fact, some people are willing to do anything to get their hands on Pokémon cards.
Start video
Pokémon Trading Card Game Scarlet and Violet – We exclusively show you 5 cards in the new design
The thief apparently trusted the wrong person
This is how the theft occurred: The 35-year-old allegedly applied for a job via the social media platform Twitter. Apparently, he needed the money to pay off gambling debts.
He is said to have received an order from an unknown man to steal Pokémon cards whose value had skyrocketed.
How did the theft unfold? The day before the theft, the client allegedly contacted the 35-year-old. He is said to have provided the thief with a rental car, tools, and gloves.
After completing the act, the thief reportedly met with his client to hand over the loot and receive his reward. However, the unknown person told him he would be paid at a later time.
According to colleagues from 3D Juegos, the thief reportedly never received the money. Instead, he was tracked down and arrested by the police, while the mysterious client took both the cards and the payment. However, there is also a search for him.
In Tokyo alone, there have been two more Pokémon card thefts this year, as well as further cases in other prefectures. Even in the USA, a thief believed he had the perfect plan, but when he tried to cash in on his loot, he made a critical mistake.
Can anime not be creepy? Not at all! We show you the best horror anime with captivating stories that you can’t get enough of.
Horror can have different facets, and most of them go beyond “jump scares” – which don’t work so well in anime anyway. However, we have 5 anime here that delve into various areas of horror and will at least leave you with a feeling of unease…
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Alternative names: When they Cry, When the Cicadas Cry Other genres: Mystery Episodes: 50 (Completed) Stream available on: Amazon Prime (S1), Aniverse (Prime Video Channel)
Keiichi Maebara has moved with his family to the small, quiet village of Hinamizawa. A village that places great value on community and preserving traditions. As he makes friends with the other children in the village, he learns more about the protective deity “Oyashiro,” who is said to have saved the village several years ago and at the same time brought about a tragedy.
As the festival of the deity approaches, Keiichi gradually learns more details from the village’s past and begins to see his friends in a whole new light…
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What to expect from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: The horror in Higurashi does not give itself away directly, but rather occurs quite suddenly. A somewhat funny, almost silly scenario suddenly tips, and what was just a friendly gathering ends in a gruesome bloodbath.
“Higurashi no Naku Koro ni” and its sequel “Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai” together form a cruel yet exhilarating story about the search for the solution to a sinister mystery that repeatedly entangles the protagonists in horrific deeds. One should not be deterred by the children as protagonists – it ultimately enhances the horror of the series.
Another
Alternative names: / Other genres: Mystery Episodes: 12 (Completed) Stream available on: Currently only available for purchase
The young Kouichi missed the first month at his new school due to illness and only joins the class later. Immediately, he feels drawn to his classmate Mei, a girl with an eye patch. However, no other student in the class seems to react to Mei – as if she is not even present. Kouichi is warned by his classmates to stay away from her and learns the dark truth behind the ignorance of his classmates.
As Kouichi and Mei delve into the mystery behind the class, more and more tragedies unfold around the class, leading from one terrible accident to another…
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What to expect from Another: Another starts off quite shallow but quickly picks up speed. The story resembles a detective story, with the solution to the mystery at its end – even though it seems to have supernatural origins. Although the anime was released in 2012, it is already considered one of the “horror classics” because it blends many genres well and simply offers a captivating, well-thought-out story.
More creepy anime can be found on the next page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Planet of the Apes (1968) is one of the classics of the science fiction genre. Although the film’s plot is based on the novel of the same name from 1963, the director Franklin J. Schaffnerfound the ending too predictable and changed it.
In the novel “Planet of the Apes” by the French author Pierre Boulle, it is about a group of astronauts who land on a planet ruled by apes. The apes have built a highly developed civilization, while the humans on this planet are kept as primitive animals.
Here you can see the trailer of the 1968 science fiction classic:
Start video
An Insight into Planet of the Apes (1968)
The book ends with the protagonist managing to escape from the planet of the apes and return to Earth. He lands in Paris, about 700 years after his original departure. To his surprise, he finds that the Earth is also ruled by intelligent apes.
The frame story is taken up by the director Franklin J. Schaffner, but he changed the final scene. This created a shocking moment and even impressed the author of the original work, Pierre Boulle.
What did the director change? In the 1968 film, at the end, you see the Statue of Liberty – this offers the protagonist Taylor and the audience a shocking revelation: Taylor has been on Earth the whole time.
He realizes that the apocalyptic future he was in is actually his own destroyed home. He reacts with the exclamation: “You maniacs, you blew it up! Damn you all to hell!”
A scene that sticks in the memory and is likely one of the most iconic moments in the history of science fiction cinema.
“More inventive than the original”
Why did the director change the ending? Franklin J. Schaffner felt the ending in the novel was too “predictable” (via Planet of the Apes Wiki). While having lunch with Blake Edwards, who was at one point supposed to direct, he had an idea.
Schaffner said to Blake: “What if he [the protagonist in the film] has been on Earth the whole time and doesn’t know it, and the audience doesn’t know it either?” Blake thought it was a great idea and suggested contacting the book’s author.
Schaffner then sent the screenplay to the writer.
How Boulle reacted: He responded to Schaffner that he found the director’s version of the ending more inventive than his own. He wished he had thought of it while writing the novel.
Without the lunch, Schaffner probably wouldn’t have come up with the idea. After paying, he left the shop and noticed the large Statue of Liberty on the wall of the establishment, which ultimately gave him the idea.
Planet of the Apes (1968) is currently available for streaming on Disney+.
Starfield is highly anticipated by many gamers and will be released for PC and Xbox. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has now stated that Starfield almost became an exclusive title for the PS5.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer explained in an interview that the RPG Starfield could have been PlayStation-exclusive. Microsoft bought Zenimax, which includes Bethesda, specifically to prevent an exclusive deal. Sony was reportedly already negotiating such a deal.
This is exactly the kind of deal they wanted to prevent so that Xbox would also have a chance for Starfield. In Bethesda’s explanation of why Starfield is not coming to the PS5, it was argued that it was too complicated to develop a game for three platforms. There was no mention of possible exclusivity here.
Start video
Starfield – Official Gameplay Trailer
Xbox wanted to prevent Sony from negotiating a deal with Bethesda
What did Spencer say? When he spoke with the FTC about the acquisition of Activision Blizzard (via The Verge), Spencer revealed that Sony regularly negotiates deals with developers to release games exclusively for PlayStation.
To prevent this, Microsoft felt compelled to buy Bethesda. This was the only way to ensure that Starfield would not become a PlayStation-exclusive title. Spencer explained in the interview:
When we acquired ZeniMax, one of the reasons was that Sony made a deal for Deathloop and Ghostwire… to pay Bethesda not to release those games on Xbox. When we heard that Starfield might also skip Xbox, we couldn’t let ourselves fall further behind with our content as the third-place console, so we had to secure content to remain viable in this business.
Is Elder Scrolls VI also coming only for PC and Xbox?
What about other games from Bethesda? Spencer did not want to comment further on Elder Scrolls VI. He evasively stated that they are not yet sure what they will do with the next game in the series, as the release is still too far away:
I think we were a little unclear about which platforms it will be released on, as the game is so far in the future. It’s difficult for us to pin that down at the moment.
A desperate PS5 player is trying to avert the inevitable with an online petition, demanding that Bethesda’s upcoming RPG Starfield is released for the PS5. Exclusively for the PS5. However, whether this will really work is questionable:
