The city-building simulation “Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic” has suddenly disappeared from Steam four years after its release. The developers have fallen out with a fan who is now doing everything to take revenge on the development team. The amazing thing: He is successful. Apparently, he is a lawyer, and the developers are having trouble defending themselves against him and his copyright strikes.
What kind of game is this?
The strategy game is a total niche game: It simulates city planning in Eastern Europe during the time of planned economy and communism. The developers like to refer to themselves as “The Party” or “The Republic” – their players are of course “Comrades”.
The game has been playable on Steam since March 2019. It comes from the developer and publisher 3Division.
It costs about 15.39 €. At its peak, the game had 3,891 players.
You can watch the trailer with a lot of communist flair here:
Start video
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic – Trailer
“We have the 1st enemy of the Soviet Republic”
This is what the developers say: In a post on Steam, the developers explain that their game was removed from Steam due to a copyright complaint, and it cannot be purchased through Steam at the moment (via steamcommunity):
A fan of the game, who wrote a guide to the “Cosmonaut Mode,” claims to hold the rights to the “Realistic Mode”.
The developers refer to the player as “the first enemy of the Soviet Republic” and say he was once a respected member of the community and “the party,” but has now decided to betray the Republic, the party, and its ideas.
What is the conflict? The developers have begun work on the “Realistic Mode,” which the fan claims rights to. He apparently insisted on being named in the credits of the game.
The developers have indicated they would include him and other players who created guides and were particularly helpful in the credits – but only after they finish the game.
The developers say: Subsequently, the player became aggressive, hired a lawyer, and began to exploit the DMCA system on YouTube to bombard an important influencer of the game with copyright strikes.
The conflict escalated, and the developers excluded the “enemy of the Republic,” also changing the name of a challenge that the player had “invented”:
Because he chose to use extortion and abuse, we became angry at him and decided to never mention the name of the challenge he supposedly invented again and ignore him.
Player is apparently a lawyer, seeks conflict with developers
So the situation escalated further: The player escalated, reported the developers’ website, took down a video, and ultimately had the game removed from Steam.
As developer Peter Adamcik told the US site Kotaku, the situation is “very disturbing” for them.
The user apparently has knowledge of the legal system and believes he can enforce his alleged rights this way. He abuses his role as a lawyer because he thinks he can handle a trial cheaper than the developers:
“He thinks he can get anything he wants from us because we won’t get into an expensive lawsuit. But legally, he has no ground to stand on, so we will probably fight to the end.”
The developer believes the fan is taking a high risk; his reputation and finances could suffer, and what he is doing is also not ethically right.
A slight threat is implied when the developer says: If the game remains banned from Steam, there will be significant financial damage to the team and to Valve.
The developer also says: Another very sad aspect of the case is that the “DMCA” system simply does not work. Anyone can claim anything for themselves, and the service provider is forced to remove the content.
Meanwhile, there are first tests for PSVR 2. We have looked at the first reviews and explain who could benefit from Sony’s new VR system.
PlayStation VR 2, or PSVR 2, is the new VR device exclusively for the PS5. In addition to extensive hardware, the system also comes with some new exclusive titles that are intended to encourage purchases.
But what do the first tests say and who is the system actually worth it for? MeinMMO has looked at the first reviews.
PlayStation VR 2 (short: PSVR 2) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony for the PS5. Players who put on the headset can dive deeper into the game world. This includes a camera and suitable controllers that you can attach to your hands.
What is included with PSVR2?
– VR headset – PlayStation VR 2 Sense Controllers (L)/(R) with attached wrist straps – USB cable (for pairing and charging the controller) – Stereo headphones – Three pairs of ear cushions – Manual
Can I use PSVR 2 on PS4?
No, PSVR2 is only compatible with the PS5 and does not work with the PS4.
Can I play PS4 games with PSVR 2?
No, only exclusive titles for PSVR2 work with PSVR2. Your old games from the PSVR era do not work.
How many games are there for PSVR2?
As of now (February 2023), there are 36 games available at launch that you can play with the new VR device.
How much does PSVR 2 cost?
The price in Germany is 599.99 euros and is therefore higher than the entry price of the predecessor model. An edition with the exclusive game “Horizon Call of the Mountain” costs 649.99 euros. You have to pay 49.99 euros for the controller charging station.
Start video
Seht euch PSVR 2 für PS5 im Trailer an – „Das wird der VR-Szene einen großen Schub geben!“
PSVR 2 in tests: Testers praise plenty of potential, but (still) too few games
GamePro: The colleagues from GamePro report in their test of PSVR2 that the device is definitely a good start. The setup is easy and the eye tracking feature is also commendable. On the other hand, the battery life is too short and the UI on the PS5 is not very imaginative. Also, there are too few games available at launch.
Heise: The testers from Heise explain in their test that PSVR2 can easily compete with the expensive competition from Valve or Meta. On the other hand, there are only a few games that really fully utilize the hardware at the moment. The image quality is definitely very good, but for glasses wearers, the model is unsuitable, as glasses and headset do not work well together.
TomsGuide: The colleagues from TomsGuide especially praise the easy adjustment and the good haptic feedback of the controllers. Overall, the model offers a strong VR experience, even without a powerful gaming PC. The high price, which is even higher than that of the PS5 console, is particularly criticized.
TheVerge: The testers from TheVerge explain that PSVR2 outperforms its predecessor in every respect. The model feels first-class and is powerful. But at the moment, there are simply no games that make the expensive investment worthwhile. Moreover, competitors like the Quest 2 offer a wireless connection.
Pro
great technology
meaningful improvements compared to the predecessor
super easy setup
Contra
ergonomics not suitable for everyone
high price
few worthwhile games at launch
PSVR 2 – For whom is the hardware worth it?
What speaks for PSVR 2? All testers currently agree that PSVR 2 offers a lot of potential for the future. The hardware is good and the technology works flawlessly. The setup is also incredibly easy, and the controller feels good. Additionally, PSVR2 represents the current innovation for the PS5, right after the DualSense Edge.
What speaks against PSVR 2? On the one hand, the limited selection of games. Because at the launch of the hardware, everyone agrees that there are simply too few games available. So far, it doesn’t really pay off to buy it. After all, the device costs 599.99 euros. On the other hand, the device also has some weaknesses, such as the short battery life and specific ergonomics.
Alternatively, you could also buy the new DualSense Edge for the PS5. You can read an extensive review of the pro controller for the PS5 here on MeinMMO:
Season 2 of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is in full swing and has brought a few changes to the weapon meta. The adjustments have been rather cautious, with nerfs and buffs having only a minor impact. However, the LMG Sakin MG38 is sneaking past the formerly overpowering RPK.
The weapon adjustments of Season 2 of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 can be described as “moderate.” Popular meta weapons have received minor nerfs, and here and there a buff has moved other weapons closer to the top ranks.
So you can confidently rely on your tried-and-true weapons from the past weeks at the start of Season 2 – keyword RPK and Fennec.
However, you might miss a new star in the meta sky. The LMG Sakin MG38 has long been a candidate for the meta, and with the weakening of the strongest weapons, the LMG is now climbing right to the top. Here you will find a strong setup for the Sakin MG38.
With the Sakin MG38, you get a typical LMG for use over long distances. This means: large magazines with plenty of firepower meet mediocre movement and long reload times.
The Sakin is well controllable and you will also hit at long distances. Moreover, you get more damage than with the previous range superstar RPK.
CoD Warzone 2: Sakin MG38 Setup
Muzzle: ZLR Talon 5
Barrel: 20″ Bruen Silver Series
Laser: FSS OLE-V Laser
Optic: Aim-OP V4
Underbarrel: Cronen WL55
Attachments in English
CoD Warzone 2: Sakin MG38 Setup
Muzzle: ZLR Talon 5
Barrel: 20″ Bruen Silver Series
Laser: FSS OLE-V Laser
Optic: Aim-OP V4
Underbarrel: Cronen WL55
Focus on more recoil control during tuning or get a little more from the TTK speed. According to the patch notes for Season 2, tuning will play an even larger role in the future and will significantly influence the values – experiment a bit.
Combine the Sakin with a fast submachine gun for close combat. Use the LMG only for medium or long distances; otherwise, you will quickly be at a disadvantage.
Pack the Fennec or the MP5 (Lachmann MP5) – then you’ll be prepared for anything that comes your way on Ashika Island or Al Mazrah.
When someone hears Tetris, they immediately think of the simple arcade game with the puzzle blocks. As relaxing as the mechanics may be, its backstory was anything but. A film wants to tell this story, and the trailer is so crazy that our freelance writer Christos needed some time to process it.
What kind of film is it? Apple has a new film about Tetris in the works. However, it is not a film about boring stacked blocks but a more promising action crime story about the backstory of the arcade game.
The trailer offers excitement, humor, action, chases, and KGB agents:
Start video
Tetris – Trailer to the Prehistory of the Arcade Classic
Our freelance writer Christos took a closer look at the trailer and needed some time to process what he saw.
The backstory of Tetris leaves you speechless
That left me speechless: I have to say, when I heard about a Tetris movie, I thought it would be some animated film about blocks created by Pixar or Disney. When the trailer started, I couldn’t stop watching.
I didn’t know anything about the story of Tetris beforehand. I just thought it was probably another nerd thing from the ’80s created in a garage that happened to achieve great success.
But when the trailer was over, it left me in shock. Unbelievable what effort was put into releasing the arcade game. We’re talking about car chases, agents of the Soviet KGB, and a fight for survival – just to release a game.
Nowadays, it’s completely unimaginable, but that really happened with Tetris back then.
A classic of gaming that is taken for granted today has such a story behind it, and I believe not many know about it. So if you’re interested, it would be worth taking a look at the film.
When does the film come out? According to Apple, the film will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ starting March 31.
What do you think of the Tetris trailer? Did you already know how incredible the story behind the release of the arcade game was? Feel free to let us know in the comments if you will be watching the film!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, the new ViDoc was presented yesterday. A documentation that showed players more details about the new DLC. We took a closer look at the ViDoc for you and reveal 10 things you might have overlooked.
Some things were very obvious, like the strangely looking Titan helmet. But because it goes by quickly in other places, there are still further small clues that some viewers might have missed at first glance. That’s why we took a closer look for you and listed 10 particularly interesting details in this article.
[toc]
1. Unknown Exo for the Titan
This helmet could have caught everyone’s eye
Which Exo is it about? This helmet was hard to miss in Bungie’s ViDoc as they zoomed in quite closely. Compared to the seasonal armor, it stands out prominently. And what’s even more important: It is not an Exotic that Destiny 2 has already announced.
These Exotics have been officially announced for Destiny 2: Lightfall:
If you look closely, you will also see the Clovis Bray logo on the helmet. However, nothing can be said yet about the function or properties of the Exotic. Nor where to get it or how to earn it in Lightfall.
2. Exotic Stasis Bow
Let’s stay with this setting in the ViDoc. Because besides the Titan’s helmet, his weapon is also worth a closer look.
Which weapon is it about? The Titan is holding a huge new bow in the shot. We assume based on the arrow that it is a Stasis bow.
Additionally, Bungie may have subtly already revealed the name of this good piece in the ViDoc, as it is definitely an exotic weapon. For this, you simply had to pay close attention to the tasks for the Guardian ranks. It states that you should kill enemies with the exotic bow “Verglas Curve”.
The exotic bow has the English name “Verglas Curve”
Maybe the Season Exotic? We think this Exo bow could likely be exactly the bow seen in the ViDoc. Thus, the Stasis bow is a strong favorite for the role of the seasonal Exotic from Season Pass of Season 20.
It could even be that the Exo helmet and bow somehow fit together, just as the Warlock Exotic “Nekrotischer Griff” goes with the Exo weapon “Dorn”.
3. Legendary Solar Sword from Season 20
The new sword from Season 20 strongly reminds Guardians of a well-known dungeon sword
Which weapon is it about? In the scene for Season 20, Guardians can be seen looking at a new building in the European Dead Zone. If you look closely here, you can recognize in this scene what seems to be a new sword on the hunter’s back.
This Lightfall remake seems to be a reskin of a well-known dungeon weapon, the sword “Hero of the Ages”, which came into the game with the 30 Years Bungie DLC.
Reskin sword with a strong perk: Later, it is also seen in the mod system that this sword can drop with the perk “Glowing White”. Players should therefore be able to strongly assume that it is a legendary Solar sword.
4. Osiris back on the old job
Trials in Lightfall back with Osiris?
Where is Orisis seen? This small detail almost slipped away. Because in the scene Osiris stands very hidden amidst clutter to the left behind the Titan in the center. The landscape scene from the ViDoc looks like new “Trials of Osiris”. In the background, you can also see typical Trials symbols and the matching environment.
Is a job change imminent? Normally, the 14th Saint is the point of contact for the Guardians during the Trials. But we also know that he only temporarily took over for Osiris, effectively being his replacement. This scene could therefore suggest that Orisis is taking back his old position and enjoying his lifeless days as an NPC in safety rather than at his PvP trials.
5. Tormentors are the Witness’s Strike Forces
Tormentors take the light from Guardians
Who or what are the Tormentors? In Lightfall, Tormentors are said to be the most fearsome unit in the game. They can grab a Guardian with their huge scythe, pull them in, and then finish them off quickly. Bungie calls this “Dark Harvest”. However, their origin is mysterious.
We took a closer look and believe that the Tormentors can be attributed to the Witness.
Tormentors use the Void and manipulate Void energies.
They also bear the symbols of the Witness
Additionally, they currently do not seem to belong to any known race from Destiny 2. It is quite possible that they might belong to the ominous “Veil” race. We hope that Lightfall will reveal more about them and that they will be just as challenging as Champions.
6. Cloud Striders are huge aluminum guys
Now let’s move from the huge Tormentors to the next large types in Lightfall, whom you will encounter during a visit to Neomuna – the Cloud Striders.
Nimbus and Rohan, the two Cloud Striders from Neomuna
In Lightfall, Guardians learn about 2 Protectors of Neomuna:
Rohan is the grumpy, old Cloud Strider veteran who is too old for all of this
Nimbus is the young wild Cloud Strider still in training with Rohan. He is impetuous and full of life, a bit conceited, but very confident in his abilities.
This is how huge Cloud Striders are: In some scenes, you can see the Cloud Striders fighting against a Tormentor and also against Cabal. The Destiny editorial team at MeinMMO immediately noticed how huge these guys actually are.
The “Tormentors” are already quite large foes and in comparison to a Guardian, they seem huge. But Cloud Striders are also obviously not much smaller. A Guardian will look incredibly small next to them in Lightfall.
Otherwise, you see no population: Aside from these two Cloud Striders, Neomuna is, by the way, remarkably quiet. In no scene are other Curruli visible, who might still be living in the city. This naturally raises the question: “Where are all the residents of Neomuna?” Are they just hiding? Or might they not be there anymore?
7. In Neomuna, there’s a lot going on below and above
The new Lightfall location Neomuna
This is what Neomuna has to offer: In the ViDoc, you could see the city of Neomuna in all its glory. It not only has streets that are perfect for a Sparrow race. Its area is also vast. Because everything no longer takes place only on the ground or underground. In Neomuna, it goes high up, and as it seems, only the sky can stop the Guardians on their way up.
The skyscrapers of Neomuna can be fully scaled with the new grappling hook
Guardians can hold onto all objects – enemies, ships, tanks, and Sparrows and fly around with them or be pulled along. Teammates included.
Things are also happening on the rooftops of Neomuna. Apparently, there is a new public event that you might have already seen in the ViDoc.
Additionally, we noticed holograms in the ViDoc that look like new patrol markers
With the grappling hook, you are extremely mobileEven harvesters are not safeThis could be a new patrolHere it gets hot on a roof in Neomuna – Could be a new public event
8. New, still unknown armors
The official Lightfall armors are now known. They are shown in every preview from Bungie. Somewhat subtly hidden, on the other hand, were these armors here:
Another new armor from Lightfall
Which armors are shown here? While the Hunter still wears the classic Lightfall armor, the other characters are dressed in yet unknown garments.
Some Guardians speculated that due to the symbol in the background, these might be the new raid armors. However, we believe that Bungie would not reveal the prestigious armor in a ViDoc. Therefore, we think that you have rather caught a first glance at the armor ornaments of Season 20.
9. Magnificent art reveals Cloud Strider history
In Neomuna, Guardians can expect a lot of culture in the form of magnificent art
Hidden messages in images: Our second to last point revolves around the special art from Neomuna. In the ViDoc, Bungie emphasizes the uniqueness of the city’s design. And not only do they mention the color, the graphic design, and the luminosity. The designers also explicitly point out that some mysteries might be hidden in the art.
Therefore, Guardians should take some time during their stroll through Neomuna to analyze the art there. It is quite possible that it conveys additional story elements or draws attention to unknown details.
10. New raid or 6-player activity
What Lightfall activity is this?
One of the last scenes in the ViDoc shows 6 Guardians landing. This constellation usually occurs when it’s about larger activities. Therefore, Bungie might have revealed two possible options with this scene for you.
Option 1: It is indeed the start of the new Lightfall raid
Option 2: It is the intro to the new seasonal activity in Neomuna
What do you think of our list? Were we able to surprise you with some info from the ViDoc or had you already discovered everything by yourself? And perhaps you can also tell us in the comments what you liked the most or what stood out to you.
Before Lightfall starts on February 28, 2023, interested players should not miss this special cutscene:
The Genshin Impact 3.5 livestream has taken place and provided you with information about the upcoming update as well as 3 new promo codes (redeem codes), which you can use to secure rewards in the game.
These are the promo codes from the 3.5 livestream that you should redeem quickly to secure free rewards in the game:
KARU3RG6NY65
For this code you get 100x Primogems, 10x Mystic Enhancement Ore
5SRC28YNNYP9
For this code you get 100x Primogems, 5x Hero’s Wit
SB8UJ9H7NH8V
For this code you get 100x Primogems, 50000 Mora
How long are the codes from the 3.5 livestream valid? You should hurry to redeem them, because the codes are not valid for long. You can claim your rewards until 17.02.2023 11:00PM (UTC-5) (in Germany: 18.02.2023, 05:00).
If you want to stay updated about new codes, here you can find an overview of all valid promo codes, which is regularly updated:
What are promo codes in Genshin Impact? With the codes, you can easily receive rewards in the game. Every month and during certain events, new codes are released that are valid for a limited time.
How to redeem promo codes in Genshin Impact? You can redeem the codes in two ways:
On one hand, you can go directly to the official website of Genshin Impact and claim your rewards via the redeem code page.
On the other hand, you can also collect the rewards directly in the game by going to settings, selecting account, and choosing “Redeem Now” at the voucher code.
The Blizzard CEO has unsettled and demoralized his employees. There is less money and employees who are rather laughed at.
At Blizzard, “the house is burning” – once again. Many employees are shocked by the latest statements from the CEO. A lot of money has been cut, and new regulations will likely lead to layoffs, leaving a whole group of employees feeling unappreciated.
The culprit is CEO Mike Ybarra, who was previously seen as a kind of “savior” by many. However, during an internal company “Q&A session,” statements piled up that together triggered a new scandal and ruined the motivation of many employees.
Many of the statements in this article come from the Game Developer magazine, which spoke with Blizzard employees. They then had Ybarra’s respective answers confirmed by a Blizzard spokesperson.
Blizzard cuts bonus payments by 42% – for everyone
The first piece of bad news was the announcement that the bonus payment, which compensates employees for the success of the company, will be reduced to 58% this year. This surprised many, especially since Blizzard had an extremely strong fourth quarter and several games and expansions were successfully released – including Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft: Dragonflight.
The announcement caused a lot of frustration and anger. While this reduction applies to all employees – including the executives – Ybarra apparently showed little empathy and said:
If you think that the executives make a lot of money and you don’t, then you’re living in a myth.
While it is technically true that the bonus cut affects executives and employees, the consequences are drastically different.
Or to put it more bluntly: When an executive with a regular salary of $300,000 a year loses part of the bonus payment, it is significantly less dramatic for their living situation than if an employee making $45,000 a year loses the bonus, who was barely making ends meet.
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Blizzard ends remote work and subtly suggests: “If you don’t like it, you can leave”
Just a few days ago, it became known that Blizzard is phasing out the current remote work regulations. Many were able to work fully from home in recent months and only had to return to the office on rare occasions.
After the suspension of these remote work rules, all employees are required to return to the office at least three days a week. This not only leads to increased commuting costs (which are becoming increasingly expensive due to inflation) and more time spent commuting, but also creates problems for a whole group of employees.
During the height of the Covid pandemic, Activision Blizzard hired many employees who worked completely as “remote workers” from home. This also allowed new employees to be hired who lived far away from Blizzard offices.
These employees are now also required to come into the office regularly, which means many would have to relocate just to have a Blizzard office nearby. Blizzard also mentioned that they plan to open some new offices.
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A question to Ybarra then was how Blizzard intends to prevent this return to the presence requirement from causing the company to lose talented employees. Ybarra allegedly replied:
Ultimately, we want people to be happy, and if decisions do not align with your satisfaction and you are not happy, then you must do what makes you happy.
This was interpreted by many employees as: “If you don’t like it here, then go somewhere else.”
A spokesperson for Blizzard confirmed Ybarra’s comment to Game Developer, but added that they “want to listen to the team’s feedback” and that they do what is “best for the company and the players in the long run”.
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Quality Control – Not a real job in which one seeks a career
The biggest concerns about all these changes were raised by the professions that currently earn the least. This includes mainly quality control („QA“) and customer support staff. These employees often have trouble making ends meet financially and are particularly affected by these cuts.
Regarding these two professions, Ybarra stated that “some of our areas are not long-term employments.” According to Blizzard, this is because they want “people to grow and take on expanded responsibilities and opportunities.”
The thought behind this seems to be that both quality control and customer support are not areas that Blizzard particularly values, and there is no assumption that employees here are pursuing a real, long-term career where they could enjoy similar benefits and bonuses as in game design or direct development.
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Little wonder that these views dampened the morale of many employees. QA employees in particular have been pushing for more recognition and pay for years, advocating for their work to be seen as a career and not just a rung on the ladder to completely different careers.
So far, Mike Ybarra has had a fairly good standing with Blizzard and the community. He was always seen as “one of us” – at heart a gamer who also plays World of Warcraft at a high level and protects the developers against the will of the people “from above”.
After the Q&A event, however, the image seems to have shifted dramatically, and many employees are increasingly suspicious that Ybarra is primarily concerned with what the numbers on the balance sheet show at the end of the year, while the circumstances of the developers receive a subordinate role.
On social media, many Blizzard employees and family members have expressed their discontent. Some of these tweets have been included in this article.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers have already announced that a bug fix will be available next week (starting February 20, 2023). However, users have now presented a trick that is said to actually help and is quite simple.
The weak performance is particularly frustrating because the game is said to be really good otherwise, according to well-known experts:
Performance trick for Wild Hearts should work with both AMD and Nvidia
How does the trick work?
You go to the settings of Wild Hearts and select the “Sound” tab in the settings.
Here, you then select the output settings.
Now, you change the output from “Stereo” to “7.1 /5.1”. Stereo is enabled by default.
This is what the menu looks like in the game.
Many users explain on Steam that the trick really helps them. While the frame rate in the game initially dropped regularly below 20 frames per second, many can now play with significantly more than 60 FPS. For example, one user writes:
I played at 1080p with low settings, with an [RTX] 3070ti and there were all kinds of stuttering. After the change in sound, I can run the game on 1440p with medium settings without any problems.
This applies to both systems with AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. Therefore, if you are currently playing Wild Hearts and also have performance problems, be sure to test this tip. If the tip doesn’t work, the change can easily be reverted.
If you are looking for more tips for the new monster game by EA, then check here. Here, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus presents a handful of tips that will make your start in Wild Hearts easier:
In a statement, the President of the Sámi Council, Áslat Holmberg, has urged Square Enix to immediately remove the “Far North Attire” from Final Fantasy XIV. He cites the cultural rights of the Sámi regarding clothing.
Which outfit is being referred to? On December 14, a new outfit arrived in the FFXIV cash shop (cover image). The Far North Attire consists of 5 pieces and costs €13.50.
Its appearance is inspired by the traditional clothing of northern cultures, with the strongest influence coming from Sámi clothing. This is an indigenous people primarily located in the northern regions of Fennoscandia, but it also has representatives in Russia.
This outfit is currently causing controversy with an organization that represents the interests of the Sámi.
What is the Sámi Council? The Sámi Council is an independent non-governmental organization representing the Sámi tribes of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. The main goal of the council is to represent the interests of the Sámi as a people and to secure their cultural, political, and social rights. More on Wikipedia.
“Our rights to cultural property are not theoretical”
What is being demanded?In the appeal to Square Enix, the President of the Sámi Council demands that Square Enix “immediately remove the outfit from the game and engage in a dialogue with the Sámi people.”
The company has violated the cultural rights of the people with this outfit, Holmberg states:
[…] Our rights to cultural property are not theoretical. They are and will be protected by intellectual property rights that are recognized worldwide. As a media company, Square Enix is well aware of these rights, and there is no excuse for this blatant violation […]
Photos of traditional Sámi clothing and a screenshot of the FFXIV outfit in comparison
The Council believes that Square Enix’s violation is particularly harmful because Sámi clothing represents not only the pure appearance but also a part of the people’s identity.
By selling the product, Square Enix has allowed 41 million players [sic] to dress up as Sámi, thereby contributing to the erosion of culture, the Council states.
In the end of the appeal, Holmberg emphasizes that the Sámi Council has often collaborated with media companies regarding Sámi culture in the past. There is a “appropriate and suitable way to build, maintain, and enforce this cooperation, ensuring that all necessary elements are taken into account.”
Find out more about Final Fantasy XIV on MeinMMO here:
However, the Council’s statement lacks a reference to potential legal consequences should Square Enix fail to comply with their demands. Thus, it is unclear how exactly the Sámi Council will proceed if the outfit remains in the game.
The statement of the Sámi Council joins the ranks of disputes and scandals that have occurred in recent months around FFXIV:
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Steam), there was a tragic story in 2022 about the Russian top player Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov (24). He made a romantic marriage proposal to his wife on a big stage in 2021, but happiness lasted less than a year. After the separation, the woman did everything she could to destroy the professional’s life. It ended with his expulsion from the NAVI team and images showing him consuming suspicious substances. Boombl4 was missing for 9 months. How is the professional doing in 2023?
Dhat was the romantic gesture:
In November 2021, Natus Vincere won the CS:GO World Championship at a tournament in Stockholm. Each participant took home $200,000 in prize money.
The team’s captain had once promised his girlfriend that he would propose to her on stage if he won the tournament.
Although the relationship was struggling, during the tournament, the woman reminded him multiple times… there was that promise. At the moment of success, Boombl4 indeed proposed to his girlfriend on a big stage, and she accepted.
At that time, it really seemed like a wonderful romantic gesture:
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What happened next? The already struggling relationship before the wedding increasingly fell apart after the World Championship. Rumors emerged that his wife had worked as an elite prostitute and as a porn actress. However, according to Boombl4, this was not a problem. He loved his wife.
The player later said he had given her more than half a million US dollars to pay off mortgages, finance cosmetic treatments, and provide for her son from a previous marriage.
Other things apparently went wrong too: Boombl4 said once his wife came out of the shower without her teeth in her mouth – when he saw that, she was startled and ran back to the bathroom.
The woman also had slept with another man shortly before his marriage proposal. She later accused him of being gay and searched his phone for secret messages to the lover.
The situation became untenable when his wife showcased herself on Instagram with the Russian flag and in front of tanks, apparently to support Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The CS:GO professional was representing a team from Ukraine and found himself in trouble. The team expelled him and the professional divorced his wife.
Start video
Counter Strike: Global Offensive Trailer
After the divorce, the woman ruins the professional’s reputation
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old is considered an outstandingly strong CS:GO player, having won $1.082 million in prize money from playing CS:GO, and at 24 he still has many years to play.
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After 9 months of break, Boombl4 finds a new professional team
How is he doing now? The Russian was missing for almost 9 months, but now he is back representing the Russian “1Win” at the BLAST Major in Paris.
The CS:GO site Hltv.org rates the team as number 63 in CS:GO worldwide. A significant decline for the professional – his last team Natus Vincere ranks 5th in the world.
He has signed with 1Win and is now playing his first matches as a professional in Paris from February 16 to 18. The eSports world will surely keep an eye on him.
The world of Elden Ring is still harsh and relentless as it was at its release. For this reason, players cannot afford any mistakes, especially regarding their build. However, one player managed to get stuck on a boss for a whole 6 months, all due to a small mistake.
What happened to the player? The reddit user Bandit_Ke1th celebrated his success in Elden Ring with a post on reddit. He was excited to finally have defeated what he considered the worst boss for him after a whole six months and two uninstalls.
The boss was the notorious Malekith, the Black Blade. Every player in Elden Ring has that one boss they just can’t seem to get past.
However, often it was Malenia or Starscourge Radahn who drove most players to frustration. So why Malekith held the Tarnished back for so long will be shown here.
Start video
A half-naked player in Elden Ring became a community legend – This is his story
After 6 months and 2 uninstalls, he made it
Why did the player take so long? The reddit post with approximately 11,000 upvotes shows the Tarnished by Bandit_Ke1th after he defeated Malekith.
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From then on, it gets exciting, as the boss can perform special attacks that not only reduce your life with hits but also continuously drain it from you. So if you get hit, you have to contend not only with his fast moveset but also with continuous HP loss.
Those who now, like Bandit_Ke1th, have a relatively small health bar for their game progress are only one hit away from being minced by the boss. Basically, the reckless attribute distribution of the Tarnished was the reason why he struggled with the boss for so long.
How did the story end? Bandit_Ke1th was able to defeat the boss, but many players on reddit advise him to revise his build. Many also suspect that he just evenly distributed his attributes without paying attention to which attributes are important and which can be neglected.
Elden Ring offers players great freedom through its world and build crafting, but a reckless mistake can cause your run to become a nightmare.
Have you ever made such a mistake and been driven to frustration by it? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
In the hunting game Wild Hearts, you can build various Fusion Karakuri that assist you in fighting the mighty monsters. A Twitter user posted a helpful cheat sheet for the different structures.
In Wild Hearts, you play as a monster hunter with a very special ability: you can summon Karakuri. The structures help in exploring the game world. For example, you can stack boxes to climb walls or create hammers that attack the monsters.
At this point, a small spoiler alert: If you want to discover the various Karakuri combinations for yourself during the game, you should not read further.
Start video
Wild Hearts: Everything about the new hunting game in 3 minutes
How to build all Fusion Karakuri
How do you build the Fusion Karakuri? The Twitter user Nigiri21Sushi posted a helpful graphic on February 14, 2023. It shows which Fusion Karakuri exist and what components you can use to build them.
Here you can see the graphic from Nigiri21Sushi, via Twitter
What are Karakuri? The Karakuri are an ancient technology that was used long ago by the hunters in Azuma. However, the knowledge on how to summon the mysterious structures has been lost over the years. But you have the gift to utilize the ancient art for yourself.
There are different types of structures: On one hand, you have simple basic Karakuri available that you can create easily with a click, which include:
Springboard
Box
Torch
Glider
Sky Anchor
Additionally, there are the Fusion Karakuri with more complex mechanisms. They consist of several parts that you have to combine correctly. This type of Karakuri is especially useful in Kemono hunting.
In addition to basic and Fusion Karakuri, there is a third type: the Dragon Karakuri. These influence your hunting ground and thus also the game world. This type of structure requires energy, known as Sky Threads, which you can draw from the environment.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is a dedicated multiplayer project that unites three games in the “Immortal Empires” mode. This mode is now available at a significantly lower price and with less hassle. A brief introduction.
With my colleague Benedict Grothaus, I finally had a player who wanted to play strategy games with me. As a console kid, this genre felt almost mystical to me.
It turned out I was right about that. When I first heard about the “Immortal Empires” project, I could hardly believe my ears.
Total War: Warhammer 3 offers a kind of endless mode that combines all three games in the series. Previously, you had to own all three parts to play “Immortal Empires.” But now the mode has completed its beta phase, and it’s enough to own TW: Warhammer 3.
What the game offers and for whom it is suitable will be explained here in a short game presentation. You can watch the spectacular launch trailer here:
Start video
Total War: Warhammer 3 – Launch Trailer Immortal Empires
An Endless Battle for Victory
What kind of game is this? Total War combines turn-based strategy with real-time strategy. While moving units on the world map, conquering and developing cities, and researching new technologies, you conduct battles in real time. Players and NPCs come onto a map and their armies fight each other.
TW: Warhammer fully draws from the fantasy universe of Warhammer. The campaign map offers a total of 554 regions that can be conquered. 278 factions are fighting for victory. You can choose from 23 races and 86 different commanders.
However, to utilize all playable factions, you still need all the games and DLCs.
The large map of Immortal Empires – The marked areas are all individual regions
The peoples bring their own meta-mechanics and countless different units. While dwarves, for instance, have to ensure they provide an enemy image to their populace to remain satisfied, vampires expand bloodlines to recruit powerful commanders with special bonuses.
All of this can be experienced with up to 8 players in multiplayer. Players take their turns simultaneously, and when everyone is done, the next round starts. In a player’s battle, all others have to watch but can be assigned units to participate in the fight.
Who is this for? Generally, fans of strategy games should take a look at Immortal Empires. Particularly if you tend more towards turn-based strategy like Civilizations or Galactic Empires.
Especially in multiplayer, if you don’t want to slow down your teammates with ongoing battles, it becomes more of a turn-based strategy where you let a battle be “automatically conducted” instead of constantly entering the fray.
But even fans of fantasy worlds might find their enjoyment. The world is full of references to Warhammer lore, and the individual races tell much about the history of the universe. An exciting entry into the world of Warhammer – for some even better than Warcraft.
How much does the game cost? Total War: Warhammer 3 has been available since release in the Xbox Game Pass, allowing it to be played relatively cheaply. Especially with this trick for the Game Pass. You only need the PC Pass – not the Game Pass Ultimate.
New now: You can play Immortal Empires – this was previously only possible if you owned all three parts of the series on one platform.
That’s why it’s also significantly cheaper on Steam now. Here, the games of the “Total War: Warhammer” trilogy are available separately and at the full price of €60. Since all three games were required, it would have cost €180 if you hadn’t bought on sale. So Immortal Empires is now €120 cheaper.
If you have anything to add, please leave a comment on the topic. Tell us about your experiences with Total War: Warhammer.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The streamer Jenelle “Indiefoxx” Dagres (27) was permanently banned from Twitch in June 2021 for being too revealing. Now she criticizes the platform, saying that it has become worse than during her time, only it is now normalized.
How did the ban come about? In 2021, there was a fierce rivalry on Twitch between the streamers Jenelle “Indiefoxx” Dagres and Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa. Both streamers showcased similar content: splashing in hot tubs, licking their microphones in controversial ASMR streams, and writing their subscribers’ names on their bodies.
Indiefoxx accused her rival of copying her and profiting from her creativity. The rivalry ended when the now 27-year-old was permanently banned due to a wardrobe malfunction in June 2021, while Amouranth became one of the biggest streamers of all time.
In an interview with the US site Dexerto, Amouranth explained that she pulled back in time and focused on safer content, whereas Indiefoxx kept pushing the boundaries. The latter switched to YouTube after her ban.
Now the banned streamer speaks out: This is all nonsense and Twitch is more sexual than ever.
One year earlier, in June 2020, former Twitch superstar Dr Disrespect also received a permanent ban. The reasons for this are still not entirely clear.
Start video
DrDisrespect was a celebrity on Twitch – His ban remains a big mystery to this day
Indiefoxx: “An absolute joke”
How did Indiefoxx perceive the situation? Via Twitter, the streamer reacted to the article from Dexerto to clarify some things. She stated that Amouranth did not “bait” her into showing ever more provocative content.
Instead, she claimed she was banned for a completely normal ASMR stream, shortly after Amouranth and she were banned for the “Ear Licking” streams. Normally, that would have just been a reason for a one-day ban, according to Indiefoxx.
What does she have to say about Amouranth? The YouTuber views both her former rival and Twitch itself quite critically. That Amouranth pulled back is an absolute joke. On the contrary, she and other female streamers are now presenting themselves more sexually than ever.
The only difference is that this behavior has now been normalized, and no one cares anymore if Amouranth puts on ban-worthy performances. We have incorporated her tweets here:
Her saying she "pulled back" is an absolute joke. She and everyone else are doing more sexual stuff than ever. The only difference is it's normalized now. My friends send me clips every day of her doing ban-worthy stuff but nobody cares because they know she'll never be banned
Is there any truth to Indiefoxx’s statements? The Twitch guidelines on nudity and attire were last updated in April 2020. It doesn’t seem like the platform has changed its official stance since Indiefoxx’s ban.
However, rule violations are often a matter of interpretation to a certain extent, and many content creators accuse Twitch of banning arbitrarily. However, the streaming platform reserves the right to ban at its discretion without publicly stating the reasons.
This ban policy has caused frustration for streamers and viewers on several occasions in the past. Indiefoxx is not the only streamer who feels like she was banned for something that is not as severe for everyone else.
Amouranth herself has also been banned from Twitch several times but always managed to avoid a permanent ban. Her first ban in 2019 seems to have really kick-started her career, as she later stated:
In 2019, Pearl Abyss announced the development of a new large MMORPG: Crimson Desert was to be the successor to their successful online role-playing game Black Desert. Originally, a release was announced for Crimson Desert in 2021. What do we know about the game in 2023?
That was originally the plan:
Crimson Desert was to become an MMORPG where players experience the story of a group of mercenaries. The game was supposed to be released for PC and “consoles” – by “consoles,” they apparently mean PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The South Koreans are reluctant to clarify this.
Crimson Desert resembled Game of Thrones in its presentation, was heavily western-oriented, and the main character resembled Jon Snow. However, in the structure of the game, it seemed to be oriented towards Red Dead Redemption 2: A single-player campaign with an endgame as an MMO.
Start video
Crimson Desert – Cinematic zur Ankündigung
Major Direction Change, Followed by Silence
This was the big turnaround: In December 2020, Pearl Abyss suddenly stated that Crimson Desert is not actually an MMORPG, but “its own genre.” The description now leaned towards “Open World Action Adventure.”
Revenues at Black Desert Decline – New Game Needed
This is how the company is currently doing: Pearl Abyss held an investor call on February 15, 2023, for the 4th quarter of 2022 and its business year. There, they presented how the current game brands Black Desert and EVE Online are performing:
Revenue decreased slightly in 2022 compared to 2021.
Compared to 2019, the revenues of the games have significantly declined.
The majority of the company’s revenue comes from Black Desert, particularly on PC and in North America and Europe.
The severe loss in the 4th quarter of 2022, according to MassivelyOp, is apparently not due to a slump in games, but the losses stem from the financial sector of Pearl Abyss.
Revenues are declining at Pearl Abyss, a new game is needed.
Pearl Abyss Presents the New Project to Investors
This is the status of Crimson Desert in 2023: In the presentation, “Crimson Desert (A Saga Written in Blood)” is listed as the next major project. It is described as an “Open World Action Adventure,” is expected to offer cross-platform compatibility for PC and consoles – but a release date is still unknown.
The date also seems likely, as the presentation suggests that Crimson Desert is the next new project from Pearl Abyss. Alongside DokeV and Plan B, they have two other games in the pipeline.
The current status of Crimson Desert.
This is what Pearl Abyss says about the future: As an outlook for investors, the Korean company stated that it wants to focus on the following:
realistic graphics
an engine for open world games
rapid content development and automated development
cross-platform and AI-based coding
a motion capture studio
The goal for new games starting in 2023 is to create “globally appealing story-driven AAA games” that will support cross-platform play.
Plan B is another project from Pearl Abyss.
Pearl Abyss is apparently taking its time with the announcement of Crimson Desert
This is what’s behind it: There are two possibilities as to why the game does not have an official release date, even though the end of 2023 is on the table:
Either Pearl Abyss intends to keep the game under wraps for a long time and wants to reveal more about the game shortly before release.
Alternatively, it is still in the midst of development and a release date remains uncertain.
Financially, it might be time for Pearl Abyss to release a significant new game.
A gamer wanted to save money and built a budget system by himself. He invested around 270 euros. With this computer, he can even play current games smoothlyand in many cases at medium and partly high settings.
A gamer presented his new gaming PC on reddit . In total, he spent 290 US dollars (270 euros) on the system. The following hardware was used by the gamer:
Ryzen 5 1600 (CPU)
Zotac GTX 1660 Ti (GPU)
16 GB RAM
500 GB SSD
550 watt power supply
Gigabyte B450m DS3H V2 (motherboard)
How did he proceed? He explains that he bought almost all parts used. Only the SSD (Crucial) and the case were bought new. In this way, he acquired relatively good hardware for little money. Other gamers are being ripped off for 230 euros and get significantly worse hardware. But is this hardware still worth it in 2023?
With the GTX 1660 Ti, you can easily play current games at medium settings
Is the system worth it? Both the processor and the graphics card are a few years old, but they are still powerful hardware. With the combination of Ryzen 5 1600 and GTX 1660 Ti, you can still play many games today at medium to high settings in Full HD.
The Ryzen 5 1600 was the most attractive CPU of the first Ryzen generation in terms of price/performance and is still a good processor today (via GameStar.de).
For example, YouTuber GameGangsta tested 30 games with the GTX 1660 Ti and shows that you can still play many games without any problems today:
Classics like CS:GO run with at least 300 FPS.
The popular shooter Apex: Legends achieves around 100 FPS on high settings.
The action game Assassins Creed: Odyssey achieves stable 50 FPS on high settings.
Another YouTuber tried out more games and was able to play CoD: Warzone with stable 90 FPS on low settings in Full HD. Elden Ring also runs stably at high settings with 60 FPS. We have embedded his video for you here:
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If you want to build a gaming PC and save money, you can also buy used hardware. It is often cheaper than new components and sometimes you can snag a real bargain.
However, you should always be aware that you do not get any warranty or guarantee on privately sold hardware, unless a receipt with a guarantee is included.
Used hardware doesn’t always have to work: However, things may not always go smoothly when buying used hardware and building a gaming PC. A well-known tech YouTuber had to find that out recently. You can read the whole story on MeinMMO:
What does March bring for events in Pokémon GO? A leak seems to provide initial details – but trainers are very skeptical.
What kind of leak is this? An alleged leak about the contents of March is currently making the rounds on the subreddit “TheSilphRoad” for Pokémon GO.
The post has gathered over 600 upvotes and more than 290 comments so far – but also a fair amount of skepticism.
The original Discord post lists various events for March and beyond. These include an event centered around Nockchan, Kicklee, and Kapoera, the release of the monster Knirfish, and Mega-Meditalis, as well as a Community Day with Flegmon in March.
In addition, the leak mentions Melmetal with its special move “Steel Fists,” Crypto-Regice, the release of Gierspenst in its wander form, as well as a Community Day with Togetic in April, one with Fynx in May, and a Community Day Classic with Quiekel also in May.
However, the information is met with a lot of skepticism. Some trainers say: That can’t be right.
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What bothers trainers: The main point against the leak is highlighted by some trainers in the comments of the post (via reddit): Niantic has already announced some event dates for March, April, and May.
Although it was not disclosed which Pokémon would appear, two dates there contradict those from the leak:
The leak mentions two Community Days in May – one “Classic,” one “Normal”
Pokémon GO itself already confirmed that in April, not May, there will be two Community Days – the normal one on April 15 and the “Classic” on April 29.
So that doesn’t add up. And also, trainers express skepticism about the allegedly leaked contents:
One trainer finds it strange that Kicklee, Nockchan, and Kapoera are supposed to get an event so soon, after they were prominently featured in the December Battle Event “Mysterious Blade” (via reddit).
“The Regis in the top raids make me doubt it. Going from a strong mysterious Pokémon like Hoopa to two (comparatively) weak sub-legendaries like Regidrago and Regieleki is a sure way to ensure that people only do a few of both and then simply ignore them,” says another (via reddit).
Overall, the idea that the Regis found in data mining could end up in the top raids so quickly is met with skepticism.
The leak should therefore be approached with caution at the very least. Whether some of these contents will come into the game in this form or on the specified dates is questionable.
Typically, Niantic announces the events of a month at the end of the previous month or at the start of a new month. So it is likely to take some time before there is certainty.
Nevertheless, March is likely to be a very exciting month, as a new season is expected to begin when “Mysterious Wishes” ends. As a finale in February, however, there will still be the global Hoenn Tour in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
YouTuber Skill Up has a good reputation among gamers as a tough and objective critic. He has looked at the new 80€ game “Wild Hearts” (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X) from EA and praises the game after 20 hours, even calling it “almost excellent”. But he warns about how poorly Wild Hearts performs on PC. The developers also admit: Wild Hearts has a “CPU bottleneck” issue.
What does Skill Up say about Wild Hearts? Many MeinMMO readers know Skill Up from his videos on The Division. He enjoys an excellent reputation in the gaming scene.
Skill Up now says about Wild Hearts (via twitter):
He has played 20 hours of Wild Hearts – the game is “very good, almost excellent”
He warns players that the game runs absolutely poorly on PC.
Start video
Wild Hearts: Everything about the new hunting game in 3 minutes
Wild Hearts performs poorly on 2080 TI, says YouTuber
What about PC performance? Skill Up states: On a 2080 TI, Wild Hearts barely reaches 40 frames on medium settings. While it is stable and playable, it gets worse in multiplayer.
As you progress further into the game, it becomes significantly uglier and runs even worse. In a group, the game becomes almost unplayable:
“Great game, but the PC performance is shockingly poor”.
How is this being discussed? Skill Up’s comment is being discussed on reddit . Apparently, the issues of Wild Hearts on PC are already known:
A user says the game has a “bottleneck” on PC because it only uses one CPU core
Generally, people wonder how this could be and why the game is released in this condition – this should have been noticed during quality assurance
Developers announce patch for better PC performance
Is there hope? The development team behind the game, Omega Force, has announced (via reddit) that they plan to release a patch next week to fix the “CPU bottleneck” issue discovered by the team.
It is said that this should improve performance on medium and high-end CPUs.
They are also working on supporting DLSS and FSR – these improvements are expected to come with further patches to Wild Hearts.
Do all PC players have problems? As MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus states, Wild Hearts ran perfectly on PC for him – the issues seem not to be universal but occur depending on the hardware configuration of the PC.
The special research “Proto-Grollen” in Pokémon GO is available to all trainers. By completing the tasks, you will receive berries, items, experience points, stardust, and a ticket for the big Hoenn Tour 2023.
What kind of special research is this? The “Proto-Grollen” research is available to you starting today (February 17) at 10:00 AM. All trainers can participate. If you complete it, you will receive a ticket that gives you access to the special bonuses of the Hoenn Tour 2023.
With the ticket, you have the choice between Ruby and Sapphire. Here we provide an overview of all known tasks and contents of the new research.
Proto-Grollen 1/2
Task
Reward
Catch 5 Water, Electric, or Bug Pokémon
20 Sananabeeren
Catch 5 Fire, Plant, or Ground Pokémon
20 Himmihbeeren
Catch 10 Pokémon that originate from the Hoenn region
Stage Reward: If you have completed all three tasks and claimed the respective rewards, you will additionally receive 2023 XP and 2023 stardust.
Proto-Grollen 2/2
Task
Reward
Complete 5 field researches
10 Pokéballs
Use 10 power-ups on Pokémon
5 Hyperballs
Land 5 great curveball throws
1 star piece
Stage Reward: If you have completed all three tasks and claimed the respective rewards, you will additionally receive 2023 XP, 2023 stardust, and a ticket for the bonuses of the Hoenn Tour.
Choose Ruby or Sapphire?
If you have the ticket, you can decide between Ruby or Sapphire. Not all bonuses of these two sides have yet been revealed by Niantic. However, there is some information that might help you make your team choice.
The bonuses apply to the worldwide Hoenn Tour:
The chosen team affects which Pokémon appear for you in the wild
During the Hoenn Tour, there will be hourly field research challenges. Whether Team Sapphire or Ruby wins will determine whether more Proto-Kyogre (Team Sapphire) or Proto-Groudon (Team Ruby) appear in raids
The chance of selected monsters appearing in the wild is also increased
Which team will you choose for the ticket? Participate in our survey and vote for Ruby or Sapphire. Feel free to share the reasoning behind your choice with us in the comments on MeinMMO and discuss it with other trainers.
The gambling category “Slots” was huge on Twitch for 2 years, but the platform put a stop to it in October 2022, issuing new guidelines to curb the online casino Stake. The biggest German casino streamers, Scurrows and orangemorange, now seem to be struggling to stay relevant by any means.
What’s the deal with gambling on Twitch? For years, big German streamers successfully showcased gambling on the streaming platform. In September 2019, MontanaBlack became one of the most-watched streamers worldwide in the “Slots” category, playing virtual one-armed bandits.
When the legal situation around gambling on Twitch became too tricky for MontanaBlack and Knossi, they withdrew from gambling, making way for a new generation of casino streamers. Two of the biggest German-speaking casino streamers after them became Theo “Scurrows” Bottländer and Kevin “orangemorange” Bongers.
MontanaBlack critically reflects on the contribution he made to normalize gambling on Twitch:
How did it go for the gambling streamers? The “Slots” category steadily gained viewers between 2018 and 2022. During this time, the notorious crypto-casino Stake played a crucial role. The casino apparently lured streamers with exceptionally attractive conditions for advertising deals, as US streamer Trainwrecks mentioned. He reportedly received 360 million USD over a period of 6 months for playing at the casino in front of thousands of viewers.
German Twitch streamers like Scurrows and orangemorange also apparently had lucrative deals with the casino, just like their big American counterparts.
In September, big American streamers finally called for a gambling ban on Twitch and threatened a boycott. The streaming platform ultimately issued new gambling guidelines that came into effect on October 18, 2022.
One of the most important changes was probably the ban on certain casino providers, including Stake. Many critics felt the restrictions did not go far enough, while gambling streamers complained that Amazon only wanted to push its own sites.
Nevertheless, the “Slots” category lost a massive number of streamers and viewers: currently, only an average of 16,600 people are watching (via sullygnome).
What consequences did the gambling streamers face? They switched in droves to the new streaming alternative Kick, to whose investors the owner of Stake belongs. On Kick, gambling is allowed and otherwise, they don’t seem to take many guidelines too seriously.
However, the old success seems to be missing so far. On Twitter, Scurrows and orangemorange are now struggling to remain relevant.
In the last 180 days, the gambling streamers lost thousands of followers and streamed much less (via sullygnome).
Streamers Don’t Miss a Controversial Topic
What are the streamers up to on Twitter? They provoke continuously. Looking at orangemorange and Scurrows’ Twitter posts between January 1 and October 18, 2022, things seem quite normal:
The two take some shots at gambling critics and mock the perceived ban on Twitch. orangemorange complains that people talk disparagingly about his girlfriend to hit him where it hurts, Scurrows asks for movie recommendations (via Twitter).
In recent weeks, however, a different picture has emerged: orangemorange and Scurrows seem to seize every opportunity to needle and provoke.
The success of Hogwarts Legacy was already on the rise at gamescom, but at the beginning of 2023, the discussion around the game gained real momentum.
Start video
Hogwarts Legacy presents the officially best trailer of gamescom – Has over 600,000 views on YouTube
Hogwarts Legacy and Cancel Culture
What topics are being discussed? In early February, there was a discussion in the German Twitch scene surrounding the popular streamer Gronkh.
He had seemingly not positioned himself clearly enough in the larger controversy surrounding Hogwarts Legacy, the new game in the “Harry Potter” universe, and J.K. Rowling, the author of the franchise.
A clip taken out of context circulated, in which Gronkh stated that J.K. Rowling was irrelevant to him.
Critics accused him of supporting transphobia, but his community and Harry Potter fans vehemently defended him.
How do orangemorange and Scurrows fit into this? They suddenly became the biggest fans of Hogwarts Legacy. While orangemorange had already tweeted about Harry Potter in the past, the topic had not been that prominent for Scurrows until now.
However, in February alone, Scurrows wrote more than half a dozen tweets about the subject: He gifted several friends the Deluxe Edition of Hogwarts Legacy to support J.K. Rowling, whom he highlights as a “super personality”.
The author is a victim of the “woke cancel culture”; criticism of the franchise from the “leftist bubble” is baseless and “absurd” (via Twitter).
Orangemorange also playfully chimed in. He raffled off 10 copies of Hogwarts Legacy, shared the success of the game, and combined it with a dig at one of the critics. He also advised people who felt harmed by Hogwarts Legacy to seek professional help.
Beyond the topic of the game, Scurrows has repeatedly commented on gender since December 2022: There are only 2 biological genders; everything else is misinformation (via Twitter).
Orangemorange, in turn, parodied the preferred pronouns of some individuals and “came out” as the “Hottest Man Alive” (via Twitter).
Scurrows Advocates for Andrew Tate
The other major topic for Scurrows is the former kickboxer Andrew Tate, who became infamously famous as an influencer.
Scurrows had already drawn attention at gamescom by chanting “Free Andrew Tate” because he had been banned from various platforms for misogynistic statements.
Since the arrest of the controversial influencer in late December, the streamer regularly advocates for him: The “Top G” is the innocent victim of political intrigues, has been convicted without evidence, and deserves immediate release (via Twitter).
What’s the point of all this? It seems that orangemorange and Scurrows have found a new niche, as gambling alone is simply not enough anymore: They play the villains of the hour. When a controversial topic occupies the German Twitch scene, you can be quite sure which side the two will be on.
The idea is not new: after all, there have always been “good” faces and heels in wrestling, who people love to hate. To what extent orangemorange and Scurrows play a role in this or truly stand behind their provocative takes remains unclear.
However, there is a noticeable temporal connection. The two gambling streamers seemingly dive headfirst into controversial topics since the new guidelines have caused viewer numbers on Twitch to decline.
Another factor may be that orangemorange was told quite clearly at the beginning of January that he does not really belong to the German streaming clique: He had received a cold rejection when he attempted to joke with a few Twitch colleagues.
