We have compiled the best games on Metacritic from the last 5 years in a list. For each year, we selected the top game based on the metascore and presented it here.
What criterion was used for the selection? We used Metacritic’s search algorithm to identify the respective top games of a year. All platforms were included in the selection. We noted which version performed best on Metacritic for each title.
For each featured title, there is a description and a trailer. Additionally, we provide points that speak for or against a game and explain for whom the game might be particularly suitable.
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2022: Portal Companion Collection
Developer: Valve | Genre: Adventure, Puzzle | Top platform on Metacritic: Switch| Release date of the version: June 28, 2022 | Meta score: 96
The Portal Companion Collection includes the two games Portal and Portal 2 and was released exclusively on the Switch. However, you can also get both parts for PC.
The games revolve around spatial thinking, “in portals.” You must strategically place the passages using the “Portal Guns” in the rooms to reach the exit. However, you will be challenged by one obstacle or another that you must cleverly overcome.
In Portal 2, you can play together with another person and double the number of portals to solve tricky puzzles.
For whom is the Portal Companion Collection worthwhile? Anyone who likes to challenge themselves with tricky tasks and test their spatial reasoning skills will find themselves well-accompanied by the Portal games.
2021: Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
Developer: ZA/UM | Genre: RPG | Top platform on Metacritic: PC| Release date of the version: March 30, 2021 |Other platforms: iPhone/iPad, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | Meta score: 97
What is Disco Elysium: The Final Cut? In this role-playing game, you are a detective. You can interrogate suspects, solve murders, and fight for justice – or do the exact opposite.
You can also accept bribes as a corrupt investigator in Disco Elysium, start fights with NPCs, and become the most unscrupulous detective of the rundown city of Revachol.
A special element in the game is an extraordinary ability that you possess as a detective. As a player, you hear the various thoughts and converse with different aspects of yourself to obtain helpful information.
The “Final Cut” version delivers a revised and improved version of the original RPG.
Lots of text to read, which can quickly bore some people
For whom is Disco Elysium: The Final Cut worthwhile? Those who enjoy single-player RPGs and want to have a lot of freedom might have fun with Disco Elysium. Crime fans could also find value here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Actually, everyone knows that multiplayer games are generally better than single-player games. This doesn’t need explaining to you guys. At least, 2 people couldn’t understand this: podcast head Michael Graf and video editor Lennard Willms from GameStar, who believe single-player games are better. So, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus and livestream lead Julius Busch from GameStar explained to them why they are wrong.
I don’t really know where to start. Sure, I also want my peace and quiet every now and then, but every game is generally better when you have the voice of a friend in your ear – or the cursing of your opponent in voice chat.
Co-op games attract thousands of players, even classic games like Diablo and Elden Ring (Dark Souls) realize now that an MMO approach is the future. Many genres and studios plan to bring more players together.
Single-player games are increasingly niche products for nerds and people with strange tastes, like I am. So, uh… of course, I still prefer multiplayer games, but a large portion of single-player titles still has a rather small target audience.
Michael and Lennard take a strong opposing view. They believe other players disturb them in THEIR games. Well, Jules and I decided to confront them for a good verbal fight. So, just with words.
At the risk of our editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski making good on her threat to fire me if we don’t win the talk, I must confess: I also play single-player games or game alone from time to time.
The Pathfinder role-playing games, for example, are excellent, Dragon Age remains one of my favorite games of all time. Sometimes it’s nice to cut all other people and the world off and immerse oneself in a game until tired.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the development in gaming is increasingly leaning towards multiplayer and social gaming. Whether you like it or not is up to you, but the “old school” gamers are an endangered species. Unfortunately.
Diablo 4 and Elden Ring are the best current examples of games traditionally played alone that now offer real co-op and even MMO features. Many games in development are being created with this thought in mind.
Single-player games will still exist, possibly even “better” ones. One of my favorite genres, point-and-clicks, has developed to a point where only games that perfectly match the taste of the small target audience are created. This can also be a good thing.
However, the big successes will, with few exceptions, come from multiplayer titles in the future.
Disclaimer: The article and the talk were all produced with a wink. Despite the beef, we get along great and certainly have nothing against anyone personally or their preferences. Everyone has their own taste. Any potential black eyes and bloody noses are purely coincidental.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The beta of Diablo 4 has been a few weeks back now. Blizzard has released a lot of new information during this time, but not all of it has been well received. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus talked with GameStar podcast head Michael Graf and Twitch streamer Maurice Weber at CAGGTUS 2023 about whether the anticipation has become greater or smaller and what the biggest concerns about Diablo 4 are.
I was absolutely thrilled by the beta of Diablo 4 and Blizzard really showed me that Diablo 4 will be exactly the game I wish for. It certainly won’t be perfect, but it has everything I expect from it.
With this opinion, I am not alone. Thousands say they enjoyed Diablo 4 so much that everything else has become boring. It’s not quite as extreme for me, but I am greatly looking forward to the release in June.
Since the end of the beta, Blizzard has finally been supplying us with new bits of information and at least partial answers to some of the burning questions, such as the big question about the endgame content of Diablo 4.
Together with Michael Graf and Maurice Weber, I discussed live for an hour what new information has actually come to light, how this changes our view on Diablo 4, and what we expect from the game.
We have recorded our impressions for you. You can find the video on the new channel of GameStar Talk on YouTube or embedded right here. I apologize for the guy with the circular saw, he annoyed us all:
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In our talk, we discussed among other things what new information we know about Diablo 4, what we still wish for, and what Diablo 4 needs to achieve to be good.
One of the major criticisms is the still unknown shop. Maurice has at least expressed skepticism regarding Diablo Immortal. Blizzard promised back then that no advantages would be sold, only to have upgrades and gems available directly in the shop.
Blizzard stated that Diablo 4 would definitely not be pay-to-win, but Maurice can no longer believe that unreservedly. The trust had been squandered.
Here you can find some of our posts about the new insights:
Overall, we all agree that Diablo 4 is absolutely sufficient for its current state. Despite the expensive price, I am sure that there are enough hours of gameplay to justify the money.
Of course, the conversation also led to a comparison with Diablo’s biggest competitor. Path of Exile has apparently inspired some of the ideas and the discussion around the two titles has occupied fans for years – particularly in the recent past:
The Austrian Twitch streamer MissRage (33) shared how she met her boyfriend and what the MOBA League of Legends has to do with it.
What kind of Twitch streamer is she? MissRage is a Twitch streamer from Austria. For her 355,000 followers, she mostly streams games like World of Warcraft, Valorant, or League of Legends. She speaks both German and English.
When she is not gaming, MissRage is at the gym or cooking, which she also loves to share with her fans.
On April 10, Twitter user InraiBriana encouraged couples to share how they met. Thousands responded to the request, including MissRage.
Start video
Twitch streamer wants to change the perception of gaming as Miss Germany: “One should not demonize it, but also not glorify it”
What loves each other, carries each other
What kind of story is this? As MissRage shares, she met her current boyfriend in 2014. At that time, he supposedly sent her a private message calling her a “cute guinea pig.” Afterwards, he helped her reach the gold rank in LoL.
When they met two months later, he immediately introduced her as his girlfriend.
Today, the streamer continues, the couple owns a house together, where they live with 3 cats and 2 dogs. The dogs fittingly have the names Mira and Jinx (via instagram).
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Her boyfriend, the French CS:GO pro Nathan “NBK” Schmitt, probably wished for a story in which he looks cooler, as he responded to the post with “Oh God.”
The days when he carried her through LoL seem to be over, as MissRage reports that she is currently stuck in silver while he has settled comfortably in platinum.
Other Twitter users are happy for the couple, congratulating them on their relationship … or taking notes: Calling women guinea pigs and carrying them in LoL, got it (via Twitter).
Did you meet your partners in a similar way, or do your significant others have nothing to do with gaming? Is it important for you to share this hobby with your partners, or do you prefer to spend time together without screens? Let us know in the comments.
For some, pixelated graphics in games are an immediate dealbreaker; others can never get enough of the nostalgic look. A new collection allows especially loyal fans to finally wear the pixel look in real life – provided they have the necessary cash.
Pixel graphics were originally due to the technical limitations of the 80s and 90s. Nowadays, technology has advanced so much that incredibly realistic gaming experiences are possible: from walking through Amsterdam to crumpled bed sheets.
Despite these possibilities, some gamers love the good old pixel graphics, which are still used in many indie games today. Such games are often relatively inexpensive, which is also a good thing. Because the money saved can now be invested by fans in the new collection of the Spanish luxury brand Loewe.
If realism is everything to you, you might be eager to dive into games with the “Deep Dive.”
Start video
The “Deep Dive” is supposed to immerse us into MMORPGs deeper than ever before – What is it actually?
A Dream in 8 Bit
What kind of collection is this? The Spanish fashion company Loewe has released a special treat for fashionable retro gamers and Minecraft fans with its “Pixel” collection. The aim is to “decontextualize the digital world” (via hypebeast).
The result is a series of photos where you might wonder if your eyes are glitching.
What does it cost? The entire collection comes with a fitting binary price of 11,110 € and is not exactly cheap. However, you can already acquire the look of Minecraft Steve for a comparatively low price of 2,280 €.
Admittedly, the T-shirt is white and not turquoise (via Loewe).The light blue hoodie looks quite trippy when worn (Loewe via PC Gamer).
There may be a debate about the everyday practicality of wearable art pieces, but their appearance is definitely impressive. Especially the rather coarse-pixelated T-shirt or the light blue hoodie look almost unreal when worn in photos.
If you want to buy one of the crazy pieces or just browse a bit, you can do so on the Loewe website.
Gamers are traditionally not known for their fashion sense. However, just because you like to game doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to sweatpants and hoodies, as this collection proves:
A user shared on Reddit the story of how he lost his job 20 years ago because he was too engrossed in a game of Madden NFL with a colleague.
Note: The title image is a symbolic image.
What a story! User “mypizzaproblem” shared on April 13 in the gaming subreddit the story of how he lost his job at a video game store because he was too engrossed in a game against his colleague. While they were distracted, a thief made off with some merchandise.
He just wanted to win against his colleague once
How did it happen? As mypizzaproblem reports, he worked as a student at EB Games, a store that was later bought by GameStop. A colleague he had befriended was known for his skills in the football game Madden NFL.
According to the Reddit user, this colleague regularly attended major tournaments where he ranked in the top 10 and won prize money. He had never been able to even come close to his level until a late shift in the week after Thanksgiving in 2003.
Things were slow, so his buddy challenged him to a game of Madden. And lo and behold, mypizzaproblem had the game of his life: The score was either tied the whole time, or he was just one touchdown behind.
How did the misfortune unfold? Anyone who has worked in retail knows: Almost all problems start with a customer. The Reddit user remembers: There was an older man who wanted to buy an Xbox for his grandson. So, mypizzaproblem opened the door to the stockroom, grabbed the console, cashed out, and then returned to his match.
After a while, another customer entered the store, a middle-aged man in a suit. He looked around for a while while the two were gaming and then left.
How did the game end? Although he held his own, mypizzaproblem ultimately lost narrowly to his colleague. The two locked up the store and went home, not noticing that something was amiss.
Start video
Tetris – Trailer to the Prehistory of the Arcade Classic
Touchdown celebration becomes the gamer’s undoing
What really happened that evening? The next day, the Reddit user was at university when he received ominous messages from another colleague: Why was the inventory off? After checking the security footage: “Ohhh, you guys are done for.”
It turned out that the man in the suit had apparently noticed how engrossed the two gamers were. He sneaked into the back of the store, where the door to the stockroom was still open, and made off with Game Boy SPs worth $1,000.
How did he ultimately lose his job? According to mypizzaproblem, the district manager had to come in to review the footage from the security cameras. He then discussed it individually with the two gamers.
The Reddit user initially felt safe, as the footage only showed his buddy while he himself was obscured by an advertising banner. Did he get lucky again? No, his own arrogance proved to be his undoing.
Because with every touchdown he scored, the gamer jumped up in celebration, right into the camera’s field of view.
How did the story end? According to mypizzaproblem, both were fired without notice but quickly found new jobs. According to his profile, he now works in the film industry. The job at the game store was, aside from the terrible pay, still his favorite job.
The security camera footage was later shown at a manager conference in Las Vegas: As a lesson on what not to do.
Fortnite is almost six years old, yet many fans still play the colorful Battle Royale. Therefore, we present you with 10 difficult questions that will test your knowledge about the game from Epic Games. Are you brave enough or just a No-Skin? Find out!
What is this about? In our quiz, we will ask you 10 questions on various topics related to Fortnite. We will test your knowledge about information that every player should know, especially those who have been with us from the beginning. However, do not be too sure of yourselves. Not every OG player is worthy of their title.
How does the quiz work? In this quiz, you will be asked 10 general questions about Fortnite. For each entry, we will provide you with four answer options to choose from. You must select the statement that you believe correctly answers the question. Only one answer out of the four options is correct.
Once you have answered a question, you will see whether your answer was correct or incorrect and also receive a detailed explanation.
After you have answered all 10 questions, you will receive your result. It will reveal how many of the maximum 10 points you answered correctly. Afterwards, you will be awarded one of four possible titles that distinguish you as a player.
Are you a No-Skin or do you have what it takes to be an OG player? Test your knowledge now:
How many points did you score in our quiz and what title did you earn? Were the questions too hard, or could you answer all of them with ease? Feel free to leave your result in the comments and discuss it with other fans.
In Pokémon GO the event for Environmental Week is back in April 2023. This time a new Pokémon with its two evolutions is included. The bonuses you can expect are shown here.
What kind of event is this? For years, Niantic has been holding events with the theme of Environmental Week. Now the details for the event, which starts in a few days, have been revealed.
Look forward to the new Pokémon Frubberl and its evolutions Frubaila and Fruyal. You can obtain the three new Pokémon starting from the beginning of the event. What else to expect, we will show you here in the event overview.
Environmental Week 2023 – Start, new Pokémon, Shinys, bonuses
When does it start and end? The event starts on Thursday, April 20, at 10:00 AM local time. It will be active for just under a week and ends on Wednesday, April 26, at 8:00 PM local time.
New Pokémon: Frubberl, Frubaila, and Fruyal are the three new Pokémon of the event.
You can evolve Frubberl into Frubaila for 25 Frubberl candies.
You can evolve Frubaila into Fruyal for 100 Frubberl candies.
You cannot find the Shinys of this Pokémon family during the event yet.
New Shinys: For the first time, you can catch Shiny Rotomurf in Pokémon GO. We will show you its Shiny version and that of its evolution Stalobor here:
The 2 new Shinys of Rotomurf and the evolution Stalobor
Pokémon in the wilderness: During the event you’ll encounter Schiggy*, Muschas*, Wailmer*, Rotomurf*, Waumboll*, Lilminip, Lithomith*, Tarnpignon*, and Froxy more frequently in the wild. With luck also Larvitar*, Bithora*, and Frubberl (Pokémon marked with a star * can be caught as Shiny).
2-km eggs: The 2-km eggs that you receive during the event can hatch into Kikugi*, Rotomurf*, and Frubberl.
Field researches: For completing field researches you receive encounters with Rotomurf among other rewards during Environmental Week.
If your buddy Pokémon reaches the “Hyper Buddy” level, it will bring you souvenirs more often.
If your buddy Pokémon reaches the “Super Buddy” level or higher, it will bring you gifts more often, which often contain berries. With a chance of Silver Nanab Berries.
After feeding, your buddy Pokémon will stay with you longer.
The distance to earn hearts with your buddy Pokémon is halved.
The distance to earn candies with your buddy Pokémon is halved.
New avatar items: If you want to dress your character in the game to match the new Pokémon, you can do so with new avatar items.
The items are in green and pink and match well with the appearance of the three new Pokémon. For you to choose from are a Frubberl hat, a Frubaila shirt, and Fruyal boots.
In the coming days, you can expect more exciting dates, including Spotlight Hours and a Community Day Classic.
The developers of the surprise hit Dark and Darker are not dissuaded by trivialities such as the removal of the game from Steam and a legal dispute with the Korean publisher Nexon. They are nonetheless proceeding with the next playtest, in the old way: with torrents.
What is Dark and Darker about? It is a game from the studio Ironmace, representing a kind of extraction shooter like Escape from Tarkov – only with swords and magic instead of guns.
With its playtests, Dark and Darker has already attracted nearly 2 million players and was also popular on Twitch. However, in March 2023, the surprise hit suddenly disappeared from Steam. The reason for this is an ongoing legal dispute with the Korean publisher Nexon, which accuses the developers of stealing the idea and even parts of the code as well as assets.
How is Ironmace doing this? In a message on the Dark and Darker Discord server, the developers wrote that they are working around the clock to ensure the game’s continuation. Due to the complexity of the situation, they now have to fulfill their promise to the fans “the old-fashioned way”.
To do this, Ironmace employs a technology that evokes either nostalgia or confusion for many: torrents. These are generally small files that contain download information for larger files.
Torrents have long been the means of choice for illegally downloading movies, music, and games, but they have since fallen out of fashion. Although the technology itself is not illegal, torrent links are not allowed on Discord.
The developers therefore refer to their official Twitter account for all current information and links. At the same time, they warn against obtaining the torrent from other sources, as they cannot guarantee its integrity.
Start video
Dark and Darker: Gameplay Teaser
Fans react with memes and confusion
How is this being received? Among fans of Dark and Darker, the news has created either excitement or confusion, likely related to their internet usage in the early 2000s.
In the Subreddit for Dark And Darker, players appear to reminisce about their glorious pirate days and share memes like the embedded post here.
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Others are somewhat puzzled and ask for help figuring out what a torrent actually is and how to proceed to participate in the playtest (via Reddit).
Still others are simply impressed by how far Ironmace is willing to go to keep their promise to the fans. Reddit user kaleoh writes in the megathread about the playtest: “This is the biggest dedication I have ever seen from a studio. […] I can’t believe they kept this deadline despite all the legal issues surrounding the studio. Absolute legends.”
Are you planning to participate in the playtest or are you perhaps already involved? Or do you hope that the disputes can be resolved and that Dark and Darker can return to Steam? Feel free to leave a comment with your opinion.
In March, the Beta for Diablo 4 took place. All five classes in the game could be tested. However, two of them were considered very weak, while the Necromancer was somewhat too strong. Blizzard has now announced changes to better balance the classes.
The Barbarian finished in second to last place and will receive a general damage reduction of 10% and more damage for the Whirlwind attack.
The Hunter will be adjusted slightly and will receive more bonuses from passive abilities, but will also see increased cooldowns on the infusion skills.
The Wizard will receive a mix of damage buffs and nerfs.
The exact changes have been listed further down in the article.
What else will be adjusted? Blizzard is revising some dungeons, so you have to backtrack less often. Additionally, the chance for an event in the dungeon has been increased from 10% to 60% to ensure more variety. Channeling times for objects like pedestals have been reduced and more potions have been introduced as rewards.
Furthermore, there have been minor adjustments to the UI and numerous bug fixes related to fights, opponents, and quests.
In the latest talk, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus, Gamestar podcast head Michael Graf, and Twitch streamer Maurice Weber discuss the latest information about Diablo 4:
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Necromancers now have to use corpses more frequently
What changes are happening to the classes exactly? Below we have incorporated the class changes from the official Patch Notes from Blizzard:
General
Effects such as Stun and Freeze can now be applied to elite monsters for twice as long before they become unstoppable.
We have taken another look at class abilities to ensure that all classes have enough abilities available that remove loss of control effects.
Barbarian
The Barbarian class has received a flat passive damage reduction of 10%. To compensate, the damage reduction effects of some passive skills in the skill tree were reduced.
The Whirlwind skill now deals more damage and consumes more rage.
The skill enhancement Double Strike now refunds its full rage cost when used against stunned or downed enemies.
Druid
The damage of companion skills has been greatly increased.
The cooldowns of all ultimate skills have been reduced.
Rend and Pulverize can now be used more easily.
Using a skill without shapeshifting will now turn the Druid back into human form.
Necromancer
Summoned minions now die more frequently, so you will have to use corpses more often.
The values of many bonuses in the Book of the Dead have been increased.
The damage of the skill Corpse Explosion has been reduced.
Skeleton warriors and mages are now darker.
Hunter
The bonuses from upgrades for deception skills have been increased.
The bonuses from several passive skills have been increased.
The cooldowns of all infusion skills have been increased.
Wizard
The damage of Chain Lightning has been increased and the mana cost has been reduced.
The damage of Chain Lightning has been reduced and it is now less effective against bosses.
The cooldown of the skill enchantment Flame Death has been reduced.
When the enchantment bonus from Fire Wall is used, Fire Walls will now appear more frequently under enemies.
The lucky hit chance of the skill enchantment Meteor has been increased.
What changes are happening to dungeons in general: The following dungeons have been altered in their structure so that you do not have to backtrack as often:
Crater Gate
Desecrated Catacombs
Decayed Cabin
Forbidden City
Decline of the Rim Frost
Immortal Radiance
Barracks of Kor Dragan
Torture Forest
Runescar Cave
Changes to the gameplay of the dungeons will also be made:
To ensure that you have to run the same paths less often, monsters in dungeons now seek out players, so you can more easily complete the quest objective of “Kill all monsters”.
When Animus is collected, players and nearby allies receive:
10 resources.
A cooldown reduction of 1 sec. for all active cooldowns.
The channeling time for depositing Animus has been reduced from 3 to 0 seconds.
The time for a rescue has been reduced from 3 to 1.5 seconds.
After completing all rescue quest objectives, you now receive a healing potion.
If you carry the Ancestor Statue, Bloodstone, Mechanical Chest, or Stone Carving, you will receive a speed bonus that increases your movement speed and that of nearby allies by 25%.
The channeling time for pedestals has been reduced from 2 to 0 seconds.
If you return a portable object to its pedestal, health, resources, and potions will now be fully restored for all nearby players and cooldowns reset.
When doors are opened, this is now displayed on the minimap.
All quest objectives for structures in dungeons now have additional combat mechanics that players must handle.
The chance of an event occurring in a dungeon has been increased from 10% to 60%.
What’s also in the Patch Notes:
UI
A bug has been fixed that prevented the built-in screen reader from reading hints for buttons, details about game options, and other user interface texts.
A bug has been fixed that prevented actions from being assigned to the mouse wheel.
A bug has been fixed that prevented Escape from being assigned to the right analog stick of controllers.
The chat is now displayed on the left side of the screen when using the centered action bar configuration.
The values of characters are now displayed by default when you click the button for materials & values in the inventory.
The inputs for moving and interacting can now be assigned to one key while the input for the primary attack is assigned to a secondary key.
The sans-serif font used in the game has been replaced by a new serif font.
Fights
Several bugs have been fixed that prevented interaction with bosses like the Butcher.
The difficulty of the Butcher has been re-evaluated to make him more challenging at World Tiers III and IV.
Bosses like T’Chort, Malnok, Vhenard, and others have been re-evaluated regarding their difficulty level for melee characters, resulting in changes to their attacks and mechanics.
A bug has been fixed that caused Malicious Vampires with the affix Shadow Enchantment to repeatedly impale.
Basements
The chance for a dungeon event in basements has been increased.
Basements now always grant a chest after completion.
A bug has been fixed that marked basements as completed prematurely.
A bug has been fixed that prevented the guaranteed elite monster from appearing in basements.
General Simplifications
A bug has been fixed that allowed players to increase their attack speed by prematurely canceling attacks with movement commands.
A bug has been fixed that prevented characters from being immune and targetable after loading and entering an area.
The reset dungeon button has been disabled.
A bug has been fixed that resulted in fewer monsters than intended being present in Storm Valley and Serac’s Rapture until the campaign quests in those areas were completed.
What do you think of the changes Blizzard is making? Are they successful or do you miss an adjustment? Feel free to write it in the comments. Everything about Diablo 4 can be found here:
Throne and Liberty is NCSoft’s (Lineage, Aion) new MMORPG and looked really good in the first trailers. However, the latest information from interviews and leaks does not sound promising at all. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch is still looking forward to it for a certain reason.
Throne and Liberty initially sounded like the perfect MMORPG for me. Open world, focus on story, grappling hooks, and the ability to turn into mounts, an exciting weather system that influences areas, monsters, and abilities, as well as gigantic world bosses that can only be defeated in a large group. The strong graphics in the first trailers also contributed to my excitement.
Alleged testers also report a rigid tab-targeting system in the combat system. For about 80% of the abilities, you cannot move while casting them. You just stand still. Some animations are said to last so long that enemies can simply run away from you in close combat. That sounds pretty boring.
Still, I am extremely excited for the release of Throne and Liberty. And it’s not because I believe in the success of the MMORPG, but because it is a brand new game about which we know almost nothing. My explorer’s curiosity has been awakened.
This trailer has made me incredibly excited for the game:
Start video
New MMORPG Hope from Korea Finally Shows a Lot of Gameplay in New Trailer
New world, no idea
When a new, big MMORPG is released, it always feels like Easter and Christmas on the same day for me. Like a child, I sit excitedly waiting for all the secrets I can discover, just like when unwrapping presents as a child.
I explore a completely new world, know no quests, and learn an entirely new playstyle. In the first hours, I don’t even care how bad the game might be. Every new MMORPG is a new adventure that I enjoy.
Who is speaking here? Alex is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. In recent years alone, he has tried over 40 games. He mainly spends his time in Guild Wars 2, New World, ESO, and Black Desert.
My hype for the game’s release is therefore undiminished, despite all the bad news and the unclear release date. Because so far, it still says that Throne and Liberty should be released in the first half of 2023. But the developers have only about two months left. Currently, many – including myself – expect a delay.
Do I believe that Throne and Liberty will have lasting success? Probably not, at least if it turns out the same way the alleged leakers describe. But I know that on release, tens or even hundreds of thousands will flock to it, and I will be one of them.
Furthermore, Throne and Liberty was not my MMORPG of the year from the beginning. That will be Blue Protocol, which attracts me much more with its combat system and focus on dungeons and raids. What first testers have to say about it, you can read here:
What do you think about the releases of new MMORPGs? Are you as enthusiastic as I am, or do you prefer to wait for the first tests and videos and rather avoid playing a flop?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Community Day in Pokémon GO brings the special research “Spreading Joy” which you can purchase for one Euro in the shop. We will show you what content the ticket brings and whether it’s worth it for you.
What kind of ticket is this? On this Saturday, April 15, 2023, the Community Day with Togetic is taking place. It runs from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
In line with the event, as is customary for Community Days, there is also a research in the shop that you can buy for about 0.99 Euro (varies by shop). The current one is called “Spreading Joy,” offers you rewards related to Togetic, and provides you with some useful items.
If you are unsure whether the research will benefit you and want to make sure? Then we will show you all the tasks and rewards of the special research here.
Spreading Joy – All Tasks and Rewards
Where does the information come from? In Germany, the Community Day starts at 2:00 PM, but in other time zones, it has already started or has even already taken place.
This is why the contents of the special research are already known. With the help of the overview from LeekDuck, we summarize here what the ticket brings you.
You can expect a total of four research steps that will provide you with various rewards.
Research on Togetic – Step 1/4
Task
Reward
Make 10 power-ups with Pokémon
15 Poké Balls
Catch 15 Togetic
Encounter with Togetic
Land 5 good throws
20 Togepi candies
Stage reward: If you complete all 3 tasks, you will receive 2,000 Stardust, one incense, and a meeting with Togetic.
Research on Togetic – Step 2/4
Task
Reward
Catch 15 Togetic
30 Togepi candies
Send 10 Pokémon
Encounter with Togetic
Use 3 Nanab Berries when catching Pokémon
10 Nanab Berries
Stage reward: If you completed the tasks of this table, you will receive 1,500 XP, a Togetic encounter, and an incense module.
Research on Togetic – Step 3/4
Task
Reward
Land 3 good curveball throws
50 Togepi candies
Evolve 1 Togetic
1 Lucky Egg
Send 10 Pokémon
15 Ultra Balls
Stage reward: For completing these tasks, you will receive 2,500 XP, 1 Rocket Radar, and 15 Hyper Balls.
Research on Togetic – Step 4/4
Task
Reward
Already completed!
2 Silver Nanab Berries
Already completed!
2 Golden Razz Berries
Already completed!
3,500 XP
Stage reward: If you have collected the rewards for this level, you will additionally receive 3,000 XP, 3 Rare Candies, and a meeting with Togekiss.
Is it worth purchasing the event ticket with Togetic?
What you need to know: With the research, you will receive several additional encounters with Togetic, another Togekiss, and plenty of candies. It helps you to obtain the Pokémon of the day.
Moreover, you will also receive some items with the research that are slightly cheaper as part of the 1-Euro ticket than if you were to buy them in the shop.
If we consider the coin value of the most important items in the research, we get the following overview:
An incense costs 40 coins in the shop (approximately 0.40 Euro).
An incense module costs 100 coins (approximately 1 Euro)
The Lucky Egg costs 80 coins (approximately 0.80 Euro)
A Rocket Radar costs 200 coins in the shop (approximately 2 Euro)
Additionally, the research includes various balls, XP, and berries, as well as 3 Rare Candies and the Togetic encounters and candies.
Who should purchase the ticket? If your focus on Community Day is solely to catch Togetic, you do not need the ticket. The wild spawns should be sufficient to find enough Togetic. However, the research does provide you with many candies quite quickly and also the final evolutionary stage, Togekiss. If you have little time, it might be worth it.
If you were planning to buy some of the items from the research with real money anyway, the ticket is definitely worth it as you can save a few euros. However, keep in mind that you can also purchase the items in the shop with in-game earned coins without spending real money.
What do you think of the Community Day ticket? Is it something for you, or are you saving your purchase? Let us know in the comments.
A trainer shares with the community of Pokémon GO how to save Stardust during the C-Day with Togetic on the weekend. But you also need to consider the details to make it worthwhile.
What event is it about? This weekend, the Community Day in April with Togetic is taking place. An event many trainers are already looking forward to. In addition to the bonuses on candies and eggs, there is a special move. If you evolve Togetic into Togekiss during the event and up to 5 hours afterwards, it learns the fighting move Aura Sphere.
However, you can save dust when unlocking the second charge move. A trainer pointed this out in the community.
Activate the second charge move at Togepi – What does it bring?
Here is the tip: User Pokeradar writes on Reddit: ‘Dust saving tip: Unlock the second charge move only at Togepi before evolving it into Togetic during Community Day.’ For Togetic and Togekiss, unlocking the second charge move costs 50,000 Stardust. For Togepi, you only need to use 10,000 Stardust for that.
What you need to consider: During the Community Day, you only receive Togepi from eggs. Pokémon that hatch from eggs have at least 10 out of 15 points in their battle values. This is a poor prerequisite if you want to play PvP in the Great or Ultra League. However, for the Master League, it is a good prerequisite since you want to use Hundos there if possible.
User CloutAtlas writes: ‘Generally, this is correct, but you need to consider: saving 40,000 Stardust corresponds to the costs of leveling from around 20 to 27. If you need to use even more power-ups, assuming you have a level 30 Hundo for the Master League, then you save more teaching the second charge move to the level 30, evolving it, and leveling it up to 50 than if you did it with a hatched [Pokémon].’
User Heisenberg_235 agrees and summarizes: ‘Togekiss must be around level 27 for the Ultra League and obviously much higher for the Master League. It is almost never ‘cheaper’ to evolve Togepi and then use power-ups.’
Conclusion: If the values for the Great, Ultra and Master League of your Togepi evolutions are important to you, then you might not do well with the Stardust saving tip. Instead, teach the second charge move to the Togetic that you find in the wild. Because when you want to make it battle-ready later with power-ups, you will use more than the saved 40,000 Stardust to level up your Pokémon.
Also consider that through the event ‘A Wise Hero’, you are currently getting more XP and guaranteed XL candies for evolving Pokémon. This might make further evolution more worthwhile for you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In our short guide, we show you how and where you can quickly and easily find Netherite in Minecraft.
Where to find Netherite? The material Netherite is one of the rarest materials in Minecraft. It can only be found in the Nether when you mine Ancient Debris. Ancient Debris is present at various heights, but height 15 has proven to be the most reliable.
Ancient Debris is rare and occurs in small quantities
Since the ore appears in very small quantities, you should avoid mindlessly mining blocks with your pickaxe. Instead, pick a mountain with Netherrack and dig your way down to height 8 – 22. Now take TNT blocks and blow up the mountain.
All blocks will be destroyed except for the Ancient Debris, because it is resistant to fire and explosions. Mine this and then smelt the debris into Netherite scrap. Afterwards, you can smelt your obtained scrap into Netherite ingots if you have enough gold ingots.
A tip from MeinMMO: Our MeinMMO user ChemFlix reports that Bastions, the black fortresses in the Nether, offer numerous chests. These chests contain a lot of Netherite, but you need to be careful. Piglins, who inhabit these fortresses, react negatively when you try to steal from them.
What is Netherite good for? Netherite is the strongest and most durable material for crafting weapons or armor. Once you have crafted enough Netherite ingots, you can combine them at a smithing table with your diamond equipment.
Netherite equipment can be easily crafted
This way, you can upgrade your existing equipment and make it more durable and deadly. Additionally, you can build a beacon so that your compass points exactly in the direction where your beacon is built. However, be aware that this ore is very rare and should be used wisely.
That was all the information about Netherite and how you can get the rare element. Did you also have difficulties finding it or were you just looking for a good tactic to shorten your tedious scavenger hunt? Let us know your opinion in the comments and feel free to share your tactics for finding Netherite.
As one of the most well-known vendors in Destiny 2, Xur is an important part of the game. Every Friday, he appears at a random location and offers exotic weapons, armor, and items for sale. MeinMMO tells you where to find him and what he sells.
Xur’s arrival is always an exciting event for new Guardians, as they never know what treasures he has on offer this time and whether it will help them with their collection. So always keep an eye on Xur’s weekly offers.
What happened this week in Destiny 2? Currently, there is calm in Destiny 2. The Lightfall and the seasonal story have mostly been completed by many Guardians, and the activities have reached their peak.
This week, the Guardians are primarily fighting in the six Top-tier Nightfalls for the Conqueror title and achieving the final Guardian rank 11. The individual strikes are unique challenges to overcome. In particular, the Nightfalls “Mars Battleground” and the boss of the strike “Hyper-Net Current” are quite challenging on the way to the title and its gilding.
Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Gather all Guardians trailer
All info about Xur on April 14, 2023 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
When does Xur come? As a vendor for rare exotic goods in Destiny 2, Xur visits the universe every Friday at 19:00. To shop with him, you only need some in-game currency to make the gaps in your collection disappear faster.
Where is Xur? This is his store for the weekend
Xur’s Position: Even though Xur only actively uses a few location positions on the targets, no Guardian knows where he will land before 19:00.
Here is where Xur is located this weekend: Tower, Hangar
Xur’s location this weekend is in the Hangar of the Last City
Xur’s inventory from April 14 – 18 – All Exotics at a glance
What does Xur have on offer? Xur will operate his exchange business until the end of Destiny 2. However, the nice “I am the Messenger of the Nine” conversation is always free.
Xur also sells legendary items and offers unique rolls for exotics from previously unavailable exotic missions from past DLCs every week. However, please note: You can only buy the weapons if you also own the corresponding expansion.
Currently, he has these two weapons on offer:
The exotic hand cannon “Fate of All Fools” (Beyond Light DLC) with “Hip-Fire Grip”
The exotic scout rifle “Tale of a Dead Man” (Beyond Light DLC) with “Snapshot Sights”
Trials of Osiris from April 14 – 18 – Map, Weapons, and Info
The 14th Holy not only feeds the pigeons but also the PvP players
In addition to Xur, there is also another challenge for Guardians interested in the PvP mode in Destiny 2: the Trials of Osiris. Here, players must face a tough 3vs3 battle against other players to earn valuable rewards in the form of Master Trials weapons.
What are the Trials in Destiny 2?
The Trials of Osiris are an endgame PvP activity, taking place every weekend. There is only one exception, which is when the Iron Banner event is active. Bungie will again replenish the inventory of the 14th Holy with fresh Trials passes and loot streams this weekend, allowing you to increase your glory in the PvP endgame.
Which map is on this week? Unlike in regular PvP, where the maps rotate, in the guardian-versus-guardian endgame, there is only one set map played every weekend.
This week’s map is: Endless Vale
This Trials weekend, you will play on the map “Endless Vale”
If you are interested in playing the Trials in a fixed team, MeinMMO recommends the callout maps on Warmind. This way, you can effectively describe to your fireteam where the enemies are on the map, which is useful information for the entire team.
How to get your loot: The Trials of Osiris feature a reputation rank system. Your top loot reward from the PvP matches is currently for:
Seven Wins
50 Rounds
The infamous flawless run that leads you to the Lighthouse
This is the reward for a flawless run: Each week, you can also expect a special weapon at the Lighthouse, which you receive for your flawless run, i.e., 7 wins, as a master version. You can earn the weapon until next Tuesday, April 18, at 19:00.
As a reward, there is always an adept weapon waiting for you if you safely reached the Lighthouse.
This week’s adept weapon is: Astral Horizon, shotgun
The shotgun “Astral Horizon” can be obtained this weekend as a master version
All trial weapons have a Trials Origin perk: “Haste” – Improves reload speed, stability, aim assist, and range when you are the last remaining member of your fireteam or fighting alone.
You can focus your trial engrams at the 14th Holy towards your desired weapon. Additionally, you will receive enhancement prisms and ascendant shards. Remember that your reward increases even further once you have a full pass – even if you lost one or two games.
When do the Trials officially start? The Trials of Osiris start today, April 14, 2023, at 19:00 and end with the Weekly Reset on April 18, 2023, at 19:00.
Have you already had experiences with the Trials of Osiris in Destiny 2? And what exotic item did you buy from Xur last? Please share it with us in the comments.
If you want to learn all the secrets of Xur, we reveal them to you in this article:
In Destiny 2 there have been Guardians for far too long who have gained an unfair advantage over honest players through technical means. But now Bungie has also announced it will take consistent but careful action against hardware cheats.
What measures has Destiny 2 announced against cheaters? In the latest “This Week at Bungie” blog, Bungie has now actively addressed the cheat plague with special third-party devices for consoles after Call of Duty and Rainbow Six. With their help, some Guardians have gained an unfair advantage in the loot shooter for far too long in the past.
These devices, primarily XIM, Cronus Zen, and ReaSnow S1, are connected to a computer or console, where they act as mouse and keyboard interfaces, emulating controller inputs or executing simple scripts to make the game provide additional aim assist, for instance.
Through scripts, players could automatically aim at the opponent’s head or fire many shots in a short time without having to pull the trigger.
It was also possible for mouse and keyboard users to utilize the full aim assist of controllers.
We have already seen how outrageous and brazen this cheater gameplay is in Season 17:
So far, this cheating method was considered relatively safe and has spread quickly. Especially because detecting its use by developers was difficult. Cheaters felt secure, and honest players turned their backs on PvP.
The Destiny 2 players were envious of Call of Duty’s cheat system
Bungie is following suit with the detection of hardware cheats: In February, Bungie had already announced to “The Verge” that it was examining its options and possibilities against this type of hardware cheats.
Especially the fact that the Destiny community was “increasingly frustrated” by the cheater experiences in PvP was the main reason why they are now acting quickly after detection became possible.
Bungie revealed, for example, that players who have misused these tools have ranked up in PvP at a speed far beyond what one would expect from an honest player improving through typical gameplay. This type of cheating could also negatively affect things like the “World First Raid Race” in PvE.
Anyone who uses third-party devices to ease challenges that are not “intended by Bungie’s game designers” is now committing a clear violation.
What to expect in case of a violation: Violations of the new cheat policy will be monitored and may result in corresponding warnings, restrictions, or even bans for a player.
Destiny 2 allows its use – Please check violations more closely
Bungie will closely examine gameplay: In the current blog post, they did not go into detail about how Bungie will detect hardware cheats in the future. They are more discreet than other shooters that have already actively taken action against cheaters.
For example, Activision is known to use its own “Ricochet” anti-cheat system to detect violations. Here, the developer imposes direct bans on users or confronts them by making opponents invincible.
Ubisoft uses a system called “Mousetrap” that analyzes player movements and then creates a model to detect cheaters. Here, hardware cheaters are punished with slow latencies.
However, Bungie wants everyone to feel welcome in Destiny 2 – including players with physical disabilities who rely on the use of external devices. Therefore, they noted that helpful accessibility options should remain intact.
To ensure this, the developer plans, with unspecified measures, to evaluate the “overall gameplay [of a player] for violations”.
What exactly counts as a violation? Using an accessibility aid to play where a player could not otherwise play would not be a violation of Destiny 2’s new anti-cheat policy.
However, using a tool to mitigate challenges that all players face, such as reducing recoil or increasing aim assist, would be a violation that Bungie will now detect and penalize.
Which devices are exactly affected? In Destiny 2, all programmable controllers, such as Cronus Zen, keyboard and mouse adapters, advanced macros, or automation through artificial intelligence are affected by this anti-cheat measure. However, they did not specify what exactly is considered an “advanced macro”.
However, it can be assumed that all “external accessibility aids” that extend the player’s ability to control Destiny 2 beyond what the game itself typically offers are included. They are considered cheating and will no longer be tolerated.
But don’t worry: Official elite and pro controllers, such as Xbox, PlayStation, and Scuf controllers, can be used by Guardians in Destiny 2 without issue, as Bungie stated additionally.
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This information about elite controllers was added by Bungie via Twitter
When will the new cheat measures be active? Bungie has kept this uncertain as well. However, it could already be in the game, as background maintenance work was conducted last night that led to issues with Bungie’s anti-cheat system BattlEye and error messages.
What do you think about the measures Bungie has now taken to combat hardware cheaters in Destiny 2? Do you believe these measures are enough to ensure a fair gaming experience without hardware cheats in the future? Or do you think that’s a bit too cautious? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
After these announcements, even the manufacturers of the devices used for cheating are getting nervous and warning their customers:
The new Season 3 of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is online, but it does not meet expectations. Beforehand, some CoD creators created an optimistic mood around the update, with well-known Twitch streamer JoeWo being one of them. For this, he is now receiving death threats.
Call of Duty announced quite a bit for the current Season 3. Here on MeinMMO, we also had a few articles about individual adjustments that would advance Warzone 2:
Expectations were high, and many players believe after the update that too much was promised. This has even led to at least one major content creator receiving death threats.
Here is the short trailer for Season 3:
Start video
CoD MW2 & Warzone 2: Season 3 – Trailer
Call of Duty made the creators believe that more was coming
JoeWo had already made a name for himself during the old Warzone. He was known as the “Movement King” and impressed with his hectic gameplay.
With the release of Warzone 2, the creator was also back on board. The announcements of the new Season 3 made him so optimistic that he wanted to create some positive hype. So he posted a few hours before the update:
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Tweet Translation: “Today is Christmas Eve for CoD players”
Even in the days before, he created excitement and spread hope. For him, the gameplay changes were particularly important, which should again create a larger skill gap and improve the ranked matches in Warzone 2.
But ranked mode will come later, and many fans found the gameplay adjustments not significant enough.
After the update, JoeWo then shared the following:
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Tweet Translation: “Insanity. I’m getting death threats because of a Call of Duty update. I was optimistic about an update that wasn’t that good, and apparently, I’m now the scapegoat.”
On YouTube, the streamer then released a video in which he apologized to his fans who were disappointed due to his hype (via youtube.com).
Other creators also raised hopes beforehand that there would be significant changes. Some also spoke out regarding the threats:
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The news account CharlieIntel tries to explain: “[…] there were discussions in the creator call last week that led many [creators] to believe that the adjustments would be more significant than what came with the update.”
Accordingly, there were discussions about changes to the time-to-kill, especially in close combat. However, this was now handled through weapon balancing and not through adjusting hit points, as was the case in Warzone 1. Apparently, the creators felt that the adjustments would go deeper.
There were also expectations for movement and “shooting while sliding” based on the conversation versus what ultimately came out.
Such threats happen again and again in the gaming cosmos and have now affected the whole industry. Whether press, creators, or developers – gaming is an emotional topic for many, but death threats are completely unacceptable.
Currently, a beta for XDefiant is running, a new arena shooter from Ubisoft that could compete with Call of Duty.
What kind of game is this? XDefiant is an upcoming arena shooter from Ubisoft, where you can embody various factions from Ubisoft games. Although there is currently no official release date, it is already known that XDefiant will be a free-to-play title.
Additionally, there is a closed beta currently running on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, for which you can receive an invitation link through Twitch drops. The beta will continue until April 23.
What is the game principle? In XDefiant, you compete against other players in various PvP modes like Domination and Payload, trying to secure victory for your team. The shooter eschews “Skill based Matchmaking” (sbmm) in the casual playlists, which will likely please CoD fans. There will also be a ranked mode.
Due to the factions coming from different Ubisoft games, XDefiant incorporates elements of a hero shooter. For instance, you can temporarily become invisible with a “Splinter Cell” character, boost your health points with a freedom fighter from Far Cry 6, or send out a drone with the Cleaners from The Division that ignites your opponents.
Start video
XDefiant Game Overview Deep Dive Trailer
A modern mix of fast movement and intuitive gunplay
What sets the gameplay apart? XDefiant is characterized mainly by fast movement. The movement sequences are noticeably quicker than in other shooters from Ubisoft like Rainbow Six: Siege or The Division.
The gunplay is also very intuitive and easy to master. Accordingly, the low recoil on most weapons is easily manageable and integrates nicely with the movement.
Depending on your play style, you can additionally customize the attachments of the various weapons, further reducing recoil or, at the cost of handling, for example, reducing the time it takes to aim down sights (ADS-Time).
How can you participate in the beta? To participate in the closed beta from April 13 to April 23, 2023, you need an invitation link from Ubisoft. You could receive it if you registered on the game’s website (via ubisoft.com) ahead of the beta.
You can also receive an invitation link as a drop by watching an XDefiant stream on Twitch.
Simply connect your Twitch account with your Ubisoft account and watch a partnered streamer of your choice. After 30 minutes, you should find an XDefiant drop in your Twitch inventory. The invitation link will then be sent via email.
If XDefiant makes a good impression during the beta and can do many things right at release, the shooter is also a candidate for our Top 10 best free-to-play shooters of 2023.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
31-year-old Edwin “Castro1021” is the biggest streamer of FIFA 23 on Twitch. He has now been banned from the streaming platform. He says he was banned because of a comment about Manchester City. But the truth is a bit more complicated.
Who are the biggest streamers of FIFA 23? Since hardly anyone in the USA is interested in soccer, except for young girls and their mothers, most of the big streamers of FIFA 23 are German or South American. In the last 180 days, it looked like this:
Castro_1021 was in 1st place – he has over 3.6 million followers on Twitch and has been streaming since 2013
“Runthefutmarket” was in 2nd place
Then come 3 German streamers with eliasn97, GamerBrother and TisiSchubech
Start video
FIFA 23: Use the power shot correctly – This is how you score epic goals
Castro uses Twitch ban for self-promotion
What does Castro say he was banned for? In a tweet on the evening of April 13, Castro says he was banned on Twitch only because he stated that DallasUnited is better than Manchester City.
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In e-sports, League of Legends has a story that reads like a sportsman’s fairy tale. The 26-year-old Trexor “Stixxay” Hyes has, at an older age, turned his career around, which seemed to be over. He has achieved what star player Bjergsen could not: a great comeback. All he needed was a teammate from his golden youth and a 2-month service in the youth team.
This is how Stixxay’s career began:
At the beginning of his career, in 2015, while Stixxay was still finishing high school, he played for Cloud9’s academy team, where he was banned for 2 weeks for being too toxic.
Then fate smiled upon the young man: because star botlaner Doublelift left the team Counterlogic Gaming to join the rival TSM, Stixxay was able to step in as ADC for the star-studded team that had previously won the LCS. He played with US stars like Xmithie, Aphromoo, and Huhi.
In 2016, at just 19 years old, CLG, with Stixxay in the bot lane, clinched the championship in the Spring Split of the LCS. The finals were against TSM and his predecessor Doublelift – a razor-thin match that CLG and Stixxay won. The young man even placed 2nd at the international tournament MSI, where he managed the most kills in the tournament and was already regarded as a future world star.
Start video
7 Facts about LoL that only true veterans know
For years, Stixxay only played for weak teams
What was the suffering period like? This extraordinarily successful first half-year in professional LoL would remain the glorious exception. Now came 6 lean years.
Stixxay played another 4 years for CLG, who were unable to achieve any notable successes.
In November 2020, he joined Golden Guardians, who were long considered the worst team in US-LoL.
In a video, the ADC explained: At the beginning of his career, he only trusted his instincts, played freely, and just assumed he was always the best.
But after the great success at MSI, the expectations of him were extremely high.
At some point, he lost trust in himself, stopped following his instincts, and started to doubt. Once, in a match against TSM and their Danish ADC Zven, he looked up and saw that he was at 0-4-0 after 13 minutes. Stixxay said he had a sort of out-of-body experience and couldn’t deal with the fact that it was him who was live sinking in a match.
Previously, a “bad split” for him meant ranking 3rd, but it quickly became ranking 7th, and they missed the playoffs.
Stixxay lost trust in himself, played not instinctively anymore, but overthought. His career was on the decline.
Team sidelined him at 25 – sent him to the 2nd league out of necessity
This was the end of his career: After 2021, Stixxay had actually reached the end. His team told him he would no longer play, and he had no offers to switch. Then the offer from his team came at the right time to continue as a coach.
In November 2021, he was promoted to Assistant Coach.
However, in January 2022, he returned to play in the bot lane for the academy team. Due to visa issues, Golden Guardians could not find a young ADC. At 25, this is not exactly what one wishes for in their career. Stixxay resisted returning to the academy team for a long time, only getting persuaded because many young players wanted to work with him.
But after 2 very successful months in the youth team, Stixxay regained his self-confidence, realizing that he could still keep up with the young players.
Stixxay says that after 2021, the team told him he wouldn’t play anymore but could continue as a coach:
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Stixxay returns to the team: “Can’t they find a better one?”
What was the turning point? In May 2022, plans for Stixxay changed again. The supporter “Huhi” joined the team. The South Korean was even 2 years older than Stixxay and had played with him during his golden days at CLG, although back then in the mid lane.
Stixxay had previously considered switching teams, looking for a new team. Now he really wanted to play for Golden Guardians again. And indeed, he was given the starting spot in the bot lane alongside Huhi after he impressed in the development league.
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The return of Stixxay as a pro in the LCS was not received with much enthusiasm. An interviewer even told him: When he heard Stixxay was returning, he thought: Can Golden Guardians really not find a better player?
Stixxay can understand this reaction which he received quite often at that time:
If you look at my results from recent years, they’ve truly been awful over the years.
Stixxay says he was in a “low point” of attitude for a while, let himself go.
But in 2023, Stixxay’s career changed again.
The 26-year-old quit coaching, played again in the bot lane, and showed probably the best LoL of his life alongside his old teammate.
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Loser team eliminates stars like Bjergsen and Doublelift from the playoffs, reaches the finals
This is how successful he became: The eternal losers Golden Guardians narrowly made it to the playoffs with a 9-9 score and surpassed highly decorated teams like TSM and Team Liquid.
In the playoffs, they then went on a winning streak: They eliminated three of the best current teams in US-LoL one after another:
100 Thieves with Bjergsen and Doublelift
Evil Geniuses
And FlyQuest had to succumb to the senior bot lane
Only in the finals did it not suffice against the team filled with South Koreans Cloud9, and Golden Guardians lost the final 1-3.
However, it is noteworthy that Stixxay dominated the playoffs again 7 years after his insane debut season. No one had more kills than he did.
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What does the player say about this? In an interview after his big comeback, Stixxay said: When you lose, it’s easy to be forgotten:
Fans did not want to see “bad teams” – they were practically bored with the players and left them out.
His own girlfriend and mother do not talk about the games.
But when you win, many old fans come back, tweet again, and enjoy the success.
For Stixxay and the Golden Guardians, it’s now off to London for the MSI. Seven years ago, Stixxay experienced his highlights there and became one of the stars of the tournament. Should he succeed in 2023, it would be a huge deal for US-LoL.
However, there is not much hope for that. If you believe the Chinese Doinb, Stixxay is a perfect example of the USA’s problem:
