The new champion has been released in League of Legends. Milio, the protective flame, comes as a supporter into the Rift and takes the position of a enchanter. But what does the champion bring?
What can the supporter do? The champion supports his teammates with his abilities in many areas. He is the hope to replace the strong ADC supporters.
His passive ability enchants him or his teammates. The enchantment causes the next attack or spell that hits an enemy to burn. It acts like the summoner spell “Ignite”, but smaller.
The Q ability pushes the first enemy hit back a little bit. After that, the ball jumps behind and slows all enemies it hits in a small area.
His W ability places a field that is tied to an allied champion and follows it. The field grants the champion increased range, heals him, and gives the ally the effect of the passive ability a total of 3 times over its duration.
The E ability grants an ally a shield and additional movement speed. The ability has up to 2 stacks that can accumulate over time.
With his ultimate ability, he can heal all nearby teammates and remove crowd control effects from them.
If you want to learn more about Milio, we have a video for you here:
Start video
Milio, the protective flame – Champion Theme
The new supporter can only support
What does the champion look like in-game? The gameplay of Milio seems overall very defensive and supportive. For players who like to be carried by their team, the champion offers a lot. This counters the current trend that makes it difficult for supporters on the bot lane.
With certain champion combinations, such as Caitlyn or Jinx, Milio can utilize the increased range of his W ability to deal massive damage to enemies out of reach.
However, he himself does little to no damage. Milio’s only attack occurs through his Q ability. This should be used more defensively to block incoming damage for teammates.
The goal with this champion is to support teammates in their play style.
What do the big streamers say about it? The big streamers started to play the champion immediately after release. This includes the German expert in the LoL area, Frederik Hinteregger, or NoWay.
The possibilities the champion offers have been pushed to the limit by him in the stream (via Twitch). He particularly enjoyed the new mechanic of the Q ability. This plays a little differently than known skill shots. His opinion of the champion can be summarized in one word: “Super strong”.
Also, @i0ki_LoL shared his opinion on Twitter, suggesting that the champion is way too strong against other champions at level 1. For this, the E ability is played at the start.
However, the streamers and YouTubers largely agree that this champion needs adjustments to some of his abilities in regard to pro play.
What do you think about the new champion? Let us know in the comments.
Patch 10.0.7 is much more than most expected. At least WoW demon Cortyn is absolutely thrilled and sees it as the future of Azeroth.
It has only been one day since the release of Patch 10.0.7, but I believe I already have a pretty good impression of the content and want to boldly and directly praise the developers.
Because Patch 10.0.7 of World of Warcraft is clearly much more than one could hope for.
Patch 10.0.7 is actually just a small patch, yet in terms of content, it can easily compete with the major patches of previous expansions:
A newly accessible island, packed with treasures, rare spawns, story quests, and a weekly exploration adventure.
A new reputation faction of the furbolgs.
A new “ring” system with many interchangeable, interesting sockets.
Some new story quests involving Baine, humans, and orcs.
Some hidden novelties, like old armor sets from vanilla (Zul’Gurub) that haven’t been available for a long time.
Start video
New WoW Cinematic shows the power of the incarnations and quite dark figures
Especially the rare enemies on the island I want to highlight here. They do not feel like the typical “08/15” rare mobs that only have a single ability; rather, they are mostly small boss fights where, at least as a non-tank, you have to dodge their abilities if you don’t want to bite the dust quickly. A few examples:
A titan guardian occasionally summons protective drones that cast a spell. If this spell is not interrupted or the drone quickly stunned, the drone flings the selected player 100 meters away into the water. If this happens to all players, the fight ends and the mob resets.
A dragon tamer shows up with his dragon, which spins in circles and casts various effects. At the same time, you also have to dodge different attacks from the tamer and place areas well so that you don’t accidentally walk into the next fire breath.
A naga transforms all players into small, helpless crabs. The crabs deal almost no damage – but they can attack small totems that maintain the naga’s spell, thereby ending the transformation.
In direct comparison with Shadowlands, the difference is simply striking. Although there were also mobs with special abilities in Korthia, they were few and felt dreary and boring compared to the Forbidden Island. If you think back further and compare 10.0.7 with the legendary-bad “selfie patch” from Warlords of Draenor, it is clear that the development team and the plans for WoW have evolved significantly.
The second highlight is the Zskerage vaults. Although this is a weekly adventure where you have to open around 30 doors before waiting for the next week, I am quite impressed by it.
Because the vaults are full of little puzzles that are not incredibly difficult but reward attentive players. For instance, if a chamber is completely frozen, you need to grab an empty vial from a second room and fill it with “liquid fire” in a third room to thaw the frozen room.
These little combination puzzles are not overly complex, but they always provide a positive feeling when you open a new treasure and solve another puzzle. Rewards include toys, pets, crafting materials, gold, and of course stones for the onyx ring.
Since the layout of the vaults varies from character to character, it even takes a while to truly see everything.
At least my guild had a lot of fun in the vault, as it felt like new, untapped content that exists without pressure and is simply there when you feel like it.
More “Warcraft” than all of Shadowlands combined
As YouTuber Bellular describes: The whole patch feels like beautiful, classic Warcraft. Not only are there encounters with old characters that you haven’t seen since Warcraft III, but the quest lines are really interesting.
Whether you’re traveling with Baine Bloodhoof in Ohn’ahra, exploring the story of the dracthyr on the Forbidden Island, or trying to learn the language of the furbolgs in the Azure Mountains – all of this has a classic Warcraft charm that has been missed, especially in Shadowlands.
Sure, you still need to get used to the dracthyr, but the patch significantly helps to anchor them in the “familiar” sight of Azeroth.
The dialogues are coherent, the emotions fitting – the quest line is successful.
And the best part: None of this is mandatory. Don’t feel like farming rare mobs to grind keys for the chamber? Okay, then just don’t do it. You can also collect treasures that contain keys. Or do none of that. The ring is nice, but anyone with strong rings from the mythic raid or high M+ already has a solid alternative.
Story quests are not your thing and you find it boring? No problem, the whole thing serves only as a prequel and explanation of the motivation of some characters who will be important in the next update.
There is criticism, but it is minor
Of course, there is also criticism. After all, the Forbidden Island is “technically speaking” not really a new area, since it already served as the starting area for the dracthyr. Grumpy WoW fans might point out that this is simply “recycling”. However, a more sober look should make it clear that this “recycling” was planned from the beginning.
When the Forbidden Island was still purely a starting area, one couldn’t help but think: But this is already very large, considering that there’s so little to do here.
The starting area of the dracthyr was designed from the outset to be reusable and still have a solid size to offer enough room for the ability of dragon riding.
The second point of criticism is a handful of bugs that were primarily noticeable on launch day. If the necessary trigger at an event chest appears with a 5-minute delay or a rare mob turns all players into helpless crabs for 10 minutes without being able to cancel the effect as intended, that can be annoying, of course. But these are minor issues that can still be laughed about when it happens, and suddenly half the guild is doing a crab dance.
I am confident that these “patch day errors” will be resolved with the next hotfix.
Blizzard set a very tight schedule for the release of new content shortly after the launch of Dragonflight. 6 patches are planned for this year, with 4 being smaller and 2 larger, each bringing a new season. But if Blizzard maintains the current level even for the “smaller” patches, long-term WoW fans will hardly know where to look.
If everything continues like this, 2023 will likely be the first year in a long time when a content drought simply does not occur. Some will progress through the content faster, and others slower, but the long droughts of four, five, or even six months without new content seem to belong to the past.
Like many others, I was skeptical before the launch of Dragonflight whether Blizzard and World of Warcraft specifically still had “it”. Now I am sure: Yes. They can when they want to. And right now they clearly want to.
Currently, World of Warcraft simply delivers and does so at a very high level. The patch serves as the perfect prologue to the next update 10.1, highlighting the key characters more and starting the stories that take place after the “vault of the incarnations” raid.
If you want to give WoW another chance, now is a good entry point – also because in the next weeks thick loot is raining, with which you can quickly catch up to friends and guild.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO fighting in raids is one of the most important features for many trainers. Now the developers are testing a new feature that the game has needed for years. We at MeinMMO show you what it is and who can already try it out.
What are raids? In Pokémon GO you can not only encounter wild monsters but also fight against them in so-called raids. Particularly the legendary Pokémon from level 5 raids are in demand, however, one needs strong support from other trainers to defeat them.
Since the pandemic, players have also been able to invite others to remote raids in other regions of the world. But to find suitable teammates for this, trainers have often had to rely on external apps. Niantic wants to change this and is testing a new feature in the app Campfire. We explain what it is supposed to bring you.
Niantic tests host function for raids
What is Campfire? Campfire is Niantic’s own app that allows trainers to communicate with each other. This allows for chatting, forming groups, or sending smoke signals to show that they want to do a raid in Pokémon GO.
Which function is being tested? In the future, trainers will be able to indicate in Campfire not only when they want to participate on-site in a raid in Pokémon GO but it should also be possible for them to host this raid. Similar to how it already works in other apps like Poke Genie, trainers will then be able to invite others specifically. How this function looks in Campfire is shown in the image from Reddit user circe1:
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Who can test the function? The new function is not yet available to all players in Campfire. Niantic has selected a group of trainers who received a corresponding email from the developers and can try out the function from March 22 to March 29. The notification looks like this:
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In general, trainers are excited about the idea of the new function, as many believe it is long overdue and would significantly improve the game. However, Niantic is also criticized for the approach.
This is primarily because Campfire is still limited months after its release. Those wanting access to the app need an invitation. For this reason, trainers do not understand why Niantic has also restricted the test version of the new function. On Reddit you can read the following:
TowelMage: “A QoL feature as a limited-time bonus in an additional app with an entry barrier. What the hell is that kind of perspective?”
BoristheWatchmaker: “A desperately needed QoL update is hidden behind another desperately needed QoL update that is still unavailable for most of the player base.”
Individual_Breath_34: “If they publish a Poke Genie equivalent in their app, that would be one of the best decisions they have ever made.”
When access will come for all trainers and whether this function will find a permanent home in Campfire remains to be seen. As soon as there is new information on this, you will learn about it at MeinMMO.
What do you think of the new function in Campfire? Are you one of the lucky ones who can already try it out? Or are you still unable to use the app? Let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
Fortnite is known for building and challenges the creativity of players, who can now even create their own games in Fortnite.
Fortnite has long been known for mixing shooter gameplay with building structures. This gave the battle royale matches a unique twist that players either loved or hated. The motto was: Don’t find cover, build one.
But the change that Fortnite is experiencing is not over: Epic Games has now released a system that gives players unprecedented creative freedom and allows them to turn the colorful shooter into a completely new game.
Unreal Editor for Fortnite
What kind of system is this? Epic Games released the so-called “Unreal Editor for Fortnite” or “Creative 2.0” on March 22, 2023 (via epicgames.com).
Players can create their own worlds, modes, or games with the editor, which they can then publish within Fortnite.
Moreover, it should be possible to work together on a project with others using Creative 2.0.
There is already a first video of the Unreal Editor. You can see it here:
Start video
Unreal Editor for Fortnite Release Trailer
Fortnite as ‘Roblox Killer’
What are the first reactions? Many players are excited and highly appreciate the influence that the editor will have. Some already see it as the Roblox killer, while others believe the editor will even rival Epic Games’ Fortnite events.
Rctheking: “The Roblox Killer is here (via Twitter)!”
Mathiasxd148: “Now I’m going to create some custom maps like BO3 [probably CoD Black Ops 3] (via Twitter).”
Granbe: “Epic should improve its events before people start making better ones (via Twitter).”
On Twitter, there are already videos of creations where Fortnite no longer looks like Fortnite:
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Twitter user Jake Lucky shows a clip of Creative 2.0, in which Fortnite looks like an MMORPG
What creative players will create in Fortnite from now on will be revealed in the future. They now definitely have unprecedented possibilities. There are already discussions on Twitter about a first-person mode, boss fights against powerful monsters, and parkour maps.
Fortnite is currently in Chapter 4 Season 2. What to expect can be found on MeinMMO.
For over 6 years, players of Destiny 2 have been waiting to give their Guardian the ultimate, dark, and above all completely black look. Until now, always in vain. But Season 20 could fulfill this dark wish for you now – albeit with a small, quirky catch.
Still no “Superblack” for Destiny 2: When Guardians want to refresh their colors a bit, they scroll through their collection, in search of something really cool. But after what feels like 100 shaders later, it becomes apparent that not a single shader is truly perfect in all details.
And this, despite the fact that newer shaders have significantly evolved in their designs:
The shader evolution in Destiny 2 is unmistakable: More effects, more patterns
Even in 2023, almost all shaders in Destiny 2 have quirky color casts that one wouldn’t expect. Sure, there are black shaders in the game. But a 100% pure black, which Guardians have been craving for 6 years, does not exist. At least not in Destiny 2.
“Amethyst Veil” – a black shader with purple accents
“Metro Shift” – a black shader with blue accents
“Skele-Ghaul” – a black shader that looks rather washed out and gray
“Midnight Smith” – a black shader with silver and red accents
“New Era of the Black Armory” – a green-black shader with red accents
“Fog Stripe” – a black shader with zebra pattern
“Bad Feeling” – very dark but also with a strong blue component and thunderclaps
Now Season 20 has brought a new black hope to the game – the shader named “Erebos Glanz”. It is quite black and this week in the glimmer offer. But don’t get too excited, as this shader has a colorful secret, just like the shader “Jacarini”.
Start video
Destiny 2 shows new insights into Strand in its trailer – The focus in Lightfall
Again only “almost black” – but better than all before: At first glance, “Erebos Glanz” looks quite black. But its name Erebos, which means “darkness” in ancient Greek, is misleading.
Those only looking at the small preview of the shader do not suspect that it lies. But deep within its dark soul, this shader hides the color orange on armor and copper on weapons.
Bungie’s shader designers have hidden a quirky and invisible color component in “Erebos Glanz”. And of course, it almost always appears exactly on the armor that you want to shader completely black.
Depending on the armor, especially if it has many fabric textures, the effect is even extremely pronounced:
Which shader designer at Bungie is so mean?
Those who want the ultimate black look must therefore carefully select the items and armor used. After all, the selection of other nearly black shaders now offers enough options to compensate for this shortcoming.
The fact that players will have to experiment back and forth with “Erebos Glanz” to style their Guardian completely black is likely intentional.
Why doesn’t Bungie create a completely black shader?
One color always and for everything: Bungie currently only uses shaders that usually have four different color ranges. Base color, secondary color, detail color, and accent color.
The base color is the main color of the item and is applied to most surfaces
The secondary color is used for smaller areas or accents that complement the base color
The detail color is used for finer details and textures
The accent color is only there for very small details or highlights
With a second “Superblack shader” like in Destiny 1, the topic of “color diversity” would essentially be done for many Guardians in one fell swoop. Just splash black on everything – it fits everywhere and looks good in the end.
However, that is probably also the most likely reason why Bungie has not created a uniform 100% black or white shader in Destiny 2 so far.
The multilayered color system, along with the element of surprise, makes it necessary to always experiment with your own look with new armor and weapons. Shaders often have their quirks in Destiny 2. Just like currently “Erebos Glanz” and previously “Jacarini” or “Bad Feeling”. All top favorites among the black options have had a small catch so far.
Where do you get the shader “Erebos Glanz”: Currently, the shader “Erebos Glanz” is available in the Eververse. It costs 300 Glimmer, so it can be paid for with the in-game currency. However, note that you can only get it this week, until March 28, 2023 at 7:00 PM. After that, the color will rotate out of the offer for a while and make way for new shaders.
What do you think of “Erebos Glanz”? Dark enough? Have you achieved a look that rivals Batman? Or is that too boring for you and do you prefer to be flashy and colorful?
The coolest shader in Destiny 2 apparently has a Razer RGB look, just like a gaming PC, and it will also soon be back available:
Nvidia has introduced a new graphics card with the RTX 4000 SFF. It is a particularly small graphics card. Nevertheless, the GPU is likely to be of little interest to most gamers, not just because of the price.
The RTX 4000 SFF is very small compared to the other cards, such as the RTX 4090 or the RTX 4080 (via nvidia.com). The new graphics card was actually presented at the GPU Technology Conference (GTC).
The new graphics card is likely to please people who had hoped for a small model after the many gigantic GPUs from Nvidia. But especially for gamers, there is a catch.
Small graphics card costs 1,250 euros, available in April 2023
What does the graphics card offer? The basic details of the RTX 4000 SFF sound rather unremarkable:
The graphics card comes with 20 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is based on a 160-bit bus.
It uses 6,144 CUDA cores, 192 Tensor cores, and 48 ray tracing cores.
The technical specifications are quite close to those of the RTX 4070 Ti, and the graphics card is also based on the same architecture (Ada Lovelace) as the gaming models, but you should not expect the same performance. The power consumption is limited to 70 watts, and Nvidia did not design the graphics card for gaming.
What is the graphics card suitable for? Nvidia itself explains that the graphics card is intended for computer-aided design (CAD), graphic design, AI applications, and software development. Therefore, the model also relies on specific software, the Nvidia Enterprise driver.
For gamers, this small graphics card is therefore not really worthwhile. With a price of 1,250 US dollars, it is also not exactly cheap and significantly more expensive than an RTX 4070 Ti, which you can currently buy for around 900 euros (via geizhals.de). If you are looking for an Nvidia graphics card with a small form factor, you will probably have to wait a bit longer.
Because this is a point of criticism regarding Nvidia’s current RTX 4000 models: They are all bulky and large and require a lot of space in the gaming system. Small space-saving models have not yet been planned. At least among some fans, there is a desire for smaller models for small PCs to be presented.
If you are currently thinking about buying a graphics card, take a look here. In the following article on MeinMMO, we explain whether buying a GPU is worthwhile at this time:
The pre-order beta of Diablo 4 gave you the choice of three classes. You told us in a survey which one was the most fun for you.
You could play this in the beta:During the pre-order beta last weekend, many fans took their first steps in Diablo 4 and got a whiff of the moldy sweet air of Sanctuary.
You could choose to play as a Sorceress, Hunter, or Barbarian. The three classes provided a first glimpse of the action RPG’s gameplay in both melee and ranged combat. We wanted to know from you which one you enjoyed the most while trying out. Here’s what you told us.
This is how the voting went: A total of 2,548 MeinMMO readers participated in the survey at the time of evaluation. Everyone could only cast one vote.
Sorceress: 45.05 %
Hunter: 33.47 %
Barbarian: 21.47 %
Thus, almost half of you chose the Sorceress. Following her with a good margin was the Hunter with 33.47 %, who can deal damage in both melee and ranged combat as a hybrid class. The Barbarian received the fewest votes and thus landed in last place in your ranking.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the Open Beta in Diablo 4
“Feels a bit OP”
This is what you said: Even in the comments, the Sorceress was described as very fun. However, it was also pointed out that it is a comparatively strong class.
The Sorceress was described by the developers as a “glass cannon”, meaning a class that deals high single-target and area damage but cannot take much damage itself. However, this was not the case in the beta.
While the class could indeed deal damage, thanks to her strong crowd control skills and defensive abilities, she was also able to take quite a bit.
Sorcerer, without a doubt. Tank and DPS in one. […]
So I was most looking forward to the Barbarian. I had hoped that things would go differently this time. Feels great to play, but against bosses so much “harder” than my Sorceress. She was simply a tank with 2x shield compared to any other class.
Thus, the Sorceress was more versatile than she was supposed to be and was also suited for melee combat as she could withstand a lot of damage thanks to her shields. However, some of you found her to be a bit too strong.
MeinMMO reader Pandalorian also had fun with the class, but wrote:
Mage feels a bit OP; by the time you reach max level, a lot will surely change (also with the other classes). I like the flexibility in combinability.
Even in the community of our sister site GameStar, the Sorceress ranked at the top, albeit not with such a large margin as on MeinMMO. In the GameStar survey, she received 37 % of the votes.
The next beta round starts soon. From March 24, not only pre-order customers but all interested players will be able to participate in the beta, and it will also be possible to try out all 5 classes of Diablo 4.
A cheerful anime character guides you through the tax declaration – and that as a video game. A genius move or a messed-up art idea?
What is the worst, most boring, and most exhausting thing in the world for many people? Right, tax declarations. And what is the most pleasant thing in the world? Right, waifus.
Couldn’t we spice up the boredom of tax declarations with waifus? That’s exactly what the developers of “MSCHF Product Studios Inc” seem to have thought and are launching a visual novel called “Tax Heaven 3000”.
Start video
Tax Heaven 3000 Trailer
What kind of game is this? In the best tradition of a visual novel, you experience a sort of “dating game” with Iris. Iris is the red-haired lady you’ve already seen in the title image above. She has somehow taken a liking to you – and to your financial circumstances, which she wants to break down in detail.
In doing so, she asks you for your tax number, your income, and your expenses – and frequently bombards you with various questions, including personal ones about your hobbies.
Iris guides you through the “game” – and on dates. She really digs your social security number.
Do you find it hard to input? Then she also gently places her hand on yours and helps you click together. That makes it seem so much easier.
The catch: The game actually creates a finished tax declaration based on the entered data, which is then submitted to the tax office.
Does it work in Germany as well? Unfortunately not, the “game” is only compatible with US tax declarations as it transmits data to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service).
However, since the game will be released for free on Steam on April 4th, Europeans can probably take a look – even if it’s just to get to know Iris a little better.
But who knows if this isn’t the future? Apparently, doing annoying mandatory tasks alongside beloved waifus or husbandos can make even something as tedious as tax declarations more exciting.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer xQc breaks his gaming PC and Linus Sebastian gets on a plane to help. After a long search, the error is eventually found.It’s fascinating to watch the unlikely duo at work, but for many, the secret star of the video is the cameraman.
xQc and Linus Sebastian should be known by most:
xQc is one of the biggest streamers on Twitch based on viewer hours. He was previously an Overwatch pro but was banned for inappropriate behavior.
Linus Sebastian runs the most famous tech channel Linus Tech Tips and is the head of Linus Media Group. He tests hardware and gadgets with his team and explains the world of technology to the viewers.
What connection do the two have? xQc awkwardly tried to build a new gaming PC and ultimately failed. Linus had watched the video and could only shake his head. In the same breath, he offered his Canadian colleague to fix his system.
Now xQc has probably seized the opportunity and asked Linus for help. He doesn’t need to be told twice and visits him to save his computer. Over 2 million people have already seen the video on YouTube, and thousands of viewers followed xQc’s stream as well.
Linus and xQc bet 100 Canadian dollars on where the error is
Linus and the Twitch streamer initially discuss where the error lies. The streamer had recently made a change in the system and switched from an Intel processor to an AMD CPU.
xQc explained that the motherboard must be responsible for the problems and is causing a short circuit. However, Linus didn’t believe that and suspected the RAM was behind the crashes. Because AMD is using DDR5 for the first time with the AM5 platform, there can be issues. The two ultimately settle a bet: 100 dollars for the person who is right about where the error really lies at the end.
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Where was the error in the end? Linus gradually disassembled the streamer’s PC to find the problem. And indeed, the issue was with the motherboard.
At 19:40 minutes, you can see that a specific connection on the motherboard is burnt and heavily damaged. This is the USB-C port on the motherboard. And this likely causes a short circuit.
In the end, Linus replaces the old motherboard with a new model and also installs a new graphics card. Twitch streamer xQc is happy with his new system, and Linus looks pretty worn out.
What are the reactions from the viewers? Many are amused by the unlikely duo seen in the video.
Some explain that the real star was the cameraman. Because he walked around for 4 hours filming the whole action. He can repeatedly be seen in xQc’s stream, having to reposition himself. Because not only Linus’s team is on site, but xQc is also running his stream simultaneously, where his viewers can also observe the event.
This especially brings a lot of praise for the editing team of Linus Tech Tips. Because in the end, they turn the 4-hour stream into a manageable 26-minute video for YouTube.
Diablo 4 starts soon with its open beta, but not all content from the hack and slay is ready to play. Therefore, we show you 6 things that you can only fully experience at release.
When does the open beta start?The open beta of Diablo 4 starts on Friday, March 24, at 5:00 PM and runs until Monday, March 27, at 9:00 PM. While players of the closed beta could only play with three classes, all available classes will be open for testing in the open beta.
However, the beta does not show you every aspect of Diablo 4, and thus we show you 6 things that you can only try out at the full release.
Horses and riding will play a big role in Diablo 4, as the map of the hack and slay can be explored without interruption. So that you don’t wear out your feet, personal horses are supposed to help you explore the surroundings faster. Unfortunately, these are locked in the beta. So you’ll still have to take care of your feet and legs.
Santuary and Other Areas
Diablo 4 will offer you a huge and open world to explore. Different levels with large dungeons and new items that can be collected. However, in the beta, you can only explore one area out of a total of five realms. However, you will also notice in the beta that Santuary is huge.
PvP
The PvP is not supposed to be the focus in Diablo 4, and so it is also not present in the beta. To compete against other players, you need to go to the Fields of Hatred. Only in these special areas can you attack other players to gain special loot.
Paragon
The Paragon board promises complexity for Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 offers a more complex Paragon system, which is similar to the skill system of Path of Exile. Paragon can only be unlocked from level 50, but the beta slows down your hero starting at level 25. Therefore, large and especially complex builds are only possible at release. We have still put together 5 builds that you can use in the beta.
Item Shop and Battle Pass
The shop with its skins
The most controversial topic in Diablo 4 is the shop and the battle pass. This is not present in the beta, but is supposed to reward players with only cosmetic items at release according to Blizzard. The monetization, as seen in Diablo Immortal, will not exist.
Endgame and Additional Difficulties
Diablo 4 is supposed to offer 4 difficulty levels that you can rotate through on your journeys depending on your mood, provided you meet the necessary conditions. Additionally, certain endgame content, such as the Nightmare dungeons, is tied to these difficulties.
In the beta, however, you can only try out the first two difficulty levels, and the endgame of Diablo 4 remains untouched. You would anyway perish, as you can only level up to level 25.
These were all the contents that you can only fully experience at the complete release and thoroughly test. Maybe you can think of a few things that we haven’t listed? Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know a feature you are most looking forward to at release.
The Icelandic developers behind EVE Online, CCP, were bought by the Korean studio Pearl Abyss 5 years ago. Since then, there have been some strange occurrences in Reykjavik. Now the studio announced a new AAA game with “Project Awakening,” which is supposed to utilize controversial blockchain technology. The community wants nothing to do with it and is firing up the propaganda machine.
What is the somewhat strange financial situation at EVE Online?
The Korean developer Pearl Abyss, on the other hand, has been developing the MMORPG Black Desert since 2014 and has brought the game to consoles, Europe, and mobile devices. The visually stunning and grind-heavy action MMORPG earns a lot of money through microtransactions (many call it pay-to-win).
In any case, CCP has been trying for years to develop more games alongside the 20-year-old EVE Online to somehow expand the company, as EVE Online is now aging and the studio is rather shrinking.
Start video
EVE Online: Uprising Expansion – Trailer
CCP announces AAA game with blockchain
This is the announcement now: Yesterday, CCP announced an AAA game set in the universe of EVE Online that will be developed using blockchain technology. For the project, they received an investment of $40 million from an investor.
CCP only provided a few details on what the game would be like. They mentioned that the 25 years of design experience combined with blockchain would surely result in something great. Players would thus be “empowered” and would “own things themselves.” This all has a lot of potential.
The CEO of CCP, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson.
EVE players fire up propaganda machine
How did the community react? It’s important to know that the players in EVE are skilled at setting up massive smear campaigns within hours to expose or discredit political enemies in the game.
The players of EVE are masters of propaganda, as in the game it’s about motivating their own soldiers and demotivating opponents when going into war.
So, just a few hours after the announcement of the new AAA game, there were already some nasty posts directed at CCP’s CEO, Hilmar Veigar Petursson. He’s accused of making the same mistake over and over. Now he’s trying to catch a trend that is generally regarded as “dead”:
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They accuse the CEO of trying to drive away the player base by riding a dead horse.
Meanwhile, the EVE Online reddit forum is full of memes and posts mocking developer CCP:
The CEO is compared to Iraqi politician Mohameed Saeed al-Sahhaf, known as “Baghdad Bob” or “Comical Ali,” for spreading bizarre propaganda messages and obvious lies during the Iraq War
The criticism here is that the CEO of CCP translated “NFT” as “Not for [the main server] Tranquility,” effectively excluding blockchain for EVE
Additionally, they show piles of money that have been burned for the many spin-off games in EVE
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Overall, the sentiment is: Instead of burning $40 million on a game that nobody wants, it would be better to invest the money in EVE.
NFTs are a red flag for many gamers. They see it as pure money-making without benefiting players. Additionally, there are some very strange statements from “NFT experts”:
The team “Fnatic” is the most popular and largest team in League of Legends in Europe, but it has been struggling for months. One of the hope bearers for the turnaround was the Dane Martin “Wunder” Hansen: the 24-year-old was 4-time champion with G2 and was regarded as the best top laner in Europe for 5 seasons. But it seems that Fnatic is now parting ways with him in a dispute.
Who is Wunder?
Wunder is one of the best European top laners ever. He was part of the strong G2 team that almost became world champion in 2019 and only lost in the finals. The 24-year-old was 4-time champion in the LEC and was voted into the “1st All-Pro Team” 5 times, being the “best top laner in Europe” in half of the seasons between 2016 and 2021.
Wunder is quite a cynic, often coming across as curt and snappy. In LoL, practically everyone knows how much he loves World of Warcraft, and it’s a running gag that he allegedly neglects LoL for WoW or “ends games early to still raid.” Once, G2 even had to pay a $1,000 fine for Wunder’s love for WoW.
Nevertheless, people who know him say that he is an absolute professional and simply has a quirky sense of humor.
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LoL stages its biggest professionals in a trailer so perfectly that I still get goosebumps 4 years later
Wunder is sorted out at G2, lands at Fnatic
How did his career go recently? Wunder was at G2 for 4 years and was virtually indispensable to the team. He was one of the best players in Europe, even if fans teased that he did not look quite as good against Korean and Chinese superstars as he did against the local competition.
Wunder landed at Fnatic and was able to qualify for the Worlds with the team in a decent first year.
However, after unsuccessful world championships, Fnatic decided on another overhaul, swapping out the strong bot lane and bringing back the Swede Rekkles. Since then, things have been going disastrously.
Fnatic replaces star with 19-year-old – he has the worst KDA in the league
This is now the situation: Before the start of the new 2023 season, Fnatic actually swapped Wunder out and put him on the bench: The 5-time champion was replaced by a 19-year-old Spaniard, “Oscarinin.”
The Spaniard managed to die so often in his first 6 games that he reached the lowest KDA in the LEC:
With 31 deaths, 10 kills, and 27 assists, he has a KDA of 1.2. That is abysmal.
Fnatic currently stands at 2-4 together with 3 other teams in 7th and last place in the LEC.
The glimmer of hope is that the Spaniard may find his way into the league. Because after the first games, his KDA was even worse at 0.9. So 1.2 looks much friendlier now.
A KDA of 5-4-9 is not exactly “gold,” but at least not terrible anymore:.
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In the last games, things went a bit better for Oscarinin – the first games were a disaster.
Wunder refused to participate in tryouts against the 19-year-old
Why was Wunder replaced? In a Twitch stream, Wunder explains the situation:
The team wanted him and the young Spaniard to both participate in practice games before the season – apparently, Fnatic wanted to see who would get the starting spot.
However, Wunder refused to participate in these tryouts.
Therefore, Fnatic chose the young Spaniard.
After the disastrous winter, they wanted to hold tryouts. However, the team they put together, according to rumors, was not one I had much hope for, so I said: It doesn’t make sense for me to participate in tryouts for a team I don’t really want to play for.
Wunder laughs at fans’ demands for his strike to have consequences
Wunder laughs a little at Fnatic fans on Reddit during the Twitch stream. They would demand “consequences” if a player, who is still under contract, refuses to play for his team. The Fnatic fans seem to be “after him” – but he seems to find it all rather amusing.
“They also think they know everything – Haha, that’s really funny.”
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What’s behind this: Fnatic is in a difficult situation. These seem to be all consequences of the decision to replace Upset with Rekkles:
In 2021, they had a not outstanding but functional team assembled, with big names like Wunder, Hylissang, Humanoid, and Upset – all of whom had performed over the years.
Then they cut out the centerpiece of that part, the experienced bot lane, which many considered one of the best in Europe.
The new bot lane made up of a talent and the old star Rekkles, however, did not work at all.
In winter 2022, the performance of the entire team collapsed.
To repair Fnatic, they are now bringing in 2 rookies and replacing the top lane and support. An experienced player like Perkz, however, criticizes this maneuver from the outside. He says that rookies cannot be thrown into difficult situations; they would be burned out (via dotesports). If someone is already brought in, they need to be experienced professionals.
That someone like Wunder, a seasoned, success-prone professional, sees no hope in playing in such a team and apparently considers it an affront to have to compete against a 19-year-old rookie is somewhat understandable. However, the fact that he refuses to participate in tryouts is quite … difficult.
It is estimated that in January about 100,000 players in China lost access to their favorite MMORPG World of Warcraft when Blizzard’s agreement with the local partner NetEase expired. For many, this is a huge disruption in their lives.
This is the situation:
In 2008, World of Warcraft came to China. To market a product in China, Western companies need a local partner. That’s how the party that controls everything in China wants it. This practice is criticized by Western companies.
For 15 years, there was such a deal between Blizzard and NetEase. However, on January 23, 2023, the deal expired. Apparently, Activision Blizzard no longer wanted to be tied to NetEase for the long term, as they plan to sell the company to Microsoft. Therefore, all Blizzard games went offline in China – except Diablo Immortal.
A Chinese site estimates that WoW still had about 100,000 daily players in China.
The MMORPG lost many “casual players” since making a change in the payment model in 2018: Previously, Chinese players could play for 4,000 minutes for about €4 – since then they had to pay €10 for one month. For many Chinese, it was no longer worth it, and they quit.
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We were in the middle of the chaos that represents the release of WoW Dragonflight: „I can’t accept anything here“
How are the players dealing with their loss? The site “The World of Chinese” spoke with a WoW player who had been playing WoW for 15 years and had to stop abruptly.
28-year-old office worker Hu from Beijing says: “When the servers were shut down and you couldn’t even log in with all your characters, at that moment I was a bit sad.”
The man didn’t even take screenshots of the last moments. He said he didn’t want to feel that sadness again when he looked at the pictures.
The player estimates that he spent about 10,000 hours playing WoW. It all started when his cousin became enthusiastic about WoW in 2008. But when his cousin quit in 2010, the now 28-year-old took over his account, and then it really took off.
What remains as a memory are rather the little things: He says that when he took a break from the game around 2008, a friend made him a pink T-shirt and sent it to him via in-game mail. The player says: He kept the shirt until the servers went down:
“Of course, there is the feeling of having lost something… so many memories and experiences.”
What do other players say? Another player, born after 2000, only started playing WoW 5 years ago. He says:
On the last night, I had already saved my character through the “Digital Urn” system and created a new character to say goodbye to the world and my friends. How sad, in that moment it felt like my youth, which I spent in the game, came to an end.
Many Chinese blame Blizzard
How do the Chinese see it? As the site “The World of Chinese” writes, people are mainly angry at Blizzard and not at the government. In particular, the fact that Diablo Immortal continues seems to upset people towards Blizzard.
People believe that Blizzard is intentionally neglecting the PC and is keen on the booming and lucrative mobile market in China.
Can’t they just continue playing elsewhere? Yes, they can. The site states that Chinese forums are full of tips on how to start anew with WoW on other servers, such as in Japan or Korea. You need to set up a PayPal account, get a phone number in Hong Kong, and purchase “boosters” for the internet connection.
Some Chinese take this on and then say they feel at home again on a new server.
Others, however, write: They cannot overcome the feeling of having lost everything in WoW. To start again at 0 on a foreign Asia server and find new friends, to do all the quests again – and to do it all alone. That is too much.
It is indeed true! Valve has officially announced that Counter-Strike 2 (Steam) actually exists and is coming out this year. Testing starts as early as today.
What is Counter-Strike 2? Counter-Strike 2 will be an update to CS:GO, which is set to release in summer 2023. On the official website, it states:
Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical innovation in the history of Counter-Strike and lays the groundwork for numerous new features and updates in the coming years. […]
Counter-Strike 2 will be released this summer as a free upgrade to CS:GO.
For weeks, leaks and rumors about Counter-Strike 2 have existed. For a long time, it was unclear what it was. Will it be its own game? Will it be an engine update? What does it improve? For many fans of the tactical shooter, it was the big topic, with many questions that are now finally answered.
What improvements does Counter-Strike 2 bring? Counter-Strike will improve several aspects of the game. On the website, Valve lists, among other things, the following content:
High-resolution effects: The game graphics, visual effects, and interface have been revamped
The sound effects have been overhauled and retuned
As an example of how the overhauls look, Valve has also released some videos, such as the new smoke grenades:
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Responsive Smokes
Testing begins today
What kind of tests are these? As of today, March 22, 2023, the first limited test phase is to begin, with which Valve aims to test various features before the release and address potential issues.
How can you participate in the test? You are at the mercy of your luck and Valve. In a FAQ on Steam, it states that players will be selected for the test by the developer team based on various factors. These factors include a trust factor and gameplay time on official Valve servers.
If you have been selected to participate in the CS2 tests, you will receive a notification in the CS:GO menu. The notification contains an invitation to start a download.
The first reactions: The Counter-Strike community is exploding with joy – who would have expected anything different? The comment section on Twitter is filled with statements like “Let go!” and “It’s really happening”. Of course, there are also tons of memes depicting a “freaking out with joy” scenario.
After nearly 45 minutes (as of March 22, 6:15 PM), the post has already received over 135,000 “likes”, been shared over 45,000 times, and seen by 4.5 million users.
The release of Counter-Strike 2 could not come at a better time for the tactical shooter. Just in February, CS:GO reached a new player record.
In recent weeks, rumors about a successor to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive have been increasing. CS2 or CS:GO 2 are the names circulating. But what exactly is behind it and what leaks are there? We at MeinMMO have gathered everything.
Update: The article was updated on March 22, 2023, after Counter-Strike 2 was officially announced. It is an update for CS:GO. You can find out more about the announcement here:
You can read the leaks and rumors that have existed in the past weeks here:
What kind of game is it? That is still not clear at all. Currently, there are three rumors, all of which sound plausible:
It could be a direct successor to Global Offensive – thus CS:GO 2.
It could be Counter-Strike 2, a completely new game in the shooter universe.
It could merely be a port of CS:GO to the Source-2 engine. Because Source 2 was already released in 2014, and other titles from Valve, including Dota 2, have moved to this engine.
How is Counter-Strike 2 even coming up now? At the beginning of March, there was a leak in a new Nvidia driver (via GameStar). A new control panel named “Counter-Strike 2” was added. There were also two new files named csgo2.exe and cs2.exe.
Subsequently, Richard Lewis, a British e-sports journalist, commented on the leak (via RichardLewis). He claims the game is real and is supposed to launch in March 2023. Other insiders say that it is only an upgrade, but also indicate March for that.
For more new shooters expected to be released in 2023, you can find in this video:
Start video
Here is gameplay of the 5 best shooters coming out in 2023
New server, new matchmaking, and new engine?
This is what Lewis says about Counter-Strike 2: According to the journalist, the new game has supposedly been in development at Valve for some time now. A large part of the developers is reportedly working on it, while the rest of the team is taking care of the continued development of CS:GO.
The following details were mentioned for Counter-Strike 2:
The game is supposed to rely on 128 tick servers, as is already the case with Valorant and was demanded by many fans.
There is supposed to be a new matchmaking system.
The game is supposed to have been developed in the Source-2 engine, providing graphically significant improvements.
According to Lewis, Counter-Strike 2 is supposed to start a beta this month. However, he could not specify a concrete date.
How likely is that? That is difficult to say. Some sources on Twitter support the statement that a completely new game is released. But there are also indications that Counter-Strike 2 will not be something standalone.
The clues come among others from Gabe Follower, a content creator for CS:GO. He claims that it is merely Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in the new Source-2 engine. There will be no new game, no rebrand, and your skins should not be in danger.
According to Gabe Follower, Valve has reportedly been testing the new Source-2 version since December.
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Also, the CS:GO player Aquarius expects an upgrade to the new engine. He claims that it will be free and could appear “any day” (via Twitter).
What does this mean for CS2? What exactly is hidden behind Counter-Strike 2 is currently unclear. We have to wait until Valve speaks up. However, at the moment it is most likely that CS:GO will be moving to the Source-2 engine.
New information is expected from everyone in March. We will update the article accordingly.
What do you hope for from the leaks and rumors? Would you like a completely new Counter-Strike or is a modified version in the new engine enough for you? Feel free to write it in the comments.
The currently best free shooters have been collected for you here:
With Diablo 4, the main series of the franchise is also gaining more MMO features. Many long-standing fans reject this – especially the so-called “Shared World”. MyMMO author Maik Schneider was able to talk to the Diablo bosses about whether there are plans for an option to completely disable the feature.
Diablo 4 invited to the interview and with a view of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, I spoke with Joe Shely (Game Director) and Rod Fergusson (General Manager of the Diablo Franchise) about the new action RPG.
My first question revolved around the “Shared World” of Diablo 4 and whether it would eventually be possible to turn it off. In certain areas, you can encounter other players, which is not particularly well received by many Diablo fans.
Find out here what the bosses of Diablo 4 told me about it. More information about the multiplayer features is available in the video:
Start video
In Diablo 4 you can play with players from all over the world – All information about multiplayer
Shared World is part of the foundation of Diablo 4
Will there eventually be an option to disable the Shared World? Even though my interview partners dance around the answer a bit, I hear a “No”.
Why doesn’t one want that? The Shared World is an important core feature of Diablo 4. Certain things cannot be accomplished without other players – for example, the powerful world bosses.
But one still keeps an eye on the players who view the feature with skepticism. They have designed certain game aspects so that you encounter other players less frequently if you don’t want to.
This includes that you must complete certain missions during the campaign before the world becomes a Shared World. In social hubs, such as cities, you will always encounter others. Even after completing the campaign, there are other players everywhere in the open world. However, dungeons can be completed completely alone.
They made this decision because they see no disadvantages for the individual player. I then brought up the argument of immersion being disrupted when “HansWurscht69” runs through the image. Joe Shely refers to such players as “DancingBears” and states that they consciously accept this break in immersion because they expect more advantages than disadvantages from the Shared World.
Rod Fergusson added: The only reason to not implement the Shared World would be the fight for loot in a normal PvE environment. Since there isn’t any, he sees no real reason why there shouldn’t be a Shared World.
By the way, they are not quite sure how many players we can meet at most in the Shared World areas of the open world. Reports currently speak of 6 players, but they will keep an eye on the situation and make adjustments if necessary.
The American Twitch streamer MoonMoon (32) angered a German viewer when he criticized German levels in Super Mario Maker 2. Apparently, he was reported immediately.
What kind of streamer is this? The American Jesse, known as “MoonMoon”, is one of the so-called variety streamers, showcasing various games from the colorful block game Minecraft to the dark Elden Ring. He averages 15,000 viewers (via sullygnome).
Of all games, the seemingly harmless Super Mario Maker 2 caused the trouble. It’s a game where players can create their own levels of the classic jump and run game Super Mario and share them with others.
Twitch streamers seem to have a real knack for getting into trouble in the craziest ways. You can see what already resulted in bans in the video:
Start video
The 5 biggest Twitch bans that caused a lot of commotion
What trouble did the streamer get into? In a stream on March 21, MoonMoon was once again playing Super Mario Maker 2 when he stumbled upon a level that appeared to have been created by a German user.
He recalled a fitting anecdote: The streamer revealed that he had received an alarming email. However, he wasn’t quite sure what it was about: “I received a NetzDG complaint. Do you know what that is? It’s the name of the law in Germany that regulates the internet.”
What is NetzDG? The abbreviation stands for Network Enforcement Act, in full it is called the Law for the Improvement of Legal Enforcement in Social Networks. It came into force in October 2017 and requires providers of social networks to address complaints from users. This is intended to combat hate crime online (via bundesregierung.de). If a social network fails to comply with its obligation to delete or block illegal content, it can be reported to the Federal Office of Justice (via Bundesjustizamt)
How did it come about? MoonMoon has a theory. Previously, he had gone on a tirade about German levels in Super Mario Maker 2: they all were terrible. The streamer suspects that this must have upset someone in Germany.
We have embedded the corresponding clip for you here:
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Supplement 20:30 – What exactly did he receive? The streamer does not say, and he probably doesn’t know exactly either. It was likely a notification, similar to what you often see on Twitter.
In such messages, users of a social network, in this case Twitch, are informed that a complaint has been made regarding one of their contents. Since MoonMoon does not comment further, it is assumed that the content in question was reviewed, but no violation could be identified. Otherwise, there would be deletions and bans.
In German social networks, such messages are almost common. For an American content creator who had no previous contact with the law, this must seem quite strange at first.
Original report (continuation)
The streamer, however, stands by his words. German levels are simply worse versions of Japanese levels, which are also terrible. For MoonMoon, the email was the first complaint of this kind. It doesn’t seem to have affected him too much.
MoonMoon is not the only American streamer for whom distant Germany poses many puzzles. Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp, the LoL troll of the day, recently learned that not everything here is as it is back home. He just wanted to conquer the European servers and eat fast food.
In the beta of Diablo 4, five builds of the different classes have proven to be particularly popular. We at MeinMMO present them to you.
Where do the builds come from? The Reddit user “yayj” has created a tool that allows players to create various builds for Diablo 4, even when they are not in the game.
In addition, there is also a list on the site with “the most popular and strongest builds” from the first beta weekend.
Start video
Diablo 4: The Live Action Trailer for the Open Beta – Here a Church is Being Painted
The most popular builds of the beta
Which builds were popular? On D4build.gg, 5 builds are displayed that have proven to be strong and popular. Two of these builds are for the Sorcerer, two for the Hunter, and the fifth is for the Barbarian.
In the brackets behind the skills, you can see the rank to which a skill has been leveled in the respective build.
Optional Legendaries: Aspect of Might, Aspect of the Crowded Sage, Aspect of the Iron Warrior
You can find the tool with all builds on D4builds.gg. There you can also view the entire skill tree of a build if you want more details.
Other classes with the upcoming beta
What will change with the next beta? With the upcoming beta weekend, the classes “Druid” and “Necromancer” will be added to Diablo 4. They were not playable in the past beta weekend.
Once strong or popular builds emerge for the two classes, they will likely also be visible on D4builds.gg.
Moreover, it is foreseeable that builds will continue to evolve throughout the game, especially with regard to endgame content.
When does the next beta start? The next and last beta weekend of Diablo 4 starts this Friday, March 24, and will then be available to everyone who has downloaded the beta. The previous beta weekend was only playable for pre-order customers of Diablo 4.
If you want to unlock some rewards for the full game by playing the beta, you can find out what you need to do on MeinMMO:
The new co-op shooter Redfall (PC, Xbox Series) will celebrate its release on May 2nd and MeinMMO was already able to stroll through the open world full of bloodthirsty vampires for about two hours. Editor Maik Schneider had fun in this world. However, he also believes there is still a lot to be done before the release.
Publisher Bethesda and developer Arcane Studios invited us to the hands-on event, and in a hidden, quaint pub in a Berlin backyard, I immediately felt the vampire vibes.
I was allowed to play the new open-world co-op shooter Redfall for about two hours and then have a short interview with Game Director Harvey Smith.
I’ll summarize what you can expect from the game, what I liked, and where I see weaknesses.
At the play event, we were to explore the open world and complete a mission. Some of the gameplay clips we processed in our video:
Start video
Just shooting doesn’t bring anything – New gameplay from Redfall shows interesting combat system
About the author: Maik has been playing co-op games for 30 years and firmly believes that every game becomes better with a multiplayer mode. This is especially true for shooters. Therefore, he is responsible for the shooter section at MeinMMO and has a keen eye on Redfall.
A co-op open world awaits you
What kind of game is Redfall? A mysterious vampire plague afflicts the quaint town of Redfall, sealing the area off from the outside world. The story forms the foundation of the new co-op shooter for up to 4 players.
You fight in the open world with insane weapons and the well-thought-out abilities of the four playable characters against the ubiquitous bloodsuckers, collecting heaps of loot and unraveling the complex story behind the events in Redfall.
You can always choose whether your fights begin with a bang or whether you want to earn a better starting position through stealth passages.
At release, 4 characters will be available to you, each coming with their own skill tree and unique abilities. You loot and level up to the top of the strange food chain in the once idyllic American small town.
For more information on the story and another look at the characters’ abilities, I recommend the story trailer of Redfall:
Start video
Steam: Redfall shows the dark story of the co-op shooter in the new trailer, delights fans: “I love their creativity”
The open world is a highlight, the characters the stars
What did I like? Looting and leveling with crazy weapons and characters that bring their own skill trees? If you think of Borderlands, you’re right. Redfall changes the formula of the popular shooter series and has its own identity.
I liked that. Borderlands has worn itself out over the years, Redfall shakes up the market and doesn’t need to hide. I was able to look at two skill trees in detail and saw a lot of potential for creative co-op combos and different builds.
A complete skill tree in Redfall, the max level is 40.
The characters are impressive and are the highlight of Redfall. But the open world comes in a close second.
The world is very atmospheric, in single player at night it is almost oppressive, dark and creepy. Enemies lurk everywhere and since stealth mechanics are also part of Redfall, in a direct confrontation, I am usually at a disadvantage, but with a little sneaking, I can already take out many opponents before open combat.
A view over the townSometimes physics goes crazySneaking gives you advantages – almost everywhere
This “thrill” is somewhat lost in co-op mode, which Game Director Harvey Smith confirmed to me in the interview. However, in its place comes the cooperation and use of abilities.
The whole surrounding convinced me immediately: Story, characters, and abilities make you crave for more, the environmental storytelling pulls you into the game and I feel like the savior of the city because I am freeing Redfall step by step from the vampire plague.
What didn’t I like? At the play event, we were supposed to take a look at our weapons first and give the chosen characters a few skill points. The developers had prepared a build that starts in the middle of the game.
After soaking up the abilities of the class, I was pleased with the stake thrower and curiously inspected my UV weapon. Then I eagerly exited the menu and received a little shock. The controls with mouse and keyboard felt terrible, sloppy, and imprecise.
Then I discovered the controller at the test PC, switched to my usual input device, and fiddled a bit with the settings. This improved it a little, but my first impression of the gameplay was ruined.
The first battle made up for some of that. The different weapons provide variety in the shooter gameplay, and the executions of weakened vampires provide a brief “wow” effect.
The vampire executions are always fun
However, the shooter gameplay itself felt “bloodless”, if you forgive me the pun. The gunplay does not convey the usual feeling of power and action that I know from a Battlefield or Call of Duty.
The unusual controls intensified this effect. In addition, the enemies are partly real bullet sponges, which further reinforces the feeling of weak weapons. Abilities and executions provided the fun. As soon as it came to shooting, Redfall was rather mediocre.
Another point of criticism is the enemies. The normal vampire enemies are everywhere in the open world and teleport with incredible speed. They suddenly appear behind me, evade placed stakes, and surprise with unforeseen maneuvers.
As soon as they attack, all that is forgotten. I was attacked dozens of times with the same slow melee strike pattern, and a step back was enough to dodge. There wasn’t much excitement, and the normal vampires only became dangerous when suddenly there were too many of them.
Conclusion: Lots of potential with flaws in the foundation
Redfall has everything for a huge co-op hit. It expands the Borderlands formula with innovative ideas and offers a large, atmospheric open world.
But in the play test, the shooter fails in the fundamentals: The gunfights were hardly fun for me, and the controls felt strange.
Moreover, only bosses and special vampires apparently offer interesting attack patterns. The enemies I constantly encountered were just cannon fodder and are meant to make me stealth through the town instead of tackling every fight, as a seasoned shooter soldier like me usually would.
In co-op and on higher difficulty levels, elite vampires mix in among the normal enemies, bringing a special effect – for example, giving other nearby vampires a shield. This adds a bit of dynamism to the battles.
Currently, I am very conflicted.
On one hand, I see a world I want to explore. Characters I want to bring to max level to cause chaos among the vampires. On the other hand, the shooter gameplay could not convince me at all.
I will keep you updated on Redfall on MeinMMO. Currently, I would not recommend the title without reservations. But the potential is there, and there is still a bit of time until the release on May 2nd.
In the loot shooter Destiny 2, the Iron Banner was actually the focus after yesterday’s weekly reset. What many didn’t know was that a doubly shocking moment was waiting for the Guardians in the current story campaign of Season 20. And hardly anyone saw it coming.
Unexpectedly often happens in Destiny 2: This week, during the weekly reset in Destiny 2, not many story beats were expected.
The seasonal activity with the resistance battlefields continued as usual.
There was a new section in the Avalon mission to explore with the Asher-Mir key, the exotic “Vexcalibur”, which brought out more small details about the Lightfall story.
Otherwise, many players were clearly focused on the top loot of the Iron Banner.
However, no one initially expected things to be so intense in the ongoing story. Week 4 in Destiny 2 cleverly hid a shocking event that painfully reminded the Guardians: “It’s not safe to be out here!”.
Attention Spoilers: MeinMMO has captured the first reactions of players to the drastic story event. However, these contain some spoilers. So, if you haven’t had the chance to game this week, you should not read any further after this video.
Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – “Season of Resistance” trailer
Destiny 2 is experiencing losses like never before
Everything as usual? Not at all! After the weekly reset, some Guardians planned to quickly finish the latest battlefield mission of the seasonal story and then turn their attention to the top loot in the Iron Banner.
A quick look at the quest sent one to the H.E.L.M., where Amanda Holliday was already waiting with a radio message.
Again, it is about rescuing prisoners, and the shipwright of the Vanguard briefly raves about how great it is to work with Crow, Mithrax, and Devrim Kay as the “Queen’s Guard”.
Nothing particularly spectacular. One might think. This was followed by a short mission that left some Guardians speechless at the end.
Many had already forgotten that a harsh conflict was raging on Earth in the current Season 20, which is horrific, unfair, and unrelenting. Destiny 2 often conceals this fact, and players do not always notice it as a result.
But that has now cost the life of another beloved and long-standing character from Destiny 1 and 2 – Amanda Holliday. And she might not be the last.
Speechless looks as the fight in Destiny 2 claims its next victim: Amanda Holliday
That’s why Amanda’s death is doubly tragic: Just last week, players had to cope with a real loss when the voice of Zavala, Lance Reddick, was silenced forever. And now, the next proverbial blow of fate follows in-game immediately.
Of course, Bungie couldn’t change the timing of the story anymore. The end was all the more surreal when Commander Zavala is kneeling before Amanda’s laid-out body and mourning her with the Guardian’s creed “Dedication, Courage, Sacrifice”.
Since these story missions were planned months in advance, it is clear that Bungie did not look forward to this week after Lance’s death. Man, it must have hurt them when you consider how close they were to him.
Zavala kneels before the laid-out body of Amanda Holliday and mourns
Here’s what other Guardians say about the latest stroke of fate:
“Amanda is the mortal [in Destiny] who has fought for us [Guardians] the longest, even though she only has one life.” – honors Gripping_Touch
“Damn! Of all the ways the cutscene at the end of this week’s mission could have gone. That’s just too much.” – finds VisualReversal
“I stood next to [Commander Zavala] with my loyal dog for a long time. Didn’t want to leave.” – mourns evil_iceburgh
“Uff, I’m shocked. No, no, no. First digest that. I never thought something like this would hit me in-game. […]” – writes Paulo in the comments on MeinMMO
Can it get any worse? Possibly. It is said that death is not the end. But that does not apply to video games. There it is said: “Death is not the end unless you die in a cutscene.”
Some Guardians still have hope and believe that Bungie will bring Amanda back through the Traveler or the Witness. However, this is currently unlikely as the Traveler is deemed “dead” and it is unclear whether the Ghosts can still resurrect new Guardians.
However, some see Amanda’s death more as a new story beat for Uldren Sov, aka Crow, in the ongoing Season 20 and the Lightfall DLC.
This feels more like a setup for Crow’s story than anything else. It seems that Bungie has hinted at his significance in this story for a long time. Maybe he harbors a grudge against the Light and the Traveler or even against the Ghosts for not resurrecting [Amanda]? I think they are building him up as the main protagonist outside of our character. […]
Players fear further losses in the future: Amanda’s death has reminded many once again that loss has always been a constant companion in the Destiny universe. Some players even have a vague premonition that the new memorial area in the Tower could be full by the end of the year.
“This memorial area of the Tower will be full by the end of the year, right?” fears the player Anohrak
What do you think? Were you also surprised by the loss and do you also believe this is just the beginning? How did you feel during the scene with Zavala? We would love to read your feelings about this story beat in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
