Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment introduced the new legend of the upcoming season “Arsenal” in Apex Legends: With “Ballistic”, a disgraced superstar comes who wants to protect his son.
Soon the new legend “Ballistic” will arrive in Apex Legends. Respawn released a story trailer on April 25, 2023, which already provided some first insights into the new hero. The background story resembles well-known films with Liam Neeson.
Neeson often plays in his action films failed men who immediately put down the bottle and start killing everyone who crosses their path as soon as the life of a loved one is threatened.
Ballistic is a former gunslinger from the Thunderdome Games (the predecessor of the Apex Games), who is now making his big comeback.
Here you see the story trailer for the new legend:
Start video
Apex Legends – Stories from the Outlands – “Encore”
With “Ballistic”, a veteran returns to the Apex Games
Behind “Ballistic” is August Montgomery Brinkman, a former superstar of the Thunderdome Games, known for his ruthless and selfish fighting style. This, however, led to the death of a team member, which is why Ballistic, plagued by guilt, withdrew from the public and ended his career.
For almost 40 years, the disgraced legend lived as a hermit and was forgotten by the outside world. However, his son Nathaniel now follows in his footsteps and wants to continue his father’s legacy. So he qualifies for the Apex Games, which Ballistic learns about in horror through the news.
Thereupon, Ballistic pulls out his former combat gear, grabs his weapons, and blasts his way through the Syndicate’s corridors to make a deal with an old acquaintance: Instead of Nathaniel, Ballistic will return to the arena and prove himself in the games once again.
The background story of Ballistic resembles a typical revenge thriller like “Taken” or “Run All Night” with Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson’s “Blood Father”, or the “John Wick” films.
In those, a former killer is already retired but is forced to return to his old life because of an event involving his family (or his dog) to take bloody revenge.
When is the new update coming to Apex Legends? On May 9, 2023, the new update under the motto “Arsenal” will be released in Apex Legends. Together with the new legend Ballistic.
Although the strategy role-playing game Wartales has been in Early Access on Steam for quite some time, it only officially released with version 1.0 on April 12. Our author Schuhmann played Wartales in an early phase and is now revisiting it at launch. He says: ‘For 30 years, I wanted to bring as many characters into a battle as I want – now I can do that, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing.’ He compares Wartales to controlling and managing a raid group in WoW all by yourself.
What is the idea behind Wartales? Wartales takes place in a grim, realistic fantasy world where there are no dragons or powerful wizards, but famines, a plague spread by rats, and immigration problems.
You don’t control a single character, but rather lead a dirty and somewhat ragged band of mercenaries: you start with 4 people, recruit more, become increasingly powerful, but you must also take care of paying and supplying your people.
Your mercenaries need to be warm and well-fed; otherwise, they’ll complain and woe unto you if the rogue accidentally hits the warrior with an area ability – then the mood will plummet.
Start video
Wartales – Official Release Trailer
6 classes and 18 subclasses form the core of the gameplay
The actual gameplay consists of turn-based battles. Here, Wartales shines with its 6 different classes, each having 3 subclasses that strategically stand out and differentiate themselves: while the pikeman and harpoonist are closely related, they perform different strategic functions:
The pikeman is more defensive and lets the opponent come to him.
The harpoonist stands in the second row and tries to hit 2 or more opponents who are in a line to pierce them all.
The entire system invites experimentation and challenges you to look for synergy effects.
There are no mages or healers. You must design battles such that the damage from your enemies is distributed to your well-armored warriors with shields and plate armor, while light melee fighters, archers, and rogues take as few cuts, stabs, and bites as possible.
If your mercenaries die, they are dead and must be replaced. After each battle, you need to attend to wounds and repair equipment.
The Sentinel is a classic tank; however, that good man could have also become a Berserker or an ‘Executioner’ at level 2, both more damage dealers or off-tanks:
As in a classic role-playing game, you take on quests in a tavern and recruit new mercenaries. In Wartales, everything is morally gray; you can help refugees survive in a new land, or you can assist locals in dealing with the refugee crisis.
The strength of Wartales lies in a large, multipart progress system. Everything grows and becomes stronger: your mercenaries, their equipment and skills, the camps, your recipe books, even your ponies constantly improve and become more useful. This leads to an effect in Wartales where you always close Steam feeling like you’ve become a bit more powerful.
The camp is closely tied to the extensive crafting part of Wartales. It keeps expanding: more people, more stations, more ponies.
In the past, everything was somehow more heroic and less dirty
Which games is Wartales similar to? The basic concept of such tactical RPGs has existed forever. I played ‘Shining Force’ on the Sega Mega Drive 30 years ago: back then, it was much more heroic, but even then, one collected various characters to lead into battle, fighting in tactical battles against enemies.
Modern versions of this gameplay can be found in Battle Brothers, Fire Emblem, and XCom games. ‘Mount & Blade’ has many similarities but offers action battles.
‘Jagged Alliance 2’ is considered a milestone of this type of game because it placed much emphasis on the personality of individual mercenaries. The rivalries and friendships among mercenaries of different nations are legendary and unmatched to this day.
Wartales: ‘Battle Brothers, but prettier?’
Most compare Wartales to ‘Battle Brothers but prettier’, as YouTuber HandofBlood writes (via youtube). The comparison is fair, but there is an important difference:
In Battle Brothers, you are free – you are in a sandbox like the one from Ultima Online.
In Wartales, you follow a clear story – like in a theme park like WoW.
The German modder Nekatus is celebrated in ARK: Survival Evolved for his maps Fjördur and Valguero. Now his latest creation is finished, but the map comes without a popular feature of the survival game.
Which modder is it about?
Nekatus is a German modder for ARK: Survival Evolved
Nekatus is known for creating maps such as Valguero and Fjördur
Currently, Nekatus is also experimenting a lot in Unreal Engine 5, showing how ARK could look in UE5, as ARK 2 and the remaster ASA will be using the engine.
What kind of a new map will it be? Nekatus’s latest map is called Svartalfheim. On Saturday, April 22, the German modder announced that the map has received its last major content update and is now complete. Nevertheless, he promised that Svartalfheim will continue to receive adjustments and fixes (via Twitter).
Svartalfheim takes place in a dwarf setting and features numerous caves. Additionally, there’s a new type of enemy on the map: the dwarf warriors (Dwarfen Warriors). You can also find a new dino variant, the S-Dinos, on Svartalfheim that must be downloaded with a separate mod.
The trailer for the mod map Svartalfheim on YouTube
Svartalfheim removes flying
What feature does the map remove? Svartalfheim is a so-called “no-fly” map. This means that you cannot fly on the map. However, you can still use creatures like the Maewing and the Rock Drake, which can glide.
Another example of a “no-fly” map is the officially released map “Abberation,” with which the Rock Drake was added to the game.
Will the map be available on console as well? Yes, there will also be Svartalfheim on console, but not in ARK: Survival Evolved.
Nekatus revealed that he plans to upgrade the map to Unreal Engine 5 and convert it to the ARK remaster “ARK: Survival Ascended.” However, he must wait for the Devkit (via Twitter).
The remaster is scheduled to be released in August and will allow the use of mods on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is expected that console players will be able to play Svartalfheim as well.
MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller believes that gameplay on PS5 will improve significantly due to the use of mods:
How long does the beta of XDefiant run on PC, Xbox Series, and PS5? Where can I still get codes shortly before the end? MeinMMO provides answers.
How long does the beta of XDefiant run? You can still play until Wednesday, April 26, at 08:00 AM. The test should have already ended, but there was an extension.
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The developers have distributed a lot of codes to creators, many of which can be reused multiple times, some even up to 100 times. Take a look around and try a few codes.
How do I redeem the beta code of XDefiant? Follow these steps:
Now log in with your Ubisoft account and choose your platform
You will then receive a code via email for your selected platform
What is XDefiant? The new shooter from Ubisoft reminds many players of Call of Duty. At some points, it even seems like they took the criticism from the CoD community and adjusted XDefiant to meet the wishes of disappointed Call of Duty players.
Potabs120: “Look at this. Ignivor is finally here.”
krispyboiz: “This event seems… unreal. It has a lot of good things, but it’s SO CRAZY. Ignivor debuts, but not during a bug, fire, sun, solstice event, but during a random spark/instinct event? Huh? Ignivor and shiny boosts are available in 2-, 5-, and 10-km eggs, but then there is a separate event pool for 7-km with a new shiny?”
EmptyRook: “It’s too good to be true.”
Criticism of bonuses: Criticism of the bonuses is also present. Some are sorely missing an important bonus that they believe belongs to such a hatching event: reduced hatch distance.
Thus, aguskope writes (via reddit.com): “Yes, no hatch distance bonus. And yes, these are really strange bonuses, no increased shiny chance in 7-km eggs, and why didn’t they put Ignivor in 7-km eggs?”
There are also concerns that the adventure sync may not work properly during the event. With this feature, trainers report ongoing issues. The distances traveled are not always accurately recorded.
How do you like the event content? Are you looking forward to the increased shiny chance? Or were you hoping for other bonuses? Please feel free to let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
krispyboiz: “This event seems… unreal. It has a lot of good things, but it’s SO CRAZY. Ignivor debuts, but not during a bug, fire, sun, solstice event, but during a random spark/instinct event? Huh? Ignivor and shiny boosts are available in 2-, 5-, and 10-km eggs, but then there is a separate event pool for 7-km with a new shiny?”
EmptyRook: “It’s too good to be true.”
Criticism of bonuses: Criticism of the bonuses is also present. Some are sorely missing an important bonus that they believe belongs to such a hatching event: reduced hatch distance.
Thus, aguskope writes (via reddit.com): “Yes, no hatch distance bonus. And yes, these are really strange bonuses, no increased shiny chance in 7-km eggs, and why didn’t they put Ignivor in 7-km eggs?”
There are also concerns that the adventure sync may not work properly during the event. With this feature, trainers report ongoing issues. The distances traveled are not always accurately recorded.
How do you like the event content? Are you looking forward to the increased shiny chance? Or were you hoping for other bonuses? Please feel free to let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
Potabs120: “Look at this. Ignivor is finally here.”
krispyboiz: “This event seems… unreal. It has a lot of good things, but it’s SO CRAZY. Ignivor debuts, but not during a bug, fire, sun, solstice event, but during a random spark/instinct event? Huh? Ignivor and shiny boosts are available in 2-, 5-, and 10-km eggs, but then there is a separate event pool for 7-km with a new shiny?”
EmptyRook: “It’s too good to be true.”
Criticism of bonuses: Criticism of the bonuses is also present. Some are sorely missing an important bonus that they believe belongs to such a hatching event: reduced hatch distance.
Thus, aguskope writes (via reddit.com): “Yes, no hatch distance bonus. And yes, these are really strange bonuses, no increased shiny chance in 7-km eggs, and why didn’t they put Ignivor in 7-km eggs?”
There are also concerns that the adventure sync may not work properly during the event. With this feature, trainers report ongoing issues. The distances traveled are not always accurately recorded.
How do you like the event content? Are you looking forward to the increased shiny chance? Or were you hoping for other bonuses? Please feel free to let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
In Pokémon GO, you can expect a special Electric event in May called “An Intuitive Hero”, which brings you plenty of Shinys and two new monsters. We at MeinMMO will show you what event content to expect and how trainers are reacting to it.
What event is it about? After helping Blanche with their research in mid-April, it’s now Spark’s turn. In the context of the Electric event “An Intuitive Hero”, the focus will be on hatching eggs. There will even be an increased shiny chance, which should please shiny hunters.
Two new monsters will also make their debut in the game. Besides one or two Electric Pokémon, there will be plenty of other monsters to find as well. We have summarized below what they will be and what other content you can look forward to.
When does the event run? The event “An Intuitive Hero” starts on May 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM local time and runs until May 8, 2023 at 8:00 PM local time.
Ignivor and Ramoth make their debut in the game
On the occasion of the upcoming Electric event, you can encounter the Bug and Fire Pokémon Ignivor for the first time. It comes from the 5th generation of games and can evolve into Ramoth with the help of 400 candies.
You can recognize Ignivor by its white, furry body as well as its black arms and face. Its back and rear are brownish. It has five reddish horns on the back of its head. Its evolution, however, has a more elongated insect-shaped black body with light blue sides. From the red horns of Ignivor, six wings have now developed.
During the event, Ignivor will be found in the 2-, 5-, and 10-km eggs. Since you need plenty of candies to secure Ramoth as well, you’ll have no choice but to diligently hatch eggs. As a shiny, however, it is not yet available.
All spawns & bonuses for the “An Intuitive Hero” event
All spawns: During this event, the focus is on hatching eggs. For this reason, there will only be altered spawns in the eggs. The Pokémon you can find in the wild and in raids will not be thematically adjusted.
Your chances of shinys are looking really good this time, as some of the event Pokémon will be available in their shiny forms. Additionally, Mantirps will celebrate its shiny debut in the game.
All monsters that you can also catch as shinys with a bit of luck are marked with a (*) below.
2-km/ 5-km/ 10-km eggs: If you obtain eggs with a distance of 2, 5, or 10 km at a PokéStop or a gym, you can secure the following event Pokémon:
Ignivor
Based on past events, it can be assumed that you will also encounter the usual spawns in these eggs that exist outside of certain events. We have summarized what they currently are in the following article:
7-km eggs: If you secure the 7-km eggs during the event from your friends’ gifts, you can expect the following Pokémon:
Pantimimi*
Wonneira*
Mantirps*
Praktibalk*
Laukaps*
Milza*
Schnuthelm*
Viscora
All bonuses at a glance: In addition to the altered contents in the eggs, you can also look forward to one or another bonus associated with it. You can therefore look forward to:
Higher shiny chance when hatching 2-km, 5-km, and 10-km eggs
Double XP when hatching
Double stardust when hatching
Event field research
Encounters with Magneton, Chaneira*, Elektek*, Magmar*, Relaxo*, Mantax*, Palimpalim*
Special research “An Intuitive Hero”
One-time encounter with Elekid with an accessory from Spark*
Trainers say: “It’s too good to be true”
In the community, the new event is well received. Many trainers are particularly happy about the increased shiny chances and the shiny debut of Mantirps. The release of Ignivor also generates excitement.
However, some trainers are also puzzled that there is a strong 7-km egg pool, where almost all monsters can hatch as shinys, but the increased shiny chance does not apply. The new Pokémon Ignivor has been added to the shiny chance egg pool, even though it itself cannot be shiny yet.
Moreover, many trainers would have preferred to see Ignivor appear in an event that better matches its type. For this reason, some are still rather skeptical about the content of the event and cannot quite believe their luck. Here’s what you can read in the comments (via reddit.com):
EmptyRook: “It’s too good to be true.”
Criticism of bonuses: Criticism of the bonuses is also present. Some are sorely missing an important bonus that they believe belongs to such a hatching event: reduced hatch distance.
Thus, aguskope writes (via reddit.com): “Yes, no hatch distance bonus. And yes, these are really strange bonuses, no increased shiny chance in 7-km eggs, and why didn’t they put Ignivor in 7-km eggs?”
There are also concerns that the adventure sync may not work properly during the event. With this feature, trainers report ongoing issues. The distances traveled are not always accurately recorded.
How do you like the event content? Are you looking forward to the increased shiny chance? Or were you hoping for other bonuses? Please feel free to let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
krispyboiz: “This event seems… unreal. It has a lot of good things, but it’s SO CRAZY. Ignivor debuts, but not during a bug, fire, sun, solstice event, but during a random spark/instinct event? Huh? Ignivor and shiny boosts are available in 2-, 5-, and 10-km eggs, but then there is a separate event pool for 7-km with a new shiny?”
EmptyRook: “It’s too good to be true.”
Criticism of bonuses: Criticism of the bonuses is also present. Some are sorely missing an important bonus that they believe belongs to such a hatching event: reduced hatch distance.
Thus, aguskope writes (via reddit.com): “Yes, no hatch distance bonus. And yes, these are really strange bonuses, no increased shiny chance in 7-km eggs, and why didn’t they put Ignivor in 7-km eggs?”
There are also concerns that the adventure sync may not work properly during the event. With this feature, trainers report ongoing issues. The distances traveled are not always accurately recorded.
How do you like the event content? Are you looking forward to the increased shiny chance? Or were you hoping for other bonuses? Please feel free to let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
Potabs120: “Look at this. Ignivor is finally here.”
krispyboiz: “This event seems… unreal. It has a lot of good things, but it’s SO CRAZY. Ignivor debuts, but not during a bug, fire, sun, solstice event, but during a random spark/instinct event? Huh? Ignivor and shiny boosts are available in 2-, 5-, and 10-km eggs, but then there is a separate event pool for 7-km with a new shiny?”
EmptyRook: “It’s too good to be true.”
Criticism of bonuses: Criticism of the bonuses is also present. Some are sorely missing an important bonus that they believe belongs to such a hatching event: reduced hatch distance.
Thus, aguskope writes (via reddit.com): “Yes, no hatch distance bonus. And yes, these are really strange bonuses, no increased shiny chance in 7-km eggs, and why didn’t they put Ignivor in 7-km eggs?”
There are also concerns that the adventure sync may not work properly during the event. With this feature, trainers report ongoing issues. The distances traveled are not always accurately recorded.
How do you like the event content? Are you looking forward to the increased shiny chance? Or were you hoping for other bonuses? Please feel free to let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
A man is falsely accused of being involved in various incidents. Businessmen turn away from him, his career is destroyed. Now he has successfully sued Google, which did not want to remove the false accusations.
Our title image is a symbolic image.
Google and a man from Canada have been disputing for years over a series of search results. In these, the man was falsely referred to as a criminal. He sued Google because he believed that the search engine had ruined his career.
Friends, colleagues, and business partners could have found links about him with the search engine.
Man is falsely accused, Google does not want to remove links
Which post was involved? A businessman searched for his name with the search engine and found a post that falsely accused him of child abuse. The article about him was published in April 2006, which is now 17 years ago. And that caused quite a stir:
Business partners wanted nothing to do with him.
His son, who worked in the same industry, had to distance himself from him.
His company suffered significant losses.
But the founder of this website steadfastly refused to remove the post. The owner of the site stated that he would never remove posts and demanded that the man provide proof of his innocence, that he had never been charged with the crime.
The man asks Google for help: Since the businessman could not have the post removed in this way, he turned to Google to have the link to the article deleted. This went on for years, as sometimes Google deleted the links, but they later reappeared.
Google argued that it could not be held liable for third-party content and had no obligation to remove the links. However, the Supreme Court did not follow this reasoning.
How did the lawsuit turn out? Initially, the plaintiff demanded 6 million US dollars in damages. However, the court did not grant this. Instead, the man was awarded 500,000 dollars for moral damages. This is around 450,000 euros.
Because the former businessman was personally burdened and lost a lot of money due to the defamation, stated the court.
In addition, Google must remove all links to the corresponding post in the Canadian city of Quebec and may not display any information about the case for 45 days.
Another company is now being sued for a lot of money:
18 years ago, the then seriously ill Tyler Gressle was immortalized on a unique Yu-Gi-Oh! card. Now he is ready to part with the valuable collectible.
What kind of card is it? Tyler the Great Warrior is a card that was printed only once. That alone would already make it valuable, but the card also has a very special story.
It was created with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fulfills wishes for seriously ill children. Tyler Gressle was such a child. He suffered from a rare form of liver cancer.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation and Konami allowed Tyler to design his own Yu-Gi-Oh! card. In 2005, Konami finally revealed the official card and invited the boy and his family for a tour of the Yu-Gi-Oh! facility in New York.
Since then, the card has been in the possession of Gressle, who is fortunately fully recovered. Now, after 18 years, the card is up for sale on eBay.
You can see more collectible cards in the video:
Start video
Pokémon Trading Card Game Scarlet and Violet – We exclusively show you 5 cards in the new design
Why is he selling the card now? In an interview with Instagram user asianyensation, Gressle explained in 2015 that he had already thought about selling the card when he was having financial difficulties.
The highest serious offer at the time was just over $75,000. Ultimately, he kept the card. In a short documentary, which YouTuber Alex Cimo accompanied with the appraisal of the card, the 32-year-old explains that he has had the card for a long time.
Now it’s time for someone else to honor the card. He also wants to start a family, travel the world, and build a business.
A portion of the proceeds will also benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Time left its marks on the “Great Warrior”
How valuable is the card? Although Tyler the Great Warrior has never left its protective casing until the auction, the card is only in “near-mint” condition, as a long time in the case has left some minor marks. Tyler the Great Warrior received a BGS score of 7 out of 10.
Nevertheless, the special story and its uniqueness make the card valuable. Additionally, Kazuki Takahashi, the artist behind Yu-Gi-Oh!, who also drew the template for the final design of the card, has since passed away.
YouTuber Gage “Nyhmnim” Poljak traveled with Cimo to Beckett Collectibles, the agency that is auctioning Tyler the Great Warrior on Gressle’s behalf, to evaluate the card. He is confident that the card can fetch a “respectable price among TCG collectors.”
Currently, the auction is at a bid of $160,000, equivalent to €145,000 (as of April 25, 2023, 9:45 AM). There is still time until the auction ends on April 29 to raise the price.
Update April 26, 2023: Originally, it was stated here that the musician Post Malone holds the record for the most expensive trading card. This information has been corrected.
The record for the most expensive TCG card is held by the controversial YouTuber Logan Paul, who paid €4.4 million for a rare Pikachu. While most collectors would probably keep such a treasure well protected, the YouTuber had other plans for it.
Reign of Guilds is a new medieval MMORPG for the PC that is currently running a playtest on Steam. It allows you to fight against dangerous monsters as well as other players in a first-person view. It aims to rely on the “classic” elements of MMORPGs.
What kind of game is this? Reign of Guilds aims to return to the roots of the genre and focuses on a mix of dark medieval themes paired with fantasy elements. The conflicts between the guilds are at the center, but there should also be plenty to do outside of that.
The MMORPG features a large open world with various continents and mounts.
At the beginning, you create a character without a class and can distribute the first attribute points at will. Starting from level 16, you must decide whether you want to be a physical, magical, or universal character. After that, you have the option to specialize in one of 14 “mini-classes.”
Crafting plays an important role, as you can create the strongest items in the game yourself. Moreover, weapons and armor lose strength over time due to wear. A worn item at level 12 may be worse than a brand new item of level 10.
There is player housing and you can even own an entire town as a guild.
For PvE fans, there will be dungeons and world bosses.
In the action combat system of the game, you have to aim actively yourself. There will be no tab-targeting like in WoW.
The main focus of the game is on PvP. There will be guild wars with up to 150 players fighting for the fortresses. Over 60 different castles are included. Additionally, there is PvP in most areas of the open world with a sophisticated karma system.
Anyone who always eliminates “evil” enemies will eventually be crowned a saint. They do not have to fear punishments and even receive discounts from merchants. However, those who attack defenseless victims outside their level range will become a “Psycho”. They lose part of their equipment and experience points when killed. Furthermore, after a certain point, merchants will no longer want to talk to them.
You can get a first glimpse of the gameplay here:
Start video
New Medieval MMORPG gives first insight into its PvP arena
What payment system does Reign of Guilds rely on? The MMORPG completely avoids direct Pay2Win, and there should also be no “indirect Pay2Win.” This refers to certain premium features that are often referred to as Pay2Progress.
In return, Reign of Guilds will be a Pay2Play title that you will also have to purchase. This means that you must acquire the game once and also pay a monthly fee to play.
Free playtest on Steam runs until May 7
When can you play Reign of Guilds? Currently, the developers have started the third official playtest for the game. This has been running since April 24 and will remain online until May 8 at 2:00 AM.
To participate, you only need to visit the Steam page and request access for the playtest there. You will receive this immediately and can start the download right away.
New in the test are the guild battles, which is why this will last a total of 14 days.
When will Reign of Guilds be released? When the game will actually be released is currently unclear. While Reign of Guilds receives regular updates on Steam and the development is progressing, the release was originally planned for 2021. Another date was the first quarter of 2023, which also was not met.
What do you think about Reign of Guilds? Does the game appeal to you? Or will the outdated graphics and subscription model rather deter you?
If you are hoping for a new MMORPG in 2023, you can find an overview of the upcoming games here:
In League of Legends the championship in the European professional league LEC was decided on Sunday night. The playoffs of the Spring Split 2023 ended spectacularly with a “Reverse Sweep” by the underdog. The Spanish team MAD Lions prevailed in a thrilling finale. Hardly anyone expected this from them, as three players in the lineup were actually already written off.
Who are the 3 LoL professionals who failed before? MAD Lions are generally a very successful team, but they let go of two of their best players in November 2022: the Turk Armut (top lane) and the German Kaiser (support).
From their successful team, only the jungler Elyoya was left. Instead, they brought in three professionals in 2022 who were actually already written off:
In May 2022, the Belgian Nisqy joined the team: The mid laner was constantly criticized at Fnatic, considered a weak point of the team
Also from Fnatic came the support player Hylissang: He was a red rag for the fans of Fnatic. A “coin-flip” player, as he is called, is someone who can perform but can also lose games single-handedly
Additionally, “Carzzy” joined the team. He was actually considered a strong player, having shone at MAD Lions for 2 years. The 21-year-old Czech damaged his good reputation with a disappointing year in France at “Team Vitality”, where he simply didn’t function
All 3 players came from crisis situations and apparently did not really choose to leave their star-studded teams.
In the regular season, they only managed to finish 8th out of 10. It was actually a miracle that MAD Lions could even reach the finals.
Start video
7 Facts about LoL that only true veterans know
The underdog MAD Lions just made it to the playoffs, beating all giants
How did it go for the MAD Lions? The MAD Lions had a tough path to the final: They barely made it into the playoffs and had to face the biggest stars in Europe. First, they faced G2 with Caps, whom they defeated 3-2, then they had to deal with Perkz and Team Vitality, whom they managed to beat 3-1.
For their final opponents, BDS, the path to the final was easy: only Team Vitality was a hurdle to overcome, which they dispatched 3-0.
How was the final? In the final, there were relatively clear defeats for MAD Lions in the first 2 games: it was over in 30 and 33 minutes. Especially Nisqy had to endure in both games and suffered a total of 11 deaths.
The games were balanced in themselves but tilted in favor of the Swiss team BDS in the mid-game.
For the decisive example of game 1, this teamfight can serve as an example, ending with a pentakill from ADC Crownie (Team BDS):
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But starting from game 3, the tide suddenly turned. Somehow it seemed that MAD Lions had to be pushed against the wall for things to start working. The team fought back into match 3 and then it suddenly became a breeze.
MAD Lions dominated with 17-6, 15-5, and 14-0 against their opponents.
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On Reddit, it is referred to as a “Cinderella” story. The performance of top laner Chasy, who excelled in the last 3 games of the playoffs, is particularly highlighted.
It is ironic that in the past, many LoL professionals switched to Fnatic or Team Vitality to become champions there. Now, however, 3 players have become champions who left those teams and went to the underdog.
Many professionals would do anything to become a champion in the LEC, such as Rekkles:
The 47-year-old game developer Josh Sawyer is the mind behind some of the most popular PC role-playing games of all time, such as Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas. Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 are favorites among RPG fans on Steam. But the developer says the two games could have been better; he made compromises and knowingly made poor design decisions because he felt committed to ‘ultra-nostalgic players.’
What kind of games has Sawyer made?
In 1998, Sawyer started as a designer and lead designer on “Icewind Dale”, a game that aimed to accurately depict the tabletop role-playing game “Dungeons and Dragons” as a computer game, much like Baldur’s Gate.
Later, he worked as lead designer on Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. That is the king class of role-playing games: Fallout: New Vegas has 96% positive reviews on Steam. Additionally, he worked on Neverwinter Nights 2.
At the beginning of his career, he only wanted to make Dungeons and Dragons as a computer game
This is what he says now: At a panel from PC Gamer during the developer conference GDC, he explained:
I have been playing D&D since 1985 and other tabletop RPGs since then too. When I made my first game in 1998, it was Icewind Dale and I was like YEAH! I was so excited.
Sawyer states that he incorporated every single idea he had while role-playing Dungeons and Dragons into Icewind Dale starting in 1998.
But in 2012, 14 years later, he wanted to develop “Pillars of Eternity,” which had raised nearly $4 million on Kickstarter. And now he faced a difficult situation.
Ultra-nostalgic fans wanted ‘games like before,’ even though he had better ideas
This was his problem: Sawyer says: Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 are probably the games where he made the most compromises.
Because he had evolved as a developer over 14 years and had new ideas in mind for how he would design the games. But these were two Kickstarter-funded games, and the customers expressed: ‘No, we want Dungeons and Dragons, we want exactly the same experience as with the Infinity Engine Games.’
Sawyer says: Because people had paid for a game ‘like before,’ he felt obliged to develop the games in that way – actually against better judgment:
I felt that obligation, but I also felt that I ultimately had to make bad design decisions. It was as if I were making a game worse to respond to the preferences of an audience that wanted something ultra-nostalgic.
Not only publishers demand compromises – fans do too
This is what it’s about: It’s paradoxical. Because in video games like Star Citizen, it is said that developers are only independent through “crowdfunding” and can implement their own vision without making compromises demanded by a publisher.
Only when one does not have to listen to “the people in suits,” can something great and original arise, say advocates of crowdfunding.
But fans also have their needs that do not always align with the developer’s vision.
Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 have 87% positive reviews on Steam each. A good question is whether the ‘original version’ from Sawyer might have even crossed the 90% mark. We will probably never know.
Role-playing games like Pillars of Eternity work well through Kickstarter. MMORPGs do not have such a great track record:
A new handheld has been introduced with the Asus ROG Ally. MeinMMO summarizes all the information about price and release, and also explains whether you can pre-order the Asus ROG Ally.
What kind of device is this? With the ROG Ally, the manufacturer Asus has introduced a new handheld that aims to compete with the Steam Deck.
MeinMMO presents all official information, hints, and rumors about the Asus ROG Ally. However, please note that most information is leaks and rumors that the manufacturer has not officially confirmed yet.
Asus ROG Ally Release – When will the handheld be available?
When will the ROG Ally be released? As of now (April 2023), there is no official release date for when the handheld will be available. According to Asus, the model is expected to be released in summer 2023.
Asus stated to the tech channel Linus Tech Tips in a statement that the device is supposed to be released in the “coming months” (via dexerto.com).
Asus ROG Ally Price – How much will the model cost?
How much does the ROG Ally cost? According to a well-known leaker (via twitter.com), the device is expected to cost between $649 and $699. This would make the price about $100 higher than the most expensive model of the Steam Deck.
In comparison to other competitors, the price of the ROG Ally remains low. Other devices, such as the Aya Neo, can cost more than 1,000 euros, and this does not even include the sometimes high shipping fees. The best alternatives to the Steam Deck can be found in the following article:
Asus ROG Specs and Performance – Faster than the Steam Deck?
Some YouTubers have already had the chance to test the ROG Ally, but no one has been allowed to speak about the official specs and installed hardware yet.
What hardware is in the ROG Ally? According to leaks, a completely new Ryzen processor with a graphics chip (a so-called APU) from AMD is supposed to be in the system (via twitter.com). Allegedly, an APU that has 8 cores and 16 threads and should clock at 3.3 GHz. In boost mode, the performance is said to increase to 5 GHz.
The initial benchmarks already indicate a high performance of the ROG Ally, which should be significantly ahead of the Steam Deck.
How good is the battery life of the ROG Ally? The Steam Deck and other handheld devices are often criticized for their relatively weak battery life. Especially in light of the supposedly high performance, the battery life could be the Achilles’ heel of the ROG Ally. So far, there have been no official hints about the installed battery or its capacity.
Asus ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: In the following table, we compare the partially official, partially speculated data with that of the Steam Deck.
ROG XG Mobile connection, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C
Where can you pre-order the Asus ROG Ally?
As of now (April 2023), you cannot pre-order the Asus ROG Ally yet. The best places to check if you want to pre-order the device are the following shops (no guarantee of completeness):
The official ASUS webshop
Amazon
MediaMarkt and Saturn
As soon as the pre-order of the Asus ROG Ally is available, we will update the article for you.
Additionally, Sony is expected to release a handheld console soon. All the known information so far can be found in the following article directly on MeinMMO:
With the new shooter XDefiant, publisher Ubisoft hits the zeitgeist, and many players hope for a serious competitor to Call of Duty. Especially a missing feature in public matches gives many players hope. But one must take matters into their own hands.
With XDefiant, the “Assassin’s Creed” and “The Division” publisher Ubisoft operates in the hunting grounds of Call of Duty. The new shooter not only seems at first glance to have taken a lot from the industry leader CoD.
However, they also go their own way and apparently listened to the Call of Duty community about the wishes and concerns that have been bothering players for a while.
For CoD players, SBMM is regularly at the top of the list – Skill-based matchmaking. XDefiant skips this in public matches, which is very well received by many players.
However, matches without SBMM can be a nightmare, especially for beginners. Strong players can also ruin the fun when leveling weapons. A much-discussed tweet offers the solution: Rage-quit.
More about the new Ubisoft shooter can be found in the trailer:
Start video
XDefiant Game Overview Deep Dive Trailer
YouTuber suggests simply leaving matches
What is being discussed? It is a clip from YouTuber “ProReborn”, which he also posted on Twitter:
What can be seen in the video? ProReborn plays a match of XDefiant, and there is at least one sweating player on the opposing team who plays incredibly well. However, ProReborn prefers to level his M4 in peace. He doesn’t even own the meta-weapon MP7 – unlike his tormentor.
For such situations in a game without SBMM, he has a lesson in mind:
Alright, we’re going to show the internet something today. The guy is going off, has the MP7 – which I haven’t even unlocked yet – he’s doing his thing, hitting everything. He’s sweating a little too hard for what I want to do right now.
Right now, I want to level my M4. Relax, chill back, and level my M4.
So here’s what we’re going to do in a game without skill-based matchmaking: [he ends the match and goes back to the main menu] and then I find another match where I don’t feel like I have to use meta weapons to keep up.
Crazy concept, right?
He then mocks advocates of SBMM and says in a higher-pitched voice: “Oh, I need SBMM to protect me,” and ends in a normal voice: “Leave the match, find another.”
Rage-quit instead of SBMM – Is that the solution?
How is it being discussed? Since ProReborn’s statements were already quite sharply made, the tweet has garnered appropriate comments. The tone under the tweet is rough, but not necessarily aggressive.
Many agree with ProReborn that public matches don’t need SBMM. One user writes, “You hit the nail on the head.” Many agree – public matches don’t need the system, only ranked matches should operate with SBMM.
But not everyone agrees that a rage-quit is the right approach. Some argue that one should stick it out in the current match. That’s exactly why many players didn’t want SBMM – it’s about being dominated in one match and dominating in another.
Matches where one is dominated are the matches where one learns something, gets better, tries new things, and progresses. After the match, one can always leave the current playlist and seek new opponents.
There are sporadic comments defending SBMM and listing the advantages for new players. But proponents of the system are clearly in the minority.
What do you think about SBMM? Leave a comment with your opinion.
It remains to be seen whether XDefiant has what it takes to compete with Call of Duty. The beta faced some issues, and skepticism towards publisher Ubisoft is high.
In the last week of April, the MMORPGs Aion Classic and Mad World celebrate their release. We introduce them to you briefly and explain who they might be interesting for.
What kind of MMORPGs are they? The two Free2Play titles are not regular MMORPGs – Aion Classic is, as the name suggests, a classic version of the original servers. In contrast, Mad World is an MMORPG that you can play in your browser.
What makes the game special? With the classic servers, you can play Aion like in 2008. You will experience the content up to level 50, including flying in the open world, old dungeons, rifts, and the PvP battles in the Abyss.
However, technical adjustments and balance patches that have occurred since then will remain. Just like bug fixes.
Additionally, Aion Classic is being developed further in Korea. There is already a completely new class and a new dungeon there. These changes are also expected to arrive in Europe, as publisher Gameforge confirms. Aion Classic will therefore be more of a format like Old School RuneScape with new content rather than WoW Classic.
Start video
Aion Classic – Trailer for the EU Release
For whom is it worth it? Aion Classic is particularly exciting for fans of the old Aion. They are somewhat disappointed with the development of the current MMORPG and wish for the good old days when there was no autoplay.
Those who didn’t play Aion before but enjoy PvP will still find it appealing. In the Abyss, there are large battles for fortresses and even in the open world, there are continual small skirmishes between the two factions Asmodians and Elyos.
Those who do not like PvP can still check it out, as there are challenging and varied dungeons in PvE.
When exactly does it come out? Aion Classic starts on April 25, 2023. You can already download the game now, so you can jump right in when the time comes.
Mad World – A dark MMORPG in the browser
What makes the game special? Mad World is basically a browser game that is based on HTML5. No download is required; you can start directly in the browser. Mad World is developed by Jandisoft, who previously worked on the MMORPG classic Metin 2.
Mad World throws you into a post-apocalyptic fantasy world that is haunted by dark forces. You must fight for a better future.
You see your character from an isometric perspective, similar to Lost Ark. The unique and quirky enemies that look like they came straight out of the single-player hit Darkest Dungeon are all hand-drawn, according to the developers.
You explore this world together with friends and encounter NPCs that have quests for you that further the story of Mad World. In addition to PvE, PvP and crafting also play a role.
