On April 25, Episode 6, Act 3 of Riot’s shooter Valorant started. The accompanying Battle Pass contains a special reward: a player title in memory of the late player Gizem “Luie” Harmankaya.
Who was the player? Gizem “Luie” Harmankaya was a Turkish e-sports player who had most recently played for the teams Galaktikos Sirens, Unknownpros Female, and Vivace Vista. In 2022, she participated in the Valorant Game Changers.
On February 8, 2023, the death of the 21-year-old was announced. Harmankaya died as a result of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria after being buried under the rubble for nearly 3 days.
Her death shook the Valorant community. Many fans and professional players honored Luie online, including the head of EMEA Game Changers and Riot Games Turkey.
Now players can commemorate the e-sports player with an in-game title.
What kind of title is it? A player title bearing the name of the 21-year-old has been added to the Battle Pass of Episode 6, Act 3. These titles are displayed in lobbies and on the game loading screen under the player’s name.
How can you get the title? The “Gizem” title is included as a free reward in the Battle Pass. Players must reach level 5 in the Battle Pass to be able to secure the title.
What are the reactions? Jo-Ellen Aragon, the community manager of Valorant, shared the tribute on Twitter after the new Battle Pass went live on April 25. She called the title “a very special tribute.”
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Players are responding emotionally: In the comments, there are numerous hearts, emojis, and Ws.
Coach Vixie writes: “She was such a good player and it was always a pleasure to compete against her. She will be missed. Thank you for adding a tribute for her.”
Ceren thanks: “That means so much to us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Jojo states: “Maybe I’ll change my title from V.1 exceptionaly to this one.”
In particular, the fact that the title is included in the free version of the Battle Pass is well received.
Gizem “Luie” Harmankaya was the first professional player to be immortalized by name in Valorant, although the background is a sad one. In October 2022, the player “Corbin”, who had died of cancer, was honored with a Gun Buddy, a weapon charm. The Gun Buddy was also included in the free version of the Battle Pass.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The major question regarding account-wide reputation seems to be finally clarified. In World of Warcraft, this has seemingly been decided.
In recent years, the community of World of Warcraft has become increasingly vocal. Many barriers in the game are regarded as annoying, and some long-time fans hardly dare to start a new character because they would have to give up a lot of what they’ve worked hard for.
Over the years, the developers have made more and more features and unlocks account-wide. However, one barrier still remains, but it will likely fall soon: account-wide reputation seems to be a done deal.
Who said that? The game director of World of Warcraft, Ion Hazzikostas, was interviewed by “MrGM”. Even though the interview primarily focused on the next Patch 10.1 Glut von Neltharion, most of the questions were directed at the future of WoW.
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What was said about account-wide reputation? MrGM explained in the interview that he always has an internal barrier to play a new character seriously. Many of these barriers have been broken down over the years, but the reputation factions still exist. You do not like to leave behind a character that has farmed more than 100 reputation factions to exalted.
[If you want to play a new character], that means you have to leave things behind that you worked hard for and are tied to old characters. We know that it doesn’t feel good. Fundamentally, the direction we are moving as a team is to break down these barriers between characters and to allow your achievements as a player to stand on their own.
This is one of the remaining barriers and one that I want to address, but it is not a short-term priority.
In other words: Reputation will be account-wide sooner or later, even if it likely won’t happen with Dragonflight.
Which reputation factions would then be affected? That is still not quite clear. Even though they talked about both current and old reputation factions, for MrGM, the “legacy reputation factions” were especially problematic.
Those would be reputation factions that are not part of the current expansion. That also sounds like the logical step. After all, you do not want second characters to immediately buy strong equipment from new reputation vendors, but only to transfer the old cosmetic rewards and the feeling of being “done” with the respective faction.
When it will come, however, is still up in the air.
For the current factions, Blizzard has already activated a rather solid system for second characters. When the main character reaches a high reputation level (or in this case “glory”), second characters can earn reputation 100% or even 200% faster, making the grind significantly less. Second characters often reach the maximum reputation “on the side”, where the main character had to farm for a long time.
What do you think about it? Do you want account-wide reputation for all characters? And should this only affect “old” reputation or also current variants?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch mod “BigMac” was long an integral part of Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris’ (35) streams. Now he accuses the streamer of not only underpaying him but also wasting his time.
What is it about the mod? MontanaBlack is one of the biggest streamers in German Twitch, has millions of fans and thousands of viewers. The chat can get quite turbulent at times. For years, “BigMac” ensured order and justice in the streamer’s chat as a moderator.
The catchphrase “BigMac, ban him” was a staple of the stream until MontanaBlack banned his own mod.
Now BigMac is criticizing his former employer and friend on Twitter.
BigMac claims MontanaBlack still owes him money
What does BigMac have to say about MontanaBlack? On April 25, BigMac shared two videos on Twitter, in which MontanaBlack discusses salaries, rising living costs, and inflation. The streamer repeatedly states that €1,500 to €1,700 per month is almost “nothing” and that hardly anyone can live on it.
The former mod writes that MontanaBlack paid him only €1,700 for his work, and in the first months, it was only €1,500. Furthermore, the streamer still owes him salary for 2 months.
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In the comments, BigMac further claims that MontanaBlack has earned thousands of euros monthly with the emotes he created. He has asked the streamer several times to settle his debts and only made it public now (via Twitter).
Twitter users mock, saying it isn’t real work
What are the reactions like? If BigMac had expected a wave of sympathy for himself and anger towards MontanaBlack, he seems to have miscalculated. In the comments, the majority seems to think that moderating a Twitch chat isn’t real work and that BigMac was rather overpaid.
He counters that he not only moderated the chat but was also MontanaBlack’s assistant, his right hand, and “like a brother to him.” He had to be available around the clock.
What particularly bothers him is that MontanaBlack apparently considered the payment too low himself and made such statements in the stream knowing that his moderator would be watching, according to BigMac.
Start video
Career and Life of MontanaBlack in 2 Minutes: What Makes Him Unique?
Apparently, the topic of MontanaBlack is not yet truly finished for the former mod. He seems to accuse the streamer of having prevented him from pursuing his dreams. MontanaBlack made him “dependent on him,” and BigMac wasted 9 years of his life for him.
The streamer has not yet commented on the accusations from his former friend.
The debate over whether mods on Twitch should be paid is quite controversial, both among content creators and viewers. Some streamers see their moderators as employees, like their editors, while some of the largest streamers on Twitch rely on unpaid labor.
Valorant has a new skin pack that costs over 100 euros. For some players, that’s too much, even if they find the skins pretty.
Riot Games’ tactical shooter Valorant offers a large, steadily growing selection of various skins. They change the appearance of the respective weapon and partially offer special animations, such as when reloading or achieving a final kill.
Some skins also change the sound a weapon makes when shooting. However, there are no skins for individual characters.
Recently, Riot Games released a new skin pack for Valorant called “Radiant Entertainment System.” Now there is a lot of criticism for the game developer because some players find the price of the skins far too high.
What kind of skin pack is this? The “Radiant Entertainment System” is a bundle with 5 skins for the Bulldog, Phantom, Operator, as well as the silenced pistol Ghost and the “Knife”.
The skins give the weapons a “Retro Gaming” design with partially animated details and magazines that look like classic video game cartridges.
What the pack looks like was shown by Valorant on Twitter:
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30 euros for a skin – pack as expensive as 2 AAA games
How much does the pack cost? A skin from the new pack is said to cost 2,975 Valorant Points (VP) that players would have to buy for at least 30 euros if interested, as they cannot be earned. The price for the “Knife” of the bundle costs separately 5,950 VP, about 60 euros.
To acquire 2,950 VP, you would have to buy 2,050 points for 20 € and then another 1,000 points for 10 €.
Alternatively, 3,650 VP would be available for 35 €.
A package with 3,000 points for 30 € does not exist.
The entire bundle costs 11,900 VP, which is approximately 110 euros. The package also includes background cards and other little things that would otherwise have to be purchased separately.
Start video
Valorant Skin Trailer: Radiant Entertainment System
The skin is good, but is it that good?
What do players say about the pack? Many players express interest in the bundle on social media. Especially the magazines in cassette design are well received, and some players say they would buy the skins – if it weren’t for the price.
Alex Lockheart: It’s really a great bundle, […] you can see the love for older games in this bundle. But I am sorry, it is WAY too expensive. I love your game, but the bundles are not worth the price of two AAA games (via Twitter).
BorutoHype69: Bruh, they [Riot Games] have set the price too high. Such a cool and unique bundle, but it won’t sell nearly as much because it is so expensive (via Twitter).
Black Sheep: The bundle costs more than the entire game Legend of Zelda. I mean, the skin is good, but is it that good? More worth than a whole game (via Twitter)?
Players like to spend money on pretty armor or colorful paint for their weapons. The probably most famous example of players spending a lot of money on skins can be found in Valorant’s competitor Counter-Strike.
There, players donate thousands of euros to open crates or to acquire a desired skin from other collectors.
In the USA, eSports is currently dying in games like League of Legends. Big teams like TSM or CLG are disbanding. FaZe’s stock is in the basement. The content creator Arab has a simple explanation for this: ” politically correct types” are to blame. In the past, gaming could still be wild and expressive. But, according to him, it seems that people like Fortnite star “Ninja” have ruined everything that was once good about gaming.
That sparked the discussion: The Twitch streamer “Disguised Toast” has recently attempted to start an eSports team in Valorant. In a clip from a podcast, he explains that the situation in eSports is not good:
In addition, major projects like “The Guard” have failed
Start video
Through Fortnite to the largest streamer on Twitch – Who is Ninja and what is he doing today?
In the past, you could do and say anything you wanted in gaming
This is the controversial opinion:The content creator Arab has 331,000 subscribers on YouTube and was quite successful with Fortnite content on YouTube in 2020.
He recently spoke out on Twitter and said:
Gaming has failed because it used to be an escape for people from the real world to be someone else and mess around with friends. You could say and do whatever you wanted. Then came blue-haired, politically correct losers and ruined it.
Arab says: Today, every influencer would be a washed-up sponsor collector with a dry personality.
He belongs to the first generation of gamers who could make “real money” with video games. Video games were not meant to be a sport. “Talking shit” was the part of gaming that was fun.
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How is this received? Arab is getting a lot of backlash for his opinion. Creator Ludwig says he could start an eSports team called “No Liberal Pussys” where gamers could drink “Woke-free” beer and let every insult fly. That would be totally epic; he should invest all his money in it.
Others say: “Blue-haired losers” have nothing to do with the current problems in eSports; that’s totally crazy.
For many, the problem seems to lie in the “commercialization” of gaming. Because the fun is in the “playing”. Just the idea that someone like Arab says he made money with gaming is distasteful to some commentators on Twitter.
A Twitter user says that at this point, gaming began to have problems: “Gaming is failing because companies and investors jumped in and made as much money as possible. Game developers themselves have always been quite apolitical.”
What’s behind this: When “blue-haired, politically correct” is mentioned, Ninja is clearly referred to: He used to be a terrible flamer himself but temporarily refrained from insults because he had such a young audience.
However, it still belongs to gaming to tease friends and joke around, and of course, it is still allowed. Even Ninja constantly teased and joked with his colleagues.
Gaming can still be used as an escape from reality.
But why it should be inherent in gaming to be able to say everything you want is not entirely clear. The idea that gaming is no longer fun since we can no longer insult others racially seems somehow strange.
Especially since many online players are currently complaining about being insulted racially or sexually in games. One can justifiably doubt that gaming is no longer fun since Germans are no longer constantly referred to as “Nazis” or “Krauts”.
Cherry presented new products at its event in Cologne. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann was there and is particularly surprised by a particularly small keyboard: the Cherry MX-LP 2.1 Compact Wireless.
What is new? Cherry introduced several new keyboards and a mouse in Cologne:
The Cherry MX 8.2 TKL Wireless
The Cherry MX-LP 2.1 Compact Wireless
The Cherry MX 3.0S Wireless
The K5 keyboard series from Xtrfy
The Xtrfy M8 Wireless, a new, very lightweight gaming mouse.
The highlight should primarily be the new wireless technology used in all devices. According to Cherry, the wireless technology is based on a completely new version of Bluetooth.
In the Xperion Arena in Cologne, I was able to try out some devices from Cherry and Xtrfy. I was particularly taken with the Cherry MX-LP 2.1 Compact Wireless.
The Cherry MX-LP 2.1 Compact Wireless.
Mini-format keyboard could replace my TKL keyboard
What am I positively surprised by? The switches of the Cherry MX-LP 2.1 Compact feel incredibly good under the fingers, and it is fun to play and type with them. Low-profile switches are also a bit faster than “normal” switches found under most keys.
With three different connection types (Bluetooth, cable, and wireless) and N-key rollover for all keys, important features are also included.
The official price is 139.99 euros. I find that quite reasonable based on my first impression. Additionally, the price is slightly below the competition: you currently pay just under 200 euros for the comparable Apex Pro Mini from SteelSeries.
Three new keyboards, the mini in the middle.
What makes me hesitate? I find low-profile switches and compatible keycaps for the German keyboard layout (ISO-DE) rather rare and usually also expensive. I had the biggest trouble with my Logitech G915, where the keycaps broke incredibly quickly.
I also cannot yet assess the battery life at this point. The competition ranges from 30 to 50 hours.
What else was there to see? The new keyboards from Xtrfy (K5) also surprised me quite positively. Pleasant haptics and, above all, a good build height that can be used comfortably even without a wrist rest.
The new mouse seems unremarkable at first if you have already played with the lightweight mice from the competition (Razer, Endgame Gear, or Glorious). At 55 grams, it is incredibly light and hardly noticeable on the desk. The manufacturer describes the battery life as “long,” but I cannot assess that yet based on my short experience.
More keyboards: My current keyboard highlight on my desk costs only 50 euros and is also a TKL model. I am curious whether the new model from Cherry will replace it:
A player reports on Reddit that he received 32 million GTA dollars from developer Rockstar Games, although he wanted much less.
Why did the player want the GTA dollars? A user named “Skraelos” reports on Reddit that he received 32,168,889 GTA dollars from the developer studio Rockstar Games.
In the post, he states that he had previously submitted a support request because he lost 75,000 GTA dollars. In the comments of the post, he explains that his game crashed shortly after purchasing supplies for the bunker.
When he logged back in, the in-game money was gone, but the supplies were said to never have arrived (via Reddit).
Skraelos attached a screenshot to the Reddit post that shows the amount received.
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GTA player Skraelos claims on Reddit that Rockstar Games transferred him 32 million GTA dollars.
At this time, it is uncertain how reliable the statements and the screenshot of the Reddit user are.
What do other players say? In the comments of the post, players celebrate the support employee responsible for the payout and joke about the events that may have led to the payment.
lurizan4life: Blessed be the Rockstar support employee who gave you 32 million $.
r3ddog00: The guy probably quit that day and said, screw it.
Other users additionally ask how Skraelos came up with the idea to create a support ticket for 75,000 GTA dollars, as it is such a small amount.
Overall, the post garnered over 4,600 upvotes and 300 comments.
Are 32 million GTA dollars a lot? 32 million is neither particularly much nor particularly little in the world of GTA Online. You can buy some vehicles or buildings with that money, which help in making money later in the game.
However, 32 million on the streets of Los Santos is more of a financial boost and not unlimited wealth. A dozen sports cars or important buildings like an office, the bunker, the agency, or the Kosatka, and the money is gone in no time.
If you still have some items on your GTA shopping list and are wondering how to earn money the fastest, MeinMMO editor Patrick Freese has summarized the best ways for you:
In Pokémon GO, an event will start on May 2nd, bringing the new monster Ignivor into the game. However, it can only be obtained from eggs. The associated evolution, Ramoth, requires a whole bunch of candies, which is off-putting to some trainers.
Ignivor originates from the 5th generation of Pokémon and can evolve into Ramoth with the help of 400 candies. However, many players see this as a problem.
Trainers criticize 400 candies for evolution from eggs
What is being criticized? While there are other Pokémon that require 400 candies, they have always been catchable in the wild before. That is different with Ignivor now.
When hatching an egg, you will receive a different number of candies depending on the kilometers:
2km eggs typically yield 7 to 8 candies, but at most 15
5km eggs yield on average 15 to 16 candies, in the best case 21
10km eggs typically yield 23 to 24 candies, but a maximum of 32
Additionally, there is one candy for transferring the Pokémon
On average, players would thus have to hatch about 20 eggs with a distance of 10 kilometers. However, not every egg necessarily contains an Ignivor, but there are plenty of other options. Just covering the walking distances will already be demanding.
Some trainers feel compelled to buy additional incubators in the shop to hatch multiple eggs in parallel and collect candies for Ignivor.
Under a Twitter post from Pokémon GO, upset trainers have gathered and are massively criticizing the design decision:
The “Pokémon GO” creator HomeSliceHenry writes: “Hiding a 400 candy evolution behind eggs is one of the [worst] decisions of all time.”
Another user says: “The community’s engagement is at an all-time low. You’re angering the community even more by asking people to raid when they can’t, and then hiding a new monster behind eggs that requires 400 candies for its evolution?”
Other users show the decline in Niantic’s revenue and attribute it to the fact that the developers are no longer listening to their community.
Indeed, some changes in the recent past have been criticized. These include adjustments and limitations to remote raids, shortened community days, or a reduction in the effectiveness of incense.
This also affects the gaming times of our readers. We wanted to know if you are now playing less Pokémon GO than before, and you responded quite clearly:
The games for PS Plus Essential in May 2023 for PS5 and PS4 have been officially announced. We briefly introduce the games and show when they will be available.
What games are available in May 2023? In May 2023, there are again three games that you can get with the PS Plus subscription.
Grid Legends – (PS5/ PS4)
Chivalry 2 – (PS5/ PS4)
Descenders – (PS5/ PS4)
A leak from the site Dealabs circulated ahead of the official announcement, predicting the three games as the PS Plus lineup for May 2023. The leak was considered quite reliable, as the site has never been wrong before and was right this time as well.
When will the games be available? The “PS Plus” games are always available on the first Tuesday of the month:
Chivalry 2: With Chivalry 2 comes a PvP title as a PS Plus game, delivering chaotic knight battles with up to 64 players.
Your task is to take and capture a position or defend the said position. There are also modes like Team Deathmatch, where you do not have to capture points.
The gameplay, just like the overwhelming atmosphere of the depicted war, reminds one of the shooter Battlefield – only in the Middle Ages and with swords and shields instead of assault rifles and grenades.
Start video
Chivalry 2 is the Battlefield among the knight games – Shows in the trailer for the update new map and weapons
Besides Chivalry 2, the racing games Descenders and GRID Legends are also part of the PS Plus Essentials in May 2023.
GRID Legends: GRID is an arcade racer from Codemasters, released in February 2022, and is the latest installment in the “GRID” series.
The tracks of GRID Legends are often closed courses that lead you through a city, with spectators seen at its boundaries. Additionally, the title features 120 vehicles from manufacturers like Audi, Nissan, BMW, Porsche, Ford, and Ferrari.
Arcade racing games like GRID or Need for Speed are characterized by driving physics that do not need to be realistic. Instead, fast racing action is at the forefront – bumping and pushing is allowed.
Descenders: While GRID sends you onto the racetrack in sports cars, in Descenders, you throw yourself down a mountain on a bike. It is essential to avoid obstacles like trees and maintain your balance. Because if you act clumsily, you will fall off the bike.
An accident ends your attempt to complete the course as quickly as possible, and you must start the race over from the beginning. The tracks themselves are procedurally generated, which can increase the replay value of Descenders.
Additionally, Descenders offers a multiplayer mode where you compete with a number of other players for victory.
Start video
Descenders Reveal Trailer
Do the games for May 2023 convince you, or are you rather disappointed with the game lineup? Which game would you like to see as a PS Plus title in June? Feel free to write it to us here on MeinMMO in the comments.
Until May 2, you can also secure the PS Plus games for April 2023 and celebrate the return of PlayStation mascot Sackboy:
David Brevik is regarded as the father of Diablo. Now the developer spoke about a decision that changed the action RPG Diablo forever.
David Brevik is a game developer and former head of Blizzard North. In the 90s and early 2000s, Brevik worked on Diablo 1 and 2 and has since been considered the father of Diablo. In 2003, Brevik left the development studio and said in 2021 that Blizzard was dead to him.
In an interview on the YouTube channel “Ars Technica”, he spoke about the development of Diablo and revealed how one decision changed the game forever and made it what we know it as today (via YouTube)
What decision is it? Brevik explains in the interview that Diablo was originally developed as a “turn-based RPG” where movements or attacks would have been individual turns. Similar to the X-COM game series or the new Wartales on Steam.
At one point in the development, a proposal came up to make Diablo a “real-time game” and to drop the turn-based gameplay.
But Brevik did not like the idea. I was very afraid of losing what I considered the essence of the game, he explains.
Since the question of a real-time Diablo kept coming up, Brevik presented the suggestion to his developer team of about 15 people at that time – and they responded, according to Brevik, with: I think this could be quite cool.
Start video
5 Alternatives to Diablo 4 that are not Path of Exile
A vote decided Diablo’s fate
What happened next? Brevik initiated a vote with the entire development team in the kitchen of Blizzard North, allowing them to decide on the switch to real-time combat. It was reported to have a clear outcome. Brevik lost.
Although Brevik himself was still not convinced by the idea, he says, the decision was made, and Diablo was to include real-time combat. Nevertheless, he feared that the switch would take too long and that they would have to return to turn-based combat later.
Let’s give it a try. I think this is stupid. I think it’s a waste of a month to do this. We’ve made this game too cheap. We’ll go back. We’ll try to get more money at the same time. Yes, we’ll take longer to develop this game because it’ll be this real-time thing. So we need not only an additional milestone payment but we won’t be able to show anything or talk about it for a month because it takes that long to do.
Brevik changes Diablo in an afternoon: Despite his doubts, Brevik decided on a Friday to start the transition of Diablo to a real-time system himself and sent his employees home.
Subsequently, Brevik began working and was finished within a few hours – not as he expected, after a month or more: I started working Friday afternoon, and by Friday evening it was done.
Then he struck a skeleton with a club for the first time and thought, Oh my God, this is fantastic. At that moment, Brevik realized that Diablo was so much better this way.
When all the employees were back in the studio the following Monday, the work was done, it worked, and it was clear to everyone that this was the right way to go. After that, they did not look back.
In Minecraft you can hunt Slimes to obtain slimeballs, which you then need to create useful items for your shelters or potions. We show you where Slimes spawn and what they bring you.
Where do Slimes spawn? There are several ways to find Slimes in Minecraft, but they differ in reliability. We will go through all the options and show you how they work:
The Swamp
The swamp is a biome where you can reliably find Slimes. It must be night, and the light level must not exceed 8. Furthermore, the moon phases are important. Most Slimes spawn during a full moon, while the least spawn during a new moon.
Not a swamp, but still Slimes in action
Slime Chunks
The world of Minecraft consists of several 16×16 blocks, called Chunks. Each world is equipped with different biomes, and besides the biomes, there are also Slime Chunks.
These special Chunks mark a 16×16 block where Slimes can always spawn at heights 1 – 39. To find out which block is actually a Slime Chunk, you should go down to a depth between 1 – 39.
Once there, you dig out the area by removing everything up to 3 blocks high. Now, you illuminate the excavated space so that no other mobs can spawn.
After that, you delineate each Chunk with fences to find out which 16×16 block is a Slime Chunk.
In the Java version, you can use the key combination F3 and G to display the grid of individual Chunks. In the Bedrock version, however, you need to work with coordinates and estimation.
Now you wait to see if anything has spawned in the individual Chunks, allowing you to create a real Slime source.
The Plains
If you have created a world in the plains, it is easier to get Slimes. Plains always lie below the height of 40. Thus, it is suitable for Slimes, and they can spawn easily thanks to the Slime Chunks. Moreover, they are also easier to spot since the world is not rugged.
This is why you need the resource: Slimes drop only slimeballs upon death. With them, you can create either Sticky Pistons, Magma Cream, String, or Slime Blocks. However, slimeballs should primarily be used for String, Slime Blocks, and Sticky Pistons since Magma Cream can be easily obtained from Magma Cubes in the Nether.
That was all the important information regarding Slimes. Do you have trouble finding them, or is it a piece of cake for you? Let us know in the comments!
On April 26, Activision Blizzard’s stock (WoW, Call of Duty) plummets by more than 10% before the stock market opens. The value of the gaming company dropped by about 7 billion $ in half an hour. The reason is a message from the United Kingdom: The local competition authority plans to appeal against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The attractive premium of 95 $ is at risk.
This is the situation:
In January 2022, Microsoft announced that it intended to buy Activision Blizzard and offered a price of 95 $ per share, which would be paid out to shareholders in case of a takeover. Overall, it concerns 69 billion US dollars. It would be the largest deal in gaming history.
The stock value of Activision Blizzard, which was damaged due to a sexism scandal, rose sharply on the stock market. From about 64 $, it quickly rose to 81 $. A huge deal for shareholders.
However, for the deal to go through, approval is needed from various regulatory authorities around the world. Because in a merger of such large companies, there is a risk of monopolization that endangers the market.
Especially Sony has been shooting against the deal for months and painting horror scenarios on the wall about how powerful Microsoft will become. There is a fear that Activision Blizzard could in the future offer the shooter “Call of Duty” exclusively for Xbox and no longer for PlayStation.
Especially “Call of Duty” is seen as a point of contention that Sony repeatedly attacks:
Start video
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 – Launch Trailer
Cloud gaming as a sticking point that prevents the huge merger
This is what the authority in the UK says: The relevant authority for competition law in the UK (CMA) has decided to oppose the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard (via insider-gaming). They have concerns that Microsoft could become even larger in cloud gaming and this could worsen access to the growing market for competitors.
It is stated:
Cloud gaming is growing rapidly in the UK; revenues have tripled from the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2022.
Microsoft is already strong here and could benefit significantly if they acquire and exclusively offer the games from Activision Blizzard.
Cloud gaming would allow players to forgo expensive consoles and PCs, bringing more flexibility.
The submissions from Microsoft asking for approval to proceed with the purchase were not found to be very convincing.
Update: In a new article, we have looked at the first reactions from experts on whether the deal still has a chance:
The decision comes somewhat surprisingly – but some saw it coming
Did anyone see this coming? There were at least indications. The authority had already hinted at this decision back in February. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick reacted sourly and scolded the UK: This would not create a European “Silicon Valley” (a tech mecca), but a “Death Valley” (a dead zone).
The journalist and expert Jason Schreier explains that while experts expected the authority in the UK to approve the deal, he was not very surprised. He has been writing for a year that the deal is by no means secure. Therefore, Activision Blizzard’s stock has mostly been around 70-75 $ and not at 95 $.
Microsoft will file an appeal – Sounds angry and threatening
How does Microsoft react? Microsoft states that it fully supports the purchase and will appeal against the CMA’s decision.
The decision “discourages technological progress and investment in the UK”.
Activision Blizzard also states that it will “aggressively” support Microsoft’s efforts to persuade the authority to change its opinion (via bloomberg).
This is what it looks like when 7 billion $ in value evaporate.
How does the stock market react? Currently, the price has plummeted by 10% in pre-market trading. From 86.74 $, it dropped to 78.07 $. Due to the large number of shares of Activision Blizzard in circulation, the company has lost about 7 billion $ in market value.
The first price drop occurred within 31 minutes: the stock fell from 86.94 $ to 76.12 $. Since then, it has already recovered slightly.
What’s behind it: This is about billions $:
Those who believe that the deal will go through assume that the stock will be worth 95 $ in the near future.
If the deal fails, the stock of Activision Blizzard is likely to plummet.
Ultimately, this is like a bet, except that one is not betting on the outcome of a football game, but on how authorities decide, whose decision-making processes do not appear to be very transparent.
Diablo 4 offers a long story and a vast world with many possibilities for how you can level up your hero to the maximum level. Developer Joseph Piepiora clarified how long an average player will take.
How long does it take to reach level 100? Blizzard conducted an interview with the gaming site “PCGamer”. It discussed how Diablo 4 borrows elements from MMOs while still maintaining its identity (via pcgamer.com). After the interview, players were unsure how long it would actually take to reach the maximum level, as this was also discussed.
Associate Game Director Joseph Piepiora responded to the uncertainty in a Twitter post, stating that an average player will take 150+ hours to reach the max level.
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By average players, it refers to fans who take their time, enjoy the story, complete every dungeon, and do not immediately rush into farming mobs. While 150+ hours is normal, pros might reach the cap faster.
Grind might be shorter for pros
Why might pros level up to 100 faster? Fans who have been playing seasons in Diablo 3 for years will reach the max level more quickly. They often skip or sprint through the story to spend hours beating up enemies at a farm spot.
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Diablo 4: Insight into the Endgame
The focus of such pros is also to have an endgame hero for the respective season as quickly as possible. It’s quite possible that players will develop farming spots or strategies after the first release weeks when the first season becomes active, on how to collect the most XP as quickly as possible.
Will you also fall into the dry grind after the story, or will you take your time to explore every corner of the new Sanctuary? Let us know in the comments!
The Free2Play MMO Warframe has been captivating its players for many years, but MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider has never mentioned it. Today the expansion “The Duviri Paradox” is released, and the new content pulls Maik into the world of space ninjas for the first time.
The story of Warframe is as changeable as it is exciting. In the first years after the release in 2013, it hovered around 10,000 concurrent players – decent, but not a real breakthrough for such an engaged MMO.
Now it has caught up with me too. I attended a presentation by the developers for the latest expansion “The Duviri Paradox” and conducted an interview with Community Director Megan Everett.
The new, free Warframe expansion “The Duviri Paradox” is online
I will introduce you to some details of the crazy expansion and why I will finally take a look at the game. You can watch the brand new trailer with gameplay here:
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Warframe: The Duviri Paradox – Gameplay Trailer
“Update is so crazy that new players should be able to play it right away”
Why is the expansion crazy? The Duviri Paradox is a roguelite expansion for the MMO. The responsible parties are taking a bold step, but it also opens up opportunities.
Imagine an MMO that has been delivering content for 10 years and tweaking power fantasies to provide players with motivation. In Warframe, for example, there are over 500 weapons and countless perks and abilities to enhance specific playstyles.
Now all these available abilities are packed into a roguelite game mode.
I start a run in the new open world of Duviri Paradox and as I complete missions, I receive loot and one of three random perks available for selection. There are about 40 perks at launch – more could come in later updates.
Even as a beginner without Warframe experience, I can already create a fierce warrior, which would otherwise only be possible after a long grind. And yes: I can actually start directly as a beginner in the new expansion.
Here lie the opportunities I was talking about. Warframe head Rebecca Ford made it clear during the developer presentation: “Our update is so crazy that new players should be able to play it right away”.
The story behind the current Warframe head Rebecca Ford is also quite interesting:
How does the game mode work? You enter the open world of the Duviri Paradox as a “Drifter”. This means you cannot wear a Warframe. However, some missions will provide you with a Warframe that you automatically equip but cannot keep.
There is a special Warframe mode for veterans in the new open world.
This world is meant to represent the thoughts of a crazy “king” and you are at his mercy. There are a total of six moods, and all change the world visually and bring different challenges.
At the end of a Duviri run, there is a boss fight with a huge dragon worm. The boss also changes with the mood, offering different mechanics.
Whether for beginners or veterans: The Duviri Paradox comes with its own story campaign that must be played through before all roguelite mechanics are available. Beginners also receive a comprehensive tutorial if they choose to start Warframe directly with the Duviri Paradox.
The campaign mission is supposed to last approximately 1.5 hours and contain many cinematics. Later, playing through one of the “moods” in roguelite mode can take up to two hours. Outside of the roguelite mode, players improve their stats to be stronger in the next run.
By the way, the loot from the Duviri Paradox has been limited. The developers see the activity as a kind of “daily quest.” While certain things can be leveled up, the rewards are best on the first run of the day. The moods rotate daily.
What does the update bring for “regular” Warframe players? The focus of Duviri Paradox is clearly on the new roguelite mode. But you also gain access to a completely new open world that can be explored.
For Warframe, this is already the 4th open world update, and similar to previous updates, you can explore the world normally and find missions and things to discover everywhere.
In addition, the “Kaithes” are introduced into the game for all open world areas of Warframe. These are broadly horses that can be visually customized and provide increased movement speed.
Overall, the content for the “classic” Warframe experience is limited. Nevertheless, there is a decent amount of new “Arcanes,” a merchant who will take your Duviri resources, and new melee weapons that can also be used with your Warframes.
We have occasionally had articles about Warframe on MeinMMO and I found it quite interesting. However, reports about the high grind factor deterred me and I also never had potential fellow players who wanted to convince me.
Connecting it with the roguelite genre feels like a brilliant move.
Games like Warframe build up content over years, create abilities, synergies, builds, and give players all the tools to be part of this power fantasy – if I toil hard for weeks, sometimes months.
Warframe lets me experience all this in two hours – one time over-powerful and back.
This is something that some PvE MMOs could learn from. Let’s briefly be the character we work so hard and so long on. Show us that the grind is worth it. And on the side, even newcomers can enjoy a super powerful game character.
If you have any questions about the Duviri Paradox or an opinion, leave a comment. Also, let me know if you want to read the report of my first round of Warframe.
Honkai: Star Rail is similar to Genshin Impact, featuring various characters that you unlock through the gacha system. However, you can get 8 figures for free. We explain how to obtain them.
How do you get characters in Honkai: Star Rail? In the space RPG, you acquire characters through so-called Warps. There are two different types:
Standard Warps
Character Event Warps
The Standard Warps are available all the time, while the Oriented Warps change periodically and include specific event characters.
Here you can see a trailer for Honkai: Star Rail:
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Official Release Trailer – “Interstellar Journey” – Honkai: Star Rail
However, you can also obtain some figures in Honkai: Star Rail for free by playing the story or completing certain challenges.
You can get a total of 8 different characters for free. Here you can find an overview of which characters they are and how to obtain them.
1. The Trailblazer
Rarity: 5 stars
Path: The Destruction
Combat type: Physical
How do you get the Trailblazer? You get the Trailblazer automatically at the beginning of Honkai: Star Rail. You can choose between a female or male character.
As you progress through the game, you unlock additional paths and combat types for the protagonist.
2. March 7th
Rarity: 4 stars
Path: The Preservation
Combat type: Ice
How do you get March 7th? You receive her quite early in the game, shortly after you start the story.
3. Dan Heng
Rarity: 4 stars
Path: The Hunt
Combat type: Wind
How do you get Dan Heng? You also receive Dan Heng quite early in the game as you progress through the story.
4. Natasha
Rarity: 4 stars
Path: The Abundance
Combat type: Physical
How do you get Natasha? You get Natasha after completing the Trailblaze mission “In the Rust.”
5. Herta
Rarity: 4 stars
Path: The Learning
Combat type: Ice
How do you get Herta? You get Herta after completing the Trailblaze mission “Universe Simulation: First Closed Beta.”
6. Qingque
Rarity: 4 stars
Path: The Learning
Combat type: Quantum
How do you get Qingque? Go to the “Forgotten Hall” and complete Memory Level 3.
Because more than 3,500,000 registrations were completed, we now get Serval for free. You can request her via the inbox as soon as you can access the menu in Honkai: Star Rail.
8. Asta
Rarity: 4 stars
Path: The Harmony
Combat type: Fire
How do you get Asta? You are guaranteed to get Asta in the tutorial for the gacha system.
Here you can find an overview of the current promo codes with which you can secure free rewards:
In Honkai: Star Rail, you can receive a 5-star character as a small extra gift. However, you need to have drawn 300 Warps from the “Standard Warp Banner”. Then you have the choice between:
Himeko
World
Bronya
Gepard
Clara
Yanqing
Bailu
You receive this reward once, so you should think carefully in advance about which 5-star character you would like to have.
With Diablo 4, customizable class characters made their debut in the main series of the action RPG, but the character editor received a lot of criticism. MeinMMO has asked the developers what ideas are behind the designs and whether anything will change in the future.
It was one of the biggest topics in the community during the beta, and MeinMMO has asked the developers what thoughts lie behind the class designs and how likely it is that changes will be made to the options.
The transmog system provides many options for appearance alongside the character editor. Watch the video to see how the system works:
Start video
Diablo 4: This is how the transmog system works
“Characters should not only look good”
We sent the developer a few written questions, and Lead Game Producer Melissa Corning answered them.
MeinMMO: Druids and necromancers have sparked some discussions in the community due to their appearance. What was particularly important to you in designing the player characters?
Corning: When it comes to visual design, we place great importance on creating characters that not only look great but also feel unique and iconic.
Druids and necromancers have very clear class fantasies – from a shapeshifting master of storm and earth to a dark summoner who manipulates bones and flesh. We keep these class fantasies in mind when designing class aspects, but in Diablo IV, it’s all about player choice.
Everything – from abilities, customizations, transmog, gear, and much more – is designed so that players can create different looks and builds regardless of the class they play.
MeinMMO: There has been feedback from players who wish for more customization options, such as sliders for body size. Why did you decide against it?
Corning: We want each class to feel unique, not just in terms of abilities and animations but also in terms of appearance, so that classes visually differ. To that end, we have several customization options for each class.
Additionally, every piece of equipment for each individual class is handcrafted, so no matter how you design your character, you can be sure that every piece of gear looks amazing.
Of course, we always appreciate feedback and are open to future changes!
Beta feedback has already led to initial adjustments
MeinMMO: Do you have plans to expand the customization options in the future?
Corning: We have already looked into how we can improve customization options. The recent open beta gave us some great ideas.
One aspect we are looking into is whether we can split the markings in the character editor into body and face options instead of having one [option] that covers the entire character.
People loved the options we had for markings, but didn’t always want them to appear on their characters’ faces and wanted them separated – which we think is a great idea.
MeinMMO: When playing a druid, the were-forms depend on hair color, and body hair is determined by skin tone. What other details might players have likely overlooked in the beta?
Corning: With the druid, it was a lot of fun creating customization options for him due to his animal forms. But the druid isn’t the only class with unique features.
There are a few unique customization options for each class that you can discover when creating characters. For example, each class has a unique hairstyle that is specific only to them.
Be sure to explore and experiment with the insane amount of customization options we have!
MeinMMO: Even side characters in D4 feel much more alive than in D3. How did you give them “character”?
Corning: Our goal with Diablo IV is to create a vibrant, breathing world that feels alive. And that doesn’t happen without great characters.
Our writers have put a lot of thought into every detail of the story, including the side characters you meet along the way. We didn’t want to just place someone to fill the space. Instead, we ask ourselves what this person’s life would look like in Sanctuary and how they would deal with current events.
The characters convey the feeling of having a place in this dark world of Sanctuary.
Imane “Pokimane” Anys (26) is the streamer with the most followers on Twitch. Navigating a male-dominated environment as a woman is not always easy. In an interview with the New York Times, she spoke about her experiences as a woman in the gaming world.
Why is Pokimane the Queen of Twitch? Pokimane is the only woman among the top 10 Twitch streamers with the most followers worldwide. Her cheerful demeanor and family-friendly content make her an ideal representative for the platform. She exudes a relatable “girl-next-door” charm.
Her equally successful colleague Amouranth is often assigned the role of the stepsister from a Disney film: Despite her popularity, the streamer has no exclusive contract.
From Intern to CEO of Warframe: “I said it might be a problem to be a woman”
Pokimane was surprised by the level of misogyny
What is Pokimane’s take on misogyny online? The streamer describes her first experiences with misogyny in the gaming world as “confusing and surprising.” She wondered if boys have always been this way.
Within the streaming industry, there is not only support: Many people in gaming do not find misogyny to be reprehensible. Pokimane says: For many, it’s not a big deal. However, misogyny is harmful to mental health.
How does Pokimane deal with misogyny? For the 26-year-old, her streaming colleagues are invaluable: They understand what she has gone through and can validate her feelings.
If you have someone who says to you: “No, it’s not okay,” it can greatly help you not to go crazy and think that what you feel is somehow wrong.
Do nice guys turn into mean trolls during puberty?
Why do some viewers behave this way? Pokimane has thought about this and shares her observations in the interview. She believes that the accessibility and anonymity of the internet encourage negative behavior.
Regarding the so-called unban requests, where banned viewers can ask for re-entry, she also noticed something:
There are so many boys who say something at age X, and three years later, it’s: “I’m so sorry, I have no idea why I said that, and I have changed a lot.” Then you wonder: Was it puberty? What happened? It feels like they are trying things out. Like, “I’m going to say the craziest, weirdest stuff and see what happens.”
The streamer therefore thinks it’s important to teach young kids how to interact online with others. This is all still uncharted territory. She believes that more such reconciliation stories are possible when people realize that the things they say are not okay.
Pokimane has over 23 million followers across her various social media accounts. Along with the support of her fans, a lot of unpleasantness comes together. However, the streamer has a system on how to easily navigate around the negativity of social networks:
The JRPG tactical shooter “Valkyria Chronicles 4” is currently drastically reduced. But you have to be quick, as the offer ends tonight.
The era of PlayStation 4 has produced many gaming gems. And very few games manage to combine two seemingly different genres. Because which game connects JRPG with first-person shooter and strategy?
The answer is simple: Valkyria Chronicles 4. And that’s exactly what is being thrown at you.
What kind of game is Valkyria Chronicles? Even though Valkyria Chronicles is at its core a JRPG, you shouldn’t let that scare you away. Because the combat system is more reminiscent of a tactical strategy shooter. You have to move each unit individually across the battlefield and position them strategically before they can engage. So it mixes strategy and shooter elements.
At the same time, characteristics of individual characters come into play. Some squad members can’t stand each other and suffer penalties to their stats when they are close together. Others, for instance, are “cavalry” and perform best when they can protect female squad members. Yet others may have a pollen allergy and should, therefore, not be deployed in areas with lots of flowers.
Start video
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Trailer
This is paired with an interesting story about the war of an entire continent, funny and interesting dialogues, and the unsettling feeling that there is “plot armor” for only a few characters. Most of your soldiers in Valkyria Chronicles can die – and stay dead. This heightens the tension to master every mission as perfectly as possible.
If you are honest as a fan of “Valkyria Chronicles,” the series didn’t quite feel right after the first part. The combat system became too outrageous, and the story somewhat flatter and less emotional.
However, Valkyria Chronicles 4 returned to the roots of the game and basically brought back the combat system from part 1 with some small but meaningful improvements. This also makes Valkyria Chronicles regarded as the best part of the series within the community and among critics, scoring 85 on Metacritic.
What does Valkyria Chronicles 4 cost? Currently, the title is available for only €5.99 in the PlayStation Store. However, you should hurry, as the offer is only valid until shortly after midnight – so it will no longer be available after the end of April 26, 2023. After that, the title is likely to cost its usual €30 again.
The DLCs are also reduced for this period and offer additional side stories.
Do you need to have played the other parts? No. Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place at the same time as the first part of the series, but tells the story from a different perspective. Therefore, prior knowledge is not necessary, although veterans will of course understand some allusions and details faster. However, this does not weigh negatively.
The MMORPG Lost Ark has recently experienced strong growth again and the recent changes have been well received. A new roadmap now shows how things will progress in the coming months, and it does one thing very well, but three things not at all.
What does the roadmap show? The new roadmap for Lost Ark was released on the evening of April 25th and outlines how the game will proceed until the end of August. It also makes it clear that a third roadmap will follow later this year. Until now, most players assumed that the new roadmap would show the rest of the year.
However, the entire roadmap does not go into detail about each month, but provides an overview of what the next major patches will bring. These include new raids, new classes, and more story.
Amazon, however, makes it clear in the preface that they are only giving us the highlights here and that each patch will bring even more. The focus is especially on quality of life, events, and balance adjustments. The latter has been rather rare so far.
An initial overview
What to expect in the coming months
To give you a clear overview of the upcoming content, we will break it down by month in this text section.
May
What’s coming in May? With the May update, the next new class will be introduced to the game. Contrary to what would be chronologically correct, it will be the Slayer and not the Aeromancer. The Slayer is the female variant of the Berserker. She is armed with a great sword and hits her enemies with full force.
The Slayer will also be accompanied by a “Progression Event” that will help you quickly get your very own Slayer into the endgame.
In Korea, the Slayer is currently one of the best damage classes (via discord), and especially her specialization build far outshines many other classes. Therefore, at least the players in Korea are expecting a nerf soon, meaning a downgrade of the class. Whether this will happen before she arrives here is still unknown.
In addition to the new class, the new “Ebony Cube” will also launch in May. This new activity will replace and combine the known boss frenzy and the cube. This will make collecting tickets easier and also bring more materials than before.
Furthermore, Amazon wants to work on the knowledge transfer system. You should be able to use it more easily, faster, and with fewer resets in the future. In general, the system allows you, once you have researched it on your island, to push new characters through the story for gold and bring them directly to level 50.
Amazon also mentions that they want to adjust the rewards for endgame raids in May, but they haven’t gone into detail yet.
The last new class was the Artist:
Start video
Lost Ark shows the new class in the trailer – Swing the brush against Brelshaza
June
What’s coming in June? With the June update, Lost Ark will continue the main story of the game. The next continent, Elgacia, is supposed to be released. To remain spoiler-free, we won’t go into detail here, but it will be very heavenly and also much more relevant to the story of Arkesia than Rowen was, for example.
To reach Elgacia and play the story there, you need an item level of 1,460. The new Abyssal Dungeon “Kayangel,” which will also come with Elgacia, is much higher. Players can expect a new four-player raid and the ability to upgrade their set bonus to level 3.
For those who still find this not challenging enough, the floors 26 to 50 of the new “Fortunespire” tower are waiting in June. Here, your patience and skill as a solo player will be tested and, if successful, richly rewarded. Also, 3 new skill points await in the upcoming floors.
July
What’s coming in July? July will be a rather quieter month, at least based on what is currently known. The update is supposed to conclude or expand the story in Elgacia with an epilogue. Aside from that, new collectible items called “Memory Orbs” will also be introduced, which can provide fans of horizontal progression with many hours of enjoyment.
On the side, the hardcore PvE community will be served with the update, as the “Inferno” mode for the Kakul-Saydon raid will also arrive in Arkesia in July. As with the other Inferno modes, this is not about loot but solely about prestige and titles. Anyone wanting to tackle the extremely difficult “Inferno Clowns” can do so starting in July and with a gear score of 1,475.
If you want to see what it’s like, you can do so here:
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What’s coming in August? The August update will once again focus fully on endgame players. With the Akkan raid, which will be available in “Normal” with a gear score of 1,580 and “Hard” for gear score 1,600, players can expect the next “soft reset”.
This means that you will receive new armor from Akkan and can only transfer your old one partially, as usual. You will also receive better upgrade chances and a new maximum gear score.
As part of the new raid boss, there will also be a new Guardian Raid, Sonavel. He is for gear score 1,580 and will mechanically be based on the previously known raid Levanos. Keen eyes will already recognize this from the name.
In addition to Akkan, another highlight awaits you in August, namely the new class of Aeromancer. This is the second specialist in the game, besides the Artist. She will fight with an umbrella and relies on weather magic.
Just like the Slayer, the Aeromancer will also have her own “Progression Event” so you can quickly catch up with your new main character.
You can see gameplay of the Aeromancer here:
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What is great about the roadmap and what is actually bad?
What’s good about the roadmap? Particularly good is the early release of the Slayer. With this, Amazon does Lost Ark players a big favor that they surely did not see coming. The class was only released in Korea just about 4 months before the release here, in January. Such a fast pace on implementing content is commendable and good.
Moreover, it is a great advantage that the Slayer is accompanied by its own progression event. And this, even though the last one hasn’t even expired by then. This is something that really didn’t have to be, but it shows that Amazon is very responsive to the wishes of the players.
Similarly, the changes to the cube and boss frenzy should perfectly address the fans’ concerns. A major criticism from them is that many activities take too long. The Ebony Cube now offers less grind in a shorter time, with more loot.
The May update will also help new players catch up faster and especially reduces much grind from the leveling phase. Here, even small things help, like free healing potions in early guardian raids. Therefore, May is definitely the highlight of the roadmap – and unfortunately, also the only one.
That’s all you can expect in August
What’s bad about the plan? Simply put, the remaining 3 updates. They all have their own problems and together pose a major issue. The June update brings new story content, but with Kayangel, it also brings the next important part of endgame progression.
Yet this was only properly set in motion in the April update, just two months prior, through Brelshaza in hard mode. Being ready in June with Brelshaza for players to have gathered their sets, in order to improve them in Kayangel, is quite ambitious even for hardcore players and puts pressure on them.
July is then relatively calm, which leads to the next problem. Because in August, the new raid Akkan and the Aeromancer will be released together. A decision that is already causing a stir in the community (via reddit). There are voices asking, rightly, why the Aeromancer couldn’t be moved to the relatively empty July, so that, in case of doubt, they could have her ready for Akkan as well.
This is particularly problematic because Amazon wanted to make the same mistake with the Artist and Brelshaza. However, they intervened and brought the new class a month before the new raid. We can only hope that it will be July again this time, and not the already overloaded August.
The third problem is admittedly not necessarily a problem. Community voices are divided on this, but our author Mark Sellner sees it as a concern. Because bringing Akkan in August, just 4 months after the last new endgame gear, seems too early for many (via reddit).
Even if you stay really engaged and play daily, it seems highly ambitious to achieve Akkan hard with more than one character by August. Furthermore, he takes the spotlight from Kayangel, which is released in June. Players have only two months to warm up with Kayangel, upgrade their set, and improve their character before the next raid is already at the door.
What do you think? Are you excited about Lost Ark’s new roadmap? Do you feel that the progression is too fast, or do you think that Akkan is placed just right? Do you feel pressured by the roadmap as an active player? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
For over 7 years, AndyEdition has inspired Guardians from Germany with his videos about Destiny 2. Thanks to him, one could conveniently have the complex story of the Light and Darkness saga explained in videos. But this week, he announced his farewell.
Who is AndyEdition?AndyEdition was one of the few content creators in the Destiny community who delved deeply into the story and the many backstories of Destiny.
He skillfully navigated through the complex information of the Bungie story for the Guardians and presented it in entertaining and exciting videos that were understandable for everyone. Thus, he was a constant part of the German-speaking Destiny scene for 7 years.
In doing so, he also recognized the connections and even teased prophetically 5 years ago the content of the new “Lightfall” raid with the return of Nezarek.
After small beginnings at the end of 2016, his channel continued to grow.
He was able to explain the story to players so well that he quickly became the German equivalent of the English-speaking YouTuber “My Name is Byf” and thus the German “Lore Bear”.
In September 2018, he had by far the greatest success with “Forsaken” and recorded nearly 750,000 views and over 5,000 new subscribers.
What is going on now? However, in recent years, many German YouTubers have not had as much success with Destiny 2, including AndyEdition. Last weekend, he announced that he would be saying goodbye to the loot shooter along with his video content and explained why.
Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Launch Trailer
So AndyEdition announced his farewell
On Twitter, AndyEdition published on April 22 the information that he would temporarily withdraw from his current content and shared:
[I have] made a decision: I will stop for now. Maybe I will return someday, but at the moment my path is leading me in a different direction. It’s time for me to focus on other things. […] I hope you understand my decision. Even if I withdraw for now, I will always remain part of this wonderful community.
A big problem for lore nerds: Above all, the question of “Why?” sparked major discussions in the Destiny community. Because AndyEdition’s videos were always informative and entertaining. With his relaxed yet knowledgeable manner, he often managed to make the complex world of Destiny understandable for everyone.
He also repeatedly shared his own opinions and speculations, which for many fans was an important part of his content.
However, there was also this one big problem he always had with his content: Many Guardians prefer shooting and have little to no interest in the story.
This is how AndyEdition was known – always enthusiastically in the content and the Destiny story
Guardians prefer shooting over learning about the story
Which story? Although AndyEdition has gained many fans in recent years who are interested in the lore of Destiny, there are still many Guardians who would rather shoot than engage with the game’s story. For them, the action aspect of Destiny is paramount, and the story is more of a secondary concern.
The unique perspective that AndyEdition had on the world of Destiny never received the great attention it actually deserved.
And the part of the player base that prefers complex storylines and profound characters, while others just want to have a good time and compete with others, apparently was too small.
Thus, AndyEdition himself said in response to a fan’s inquiry about the exact reasons:
One of the reasons is that I want to use my time more meaningfully and do something that pushes me forward. With Destiny, that is not possible in the German-speaking area.
explains AndyEdition to a fan upon request via Twitter
Some players also speculated and said that he certainly made this decision after the poor DLC. However, Andy made it clear: “Although I was incredibly disappointed with the story in Lightfall, I still enjoy playing Destiny. Recently, I’ve had the most fun with low man raids and the other small challenges one can face in the game.”
Will there still be a farewell video? Quite possible. However, he can’t “yet say whether it will come in 2 months or not until 8 months.”
Also, he currently does not know what his concrete future looks like:
As soon as I achieve my small goals in my personal life, I will definitely look for something to express my creativity again. Whether that will be YouTube again and I will focus on other games or perhaps completely different areas, or if I will stream again on Twitch, I simply do not know at the moment.
MeinMMO found out in a conversation with AndyEdition
For AndyEdition himself, saying goodbye is certainly not easy, but he can be proud of having had such a great influence on the gaming community. His work has helped many players understand the world of Destiny better and has shown them how fascinating the world of Destiny can be. These are surely achievements he can look back on.
In conclusion, we would like to wish AndyEdition all the best for his future and thank him for his great work, as we have also often used many of his videos to bring you the content of Destiny and Destiny 2 closer.
What would you like to say to Andy? And what do you think about his departure from the Destiny community? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
By the way: AndyEdition is not the only one who has left Destiny 2 this year:
