The absolute highlight of the Nintendo Direct is for me an old role-playing game that most of you do not know

At the latest Nintendo Direct, it was announced that a selected collection of the Game Boy Advance is coming to the Nintendo Switch. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski is excited about a role-playing game from her childhood: Golden Sun.

Whenever I excitedly talk about Golden Sun, I am usually greeted with big question marks on my counterpart’s face. However, those who played the J-RPG earlier on the Game Boy Advance instantly have a sparkle in their eyes at its mention – and rightly so!

First and foremost, Golden Sun is a typical J-RPG. I am sure part of my enthusiasm comes from childhood nostalgia. The game was released in 2001 when I was 11 years old. That was my first encounter with a classic J-RPG.

However, I have played it on and off over the years and still believe it is one of the best role-playing games of all time.

What is a J-RPG?

The abbreviation stands for “Japanese role-playing game.” It includes adventure games developed in Japan that focus on story and characters. It is typical that you play with a group of predetermined characters, which you control simultaneously in turn-based battles. However, this is not a requirement for it to be considered a J-RPG.

Golden Sun has everything I wish for in a role-playing game

What makes the game great for me, summed up, are:

  • Fast and challenging boss fights that can always be managed with the right strategy.
  • An imaginative story with its own world that you can immerse yourself in and simply want to know more.
  • Super creative puzzles that even the temples in Zelda could take a page from.
  • Mind reading, which gives NPCs more dialogue options, allowing you to discover hidden emotions and secrets.
  • Your characters possess abilities that assist in exploring the world, giving it more depth. Exploration is always rewarded in Golden Sun!
  • A great soundtrack and the sound design itself is impressive. You remember the tunes and even the sounds when navigating the menu.
  • A very special highlight: The Djinns! These are little elemental spirits that help you in battle and thus provide entirely new possibilities for attack combos and classes.

Golden Sun was also released for the Wii U, and you can see a glimpse of the game from its trailer:

Start video
Golden Sun Wii U Trailer

What’s Golden Sun about?

Basically, you must defeat evil and restore peace. Your journey begins in the small village of Vale. For centuries, there has been a community here that calls themselves the “Guardians of the Sanctuary of Sol.” They protect a seal containing the science of alchemy.

Whoever masters alchemy can attain wealth and eternal life and has the power to destroy the world. Alchemy is based on control over the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air.

The seal has been broken, and you must now prevent anyone from gaining control over these powers.

On your journey, you will meet three characters who will join your group. You all possess magical powers assigned to the elements.

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The centerpiece is the Djinns – Like Pokémon, only more complex

Your magic and class system are linked to the Djinns, and this is where it gets really interesting! You collect the Djinns throughout the game, and it might happen that you miss some and never get them. Exploring the game world is worthwhile since the little spirits are hidden everywhere. Sometimes you have to solve puzzles to obtain them.

This is what the Djinns look like:

You can assign the Djinns to your four characters. This can change the class and abilities of the character. There are a total of 28 Djinns that are assigned to the four elements. By combining different Djinn elements, you create new classes. This way, each character can have more than 10 different classes.

It sounds more complicated than it is in the game, but it gives you so many options to form your team and approach battles.

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If any of this resonates with you even slightly, I highly recommend Golden Sun.

Especially if you enjoy games like Octopath Traveler, Xenoblade, or Final Fantasy, you will find here a gem that often flies under the radar.

On GamePro, you will find information on the “Game Boy Advance” expansion pack, of which Golden Sun will be a part. Golden Sun is not yet available in the pack; it will be added later. When that will be exactly is still unknown.

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

WoW: The trading post had really terrible ideas – We can be glad how good it is now

The latest feature in World of Warcraft is well received by almost everyone. But that’s not a given – because the trade post could have been really terrible.

The trade post in World of Warcraft has been active for just over a week and is very popular. There are many cool unlocks and whether you’re a transmog fan, pet collector, or mount enthusiast – everyone finds something in the trade post that they want. However, the fact that the trade post is so well received is not a given. At the beginning, Blizzard had a few ideas and plans that, in hindsight, seem really terrible.

Where was this discussed? In a one-hour interview with the Community Council of World of Warcraft, the developers behind the trade post answered questions from the community and shared some insights about the ideas and changes made during development. Some of these sound so terrible in retrospect that most should be glad it didn’t turn out that way.

The monthly reward was intended as a purchasable item

Anyone who completed the travel journal in February receives the stylish mount Ash’adar as a free bonus. But that wasn’t always the plan. The original version in the development of the trade post envisioned a very special item each month – in February, it would have been the mount Ash’adar.

The special item would have been the “highlight” of the month. However, that felt terrible, because suddenly there wasn’t really a choice. There was only one decision to make, namely to buy that special item, as everything else felt inferior.

Ultimately, the developers concluded that it would be better to simply award the “best item” of the month as a free bonus. This just feels better and provides more freedom.

Ash’adar for 900 or more trade coins – it would have been a terrible idea.

Sets spread over several months

In an earlier version of the trade post, each item could be purchased individually. For example, an “ensemble” was divided into 8 individual items. Anyone wanting to buy a set had to purchase many items individually.

This, however, led during internal testing to people finding items like the bracers of a set uninteresting and skipping them.

But that wasn’t all: Sets could be split over several months. For example, half of a set could have been offered in February while the other half landed in the trade post in March. This was supposed to convey the sense of being able to collect a set over time.

Fortunately, this was only a trial – as the idea was not well received from all sides.

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Every day, an item is removed from rotation

Another idea was that the selection in the trade post would rotate more frequently. At one point, it was planned that around 30 items would be available in the trade post. Every day, one item would be removed from the system while another replaced it.

What would have theoretically provided more variety and faster new items, would have resulted in complete chaos in practice. It would not only have led to missing an item quickly, but also contributed to players hoarding trade coins at the beginning of the month and hesitating to spend them – after all, it could be the case that cooler items land in the trade post later in the month that they wouldn’t be able to afford.

For this very reason, the feature did not go live in this form.

Trade post is just the beginning

The developers emphasize, however, that the trade post is a feature that will run for a long time and will likely be revised several times. If it turns out that players are not getting by with their trade coins and could be purchasing much more on average, this value might still be adjusted.

At the same time, they have already created “tons” of content for the trade post, so there will always be something new to discover in the coming months – and also some things that haven’t been found in data mining yet.

How do you like the trade post in its current form? Are you satisfied with its development? Or would you have even liked some of the ideas?

We have all rewards of the trade post in February here.

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

LoL: Player sacrifices himself in pro game for the glory of the opponent – Praised by casters as “Gigachad”

The LCK is the Korean League of Legends league, where the best players in the world compete for the trophies. The ambition of the players is evident in that none of them gives the other even a single unnecessary kill. Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong managed to achieve a pentakill in the game against Brion. However, another player stole the show.

What happened in the game? During the match between T1 and Brion, the players from T1 dominated the opposing team. The players around Faker are characterized by their individual strength. Especially Keria and Gumayusi, the bot lane of T1, shows an enormous statistic.

Gumayusi had his star moment during the game. In the decisive fight, he positioned himself correctly to roll over the opponents. Within a moment, he managed to defeat 4 of the 5 opposing players and paved the way for his team towards the Nexus.

The remaining player from Brion was initially on his way back to the base to save his life, but he changed his mind. He confronted the players from T1 and sacrificed his life so that Gumayusi could get his pentakill. We have the video here for you:

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After the pentakill, T1 destroyed the base of Brion and brought the game to a glorious end. However, the top laner Morgan was the one who was celebrated as “Gigachad” by the casters for his sacrifice instead of Gumayusi for his pentakill. Thus, the runner-up of Worlds 2022 dominates the LCK.

Season 13 has started in League of Legends and brings a new cinematic trailer:

Start video
LoL Season 2023: The Cinematic “The Brink of Infinity”

How did his teammates react? In the interview after the game, jungler Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun admitted that Faker incited them to steal the kill and not let Gumayusi have his pentakill.

Oner had also tried, but Gumayusi managed to snag the kill. You can see the failed attempt in the video if you look closely. Here, Oner admits to the attempt:

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After the players won the game, they went to the center of the stage and Gumayusi stole Faker’s place in the middle of the lineup (via Twitch), before they bowed.

The Twitch chat celebrates the “Lord”: Besides the casters, the viewers were also completely ecstatic. They celebrated Morgan for his sacrifice and praised him. On Twitter, even screenshots and memes were shared under the post of the LCK:

https://twitter.com/venator184/status/1623310153012625413?s=20
Lord Morgan the Gigachad is celebrated by the viewers

Despite the defeat against T1, Morgan made the biggest impression on the viewers and commentators. He risked his statistics and authenticity as a professional player, and the community celebrates him for it.

What do you think of his sacrifice? Would you sacrifice your statistics for such a move or are the values more important to you? Let us know in the comments.

Meanwhile, Fnatic is having a huge embarrassment in Europe, find more about it here: LoL: The star-studded team Fnatic is totally embarrassing themselves – Rekkles is close to tears after an early exit

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

With Lightfall, the killer who has taken out the most Guardians in Destiny 2 gets nerfed – “The End of an Era”

For a Guardian from Destiny 2, nothing is worse than an ominous mishap out of nowhere. It happens exactly when you start to feel immortal forever, and it’s noted with the phrase “eliminated by the Architects.” But with Lightfall, Guardians are supposed to become more resilient, and Bungie will even nerf the mysterious Architects for that.

Who is the Architect that likes to kill Guardians? The so-called Architect is considered the most reliable killer in Destiny 2. He has probably forever the best kill rate in the loot shooter and thus the most Guardians on his conscience. Moreover, no one can counter him.

The message “eliminated by the Architects” or “mishap” appears in the kill feed

  • when a Guardian breaks their legs after jumping from too great a height
  • when a wall comes too fast at a “rushed” Guardian
  • when an object somewhere unexpectedly goes up in the picturesque scenery
  • or when the game decides that the motionless stone in front of you has a deadly hitbox
Cabal capsules often land precisely on the heads of inattentive Guardians in Destiny 2

Essentially, you die from influences in the game world. Evil tongues, however, claim that another option is that there’s a red button on the desk of the Bungie developers that they press to relieve stress. When the button is pressed, a random player currently playing Destiny 2 is “eliminated by the Architects.”

Anyway – the Architect has always had a mind of his own. Especially when you are standing flawlessly and solo in front of a final boss and can already smell victory. One last position change and a small edge ends the power fantasy with just one hit. Probable cause of Guardian death: Little toe broken!

No more crash tests with Guardians

raub-schlachtfeld-destiny2-season19-saisonderseraphe-beangel
In the seasonal heist battlefield playlist, you are often killed by unfair teammates

This is what Bungie announced: In the current blog post on bungie.net, the developer announced that with the launch of Lightfall, they want to bring new freedom to the game. They want you to be a little more resilient and plunge headfirst into danger without worrying about what might be in your way.

  • Starting with Lightfall, physical collision damage for Guardians will no longer be deadly.
  • You will still take damage from physical collisions, but it will generally leave you with 1 HP instead of smashing you directly.
  • Fall damage will still be deadly, but it is planned to make this damage not lethal in an update mid-season.

What do the changes mean? With these changes, the Architect will no longer kill you directly. He will leave you with a whole HP of life. So if you get hit by something else right after, that will be the guilty killer, not the Architect anymore.

With the changes, alternative paths through the game world may also open up. Guardians could use new opportunities because old physical obstacles in the environment will no longer guarantee a death. Old content may become easier to pass. Especially with the new mobility that the Lightfall subclass Strand will bring to the game.

What Guardians will be able to do in Lightfall, you can see in this Destiny 2 trailer for Season 20:

Start video
Destiny 2 shows new insights into Strand in its trailer – The focus in Lightfall

But it’s not just the Architect playing unfair: The community has received the announcement well, even if there are still a few questions open. For example, which damages will be specifically included in this.

More and more players are having fun deliberately killing teammates in activities. This happens because there are a few abilities and weapons in Destiny 2 that allow you to actively affect other players.

  • Popular are sword attacks that throw other Guardians across the map.
  • Titans also like to push other players with the Seismic Strike or the Void explosion like a raging freight train with deadly consequences against the next wall.

This has always been a source of fun in Destiny 2. Those who stand AFK in a raid for too long are often pushed around by their teammates or grinned off the map.

From these never-serious jokes taken with humor, however, a bothersome habit has become over the past seasons. Especially since Guardians seem intentionally unfair in activities where a certain number of flawless runs must be achieved. This is particularly the case in the heist battlefields of the current Season 19.

Therefore, some Guardians have demanded like Matthew on Twitter: “Make it so that [Guardians] with swords cannot kill you.”

Have you also encountered unfair Guardians while trying to be flawless? What are your experiences, and do you believe you can play better in Destiny 2 in the future when the Architect does not have the final word? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

By the way, MeinMMO extracted some insider information from Bungie about the new subclass Strand in their interview and learned creepy things about the Warlock:

In Destiny 2, you will soon play a class that weaves a deadly mini-army of eggs and hangs out with you

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

Pokémon GO announced a new feature more than 5 years ago – Now it is finally here

In Pokémon GO, you can finally benefit from a new practical feature that was announced back in 2017. MeinMMO shows you what this new feature is and how trainers can find it.

What function is it about? Those who like to participate in raids or fight against other trainers and Team GO Rocket in Pokémon GO already have the option to create battle teams since 2017. You can set groups of up to 6 Pokémon before a battle, which you can easily select in the raid lobby or before a battle.

However, this feature was not quite complete in the past years, causing frustration among players. Niantic has finally addressed this issue and added a new feature. Below, we show you what is now different about battle teams.

Niantic improves the battle team function

What did Niantic plan in 2017? In the announcement of the battle team feature on December 7, 2017, Pokémon GO did not only explain the introduction of the feature itself but also promised that these teams would soon be stored across devices. This is meant to make gaming easier when switching phones. The developers wrote:

We are very pleased to present to you the first version of battle teams. Battle teams are pre-made teams of up to six Pokémon that you can customize and name as you wish. Different teams for regular raid battles, teams that take advantage of specific weather conditions, and so on: with this feature, you can quickly and easily choose the Pokémon you want to battle with.

During this beta phase, your battle teams will be stored on your device. So if you exchange your device or play Pokémon GO on multiple devices, you will need to recreate your battle teams. Once the full version of the feature is in the game, your battle teams will be transferred from the device you log in with.

Pokémon GO (via pokemongolive.com)

What has been implemented? Players of Pokémon GO can now create their desired teams before a battle, but the feature apparently still hasn’t had a full version in the game. There was still no sign of cross-device storage.

Thus, trainers who had to log in to their accounts on a new phone or reset the app due to a bug automatically lost their created battle teams. This was very annoying for many, as they had to create the teams again. But now, this should finally change.

What’s new now? As Niantic announced via their Twitter account in the night of February 9, 2023, this useful feature is finally active, and trainers will no longer lose their created battle teams when changing devices. The data will be synchronized in the future.

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Niantic explains: (via twitter.com):

Trainers, we are excited to announce that you can now save and name your battle teams across devices. This means you will no longer have to recreate your battle teams when you get a new phone! We hope this makes your experience even more enjoyable.

Especially in raids, you should rely on the best attackers in Pokémon GO to defeat the raid boss quickly. We have summarized a selection of the strongest monsters for you in the following video:

Start video
Pokémon GO: The strongest attackers of all types in the video

Trainers are happy about the change

In social networks, trainers mostly express one thing: surprise that a synchronization feature was finally realized for battle teams after such a long time. At the same time, they are also happy that they no longer have to recreate their teams just because they switched their phone or had to reset their cache.

You can read the following in the comments on reddit:

  • Phil_Bond: “Holy moly. Did they not announce their intention to do this a few years ago? The device-side storage of battle teams was never their intention and was a flawed implementation of the feature design from day one in 2017? Am I remembering this correctly?”
  • YoureGrammerIsWorsts: “Of all the ‘Quality of Life’ improvements that can be made, this is probably the best one.”
  • DoggoBirbo: “I can’t wait to not have to save photos of my groups before I delete the game to reset the cache…”
  • JonMor45: “FINALLY! This was so annoying! Even if you logged out, you had to recreate your teams when you logged back in.”

How you can set your battle teams

If you want to try out the battle teams and create some for yourself, you can do so easily in the game. Follow these steps:

  1. Open your menu and select “Battles”.
  2. Switch to the right, upper tab “Teams” in the battle menu.
  3. Here you will find an overview where you can choose from the categories “Great League”, “Ultra League”, “Master League”, and “Gyms & Raids”. Select the appropriate one for which you want to create a team.
  4. Once you have selected a category, you can give your group any name, for example, “Fire Attacker”.
  5. Depending on the category you have chosen, you can now select your desired Pokémon from your collection. In the first three categories, you can have a maximum of 3 Pokémon, as you can use these in PvP and Rocket battles. For gym battles and raids, you can select up to 6 Pokémon.
  6. And you have created your desired team. In the next battle, you can select this group. Just swipe in the team selection until you find your desired group.
Pokémon-GO-Team-anlegen
How to create your own teams

What do you think about Niantic expanding the battle team function after such a long time? Have you also been annoyed in the past that you had to recreate them? Or do you not use this feature at all and choose your desired Pokémon just before the battle? Feel free to tell us here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers about it.

But the battle teams can also help you with unreliable trainers. I have tried a trick that lets me never lose my precious raid passes again.

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

CoD MW2 & Warzone 2 show their roadmap for Season 2 – players criticize content as “Recycled Warfare”

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 have presented their roadmap for Season 2. MeinMMO guides you through the map, provides brief explanations about the content, and shows the first reactions to the presentation.

Season 2 starts on February 15 and brings new, free content to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2. The roadmap is now online and shows the specific contents of the next content cycle.

Here you will find an overview of the contents and an initial assessment from parts of the community. If you also want to know what changes are coming outside of the content and which details about the update are already known, check out our big special on Season 2 of Call of Duty.

You can view the roadmap here:

cod modern warfare 2 warzone 2 season 2 roadmap

CoD MW2 & Warzone 2: Season 2 Roadmap – All Contents

What does the roadmap show for Warzone 2? A large content package has been prepared for the free battle royale. Here are the complete announcements for the season start:

  • Ashika Island
    • a new, small map for Warzone for the modes Battle Royale and Resurgence
  • Resurgence Mode
    • As long as one player in the team is still alive, teammates will respawn until a certain point in the match
    • Available for all team sizes, but apparently not all are online at the same time
  • “Restore Honor” Mechanic
    • On Ashika Island, fallen enemies leave a dog tag – brings cash and a UAV ping (boxes & enemies)
  • New NPC – Rusher
    • On Ashika, you will encounter a new NPC opponent who specializes in close combat and sprints towards you
  • New Vehicle
    • A jetski will be available to you in Season 2 for water adventures
  • Changes Al Mazrah
    • The POI, which is modeled after the map “Afghan”, will get a matching airplane
  • DMZ
  • New DMZ Faction
    • The “Crown Faction” gives you new missions, but is only available to buyers of CoD MW2

The following contents are announced for “In-Season”, coming later:

  • In-Match Event “Data Heist”
    • Search for data nodes on Ashika Island, hack them, and grab powerful items
  • Contract “Search & Seizure”
    • A vehicle on the map will be marked and guarded by NPCs. Obtain keys, steal the vehicle, and bring it to the target point
  • Redeploy Drone
    • Devices on the map that you can use to pull yourself up – they change their locations and cannot be bought back like in Warzone 1

For the new map Ashika Island there are already over 50 images and a short trailer that you can view here:

Start video
CoD Warzone 2: Ashika Island – Teaser

What does the roadmap show for CoD MW2? Right at the start of the season, you can expect the following contents:

  • Ranked Mode
    • A skill-based mode with its own tournament system
  • 2 6vs6 Maps
    • Dome & Valderas Museum
  • 2 Battle Maps (large maps)
    • Al Malik International & Zaya Observatory
  • 3 new Modes
    • Infected / Gun Game / Grind

Some contents for in-season have also been announced:

  • 2nd PvE Raid
    • Co-op activity that continues the story
  • 3 new Modes
    • Drop Zone / All or Nothing / One in the Chamber

What else is coming? Additionally, some contents for both games – Warzone and MW2:

  • Event “Path of Ronin”
    • 7 tasks that reward you with cosmetics
  • 5 new weapons
    • Assault Rifle: ISO Hemlock
    • Shotgun: KV Broadsite
    • DMR: Crossbow
    • Melee: Dual Kodachis
    • DMR: Tempus Torrent
  • New Bundles & Cosmetics
    • As usual, new purchasable premium content will be added to the game

Otherwise, the new Battle Pass starts on February 15 and the maximum level cap rises to 500 (Prestige 10). Unlike in previous years, you will simply continue leveling up without a reset at each season.

What do the reactions look like? While Warzone players have already been informed about many changes in recent weeks, some players of the Multiplayer of CoD MW2 feel disadvantaged.

Under the announcement tweet of the roadmap, there are many comments about the fact that no new 6vs6 maps are coming to the game (via twitter.com). “Dome” has already existed in previous CoD games and “Valderas Museum” was already part of the beta phase of MW2.

Also, the Ranked mode, the return of hardcore modes, and the small new modes are all already known features from previous titles of Call of Duty.

Occasionally, the term “Recycled Warfare” is mentioned. User “@74Claw” sums it up: “Everything on the multiplayer side is from previous games – Hello?”.

What is your first impression of the new content of Season 2? Leave a comment on the subject. If you want to read more about CoD, take a look here: CoD MW2 had a rough start, but it is the most successful game in the series – how can that be?

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

Hogwarts Legacy benefits from the Gronkh-Streisand effect – Already huge on Twitch and Steam before release

It was clear that the new “Harry Potter” game Hogwarts Legacy would be a big deal. But how big it already is, just one day before the release on Steam and Twitch, can be seen as a surprise. The Streisand effect plays a role in this, believes our author Schuhmann. The controversy surrounding the German Twitch streamer Gronkh serves as an example.

How successful is Hogwarts Legacy? Extremely successful, that is already clear, even though the release is only on February 10 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, the numbers are impressive even on February 9:

  • On Twitch, Hogwarts Legacy peaked at 1.249 million viewers – no single-player game has ever had more concurrent viewers on Twitch. It has left Cyberpunk 2077 behind.
  • According to initial unofficial numbers from Steam, the game is selling extremely well – at peak, there were 489,139 players online. This currently makes it the number 3 on Steam after the two Valve mainstays DOTA 2 and CS:GO (via steamdb). For a full-price title, this is a remarkable achievement.
Start video
Hogwarts Legacy presents the officially best trailer of gamescom – Has over 600,000 views on YouTube

3 Points in favor of the success of Hogwarts Legacy – 3 against it

Was this success to be expected? There were 3 points that spoke for the success even before the release:

  • Harry Potter is the eighth largest media brand in the world with 32 billion US dollars in revenue, ahead of Call of Duty and Transformers, and only slightly behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  • The supply of AAA games is extremely depleted due to the corona pandemic, countless delays, and difficulties that studios faced, with hardly any major games released since last year and Elden Ring.
  • Thirdly, a lot of capital is backing the game with Warner Bros. Games; everywhere one sees advertising for the title.

However, it was not at all certain that Hogwarts Legacy would become a hit as it is now emerging. The game had a terrible press from the beginning. On the way to release, everything that could go wrong, went wrong:

  • The game got discredited back in February 2021 because the lead designer of the game, Troy Levitt, had ties to Gamergate. The large forum ResetEra decided to boycott the game back then.
  • Furthermore, the studio “Avalanche Software” is relatively unknown. They had developed “Disney Infinity” – that was not a guarantee that a huge game would come out of it. Especially since many video games from major franchises disappointed at release.
  • In recent months, there have been repeated calls to not play Hogwarts Legacy and to boycott it in order to clearly distance oneself from the Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and not give her more money. The British author has fallen out of favor in parts of the trans community.
Die GameStar has dealt with the topic: “Why do some want to boycott Hogwarts Legacy?” extensively.

During the “hype phase” of the game, it almost felt like the developers had to justify their decision to develop Hogwarts Legacy. They were constantly confronted with accusations, facing backlash because of J.K. Rowling (via ign.com)

Actors even apologized for having participated in Hogwarts Legacy (via gamesradar).

That Hogwarts Legacy would become a hit like this was by no means a sure thing. Other games in the Harry Potter universe have failed. The Pokémon GO clone “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” was shut down early.

More on the topic
A German Twitch streamer calls for a boycott against Hogwarts Legacy
von Schuhmann

“The whole action has done more advertising for the game than I could have ever hoped to do”

What is the Streisand effect and how has it benefited Hogwarts Legacy? The Streisand effect is named after Barbara Streisand. It describes a state where the attempt to suppress information leads to the spread of that information.

Streisand sued a photographer in 2003 for $50 million because he published aerial shots of her house. Before the lawsuit, hardly anyone knew about these shots. After the lawsuit, the photo spread like wildfire on the internet.

Because activists on the internet were trying to boycott Hogwarts Legacy to reduce the advertising impact for Hogwarts Legacy, the game has received much more “free PR” in recent days and weeks than even the most clever advertising campaign could have achieved.

Just in Germany, the controversy surrounding the Twitch streamer Gronkh led to Hogwarts Legacy being prominently featured on the front page of one of the country’s largest media portals, BILD, for several hours just before the release.

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This kind of attention in the mainstream press is something that Warner Bros. couldn’t have achieved with even the most money. It is a level of attention that is usually reserved only for the biggest, established gaming brands like Grand Theft Auto or masterpieces like Red Dead Redemption 2.

Hogwarts Legacy is today the probably most relevant game since Elden Ring. The boycott campaign has rather contributed to the success, as one must conclude.

In Germany, Gronkh handled the accusations he faced commendably. He engaged with his critics, acknowledged his own mistakes, and sought reconciliation. The major content creators in the USA, however, reacted with misunderstanding and anger to the demand not to show Hogwarts Legacy:

Hogwarts Legacy: Boycott callers leave streamer in despair – 2 Twitch stars react brutally

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

Streamer thanks Twitch for the chance at a new life – They ban him for life

A scandal abruptly ended the career of the English Twitch streamer “ItsSliker” in September 2022. Now he attempted his comeback, thanked for the second chance – and was promptly banned by the streaming platform.

Why did the streamer need a second chance? In September 2022, allegations were made against Sliker claiming he had defrauded other content creators and viewers out of thousands of euros: The streamer allegedly reached out to the affected individuals in private messages, told them a sad story, and subsequently asked for money.

He claimed he would pay the money back within 2 months, just needing to resolve issues with his bank; the whole situation was very embarrassing for him, and he asked to keep it confidential, which was part of Sliker’s scheme.

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von Lydia

What was behind it? In truth, he used the money to finance his gambling addiction: In an emotional apology video, he explained that he had increasingly borrowed money in the hope of winning enough to pay back his existing debts.

In total, Sliker is said to have accumulated debts amounting to at least €200,000; some sources even mentioned more than €300,000. Other larger streamers (xQc and Ludwig) eventually offered to compensate the affected parties.

Many also demanded that the streamer should be permanently banned from Twitch, which, however, did not happen. Now, in February 2023, months later, Sliker was indeed banned from the platform.

Start video
The 5 biggest Twitch bans that caused a lot of commotion

Sliker apparently planned a comeback

What is the current development? On January 26, Sliker thanked via Twitter for a “second chance in life.” This was his first activity on the account since October 2022. It looked very much like Sliker was planning his return to Twitch.

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On the same day, a stream was started on Sliker’s Twitch channel, which was rather unusual: Instead of the streamer, a “Guy Fawkes” mask was displayed on a black background, with laughter audible.

The stream title “This channel is mine now” was an additional hint that something was not quite right.

On February 7, it was finally revealed that the channel had been permanently banned. Additionally, the partner status and subscribe button of the channel were removed.

Banning causes confusion

Why is the ban only happening now? Critics of Sliker are confused as to why the ban was only imposed now, months after it became known that Sliker had scammed his Twitch colleagues and viewers. However, it could be that the ban has nothing to do with it at all.

As reported by the US website dexerto, Sliker indicated in chat logs that he had been hacked. The mysterious stream, therefore, was not even from him. However, he had streamed on his second channel, which has also now been banned.

It is still unclear what exactly is happening with Sliker’s channels and whether he can take action against the ban if a hacker is indeed behind it. However, his Twitch comeback is likely delayed indefinitely.

The scandal surrounding Sliker likely cost not only him his career but also another major streamer: For Matthew “Mizkif” Rinaudo, things had been going up sharply until September 2022, but then he clashed with the wrong person on Twitter.

A streamer criticizes gambling on Twitch, suddenly finds himself at the center of a shitstorm over sexual assault and racism

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

24 years ago, a strange PC controller was supposed to replace the mouse in shooters for 100 euros

In 1999, Microsoft introduced a new controller for the computer, aimed at making shooters more enjoyable. However, this model has almost nothing in common with modern devices.

In 1999, the SideWinder Dual Strike was released, a gaming controller aimed at PC gamers. This was before Microsoft launched its first Xbox, which came out in November 2001 to compete with the PlayStation 2.

Today’s gamers may look at the design of the controller with skepticism. This controller is far removed from today’s ergonomic devices. The model was released at a price of 80 US dollars (around 100 euros today) and couldn’t convince everyone. Perhaps this is also a reason why you won’t find this model among the best controllers for PC and Xbox:

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Controllers already offered modern features in 1999 that everyone uses today

What could the gamepad do? The SideWinder Dual Strike mainly offered a lot of buttons. On the left side were a D-Pad and three buttons. On the right side, four buttons on the front of a flight stick, connected to a large ball on the left part.

Behind the ball was the idea to aim precisely at opponents, which was meant to render the mouse unnecessary in shooters over time. All other keys from the keyboard were laid out on the remaining buttons of the controller.

In this regard, the device already offered some modern features back in 1999, which we also know from today’s hardware: you could program 8 buttons with 16 functions. Thanks to a switch feature, you could double-map all the buttons. This feature is now integrated into the hardware by all major manufacturers like Razer, Roccat, or Logitech.

You can watch a test video including unboxing on YouTube:

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Testers criticized an excessively steep learning curve

The testers could only partly be convinced by the new controller at the time, mainly due to the strong competition from mouse and keyboard. The ideas were creative, but mouse and keyboard already worked excellently in PC games, and many found gaming with the SideWinder Dual Strike too cumbersome. The British magazine PCGamer describes gaming with the model as “trying to play System Shock 2 by solving a Rubik’s Cube.”

For many, it simply wasn’t worth the hassle of learning a control scheme that didn’t work as well as the mouse and keyboard. Moreover, showing up at any LAN party with such a controller made for a strange sight.

6 crazy controllers that you can really play with

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

WoW brings new achievements that you can only get if you played 15 years ago

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.

With WoW Dragonflight, professions have been completely overhauled. In the video, we explain what crafters need to pay attention to now:

Start video
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.

New achievements can prevent annoying discussions

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.

Blizzard is currently focusing on many old contents. For example, there is the possibility to use white and gray items as transmog, many of which were previously crafted by professions. Some old dresses are even worth millions.

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:

An 8-year-old item is currently making some of the toughest bosses in WoW much more manageable

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

Pokémon GO finally clarifies the 2 most important questions about the global Hoenn Tour

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.

What is the global Hoenn Tour in Pokémon GO?

What is included in the global Hoenn Tour: The global Hoenn Tour takes place on February 25 and 26 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time.

There will be various content revolving around the Hoenn region. These include:

  • The monsters from the region are the focus
  • There are rotating habitats with different spawns
  • Proto-Groudon and Proto-Kyogre appear in new raids
  • There will be a special research called Legendenjagd around the two monsters
  • You choose a side – Ruby or Sapphire
  • There is a changed egg pool, including the regional Pokémon from the Hoenn region

You can find a detailed overview of the contents of the global Hoenn Tour in Pokémon GO.

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.

Before the global Hoenn Tour, an exciting event is also coming up: The “Proto-Grollen” with the return of Rayquaza.

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

The Boy Who Doesn’t Want to Learn German

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.

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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.

What are Pokémon called in German?

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. 

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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.

Find Your Next Game: Love Edition – Our big live event in February

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.

Experience a loving world in the cooperative RPG Haven with your partner – “Beautifully written, a great love story”

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.

WoW: A 19-year-old, white item is suddenly worth millions of gold

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.

Twitch: Amouranth says, as a small streamer she had 5 men who each paid her 83,000 € a year

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
  • Only in 2021 did she break through with the highly sexualized “Hot Tub” and “ASMR” meta, reaching 9700 viewers. ASMR is the meta where she licks microphones.

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.

He had his breakthrough in December 2019, when the previous big names on Twitch switched to Mixer for a lot of money.

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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.

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Women grow “small” very quickly on Twitch – but encounter difficulties

What does the streamer say about growth on Twitch? The streamer says, as a woman, it is relatively easy to reach a certain level with good looks, an attractive face, breasts, or butt, but beyond that, it becomes difficult.

Women can grow quickly at a low level.

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.

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Streamer conquers Twitch since she appears in a bikini – Amouranth says: It annoys her how companies use attractive women
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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.

The idea that someone can simply replicate Amouranth’s model is illusory. Female streamers who walked similar paths as Amouranth have since been banned and disappeared from Twitch.

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:

Twitch streamer publishes exact figures on how much money she earns with OnlyFans – Others warn of this

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

Hogwarts Legacy: Boycott callers leave streamer in despair – 2 Twitch stars respond brutally

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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Later her boyfriend says: he is only in the second battle and every time he looks into the chat, it burdens him.

The girlfriend sounds already noticeably upset, saying she needs a break, withdrawing.

The boyfriend says: “You did it.” The toxicity in the chat has apparently caused the streamer to give up.

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Much criticism of streams, even a “blacklist” existed

What kind of protest is this? Since March 2022, resistance against Hogwarts Legacy has been forming. The reason for the protest is the author J.K. Rowling, who is sharply criticized for statements on transgender issues.

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.

In protest, Hogwarts Legacy has already been marked on Steam with tags like “transphobe” or “antisemitic”.

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.

More on the topic
Twitch: Gronkh asks, “Am I a bad person if I don’t care about J.K. Rowling?” – Trending on Twitter
von Schuhmann

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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xQc reacts with harsh flames to the criticism

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.

Hogwarts Legacy is a huge hit on Twitch and breaks the record of Cyberpunk – Despite the boycott of some streamers

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

Steam: Players believe The Day Before is a scam – Developers want to fight against misinformation

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.

The survival title was, alongside Hogwarts Legacy, the most wished-for game on Steam for months, but in January The Day Before suddenly vanished from the platform.

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.

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.

“The Day Before” developer Fntastic via Twitter

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:

New survival MMO on Steam looks like the next big hit – but you don’t trust it

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

Twitch streamer reports on earthquake in Turkey and Syria, raises over €856,000 – “Every dollar counts!”

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:

  • Seán “Jacksepticeye” McLaughlin donated $10,000
  • Rachell “Valkyrae” Hoffstetter donated $10,000
  • Ludwig “Ludwig” Aghren donated $5,000
  • CohhCarnage donated $5,000
  • Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. donated $2,000

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.

Twitch: Streamer complains about 20% less salary – average earners disagree, causing him to freak out

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

WoW: UK urges Activision to make the gamer dream come true and sell Blizzard – Boss reacts annoyed

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.

What is this endless saga about?

  • Microsoft made an acquisition offer for Activision Blizzard in January 2022, after they were hit by a sexism scandal. Activision Blizzard accepted it. Microsoft wants to pay 69 billion US dollars for Activision Blizzard.
  • 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.

Microsoft has issued a statement saying they will not do that and will allow Sony access to Call of Duty, but nevertheless, Sony has also warned of this danger.

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.

More on the topic
Activision Blizzard explains why they had to sell themselves instead of buying EA
von Schuhmann

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
  • Gaming today is a “Free2Play” market

Sony and Nintendo have “great freedoms in intellectual property.” Tencent would exploit the “protected market” in China. And Activision has problems gaining a foothold in Japan.

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:

If Bobby Kotick does not leave now, Activision Blizzard will lose more talent

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