Start video
Mad World – Trailer for PvE
For whom is it worth it? The MMORPG is worth it for fans of the genre who want to experience something completely different. The graphics are appealing in their own way and impress with grotesque-looking monsters that are hand-drawn.
Fans of elaborately animated 3D graphics with huge open worlds will be disappointed. However, you have nothing to lose – If you want to check out Mad World, you neither have to download nor purchase the MMORPG as it follows a Free2Play model.
In Pokémon GO, most trainers especially focus on the legendary monsters. However, one player now highlights a major mistake that many make when catching these specimens, costing you valuable items. We at MeinMMO show you what it’s all about.
Which Pokémon are involved? Besides the “normal” Pokémon that diligently roam the wilderness and can be caught by you, you have the chance to face the coveted legendary Pokémon in level-5 raids and catch them after a successful battle.
For this reason, most trainers try to secure a strong specimen. But the Shinys also appeal to them. However, especially when catching these, many players make a big mistake, as a trainer shows in the Reddit community. We show you what it is and why it’s worth doing it differently in the future.
Update from April 25, 2023: We have added the feedback from Niantic regarding the catch chances in the article.
Trainer warns against using golden Razz Berries
What mistake is being referred to? If you have won the raid and now have the chance to catch your legendary Pokémon, most want to get it at all costs. For this reason, the majority of players rely on golden Razz Berries for catching, as they help ensure that even persistent specimens stay better in the ball. After all, the balls are limited after the raid.
However, these berries should not always be your first choice, as the post from Reddit user Raspberryweiner shows. In this, he wants to warn other trainers about a major mistake. He writes (via reddit.com): “Don’t make this rookie mistake.”
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Below is an image of a shiny Mewtwo being fed a golden Razz Berry. Above it is the following inscription (via reddit.com): “Somewhere in the world, someone is giving away a golden Razz Berry to a shiny raid boss.”
That’s why you should rather use a different berry
Why is this a mistake? Even if it seems logical to many trainers at first glance to feed a strong legendary Pokémon a golden Razz Berry, it’s usually not necessary for a shiny. In most cases, the shiny specimen stays in the ball after the first throw, making it a good opportunity to boost your candy stock.
For this reason, you should rather rely on Sanan berries. They double the amount of candies for this catch. If you still have concerns that the monster will jump out of the ball again, you can alternatively use silver Sanan berries. These also double the candies but keep monsters better in the ball.
Moreover, legendary monsters, unlike other Pokémon, are typically only found in level-5 raids or as rewards in the GO Battle League starting from rank 20.
So, if you want to level up a strong specimen, you need to collect a lot of candies and thus either complete several raids, walk with the Pokémon, or use special candies. It’s worth taking advantage of this opportunity to obtain extra candies.
A selection of the strongest attackers, we have summarized for you in the following video:
Start video
Pokémon GO: The strongest attackers of all types in the video
Are legendary Shinys guaranteed? For years, trainers have assumed that legendary Shinys are guaranteed catches after a raid. Thus, they cannot flee. However, there are occasional reports from players who claim that such a shiny has indeed escaped. The community suspects a GPS drift.
Gimetulkathmir also writes (via reddit.com): “I wonder if this is new. None of my legendary Shinys were caught on the first ball, and I had a shiny Entei that fled.”
To clarify this question, we asked Niantic for a statement and wanted to know whether the catch of a legendary shiny after the raid is guaranteed or if it can flee. Their response was that they do not comment on exact catch rates.
How are trainers reacting to this advice?
Many players appreciate the tip: For this advice, Raspberryweiner receives significant support from the community. So far, his post has already garnered more than 3,600 upvotes and over 280 comments (as of 24.04.23 13:20).
The comments make it clear that many were not aware of the mistake, as they did not know that legendary Shinys from the raid cannot flee so easily, and they are grateful to him for the information. The user footballheir therefore writes (via reddit.com): “I didn’t know that, and now I’m glad I do.”
However, long-time players also admit in the comments that they often make the mistake out of habit. Often they only have the shiny in mind and want to get it as quickly as possible.
As Resident-Scallion949 writes (via reddit.com): “This happens even to non-newbies. They lose their mind when they see those sparks.”
Uncertainty among some trainers: However, other players do not trust that the Shinys really have a guaranteed or at least higher catch chance and therefore still prefer to use golden Razz Berries when catching (via reddit.com):
PMB4evr: “I do this, I do it (just in case)”
curious-is-me: “Tell that to the guy who lost a shiny Groudon… I don’t trust Niantic – I use a golden berry”
Do you also always use golden Razz Berries when catching legendary shiny raid bosses? Have you ever lost such a monster? Or do you want the extra candies and therefore rely on Sanan berries? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange your thoughts with other trainers on this topic.
The political streamer Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker (31) presents himself as decidedly left on Twitch. However, his cute puppy could have a negative impact on the streamer’s image: The breed is simply too expensive.
What kind of dog is this? On April 22, HasanAbi announced on Twitter that he was a proud “dog father” of a “giant puppy.” The streamer had been looking to adopt a new four-legged friend after the death of his last dog, Fish, and had already visited animal shelters during his streams.
One day later, HasanAbi presented his adorable new addition to the delight of his fans:
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What’s the story with the dog? In a stream on Sunday, HasanAbi officially introduced his still unnamed puppy. Proudly, he held the animal, which could easily be a bear cub in appearance, up to the camera and explained: “She is a big girl.”
According to the streamer, the impressive puppy is supposedly between seven and a half and eight weeks old. The breed is not known, but it could possibly be a Tibetan Mastiff or a mix.
This would at least explain the size of the “little one,” as female Tibetan Mastiffs can weigh over 50 kg.
How did HasanAbi get the dog? After the streamer had already looked around in animal shelters in March, he finally found one on Craigslist. The portal is comparable to eBay Kleinanzeigen.
On the portal, he had searched for large dogs and came across a giant puppy. While his previous dog had been abandoned, the new addition comes from a family that could not take care of her.
The “Gucci Shirt” Among Dogs
Why could the dog become a problem? Responsible, HasanAbi wants to educate himself about the needs of Kaya, as the puppy has since been named. However, during a video about the breed, the streamer becomes alert, as it states:
Tibetan Mastiffs are among the most incredible guard breeds in the world. […] It’s easy to understand why they are the most expensive breed in the world.
A Tibetan Mastiff puppy costs between $3,000 and $5,000 in the USA. The most expensive specimen of this breed changed hands in China for 12 million yuan. That’s roughly 1.5 million euros, making it the most valuable dog in the world.
So HasanAbi has accidentally succeeded in adopting a kind of luxury dog. The streamer is actually known as a pronounced opponent of capitalism. Now he fears that Kaya could be fodder for his critics:
Oh-oh. They are damn expensive, just think about it. New cancel reason unlocked, I just realized. The bastards will say: “Yeah, I know you got the dog from someone who couldn’t take care of her because she’s a giant dog. And I know she’s a mix, but I don’t care about any of that. That’s the Gucci shirt among dogs.” That’s what they will say.
His concern is not unfounded, as despite his politically left stance, HasanAbi has a weakness for expensive houses and luxurious cars, which has already brought him criticism. Critics consider the streamer a hypocrite because he rants about the rich while living in luxury as a content creator himself.
In light of Kaya’s cuteness, however, the critics seem to be losing their appetite for complaining. Or they are drowned in a sea of fans who simply can’t get enough of the puppy’s giant paws and fluffy fur (via YouTube).
Kaya is already well on her way to becoming the secret star of HasanAbi’s Twitch streams. The streamer even has a second camera so that his viewers can observe the puppy.
Some dogs on Twitch even game with their proud owners:
Over the weekend, the term “Destiny 3” trended in the gaming community on Twitter. Just over 1,700 tweets were posted discussing a continuation of Destiny 2. But behind it lies no release of a third part that Bungie has unexpectedly announced, but a general dissatisfaction with the state of the shooter from 2017 – especially the technical state of Destiny 2 is criticized.
How did the trend start? There are two tweets that set the Twitter trend in motion:
On April 22 at 3 PM, “The Destiny Show” tweets: Unpopular opinion. Destiny 3 must happen. (via twitter)
On April 23 at 6:56 AM, “DestinyTracker” tweets: Hot, throwaway opinion: Destiny 3 or some new Destiny game must happen (via twitter).
This is how it all began back then:
Start video
Destiny – Become Legend Official Trailer
Destiny 2 is struggling due to technical issues – players demand a new engine
What is behind this debate? Some people want a Destiny 3. They have several reasons for it:
The current state of Destiny 2 shows the age of the engine. The current engine has long been reaching its limits, there are bugs and problems everywhere. A fresh start is appealing because the game is now in a chaotic state. Chaos is being talked about.
Furthermore, people want a Destiny 3 that is optimized for next-gen and might create a new hype
The new game could then be designed as an “MMO” right from the start – with the help of the new owner Sony, something great is certainly possible
Players fear for beloved items and dread a long stretch where nothing happens
Is everyone in favor? No, not at all. There are also some disadvantages to a Destiny 3:
There would then be a “long dead time” while nothing happens in Destiny 2
Starting over and losing all items is also a problem. A Twitter user explains he would rather have a Destiny 2.1 – a game where you keep all items from Destiny 2 and just get a new engine
A user explains:
This is a classic MMO problem. If they bring Destiny 3, Destiny 2 dies. But Destiny 3 could solve many of the fundamental problems that plague Destiny 2. The question is: Will new people come to Destiny 3 and will players from Destiny 2 switch?
One user is even more extreme. You don’t need a Destiny 3 – part 2 should never have happened.
Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp is the world’s biggest streamer of League of Legends on Twitch. However, for nearly a month now, he has been playing in Berlin and wants to prove that he is among the best players in Europe. After some tough weeks, he has now reached the Grandmaster rank and hopes to take the last steps to Challenger.
In the meantime, he has been here for 36 days and played over 750 matches. That’s nearly 21 games per day. After this crazy grind, he has finally arrived at the Grandmaster rank. But there is still a long way to Challenger.
Start video
How the Worst Troll from Twitch Became the Face of League of Legends
54 % win rate, but a German tops him significantly
How is Tyler1 doing exactly? At the beginning, things started off really well. After a few days, he skipped the ranks Silver, Gold, and Platinum. However, he got stuck in Master for quite a while.
With a total of 409 wins and 345 losses, the North American streamer is still doing relatively well. He has a win rate of 54 % and earned 732 league points. This brings his account FREEDOMFIGHTER28 to rank 1,010 in Europe (via Op.gg).
His most played champions are Nautilus and Ivern, with 191 and 106 matches. Most of the time, he is in the bot lane, but there have also been occasional excursions to the mid lane. His highest win rate is with Karthus, with which he has been able to win 65 % of his games.
But the gameplay in Europe is visibly challenging for the streamer. He repeatedly earns deaths that almost drive him to despair, as seen in this clip:
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Moreover, the Challenger rank is still far away. For that, he needs about 1,000 league points, and with each new win, the opponents become tougher. For the last 300 league points, he also needed almost 20 days. Some suspect that Tyler1 could also fail in Europe with this project.
With his mid-lane account, NoWay is also currently in the Grandmaster rank, but with 852 league points. Moreover, he only needed 143 games because he had a solid win rate of 69 %.
At the same time, he has an AD carry with 540 LP, a top laner with 377 LP, a supporter with 417 LP, and a jungler with 319 LP. All have a win rate over 60 %.
NoWay aims to reach the rank of Challenger with all 5 accounts by July. Notably, the European MagiFelix is known for this crazy success, as he already achieved it in 2019:
1993, nearly two decades before Twitch went online, the then 12-year-old J.J. Styles became perhaps the first gaming streamer. We, at MeinMMO, tell you the story of Zot the Avenger.
Who is Zot the Avenger? Behind the name is the American J.J. Styles. In the 90s, when the internet was still in its infancy, the then 12-year-old Zot broadcast his TV show “Video Games and More”.
The show bore a striking resemblance to modern Twitch streams as we know them today. This earned Zot the nickname “the original streamer”. But let’s take it one step at a time.
It all started at a small local station in Tucson
How does a 12-year-old get his own show? Video Games and More aired on Access Tucson, a public access channel. It was a local station in Arizona that allowed citizens to broadcast their own shows.
Styles’ mother worked with an organization for adopted children to track down their biological parents. A TV show helped them bring information about the organization to the public.
The boy accompanied his mother to the studio and learned how to light a set, operate cameras, and use editing equipment. Styles developed a knack for working behind the scenes and was already involved in the productions of the station at the age of 10.
Styles could hardly have imagined that one day a “Ninja” would be playing Fortnite in front of over 600,000 viewers.
Start video
Through Fortnite to the largest streamer on Twitch – Who is Ninja and what is he doing today?
A streamer before streaming even existed
When did it all begin? After Styles had collaborated on other people’s projects, he eventually started his own show. For this, he sought support in the form of his buddy Jason Kingman. In an interview with the US site PC Gamer, he said in 2021:
I worked on his program, directed it, and said, ‘Look, you need to help me co-host my show because I don’t want to do this alone.’ That’s too much pressure for a 12-year-old.
Why is he considered the original streamer? Video Games and More managed to be a clear product of its time while being far ahead of it at the same time. The similarities to a modern Twitch stream are astonishing:
Like many Twitch streamers, Styles appeared under a pseudonym: Zot the Avenger
Zot and Jason played in front of a green screen while gameplay footage was shown behind them
The two commented not only on their gameplay and talked to each other but also interacted with their viewers who were connected live
We have embedded one of the first episodes here so you can get a sense of the predecessor to Twitch streams. Zot the Avenger also worked with the website Internet Archive to digitize the original S-VHS tapes. You can find the result here.
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What did the show look like? With Video Games and More, the then 12-year-old combined his enthusiasm for the talk show “Wayne’s World” from the film of the same name with his passion for gaming. Equipped with long hair, oversized shirts, and a baseball cap worn backward, Zot the Avenger stood before the camera.
In the first two episodes, precursors to the 37-part series, Styles and his friend played the hockey game EA Sports NHL ’93 and Mortal Kombat, whose bloody battles sparked debates about violence in video games.
In other segments, Zot showed previously recorded gameplay while his floating head was displayed alongside. Additionally, callers were connected live and could ask questions. He reportedly averaged around 50 viewers with his show.
However, Zot The Avenger was not only about chilling out while gaming and chatting. At a time when one could not just pull up nearly any conceivable information with a few clicks, he made an effort to make gaming more accessible for his viewers.
Television by kids for kids
How did he manage that? Due to his young age, he knew exactly what concerned his target audience, other kids and teenagers: In one episode, he criticized the Game Boy, as it could only be played in the dark with a battery-powered add-on light – where were kids supposed to get the money for new batteries all the time?
Styles subscribed to a number of gaming and technology magazines, so he was always well-informed. He also had the advantage of being supported by his tech-savvy mother:
She encouraged him to invest the money he received for a “McDonald’s” commercial into an Apple II. Equipped with unlimited internet access – a big deal back then – he began collecting cheat codes and walkthroughs online.
Zot the Avenger shared his gathered and extensive knowledge with his viewers: from the coveted blood code for Mortal Kombat to a segment dedicated to hardware news:
Video games have always been out of reach for kids because they involve expensive hardware. So, if you want to beg your parents for a birthday gift, you need to know in advance what to ask for. I tried to provide this information because I knew how important it was.
Styles had experience making the most of little. With a soldering iron or a drill, he converted regular VHS tapes into the slightly more expensive S-VHS tapes that had better resolution.
Overall, he did a lot by himself: The spinning logo that appears in later episodes was created by him using Deluxe Paint on an Amiga 2,000 and animated by him. For other tasks, such as displaying codes at the right time, he relied on his team:
I am very proud of what I achieved in this TV studio because I really put in the effort. I relied on no one except my crew members. They were usually included in the program because I was a little control freak who told them live on air what to do.
What became of Zot The Avenger? Video Games and More ended in 1997. Styles had to focus on school, studied, and became a music producer. For him, it was no big deal; he said he did not need a ceremony for his farewell, Styles told PC Gamer.
The streaming culture, for which he paved the way in the 90s, he followed less, although he believes that live streaming could completely replace radio and television in many areas. However, he has an attitude that many modern streamers could learn from:
I was very aware of what I was broadcasting. And the more power you give a child, the more responsible they will be. And streaming is power.
For Styles, Video Games and More was something that brought people together. No one was rich, and no one could afford the technological equipment alone, but they worked together to share their messages.
That is ultimately what technology is for: to enable and improve communication between people.
10 years after Zot the Avenger and Video Games and More said goodbye, a site went online that would later become the streaming giant Twitch. You can read the story of the website and the answer to the question of who can actually claim the title of the first Twitch streamer here:
Tim Sweeney (52), the founder and CEO of Epic Games (Fortnite), has a billion-dollar fortune but still finds Twitter to be simply too elitist.
What system is this about? Like many social networks, Twitter had a verification system that allowed notable users to confirm their identity.
The verification badge, the so-called blue checkmark, was primarily intended for Twitter users whose identity could be used to spread lies or fake news: politicians, news agencies, and celebrities, including numerous content creators.
There’s trouble on Twitter about the blue checkmark
What is the problem with the system? Critics of the verification system on Twitter complain that the blue checkmark is reserved for certain people and see it as a form of favoritism.
With Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, there was new excitement surrounding the blue checkmarks: First, a payment system called Twitter Blue was introduced, allowing users to simply purchase the badge, leading to numerous convincingly looking fake accounts.
Then Elon Musk announced the removal of the old “Legacy Verifications,” which was implemented starting April 20 but has since been partially reverted. The back and forth caused much confusion and numerous discussions over the weekend.
Now the discussion about verification has also involved Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games. On April 22, he tweeted a series of messages in response to the hashtag #BlockTheBlue. The hashtag was a suggestion to block users who are willing to pay monthly for verification.
Tim Sweeney is co-responsible for the Unreal Engine, which forms the basis of successful games like Fortnite.
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What does Tim Sweeney have to say? The Epic CEO was upset by the #BlockTheBlue campaign and stated that the users behind it are “losers and bullies” who excluded “us nerds” back in school.
He explained that he has criticized the “elitist” old system since 2018, sharing one of his own tweets from 2020. At that time, he wrote that he did not want to be verified as long as the process was reserved for certain people.
Sweeney, whose fortune is said to amount to nearly 10 billion USD according to Bloomberg, further elaborated that an online community should be a meritocracy that rewards solely performance. Instead, Twitter has used its verification system to preferentially favor supposedly noteworthy elites.
The 52-year-old also claimed that Twitter employees have exploited the old system for personal gain and exchanged verifications for favors. We have included the beginning of the thread for you here:
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How was it received? Not particularly well. In the comments, numerous Twitter users tried to explain to Sweeney why his assessment of the old verification system was not entirely accurate.
For one, the system was by no means reserved exclusively for elites; local reporters with lower income could also lend credibility to their reporting through it. Others wondered why a 52-year-old is still upset about school cliques.
Among some of Sweeney’s tweets, users provided additional context. The claim that the old system had nothing to do with verifying identity with official documents was disproven.
How did Sweeney react? He took the time to respond to some comments and slightly backed down. He ultimately explained that the best solution would likely be a mix of the old and new systems: identities should be verified, but the process should be open to everyone and ideally even free (via Twitter).
Tim Sweeney has not only criticized Twitter but also recently criticized the Epic competitor Steam in a phone call. He feels excluded by them as well, claiming they exploit their larger market share. You can read more about it here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO there could soon be a Master Ball to catch the little pocket monsters, as new findings make trainers hope for an imminent release. We at MeinMMO have looked into what is already known about the new item.
What is the Master Ball? The Master Ball is the most powerful ball in the Pokémon world. Unlike the other balls in Pokémon GO, the Master Ball does not just increase your chance of catching a monster; it guarantees you will catch it. A monster cannot flee from a Master Ball.
This makes it especially interesting for legendary Pokémon, which is why players have long wished for the purple item in Pokémon GO. According to the latest findings from the PokeMiners, it might soon be available. Below, we show you what is already known about the new item.
Who are the PokeMiners? The PokeMiners are a group of dataminers who regularly search the game code of Pokémon GO for new information. They then make these findings publicly available to other trainers, showing in advance what new features and content are planned for the game.
Although they have proven to be a reliable source so far, the data are not official information. Thus, Niantic can still change this content or even decide against a release.
What is already known about the Master Ball in Pokémon GO
Tutorial for the new Master Ball: The PokeMiners already stumbled upon the first information about the new ball in February. At that time, only a tutorial for the new item was created in the game data; more was not yet known.
New content when catching: Now the PokeMiners have discovered further information about the Master Ball (via pokeminers.com). Primarily, various changes have been made in the background. It is suggested that there will be a ball selection in raids, where it is presumed that you can select the Master Ball.
Additionally, a special sequence for throwing the Master Ball has apparently been included. There is also a new warning that is supposed to be integrated into the game, so you should soon get a hint when you only have one last ball available for catching.
New assets for the Master Ball found
In addition to several new texts related to catching, the first images associated with the new Master Ball have now been integrated into the game code, as can be seen in the PokeMiners’ tweet:
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Thus, not only have a series of new Rocket contents been added to the game code that hint at upcoming Crypto Raids, but also a so-called “Master Ball container.” This seems to be a special storage for the ball, which even has its own animation. How this looks in action is shown by the following video from the PokeMiners:
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How do you get the ball? In connection with the new Master Ball container and its animation, some trainers have already speculated about how one might obtain the coveted ball.
The Reddit user Optimistic_Mystic could imagine that this storage works similarly to the Meltan box and that one needs to perform an action every few days to activate it. He writes:
Given the animation, I wonder if the Master Ball will be a reusable item like the Meltan box that you can ‘charge’ and use another Master Ball in X days. Aside from only being allowed to have one Master Ball in the game, I don’t think that’s too bad of an idea. I have already left the game, but if they make changes that draw me back in, that would be an effective strategy for this gimmick.
As the PokeMiners indicate in their Twitter post from April 22, the Master Ball is expected to be obtainable from research tasks in the future (via twitter.com). However, it is still unknown how often you can receive these and whether you can stack more than one in storage. Also, it is still unclear whether the Master Ball container will play a role in this.
When will it finally come into the game? A possible release date has not yet emerged from the findings of the PokeMiners. When and how it will happen remains to be seen for the moment. As soon as there is more information about this, you will find it here with us on MeinMMO.
What do you think of the prospect that there could soon be a Master Ball in the game? Are you one of the trainers who are eagerly waiting for it? Or are you getting along perfectly with the existing balls? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange thoughts with other trainers.
