New shooter on Steam had 123,000 viewers on Twitch on the first day – Why is The Finals so popular?

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

The new shooter “The Finals” has launched a closed beta on Steam, attracting 123,000 viewers on Twitch on the very first day.

What kind of game is this? The Finals is an upcoming arena shooter from Embark Studios, set to release as a free-to-play title on PC via Steam, on PS5, and on Xbox Series X|S.

In the shooter, you compete against other players in a sort of game show, using various weapons and gadgets at your disposal. You can also utilize the enormous destructibility of the maps in The Finals to transform the arenas to your advantage and gain a tactical edge.

In addition to the ability to blow up entire buildings, you can also sneak up on your opponents and eliminate them as quietly as possible. Overall, you freely configure your loadout, choosing the weapons, skills, and devices you want to use.

A two-week closed beta of The Finals is currently running, in which MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider has participated.

Here you can see gameplay from the “The Finals” beta:

Start video
The Finals: Beta Gameplay – 2 complete Matches

The Finals brings fresh air to the tired shooter genre

Why is The Finals so popular? The Finals started its closed beta on March 7 and already had a peak of 123,000 viewers on Twitch on the first day (via Sullygnome). But why is the shooter so popular?

The Finals brings fresh air to the shooter genre. It is a new, unused IP. Moreover, the big names in the genre are currently facing tough challenges.

With The Finals, a completely new free-to-play shooter is entering the market, which shooter fans can hope for and which does not occupy the known sub-genres. It is neither a new “battle royal” shooter nor an EFT-like.

Appropriately, The Finals brings along some features that will make the hearts of shooter fans race. These include modern weapons and gadgets, exceptional movement, and a developer team experienced in shooters – at Embark Studio, former DICE and Battlefield employees like Patrick Söderlund and Robert Runessson are working.

All of this makes The Finals a game that shooter fans should at least check out. However, access to the closed beta is restricted and not everyone was invited to the test. For many, the only option is to watch a stream to get a first impression of the gameplay outside of trailers.

Can you still join the beta? Yes, the closed beta is still running for two more weeks, and in theory, you can still participate. You need to request access to the test on The Finals’ Steam page. However, there is no guarantee that you will get access afterward.

The Finals: Beta keys – how to get into the closed beta on Steam

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

New medieval MMORPG on Steam finally shows gameplay again after 7 months – Looks much better

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

Past Fate is a new medieval MMORPG that focuses on seafaring and action-packed battles. It has been in development for several years and frequently holds alpha tests on Steam. Recently, new gameplay has been released that looks significantly better than in the summer of 2022.

What kind of game is it? Past Fate is a sandbox MMORPG where shared gameplay and exploration are supposed to play an important role. You can play both on land and explore the seas with a ship.

  • You create your character from one of five different classes – Warrior, Necromancer, Mage, Pirate, Priest.
  • Past Fate employs an action combat system with a limited number of skills. It roughly resembles New World.
  • You can build ships yourself and travel to different islands to discover treasures. You can assemble a crew of NPCs for your ship, including archers, gunners, or melee fighters, as there will also be naval battles.
  • For PvE fans, there will be dungeons for 5 players starting at level 10, and raids for 25 players in the endgame. Additionally, you can fight bosses in the open world.

Past Fate separates the game into PvE and PvP servers. Although both servers will have PvP arenas for 1v1 and 3v3 fights, battlegrounds like a Capture the Flag, and battles for territories, the “compulsion” will differ.

While on PvP servers combat can happen everywhere, on PvE servers it is only possible in “contested zones.” It remains unclear whether you need to actively mark yourself for PvP in contested territories or if you can be attacked automatically.

What is the status of the game? Currently, Past Fate is still in alpha. Smaller tests take place on Steam every month.

What’s new? The developers have released 30 minutes of gameplay from the alpha. This gameplay can be easily compared to an old video from 2022, as the first minutes are completely identical. However, the new gameplay looks significantly nicer:

Start video
Past Fate – 30 Minutes Alpha Gameplay

Better animations, better water, and better UI

What does the new gameplay show? In the video, you see the first 30 minutes of Past Fate. Quests are completed, first fights are conducted, and materials are collected. You can also watch underwater swimming.

Right from the start, it’s noticeable that the player character no longer moves as stiffly as in the first gameplay video (via YouTube). The combat animations are also smoother, although they feel somewhat slower.

The environment appears more detailed, especially the grass and water effects. The UI has also been improved. The quest interface is more clearly structured, the health points bar is better integrated, and crafting looks better as well.

Nevertheless, Past Fate maintains an “old school look.” It cannot compete with some modern titles like New World or the upcoming Ashes of Creation.

More on new MMORPGs on MeinMMO:

When will Past Fate be released? There is currently no release date. It is also unclear whether the MMORPG will be Buy2Play or Free2Play. There is supposed to be a shop that only offers cosmetic items.

What do you think of Past Fate? Does this MMORPG appeal to you, or is it graphically and content-wise not your type? Feel free to share it in the comments.

Those looking for more new MMORPGs will find them in this list:

All 59 MMORPGs currently in development for PC

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitter CEO publicly accused one of his employees of inventing a disability, now apologizes

Lydia Lydia Reading time 3 minutes

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, got into a public verbal exchange with an employee. He not only questioned their work but also the authenticity of their disability. Now he is backtracking and apologizing.

What led to the verbal exchange? Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, there have been several waves of layoffs. By the end of February 2023, reports indicated that at least 200 employees were fired again.

Who is the employee? Among those terminated was apparently the Icelander Haraldur “Halli” Thorleifsson (Icelandic: Þorleifsson), who sold his company Ueno to Twitter in 2021 and had been working for the short messaging service since.

Halli, as he calls himself, is an Icelander entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was named Icelandic businessman of the year in 2019 and launched a project in 2021 to help local businesses provide accessible services for users of mobility aids.

As the 45-year-old explained, he did not receive any notification about the end of his employment; only access to his work computer was blocked.

According to his account, he could not reach any officials and eventually reached out to Elon Musk directly via Twitter after days of uncertainty: “If enough people share this, maybe you will respond to me here?” (via Twitter).

Musk reacted in the worst possible way by engaging in a public back-and-forth. However, the confrontation did not go as Twitter’s CEO had envisioned.

Start video
The “Deep Dive” is supposed to immerse us into MMORPGs deeper than ever before – What is it actually?

Musk engages in Twitter exchange

How did Musk respond? The 51-year-old replied to the tweet by asking what work he had actually done. After Halli confirmed that he was not bound by confidentiality agreements, he listed what he had done for the company.

However, Musk not only questioned the work done but also claimed that the employee was only going public because he was after a large payout – although he was already wealthy. The fortune that Twitter’s CEO referred to comes from the sale of Ueno to Twitter.

Furthermore, he publicly doubted that Halli, who has a hereditary muscle disease and uses a wheelchair, had a disability: after all, he could tweet.

The reason he confronted me publicly was to get a large payout. As far as I know, he has hardly worked in the last four months, neither in middle management nor anywhere else.

Despite his claims on Twitter that he worked, it has turned out that he told the HR department he couldn’t work because he couldn’t type, but during the same period typed up a storm on Twitter.

Musk provided no evidence. Instead, the 51-year-old seemed to get deeper into a hole, eventually stating that supporting Halli made him lose faith in humanity.

What did Halli have to say about it? The former employee meanwhile confirmed that he had now received confirmation of his dismissal and summarized the events in a series of tweets (via Twitter).

Additionally, he ruthlessly laid bare the details of his disability and peppered the thread with jabs directed at Musk: he thanked the CEO for his concern about his fingers, stating that writing shorter texts was fine, but after a long time, his hands would cramp.

There was also a note that Musk had publicly disclosed confidential health information with his tweets. Here we show you a relevant excerpt from the thread, but it’s worth reading it in full (via Twitter).

Halli explains the nuances of his disability to Musk

Musk backtracks: “Had wrong information”

On March 7, the Twitter CEO suddenly took a different tone: In response to a comment, he stated that he had been in contact with Halli and admitted that Twitter might not be the ideal platform for such a conversation:

Due to your comment, I just had a video call with Halli to find out what is true and what I was told. It’s a long story. It’s better to talk to people than to communicate via a tweet.

Soon after, Musk apologized in a separate tweet: He had misunderstood the situation and received false and partly irrelevant information. Halli is considering staying on Twitter. He has not yet commented on whether he actually wants to stay at the company.

More news on MeinMMO:

Elon Musk seems to view Twitter as a kind of game. He does not post there as the CEO of the company, but as a private person who wants to express opinions and hot takes.

A careless tweet can quickly ruin a career:

A gaming YouTuber posts incorrectly on Twitter – Ruining 8 years of work with a tweet

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Forbes
  2. Spiegel
  3. haraldurthorleifsson.com

Destiny 2: Players blow themselves up for commendations – thus circumventing explosively new system

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2 there is a new ranking system that allows players to appreciate each other in order to be seen as a valuable team member. However, just one week after Lightfall, 6000 praises or more are worth nothing. We tell you why.

Which system did the Guardians cheat? At the launch of Lightfall, Destiny 2 introduced an appreciation system.

  • With the system, Guardians can express their honest appreciation for team members who have stood out positively.
  • After completing certain activities, the praise is selected through cards with different meanings, such as “Thoughtful”, “Indispensable”, or “Selfless”.

In itself, a noble thing. But on the way to 6000 praises for a triumph, the players of Destiny 2 are immediately ready to cheat the system.

The noble gestures, which were intended as a long-term commitment in Destiny 2, are already worthless one week after the launch of Lightfall because Guardians always want to be the best.

In the new Lightfall raid, players will also be able to evaluate each other. It starts on March 10:

Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Trailer-„Root of Nightmares“ raid race for World First

This is how the Guardians are currently circumventing the system: It didn’t take a week for players to discover ways to tilt the system. Simply join an activity as a group that wants to bypass the system, die quickly there, and start over.

If you look at Bungie’s LFG system (Looking for Group), you’ll find countless player requests actively seeking to collect praises. Also, in several Destiny Discords, players are already looking for fellow cheaters. And via YouTube, there are already guides on this.

In these activities, Guardians particularly like to die voluntarily for their praise:

  • In the activity “Urquell” at the Grandmaster difficulty level
  • Also popular is the raid “Last Wish” with “Petra’s Run”, as raid praise is more valuable

Specifically for “Petra’s Run”, there are players who, thanks to community macros that have existed for some time for the Wish Wall, even offer faster runs. Apparently, players don’t want to wait long for their praise.

In Destiny 2, players can now appreciate each other long-term – but cheating quickly is easier

Normally, it would take a while to earn enough appreciation. The system was also supposed to serve as a guideline for other players to assess someone’s experience level. But some Guardians don’t care, as they just want to be the best.

Here we explain how the appreciation system actually works:

More on the topic
Destiny 2: How you can now thank and rate other players in Lightfall
von Christos Tsogos

So if you are out and about in Destiny 2 next week and see Guardians with rank 10 or 11, you can assume that these players have likely cheated for their noble status.

Instead of valuable recognition from others, they have probably just monotonously jumped off a cliff or blown themselves up for hours.

If you’re interested in more about Destiny 2 then here you go:

This change could solve the problem: Some players are already calling for Bungie to improve the system, as there is not only the aforementioned criticism. Players also complain that the system is too subtle.

  • Praises are often only distributed to Guardians who stand out due to their armor in the evaluation overview.
  • The evaluation screen is often overlooked, so no evaluations are made.
  • Or players are still looking through their loot and simply miss the extremely short time window to express their appreciation.
  • Additionally, there are usually very few options available. “Brings Joy” or “Competent” can each only be given once.

Bungie still has room for improvement to make this system better. For example, if it were no longer possible to evaluate after a team fail in orbit, this cheese would also be history.

Honestly: How many praises have you been able to collect so far? And were all of these honorably earned? How do you like the new appreciation system overall? And what would you say to the cheaters? Feel free to leave us a comment about whether you have encountered any Guardians with rank 10 or 11.

Yesterday, an old acquaintance made a return in a new Exo mission in Destiny 2:

The grumpiest character in Destiny 2 is not dead – you can now let him insult you again

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Cheese Forever

Players discuss drug abuse in eSports – “When will this be banned? Some play for 6-figure prize money”

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 3 minutes

Currently, there is again a larger discussion regarding the topic of “Adderall”. The medication is prescribed in the USA for the treatment of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), but contains amphetamines. Accordingly, it is often abused in e-sports for performance enhancement.

What is Adderall? While in Germany the concentration-enhancing medication “Ritalin” is primarily prescribed for ADHD diagnoses, in the USA people tend to use Adderall.

What is the problem with the medication? Unlike Ritalin, Adderall contains amphetamines. These are synthetic stimulants that are used for performance enhancement. Amphetamines are also used in party drugs, often referred to as “speed” in Germany.

Adderall is a medication prescribed for “Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD). It is a mixture of salts of dexamphetamine and amphetamine.

It is abused as a “smart drug”: Adderall promotes concentration and keeps one awake. However, abusing the drug poses a variety of health risks, ranging from seizures and tremors to muscle breakdown and kidney failure, as well as strokes, depression, and chronic psychoses.

At MeinMMO, our expertise lies in video games, not in pharmacy. For more information on Adderall, you should consult a physician you trust.

The medications are prescription-only. From my own experience, I know how difficult ADHD diagnoses can be. There is no test strip that clearly shows whether one suffers from the disorder. One relies on psychological tests. I was also prescribed Ritalin as a child, although I never suffered from ADHD.

If one is determined, one gets the prescription. The current discussion shows the extent of abuse in e-sports, and players are calling for a ban on such medications in official e-sports events.

What do e-sports athletes say about the topic? The trigger for the new discussion was a tweet from “@ImperialHal” on Twitter. ImperialHal plays the shooter Apex Legends for “Team Solo Mid” (TSM). He writes:

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Tweet translation: “When will Adderall be banned in e-sports? Some of us are playing for six-figure prize pools. Organizers should take the initiative and create a better competitive environment”.

The tweet went through the scene, was viewed over 3 million times, and gathered hundreds of comments. Some e-sports athletes shared their experiences, such as former professional player Jon Kefaloukos:

Tweet translation: “I have been saying this since 2007. Back then, I walked into a bathroom at an MLG event because I felt sick. While there, I saw Halo players snorting Adderall as a performance-enhancing drug for gaming”.

The tweet shows how long the problem has existed. Some consider it an “open secret” that it is quite normal to abuse Adderall in e-sports. We have already published several articles on this topic on MeinMMO:

Even e-sports journalist Jack Lucky got involved and quickly organized an interview with a Fortnite pro on the topic:

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The assessment of the active pro: The use of Adderall in e-sports is very widespread. He knows players who are prescribed Adderall and triple their dose on a tournament day.

The older the players are, the more abuse occurs. In his Fortnite environment, many have been prescribed Adderall or are using prescriptions from others to get the medication.

The older one is, the more likely one knows methods to obtain Adderall otherwise. The pro believes that in games like Valorant or Counter-Strike, the abuse has become significantly stronger.

Some measures are already being taken against the abuse. For example, Counter-Strike has introduced random drug testing in its highest divisions (via esports.net). However, this is only for the highest divisions. Everything below the top level is still under-regulated or not regulated at all.

More stories on MeinMMO:

This is certainly a controversial topic. If one aims for a ban, it might exclude players for whom the medication is genuinely helpful. If everything remains as it is, little will change regarding the abuse of Adderall in e-sports.

Even one of the largest Twitch streamers once shared what influence Adderall had on him: Twitch streamer says his life was built around a concentration drug.

What is your stance on the issue – to ban or not? Have you had similar experiences with such concentration-enhancing substances, perhaps in school or during studies? Leave a comment on the topic.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Modern MMORPGs have a grind aspect that used to be much rarer and is really annoying

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 4 minutes

In the past, everything was better, some players say that about MMORPGs. This is not true for many elements, such as graphics, combat systems, or often the general scope of content. But MMORPGs used to be played differently, and that was mainly due to how grinding was done, says MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch.

MMORPGs have always been grind-heavy games. If I want to be among the best, I need to invest time. I must reach max level, farm the perfect equipment, and learn the mechanics of bosses as well as my own class. If I want to be the best PvP player, I need to understand all classes in the game.

However, something about grinding has changed in recent years. In the past, I played and farmed the things that I simply enjoyed:

  • In Guild Wars 1, I spent countless evenings farming reputation for the Luxon faction with friends, or we repeatedly entered the Rift – an elite instance – to complete the Rift armor. Plus, I loved coming up with crazy farm builds that allowed me to solo bosses, such as with skills like Shadowform that made me immune to spells.
  • In Ragnarok Online, I often went to low-level areas to farm mobs for useful loot to sell for a good price. It was simple and effective.
  • Even in the early days of Guild Wars 2, I enjoyed simply farming specific materials at certain locations – without any guidelines or restrictions.

Today, however, much of the grind involves repeatedly completing specific tasks, especially daily and weekly quests. And that can be quite annoying.

Daily tasks are effective, and it’s bad if you miss them

The idea behind these tasks is clear to me: the developers want me to log in regularly, thus boosting player statistics and making it more likely for me to spend money. As a result, some MMORPGs almost begin to feel like work.

Guild Wars 2, for example, has introduced more daily and weekly tasks over time. Initially, the system was very open, with simple rewards for X kills, X different mob types, X events, and X resources collected per day. I could complete these achievements almost anywhere, regardless of my playstyle.

Guild Wars 2 daily achievements
Guild Wars 2 daily achievements today
On the left, the old 4 achievements, on the right, the current 133 tasks.

Today, I must complete more specific tasks and am forced into different contents, such as WvW, minigames, or PvP. Additionally, there are daily rewards for attack missions, fractals, world bosses, and weekly rewards for raids. On top of that, there are a lot more daily cooldowns, such as for crafting, material converters, or certain vendors.

Moreover, in 2013, daily login rewards were introduced, which naturally encourage players to log in every day.

Now I don’t have to do these daily contents, but I know that I will miss out on money and important rewards. This triggers “Fear Of Missing Out” – the fear of missing something if I don’t log in and complete the tasks daily.

Others are doing it too and have an advantage! Plus, I could really use that gold or those materials next week. If only I had logged in … Such thoughts are familiar to most of you.

Start video
5 MMORPGs with the most beautiful graphics

Even in my current favorite MMORPG, New World, I am playing less the content I want, and instead focus on grinding gypsum casts for a higher gear level.

Additionally, I complete three faction missions daily, at least two dungeons, two rounds of Outpost Rush, and run a round of portal events. In the beginning, this was quite varied but now feels more like work.

However, it is perfected by Lost Ark. Ideally, you do every day:

  • 2 Chaos Dungeons
  • 2 Guardian Raids
  • 3 Daily Achievements

However, not just once, but all this on 6 different characters. Each of these brings rewards. Additionally, there is once account-wide the Adventure Island, a boss rush, a cube, and a world boss or chaos gate. That adds up to about 2-4 play hours per day.

On top of that, there are weekly raids that you ideally complete with multiple characters. If you don’t want to miss anything, you can easily spend 30 play hours a week just on these challenges – login rewards included.

More about MMORPGs on MeinMMO:

Grind yes, but does it have to be annoying and dictated by developers?

Those who read my columns know that I view grind critically – especially when it could simply be avoided:

  • I reluctantly struggle through long leveling phases in older MMORPGs, such as FFXIV, and appreciate that you can buy story skips.
  • In Lost Ark, I invested 90 euros to reach an acceptable point in the endgame.
  • I am even convinced that MMORPGs without catchup mechanics will decline in the long run because many simply do not want to invest weeks or months to catch up with their friends.

However, in the endgame itself, I can fully understand the grind. If you want the perfect equipment or the most money, you need to invest time. But this time should be spent where you have fun, not where the game forces you to go.

Because often, these daily and weekly restrictions ensure that I can only play a certain content once. I can’t spend dozens of hours every day in an instance, like the Rift in Guild Wars 1. Often, it isn’t worth going back to an instance after one run – or in the case of Lost Ark after 6 characters.

So I am not only forced into specific contents but also excluded, at least a little, from those that I enjoy. That’s why some MMORPGs feel more like work than fun.

What do you think about daily and weekly tasks and cooldowns? Is that something good, or could you do without them?

By the way, those hoping for a new MMORPG with a lot of freedom should keep this title on their radar:

Ex-developer from EVE Online is building a new MMORPG in Unreal Engine 5 – Promising maximum freedom and strong details

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In Pokémon GO you can now catch Shiny Farb eagle for a short time – Here’s how to do it

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

Shiny Farbigeagle is currently active in Pokémon GO. Here we summarize how you can encounter Farbigeagle.

When is Shiny Farbigeagle available? Shiny Farbigeagle can currently be caught during the Color Festival event in Pokémon GO. This runs from March 8 at 10:00 AM to March 14 at 8:00 PM. Thus, it is the first comprehensive event of the new season Rising Heroes in Pokémon GO.

After that, the Shiny version of Farbigeagle will be disabled again. Shiny Farbigeagle is thus one of the few special cases, as most Pokémon are usually available as shiny after their shiny debut. In contrast, Farbigeagle appears as a shiny variant through various events.

Therefore, you should hurry if you want to have the shiny. But how do you get it?

What the new season of Pokémon GO contains is hinted at in the trailer:

Start video
Pokémon GO starts new season „Rising Heroes”

How to Catch Farbigeagle in Pokémon GO

This is how you encounter Farbigeagle: To encounter Farbigeagle, you must use the snapshot feature.

  • Select a Pokémon from your collection
  • Use the camera icon
  • Take a photo of the Pokémon
  • Whether Farbigeagle appears can be seen in the preview of your photo
  • Exit the menu. In the wild, Farbigeagle will now appear next to you to catch
  • Repeat these steps for further encounters.

A special case: Farbigeagle gets the attacks of the Pokémon you used for the snapshot.

Shiny Farbigeagle Pokemon GO
The comparison between normal Farbigeagle and shinies

How do I find Shiny Farbigeagle? Here, you have to keep trying until it appears – because the shiny appearance is random as always. How high the chance is during the Color Festival is still unclear – however, trainers report that in the past there was an increased shiny chance for Farbigeagle (via reddit). Here, it is said to wait for data while the event is running.

More about Pokémon GO on MeinMMO:

Another obstacle: encounters with Farbigeagle per day are currently limited, and according to current information, you cannot reliably trigger a snapshot encounter. According to the trainers from “TheSilphRoad”, the current encounter rate is said to be about one encounter per 5 snapshots (via TheSilphRoad).

Then you just have to hope that the shiny variant actually appears. So here it is: Keep trying until it works.

If you purchased the Jirachi research, by the way, Farbigeagle is a good way to secure some Johto spawns. Because during the research, you need to catch 385 Pokémon that first appeared in Johto. Farbigeagle is among them.

The overview of the research with shiny Jirachi and all steps can be found here.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitch loses its ultra-smart MMORPG expert after the disaster at TwitchCon: ‘They mess up too much’

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The British content creator Josh Strife Hayes (26) is considered one of the most important voices regarding MMORPGs and MMOs. His video series on MMO design or bad Pay2Win tricks in Diablo Immortal reach millions of viewers. However, Hayes has apparently had enough of Twitch: The TwitchCon incident involving the foam pit was too much for him: During a PR event, streamer Adriana Chechik broke her back in two places.

Who is Josh Strife Hayes?

Twitch clips can also be fun:

Start video
Twitch: One of the most popular clips shows a super sweet scare moment

Hayes used to work in a trampoline park: Safety comes first

What bothers Hayes about Twitch? In a clip, Hayes says (via youtube):

Twitch has messed up too many things lately. The TwitchCon was not organized as well as it should have been and was not safe. They no longer treat Twitch partners as well. There are now many justified complaints. I want to give YouTube a chance now – and so far, it’s okay.

Hayes specifically talks about the incident at TwitchCon, where streamer Adriana Chechik broke her back in two places when she jumped from a platform into a foam pit that was apparently too shallow to ensure the safety of the streamers.

Chechik accused the event organizers: They even urged streamers to jump into the pit.

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Hayes says he worked in a trampoline park and was drilled on safety regulations. He cannot understand how the incident at TwitchCon could happen in that way:

Safety in situations like this comes first. If someone gets hurt, you shut the thing down. Then you find out what went wrong. You find out immediately where the error was and correct it.

Foam pits must be at least 2 meters deep and have numerous safety measures to mitigate the impact of a fall:

If I had worked there at an event, I would have said: This is not safe. This is absolutely not safe. It is impossible that 2 foam blocks on a concrete floor can protect anyone.

Hayes considers the waiver form that Twitch streamer signed to be invalid: Such a waiver cannot protect anyone from negligence.

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The streamer explains his view on the incident at TwitchCon.

Is he really switching? Hayes streams only irregularly on Twitch. In September, he did 2 streams for 7 hours.

After his announcement on October 10 that he finds Twitch to be getting worse, he was only briefly back on Twitch once for less than 2 hours. Since then, Hayes has not been active on the platform.

More on the topic
Twitch streamer breaks her back in 2 places during PR stunt – Blames company at TwitchCon
von Schuhmann

YouTube is becoming more exciting for “clean” live streamers

What’s behind it: The atmosphere on Twitch is becoming harsher. Hayes’s decision to move his live streaming from Twitch to YouTube could also be influenced by the fact that Twitch has reduced the 70/30 split. They are clearly signaling to the streamers: Amazon wants Twitch to make money. Please do more advertising for Amazon Prime and run more of your own ads.

Since a rule change in August, Twitch partners now have the option to stream on other platforms as well.

For “clean” content creators like Hayes, YouTube is an exciting alternative. The platform has already made lucrative offers for a switch to some “nice, smart” streamers from Twitch. Streamer DrLupo mentioned that with the money YouTube pays him, he is “set for life”.

Especially for Hayes, who has his main content on YouTube and reaches the most viewers there, the platform is becoming more and more attractive.

And events like TwitchCon are apparently not a plus for the Amazon subsidiary.

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Twitch must now be careful not to lose too many of the people who have made the streaming platform so attractive to viewers and advertisers in recent years. It might be likely that we will only see Josh Strife Hayes on Twitch when Asmongold is looking for content again:

YouTube bites off the best pieces from Twitch – Makes 2022 get all that right which Microsoft got wrong in 2020

Did he stick to his announcement? Update, March 8, 2023: Indeed, Hayes has largely withdrawn from Twitch after his announcement. Since he made the statement, he has been live on Twitch only 2 times, on October 19 and December 30, 2022:

  • In 2021, Hayes was seen on Twitch for 384 hours
  • By the time of his statement, he had already streamed 154 hours in 2022
  • After the statement, there were only 8 hours in 2022
  • In 2023, he has not been seen on Twitch at all so far
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The Finals: Beta Keys – How to access the Closed Beta on Steam

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 3 minutes

The Finals is a new first-person shooter where you can break through any wall. Here you will find a brief introduction, all the information about the closed beta on Steam, and how you can have a chance at beta keys.

The Embark Studios were founded by DICE veterans who previously worked on titles like Battlefield. They set out to create a fast-paced first-person shooter that focuses on map destruction.

The Finals has emerged – a shooter with fast movement, 3 different classes, and more explosions in a match than during the capture of a breakthrough point in Battlefield 2042. And that’s currently quite a lot.

  • From March 7th to March 21st, you can test The Finals in the closed beta. To do so, go to the Steam page of the game and request access (via Steam). However, there is no guarantee that you will be able to participate.

Shortly after the beta started, there were also guaranteed keys in the Steelseries app (Download via steelseries.com). The keys are now depleted. However, more may come to the app. Keep an eye on the “Giveaways” tab in the app.

The Finals does not yet have a release date. However, it is coming as a free-to-play game on Steam and is funded through a battle pass and an in-game shop with cosmetics.

We have already played The Finals. If you want to see 2 complete matches, then start our video:

Start video
The Finals: Beta Gameplay – 2 complete Matches

What does The Finals offer besides map destruction? The shooter defines itself through short rounds that last only 8 minutes. This feels quite fast-paced. Overall, 4 teams of 3 competitors each fight in a match.

The teams first need to activate a cash canister and stuff the canister into a cashout box. The box must be defended until the cash lands in the account. If you go down or wipe your entire team, you can also lose cash.

Whoever has the most cash in their account at the end of the 8 minutes wins the round. In ranked mode, everything takes place as a tournament.

You have many tools at your disposal, distributed across 3 classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. Each class has its own weapons and gadgets, some of which are shared with other classes. However, each class has its own specializations unique to that class.

the finals beta hole in the ground
The Finals is pure destruction: Here the entire ground under the objective is already missing.

The light class offers mobile gadgets and features a grappling hook as a specialization. The medium offers an assault rifle and support gadgets. The heavy has hands full of explosives and a melee attack that crashes through walls.

The selection is large, and communication for team synergies is important. Together with the “dynamic” map construction, this allows for a lot of tactics and team gameplay.

To add more variety, smaller events also start in each match – like low gravity or increased damage. The last minutes thus bring an extra touch of chaos.

More about Steam on MeinMMO:

As soon as there are more updates about the release and beta participation, you will find out about it on MeinMMO. Until then, leave us your first impressions of the game and check out the gameplay above in the article. If you have questions about The Finals, there is space for that in the comments.

If you would prefer to discover an interesting game on Steam, then check here: Realistic space RTS on Steam makes you the captain of a whole fleet, is 93% positive

To add more variety, smaller events also start in each match – like low gravity or increased damage. The last minutes thus bring an extra touch of chaos.

More about Steam on MeinMMO:

As soon as there are more updates about the release and beta participation, you will find out about it on MeinMMO. Until then, leave us your first impressions of the game and check out the gameplay above in the article. If you have questions about The Finals, there is space for that in the comments.

If you would prefer to discover an interesting game on Steam, then check here: Realistic space RTS on Steam makes you the captain of a whole fleet, is 93% positive

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Escape from Tarkov bans 6,700 cheaters and exposes them: “Justice has been served enough”

Lydia Lydia Reading time 2 minutes

The extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov continues to enjoy great popularity even years after its release. If only it weren’t for the pesky hackers who regularly ruin the fun for players. The developers have been accused of not doing enough against the “cheater plague,” and now they are making a clear statement.

What is the cheating problem about? Since the server wipe in December, players of Escape from Tarkov have increasingly complained about brazen hackers and cheaters. They don’t even bother to hide their cheating.

The developers were accused of not doing enough against the cheater plague. Nikita Buanov, the game director, addressed the issues via reddit and assured that they are taking care of it, working on solutions, and banning thousands of cheaters.

More on the topic
Players accuse Escape from Tarkov of doing nothing against the cheater plague – Now the boss speaks plainly
von Maik Schneider

Simply banning users of wallhacks, aimbots, and the like apparently was not enough for the developers at Battlestate Games. They wanted to make a statement and publicly expose the troublemakers.

Here you can find a trailer for the latest map “Streets of Tarkov”:

Start video
Escape from Tarkov – Trailer for Patch 0.13

Signs against cheaters and for honest players

What are the developers doing? As reported by the US site TechCrunch, Tarkov alone banned 6,700 cheaters last week. But that’s not all. Additionally, the usernames of each individual were shared publicly in a practical spreadsheet.

What’s the point? The publication of player names is intended to work in two ways: On the one hand, the cheaters are publicly exposed, and on the other, the honest players are shown that Battlestate is doing something about the problem:

We want honest players to see the nicknames of the cheaters to know that justice has been served and that the cheater who killed them in the raid has been punished and banned.

Battlestate spokesperson Dmitri Ogorodnikov via TechCrunch

This radical approach is not intended to be a one-time thing; rather, the names of cheaters are to be published regularly from now on. The Tarkov Twitter account already features several spreadsheets, which include not only cheaters but also banned real-money sellers (via Twitter).

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How does the community react? Reactions on Twitter are rather mixed. While the attempt to combat cheaters is quite positively received, some players do report being able to perceive a change.

However, the general public seems to have little hope that this problem can actually be brought under control. They report ongoing encounters with cheaters, who simply buy a new account anyway; moreover, some claim that the bans do not always target the right individuals, but also include innocents (via Twitter).

More about Tarkov on MeinMMO:

The Tarkov streamer Lvndmark, who has also been accused of cheating, is not on the list. However, a player named “LvndMalk” is. The original has now developed his own concept to deal with the problem:

Twitch streamer resorts to unusual means to refute cheating accusations in Tarkov – With questionable success

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PC Gamer
  2. TechCrunch

The head of the “League-of-Legends-MMORPG” resigns, leaves Riot

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The MMORPG of League of Legends is eagerly awaited. But the boss is stepping down – and leaving Riot completely.

Those looking for new, big MMORPGs have had little to laugh about in recent years. A beacon of hope is the “League of Legends” MMORPG, which is considered one of the most ambitious MMORPG projects ever. However, fans now have to take a hit – as the project’s head, Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street, is leaving Riot before the MMORPG is finished.

Who is Greg Street? Greg Street is likely familiar to many old veterans of World of Warcraft, as he was known as “Ghostcrawler” and worked for Blizzard on the development of WoW for many years. He was the Lead Systems Designer during the era of Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm and was especially known for his open communication with the community. Almost 9 years ago, he switched to Riot and was responsible for League of Legends for a long time. In the last 3 years, he assembled the team for the upcoming “LoL-MMOPRG” and took over the lead there.

More about League of Legends and the associated MMO can be found here:

Why does Street leave the company? After several weeks of silence, Street announced on Twitter on March 7 that he is leaving Riot Games. There are several reasons for this, as it is a “mixture of professional and personal considerations”.

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Apparently, there have been some deaths in his family, which is why he wants to be “closer to the surviving family”.

For the LoL-MMO, Street still sees a bright future ahead. He stated:

I said from the beginning that it would be a long road to build a League of Legends MMO that is worthy of you. The most important job I could do was to build a fantastic team, and while I try to remain humble, I will always brag about this team!

The MMO is in good hands, and it is the right time to pass the reins for the next phase.

I plan to continue in game development, and I have already been presented with some exciting opportunities. And I will be with all of you and play the Riot MMO when it releases.

Where will Greg Street work in the future? So far, Street has not revealed where he will work in the future – although many WoW veterans hope that he will return to his former home. However, it is probably not long before he reveals where he will settle down next.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Fraudsters use AI to make known scams even more dangerous – Should deceive grandparents

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

An old scam is now more dangerous, as artificial intelligence offers scammers new ways to deceive their victims.

What scam are we talking about? The “grandchild scam” is a well-known trick that most people have heard of – a fraudster calls elderly individuals and pretends to be a grandchild of the victims. The fraudster concocts a dangerous situation or an emergency, such as saying that the grandchild is in jail and needs money from the grandparents.

But the grandchild scam is becoming even more dangerous, as fraudsters now use artificial intelligence to imitate a grandchild’s voice and sound like them.

This is what makes the scam so dangerous: With the use of artificial intelligence, scammers can analyze and imitate voice recordings. The AI recognizes the nuances in a person’s speaking habits and mimics them.

The fraudster then inputs a text that the AI renders in the voice that was previously analyzed. Victims of the scam can no longer recognize by voice that the speakers are not their relatives.

Fraudsters imitate grandchildren and children using AI

Examples of fraud using AI: The Washington Post reports on an incident involving a couple, Ruth (73) and Greg Card (75). The Canadian seniors say that a man on the phone, who sounded exactly like their grandson Brandon, claimed he was in prison and needed money for bail.

A similar incident reportedly happened to a man named Benjamin Perkin, whose parents were defrauded of over $15,000.

His parents allegedly received a call from a supposed lawyer who said their son was in jail and needed money for legal fees. The lawyer then transferred the phone to the son, Benjamin Perkin, who confirmed that he needed the money.

Benjamin Perkin’s parents were convinced they were speaking with their son because the voice sounded like his. However, he was neither on the phone nor in jail.

If you’re interested in learning more about artificial intelligence:

Where the perpetrators obtained the recording of Perkins’ voice is unclear, according to the Washington Post, but he speaks about his hobby, snowboarding, in videos on YouTube. Other social networks like TikTok, Instagram, or the streaming platform Twitch provide opportunities for scammers to access recordings of your voice.

How authentic such an AI-based imitation of a voice is has already been noted by Twitch streamer Asmongold. The streamer watched a clip during a live broadcast, in which AI imitated his voice, and was surprised by how much the recording sounded like him.

AI perfectly copies Twitch streamer Asmongold, startling the original: ‘Oh my God, this is so good’

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The grumpiest character from Destiny 2 is not dead – you can now get insulted by him again

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 5 minutes

In Destiny 2 the encroaching Darkness is no longer a distant noise. It stands right at the door of the Guardians and wants to sell them the paracausal downfall. And as if that weren’t enough, you as a Guardian are also insulted again by a grumpy scientist who should actually be dead. Have you discovered him yet?

Update March 7, 2023: Bungie revealed a new Exo mission today, and it also sends a familiar, grumpy message with the text: “You binary fool!”. So head to the European Dead Zone on Earth and find out what’s going on in the new Exo Quest “NODE.OVRD.AVALON”.

What have players discovered in Lightfall? The new expansion reveals more and more of its secrets that one could discover after the campaign.

Besides these obvious tasks, well-hidden messages have also been revealed. As players could now decipher, the Sparrow “Inner Track” from Season 20 contains a grumpy Morse code. But that’s not all. The important message was simultaneously an insult that immediately evoked old memories.

Start video
New gameplay of Destiny 2: Lightfall takes you to spectacular heights – “This moment was made for Guardians”

Secret message leads to the grimmest NPC from Destiny 2

Players decode Morse code: It took a while to discover the message and to decode the hidden Morse codes within it. But the Destiny community cracked the code, and the message revealed the following in the end:

STILL ### ALIVE ### INSIDE ### THE ### NETWORK ### IDIOTIC ### KIDS

was the decoded Morse code in the Sparrow “Inner Track”

After this insult, long-time Destiny 2 players immediately thought of the grumpy, ungrateful Vex scholar who once called them “assistants” on IO and should actually be dead. His name is: Asher Mir.

This Morse code was hidden in the lore of the Sparrows “Inner Track”

Who was Asher Mir and what happened to him? Asher Mir may not have been a hero in Destiny 2, but he was certainly grumpy in dealing with Guardians. And that’s exactly why they found him so cool. But when the dark Pyramid ships first arrived in the solar system in Season 11, it was the end for Asher Mir.

Since back then, as now in Lightfall, there was little to counter the mysterious power, the planets Mars, Mercury, IO, and Titan were evacuated before they could be consumed by the Darkness. Bungie transferred the contents into the player-hated content vault, which locked away beloved content and caused a lot of discontent.

  • Ana Bray, then NPC vendor for Mars, managed to flee the planet just in time and save the last remnants of the Warmind Rasputin in an engram.
  • Sloane, the NPC vendor from Titan, was less fortunate. She apparently did not survive.
  • Brother Vance, NPC vendor from Mercury and a crazy follower of Osiris with his own cult, likely sacrificed himself for his research in the Infinite Forest.
  • Asher Mir, the NPC vendor of IO with the Vex arm, barricaded himself in the Pyramidion and blew up the entrance. This way, the Darkness was deprived of the opportunity to claim important information from the Vex.

Since then, these planets have disappeared into darkness and are no longer accessible. Only Mars returned here and there as time dilation.

Destiny2_Asher_Mir_Titelbild
Asher Mir could return

Offensively popular: However, players and fans of Asher Mir never gave up hope that the grumpy old man somehow managed to survive. And that despite the fact that he always insulted them, constantly complained during strikes, and every now and then told them how stupid they really were because they didn’t know about Radiolaria.

Was Asher the friendly Vex Harpy? The first suspicions that Asher Mir might have survived the attack of the Darkness arose for the first time in Season 14. There, players were observed from a distance by a friendly Harpy during the last override mission.

More on the topic
Destiny 2 brings back the presumed dead, fan-loved NPC – Did you notice it?
von Christos Tsogos

Asher Mir lives and now exists in the Vex network

Season 20 in Lightfall now brings players assurance. The old man actually made it and now exists as a copy of himself in the Vex network.

Players can even see him already when they speed through the new mission Sub-Zone: Restart. He appears unexpectedly in various places and then disappears again. But you have to take some time and look closely, as this clip shows:

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Here players can meet Asher Mir in Season 20

So writes player BIONICforge Studios on YouTube:

Asher Mir was one of my personal favorite characters when Destiny 2 was released. I still miss the old man. I couldn’t be happier that he’s still around!

comments BIONICforge Studios via YouTube

Whether this will be Asher Mir’s only appearance in Year 6 of Lightfall is still unknown. But the Vex obviously have something planned, and Asher is probably one of the few NPCs in the Destiny universe who knows the most about Vex technology. So it is not excluded that his story is indeed not over yet and is only just beginning.

If you’re interested in more about Lightfall this might appeal to you:

On Neomuna, you can now hear a whisper: But this hidden message and the return of Asher Mir was apparently not everything that Lightfall has kept hidden.

Strange things are currently starting to happen in the game. Everywhere there are whispering messages that can be heard both in the minds of the inhabitants of Neomuna and in those of the Guardians. If you want to hear the messages, head to Neomuna and equip one of these items:

  • The exotic Warlock helm “Nezareks Sünde”
  • The legendary glaive “Nezareks Flüstern”

Are you happy that Asher is still alive? Or do you not even know the character? Of course, we also want to know from you if you have already heard the whispering voices? Feel free to tell us directly in the comments.

For those still farming Strand meditation, here is a short guide and a warning for all players with 3 characters:

Destiny 2 brings the first major change to Lightfall just 4 days after launch – Responds to player criticism

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Twitter

Veterans of Riot Games found new studio – raising 55 million dollars for a “next-generation open-world game”

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 2 minutes

The Believer Company is a brand new developer studio founded by two veterans from Riot Games. Through a press release, the studio announces what they are working on and how much money they have raised for the project.

What kind of game can be expected? There is still not much information available. The first project of The Believer Company is described by the responsible parties as “a next-generation open-world game with a new brand”.

They now want to assemble a world-class team, “to deliver a next-generation open-world game anchored by an original IP with stories where player choices matter and gameplay systems that bring players together instead of pulling them apart”.

The press release often mentions League of Legends and the advantages of Free2Play. It is very likely that the new game will also rely on Free2Play. There are also strong indications that it is a cross-platform game.

The Believer Company describes itself as an AAA game studio. They managed to secure funding of 55 million US dollars. While this may not necessarily be enough for a large AAA game, work on the still secret game is expected to start now.

Who is behind The Believer Company? The two founders are Steven Snow and Michael Chow. Snow was involved in the founding of Riot Games, and Chow was previously Vice President at Riot Games.

In addition to the founders, other veterans of the gaming industry are at work:

  • Landon McDowell (Microsoft, Riot Games, Linden Lab)
  • Jeremy Vanhoozer (Bungie, Electronic Arts)
  • Tim Hsu (Twitter, Riot Games)
  • Shankar Gupta-Harrison (Riot Games, Dentsu X)
  • Grace Park (League of Legends: Wild Rift)
  • Jeff Jew (League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra)

Discover games on MeinMMO:

The parties responsible are currently not revealing much about their project. However, everything sounds very much like an MMO and service game – we at MeinMMO will keep track of the topic.

What worlds are building in your mind when you see the first information? What do you wish for a game with so much Riot influence? Leave a comment on the topic.

If you would like to know more about the upcoming LoL MMORPG, check out our info hub: Everything we know about the new MMORPG for LoL in 2023

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. GamesIndustry.biz

German Twitch streamer tests how easily one can make money on OnlyFans – Makes almost $1,000 in 7 days

Lydia Lydia Reading time 2 minutes

The YouTuber Seltix is known for trying and testing all sorts of things: from dating apps to influencer products. Now he wanted to find out how lucrative an account on the paid platform OnlyFans is and dared to conduct an experiment together with the Twitch streamer Hakan (24).

What kind of experiment was it? Seltix wanted to know how easy it is to make money on OnlyFans. Originally, he wanted to try it himself, but then he didn’t feel entirely comfortable with the idea.

Instead, in his video from March 4th, the YouTuber accompanied his friend Twitch streamer Hakan, who had already been thinking about selling content on OnlyFans.

How does OnlyFans work? Seltix essentially describes OnlyFans as a social network. Users can set up their profiles and post there. However, the crucial difference is that profiles can be monetized at will, which is why the platform is primarily used for disseminating explicit content, especially pornography.

The YouTuber also explains that most of the money is not necessarily made from monthly subscriptions, but in private messages, the DMs. There, customers can chat with creators and also request certain content.

Seltix believes that in reality, often it’s not attractive models at the other end, but employees of OnlyFans agencies who take care of the “annoying part” – from chatting with customers to painstakingly selecting the appropriate photos and videos.

How easy can one get rich on OnlyFans?

How did the experiment go? Hakan started with a certain reach: he already had almost 5,000 followers on Twitch, and his main Twitter account has even a bit more. Additionally, the 24-year-old stated that he already had some experience with selling erotic images.

For the experiment, he produced content daily for 7 days and sold it – completely without an agency. If he enjoyed it, he could imagine doing it in the long term, he said beforehand. Later he explained that it had actually been hardly any effort, as he already had many of the contents but also recorded new ones.

How much did he earn? Already on the first day, the 24-year-old claimed to have earned a three-digit amount. He first ordered some food with that.

At the end of the week, Hakan had earned a total of 908 US dollars. After subtracting OnlyFans’ share, he ended up with around 687 €. He continues to operate the account even after the experiment ended (as of: March 7, 2023).

On Twitter, the content creator thanks for the support and explains that he now has “fans” in the three-digit range. On Twitch, he still wants to remain the “funny Hakan” (via Twitter).

You can watch the whole video here:

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More news on MeinMMO:

The streamer Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa is also very successful on OnlyFans. That doesn’t come as a surprise, as the 29-year-old has a well-thought-out strategy to monetize the reach built on Twitch onto OnlyFans:

29-year-old explains how she coldly exploits Twitch and earns $1.7 million a month

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2: Weekly Reset on 07.03. – New Exo- mission starts today

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 5 minutes

This week, the first week of Destiny 2: Lightfall comes to an end, and players are preparing for the new raid after the campaign. MeinMMO is gearing you up for the week with a new exo mission, and we’ll tell you what options are still available.

This week: Today marks the start of week 2 in the new DLC, and that means we are quickly approaching the raid “Root of Nightmares.” Which “Root” will be revealed in the raid is still unknown. But at least a whisper hints at strange options that were already consumed in Season 19, and it seems to be heading back into a pyramid.

To have all times and information at your fingertips, you can find information about the new raid including start date and power level requirements here.

More on the topic
Destiny 2 Lightfall: Raid „Root of Nightmares“ starts today – Everything about the start and what you need to know
von Christos Tsogos

For all Guardians who can’t find anything in the endgame, there are still plenty of other missions open and also new opportunities. The Trials and Iron Banner are taking another week off.

New exo mission available: Today, the new Exotic mission in the European Dead Zone also starts. But we don’t want to spoil it for you any further. Just keep an eye out for crystals there, and get the access code; they will reveal an entrance.

Otherwise, you can tackle these contents:

What we at MeinMMO think overall about the DLC Lightfall, you can find out here:

MeinMMO review of Destiny 2: Lightfall – A DLC hunting spree or legitimate criticism?

Destiny 2 is already heating up its players for the endgame race and shows in this trailer probably where the new Lightfall raid will take place in Season 20:

Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Trailer-„Root of Nightmares“ raid race for World First

The most important information about activities from March 7 to March 14.

[toc]

Vanguard: Nightfall – The Fire Trial

  • Battleground: Mars
    • For the first time, a battleground rotates into the nightfall strikes. And it’s going to be intense. The escalation protocol 2.0 has many enemies, scorches your Guardians with lasers, and locks you at the end in a room with a horde of enemies. The challenge should be worth it, and best of all, you can earn 2x top loot.
Earn this week’s Nightfall weapon: The shotgun “The Pursuit of the Mindbender”

What changes in Lightfall for Nightfalls: The challenges of the Vanguard will be adjusted to take these changes into account in Lightfall. In addition, Bungie will integrate scoring into the Vanguard Ops playlist. The higher your score is, the greater the multiplier for your Vanguard rank.

  • Complete Vanguard activities with the wave focus.
    • These can either be the seasonal waves for Nightfalls or the weekly waves for Vanguard Ops.
  • Complete Nightfall activities.
    • At higher difficulty levels, you will gain more progress.
    • A single top-notch Nightfall also completes this challenge. However, it will be back in the game starting April 11, 2023.

Endgame: Raid Challenges and Dungeon Rotation

  • The weekly legacy raid is “Garden of Salvation” on the Moon
  • In addition, the dungeon “Siphon of Avarice” also has extra top loot.
More on the topic
Destiny 2: All playable dungeons 2024 in the overview – How to master them
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

Bungie will continue to expand these content rotations from Season 22 onwards. Then players will not only be able to play raids and dungeons as “legacy” but also old exotic missions.

Crucible – This is the rotating PvP activity:

  • Unleash your super in a loop and go into “Inferno” against opposing Guardians

Weekly Activities

Here are the most important activities this week. Guardians can now explore the new Lightfall campaign. In Year 6, it is now the Witness instead of Savathun as the main antagonist in Destiny 2.

Neomuna – Weekly Campaign Mission

  • “First Contact”
    • In the first mission, you make first contact and get to know Strand for the very first time while wandering through Neomuna with your Guardian. Strand is the new subclass from Lightfall, and there’s something else you have to do…
The “Typhon Imperator” – Calus’ new flagship

Ascendant Challenge – Dreaming City

If you still need triumphs from the Dreaming City, pay attention. The third stage of corruption reveals new accesses with a sip of “Queensleaf Tincture.”

  • Petra Venj has this week’s 2nd Ascendant Challenge for you. You can find Petra and her quest offering at the location “The Shore” in the Dreaming City. Here too, Savathun has her fingers in play, as the curse begins to reclaim the holy city of the Awoken at level 1.

All sources for top loot in Season 20 of Destiny 2

To help you know where you can effectively obtain your top loot, we provide you with a quick overview of activities every week.

This is the new max level: In the new season of resistance (Season 20), the power level rises drastically. The maximum power level of your equipment is 1,810. Thus, the power level at the start of the new Season 20 has increased by +210 compared to the previous Season 19.

  • In Season 20 of Lightfall, Guardians start at Power Level 1600.
  • The soft cap is at 1750.
  • The powerful cap at 1800.
  • With top loot, you can reach the hard cap of 1810.

We list the currently known activities that yield top loot and thus power levels so you can level up quickly.

dungeon-30jahre-destiny2-guide-sogderhabsucht
This week, we’re going into the dungeon “Siphon of Avarice”

This top loot brings your power level up to 1,810:

  • Top raid “Root of Nightmares” (+2)
  • Top dungeon “Pillar of the Guardian” (+2)
  • Legacy raid rotation this week: “Garden of Salvation” (+2)
  • Legacy dungeon rotation “Siphon of Avarice” (+2)
  • Complete one or more Nightfall strikes and collect 200,000 points (+2)
  • Complete a Nightfall strike with the appropriate wave (+2)
  • “Eternity’s Trials”: Achieve at least 250,000 points or more (+2)
  • Complete bounties at the Strategy Table via “The Liberator Path” (+1)
  • Weekly Lightfall campaign mission
  • Complete 3 Resistance Battlegrounds in the seasonal playlist
  • Complete 3 Gambit matches (+1)
  • Complete 3 Crucible matches (+1)
  • Complete 3 Vanguard Operation Strikes with the appropriate wave (+1)
  • Hawthorne’s clan quest: Earn 5000 XP (+1)

Glimmer Highlights in the Eververse

In Lightfall and Season 20, there are many cosmetics to discover. So, directly check with Tess for what she has new in stock. How about this extraordinary and sleek ship? It costs only 2000 Glimmer, the currency earned in Destiny 2.

Exotic Ship “AOKI/FAAS SL-65”

Here is what you can get this week for Glimmer at Tess:

  • Exotic weapon ornament for the scout rifle “Tale of a Dead Man” called “Noble Burden”
  • Exotic emote “Questionable Correlation”
  • Exotic emote “Read the Card”
  • Exotic ship “Star Devil Thief”
  • Exotic ship “AOKI/FAAS SL-65”
  • Exotic Sparrow “Urban Commander”
  • Exotic Hunter ornament for the “St4mp-F3R” called “N3U3S Profile”
  • Exotic Titan ornament for the “Unruly Lion” named “Belenus Booster” Exotic Warlock ornament for the “Lunafacture Boots” called “Flurläufer”
  • Legendary emote “Stow the Rings”
  • Legendary Ghost projection “Spider Projection”
  • Legendary teleport effect “Pyramid Appearance”
  • Shader “Carbon Blood”
  • Shader “Chitin Slate”

Tip: Don’t forget to visit Ada-1 for shaders. She now offers forgotten colors in Lightfall that could also expand your collection and selection.

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Destiny 2: Weapon Chamber Boss becomes new Fashion Queen – Selling shaders that Guardians have long wished for
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

How was your first week? Are you ready for the new raid in Destiny 2? What’s your tip? Who is waiting there as an opponent for the players, and will he continue the story? Feel free to leave us a comment.

And if none of this interests you, then stop by an grumpy NPC from old days:

The grumpiest character from Destiny 2 is not dead – you can now be insulted by him again

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

YouTube: Streamer wants to adopt a child with her mother – “Feels unreal”

Lydia Lydia Reading time 3 minutes

The 31-year-old Rachell Hofstetter, known as Valkyrae, is one of the biggest female streamers on YouTube. Children were not part of her life plan so far, but that is changing now. She revealed her plans on Twitter to adopt a child together with her mother.

Valkyrae was initially successful on Twitch and then became one of the first content creators to be lured away by a lucrative exclusive contract with YouTube. There, she became huge after some initial difficulties with the indie hit Among Us and is now one of the most-watched female streamers (via sportskeeda).

Additionally, she is a co-owner of the gaming organization “100 Thieves” and works as a model. Therefore, there has been little space for a child in her life so far. In September 2022, she stated that she probably wouldn’t have children, as she is just too focused on her work and loves being busy (via Dexerto).

Now, the family is suddenly about to grow, albeit in a rather unusual way: The 31-year-old wants to adopt a child together with her mother.

Start video
Twitch: One of the most popular clips shows a super sweet scare moment

YouTuber becomes a big sister again

What will this look like? In a tweet from March 7, Valkyrae explained that she and her mother are considering adopting a baby. The child would grow up with her mother, and Valkyrae would act more as a big sister and “financially take care of [the child].”

The 31-year-old, who already has three brothers and one sister, says: “The idea of having another little sibling feels unreal.” On Twitter, she asked for personal accounts regarding adoption.

How is this being received? The post has already been seen 6.8 million times (as of March 7, 2023, 14:00) and has received numerous reactions. In the comments, people who have been adopted share their experiences or offer to speak privately with the streamer.

Among the reactions is also the Fortnite streamer Ali “Myth” Kabbani, who did the same as Valkyrae in 2022 and switched to YouTube. He reports being adopted himself and recommends being as open as possible with the child about the topic:

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Surprise and joy in the community

What do the people around her say? They expressed surprise and joy over the news. Given her statements about children, no one probably expected that the streamer would be the first among the Gaming clique Offline TV and Friends to have a child – even if only indirectly.

However, Valkyrae gives the all-clear; it probably won’t happen that quickly. The streamer explains that the adoption process will likely take several years, but now is the right time to start this long process.

Until then, the streamer appears to want to make the most of her time to inform herself and prepare as best as possible.

More news on MeinMMO:

Whether the little sibling will then play games with Valkyrae on stream is still a far-off dream. However, a guest appearance would definitely be well received, as children often provide sweet moments:

Knossi has a super sweet conversation with his 3-year-old son about participating in 7 vs. Wild

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW: After the release hype of Dragonflight: Are you still playing now?

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

The latest expansion of World of Warcraft is Dragonflight, which has generated a lot of excitement. However, the addon was released over 3 months ago. Have you lost interest already or do you still have enough to do?

How did it go for Dragonflight?

This is what is happening in Dragonflight: In the months following the release, Dragonflight has been continuously developed, and new content has been added to the game. The first raid, the Vault of the Incarnations, and the first season with Mythic+ dungeons have been opened.

Additionally, a brand new feature, the Trading Post, has been introduced, where you can earn cosmetic rewards monthly. Blizzard is continuously adjusting the class balance.

Furthermore, Patch 10.0.7, featuring a new area and new loot, is coming soon – the patch is expected to release by the end of March or early April. The update also includes the long-awaited heritage armors for Orcs and Humans.

You can see the most popular dungeons from Season 1 here in the video:

Start video
WoW Dragonflight: All Dungeons of Season 1 in the Ranking 

Survey: Are you still playing Dragonflight?

The discussions in the WoW community are still active, but not as frequently observed as at the release of the expansion, which is quite normal. When a new WoW addon is released, there is always more going on, but interest eventually wanes.

However, Dragonflight aims to have retained more players than most expansions before it and also lays several foundations for the future that the developers want to build upon. Therefore, we want to know from you: Are you still playing?

Blizzard has already revealed how Dragonflight will continue in 2023. A total of 6 content patches are planned. Patch 10.1 will be released “soon”, bringing Season 2, a new raid, and various improvements.

If you are still playing: What do you enjoy the most right now? If you have stopped: Why, and what could bring you back? Feel free to leave us a comment!

Recently, one of the founders of Blizzard spoke about how the studio became so successful:

Founder explains the surprisingly simple trick that allowed Blizzard to succeed 29 years ago

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

CoD Warzone 2: Unfair glitch gives players randomly better chances of winning – Every match can be affected

Marius Mach Marius Mach Reading time 2 minutes

A bug in Call of Duty Warzone 2 causes players to sometimes land in a squad of five or six. The large groups have a huge advantage in Al Mazrah and Ashika Island, of course, and the community is frustrated.

What kind of glitch is this? Normally, players start solo, as a duo, trio, or squad in the Warzone. However, there was also an exception to this rule: With the launch of the new Call of Duty, the “Unhinged” mode was added, which allows you to recruit additional operators into your team during a match.

However, with the start of Season 2, this game mode was removed. Nevertheless, some players are currently reporting that they are sometimes landing in a group of five or six. A Reddit user posted a photo of his team showing how 5 players are in his 4-man team.

The community has since speculated on how this bug could have occurred and whether it is even a bug at all. Many players are frustrated because of this glitch and other bugs. Up to now, the developers have not provided any explanation for this phenomenon.

With the first major update to Warzone 2, there were many new contents. You can find all features of Season 2 here in the trailer:

Start video
CoD MW2 & Warzone 2: Season 2 – Trailer

Team sizes going crazy – Up to 8 players in a 4-man team

What does that look like? Since the developers have remained silent about the incidents so far, the rumor mill is running rampant. Shortly after the Reddit thread was created, recordings from a stream started circulating.

These show the content creator “TheTacticalBrit” attempting the Nuke Challenge. To his great surprise, there were 2 additional players in his 4-man team right at the start of the match. How this group composition came about is something even the Warzone streamer could not explain. However, he took advantage of it and won the Warzone round with ease.

In the short cutscene that shows the winners at the end of the match, 6 operators can also be seen. In the credits, you can even make out groups of up to 8 players.

If you want to see it all yourself on YouTube, you can find the start of the match at timestamp 3:41:10 and the end at 4:04:40. In the comments of the stream, many viewers suspect that there is an error in matchmaking and that the game applies rules that apply to DMZ to Warzone as well.

More about Call of Duty Warzone 2 on MeinMMO:

Are you aware of the bug? Have you ever had more than the allowed number of players in your team? Do you wish for the “Unhinged mode” to return? Share your opinion with us and discuss with the community!

Twitch streamer xQc criticizes Activision Blizzard for the Steam prices – “That’s 800 $ for old content!”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dexerto

CoD Warzone 2: SBMM – What is it and can you bypass the matchmaking?

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 4 minutes

The matchmaking of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and CoD in general is constantly criticized: Keywords “SBMM” – skill-based matchmaking. But what is it actually? And can it be bypassed? MeinMMO shows you the details.

When it comes to the term “SBMM”, many CoD players’ neck hairs stand up. It is a type of matchmaking where particularly the own performance is in the foreground. So values like:

  • Kills / Deaths ratio
  • Headshot rate
  • Wins / Losses ratio

However, these are just some of the factors that play a role in assembling matches in Call of Duty.

Here you can find more background information about matchmaking, what problems players see, and what shady tricks some players use to bypass the system.

Here you can watch the trailer of Season 2 of CoD Warzone 2:

Start video
CoD MW2 & Warzone 2: Season 2 – Trailer

SBMM – Criticism of Matchmaking

What is the problem with SBMM? Call of Duty has been facing a lot of criticism from players for several years. The SBMM would be too “strict” in normal matches – it would focus too much on performance.

As an example, it is often mentioned that after a really good round, you immediately get matched with better players and lose 5 matches in a row.

Many veterans claim that the system in earlier CoD titles brought a wider range of players together – from beginners, over the casual gamers to the wannabe professionals. This often led to domination, but with some lobby luck, one could also have a great game.

Some players miss this feeling. Even though developers have repeatedly emphasized over the years that individual performance has been part of matchmaking since the early days of CoD multiplayer.

SBMM – Goal and Factors of Matchmaking

What is the goal of matchmaking in CoD? Even if you might think so, it is primarily not about fairness in matchmaking. If it were, individual performance would have a large share in matchmaking, like in the ranked play modes (example CoD Vanguard).

Ultimately, it is about keeping you in the game for as long as possible. This is a complex issue. Considering that many players go into matches with a team and 150 players are in one match, it almost becomes rocket science.

It is also correct that your lobbies generally become more difficult the better you play.

What factors determine matchmaking? Call of Duty itself is very reticent on this topic – unlike Overwatch, for example. Therefore, it is actually not possible to accurately say which factors play a role and to what extent. However, the following factors are considered certain:

  • Connection stability
  • Game region
  • Performance (of the team)
  • Input devices
  • Game platform

It is always necessary to distinguish whether you are playing an SBMM mode – this is called “Ranked Play” in the current Call of Duty. Here, performance is prioritized, but connection quality factors are still part of matchmaking.

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CoD Warzone 2 fulfills the great wish of the best players – But they actually just want to shoot noobs away
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SBMM – Bypassing and Tracking

How do some players bypass the system? Since performance is one of the matchmaking factors, these values can be influenced.

So you can intentionally play badly or blow yourself up multiple times – to the annoyance of your own team. This method is called “Reverse Boosting” and is prohibited in Call of Duty.

In addition, you can mask your past performances and play with a new account. This is called “Smurfing”. CoD does not provide any rules for this, but tracking would also be extremely difficult.

Officially allowed, but now frowned upon and no longer allowed in many public tournaments: setting up a VPN.

What is a VPN?

This refers to a Virtual Private Network. Simply put, it is a kind of intermediary server that sits between your internet connection and the servers of a website. The website only sees the information from the intermediary server, and your IP and other information do not reach the website’s server.

This brings more anonymity and security. You can also change your internet region with it and gain access to content that is otherwise only available in other regions – for example, the Netflix program of another country.

Players can change their server region, for example, and have some influence on their internet connection. The YouTuber and CoD expert “TheXclusiveAce” conducted an experimental series about this some time ago (via YouTube) and was able to slightly outsmart the matchmaking.

How can one view matchmaking data? For Warzone 1, there were many tools that collected and processed all performance data of players. From this, SBMM tables were created that were supposed to show where you stand compared to other players.

These data were pulled via an interface (API), which is currently not available for Warzone 2. Therefore, tracking sites like “CoD Tracker” currently do not work – the data is not accessible.

More about Call of Duty on MeinMMO:

As soon as there are new info or tools to track your performance, you will find more on MeinMMO.

That was the most important information about the matchmaking of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 for now. If you have any questions about the system or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments.

If you would rather read more about CoD, then check here: CoD MW2: Players are excited about the return of a 10-year-old mode – Is it a laughing stock on Shipment?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.