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.
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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”.
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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.
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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:
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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.
In Pokémon GO the new Rocket event is coming – and with it a change regarding Shinies. And this is supposedly going to last in the long run.
What kind of event is this? Currently, in Pokémon GO the new “Let’s GO” event is ongoing. As part of this event, a new Rocket takeover will also be initiated next Saturday, March 25, 2023, which will run until March 29, 2023.
However, another bonus from the announcement stands out and is well received by trainers.
Crypto-Ruffians now equipped with Shiny Pokémon – But for how long?
This is the change: In the announcement of the Rocket takeover, Niantic writes: “Among the Pokémon you rescue from Team GO Rocket Ruffians, there might even be Shiny Pokémon with a bit of luck!” (via pokemongolive.com).
This is an exciting change, as previously, Shiny Crypto Monsters could only be obtained from Rocket bosses, Giovanni, or special opponents like Jessie and James. The fact that the “normal” Rocket Ruffians can now also distribute Shinies regularly is new.
Particularly exciting is the fact that the change is supposedly not just to last for the event. Pokémon GO YouTuber “TrainerTips” reports in his current video that Niantic confirmed to him that the change is also supposed to last after the event. This would make Shiny Cryptos from Rocket Ruffians available in the long term.
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TrainerTips discusses the new feature in his video
On Twitter, the account “@PokeProfNet” also reported having received relevant information from Niantic (via Twitter). The well-known community website “Pokémon GO Hub” also shared information that it is supposed to be a permanent feature (via Twitter).
Why is it still uncertain? In the official announcement from Niantic, the bonus has only been mentioned officially in the context of the Rocket takeover so far, so the information should be taken with some caution. However, it looks like Rocket Ruffians could now potentially provide Shiny options in the long term.
The prospect of this opportunity is being received positively in the community, for example in the subreddit “TheSilphRoad”:
“Finally a reason to challenge each and every one” says a user (via reddit).
“That would be really cool. I already do many Ruffian battles for Stardust, that would be another incentive” comments another (via reddit): “Now I’m just waiting for Niantic to release the Pokémon of the 2nd and 3rd evolution stage that are locked with a Shiny lock for no reason.”
“That’s cool, I love a good Shiny hunt. I usually ignore Rocket balloons or stops because I already have a Shiny Crypto Metagross, and nothing else interests me with the leaders. But this opens up so many new opportunities” (via reddit)
This is still unclear: While the bonus itself is confirmed, and a longer period seems at least possible, there are still a few points unclear. This applies, for example, to which monsters can be Shiny when Ruffians send them into battle. Whether all are possible, or for example only those already available as Crypto Shiny from the leaders, is still unknown.
So it remains to wait – either until official information exists or at the latest by the start of the event. Then it should quickly become clear what the Shiny pool looks like. We will keep you updated here at MeinMMO.
What do you think about the change? Could the Crypto Shinies motivate you to a few Rocket battles? Let us know in the comments!
Asmongold gained fame with WoW and is considered the MMORPG nerd on Twitch. However, the streamer is also a big fan of the action RPG Diablo 3. It makes sense that he did not miss the closed beta of Diablo 4 last weekend. His verdict: A solid 8.5.
Like 1 million other players, Asmongold was drawn to the pre-order beta of Diablo 4. The Twitch streamer is a huge fan of action RPGs like Path of Exile and once loved Diablo 3 as well.
After a few days in the successor, during which he leveled 2 characters to the highest level, he now says: It doesn’t really change his life. In a 20-minute video, the streamer summarized his impressions.
More about Asmongold can be seen in our video:
Start video
Career and life of Asmongold in 3 minutes – What makes him special?
“Diablo 4 is a simplified version of Path of Exile”
How does Diablo 4 compare directly? Asmongold describes Diablo 4 as a simplified version of Path of Exile. However, this is apparently not meant as criticism, as Diablo doesn’t have to be so complex.
According to Asmongold, the art lies in being complex enough for players who should overcome such hurdles. At the same time, it should not be completely impenetrable for a newcomer:
Diablo 4 really needs to hit the right point: between boring and repetitive levels with mindless gameplay without real effort and at the same time not being so complex that people don’t understand it.
Regarding the attitude of some players that being complex and difficult is automatically better, the streamer thinks little of it.
Good at what it does
How does Asmongold rate Diablo 4? The Twitch streamer gives the beta experience an 8.5. He explains that he doesn’t feel particularly comfortable with a flat 8 or a 9. In his eyes, Diablo 4 has certainly not reinvented the wheel:
I don’t think it’s amazing, it doesn’t change my life. It’s not so innovative that it makes me think completely differently about the ARPG genre. But it is very good at what it does.
What did he like? In his video, Asmongold highlights some aspects of the beta of Diablo 4 positively, although he can’t resist adding a “but” at most points:
The cinematics are visually not breathtaking, but they stage the character well
The story really pleased him, at least until he arrived in the city
What is the conclusion? Overall, Asmongold rates his experiences with the game as “overwhelmingly positive,” but he also admits that the beta does not allow for a final impression yet. Therefore, he reserves the right to adjust his opinion on the final release.
The Twitch streamer is most concerned about the endgame. He fears having to run through the same dungeons every season, but he hopes that won’t be the case: “I really want to enjoy the game.”
Despite all the praise, there was also criticism from many players after the beta. In particular, the dungeons mentioned by Asmongold are already causing some concern. While Blizzard promises improvements by release, it hasn’t yet been able to truly convince the skeptics. You can read more about it here:
Today, March 21, 2023, the second phase of update 3.5 starts in Genshin Impact. You now have the chancefor 2 Cryo characters, including the very popular DPS Kamisato Ayaka.
Kamisato Ayaka is a 5-star character that has been available in Genshin Impact since 2020. With the current banner, “Crane Court,” Ayaka returns to the game today.
Moreover, there is “Return from Seclusion“ with Shenhe as a 5-star character. You have a chance for the 4-star character Mika in all banners of the current update.
Why Kamisato Ayaka is worth it
She wields a one-handed sword and is a Cryo element. If you want to deal a lot of damage in the winding abyss, Ayaka as a main DPS is a safe choice.
In the video, you can see the trailer for the current update in Genshin Impact:
Start video
Genshin Impact: Version 3.5 “Windblume’s Breath” Trailer
Here are Ayaka’s abilities: With her elemental skill “Kamisato Style – Hyouka,” Ayaka sends her enemies flying and deals Cryo area damage.
Ayaka’s special ability “Kamisato Style – Soumetsu” has a larger area of effect and continuously slices through enemies. Meanwhile, she deals Cryo damage and ends her attack with a Cryo AoE.
Additionally, Ayaka has a special sprint – the “Kamisato Style – Senho.” This grants her the Cryo attribute on her one-handed sword and applies Cryo to opponents nearby.
If you hit monsters with the sprint, you trigger the passive talent “Kanten-Senmyou-Segen.” This talent restores stamina to Ayaka and increases Cryo damage by 18%.
Once all her talents are unlocked, she even increases the damage of the special and elemental skills of all nearby team members when Shenhe activates her elemental skill.
Her special ability deals Cryo damage while Shenhe is not on the field, while simultaneously buffing team members that are present in it. However, if you want the buff, you must not leave the field.
When exactly does the banner start? In Europe, you can expect the banner on March 21 from 6:00 PM. You then have until April 11 to pull for Kamisato Ayaka and Shenhe.
Are you excited for the 2nd phase of the update? Which character do you want to pull for? Do you already have Kamisato Ayaka, or is she still missing from your team? Is Shenhe worth it for you? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!
To upgrade your characters, you need materials. For that, you need enough original resin:
MeinMMO Demon Cortyn likes the chosen realm in World of Warcraft. However, one detail causes discomfort and the desire to never log in again.
I like my realm in World of Warcraft. “The Aldor” is the last truly active German RP realm where one can occasionally find roleplay in the open world and where there are also some larger events. Of course, RP realms have their own special kind of “specialists” who bring a lot of drama with them, but I can overlook that by now.
But there is one aspect of my realm that I find increasingly disgusting month by month:
The excesses that “Goldhain” exemplifies.
To summarize Goldhain briefly: Basically, Goldhain is the “eRP meeting point” on all RP realms. Like-minded players meet there to live out their roleplay sexual fantasies, which usually doesn’t bother anyone much, as two people can just chat in the Whisper channel. What they do is relatively indifferent to the rest of the world. This has been the case for almost two decades, and people have gotten used to it.
From the outside, it’s mostly amusing because roleplayers, including pure “eRPlers”, create a character flag. This is usually a brief description of the character, detailing aspects like appearance or obvious quirks.
What serves most roleplayers for general clarification of the character is primarily used in Goldhain to clarify personal preferences or to outline “rules” for (erotic) roleplay.
A lot happens in Goldhain – and most of it one might not want to know in detail.
When my guild gets fed up with “Mythic+” and the current affixes, we meet in Goldhain and read each other the particularly amusing or degenerate flags. It’s typically quite funny to see how often someone manages to use the word “markelos” or “femenin” in the description of a scantily clad elf.
Alternatively, we see how many adjectives someone can assign to a character that make them seem simply “perfect” while contradicting each other as quickly as possible. A few examples: Thin, curvy, reserved, lustful, naive, smart, and fit.
However, these “reading evenings” have become increasingly less amusing in recent months and much more often simply one thing: disgusting. As a “weeb” with clearly too much anime consumption, I can really handle a lot. But more and more frequently, one reads in Goldhain in the RP flag things like:
“Is a young, naive girl with whom you can do whatever you want.”
“Looking for age play, preferably minors :)”
“Little boy to do things with”
Or more clearly: There are also people who specifically seek sexual roleplay based on childlike characters.
This is obviously problematic for several reasons.
A major problem for me is the test accounts. As important as they are for letting new players try out World of Warcraft, they are terrible for everyone who thinks they don’t have to adhere to rules anymore.
The second problem is: I actually don’t want to deal with this. I have no desire to go there more often, to “search” for such flags and then report them. I actually want nothing to do with this topic and would be happy if Blizzard just sent a game master there every day to ban strictly – but with test accounts, that’s a difficulty and probably just not practicable.
There is no good solution – or is there?
Unfortunately, I also see no good, simple solution for the problem. Test accounts will not simply vanish, as that would make World of Warcraft as a whole less attractive for newcomers. Ultimately, it is also just a “small” issue that is spread across very few realms.
Actually, I could also not care – just as I have always been indifferent to what happens in Goldhain. If people are living out their fetishes in a whisper, what do I care? But increasingly, one can read things there that I can only call “pedophilia roleplay” for lack of a better word. Sometimes, you see these characters in Stormwind at the auction house, and every time it sends shivers down my spine that I would rather log out and do something else.
It feels disgusting to share a realm with such people. The thought that 99% of roleplayers surely condemn such things strictly and that only a few, bad apples exist does not help either. Unfortunately, those few are enough to cause me discomfort and make me feel that the realm is somehow “poisoned”.
The dream of making money with League Legends is not something many LoL players can achieve. Once you become a professional, you have to invest a lot of time to stay in the game. That’s why Ablazeolive’s retirement is something special.
Nicholas Antonio “Ablazeolive” Abbott has been active in the professional LoL scene since 2015.
Throughout his career, he has played for 8 different organizations, including Golden Guardians, and most recently was with Immortals.
In 2023, he was initially a substitute player before announcing his inactivity.
After 8 years, he is ending his career for personal reasons.
League of Legends has released a special cinematic for the start of Season 13:
Start video
LoL Season 2023: The Cinematic “The Brink of Infinity”
Why is the retirement so special? After LoL players reach the professional level, it is not uncommon for them to spend a lot of time in scrimmages against other teams. In addition to training, some players also invest their time in livestreams. A prime example is the streamer team “NNO”, which fought for promotion to the first German league.
Ablazeolive announced on Twitter that he wants to retire from professional LoL play:
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In his statement, he writes that he “can’t push important things in my life away any longer” and that there are aspects in his life that are very important to him.
Outside of the Rift, Ablazeolive likely has several things he wants to focus on and therefore retires from competitive eSports.
What’s next? Despite retiring from his professional career, the player does not plan to walk away from LoL. In his statement, he is considering being active as a coach for teams or starting out as a major streamer. He also mentions that he wants to continue working with League of Legends content through co-streaming or live viewing.
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Many players and opponents from his professional time have spoken up under his team. Among them were also offers for co-casting, so that he can take a first step in that direction should he wish to pursue it. His rivals also sent their congratulations for his future and thanks under his post.
Ablazeolive himself lastly thanks his teammates and the team that has supported him throughout the years and allowed him to realize his dream of being a professional.
The closed beta of Diablo 4 is over and pre-order customers had plenty of time to roam around Sanctuary and try out quests as well as some dungeons. The problem, however, is that many have complained about these dungeons. Blizzard promises improvements for the release, but players are not optimistic.
What is the problem with the dungeons? The dungeons in Diablo 4 are different from those in previous installments. Each dungeon has a different environment, enemies, and a boss. In addition, there are tasks like “Kill X enemies in the dungeon” or “Reach PLACE”. In the end, a boss is always waiting for you, which you can send to the afterlife for loot.
On paper, this doesn’t sound dramatic, but many fans who played these dungeons in the closed beta see criticisms that could hinder player enjoyment in the long run. These include:
The annoying backtracking to open or activate various doors or gates
The lesser number of monsters
Boring or too few tasks
Players have therefore voiced a lot of criticism towards Blizzard, and the developers have now addressed the “dungeon” problem in an interview. Blizzard promises improvements for the release, but fans remain skeptical.
Start video
Diablo 4: The German Trailer for the Open Beta
Solution for dungeons does not address the real problem
What solution does Blizzard propose? General Manager Rod Fergusson and Game Director Joe Shely sat down with the gaming site “Eurogamer” (via eurogamer.net) and discussed the key topics surrounding Diablo 4 and its beta. One topic was also the dungeons, which are hotly debated in the community.
When asked if the developers had noticed the community’s feedback regarding backtracking and enemy intensity, Joe Shely responded as follows:
We have seen it, yes. There are some elements. There are players who … we have added the option for players to teleport out of dungeons through the user interface, and some players do not know that it exists. But certainly, there are cases within the dungeon where you receive a key and then have to go elsewhere. We do not want players to run through an empty dungeon. In cases where you receive a key and have to walk back through an area, enemies should spawn to refresh things. One of our goals is that you never have to run through an empty dungeon. It can be okay for very short periods. […]
One of the design decisions we made was that we wanted the dungeons, a single dungeon, to have certain characteristics that are consistent and tied to this dungeon and this location (the environment) in the world. So when you enter a dungeon, things (enemies) are not randomly generated; there are some things that are consistent.
And the way players should approach it when they level up is to see it as: “I want to do each of these different dungeons,” and that is encouraged through things like the Codex of Power and the Renown system, which give you a kind of checklist for all the dungeons you can do. And then when you reach the endgame after finishing the campaign and gaining access to the Nightmare Dungeon system, we have the seals that modify the dungeons in really cool ways, with buffs and nerfs, and these modify the dungeon dramatically. […]
Blizzard relies here entirely on the power of the seals for the nightmare dungeons. All of these dungeons are also firmly integrated into the world of Diablo 4, not just externally but also narratively. It would not fit if dungeons were random areas, with a mix of enemies, where only wild slaughter is done to get loot.
The challenge and focus on looting should only come in the endgame of Diablo 4, when players can gather their seals and modify dungeons that way. According to Rob Fergusson, they should also change the number of enemies as well as their difficulty.
What do players think about it? Players on Reddit feel that Blizzard does not understand the criticism. They are relying too heavily on the full version of Diablo 4 and their nightmare dungeons and are not addressing the real problem of backtracking. Players therefore comment with the following opinions:
“Yes, I read that earlier and thought that they (Blizzard) do not really understand the complaints … The seals will not change the limited number of objectives or the limited pool of bosses.” – says kenm130
“I think they understand it; it’s just impossible to avoid the mountain of feedback dealing with it. But they know that they may not be able to fix these problems before the release, so they probably think it’s best to sidestep the issue until they have better news to share.” – thinks AllLimes
“People complained about this ages ago in the friends-and-family beta. This was nothing new; it was a long time coming with this feedback.” – says MisterMetal
It remains to be seen how Blizzard will handle the dungeons at release and later in Diablo 4. How did you find the dungeons in the beta? Were they too boring or exhausting for you? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
