On the occasion of Mother’s Day, a trainer from Pokémon GO was happy to receive a very special gift from her children. We from MeinMMO will show you what it was and how the community reacted.
What gift is it about? On May 14, mothers in several countries were able to enjoy small gifts on the occasion of Mother’s Day. So did Reddit user merganzer, who received a very special gift in Pokémon GO style from her children, causing quite a buzz in the community. What exactly she received, we’ll show you below.
Children surprise mother with typical Pokémon GO gift
What did the mother receive as a gift? As shown by the user and mom in her Reddit post, her children, with the help of their dad, made a special effort for Mother’s Day and presented her with a typical Pokémon GO package. She proudly shows a picture of the gift.
Of course, the customary Pokémon GO postcard was also included, showing a picture of her daughter in the garden. The location and description of the PokéStop were also personalized on the card. Additionally, there was a matching 7 km egg.
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It seems that merganzer’s children did everything right with the gift, as she reveals in the comments that it was decorated with a special highlight for her: a Lapras sticker.
She writes: “The postcard from ‘Backyard Garden’ shows the 50 pounds of hail that the sunshade collected during a storm last week. The gift contained several nice little gifts from my husband and my children. I wish there was a Lapras sticker in the game! That’s my favorite.”
What was in the gift? Also, the gift partially continued with the Pokémon theme. Merganzer explains in the comments that besides new phone chargers, a lucky charm, and a few pictures of her children, she also enjoyed raspberries in the form of fresh berries. In addition, she received a Nighthara and an Ignivor, as she did not yet have either monster in her collection.
Community celebrates the idea: Not only did merganzer’s children’s Mother’s Day gift go down well, but it was also well received in the community. As of now (May 15, 2023, at 12:00 PM), her post on Reddit has received over 2,800 upvotes.
In the comments, the trainers celebrate the idea and even want to partially build such a gift themselves. One can read the following (via reddit.com):
lavendermoontoast: “That’s charming”
-Taiha-: “That’s incredible!! Do you have a guide on how to do that?”
MikaTheMighty85: “That’s so cute and sweet! Happy Mother’s Day”
And her wish for a Lapras sticker might soon become reality through her Reddit post. Several players have mentioned in the comments that they have some in their collection and would be willing to send her one.
How to recreate this: The template for the real Pokémon GO gift was found by her husband on the Internet. These were published as craft templates on the occasion of the GO Fest 2020. So if someone wants to creatively build such a gift, here are the links to the corresponding craft templates.
How do you like the children’s gift idea? Would you have been just as excited about it? And would you maybe even want to recreate it yourself? Let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO and exchange ideas with other trainers.
Tim Cain developed RPGs for PC. One of them he had to teach to the AI of the Ministry of Defense.
Tim Cain developed the party RPG “Temple of Elemental Evil”. Similar to Baldur’s Gate, you create a party with various heroes, fight monsters, and complete quests. However, due to many bugs, the success was not realized.
Now Cain explained that in 2004 he was approached by a former college colleague. This was reported by the British online magazine PCGamer. He wanted to know if Cain could write an API for his role-playing game that could use an external AI. The AI of the Ministry of Defense was meant.
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Second Official Trailer for the Movie
Ministry AI learns to play an RPG
What happened next? Cain then signed a contract. Together with Steven Moret, the then lead programmer of “Temple of Elemental Evil”, they developed a new version of the game.
They never saw the AI of the Ministry. Instead, they received feedback from the client on what they could still improve. He himself says: “We set it up so that an external program can control the basic functions of ‘Temple of Elemental Evil’.”
How did they test the AI? However, they also had to test the interface, the so-called API, themselves before sending it to the Ministry of Defense. For this reason, the two developers then created their own AI.
And it performed surprisingly well. He recounted that they were surprised by the successes of the AI when they returned to the office from a lunch break:
The AI had established a party.
Visited various buildings in the first settlement and accepted quests.
And purchased equipment and then fought giant spiders.
Nevertheless, artificial intelligence is still not perfect and continues to make mistakes and also needs human support. A YouTuber wanted to turn the tables and sought help from a “robot” when building a PC. And it surprisingly worked well:
Even one and a half years after the release of Battlefield 2042, the criticism from the community against the developers does not stop. Now the studio addresses the players with clear words – and once again faces backlash.
What is being criticized? Shooter fans had high hopes for the new Battlefield title in 2021. However, it did not have an ideal start and received criticism for the shooter. There were numerous bugs, the weapons were unbalanced, the helicopters were absolutely annoying, and other vehicles were too strong. All of this is still being complained about today. Additionally, the servers seem empty and there are said to be many hackers (via Steam).
Here you see a trailer for the current Season 4 of Battlefield 2042:
Start video
Battlefield 2042 – Season 4: Eleventh Hour Gameplay Trailer
How do the developers respond? In a tweet on May 12, the social media team of the developer studio addresses the community. They write there that they have been receiving increasing hate lately. The developers of Battlefield 2042 are open to constructive feedback and criticism.
To maintain a healthy and open dialogue with the community, the team needs to be protected from toxic messages. There is no place for this in the game and within the Battlefield community. In the end, they refer to the community guidelines. They intend to take necessary measures to ensure compliance.
Here you see the original tweet:
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The community reacts anything but understanding: “It’s all too late. The game was a disappointing experience for me, longer than I could tolerate. The most important lesson I learned from Battlefield 2042 is that you should not make pre-orders,” writes a user under the tweet.
Other users demand not to release unfinished games anymore. Updates that come months or years later won’t change anything. Some users write that the “legitimate criticism” is not hate. There has been “no apology to the players since launch.”
But there are also positive feedbacks to the developer studio: A few users note that they are now having a lot of fun with Battlefield 2042. Some express sympathy. “I’m sorry for you that you have to deal with mean people. Thank you for your hard work and your communication with us,” writes a user.
The Witcher III is messing with its own combat system and becomes “more hack & slash” – at least that’s the accusation regarding the latest patch.
The Witcher III is still one of the best RPGs of all time even nearly 7 years after the original release and continues to be celebrated by fans. So it’s hardly surprising that the game still receives occasional small patches with bug fixes or new features. However, the latest update, patch 4.03, introduces a change that has sparked significant discussions. Because Geralt will soon be able to do automatically what he actually shouldn’t be able to do.
What has changed in the patch? The patch is primarily full of bug fixes but also brought a small change to gameplay. A new option can be found in the menu:
Weapon oils can now be automatically applied to the sword during combat.
An apparently small detail, but it really frustrates some Witcher fans.
The Witcher trailers still captivate after all these years:
Start video
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Killing Monsters Cinematic Trailer
Why is the change a problem? Applying oils to the weapon is actually not possible during a fight – this was previously only doable by exploiting a bug or using mods. For many players, this restriction has also been important. Because The Witcher III often depicts the search for a monster. While searching for the creature, one is supposed to draw conclusions about which monster it is and then use the corresponding oil as preparation for the fight.
The idea behind it was: You find out which creature you are fighting against and are “rewarded” if you have already applied the correct oil to the weapon at the start of the fight.
However, the fact that weapon oil can now be applied automatically during combat is seen by many as a step towards “hack & slay”. Rensin2 writes in the Witcher Subreddit:
I understand that this is something people have been asking for, but it goes against the philosophy of how the game was actually intended to be.
The idea was that you actually examine the monster before fighting it and come prepared to the battle. But there was a bug on PC where you could simply click the oil and drag it onto the weapon and it would still be applied. Instead of fixing that bug on the PC, CD Projekt Red simply removed the restriction for applying oils during combat and thereby pushed the philosophy of the combat system even further towards a generic hack & slash game.
And with this latest change, it has only been pushed further into that territory.
But at least: In another change, The Witcher III has become “more logical”: Geralt can no longer consume food or drinks underwater. Only potions are still possible.
For many trainers, it has been a time to say goodbye in recent days, as one of the largest communities for Pokémon GO has announced its end. We at MeinMMO show you what this is about and how the trainers are reacting to the announcement.
Which community is it about? One of the largest and most important resources for trainers in recent years has been the team around The Silph Road. Together with Pokémon GO fans, data miners, and community trainers, they attempted to analyze the mobile game and understand the background better.
They conducted research on spawns, hatch and shiny rates, showcased strong teams for the GO Battle League, and created maps of Pokémon nests, among other things. In the corresponding Reddit community, they also provided trainers with a suitable place for exchanges and participated in Niantic’s Ambassador Program recently.
However, The Silph Road has now announced its end and is systematically taking a large part of its services offline. How this came about, which services you can still use, and how the trainers are reacting to this news, we have summarized for you below.
The Silph Road says goodbye “The End of an Era”
Why is The Silph Road stopping? On the evening of May 12, the team around The Silph Road announced its end in an extensive statement in their subreddit. The user dronpes writes (via reddit.com): “The end of an era: After seven extraordinary years, the Silph Road team is ceasing its activities. We thank you all for accompanying us on this remarkable journey.”
In the following post, he elaborates on the reasons for their decision, explaining that they were saved last year through Niantic’s sponsorship, as their operating costs were far too high. Thanks to the sponsorship as part of the Community Ambassador Program, they finally had the opportunity to continue their activities without needing to run ads.
However, the partnership with Pokémon GO has now ended again, and the financial pressures are still enormous. On top of that, there is the current dynamics and situation surrounding the game. For this reason, they have made the difficult decision to end the majority of their services.
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Which services from The Silph Road remain? The subreddit of The Silph Road will continue to be maintained by the moderators, so you can still use it to exchange ideas in the future. And the research should continue primarily on the Discord server, although they will only publish their results in the subreddit from now on.
Most of the other offerings from The Silph Road have already been taken offline by the developers. The content on their website is no longer accessible. However, a few services will still be available to you in the coming days and weeks.
For example, the content related to “The Silph Arena” around PvP battles will remain active until the end of the season. And the “Traveler’s Card” can still be used until August 1, 2023. According to dronpes, however, that will be the end of it, and with the exception of the subreddit and the Discord channel, all other content will then go into retirement.
The Silph Road thanks the community
At the end of their statement, the team from The Silph Road also wants to thank the community and their supporters. Dronpes reflects on the past years and shares some of the milestones achieved.
Accordingly, their homepage has been visited more than 206,560,000 times since 2016, their subreddit has 821,308 subscribers, and over 29,000 volunteers signed up for a live event. He writes:
These numbers are astonishing to me. Especially considering that Silph had no “business model”, did not charge in-app purchases or fees for any services, and was a purely grassroots movement. (How many organizations can claim that at any point in their history, they managed to gather 29,000 volunteers for a live event? :D) For me, the Silph Road has set the bar extraordinarily high for online gaming communities in many ways. I thank you all for joining us and helping to make the Silph Road what it has become. Together, we have written this place into Pokémon history. We hope you enjoyed the journey as much as we did. Now it’s time to look for our next adventure. We’ll see you on the road!
The news about the end of the largest community for Pokémon GO brings much sadness among the trainers. For most, The Silph Road has been a central resource and a reliable source in recent years.
It is therefore not surprising that the statement on Reddit has already received more than 9,200 upvotes and over 1,100 comments (as of 15.05.2023 10:30 AM). In these, trainers express their gratitude for the great work (via reddit.com):
ToRepelGhosts: “It’s hard to say what to say. The Silph Road has been an indispensable support for so many of us over the last 7 years. It’s been a great journey. Thank you for everything! And good luck to you all in your future endeavors!”
OUTheMovie: “Thank you for everything the Silph team has done. I can hardly imagine that I and our community would have reached where we are today without the tremendous efforts of The Silph Road and everyone on board. The commitment to statistics and analysis of the game has elevated the game for all to a level far beyond what any anecdotes could provide. You will all be dearly missed, and we will all be worse off without The Silph Road.”
SketchyConcierge: “It really hurts to hear that. Thank you all!”
Niantic and content creators respond: In addition to the numerous reactions on Reddit, well-known content creators are also speaking out about the end of The Silph Road on social media, expressing their regret about this decision.
LeekDuck writes on Twitter: “Thank you for being a pillar of the community from the very beginning. Your tireless efforts for knowledge and building the community will forever be the foundation for Pokémon GO.”
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And the developers of Pokémon GO also thank The Silph Road for their collaboration in a separate blog post:
In the past year, we had the pleasure of working with The Silph Road as part of the Community Ambassador Program. It was great to work with the team on this project, and it was incredible to watch the passionate members of The Silph Road build a truly amazing community hub. While we are sad that The Silph Road is closing its doors, we want to thank them for everything they have done for the Pokémon GO community over the last six years.
Are you also sad that The Silph Road is now closing its doors? Have their statistics and research helped you while playing in recent years? Or do you prefer to play straight ahead? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers about it.
In FIFA 23 you can get the icon Gerd Müller, TOTS-Thuram, and TOTS-Doekhi through the Bundesliga Year in Review. To do this, you need to solve puzzles like Celebration at Mewa or Stinging like a bee. We will show you what to do.
What kind of task is this? The Bundesliga Year in Review was introduced with the Team of the Season for the Bundesliga. There are 7 objectives you need to complete. The twist: The tasks themselves are puzzles.
Here we show you what you need to do to collect your rewards.
What rewards does the Bundesliga Year in Review give? The group reward is the strong TOTS card of Gladbach’s attacker Thuram. Additionally, you will receive further rewards for the individual tasks, such as EP, but also the icon card of Gerd Müller and the TOTS card of Doekhi.
We summarize all tasks, their solutions, and the respective rewards here.
Solutions for Bundesliga Puzzles in FIFA 23
The community has already figured out which tasks need to be completed to finish the objectives (via reddit).
All tasks can be solved in the following modes:
Squad Battles (minimum Semi-Pro)
Division Rivals
FUT Champions
Stinging like a bee – Solution
Here you should replicate the great start to 2023 with a strong unbeaten series in the league by using four players from the relevant club.
Solution: Play 8 games with 4 Dortmund players in the starting lineup
Reward: Eight Bundesliga Player Set (Untradeable)
Celebration at Mewa – Solution
The outstanding performance of this player leads his team to a comfortable victory, is the riddle.
Solution: Hat-trick (3 goals in one game) with an Austria player
Reward: 2,500 EP
Bavarian Victory – Solution
You should replicate: The season start was full of action, a one-sided match where one team scored half a dozen goals.
Solution: Score 6 goals in a game with a Bayern player
Reward: 2,500 EP
Start video
FIFA 23: Use the power shot correctly – This is how you score epic goals
Great Draw – Solution
This team has shown its strong side with this amazing late comeback, is the riddle.
Solution: Score three goals with RB Leipzig players
Reward: Eleven 81+ Bundesliga Player Pack
Relegation Battle – Solution
A team from the capital is struggling so far, is the riddle, and you should shoot them at their season win rate at the end of matchday 31.
Solution: Score with a Hertha BSC player in wins across 6 different matches
Reward: 2,500 EP
Top 5 – Solution
At the end of matchday 31, these 5 clubs were at the top of the table, and you should use two players from these clubs in the next 10 games.
Solution: Play 10 matches with 2 players from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin, and SC Freiburg in the starting lineup
Reward: Icon Gerd Müller (Untradeable)
Iron Strength – Solution
You should honor a memorable game that ended a streak of 5 winless games for a team that thrilled fans with great performances throughout the season.
Solution: Win a game in which you score 2 goals with a Union Berlin player
Fortnite is restructuring its competitive scene for sweat players and pros after 4 years. Arena is supposed to be a thing of the past, and Hype will be completely removed. Instead, Ranked will take its place and even attract players with fresh rewards. We will show you everything important about the new mode for sweat players.
What is Ranked? Fortnite has planned a new mode for the upcoming update 24.40. This will be called “Ranked” and lead fans to a better competitive experience.
The mode is to be implemented in Build and No-Build and will categorize players into ranks based on how good or bad they are. Additionally, temporary rewards will also be offered, which you can earn for free, depending on how good you really are.
We will now show you how the system works exactly and explain everything important about the rewards and what will happen to the existing mode “Arena”.
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Through Fortnite to the largest streamer on Twitch – Who is Ninja and what is he doing today?
Fortnite: How the system works in Ranked
Ranked is supposed to be a mode within a mode. You will thus be able to separately choose whether you want to participate in Ranked in the Build and No-Build mode. If you decide to do so, you will be assigned a rank after your first match in Ranked based on your performance and your selection.
There are a total of 8 main ranks, with some also having sub-ranks. They are divided as follows:
Bronze
Bronze I
Bronze II
Bronze III
Silver
Silver I
Silver II
Silver III
Gold
Gold I
Gold II
Gold III
Platinum
Platinum I
Platinum II
Platinum III
Diamond
Diamond I
Diamond II
Diamond III
Elite
Champion
Unreal
For which modes will there be Ranked? There will only be Ranked mode for selected modes:
Battle Royale
Solo
Duo
Trio
No-Build
Duo
Note that you will receive a separate rank for the Build and No-Build mode.
Will my rank be reset? Yes, because there will be seasons for Ranked. Epic Games will start Season Zero in Chapter 4 Seasons 3. In this season, developers will process feedback and polish the system. When the season ends, your rank will most likely be reset.
Can I drop rank during a season? Yes, if you perform worse than what your rank requires, you will be demoted. However, you can rank up again with good performance. If you have reached the rank “Unreal,” you cannot drop rank in the current season, no matter how poorly you play.
Will there be rewards? Epic Games has also thought about rewards. You will receive urgent Ranked quests before you jump from the bus. If you complete these quests, you can unlock cosmetic items for your account. If you have completed enough quests, you will receive the emote “Glorious Shine,” which will allow you to represent your current rank with a color.
What will happen to Arena? Arena will be completely removed from Fortnite after 4 years, along with its hype system. Tournaments will still be held, but this time you must have reached a certain rank in Ranked before you can participate.
These were the most important information about the upcoming Ranked mode. What do you think about Epic Games changing its Arena system after 4 years? Let us know in the comments! In line with the change, we have selected 8 skins for you that will help you win: Fortnite: 8 of the best skins that will help you win
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new Zelda currently excites many players, but the creator of God of War wonders about the lack of criticism regarding the game’s graphics.
Who is it about? David Jaffe is an American game designer. He is known as the creator of God of War and launched the game series in 2005 on PlayStation 2. He also created the racing game series “Twisted Metal.”
Currently, Jaffe is not involved in game development and has not worked on the new GoW installments for PS4 and PS5, which are beloved by fans.
In a post on Twitter, Jaffe addresses the graphics of the new “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” and expresses his surprise at the lack of criticism.
What does Jaffe say about the graphics? Jaffe is surprised that Tears of the Kingdom receives such flawless reviews, even though the graphics are not particularly good. After all, visual design has also been a much-discussed topic for other games.
Nevertheless, the “God of War” creator emphasizes that he does not care about a game’s graphics and that a game can be good regardless of its appearance.
I don’t give a damn about production value and visual design. A great game is a great game. I’ve just started and so far, so good.
But considering how much everyone thinks about graphics, it’s amazing how this game can look the way it does without getting at least a little criticized.
An advertisement for the new Zelda game shows a man rediscovering gaming
Fans see the reason for the poor graphics at the console
How do players react? Criticizing the new Zelda can certainly be called bold. Many players are currently very taken with the game and were already big fans of the predecessor. Nonetheless, the comments under Jaffe’s post are largely factual and provide explanations for why Zelda is not receiving criticism for the graphics (via Twitter).
The main argument is clearly the performance capability of the Nintendo Switch and the related expectations. Many players assume that the console cannot deliver significantly better graphics and is simply outdated.
@GamesOfDAYNE815: “I guess part of it is that the Switch probably can’t handle a game that looks much better than this.”
MhFran-Lancer: “It was developed for a console that seems like a calculator compared to current-gen consoles. The expectations are not that high.”
@RPGaming_0: “After 20 hours of gameplay, I find the graphics really great, considering it’s a Switch game and not a next-gen game. It can only be as good as the console allows!”
@GenWorldTV: “The art style evolves the more you play. The opening area is cool and can be beautiful, but once you’re in the world, it changes for the better.”
@light47: “The Switch’s capabilities are limited. It would be ridiculous to judge a game just because it was developed for an old console.”
Instead of criticism for the mediocre graphics, there is praise that Zelda gets the maximum out of the Switch. If the game had also been released on PS5, Xbox Series, or PC, it could have received criticism.
Another argument is provided by the user “doodlxr,” who simply summarizes the fascination behind the recent Zelda games: “The gameplay has to be so good that it compensates for the [visual design/graphics].” In other words, Zelda is so good in terms of gameplay that fans can overlook the outdated graphics.
A similar feeling was experienced by MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller with a survival game on Steam that he purchased for €1.49:
Games are getting bigger and taking up a lot of space. Many gamers are not prepared for this.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Forspoken, and Redfall have two things in common: on one hand, they all had a technically disastrous release; on the other hand, all three titles consume a massive amount of storage space.
All three games require more than 100 GB, and that could become a problem for some gamers in the long term. New games, especially AAA titles, are getting bigger and need more space. Not all players have large drives installed in their systems. Meanwhile, prices have been dropping for months.
About 50% of all players have storage space with less than 1 TB installed
What does the current situation look like? According to the “Steam” hardware survey from April 2023, 49% of all players have more than 1 TB of storage installed in their systems. All other users have significantly less. A quarter of all players have between 250 GB and 499 GB in their systems.
In the future, there could be a chronic shortage of space among gamers. Games are getting bigger, but the space on the systems is limited. In the long run, some may be forced to upgrade or have to say goodbye to a few beloved games that simply take up too much space.
Storage space is cheaper than it has been in years
How bad is the problem really? New storage is significantly faster to install and purchase than a graphics card that costs several hundred euros. Prices for SSDs are decreasing and many popular SSDs are more affordable than they were years ago.
For the popular Samsung SSD 980 PRO 1 TB, you paid more than 200 euros in November 2020, today you pay around 80 euros. Prices for hard drives (HDDs) are looking quite similar.
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In many cases, such an upgrade is also straightforward. Ideally, the new hard drive or SSD is simply inserted into the appropriate slot and then connected to the system with power and S-ATA cables.
However, other users experience a big surprise when they buy a new SSD. One recently found valuable data on a new SSD:
In World of Warcraft, players used to work for weeks to obtain a mount. Those days are now over – as you simply get it for free.
The oldest veterans from World of Warcraft can still remember that players had to farm for many days to eventually own a mount. Some had to farm for a long time or beg their friends and guildmates for money to avoid having to walk through the landscape.
But that time is finally over. Unlocking the riding skill in World of Warcraft will not only be free but will also happen automatically.
What will change about riding? With Patch 10.1.5, characters will automatically learn their riding skill once they reach the required level. It will no longer be necessary to visit a riding instructor, and the training fee will be completely eliminated.
In the future, veterans and newcomers alike will save a lot of gold while leveling, which can then be invested in other things, such as gear, potions, or fancy mounts.
Start video
WoW: Patch 10.1 Ember of Neltharion is live – Here is what to expect starting now
How riding has changed over the years: In the first version of World of Warcraft, heroes could only ride on a mount through Azeroth quite late. At level 40, players learned the “normal” riding skill, provided they had enough gold. At level 60, the “epic” riding followed – again under the condition that they could raise the gold. Because for epic riding, players needed almost 1,000 gold pieces, which could mean several weeks of farming back in the “Vanilla” days.
Over the years and expansions, this has become easier. Riding can now be learned much earlier – as early as level 10 – and the gold costs are, aside from epic flying, nearly trivial. Most characters collect enough gold while questing to afford riding.
When will the change be implemented? There is no release date for Patch 10.1.5 yet. Given Blizzard’s current release speed, it is likely to be at the end of June or early July. As soon as there is a reliable date, we will of course report on it.
What do you think of this change?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Diablo 4 starts today its Server Slam for all players who missed the previous betas. Therefore, we are live in our ticker and inform you about how the servers are running and whether there are queues. Additionally, we provide you with helpful guides and information regarding things from the beta that you should not miss.
The last hour of the Server Slam is slowly approaching. You have time until 21:00 to play Diablo 4 before it finally releases on June 6. What have you accomplished, and what do you still want to do in the last hour?
18:00
Ashava appears for the last time in this test. This is your last chance to collect her scream as a cosmetic for the release of Diablo 4!
14:15
At 15:00 you have the chance to defeat Ashava again – at 18:00 for the last time. If you want to secure all rewards for Diablo 4, you should hurry up. A little trick can help you if Ashava gives you trouble:
Good morning and welcome to the last day of the Server Slam! I woke up a bit late and therefore missed the first Ashava spawn. Here’s a little reminder of when the boss appears:
We just fought Ashava for the first time and … lost. Very clearly, even. Compared to the Open Beta, the difficulty is quite a bit higher. Well, we are also 5 levels weaker.
However, other players and streamers are also saying that Ashava is quite tough at the moment. We’ll see how this develops.
For today, we are closing the ticker for now and will return tomorrow. Feel free to let us know if you were able to defeat the world boss or not. Good luck if you want to try again tonight!
18:00
Ashava has appeared for the first time at the server spawn, good luck in the fight! Feel free to share your experiences and your loot in the comments.
17:10
Only 50 minutes until the first spawn of world boss Ashava. The servers are still stable and there are no login queues. We will see what it looks like later, but the entire test is already going pretty well:
Only 2 hours and 30 minutes until the first spawn of world boss Ashava. Have you already put together your build for the fight? Or are you hoping that enough people will join to take down Ashava?
Tonight, you will be able to fight the world boss Ashava for the first time. The first spawn is in 7 hours, at 18:00.
10:20
Good morning everyone! We are back today, on Saturday, to bring you live updates on the current status of the last beta of Diablo 4. As it stands now, there are absolutely no issues – instead, great praise for the stability!
Friday, May 12, 2023
23:07
We are now signing off from the ticker for today. If any issues arise tomorrow, we will provide you with the necessary service. Until then, good loot, have fun, and good night!
21:56
We will keep you informed about any queues or serious bugs that may disrupt your experience in the Server Slam.
21:46
Some players are reporting crashes, lag, and FPS stuttering on PC. However, there are currently no fixes for these issues. (via reddit.com)
Even now, 46 minutes after the start of the Server Slam, there are only 1-minute queues or none at all.
21:22
There is a bug for PC players who cannot play Diablo 4 even though the game has started. To fix the bug, simply restart Battle.net.
21:19
If you are having trouble accessing the beta with the Xbox, here’s a tip:
If you have downloaded the beta and updated it to the latest version, you must access the beta via the store. Only then can you start the beta.
21:10
If you log in for the first time, you will be informed about the Server Slam. After that, you can start playing immediately after a one-minute wait.
21:00
The Druid is ready for the Server Slam, are you?
20:51
Try to log in now. The servers opened 10 minutes early!
20:50
The last 10 minutes before the start are beginning. By now, you should be ready to have a chance to log in possibly without a queue.
The last hour is about to begin, heroes. So start getting ready, fire up your PCs or consoles, as Blizzard is about to open the gates to hell for Diablo 4!
19:06
Only 2 hours until the Server Slam. Are you looking for a tool to refine your builds based on skills and gear? We have the perfect site for you d4builds.gg. With this program, you can easily and clearly create builds for your beta heroes, making it easier and more efficient to face Ashava.
18:00
3 hours left until the Server Slam. Accordingly, we have created a survey for you. So please let us know which class you will play when the last beta starts:
17:16
Only 4 hours until the Server Slam. Did you notice that the music in the start screen has changed? Blizzard seems to want to create excitement during the waiting times.
A clever trick I can recommend to you (which many impatient heroes among you probably do) is to log in 5-10 minutes before the start of the Server Slam and try to sign in. Ignore the code 315306 and keep trying. I managed to get in without a queue immediately in the last beta test.
15:00
Only 6 hours until the Server Slam so you can finally play Diablo 4 again. Please note that the Server Slam is designed to push the servers to their limits. So expect very long queues, crashes, and problems.
13:35
If you try to log in now, you will be greeted with code 315306. This will appear until the servers for Diablo 4 are active at 21:00. So it’s not a bug, but rather a friendly reminder from Blizzard to be patient.
13:24
The head of the Diablo franchise, Rod Fergusson, responded to a question regarding whether the Battle Pass of Diablo 4 will offer enough premium currency to buy the latest Battle Pass for “free”.
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Unfortunately, that will not be the case. You will earn premium currency, but not enough to buy the next Battle Pass.
12:27
Unofficial patch notes regarding changes to classes in Diablo 4 have now been released. Our author Dariusz has looked at the changes and informs you of the important information here in his article.
A pleasant good morning to everyone and welcome to our ticker for the Server Slam for Diablo 4! Hopefully, you are prepared, have downloaded the patch or the beta, and are ready to take down demons tonight at 21:00.
All important information has been summarized for you here again:
For the download, you need up to 85 GB of free space, depending on the platform. The preload has already begun. If you already have the file, you will be prompted to install a patch.
Who can participate?
The Server Slam is free for everyone, you do not need to pre-order Diablo 4. Just download the beta via your platform’s store or Battle.net.
What can I play in the Open Beta?
Unlike in the first beta, all 5 classes from Diablo 4 are once again available to you this weekend, including the Necromancer and the Druid. You can play Act 1 up to level 20.
We are now live for you and are providing you with the most important information about Diablo 4 before the beta begins. After that, we will monitor the server status and reveal to you how long the queues are. So get ready!
If you reach level 20 in the Server Slam, you will receive a cute wolf pup as a transmog for the release on June 6.
What is the Server Slam?Blizzard has prepared a Server Slam to let players test the server capacity before the official release of Diablo 4 and test the content of the action RPG. The first starting area and all classes can be leveled up to 20 to unlock free cosmetics.
Additionally, there is also the first world boss that you can defeat. You can find all the times here:
We will be there today with our ticker and keep you updated about server issues and queues. You will find more information about the Server Slam in the following section below.
With this trailer, Blizzard once again sets the tone for the Server Slam for Diablo 4:
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Diablo 4: The trailer for the Server Slam with content and rewards
Diablo 4: Everything about the Server Slam – Time, Duration, and Rewards
When does the Server Slam start? The Server Slam starts today on Friday, May 12 at 21:00. Please note that this is the last beta test. So expect a high volume of traffic. Anticipate long wait times.
How long will the Server Slam last? The Server Slam will take place from May 12 at 21:00 to May 14 at 21:00.
What rewards can be obtained in the Server Slam? Among the rewards that players can earn during the test are:
You can only earn these rewards during the last beta test, the Server Slam. If you miss the deadline, all rewards will go into the vault, and you will never be able to earn or purchase them again.
When does Diablo 4 release? Diablo 4 will be released on June 6. Players who pre-order the Deluxe Edition can start 4 days before the actual release and slay monsters.
With Perfect New World, a new MMORPG is coming for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. At its core, the game is meant to be a successor to Perfect World, which was released in 2005. A beta should start in a few weeks.
What kind of game is this? Perfect New World will be an Asia MMORPG with action-packed battles, good graphics, and a strong focus on dungeons and PvP. However, it is currently unclear whether there will be flight elements again and whether PvP will take place in the open world. Both were previously the case in Perfect World.
In character creation, you have the choice of 3 races: Elvens, Mythics, and Humans. The editor is said to be very detailed.
You also have the choice of 3 classes: Berserker, Mysticsword, and Galeblade.
The combat system is said to be action-packed. The developers also promise a wide range of skills and combos.
The actual game world is said to be completely open and without loading screens. Of course, this looks a bit different for instances.
The game’s budget is 300 million yuan (about 38 million euros).
When will Perfect New World be released? There is no concrete release date yet. However, you can already apply for a beta that is supposed to start in May.
This new trailer gives you a first glimpse of the MMORPG:
Start video
Perfect New World Trailer
The beta registration is ongoing, but first tests are under NDA
What do we know about the beta? From April 7 to 23, you can register for the Closed Beta of Perfect New World (via Perfect World). This is meant to start on May 4, and the number of participants is to be gradually increased.
The test will take place in English on PC and is subject to a non-disclosure agreement. So you won’t be able to share your experiences outwardly. The developers also emphasize that this is still a very early version of the MMORPG and that some things may change during the beta.
Additionally, the progress you make in this beta will not carry over to future tests.
Why is the game interesting? Perfect World was a free-to-play MMORPG that was released in 2005 and was an alternative for many who could not afford the subscription of WoW or the one-time costs of Guild Wars 1.
With Perfect New World, a modern successor is now supposed to come. However, whether it will succeed in the West is questionable. Recently, many Asian MMORPGs have failed dramatically here. For 2023, I even expect that two more will die:
Do you want to enhance your gaming experience in Pokémon GO a little? Then possibly two small ticks in the settings are enough if you have overlooked these so far.
What are these settings? Both settings are small things, but they can quickly make a noticeable difference in everyday gameplay when utilized. These settings are called:
Native Refresh Rate
Download All Content
In the recently revamped settings menu, you will find both settings under the point Advanced Settings. Then scroll down to the point Quality. There you can select both settings.
What they bring, we briefly summarize here.
What do Native Refresh Rate and Download All Content do?
Native Refresh Rate: This feature was introduced in an update at the end of 2021, but if you are like me, you might not have noticed it back then. I was recently made aware of this setting and found that it makes the game significantly smoother and nicer.
If you enable the feature, you can achieve a higher frame rate in Pokémon GO. The entire game feels smoother – this extends from the normal wilderness map over the animations while catching to the menus.
However, you should pay attention to whether “Unlocking the Native Refresh Rate” might lead to higher battery consumption or faster heating on your device.
Start video
Pokémon GO: Finding Rocket Bosses – How to Collect the Rocket Radar and Track Them Down
Download All Content: This feature is also useful if you haven’t used it yet. It was introduced in September 2022. When you select it, your game downloads all the data it needs at once and can then access it directly instead of loading it only when you encounter it. This can be useful, especially after larger updates.
The advantage: you not only get faster loading times when you’re on the go, but you also consume less data because less needs to be loaded while you’re out. But important: only use the feature when you are connected to Wi-Fi – otherwise your smartphone will use data from your mobile network. And that can sometimes be quite a lot of data.
What does Update Game Data do? When you are in the advanced settings, you will also come across the function Update Game Data under Quality. According to the menu, it should be used when inconsistencies are noticed while playing.
In fact, this is the setting that Niantic support usually recommends on Twitter when encountering gameplay errors, corrupted data, or similar issues. If you use this function, at least less severe errors should be resolved.
Lee “Life” Seung-Hyun was on his way to becoming one of the greats in the strategy game StarCraft II. However, in 2016 a major scandal rocked the Korean e-sports scene, ending the career of the promising player.
Which player is it about? Lee Seung-Hyun, better known by his gamer tag “Life”, began his e-sports career in 2011 in the strategy game StarCraft II at just 14 years old. At 17 he became world champion, but two years later his career was over.
Start video
Mother takes 15-year-old son out of school so he has time for Fortnite – This is how it went for him
The beginning of an impressive career
This is how it all began: In 2011, Life became the youngest South Korean professional player to join Team Zenex, where he proved himself to be a promising talent. He even achieved an All-Kill against the 5-man team of Liquid: He defeated all team members in a row.
After the casual Team Zenex was absorbed by StarTale in 2012, a “real team”, Life’s career really took off. The young professional celebrated his first major successes: In the fourth GSL season in October 2012, he won the tournament and took home $45,000 in prize money.
One and a half months later, Life was able to triumph over his teammate PartinG in the finals of the GSL Blizzard Cup and received another $63,000 all at once – a lot of money for the then 15-year-old.
17-year-old wins the world championship
How did Life’s career go from there? In 2013 the expansion “Heart of the Swarm” was released, bringing many changes to StarCraft II. This led to problems for Life, who could only slowly acclimatize to the new changes.
Only in mid-2014 did the player return to his former form and secure victory at the Dreamhack in Bucharest.
What was his greatest success? The highlight of his career was the BlizzCon 2014, where the world championship in StarCraft took place. Life was able to defeat Mun “MMA” Seong Won and at 17 years old was the best StarCraft player in the world.
Even after winning at BlizzCon, Life continued to do wonderfully. Until mid-2015, he achieved further successes and collected enough championship points to qualify for the world championship again. However, at BlizzCon 2015, he lost to Kim “sOs” Yoo Jin in the finals 3:4.
The bitter end
What went wrong? By the age of 19, Life was considered one of the greatest StarCraft players ever, having amassed nearly half a million US dollars in prize money. However, the young professional developed a gambling problem. It was rumored that he lost up to $20,000 in a single night.
When Life switched to KT Rolster in February 2015, it seems the support from his former manager Yun Hee-Won also fell away. He claimed he was aware of the player’s problems and tried to hold him back. The 19-year-old apparently continued to spiral downwards.
How did his career end? In 2015, a major fraud scandal shook Korean e-sports. It turned out that a whole gambling network had formed that operated through the manipulation of matches and the associated betting stakes.
Several players and officials were arrested. The colleagues from GameStar reported on the case at the time.
In January 2016, Life was also arrested by the Korean authorities on suspicion of having lost 2 matches in the KeSPA Cup 2015. Life allegedly received around 70,000 Korean won, which was about 60,000 euros at the time (via GameStar).
This was more than six times what he could have earned for a first place in the KeSPA Cup. With the knowledge of his gambling addiction, it is not hard to imagine why Life accepted the bribes.
Life receives a lifetime ban
How did the story end? In April 2016, Life was ultimately found guilty. He not only had to repay all the money that he had received for match-fixing, but he was also banned for life from all events of the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA).
In addition, the 19-year-old was reportedly sentenced to 18 months in prison, which he would only have to serve if he committed another crime in the following 3 years. However, the world championship title in 2014 was stripped from him (via Twitter).
What happened to Life afterwards? It is unknown what happened to the former star player after his conviction. He no longer appeared in public. Many fans still remember him as one of the best StarCraft players ever despite his transgressions.
For just a few days, Diablo 4 was playable one last time before its release. The problem: MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was still on his way during the Server Slam. The solution: he simply bought an overly expensive laptop to game on the go. Surprisingly, it worked really well.
Both my boss Leya Jankowski and our editorial manager Schuhmann asked me almost simultaneously: “Are you crazy?” I didn’t understand the question. So yes, I am, but what does that have to do with the purchase?
Just before the start of the Server Slam on May 12, I bought a new laptop, an MSI Katana with a powerful RTX 4070 in it. Cost: 1,500 euros on sale at Alternate, without an operating system. With Windows 11 and an external drive, I ended up at 1,700 euros.
Why did I do that when I just bought a new computer for 3,500 euros with a 4090? Simple: We had a training session scheduled for Thursday and Friday. It was already set before Blizzard suddenly announced the beta.
Since my journey was pretty long, I was still on the train at the start of the Server Slam. As the Diablo lead and a fan of the series, it was clear to me: I have to game on the go. Said and done, money spent.
Some of you may laugh now and say: “You fool, with the terrible network of Deutsche Bahn and the online requirement of Diablo 4?” But actually, it went really, really well and made the trip much shorter.
Though I could game really well, there were a few truly horrible moments. I have compiled the worst moments for you here:
Start video
Diablo 4 on the WLAN of the German train: The worst moments
1 Disconnect, 1 Death – Otherwise absolutely no problems
Overall, I was on the road for 6 hours: about two and a half hours on the ICE, about two and a half hours on the IC, and an hour layover in between. I could only game Diablo on the IC, as the servers hadn’t gone online yet. I had installed the Server Slam in advance.
Punctually at 9 PM, I wanted to start and … first had to download a new graphics card driver. Apparently, I forgot to do that when setting up the computer. The mere 800 MB took a whole half hour.
After the installation, I could finally get started. With experience from the last beta and concern about the server “slam,” I expected waiting queues. But nothing; I got in right away. Later, I read that many fans considered the launch one of the best from Blizzard so far.
I gamed for two hours almost without interruptions. Occasionally, there was rubberbanding, a single disconnect, and one death due to lags. The connection was noticeably worse than at home, but at least good enough for playing.
I must say that I cannot even blame the Bahn. The network was as fast as possible, but on the respective route, there are more dead zones than network coverage. Accordingly, my problems are due to the lack of expansion.
To test how bad it could really get, I ventured into a dungeon. Exactly on the segment where I knew the network was terrible. It wasn’t playable … but a very interesting experience.
This time I played a sorceress. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos on the train – it was late, and I was tired. You can see the trailer for the class here:
Start video
Diablo 4: Official Trailer from the Sorceress
The laptop is surprisingly good, I missed out for years
As a devoted PC gamer, I always scoffed at laptops. To me, they were nothing more than a crutch to bridge travel or to work on the go. I never found them good for gaming.
My new Katana has taught me otherwise. Even though I forgot the graphics card drivers at first, the games looked really good, I had no stutters, and the resolution is excellent. By the way, I passed the time on my journey on Thursday with Age of Wonders 4 diligent work.
Aside from the size and a lack of a second monitor, I really can’t fault the thing. My last experience with gaming laptops was many years ago. And as my colleague and hardware expert Benedikt Schlotmann explained to my astonishment: a lot has probably changed in that area in the last 5 years.
Admittedly, I actually wanted to have a laptop for a while. Only my rational brain kept telling me that I didn’t need it. Diablo 4 was the perfect excuse to invest after all.
Ironically, Diablo also lured me to my last purchase, a gaming tablet for 250 euros. If you’re wondering: my tablet has been sitting on my desk since then and constantly complains about a low battery, but is hardly used otherwise … Whether the laptop will fare better remains to be seen.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The year 2023 is steadily progressing, just like the decline of some online shooters. For certain titles, the outlook is currently very bleak. MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller presents you with 5 games that might not survive the current year.
Who is writing here? Dariusz Müller plays many different shooters and is a big fan of the genre. He also tests titles that are not part of a major franchise and only have a few hundred to a thousand players. Time and again, he encounters games that can barely fill a lobby and are forced to throw players from all over the world onto a single server.
How was the list created? I looked for games that are suffering from massive problems and whose future looks bleak. Some of the criteria I focused on were low player numbers, lack of updates, lack of community interest in new content, and poor reviews.
Just like MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch did with his list of MMOs that will die in 2023, I also did not include games on the list that are rumored to be dead but still have thousands of players. Fortnite, Rainbow Six: Siege, Destiny 2, or CoD Warzone 2 may be heavily criticized and declared dead on Reddit – that doesn’t change the fact that they are still alive with thousands of players.
[toc]
Splitgate
Genre: Arena Shooter | Developer: 1047 Games | Platform: PC, PlayStation, Xbox | Release Date: May 24, 2019 | Model: Free2Play | Perspective: First-Person |
Start video
Splitgate Beta Season 1 Trailer
What kind of game is this? Splitgate was the surprise title for shooter fans in summer 2021. The innovative arena shooter allowed you to travel across maps using portals and already had various modes available during the beta.
Suddenly, the indie game had a small hype and even reached a peak of over 67,000 concurrent players on Steam. However, these numbers drastically dropped within a few months.
How is Splitgate doing today? As of April 2023, Splitgate had only an average of 466 players on Steam. In September 2022, the developers also announced that they would no longer work on the shooter, even though the servers would remain operational (via splitgate.com).
What is the problem? Since the developers are no longer working on Splitgate, there is no new content. Players have no reason to return to the shooter at a later time if they lose interest. Consequently, player numbers are low and steadily declining.
After the announcement in 2022 regarding the cessation of development, the closure of the servers seems to be the next inevitable step that will happen eventually – possibly in 2023.
Hired Ops shows in the trailer what the gameplay of the shooter looks like
What kind of game is this? Hired Ops is a PvP arena shooter set in the fictional Russian city of Tarkov. Yes, it is the same city as in the extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov, as the developers of Absolut Soft LLC and Battlestate Games have a shared history. At some point, the two groups split and developed their own games. However, the similarities are still quite evident.
How is Hired Ops doing today? After Hired Ops wandered around as an early access title since 2016, the shooter finally celebrated its official release in 2021. Two years later, the game’s lifespan seems to be nearing its end. The already low player numbers have continued to decline, with only 246 players playing the shooter on average in April 2023 (via SteamCharts).
What is the problem? The biggest issue with the shooter is undoubtedly the player numbers.
Lobbies are rarely full and are often filled with bots. If you do encounter real players in your match, they either come from distant countries like China and carry a corresponding ping or they cheat.
Despite the fairly entertaining gunplay, nothing indicates that Hired Ops will experience a resurgence. With “Escape from Tarkov Arena” also standing in competition in the same setting, a server shutdown is, in my opinion, only a matter of time.
Genre: PvP Shooter | Developer: Bandai Namco | Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S | Release Date: September 20, 2022 | Model: Free2Play | Perspective: First-Person |
Start video
A new shooter on Steam puts you in combat suits – Fans celebrate the proximity to a popular anime series
What kind of game is this? In Gundam Evolution, you take control of a “Mobile Suit unit”, which are human-controlled combat machines, and play 6-vs.-6 matches against other players.
The F2P shooter is based on the Gundam franchise, which is known for animes, mangas, movies, and model kits.
The gameplay focuses primarily on speed and action. For example, your Gundam units have thrusters that allow you to move quickly and accelerate rapidly.
How is Gundam Evolution doing today? The shooter was released only in September 2022 but has never been able to make a significant impression. In the release month, an average of just under 16,700 people played the shooter, but by October 2022, that number had already decreased by 12,000. In April 2023, an average of only 867 players were playing the shooter (via SteamCharts).
What is the problem? Aside from low player numbers leading to long matchmaking times, the player reviews are particularly unconvincing; only 52% of over 19,000 reviews are positive.
Players on Steam criticize poor balancing, poor performance, and lags, as well as the fact that new characters are locked behind a paywall.
What kind of game is this? In Hypercharge: Unboxed, you play as a toy action figure and then plunge into various toy battles. These take you to a family’s garden, a toy store, or a child’s room. The game can be played cooperatively against AI or against other players.
How is Hypercharge doing today? At least on Steam, the game has hardly any active players left. While I am writing this list, there are just 13 people in the toy shooter (as of May 11, 2023) – in April, there were an average of 75 (via SteamCharts).
What is the problem? Once again, it is the player numbers: with under 100 players, a PvP and co-op shooter simply cannot survive. The reviews are very positive, with 90%, but praise alone cannot pay for developer or server costs.
Everything you need to know about Rainbow Six: Extraction – in 2 minutes
What kind of game is this? With Rainbow Six: Extraction, Ubisoft released a PvE offshoot of its popular tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Siege, which focuses on fighting against an alien parasite that threatens the world.
You choose an operator as your playable character and dive into different missions with up to two other players. Each operator also has different abilities and weapons.
How is Rainbow Six: Extraction doing today? Rainbow Six: Extraction is set to receive new content in 2023, but between May and December 2022, communication was lacking. There were no news about the shooter, and even the R6E Twitter account was shut down. The PvE shooter is now also being managed by the “Rainbow Six: Siege” account.
What is the problem? I am a big fan of Rainbow Six: Siege (R6S), and that’s why it pains me to say this: Rainbow Six: Extraction (R6E) feels like a paid PvE expansion to R6 that brought a few new contents and was supposed to distract from being blasted by cheaters in ranked play.
The issue is, we Rainbow Six players are gaming masochists and go into the next match after a painful defeat. We don’t buy a full-price title to play our favorite characters in another game. We buy skins and endure the same agony again.
Furthermore, R6E shares the same problem as, for example, Back 4 Blood – it can quickly feel repetitive and has too little content. Compared to Destiny 2 or Warframe, the game simply cannot keep up.
If you prefer reading about shooters set to be released in 2023 instead of dying players, you’ll also find something on MeinMMO:
Furthermore, R6E shares the same problem as, for example, Back 4 Blood – it can quickly feel repetitive and has too little content. Compared to Destiny 2 or Warframe, the game simply cannot keep up.
If you prefer reading about shooters set to be released in 2023 instead of dying players, you’ll also find something on MeinMMO:
Dead Cells, the roguelite, has an extremely positive rating with 97% positive ratings on Steam. Currently, you can get the game at a special price of €15.
Dead Cells is a mix of roguelite, Metroidvania, and action platformer from the French developer studio Motion Twin. It combines gameplay from modern games like Rogue Legacy and Binding of Isaac with classics like Castlevania: SotN.
You play as “The Prisoner” through a castle, aiming to eliminate the island’s king at the end. The 2D battles were inspired by the “Souls” series.
Here you can see a trailer for Dead Cells:
Start video
Dead Cells – Kill. Die. Learn. Repeat.
Fight your way through the castle with various weapons and spells
You explore the castle, which has secret rooms and hidden passages, and it changes constantly. The game is non-linear, so you can decide where to go first.
The character and weapons can also be upgraded throughout the game. With permanently unlockable special abilities, new paths will open up.
But you will also encounter tough guardians in the castle and fight for your life. The game features over 50 different weapons and spells with which you can prove yourself.
As you gradually learn to overcome the various hurdles in the game, you will grow stronger, bringing you closer to your ultimate goal with skilled gameplay.
How much does Dead Cells cost? Currently, you save 40% on Steam when buying Dead Cells. Instead of €24.99, you now pay €14.99. The special offer ends on May 20, 2023.
The DLCs and bundles for the game are also currently available at a lower price:
Medley of Pain with 5 items costs €28.35 instead of €49.95 (43% discount)
Return to Castlevania with 2 items costs €22.48 instead of €34.95 (36% discount)
Dead Cells + OST with 2 items costs €17.98 instead of €29.98 (40% discount)
How is the game rated? The game receives extremely positive reviews from players. Out of a total of 112,994 ratings, a full 97% are positive (as of May 14, 2023, via Steam).
Henotu: “One of the best games currently available on Steam & Co. Perfect for beginners in the Metroidvania genre and also visually pleasing.”
verTigO: “Quick-paced action that is simply fun.”
RussellTheMuscle: “You die often. You get bad weapon combinations. But you just can’t stop playing.”
Here you can find another game with top ratings that you can currently get cheaper on Steam:
In the first two betas of Diablo 4, we were generously rewarded with loot. However, this changed quite a bit in the third beta, which is being hotly discussed in the community.
The drop chance of the popular orange equipment items has been reduced. Even after many hours in the game, we suddenly encountered them only rarely, much to the dismay of some players.
Loot is an important pillar of Diablo and is meant to incentivize play, especially in the endgame. What awaits you in the endgame is shown in the video:
Start video
Diablo 4: Insight into the Endgame
“You are just too impatient”
What is the community arguing about now? While some are satisfied that they are not bombarded with legendary items, others are disappointed. The accusation from some players to the developers is: “Blizzard never finds a good middle ground.” (via Blizzard Forum)
Part of the community argues that it is less fun when there are fewer legendaries. Others find that this is exactly what they like about the games. In the overwhelmingly largest thread on Reddit, with over 5,000 upvotes and 2,700 comments, players are currently discussing the loot.
Many users remember games where they farmed for specific items for hours and felt immense satisfaction upon achieving success.
IAnswerQuestionsHigh writes: “The satisfaction when a legendary item drops far outweighs the numb feeling you get from endless legendary drops (like in Diablo 3).”
A user notes in his thread that some players probably forget how long it took in Diablo 2 to get a certain item. He asks why players want “a Diablo 3 in new clothes” and observes: “The number of casual gamers is damn high.”
A player then responds, who feels addressed as a casual gamer:
People who do not dedicate their entire life to playing a video game, who have to work, have families, have friends? If so, then I am one of them and I do not complain. […]
The game seems great, but at the same time, I do not want it to cater exclusively to people who play the game non-stop, as I simply have no interest in games that have the difficulty level of Dark Souls. I am not willing to invest my life in meaningless trivialities. Games are meant to relieve stress and have fun with friends, not as a replacement for my job.
For me, the solution lies in a customizable difficulty level that would provide players with unlimited time a more challenging game and lower drop chances, with the satisfying reward of knowing that they have mastered that challenge.
The discussion continues through thousands of comments, with the sides sometimes hardening and even insults being thrown. Both sides receive pushback and have their supporters. The topic is extremely controversial.
Why is this a charged topic? Loot is the core mechanic of Diablo. Good equipment is helpful when it comes to assembling good builds. Individual items also trigger certain effects when equipped, which in turn help you in battles.
In earlier parts, grinding was a much larger part of the player experience. The famous Baal runs in Diablo 2 and the lack of personal loot made it necessary for players to engage with the game for much longer to properly equip their characters.
Today, Diablo is a game aimed at casuals, at least since Diablo 3. The hack ‘n’ slash is more accessible than, for example, Path of Exile, which is why it is so popular with the majority of players. The clash of long-time fans and those who came to the series later or have less time today happens more frequently as a result.
Throughout the genre, loot is an important topic, even if other mechanics differ fundamentally. If you want to explore further, you can find on MeinMMO the 10 best alternatives to Diablo.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A mother posted on Twitter that a laptop recently arrived that neither she nor her husband had ordered. Her 16-year-old son had purchased the device. The money came from trading gaming skins.
Uju Anya published a series of posts on Twitter describing the events surrounding her 16-year-old son’s new laptop.
A laptop was delivered in her son’s name. Since Uju Anya knew that no one else in the family had ordered it, she confronted the boy and wanted to know where he got 1,000 dollars. The answer: with the help of skins from video games.
The skin market is currently booming in Counter Strike. Here you can see a trailer for the game:
Start video
Counter Strike: Global Offensive Trailer
The mother seems surprised that gaming skins can bring in so much money
Uju Anya further explained what was going on in her mind: As a mother, she initially panicked because she didn’t know where the large sum of money came from. She feared the worst, like drugs or fraud.
Instead, the money came from trading gaming skins. Her son had shown Uju Anya the data for his items, which he had purchased a year ago with pocket money and later sold for three times that price.
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The mother seems impressed by her son’s achievement and surprised that there is such a large market for gaming skins, an industry that, according to Yahoo Finance, is estimated to be worth around 50 billion dollars (as of November 28, 2022), as she posted.
The next day, Uju Anya thanked Twitter users for affirming her 16-year-old’s entrepreneurial spirit. In the meantime, the mother has given her son some money so he can learn more about the business world and investments.
Currently, the trade in cosmetic items for the shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is booming. Especially with the announcement of the big update Counter Strike 2, interest in the game and its items has recently surged.
If you want to know more about the current hype surrounding CS:GO skins, you can find more information here:
In the Server Slam of Diablo 4, you can test one of the endgame features at certain times. MeinMMO reveals when and where you can find and fight the world boss Ashava.
Update from May 14: We have updated the article for the last day of the Server Slam of Diablo 4.
You should have reached level 20 to face the boss. In the area, you should be thrown into the world together with other players, fighting Ashava with up to 12 players.
When does Ashava appear? The world boss is only available at certain times. The remaining times for the Server Slam are:
Sunday, May 14
12:00 PM
3:00 PM
6:00 PM
All times in German time.
A timer visible on the map runs for half an hour before Ashava appears in the corresponding area.
Where does Ashava spawn? When you search for the boss, you will find him in the east of the Shattered Peaks in the area “The Crucible”. The nearest waypoint is the village of Yelesna:
This is what it looks like when Ashava is about to spawnThe spawn point of Ashava
World Boss Ashava – Schedule, Loot, Tips
What do I get for the fight? Basically, world bosses are meant to increase the difficulty in Diablo 4. However, this does not happen in the test. Here, the world boss serves merely as a test of strength.
Additionally, you have an increased chance for loot and you get a special reward if you defeat Ashava during the Server Slam. However, you need to have reached level 20 for this, while it is already difficult to fight Ashava properly beforehand.
Gameplay from the fight against Ashava can be seen here:
Start video
Diablo 4 features huge bosses like an MMO – And they drop really good loot
Tips for the fight: Ashava is extremely deadly, many of her attacks can kill you instantly. However, you can avoid everything. I defeated her with my agile hunter build:
When Ashava looks at you, dodge. Her bite deals a massive amount of damage.
The wide arc with the claws only deals damage at the outer edge, you are safe inside.
Avoid poison puddles, they cause regular damage.
When Ashava slams her claws into the ground, move away from her. The attack is deadly. If you stand exactly in the middle behind her or use your dodge ability at the right moment, you ignore the damage. However, this is risky.
You can revive teammates an unlimited number of times.
By the way, you only have 15 minutes once the boss appears. If the timer runs out, Ashava simply disappears again and you go away empty-handed.
If you have not yet reached level 20, our guide will help you level up quickly:
