On the PTR of World of Warcraft, new achievements have appeared that can no longer be obtained. To earn these achievements, you had to have played before Wrath of the Lich King and actively practiced professions.
What are these achievements? Achievements are special accomplishments in their own tab that only appear in your achievement overview when you have them. Before that, they are hidden.
These achievements represent particularly strong, unique accomplishments that you usually only receive if you participated in time-limited events – for example, defeating the final boss of a raid before the next content drops.
As wowhead has found out, there will soon be achievements for crafters who were actively engaged with their professions in the past. Specifically, these refer to profession specializations that are no longer in the game and special events such as the openings of Naxxramas and Zul’Gurub.
WoW: Dragonflight revises professions – All features explained in under 2 minutes
How do I get the new achievements? The achievements currently on the PTR require you to have played before the release of Wrath of the Lich King or Cataclysm and been engaged with professions. The new achievements include:
Artisan of the Argent Dawn: Help the Argent Dawn in the assault on Naxxramas with your crafting skills before the expedition to Northrend sets off.
Artisan of the Zandalari Tribe: Help the Zandalari tribe with your crafting skills before the Cataclysm strikes.
Various achievements for specializations that no longer exist, such as: Tribal Leatherworking, Mooncloth Tailoring, or Weaponsmithing. You must have learned these before Cataclysm as well.
The new achievements are likely to come with the upcoming patch 10.0.7. However, you can only obtain them if you played back between 12 and 15 years ago.
Those who did not play back then will not go empty-handed either. New achievements for dragon riding will also be introduced, which you will receive when you master the various courses on the Dragon Isles. Additionally, there are achievements for some quests, explorations, and reputation in Dragonflight.
Why are these achievements being introduced right now? Players are currently discussing what achievements should exist in WoW that can effectively no longer be obtained. Some suspect that the achievements are meant to make players recognizable again.
The corresponding specializations and events had recipes to learn that could not be obtained otherwise. In case the corresponding recipes come back or to recognize players who master such templates, achievements are a simple way of recognition without having to rely on the claim: ‘I could do this before!’
Old professions are also currently a topic among top players. Because with certain recipes from the past, even tough bosses in Dragonflight can be defeated much more easily:
There is finally new information about the costs and the shiny rate of the global Hoenn Tour in Pokémon GO.
On February 25 and 26, 2023, the global Hoenn Tour is taking place in Pokémon GO. However, there have been uncertainties regarding the event’s cost and how the shiny rate will be during the event.
Developer Niantic has now spoken out to the portal Eurogamer.
What is known about the costs: Niantic stated to Eurogamer that there will be no “big” event ticket for the global Hoenn Tour. The majority of the event will be playable for free.
Currently, the only exception is the masterwork research with shiny Jirachi. There is a ticket for this, which will be offered between February 20 and March 20 for 4.99 dollars (or a corresponding price in the local currency).
What is known about the shinies: Regardless of the ticket purchase for the research, selected Pokémon species will receive a shiny boost during the event, Niantic explains to Eurogamer. Which ones are still unclear.
There is no fundamentally increased shiny chance, but at least for some monsters, there will be an increased shiny rate.
The global Hoenn Tour takes place a week after the local variant in Las Vegas, which differs slightly from the global event. For Las Vegas, for example, there is a ticket and some paid add-ons that bring additional bonuses. However, this can only be utilized if you are on-site.
An unexpected encounter on the Deutsche Bahn gives MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya one of her best gaming memories.
In a hurry, I get on the train and plop down into the seat with a loud sigh. The world of gaming news, oh what, the whole world can be gone now. I am on vacation.
Sadly, I realize that my seat reservation led me to a large table, but there are still three empty seats around me. I am already annoyed at the thought of having strangers sitting in front of and next to me soon. My journey lasts at least eight hours, and you never know who will join you.
The train starts rolling, the journey begins. I am still alone in my four-seat group. With relief, I unpack the graphic novel I’ve been wanting to read for ages: Watchmen.
Do you like comics?
I have been traveling for a few hours and am engrossed in the story. I barely notice that two passengers have taken a seat across from me.
Suddenly, a small hand reaches for my book. Irritated, I look up and see two large, round, shining eyes: “Do you like comics?”
A boy, maybe just 8 years old, speaks to me in English to ask about my comic.
Somewhat perplexed, I answer his questions about Watchmen. Also in English. Curious, he absorbs everything and gets more and more excited as he starts talking about his favorite comics. His father joins in, and now the three of us enthusiastically discuss comics.
His father explains to me that they come from Australia and moved to Germany for a job. His son is still struggling to get used to his new home, having left his friends behind.
His biggest problem: The boy firmly refuses to learn German. This seems to be a sensitive topic. Because the once cheerful boy sinks into himself, crosses his arms, and looks sadly at the ground with his big eyes.
I feel sorry for him.
I tell the boy that I learned English primarily through video games when I was younger and that’s why I can talk to him now. At the mention of video games, the boy’s face lights up immediately.
Before I know it, the child is sitting next to me, pulling out his phone and proudly showing me his collection in Pokémon GO. I grew up with Pokémon too and have a lot to share. We talk about the pocket monsters, and at some point, the little one is curious about what all his Pokémon are called in German.
I show him which Pokémon I particularly like in his collection and under what names I know them as a German. Some names cause laughter, and he tries to repeat them.
His father looks over with satisfaction. His face says: at least a start.
Eventually, the child finds it too boring and shows me a simple game with cars on his phone. We play that together for a while, trying to push other cars off a platform.
I don’t even know how many hours have passed. We are heading towards the final station of the father and son. They pack their things. The son struggles a bit with the farewell. He asks if his father can’t ask for my number, which causes loud laughter among us adults.
His father says jokingly to his son that mom probably wouldn’t like that. The boy doesn’t really understand our laughter. But he accepts that this will probably be a one-time encounter.
The two get off, and as soon as the train moves again, I wave to them until I can no longer see them. For the rest of the ride, I smile out the window and let my thoughts wander.
I wonder if the boy is playing Pokémon GO in German today?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For one week, everything on our websites and in the livestream is about our love for games in our FYNG: Love Edition. Read here what to expect in the coming days.
Our popular format Find Your Next Game (FYNG) is back for another round. The new year is still young, and we have taken Valentine’s Day on February 14 as an opportunity to focus the first FYNG 2023 on our love for games. A FYNG called Love.
From February 8 to 14, you will find numerous articles on our websites about our – and your – love for games plus exciting game showcases.
On February 10, our livestream event starts on our Twitch channel Monsters and Explosions. Until Tuesday, February 14, we will broadcast live from Munich for at least five hours daily and introduce you to new titles, chat in the live podcast about the love for games and the love IN games. Additionally, there will be a new edition of our show Indie-Herzblatt.
The live program of FYNG: Love Edition this week
Which moderators are on board: The moderation will be taken over, as usual, by our gaming hosts Julius, Ann-Kathrin, Maurice, Fritz, and for the first time by our new video editor Lennard. Additionally, there will be more guests from the editorial teams of GameStar, GamePro, and MeinMMO, as well as some developers.
What’s on the program? Besides titles that you can play soon, such as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Company of Heroes 2, and Wild Hearts, we will look forward to upcoming hits like the remake of Resident Evil 4, Diablo 4, and Shadow Gambit.
The complete live program of FYNG: Love Edition
What is this FYNG? FYNG stands for “Find Your Next Game”. It encompasses a combination of various livestreams and corresponding editorial articles on all our Webedia sites. So on GameStar, GamePro and MeinMMO.
The focus of FYNG is on our livestreams. In many hours of live programming on our Twitch channel MAX – Monsters and Explosions we will introduce you to many new games. All this will be accompanied by talks, live gameplay sessions, and plenty of interaction with the community in the chat.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the cooperative RPG Haven, you play as two lovers who emigrate to a deserted planet. There, you accompany Yu and Kay through their everyday life.
Haven, an RPG from the indie studio The Game Bakers, lets you take on the roles of a couple. It doesn’t matter if you play solo or together with a partner.
Haven was released for PC, Xbox, and Playstation 5 in December 2020, followed by the versions for Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 in early 2021.
Haven is an emotional adventure, a touching story, and a great experience for two – so let yourself be taken away to a strange world full of shared possibilities.
Here you can see the gameplay trailer for Haven:
Start video
Haven – Coop RPG Trailer
Escape as a couple to a forgotten planet
What kind of game is Haven? In Haven, the story revolves around the lovers Yu and Kay. Through the dialogues, you experience their daily life, how they work on their relationship, and grow together through new challenges.
For their love, they fled to a foreign planet and must manage in the unfamiliar surroundings. They have only each other and their trust in one another. You experience their development as a couple throughout the adventure with many affectionate dialogues.
You follow the conversations but can also occasionally choose between response options while gliding through the grasses of the unknown world.
As a couple, you explore the surroundings and also encounter monsters that you have to fight. In battle, you use both characters and strategically choose who performs which attacks. There are also shared duo skills.
Kay and Yu explore the forgotten planet together.
The graphics are colorful and appealing but lack detail. The focus is on exploration and the shared adventure.
These contents are also available:
Collecting, crafting, and cooking
You encounter cute animals
You can fly
An electronic soundtrack that is often praised by players
Local co-op, but also remote play from Steam
You play as a gay, lesbian, or heterosexual couple
In 2022, the RPG received an important update: since then, you can no longer only play as a heterosexual couple, but can also be homosexual.
At the beginning of Haven, since the Couple Update, you choose in which combination you want to play Kay and Yu. Either as a man and woman, two men, or two women.
Since 2022, there are also gay and lesbian couples in Haven.
The choice does not affect the gameplay. Only the facial features and clothing of the characters change. The hairstyles are also slightly adjusted – however, Yu keeps long hair and Kay has short hair.
Players love the story, complain about the combat system
The reviews on Steam have clearly trended upward since release and stand at “very positive” – 92%. Almost every player praises the story and the dialogues. The update that allows you to change genders was particularly well received.
Some parts of the gameplay are criticized. The combat system is said to be not particularly exciting and may feel rather dull. The focus is on exploration and the dialogues between the two characters. Here, Haven plays all its strengths.
Pro
Engaging story
Vibrant dialogues
The choice of whether to play as a heterosexual, gay, or lesbian couple
Contra
Online co-op does not work for some players (Steam Remote)
Boring combat system
No German voiceover
We summarize a few of the voices here for you:
User Wolf Fivousix is enthusiastic about Haven and shares his feelings on Steam: “A fantastic game. It is beautifully written, a great love story.”
Even if some criticize the gameplay, they can forget these weaknesses because of its strengths. For example, keldian writes: “Gameplay is not the focus of the game, the combat system is very simple. But the atmosphere – wow. The relationship story is well-written with great chemistry between the two.”
Many users were pleased with the Couple Update last year, including Cheerio’s mother: “Thank you for adding the gays. 10/10”
Not all players, however, are dissatisfied with the gameplay. User Fallow feels well entertained: “The gameplay itself may be a bit shallow for some, but for me, it’s exciting enough to have fun. Soundtrack, graphics, and especially the dialogues create […] an impression of a beautiful, lively, and holistic relationship between two people, which is rarely found in story-driven games.”
Virtual Ahwn only got into Haven through the Couple Update: “As a gay man, I wasn’t very interested in the game at first because I didn’t want to play a heterosexual romance. When the update came, I gave Haven another chance. […] I love the game so much, I can hardly put it into words.”
Almost every player is thrilled by the story of Yu and Kay. So, if you are interested in story games with good dialogues and voice acting, you should definitely give it a try. Perhaps even with your partner.
You can get it on all platforms for around 25 euros. According to “HowLongToBeat,” the price corresponds to 10 hours of shared experiences (via howlongtobeat.com).
What do you think of Haven? Have you played it, or do you plan to? Will it be your next game? Do you know similar games where you take on the role of a couple? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players of World of Warcraft are currently experiencing a small gold rush. An old “crap item” is suddenly worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of gold.
The quality level of an item in World of Warcraft actually indicates its rarity and therefore its value – at least most of the time. However, with patch 10.0.5, this has reversed in some cases. Now white items can also be used for transmogification. Once “useless” robes from merchants are suddenly the latest trend for transmog fans.
Such items are the Hanboks and Dangui – special dresses sold by only a single NPC in the game.
One of these white dresses is now being traded for up to 2,000,000 gold.
What kind of item is this? The Formal Dangui is a special robe that now counts as a cosmetic item – it can be used as a transmog template by all armor classes. The texture is quite unusual and is not found anywhere else in World of Warcraft.
Meanwhile, Geenia is permanently besieged on most realms. Note that there are several “phases” in which Geenia sells her items. Thus, for example, the Dangui may be available in war mode while it is sold out in non-war mode.
It may be worthwhile to park multiple characters in different phases and Chromie times at the Moonlight Landing to gain more access to this NPC and thus have more chances to get the item.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa is now the largest streamer on Twitch. But it wasn’t always like that. As a small streamer, she mainly lived off of “whales” – men who donated to outdo each other. In a conversation with xQc, she explains what changed for her when she broke the threshold of 5,000 viewers.
In what context does Amouranth speak? Amouranth has been on Twitch since 2016 and has had a slow but steady career:
In 2016, she had an average of 50 viewers – back then, she mainly showed cosplay
In 2017, it was already 809
In 2018, she reached 2042 viewers – in 2019 and 2020, her channel slowly but steadily grew to 3032 viewers
Visiting xQc, Amouranth talks about her growth and the comparison between women and men on Twitch. xQc, who listens with interest and shares his own experiences, is the biggest male streamer on the platform.
Start video
Twitch streamer with only 1 viewer becomes famous through a nice gesture – This is her story
Small female streamers benefit the most from donations from wealthy men
This is what Amouranth says about her life as a small streamer: Amouranth says that until she surpassed a certain viewer threshold, she had 3 to 5 men in her chat, each donating about $90,000 a year (83,000 €). Such people who spend excessively are called “whales”, a term that has crept from the animal world into the world of gambling and casinos.
The men would donate so much to gain the attention of the streamer. They would even compete with each other and outdo one another with donations. Amouranth talks about “donation wars”:
I had 3 to 5 guys who donated over $90,000 a year. So each one. But when you exceed 5,000 viewers, then you might collectively reach around $90,000. As you grow, the whales don’t give you as much anymore because there are so many people in the chat – but you make more money through ads, subs, and directing people to other sites. So it’s a question of whether you create a scalable model or stay small but with high donations.
How does xQc react? He is shocked by the idea that whales compete with each other on who spends more money. He hadn’t thought of that at all.
As a male streamer, he has experienced a completely different growth on Twitch: The Canadian began his career as a Twitch streamer after being kicked out of the Overwatch League for lack of impulse control. But his outbursts of rage, which cost him his eSports career, made him a star on Twitch.
What are the disadvantages of being a small streamer? Amouranth says that among small streamers, “parasocial relationships” often develop, which carry problems: men would expect to receive something in return for high donations, such as private video chats or messages.
Especially with small channels, there is an extremely high risk of having a stalker among the viewers. Already with 10 viewers, one could expect to have a stalker in the mix.
Large female streamers receive more money from companies
What changes with a large female streamer? Amouranth says that when one reaches over 2,000 viewers, the game changes completely. The men who donated so much would stay away now, as they would expect not to receive as much attention from a streamer. The chat is simply too full for the streamer to focus on individual viewers.
Furthermore, the men calculate that such a large streamer is not financially dependent on donations.
Strangely enough, stalkers tend to become fewer with larger streamers.
From this size, the business model changes: one can no longer expect such high donations, but advertising revenue is higher. Now one earns “industry money,” that is from Amazon, through subs, ads, or indeed OnlyFans.
Amouranth’s business model involves posting free, suggestive images and videos on Twitter, Twitch, and Instagram while offering more explicit content on OnlyFans – but charging for that.
xQc adds: Smaller female streamers have less competition from men and receive a lot of attention from the streamer. But this growth quickly hits limits; it is “capped.”
Amouranth continues: A man starting on Twitch, without contacts or any relationships, can reach over 100 viewers – for him, “The Sky is the Limit,” because he can be sure of being watched because he is genuinely entertaining.
“For girls, it is hard to build a large audience on Twitch because you stream to men and every man has different preferences. It is also a weird vibe. Men feel they cannot watch a woman without expecting something from her, fantasizing about her, and feeling guilty for watching a woman they will never have sex with. So it is harder for women to grow.”
Amouranth says that as a small streamer, there is the pressure to keep the viewers one has and to make them happy without giving them the feeling that they are part of the streamer’s real life, as that would create problems.
As a large streamer, one could also tell people to get lost.
When Amouranth talks about “girls on Twitch,” she actually only means herself
How is this to be classified? When Amouranth talks about “women,” she does not really mean all women, but she means herself.
In many ways, Amouranth is an exception on Twitch because she is not just a “shameless E-girl” as she describes herself; she works extremely disciplined and goal-oriented while demonstrating a large business acumen.
Therefore, her earnings are in regions that most female streamers, no matter how they present themselves, can only dream of.
However, both stand at the top of Twitch and different rules apply to them. There is certainly no formula that one could easily follow to replicate either of them.
When Amouranth once talked about how high her earnings are on OnlyFans, other users of that platform came forward and stated that while they also belonged to the top of OnlyFans, they surely did not reach Amouranth’s incredible numbers:
The game Hogwarts Legacy is a big topic on Twitch. Due to statements by the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, some people on Twitter and Twitch are calling for a boycott of the game. In the Twitch stream of “Girlfriend Reviews”, the situation escalates: the streamer faces the criticism, she seems distraught. In the discussion about the incident, major Twitch streamers like Asmongold and xQc use very harsh words against the critics.
This was the situation beforehand:
“Girlfriend Reviews” is a couple that streams together. The idea is “He is an experienced gamer – she gives her assessment on it.”
The couple is active on Twitch and YouTube. Videos like “I forced my girlfriend to play old lousy games” or “Should your boyfriend play God Of War?” are published.
On February 6, the couple announced they would show Hogwarts Legacy on Twitch (via twitter). They said: they did not buy the game, received a code, and would pass on the money that comes in through donations. The money would go to the Trevor Project, a crisis hotline for LGBTQ youth.
Start video
Hogwarts Legacy presents the officially best trailer of gamescom – Has over 600,000 views on YouTube
Twitch streamer cannot handle the criticism, withdraws
This was the incident: During the stream of Hogwarts Legacy, there was a lot of protest in the Twitch chat against the stream. The streamer apparently saw it as a hopeless situation:
There were people who came in and supported her
Other people came into the chat and said: “I am gay and it is not enough that you want to donate the money”
Ultimately, the streamer says there is no way to handle the game properly. Her boyfriend defends her: she did not program the game, she is just showing it.
While the streamer is telling this, she already sounds upset.
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Thus, some are calling for a boycott of the game so that J.K. Rowling does not earn money from it. Because with the money raised, she would support anti-trans organizations.
Now that the release is getting closer, the discussion arose about who shows the game on Twitch and who doesn’t.
In the meantime, even a “list” of streamers who show Hogwarts Legacy circulated. The site was apparently intended to “brand” streamers who broke the boycott call and showed the game. The site has since disappeared from the web (via dexerto).
Also, Twitch streamers who have decided not to show Hogwarts Legacy are being criticized. For example, the German streamer Kalle Koschinsky says he was insulted and attacked in comments after he clearly positioned himself against Hogwarts Legacy. This threw him off track (via twitter). Other people even received death wishes and threats.
Asmongold reacts sharply to boycott call ‘You are just NPCs’
This is how the criticism from major streamers is commented on: In Germany, the discussion about Hogwarts Legacy and that it is wrong to show the game has affected the major Twitch streamer “Gronkh”, who reacted understandingly to the criticism against him, tried to mediate and admitted he misspoke.
The biggest Twitch streamers in the USA are now reacting completely differently to the tense situation:
The MMO streamer Asmongold places personal freedom above all else. He has zero understanding that someone wants to dictate to another what they can show on Twitch:
I don’t know what is going on with people on the internet who think that anyone has to listen to them just because they have a problem. No one cares about your opinion. You are just a name on a screen. You are just NPCs.
Asmongold urges streamers to ignore such people and not invest emotional energy in them or justify themselves. People need to be banned, and anyone who interferes needs to be thrown out as well.
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The world’s largest streamer for Hogwarts Legacy, xQc, reacts even more intensely. In response to the criticism that the Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling benefits from the success of the game and could promote transphobic purposes, he says:
“People finance all sorts of nasty stories with their purchases. Everything you can imagine, okay? And now they want to make people feel bad for buying a video game?”
He then becomes very drastic. Let’s put it a bit milder:
People can visit him where the sun doesn’t shine. They are “fucking liberal Andys” – what the hell is that all about?
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This is what lies behind it: There is a huge difference in recognizing how Gronkh deals with the situation, who asked for understanding, tried to penetrate the issue and find a solution, and how US streamers react.
Asmongold and xQc, both major streamers, have a completely different approach to the criticism of streams about games. They react with complete incomprehension, refusing to let these issues be imposed on them and sliding into vulgarity.
Especially xQc, who is also considered “not brand-safe” because of his passion for gambling, doesn’t seem at all troubled by the topic.
xQc is by far the largest streamer for Hogwarts Legacy: He has already been watched for 1.9 million hours – that is more than 3 times what the number 2 on Twitch has gathered in hours.
The survival game The Day Before (Steam) is widely discussed. Some players believe the title is a scam and will never be released. Now, the developers have spoken in a statement about the spread of misinformation.
What kind of game is this? The Day Before is a survival game where you fight for survival during a zombie apocalypse. In addition to the struggle for survival against zombies, battles against other players will also play a significant role, as PvP is an important component of the game.
Why do people think the game is a scam? The assumption that The Day Before is a scam and that the game will never be released is based on various factors.
Additionally, the release has been postponed multiple times. The Day Before was supposed to be released in June 2022, then on March 1, 2023; meanwhile, November 10, 2023, is now being mentioned as the release date.
The last release postponement was justified by copyright issues, which raised further doubts (via Twitter).
The gameplay video, which players called a “walking simulator,” is embedded here:
Start video
The Day Before – 10 Minutes Gameplay
What do the developers say? In a new statement on Twitter, the developers of The Day Before now address the spread of false information and how it affects their team but also other indie developers affected by similar experiences.
Moreover, they announced that after the release of The Day Before, they will think about how they can help young developers cope with the spread of false information.
A German translation of the statement can be seen here:
We all live in a time of disinformation and a lack of fact-checking. Anyone can say anything for their views, and anyone will believe it. Disinformation must be addressed because it can harm not only us but also other indies and small/mid-sized studios. It also has psychological effects on the members of such teams. After the release of The Day Before, we will consider how to help inexperienced developers deal with fakes and provide resources for it.
What reactions are there to the statement? On Twitter, some users are responding to the statement and discussing what might have gone wrong in the case of The Day Before and Fntastic.
Blakwoods: “The solution to this problem is a good marketing team. If not, then you need to be more transparent and communicate better with the community. If you look closely, The Day Before was the most desired game, so people are supporting you, the problem lies in your communication.”
Fntastic: “Thank you! We will improve communication and create more transparency (via Twitter).”
TastelessNobody: “Maybe you should release some information or news sometimes and not keep quiet for a year and a half and only deliver a gameplay video, then there won’t be any misinformation.”
Fntastic: “We do not have a marketing department. All our resources go into game development. But we will improve communication, thank you (via Twitter).”
Other Twitter users continue to discuss under the statement about the lack of evidence that the game even exists, suggesting, for example, holding a livestream from within the studio while the developers are working on the game. In general, the communication and transparency of the studio are viewed critically.
Similar criticism as on Twitter was also expressed by some MeinMMO readers. For instance, 30% of you stated that you believe The Day Before is a scam:
On Twitch, the well-known and sometimes controversial streamer Hasan “Hasanabi” Piker is diligently raising funds for a good cause. He is not deterred by trolls. Many other streamers have followed his appeal for donations to support the victims of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria.
In the early hours of February 6, a powerful earthquake shook southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria. The earthquake, which reached a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, was followed by several aftershocks, the strongest of which registered a value of 7.5 (via DW). It is the most devastating earthquake in the region since the severe earthquake in 1999.
Current estimates (as of 08.01) indicate that more than 11,000 people have lost their lives in both countries, with at least 49,000 injured, and the number of missing and buried individuals remains unknown. Many aid missions are currently underway, and there is a great deal of support from around the world.
People on Twitch also want to help. Streamer Hasanabi, who is known for his political commentary and is unafraid of controversy, is particularly affected by the situation. He has Turkish roots, and part of his family is from the affected region.
How did the streamer respond? Hasanabi usually broadcasts in the “Just Chatting” category, commenting on current news or major political events like the US elections. He responded to a donation appeal from a streamer in Turkey and quickly initiated a relief effort. So far, over 856,000 euros ($920,929) have been raised during several streams (as of 08.01).
Twitch streams are often controversial, but sometimes there are completely different moments on the platform:
Start video
Twitch: One of the most popular clips shows a super sweet scare moment
Trolls sabotage the donation campaign, but the willingness to help prevails
The relief effort is very dear to Hasanabi’s heart, as he wrote on Twitter, he has already experienced the impact of such a disaster firsthand. During the severe earthquake in 1999, he was living with his family in Istanbul and witnessed the extent of the destruction.
Although some trolls are trying to undermine the streamer’s donation campaign, he remains steadfast. It’s not about him, but about the people who are suffering from the natural disaster. “Every dollar counts,” he said in one of his streams, and this message resonates.
In his streams, a counter displays the total amount donated. The sum increases by the second, as many Twitch viewers show their extraordinary willingness to help.
Hasanabi leads by example – The streamer often attracts attention with controversies, such as when he bought a expensive sports car. However, now HasanAbi is encouraging his friends and colleagues to donate for a good cause as well.
He shared his platform with scientists from Turkey, who explained to his audience the earthquake and its consequences. Additionally, Hasanabi donated $25,000 to directly help the victims of the disaster.
This is making an impact, as many other streamers and internet personalities have also donated for the good cause. Among the largest donations are numerous well-known figures:
Even one of Twitch’s bad boys, the streamer Tyler “Trainwreck” Nikman, known for his gambling streams, pledged to donate $150,000 to a reputable charity if they accept cryptocurrency.
Twitch as a platform and the creators who use it are often criticized. However, initiatives like Hasanabi’s and those of all the other streamers demonstrate the enormous potential of the platform to do something good.
There is a new twist in the endless saga: “Microsoft wants to buy Activision Blizzard” – the UK is opposed. The British competition authority fears it could harm the gaming market if the two giants join forces. One option that could make the deal possible: Activision could sell Blizzard (WoW, Overwatch, Diablo). For many old fans of Blizzard, a dream – for Activision CEO Kotick, a nightmare. He predicts economic decline for the UK.
But because both companies are so huge, they need the okay from various regulatory authorities worldwide. The approval process is dragging on. However, the companies expect the deal to go through by mid-2023.
Now the UK has signaled that they have a problem with the merger.
Call of Duty is the main issue:
Start video
CoD Modern Warfare 2: Important changes explained quickly – With gameplay
UK believes merger could worsen gaming market
What does the authority in the UK say? In a statement from the competition authority of the UK, it says they fear that such a merger could disrupt the competitive situation in gaming.
At the moment, Microsoft (Xbox) and Sony (PlayStation) are competing against each other: Both have access to key brands, such as Call of Duty. If this access is removed for one party, it could lead to
price increases
less choice and quality
overall worse console gaming
They fear the possibility that Microsoft could come in and take away Sony’s ability to publish Call of Duty, or could worsen Sony’s access to the shooter series.
Authority mentions possibility of breaking up Activision Blizzard
This is the authority’s proposal: The authority presents 4 options for how to behave now. One option is to split Activision Blizzard and only give a part to Sony:
Activision could sell everything related to Call of Duty
Activision Blizzard could spin off “Activision” (thus including Call of Duty)
Activision could sell Blizzard
Or they could simply oppose the merger
The authority says: The assessment is currently provisional. They are waiting for input from both companies and will continue to deal with the issue.
Why is the sale of Blizzard a dream for many gamers? Many gamers blame Activision for Blizzard not focusing on quality as much since the merger with the Call of Duty company, developing until games were “done”.
Activision has negatively changed Blizzard, erasing much that was unique about Blizzard with their focus on finances and driving away good people from the company.
Whether this is true is difficult to say. In insider reports about Blizzard, it sounds more like Activision only started to change Blizzard’s culture when they could no longer bring new games to market.
Activision bought Blizzard in June 2008 by merging with Vivendi. They paid around 18.9 billion US dollars back then. The goal was mainly to get their hands on World of Warcraft, which was extremely successful at the time. In 2013, Activision Blizzard freed itself from Vivendi for 5.8 billion $.
Kotick says: Regulators have no idea
How did Kotick react? The mastermind behind the sale, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, said in a television interview that the authorities had “no idea about our business.” They do not even know that Japanese and Chinese companies dominate gaming:
The regulators would focus heavily on expensive consoles and the console market
In reality, gaming is a mobile market and here companies from Asia dominate – Western companies are at a strong disadvantage, according to Kotick
At the end of the interview, he attacked the UK: after Brexit, the United Kingdom will probably be the first country to fall into a recession.
The merger would bring jobs, instead. Here it’s about the future of the technology location. It would be the chance for “Silicon Valley” to emerge in Europe. If deals like this do not go through, it would not be Silicon Valley, but rather Death Valley. So a hostile desert instead of a technology hub.
Kotick himself has been heavily criticized repeatedly:
The Division 2 has postponed Season 11 indefinitely, just a few days before it was scheduled to be released. However, the fans of the shooter are not surprised.
Live service games thrive on new content that players look forward to and can play years after the game’s release. Fans of Ubisoft’s loot shooter The Division 2 are currently waiting for the release of Season 11.
The development team announced only on January 30 that the new season was supposed to be released on February 7. But just four days later, on February 3, Ubisoft postponed the release of Season 11 of The Division 2.
According to the roadmap for 2022, Season 11 was supposed to be released back in December of last year. However, the development team updated the roadmap and postponed Season 11 in November to spring 2023.
When will Season 11 be released? The development team announced that the release on February 7 could not be met, but no new date has been announced yet. When Season 11 is supposed to appear is currently unclear.
However, the team promised on Twitter to inform players “as soon as possible” about a new release date.
There is no official trailer for Season 11 yet, but here you can take another look at Season 10:
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The Division 2 – Season 10 “Price of Power” Trailer
Why has Season 11 been postponed? As the development team behind The Division 2 announced in a statement on Twitter, some delays in the localization process led to the postponement of the Season 11 release.
Localization processes include translating in-game texts and dialogues so that, for example, German players can experience the game in their native language.
Here is a German translation of the statement:
During preparations for Season 11, there were a number of delays in our localization process, which affected the gaming experience of many players around the world. Therefore, after many discussions, we made the difficult decision to postpone the release of Season 11 and the livestream to a later date.
We understand that this is not the update our community wants to hear, and we appreciate your continued support. Because of your support, it is important for us to provide you with the best possible gaming experience with this update, and a release on the planned date of February 7 would not guarantee that. We will inform you about a new release date as soon as possible. In the meantime, we would like to apologize for the inconvenience.
We look forward to sharing more information about the Season 11 stream as soon as we have it.
How are players reacting? Some players of The Division 2 are reacting to the news on social media with mockery, and some say they have already expected the postponement. Additionally, some Division fans show understanding for the delay.
Eagleblade 85: “I don’t think this is a shock to anyone. If the content is not ready, it simply isn’t ready, no matter how frustrating that is (via Twitter).”
Oblivionbm3: “Why am I not surprised (via Twitter)?”
Andreas: “Let’s be honest, did anyone really think they would make it by February 7? I didn’t (via Facebook).”
onlycrazypeoplesmile: ‘Honestly, I have no problem with it because yes, they need to use the most accurate translations possible, and if that means my non-English friends can play the game better, then hell yes (via reddit)!’
Another “Division 2” player humorously compares the loot shooter on Facebook to the upcoming survival title “The Day Before” and claims that it is more reliable.
The Day Before is currently being hotly debated. After an initial trailer sparked the interest of many players and it became one of the most anticipated games on Steam, doubts grew.
The release has been postponed multiple times, there has been no new information, and accusations arose that the game is a scam and will never be released. In response, the game’s developers addressed the issue:
World of Warcraft Dragonflight brought back many old, popular features. But one is now being discontinued – and probably for good.
World of Warcraft is, after almost 19 years, probably one of the MMORPGs with the most features ever. However, not every single one has been well received or even used by the community. One of them is now being “quietly and discreetly” removed from the game – the Twitter integration.
What kind of feature is this? The Twitter integration allowed players since Patch 6.1 in the expansion “Warlords of Draenor” to link their WoW account with Twitter. This allowed them to tweet directly from World of Warcraft, often with a screenshot.
Back then, “selfies” were already a big trend, and there was a playful attempt to jump on that bandwagon, encouraging the heroes of Azeroth to share their adventures on Twitter, preferably with funny or entertaining images.
However, the feature never really took off, and many probably don’t even know it existed – just like the first version of voice chat in WoW back then.
Why is Blizzard shutting down the feature? Even though Blizzard does not specify concrete reasons, there are probably two main circumstances that speak for it:
The feature has been quite unpopular since its introduction. While it was initially used by some, it has been effectively forgotten over the months and years.
Twitter now wants money for using its API, which means Blizzard would need to pay regularly for the feature.
A feature that costs money regularly and is not used by the players offers little benefit. Therefore, the feature is “buried” more or less quietly.
More about World of Warcraft can be found here on MeinMMO:
The infamous Patch 6.1 gets even worse: Overall, Patch 6.1 during the times of Warlords of Draenor was under no good star. For many, it was known as the “Twitter Patch” or the “Selfie Patch” because it introduced the selfie camera as a toy.
That one of these features is now being removed retrospectively causes a bit of schadenfreude. Some complain that they can no longer make fun of the Twitter integration. Others, however, see the removal of the function as the perfect reason, as User Dreadsurge in the official WoW forum stated:
And with that, literally the only thing that Patch 6.1 added to the game is no longer existent. This solidifies Patch 6.1 as the worst patch in the history of World of Warcraft.
(I know this was done because of the change to the Twitter API, but I won’t miss any opportunity to make fun of Patch 6.1.)
Did you ever use the Twitter integration? Or did you not even know until now that this was possible in WoW?
Felix “Rocklho” Bao Duy Ho earns his money by playing League of Legends. The professional was previously a player himself, and now works as a caster for E wie Einfach E-Sports. In a report from ZDF, Rocklho explains what defines esports players in Germany – and why he has stopped.
Who is the professional?
The 24-year-old Felix “Rocklho” Bao Duy Ho is a German-Vietnamese LoL professional who played for the esports team of the German energy company E wie Einfach in 2021. However, the team has not yet achieved significant success.
Rocklho is a top laner, and Malphite is his signature champion, which he claims is his favorite to play.
Now, Rocklho works as a consultant, helping young talents start their careers, after he himself no longer wanted to live the “pro life.”
This is the documentary: On February 7, ZDF released two reports on the topic of esports in Germany, one titled: “Zock oder Flop?” and another titled: “Nothing but Gaming?”
In the latter, Rocklho talks about the everyday life of an esports player, his career path, and things that he believes can be problematic when becoming a pro gamer as a young person – and why he ultimately stopped.
One of the most famous pro gamers in the world is the Korean Faker:
Start video
The Life of Faker – Why He is a Living Legend
“We only exist because people became bored”
What does a day in the life of an esports player look like? In the report, Rocklho shares how he spent his days as a player in esports:
As a pro gamer, as I would say, you have a different life than most people imagine. You just play an enormous amount […] 10 hours a day, every day, 7 days a week. 5 hours of that with the team, 5 hours alone. […] We don’t play with friends, we don’t play for fun. Every game is meant for us to get better.
Despite that, you receive immense recognition “from all genders, from all sides.”
Why did Rocklho stop? Rocklho explains that he sees himself as incredibly privileged. His job is one of the rarest in Germany and it only exists because “people became bored.” After all, he earns his living by having others watch him play.
Nevertheless, the professional sees two major criticisms of life as an esports player:
on one hand, you don’t learn anything in this profession that would help you elsewhere.
on the other hand, the constant gaming eventually becomes a burden.
Gaming took over Rocklho’s life at an early age. In high school, he forged signatures, didn’t do homework, and lied to teachers to be able to game more. He outright discarded other club activities: “It was no longer an addiction; it was beyond that.”
At some point, he reached the top 300 in Europe and was able to earn money with League of Legends. However, looking back on that time today looks different:
“Because we’re essentially gaming our whole life, a lot is lost. Especially at such a young age. I’ve been playing professionally since I was 18 and many others start even earlier.
They won’t experience so many things that, let’s say, normal students or those who are in vocational training, who have normal contact with people, get to experience. They haven’t learned any soft skills. They’ve only learned to be the best in a game.”
Rocklho has only seen his parents four times during all this time. When he then gained significant weight during his time as a pro gamer and realized that he was living unhealthily, he decided to stop.
A team that greatly relies on player support is Eintracht Spandau – the team of the German YouTuber HandOfBlood:
Start video
Everything you need to know about the LoL team Eintracht Spandau – in 4 minutes
“Contracts were received, but not honored”
Today, Rocklho works as a consultant at the “esports player foundation” and helps young professionals who aspire to a career in esports. The ex-pro praises how much esports has developed in recent years.
When he started, he was often “fooled,” contracts and promises were not honored. He had to take care of everything himself and received no help.
Today it is different. Rocklho praises: “There’s simply much more being done to ensure that the new generation can become even better and has an easier time.” He feels a bit envious, but is glad to be able to help now in his new position.
The life of a professional, however, does not align with the priorities Rocklho wants to set for his own life.
The esports industry is a fast-paced field where careers can start and end just as quickly. Rocklho himself had not had a team for months – something that would be unthinkable in other sports. Similarly, this has happened to one of the youngest talents in esports:
Sony has provided a major DLC from Destiny 2 this time with its monthly free games in the PS Plus offer, but who is it worth it for? What should one consider and are you missing something if you don’t indulge? We will show you.
Which DLC is free? As we have already reported, PlayStation announced the games for February in its PS Plus subscriptions. Among the games, there is also a major DLC for Destiny 2. It is Beyond Light, the second major expansion from Bungie after the split from Activision.
Some players in the community, including you on MeinMMO, have wondered whether the DLC is worth it, what to consider, and if you miss out on something if you don’t get the DLC. We will address your questions and answer them in our overview.
Beyond Light is of great importance for the story in Destiny 2
In addition, with Beyond Light, you will have the opportunity to earn one of the first Darkness subclasses in Destiny 2. It’s called Stasis and freezes your enemies in place. Without the DLC, you cannot gain this ability. The currently feared PvP fusion rifle “No Time to Explain” is also included in the package.
Stasis is a strong class
Can I play older DLCs if I get Beyond Light now? No, unfortunately, that is not the case. You can only play the specified DLC. You would need to purchase Shadowkeep separately.
Am I missing something if I don’t get Beyond Light? That depends on how far you want to play Destiny 2. Beyond Light offers an important focus subclass that can be very useful in raids, dungeons, or strikes. If you do not own Beyond Light, you otherwise have no chance of gaining this focus.
And in general, it is difficult to enjoy or understand Destiny 2 in bits and pieces. The loot shooter is a universe that continuously evolves over time. With Beyond Light, you only have a snapshot in your possession. You can also just buy Lightfall, but then you miss the context of how your Guardian first came into contact with darkness.
It’s not easy for us to make the decision for you. If you don’t want to play only Free-to-Play, then indulge in the full DLC of Destiny 2 and give it a try. However, be aware that you are only scratching the surface of what the entire Destiny universe offers.
How long is the offer valid? The special opportunity surrounding Beyond Light and other titles in February is valid from February 7 to March 6 and is available for PlayStation Plus members.
If you haven’t seen the offer yet and have always wanted to have a round of sci-fi loot action, then take the plunge now. Simply go to the PSN Store website and search for “Beyond Light”. There you can download the DLC as a free PS Plus game.
Were we able to convince you, and will you play the free DLC, or would you prefer to wait for Lightfall to come around to restart with this DLC? Feel free to leave us a comment with your opinion on this!
In Pokémon GO you have the opportunity to secure 3 rare monsters as part of the Valentine’s Day event – but only for a short time. We at MeinMMO will show you which Pokémon they are and how you can find them in the game in the coming days.
What event is it about? In Pokémon GO, the Day of Lovers is currently being celebrated, which is why a special Valentine’s Day event is taking place. You can expect many bonuses and spawns for this event.
You can also encounter 3 rare monsters for a short time that you won’t see again anytime soon. We have summarized which ones they are and how you can get them below.
When does the event run? The Valentine’s Day event runs from February 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. local time until February 14, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Coiffwaff (Heart Cut)
Coiffwaff with Heart Cut normal (left) and as Shiny (right)
What kind of Pokémon is this? Coiffwaff is a Normal-type Pokémon from the 6th generation of games, which has no pre-evolutions or evolutions. However, it has 9 other forms in addition to its shaggy form – and here’s how you can get them. One of them is the Heart Cut, which is usually only available during the event once a year, fitting for Valentine’s Day.
Previously, you could secure the Heart Cut during the Valentine’s Day event in 2022 in the game. Now it is finally available again, so you shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
Is Coiffwaff strong? No, Coiffwaff is not particularly strong and does not play a special role in raids or PvP battles. Thus, it is mainly of interest to collectors.
Where can you get it? You can frequently find Coiffwaff (Shaggy form) in the wild or in Level 1 raids in the coming days. With a bit of luck, it will even be waiting for you there in its shiny variant.
To secure the Heart Cut, you need to change the form of the monster accordingly, as you cannot simply catch the different forms in the game.
How you can change Coiffwaff (Shaggy form) into the Heart Cut will be explained to you in the following article:
Pandir Fur Pattern 9 normal (left) and as Shiny (right)
What kind of Pokémon is this? Another rare Pokémon that you should secure during the Valentine’s Day event is Pandir. This Normal-type Pokémon from the 3rd generation of games also has no pre-evolutions or evolutions. Just like Coiffwaff, Pandir also has different forms that vary in their fur patterns.
Throughout the year, patterns 1 to 8 alternate monthly. During the Valentine’s Day event, you can again get Pandir with Fur Pattern 9 in the game for a few days. It wears a pink heart over its right eye.
Just like Coiffwaff, Pandir was also last available in this heart shape during Valentine’s Day 2022 in the game, which means that it is expected that you will not be able to secure this form again until the next year if you miss the chance now.
Is Pandir strong? No, Pandir is not strong and has no application in the GO Battle League or in raids. The little panda is relatively difficult to obtain in all its forms since it does not spawn in the wild. Additionally, it can only be caught once a year with Fur Pattern 9, which makes it particularly popular with collectors.
Especially shiny hunters hope for a corresponding specimen. This is because it does not only visually differ from the normal variant by its green pattern but also because the heart is broken in the shiny version.
Where can you get it? Pandir with Fur Pattern 9 can be found during the Valentine’s Day event in the event quest “Land 5 great throws in a row.” You can get the task at the PokéStops, and it appears afterward in your “Field” view, which you can access by clicking on the binoculars.
Make sure that the note “Event” is on the task. If that is not the case, then it is a field research from February, where you can also secure Pandir, but with Fur Pattern 8.
Illumise
Illumise normal (left) and as Shiny (right)
What kind of Pokémon is this? Illumise is a bug Pokémon from the 3rd generation of games, which also has no pre-evolutions or evolutions. However, the little purple bug can usually only be found regionally. It spawns outside of special events only in America and Africa.
On the occasion of the Valentine’s Day event, Illumise can also be caught here for a short time. After the event, it will again briefly return to us during the worldwide Hoenn Tour at the end of February, after which it will only be regionally available again for an indefinite time. So if you still need the bug for your collection, make sure you don’t miss this opportunity.
Is Illumise strong? No, Illumise is not particularly strong, which is why you should rather opt for stronger candidates for use in trainer battles or raids. However, the little bug is interesting for collectors since you can usually only find it in its region, which makes it rare.
Where can you get it? In the next few days, you will find Illumise more frequently in the wild. With a bit of luck, you might even encounter a shiny specimen.
In addition to Coiffwaff (Heart form), Pandir with Fur Pattern 9, and Illumise, you can catch several other monsters in the game in the coming days that are usually not found there very often.
These are also roaming outside the event in Pokémon GO, but they spawn there significantly less frequently than other Pokémon, which also makes them special. So keep an eye out for the following monsters:
Flabébé: The fairy Pokémon from the 6th generation of games can be found here in Germany in the coming days with a red flower in the wild. With a bit of luck, it may also spawn there in white and orange. However, its two other forms are only available regionally. And it is not yet available as shiny.
Flabébé with orange, white, and red flower
With its evolution Florges, it belongs to the best attackers in Pokémon GO, which is why securing a strong specimen of the fairy Pokémon could be worth it for you. And also in the Master League, the little flower can hold its own (via pvpoke.com).
We show you more strong attackers in Pokémon GO in the following video:
Start video
Pokémon GO: The strongest attackers of all types in the video
Psiau: Psiau is a psychic Pokémon from the 6th generation of games, which can evolve into female and male Psiaugon. However, the little monster does not spawn in the wild. It can usually only be found in the 10 km eggs, which makes it quite rare.
For certain events, such as now for the Valentine’s Day event, it can also be found in Level 1 raids. Since Psiau and its evolutions are not particularly strong and therefore have no application in raids and the GO Battle League, it is of particular interest for shiny hunters.
Psiau normal (left) and as Shiny (right)
What do you think about the spawns during the Valentine’s Day event? Will you secure the rare monsters? Or are you more interested in other Pokémon? Let us know here at MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
For Destiny 2, the latest ability of the loot shooter “Strand” is by far the most important feature of the Lightfall expansion. Since yesterday, the Guardians officially know what will soon bind them. However, MeinMMO has managed to extract a few more insider information from the developers and learned creepy things about the Strand Warlock.
What interview is this about? In a personal Q&A interview with the two Bungie developers Kevin Yanes and Eric Smith, our Destiny authors wanted to learn more about the backstory of the new subclass “Strand”.
Strand has, like every subclass in Destiny 2, a directly recognizable “fate interpretation”. It is part of Bungie’s design language that runs through everything. Kevin Yanes, Design Lead at Bungie, explained to us in a personal conversation that this “fateful unfolding of power is something that is as unique to [Destiny 2] as Strand itself”.
The Strand Warlock has minions that follow his will and hang out with him.
Warlocks will have their own army: Strand is something that can make you feel like Spiderman while playing in Neomuna. It’s about “weaving” objects yourself instead of spawning or summoning them.
Additionally, the new subclass Strand brings tricks that will definitely change all Guardians’ perspectives on movement and combat tactics. However, especially the Warlock is a master of Strand, who works a lot with his mind and has more to do with the new “Threadlings” than the other classes.
The Warlock can create sentient creatures from the threads that run through reality.
As “Threadlings”, these “Threadlings” then move as his little mini-army and infest enemies, causing them to explode.
Additionally, he can create eggs from which more Threadlings hatch. All usable Threadlings will be transformed into additional eggs.
The flying wizards will thus become the “Minion Master” in Lightfall. They have minions that follow their will. They love their master and return to him to hang out until the next enemy attacks.
The Strand trailer for Lightfall showcases how all three Guardian classes can utilize Strand and its deadly effects. It provides an action-packed overview of what awaits you:
Start video
Destiny 2 shows new insights into Strand in its trailer – The focus in Lightfall
Wait? Sentient creatures? Threads from which I spin creatures? A Warlock laying eggs? That sounds nothing like futuristic science fiction, but rather like a creepy horror movie that you don’t watch, but play in Lightfall.
In fact, this description does contain a few details from the first Warlock concept that was discarded. Originally, the class was supposed to be completely different with Strand, as Bungie revealed to us.
You can find even more detailed information about Destiny 2: Lightfall in our hub:
Eric Smith hinted to us that the first idea for the Warlock was pretty crazy. In the dark, you certainly would not want to run into this class.
“The [super] was originally supposed to transform [the Warlock] into a giant spider that spits out spider eggs and lets spider babies run around instead of weaving threads. To transform the Warlock from a biped into an eight-legged creature, we had to build the skeleton and the model and everything. Unfortunately, this exceeded the scope.”
Kevin Yanes then perfectly completes our new creepy phobia about the Warlock as he describes to us the super from the first class idea:
“[…] I think one of my favorites was [the] prototype of the early Warlock super, where you could spawn these Threadlings in the air. They posed, slowly flew towards you, and then shot Threadling eggs at you. So you only had these three [objects] that had thrown Threadling eggs at you. It was hilarious, but also creepy.”
This is how the Strand Threadlings crawl inexorably towards any enemy in Lightfall.
In the current version, however, the Warlock super has not been realized in this way. When players unleash their Warlock’s ultimate in Lightfall, a “Needlestorm” occurs, whichdeals a deadly combination of salvo and area damage.
This is how the Warlock’s Strand ultimate works: With his super “Needlestorm”, the Warlock transforms Strand matter into a salvo of hard spikes and throws them forward with a hand movement. These projectiles remain lodged in both enemies and the environment before exploding and turning into an army of Threadlings that pursue all survivors.
This is why the idea was scrapped: During the Spider Sparrow, arachnophobia, the specific fear of eight-legged spider creatures, was a big theme. This ultimately also had to be considered in the development of the Strand Warlock. The idea of a Warlock spider with eight limbs was thus discarded, and a more traditional form was returned to.
Players will bind enemies with Strand and immobilize them.
Did you have any other crazy ability ideas for Strand during development that had to be scrapped?
“[Yes], for example, the Titan once had a whip, and that was super cool. But you know, the overlap with the Hunter’s Threadrunner super was of course not something we wanted to pursue,” Kevin Yanes revealed to us.
In total, Guardians will receive many new unique abilities in their arsenal with the new subclass even without the creepy giant spider and whip. The final version of the three Strand classes contains a lot that will present the Guardians with new movement challenges, especially with all the new moves.
What do you think of the Warlock giant spider? Creepy? Would you have found the Warlock cool with that? Or are you glad that no eight limbs will break out of you in Lightfall? Feel free to let us know in the comments how your crazy Strand idea for one of the three classes would have looked.
You can read more from our interview with Bungie about Strand here:
Exactly one whole year to the day, the MMORPG Lost Ark has now been launched in the West. MeinMMO author Mark Sellner calls it his favorite representative of the genre at every opportunity, but it wasn’t always like that.
About 8 years ago, in November 2014, I saw the very first trailer for Lost Ark and I actually fell in love right away. Even though I struggled to warm up to the isometric perspective, the world, the art style, and the first gameplay looked grand to me.
For years, I hoped to be able to play this game myself someday, and thanks to Amazon, it finally happened on February 8, 2022, exactly one year ago, when the MMORPG was released in the West.
Of course, I dove into it like no other game in a long time. I even held a small LAN party with my friends for the release and celebrated the countdown to the last minute on a big screen in the room almost as much as other people celebrate New Year’s Eve.
In short, the atmosphere was amazing and the anticipation for the world of Arkesia was immense. It lasted quite a while, about 4 months for me personally. During that time, however, I didn’t get very far in the game.
Who is writing here? Mark Sellner is an MMORPG author at MeinMMO and has spent many hours in various genre representatives. He has now played Lost Ark for over 1,500 hours, despite a long break, all within the first year. Nevertheless, he just can’t get enough of the title.
A LAN party like in the old times, just with Lost Ark, for a week. In a few weeks, we will even go into the second round with it.
The big frustration meets boring tasks
I fear my biggest problem with Lost Ark was myself. Because I think I played the game completely wrong. The most problems that other players had with it didn’t bother me at all. At the beginning, I even said, my biggest problem was that I couldn’t spend even more money.
Lost Ark already offered a variety of different classes at launch, and I just couldn’t decide which one I should choose to continue. My first action in the MMORPG consisted of pulling no less than 8 characters through the story and getting them to level 50.
I made them all wait on the continent Shushire and at Gearscore 600 before I was supposed to decide who to continue with. However, that led to great frustration for me after a few weeks. Anyone who has played Lost Ark for a while knows how monotonous and boring Tier 1 can be.
Every day I logged in, I did the Tier 1 Guardian Raid of the turtle with more and more characters and two chaos dungeons. I didn’t even need the upgrade materials anymore, as I had already got all the chars to 600. To this day, I have over 2,000 unbound leap stones from Tier 1 stored, silly me.
The collaboration with The Witcher, another favorite game of mine, has recently caused a stir
Start video
The Witcher is coming to Lost Ark – New trailer shows why this fits really well
The collection tasks are the most fun
But besides the annoying daily routine that I forced upon myself, there was a silver lining, namely the adventure folio. This serves as a checklist for collection tasks across the different continents.
To this day, I look forward to opening my adventure folio and looking at a list full of continents that I have completed 100%. Just like I have found all Mokoko seeds and masterpieces. Collection tasks in Lost Ark are among my favorite things in this MMORPG.
A little screenshot that stands for a lot of work
And yet they were the reason I left the game after 4 months. After I chose a character and continued following the story, namely to Rohendel, Lost Ark dealt me a blow. Suddenly, collection tasks work completely differently.
I could no longer complete an area 100% before leaving it from Rohendel. Too many collection tasks were linked to other things, to daily tasks that one must complete over the course of a month. Or certain character stats that I simply hadn’t reached yet.
After about 3.5 months of absence in Lost Ark, a buddy of mine managed to convince me to take another look at the MMORPG in September. He promised that if I made it to the endgame, he would have a group for me with which I could raid. Well then, challenge accepted!
And indeed, this time the spark ignited. Instead of being bothered by the new requirements of the collection tasks, I tried to build sensible routines to work through them piece by piece. I also stopped running unnecessary Tier 1 Guardians anyway and focused only on one character.
Within a few weeks, I managed to catch up to Gearscore 1,415, and with Valtan, the first Legion Raid was already around the corner. They really got me hooked: While Valtan was still pretty easy to do, I had bigger problems with the subsequent Legion Raids, Vykas and Kakul-Saydon.
The battle against Vykas presents unusual challenges
But I loved this challenge. The fact that you have to coordinate with your group, learn mechanics, and noticeably improve is just fun. This culminated in the release of the latest Legion Raid, Brelshaza. Currently, we are out and about with a full 8-man group and have so far fought our way through the first 4 of 6 gates. I have not had this much fun raiding in any other MMORPG.
The optimization possibilities captivate me
By now, I have invested over 1,500 hours into Lost Ark, more than half of which have been since I started again in September. And I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Because I have fully arrived and there is still so much to do. That should be enough for another 1,500 hours and beyond.
My active roster currently consists of 6 characters over Gearscore 1,460, but I am of course not satisfied with that. I want to not only increase my Gearscore but also try out more builds, maybe still increase the quality of my equipment and also equip the last character with 5 engravings of level 3.
Even my selfie with Geralt and his friends always brings a smile to my face
But it won’t stop at 6 characters. I currently have 18 different characters on my account, and I want each of them to be at least in Tier 3 so that I can flexibly adjust my gold roster. I deliberately avoid power pass and knowledge transfer, as I enjoy leveling up.
Routine becomes fun, something to always look forward to
The weekly and daily tasks are fun because I now have a group for them, and they are more demanding than before. I feel genuinely sad when I usually finish all the weekly tasks and raids, usually on weekends.
A year after release, I love Lost Ark even more than at any other time. Even despite its problems and quirks. It is not a perfect game and not for everyone, but it is the perfect MMORPG for me, and I am already looking forward to the next 1,500 hours.
With the last lines in this article, I officially announce the end of my workday and head towards the brand new continent Rowen, where hopefully numerous collection tasks await me again. I am excited and maybe I will run into a few of you who give Lost Ark a second chance now, it is worth it.
With the update 1.8.2, leaderboards are coming to New World. Some players were already able to test the feature thoroughly on the public test servers. The patch also brings many balance changes and adjustments to the in-game economy.
What are leaderboards in New World? Leaderboards are a feature that the New World community has been wishing for some time. The leaderboards were already part of last year’s roadmap but had to be postponed. The developers needed a bit more time to optimize the feature for release.
They emphasize that they are not just implementing a simple feature with the leaderboards, but are also laying the foundation for future content. Therefore, one can indeed expect that new content will be designed with the rankings in mind.
How do leaderboards work in New World? The leaderboards will have various main and subcategories. There will be rankings for PvE content, PvP, and crafting. The system aims to reward all players who regularly explore Aeternum. It can be compared to the achievement system from WoW or similar systems from other games.
In addition to the main categories, the developers promise over 50 additional subcategories. This is intended to cover all aspects of the game. At the same time, there is enough room to expand the system with additional categories in the future.
In Q&A sessions, the developers regularly provide insights into the development of New World and explain why some features are more challenging to implement than it initially appears.
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New World: Forged in Aeternum – Why some features are difficult
Leaderboards lay the foundation for many new contents
Are there special rewards? Achievement hunters will be happy to know that special rewards for the best players are planned. The leaderboards are designed to interact with the existing systems of New World.
For different contents, specific rewards are planned. These are meant to motivate players to regularly participate in PvE and PvP content. The developers have also thought of the crafters, so there will be rewards in the area of crafting and economy as well.
Moreover, weekly and quarterly rewards are planned across all categories. Among other things, there will be special titles and skins, but the developers are also considering additional rewards.
Does the update bring any other content? The leaderboards are the main content of the current update. Additionally, the developers are implementing a handful of bug fixes and changes to movement to prevent exploits.
Furthermore, there are balance changes, including making PvP fairer. There will also be appropriate penalties for players who leave the arena or outpost rush early, even though a match is still in progress. In addition, there are still a lot of smaller changes planned for the economy and some items.
GShade was one of the most popular third-party tools for Final Fantasy XIV. Now it is no longer available, and the reason lies in a dispute between two modders from the community.
What is GShade? It is a version of ReShade specifically tailored for FFXIV. ReShade is a so-called “post-processing injector” that can influence the graphics in games after the fact.
It can beautify colors and sharpen assets or add other effects that are normally not available in the games. GShade was developed by FFXIV player Marot Satil and gained great popularity.
Modder puts malware in his program, quickly backtracks
Who had the dispute? A few days ago, there was a dispute between the creator of GShade, Marot, and another modder named NotNite, which resulted in the demise of the popular app.
NotNite was apparently unhappy with how GShade worked and decided to add her own modifications to the tool. She created an alternative version “GeezShade” that was able to download and use GShade’s graphical presets.
In a blog post, NotNite explained that GShade was “junk”:
When an update was available, the tool was disabled until the update was completed.
Settings were lost after updates.
There were intrusive pop-ups.
With GeezShade, players could use NotNite’s version without the drawbacks but with all the graphical settings and templates they had customized over the years in GShade.
Marot responded to the new version by adding extra code to his tool. He ensured that users of GeezShade experienced a forced reboot of their PCs when they started the program.
In a post on Discord, he stated that he intentionally built this feature to prevent manipulation of his tool by third parties. Normal GShade users were not affected.
Marot explained that the forced shutdown was specifically intended as a lesson for NotNite to keep her hands off GShade: “[…] It could have been anything in the user data and you would have been responsible for the distribution to the people and the execution of that. I intentionally chose the reboot because it is something completely harmless. […]”
But even though the reboot seems rather harmless, it is still considered malware and immediately resulted in a strong backlash from the community.
What is this? The term malware is derived from the English words “malicious” and “software.” It refers to software (such as viruses, worms, etc.) that can infiltrate computer systems and cause disturbances or damage.
How the dispute ended: Marot’s statement caused a lot of anger within the GPoser community of FFXIV. Many fans were angry that the modder had injected malware into the tool.
The claim that the forced reboot was harmless and that Marot could have added something much worse was also not well received. It was perceived as a threat that this could happen in the future.
This was followed by a wave of uninstalls of GShade, with instructions on how to completely remove the tool without backups while retaining their presets. The official FFXIV subreddit banned GShade on their Discord and in the forum.
In the end, Marot apologized for the intervention and explained that the reset code was removed from GShade. However, it was probably too late. Shortly thereafter, the tool disappeared from the Github page where it could previously be downloaded, and from the official GPosers page.
The GPosers Discord was completely shut down. It is now impossible to post there. Many former GShade fans are now looking for alternatives to beautify the game for themselves.
The director of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, has expressed his disappointment over the use of third-party tools multiple times in the past:
