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:
In FIFA 23 the Future Stars event is currently taking place and players can diligently collect tokens to receive strong rewards. However, one token is hidden behind a really nasty task and causes the otherwise relaxed friendly matches to become a chore.
Anyone who wants to have the best rewards during the Future Stars event must collect tokens. In total, there should be 30 of them, which will be gradually introduced into the game. They are hidden behind tasks, SBCs (Squad Building Challenges) and there are bonus tokens that can be found in packs.
Where you can find all the tokens, we tell you here in our guide:
Now there is already a second token that seems unreachable for most players and ruins the fun of playing.
What is this nasty task? It is about the task “First Owner Fiesta”, which takes place in the friendly match mode “Homegrown Eleven” of Ultimate Team. Here you can earn a total of 2 tokens.
You play with teams that consist exclusively of first owner cards. You have to compete with a team (including substitutes) that you have drawn from packs yourself. Additionally, however, you can also include SBC players and task players.
Only after 7 wins do you receive both tokens.
You receive the first token for one win and the second for 7 wins.
A task that at first glance doesn’t seem that hard, but there’s a catch: You can only play a total of 12 games. If you lose 6 games, then the second token is no longer achievable and forever unreachable.
And this happens faster than you think, especially when opponents seem to have incredible pack luck and field top cards like TOTY Mbappé, R9, Eusebio, and so on, while you are struggling to find good cards in your club that you haven’t bought on the FUT transfer market.
Community annoyed by task that is almost impossible
This is what players say about the task: In the FIFA subreddit, more and more threads from FIFA players appear, who are frustrated about this second token and the associated task. For example, Reddit user r4vtagsta complains about the opponents being far too strong:
The worst part about the first owner task for me is seeing what luck others have with packs. I have seen Prime Gullit, TOTY Mbappé, WC Cruyff, Eusebio, Marvel Lucio, and many other endgame cards in just 4 games. Meanwhile, I’m playing with my Mid Kaka and other average cards. That kind of hurts.
We have picked out a few more exciting comments for you:
nhat: “The mode should be called ‘How was your pack luck?’
itsjohn_stamos: “I played the mode tonight. It is the only mode that makes me want to delete FIFA.”
Shake0K5071: “I would be fine if there wasn’t the 12 game maximum. What’s the point?”
Jealous-Raccoon3475: “I think it’s nice to have another competitive game mode during the week while waiting on FUT Champions.”
weathermanpetro: “No chance. I’m not the best but I’m not terrible either. Last week I won 0 out of 7 games.”
What do you think about the task? Have you tried it and even completed it successfully? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
Many players are likely hoping that the new Future Stars cards are found in packs more often than the TOTY cards. How difficult it is to get a TOTY can be seen here:
On February 7, Hogwarts Legacy, the latest game in the popular Harry Potter book series, was released. Despite all the discussions leading up to it, the action RPG set a new record on the streaming platform Twitch right from the start.
What is behind the boycott? There have been discussions about the “Harry Potter” franchise for several years now. The author J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobic remarks, while she sees herself as an advocate for women’s rights.
Critics also speak of racist and anti-Semitic views that are reflected in the naming of certain characters and in the stereotypical depictions of some magical creatures.
With Hogwarts Legacy, the debate gained fresh momentum. While fans could hardly wait to dive into the magical world, critics called for a boycott of the game. Some streamers decided not to show it on Twitch.
Yesterday, on February 7, Hogwarts Legacy launched in Early Access, which is reserved for owners of the Deluxe Edition – and immediately set a new record.
The success of Hogwarts Legacy was probably predictable at least after this trailer from gamescom 2022.
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Hogwarts Legacy presents the officially best trailer of gamescom – Has over 600,000 views on YouTube
What record did the game break? At its peak, 1.25 million people watched on Twitch as streamers played Hogwarts Legacy. This puts it in 15th place among the games with the most concurrent viewers of all time (via TwitchTracker).
This is quite an achievement given that the action RPG is not a multiplayer title, contrary to some hopes. Normally, games like LoL, Minecraft, Fortnite, or CS:GO dominate Twitch, alongside categories like “Special Events” and “Just Chatting.”
Hogwarts Legacy thus surpasses Cyberpunk 2077 as the single-player game with the most concurrent viewers on Twitch. Cyberpunk managed to attract 1.14 million viewers at its launch in 2020.
For comparison: The record for 3.33 million viewers is held by Spanish streamer Ibai with a boxing event, followed by LoL with 3.11 million. These numbers usually stem from multiplayer games due to significant tournaments that are prepared for weeks.
Where does the success come from? The success of Hogwarts Legacy can be explained by several factors:
Hogwarts Legacy uses the “Twitch Drops” strategy: for every 30 minutes watched, viewers can receive a total of 4 cosmetic items.
The exclusivity of the early access: until February 10, access to the magic school is reserved for owners of the nearly 70 € expensive Deluxe Edition.
Some of the biggest streamers in the world are playing Hogwarts Legacy and already bring a huge reach themselves.
Another possible reason is that fans of Harry Potter want to experience the game without financially supporting it, which is why they choose the indirect route through Twitch.
Now it remains to be seen whether Hogwarts Legacy can live up to the hype or whether the interest fueled by the controversy will soon wane.
Hogwarts Legacy is not only well-received by viewers on Twitch but also by players and testers. The game apparently impresses especially with its game world, exciting battles, and likely a significant nostalgia factor. You can read here what the first tests say:
The end date of Season 27 in Diablo 3 is set. Therefore, we also know the date when Season 28 will start at the earliest.
What’s going on in Diablo 3? In the last few weeks, the test for Season 28 has already taken place on the Diablo 3 PTR server. This is the next season that is coming up for you. It was revealed with a powerful altar and exciting content from patch 2.7.5.
Now it is known on which Sunday in February the current chapter will end.
End of Season 27
When does it end? As the Diablo 3 team reveals in the blog post, Season 27 in Diablo 3 ends on February 19. That is a Sunday.
From this announcement, you have about 1.5 weeks left to enjoy the currently active bonuses. We have some exciting articles for you that you can use in the remaining time:
Is there an official start date? No, so far Blizzard has not announced a specific start date for Season 28. This could be due to the fact that they are currently implementing the feedback from the test server and still working on the patch.
When can we expect a start? It is known that seasons of Diablo 3 always end on a Sunday and always start on a Friday. Typically, there is a break of one to two weeks in between. After Season 27 ends on February 19, the earliest possible date would be:
Friday, February 24, 2023
If the work on the patch takes longer, the start could also be delayed to March 3.
The Diablo 3 team wants to communicate “soon” more details about the upcoming patch and the start date. You can read about it on MeinMMO.
The new expansion of World of Warcraft is full of dragons. The problem: Dragons have wings, and they often cover important effects, especially for melee fighters. An enchanting item from Warlords of Draenor offers a solution and makes the winged ones transparent.
What is this item? The Enchanted Dust is a craftable and usable item that was introduced with Patch 6.0.1 in Warlords of Draenor (2015). The recipe is one of the first that enchanters could learn in the expansion.
To craft it, only one unit of Draenic Dust is needed – which you can easily obtain through disenchanting, buy at the auction house, or even simply buy from merchants in the garrison if you still have some old garrison resources left. You can also find the Enchanted Dust easily at the auction house.
What does the Enchanted Dust do? When used, your target is surrounded by a faint shimmer, and more importantly: it becomes transparent, so you can simply look through it.
It is actually just a fun gimmick, but it has proven to be extremely useful in the new expansion Dragonflight, as some players found out.
The dust helps you in raids and in Mythic+, especially if you are a melee fighter. Here you can see all dungeons from Season 1 in ranking:
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WoW Dragonflight: All Dungeons of Season 1 in the Ranking
Huge dragons cover deadly effects – dust helps
Where is the dust useful? In a now deleted post on reddit, a user shares that the dust can be applied to enemies. There are several bosses in Dragonflight where this is enormously helpful, such as:
Raszageth in the Vault of the Incarnations
Kraas and the Echo of Doragosa at the Algeth’ar Academy
Umbrelskul in the Azure Vault
At the respective bosses, there are ground effects and other abilities that you should avoid as much as possible. However, that is not so easy for some classes, as the wings and bodies of the bosses obstruct visibility.
Especially melee fighters and summoners often have trouble seeing the respective effects. With the dust, it’s easier. But beware: The dust only lasts for 5 minutes and brings you into combat. So use it only after the pull.
Is this intentional? Yes and no. The dust works exactly as it should. Whether bosses are meant to be made “easier” 8 years later is certainly not how it was intended back then. However, it is unlikely that Blizzard will intervene because of this.
Nevertheless, the reddit user deleted his post as a precaution, and some other players already joked: Better not say that too loud, or “fun detected” will happen. So if you can’t defeat Raszageth because your melee fighters are constantly standing in soup, use the dust while you can.
By the way, Dragonflight is one of the best expansions in years, at least in terms of retaining players – even though it sold worse than Shadowlands:
During the winter break, a lot has happened with the teams in the League of Legends scene. The Fnatic team has been working on adjusting their lineup for the upcoming season. But despite new players, they completely embarrassed themselves. The players are upset and are finally speaking up.
How did the winter split go for Fnatic? The dream of a successful star team at Fnatic was already shattered with their exit before the group stage at the beginning of the year. The team had restructured at the end of 2022. They brought in professional players Martin “Wunder” Nordahl Hansen and Carl Martin Erik “Rekkles” Larsson.
The old bot lane was replaced, and especially the former supporter Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov was visibly surprised by the decision. He mentioned that he did not think he would be replaced, especially in combination with Upset (via reddit). Fnatic put the German Elias “Upset” Lipp on the bench and hoped for much success with Rekkles as ADC and Wunder on the top lane.
However, the team could not deliver good performances over the days. They only managed to secure a victory against Excel and KOI. But last weekend, they had a chance to potentially make it into the group stage.
They did not take that opportunity and thus were eliminated for the winter season. The players are visibly disappointed with themselves and their performance as a team. They have reached out on social media channels to apologize for their style of play.
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”
Tears are also expected among the professionals: The players themselves have not been heard much since the season started. But Rekkles could not help but speak out. He apologized on Twitter with two videos about his poor performance and promised improvement.
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As you can see in the video, the whole topic affects him deeply and he is visibly moved to tears. The ADC of Fnatic talks about how he was unable to deliver and admits to needing improvement. Although he is known for his solid play style, he has not yet adapted to the new meta.
Currently, one can even see the strong ADC champions in the support role. Rekkles has not shown such a play style before. He tends to play the usual solid compositions. What will change for the team now, or whether the second ADC Elias “Upset” Lipp will be in the running for the spring season, is currently unclear.
Which player do you see more in the ADC role and how will Fnatic perform in the next split? Let us know in the comments.
A gamer saved money for an upgrade for a new Nvidia graphics card. But after months he is dissatisfied and regrets the upgrade. The problem is not the graphics card, but the other installed hardware.
A user replaced his old Radeon RX 570 with a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. On paper, it’s a noticeable upgrade. But he is not really satisfied, he explained in a reddit thread:
The performance is hardly better than before and sometimes the games even stutter.
Moreover, the new card is annoying with coil whine.
He himself explains that he honestly regrets the upgrade and that the new card has only caused him a lot of stress. However, he does not want to return the card anymore.
So where lies the problem? On reddit, several users explain that his installed processor is much too weak. His Ryzen 5 2600 is simply too old for the new Nvidia graphics card and is limiting his system. However, the gamer just does not want to accept this. Someone writes: “He is absolutely CPU-limited, but he does not understand it.”
But what is a “bottleneck” and when do you recognize that hardware can be limiting?
What does “bottleneck” actually mean? Bottleneck means that often a certain component slows down the rest of your system. You buy a new graphics card, but your processor is also 10 years old or you still have a slow hard drive (HDD) installed. Such a “bottleneck” then means that individual components cannot be fully utilized.
How do you recognize such a limitation? You usually recognize this when you check your hardware under load. Normally, the load should distribute fairly evenly across all hardware. If one part, such as the processor, is limiting, then this is often quickly recognizable:
Your RAM is only low-loaded.
Your graphics card is hovering at around 10%.
But the processor is near maximum and has hardly any room to spare.
These are often helpful signs that your processor cannot keep up with the rest of your hardware.
When does such a limitation happen? This often happens when gamers upgrade their old systems. Often the graphics card is thought of, which symbolizes concentrated performance in gaming for many players. If money is available for an upgrade, hundreds of euros are often invested in a new graphics card – and it is quickly forgotten that a gaming PC consists of many components.
Especially beginners quickly pump money into a graphics card and are surprised that the impacts are not as great as hoped.
However, it is often forgotten that all parts of your gaming PC play an important role. With older systems, it is often sufficient to replace your slow HDD with an SSD.
Once you look away, the January of the year is gone. A brief glance away and it was announced that 15 games would be discontinued or they have already been closed. 2023 starts with a lot of game adjustments – and even a game platform has already said goodbye.
How has your year 2023 been so far? My January was pretty good, so the current February can be a bit more stressful. Between the local carnival and our campaign “Find Your Next Game: Love Edition”, there’s currently little room for any other fun.
However, I have not been affected as hard as the following 15 games. All have either already been discontinued or will not receive any further support throughout the year. Some can still be played afterwards, while others will disappear completely from the market.
For each game, we write a small paragraph about what it is about. The list is also sorted a bit by relevance – some games may be more familiar to you than others.
Here is the complete list:
Marvel’s Avengers
Apex Legends Mobile
Battlefield Mobile
Rumbleverse
Spellbreak
Babylon’s Fall
Knockout City
CrossfireX
Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights
Crimesight
Deathverse: Let It Die
Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Hero’s Bonds
Echo VR
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier
Hellfire Tactics
“Bonus”: Google Stadia
The Gaming Graveyard 2023 starts with many discontinuations
1. Marvel’s Avengers
For the brawler MMO with the famous Marvel superheroes, the stars were not very favorable at release. For such a service game, this phase is crucial to build a solid player base. Official support will last until September 2023. After that, Marvel’s Avengers can still be played, but there will be no updates or customer service.
2. Apex Legends Mobile
The mobile spin-off of the popular Battle Royale will close its doors in May 2023 – just over a year after its release. EA states that it was unable to achieve the desired quality. The lack of connection to the main game is also said to have played a role. Apex Legends Mobile will no longer be playable.
3. Battlefield Mobile
The mobile version of the shooter franchise didn’t even have a chance for a release. EA attributed the discontinuation to changed market conditions. Here, they also want to strengthen the Battlefield titles together, and Battlefield Mobile was designed too independently. They want to improve BF2042 and are already working on new Battlefield experiences (via ea.com).
4. Rumbleverse
The battle royale with physical contact lasted almost 7 months but will be discontinued at the end of February. It was fun for some players, but apparently was not successful enough for publisher Epic Games. The developers want to bring it back in another form at some point (via irongalaxystudios.com). For now, however, it’s over and Rumbleverse will no longer be playable.
5. Spellbreak
A battle royale with magic and colorful graphics. But the enchanting approach unfortunately did not generate the attraction necessary for a sequel – Spellbreak has been shut down and is no longer playable. Some streamers logged in for a farewell round and even talked about possible private servers.
6. Babylon’s Fall
The action RPG was supposed to be a hit for publisher Square Enix with strong effects and an exciting co-op mode. However, it often received the title “worst PS5 game ever” and disappears from the market in less than a year. After the end of February, the servers will shut down – Babylon’s Fall will then no longer be playable in either co-op or single-player mode.
7. Knockout City
The dodgeball action was once a new sports game apart from the well-known soccer or NBA games. But players did not thank the title. Despite fairly good ratings, the game will close in June 2023 and will no longer be available afterwards.
8. CrossfireX
A free-to-play shooter exclusive to Xbox based on a successful Asian brand? An attempt that did not succeed. In May, the servers for the multiplayer content will shut down. The solo missions in the game will remain available.
9. Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights
The spin-off of the popular RPG series Bravely Default was not intended for the German market, but is still another game from publisher Square Enix that will soon close its doors. Service will run until the end of February, after which it will switch to an offline version.
10. Crimesight
Many tried to copy the success of the surprise hit Among Us, but most failed. This includes Crimesight. The Steam game will remain playable until the beginning of May, after which it will be gone.
11. Deathverse: Let It Die
A crazy battle royale with a hack & slash approach that has its fans. The developers explain that it’s not the end of the game, but for now, it will be stopped in mid-July. There are major issues in managing the lags and matchmaking. Once this has been resolved, they want to return to the market (via deathverse.com).
12. Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Hero’s Bonds
Oh yes, Square Enix seems to be going on a diet. The mobile spin-off of Dragon Quest will close in April and will then no longer be playable.
13. Echo VR
Robot teams fight in zero gravity in a kind of soccer with frisbees. All this in VR as well. The concept could not convince, and so the game will end in early August 2023. Echo VR will no longer be playable then.
14. Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier
What would a list like this be without a Final Fantasy from Square Enix? Right, so the servers of this mobile battle royale in the Final Fantasy VII universe also went offline. Since January 11, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier can no longer be played.
15. Hellfire Tactics
A free-to-play card game with obvious similarities to the Blizzard hit Hearthstone. Here, it’s all over at the end of February 2023, as they failed to attract enough players to cover the costs. Hellfire Tactics will no longer be playable.
The cloud platform was Google’s largest foray into the gaming market and a total flop. After about 3 years, the project was discontinued, and players were partially compensated.
Whether it was ahead of its time, wanted too much in too short a time, or the market developed in a different direction, can only be speculated at this point. This experiment failed on January 18, 2023. Much to the regret of our author Jürgen Horn.
Do you miss a game on the list? Are you mourning one? Leave a comment on the topic.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Elden Ring there are many game endings that fans can influence and direct during a playthrough. One is considered very complicated and yet, according to statistics, it is the ending most achieved by players.
The normal ending ranks second with 18.9% (on PlayStation) and 19.3% (on Steam). The 3rd place is held by the ending “Lord of the Frenzied Flame” which has only 13.8% (on PlayStation) and 13.2% (on Steam).
The fascinating aspect is that despite Ranni’s quest being so complicated and convoluted, it is preferred by players. Most of the time, players start in FromSoftware’s Souls games without prior knowledge and eventually reach the end.
The statistics thus show that many players have sat down and worked towards activating the Age of Stars before completing the ending.
How do the endings work in FromSoftware games? The endings in FromSoftware’s Souls games are different. The normal ending can be activated effortlessly on its own. Secret endings, however, require significant preparation, such as collecting a specific item that is only given by a specific NPC after defeating a certain boss.
This preparation involves much effort and requires prior knowledge of how to progress in these quests, as there is no quest journal in the world of Dark Souls or Elden Ring. You have only the dialogues and item descriptions from the NPCs you encounter on your journey.
Now to you, what do you think about Ranni’s ending being the most popular? Have you also aimed for and experienced this ending, or have you preferred to stick with the standard ending? Let us know in the comments!
The Elder Scrolls Online will receive a new expansion this year called Necrom. For many, the highlight is the new class, Arcanist. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was able to talk with Creative Director Rich Lambert about the new content.
What was discussed in the interview? We spoke with Rich Lambert about the past year 2022, but also about the innovations in 2023. The focus was mainly on the class Arcanist and the new update structure. The director also revealed that the story could be stretched over several years in the future, which is a significant innovation for ESO.
In the end, there were also some general questions about PvP, inventory space, and Rich himself.
Rich: Overall, it was a good year for ESO. But we received very similar feedback. Some of our long-time players say that some things seemed a bit formulaic to them and they wanted something different. They want to be surprised.
The story of High Isle was a more grounded storyline, more traditional fantasy. It was good – some say it was the best we’ve ever done. Others felt it was just okay. But please surprise us more in the future.
We took much of this feedback to heart. And I believe this year reflects a lot of that feedback.
MeinMMO: So you made adjustments to the update cycle, the story, and the DLCs only in 2022, or was that planned for longer?
Rich: It was definitely accelerated by the year 2022. There were many instances where we did not present ourselves in the best light regarding overall performance and stability. And that is why we wanted to focus on that and improve it, and we will dedicate a whole update to show people that we are committed to the game.
Here you can watch the cinematic for the upcoming expansion:
Start video
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom – Cinematic
As an Arcanist, you should constantly make decisions and not follow a rotation
MeinMMO: The big highlight for many is the new class Arcanist. However, there is also criticism that it is too similar to existing classes, rather than bringing something completely new. How do you see that?
Rich: No one has played the class yet, so I’m not sure how anyone can say that it’s too similar to one class or another. We have just scratched the surface of what this class is, what it can be, and how it works.
The new class really stands out from the others; it is connected to a completely different mechanic than our old classes. We have the combo point system, or Crux as we call it, a system where some abilities build points while others consume them. Here, players have to make many decisions. And Crux is important. The use of Crux can change how an ability functions.
I have healed a lot with my Arcanist, and one of my favorite abilities is called Remedy Cascade. It’s an energy beam that you shoot in front of you and need to aim precisely. So if you look up, the beam goes up; if you look left, it goes left, and if you look right, it goes right. You aim at this beam and try to hit people with it. And that’s how you heal.
However, if I turn it into a Crux-using ability, then the ability restores not only Health but also Stamina and Magicka. The gameplay experience of the Arcanist is very different; you do not follow a fixed rotation, but look at how to best use Crux for the given situation.
The gameplay feels very smooth, very fluid, and the sounds are exceptional. I can’t wait for players to finally get their hands on the new class.
The Arcanist in ESO.
MeinMMO: Can you explain the system with the abilities and the use of Crux in more detail?
Rich: Sure, there are abilities that can build Crux. Then there are abilities that expend Crux when used. However, you do not necessarily need to have Crux to use these abilities.
Some abilities neither build Crux nor consume it. But some of them can be morphed to either build or use Crux. Here, players have to make a decision.
Overall, the class is like a big toolbox from which you can choose various options. But you also have to engage with it to master it.
MeinMMO: Now that you seem to have rediscovered the classes, can we expect new classes more regularly from now on?
Rich: All I will say is: Classes are something special. If you release one every year, it will not be special anymore. There are also a lot of technical challenges when trying to develop a class.
It not only affects balance but also the performance of the game. A new class means new memory, new assets, and so on. And that’s why we want to keep them special.
2023 seems to be the beginning of a great story that does not end immediately
MeinMMO: Until now, it has always been the case that the fourth DLC of the year brings an ending to the story. 2023 will not be like that. Does this mean that the story will be shorter and completely closed within the add-on?
Rich: Um, all I can say is: Who says it will be done this year?
Let me take a step back. The storyline over a year was really good for us because it helped the entire team organize and focus on what we wanted to achieve throughout the year. It was also very easy for players because they understood where to get in and out.
But it prevented us from telling larger stories that didn’t fit into a year. And this new format allows us to do that if we want to.
Screenshots of the new areas in Necrom.
MeinMMO: This year there will be one less DLC because the dungeons are dropping in the fall. Will there therefore be fewer dungeons overall? And what are your plans for new dungeons throughout 2023?
Rich: So, if you listen closely to the global reveal, I said that the dungeon team is doing something different this year and building something that simply needs more time. And that’s where all the time is going.
We’ll see what the future brings, but that’s why there are fewer dungeons this year.
MeinMMO: Can you share more about the update in the last quarter?
Rich: Not yet (laughs).
MeinMMO: Then maybe some additional details about the two new companions?
Rich: Yes, of course. There’s Azandar, who’s a male Redguard and a somewhat aloof character. You know, I affectionately refer to him as a kind of Willy Wonka meets Dumbledore, just from a personality perspective. He is very inquisitive, focused on imparting knowledge, and serves as a sort of father figure. And when you meet him, well, I don’t want to spoil too much, but he has an experiment that went wrong and needs help to clean up the chaos.
And then there’s an Argonian. He is a bit mysterious. He’s a very quiet, reserved character, a mercenary who has had an extremely tough life. And you come to help him and try to crack this nut, to break through his hard shell to learn more about him and why his life was as hard as it was.
These are the two new companions.
Changes to PvP will come when performance is right
MeinMMO: What some missed in the announcement for the 2023 content are innovations in PvP. Can you tell us something about that?
Rich: We are currently working on the hardware upgrade. It’s simply not a good idea to add more content to PvP if the performance isn’t great, right? It’s like adding more pain to existing pain. We have focused on improving performance and completing the hardware upgrade.
While it wasn’t part of the global announcement, we just rolled out an update for the hardware upgrade. It has been delayed a bit again, and we plan to bring all servers up to date in April, or at least all except for PC in North America.
Once that happens and performance improves, we want to add more things and refresh the PvP experience. But until then, it doesn’t make much sense to do that.
MeinMMO: A recurring discussion point in our comments is always the issue of inventory space. Many players find it insufficient. Are you planning another expansion?
Rich: We’ve done that a few times over the years, and each time we’ve increased the space, players have said it’s not enough. So I think we’ve shown overall that we’re trying to take some of that burden off. That’s also why the collectibles album was created.
The space in the inventory is something players need to think about for several reasons. Firstly, there’s a reason to return to town. But secondly, it also helps with overall server performance. We need to think about what happens if there are millions of players all with full inventories and then we increase that. How does that affect the database? How does it affect the whole server regarding character loading, and so on?
So there are a number of reasons why we have these restrictions, but we are always looking for ways to ease that burden.
Rich is an avid Elder Scrolls player himself and has worked on Oblivion
MeinMMO: What is your personal relationship with the Elder Scrolls franchise? Have you played the single-player games, and which was your favorite?
Rich: I have played Daggerfall, Morrowind, and of course everything that came after. I even worked on Oblivion, which was my first game I contributed to at Bethesda.
They all have unique moments for me. So, Daggerfall was kind of my first introduction to what a truly massive RPG can be. So, that’s definitely a very, very important point for me, even though I crashed my save game three times and had to start from scratch three times.
Morrowind was the first game I upgraded my PC for four times. I just had to upgrade my PC to play something so great. And that was actually the game that made me want to work for Bethesda and develop games like this. Oblivion was, of course, the first game I got to work on at Bethesda. And then there was Skyrim, and of course dragons.
All of these games have something special that I hold dear. If I had to pick one, well, I would probably choose Oblivion because it just has so many good memories of the development process. Seeing it go from paper to completion and then playing it afterward was surreal.
MeinMMO: How much have the old games influenced you in the development of ESO?
Rich: Most stories in ESO come from there. For example, when we made Morrowind, the entire chapter was a kind of love letter to TES 3, but with our interpretation of what Vivec City would have looked like a thousand years ago.
We definitely took cues from how we structured the world. At launch, ESO was very different from what it is today. And a lot of what it is today is a direct result of what those earlier games were and how important exploration and the freedom of exploration were for Elder Scrolls players.
You know, the launch of ESO was not exactly fantastic. We didn’t set the world on fire. A few people left because they said, “We’re not happy; the game is not good.” But those who remained saw what the game could be, and we worked really hard on it. And I think One Tamriel in 2016 was kind of the first major turnaround for us. Since then, we’ve been focused on continuing to evolve the game and continuously improve it.
It has developed into one of the best games on the market. And that’s extremely gratifying as a developer. And it’s only going to get better this year.
MeinMMO: Do you think Elder Scrolls 6 will influence ESO and could perhaps even be a major competitor?
Rich: I certainly hope so. They have a long way to go. They are currently trying to finish Starfield. And yes, I can’t wait to play it.
MeinMMO: Thank you, Rich, for taking the time for the interview!
What do you think about Necrom and the new content? Will it be a stronger year for ESO again? MeinMMO author Melli is certainly excited:
Moreover, new raid bosses, changed spawns, and fresh field researches are coming into the game. And in those, there are currently 3 Pokémon that give you extra Stardust. You can take advantage of that.
3 Quest Pokémon bring extra Stardust – But you can get even more
These are the 3 quests: In the Pokémon GO subreddit, user “Pendergilr4” (via reddit) points out that currently, the following quest monsters can be obtained during the event:
Wadribie is found in the quest “Open 5 Gifts”. It brings 750 Stardust per catch.
Bubungus is also found in the quest “Open 5 Gifts”. It brings 500 Stardust per catch.
Ohrdoch is found in the quest: “Spin 10 PokéStops or gyms”. Ohrdoch gives 2,100 Stardust per catch.
Warning: Behind the quest with the 10 PokéStops and gyms, there may also be Chaneira or Mamolida hiding, so Ohrdoch is only a chance of 1/3. Bubungus and Wadribie are, meanwhile, the only options from their quest.
Here’s how to get a lot of Stardust: Once you have completed the quest, do not catch the Pokémon from the reward encounter. Instead, flee from the catch screen without catching the monster.
This way, you save the encounter for later. You can save up to 100 encounters from field research (via Twitter) and claim them at a later time.
Now it is worth waiting with the Stardust Pokémon until the next Stardust bonus. However, that occurs already on Tuesday, February 14 at 6:00 PM during the spotlight hour with Fleknoil.
There, you will get double the amount of Stardust. If you also activate a Star Piece during that time, you will get even more Stardust for each catch. Now it really makes sense to catch the saved encounters.
Now collect the 3 researches as often as possible – At stops and gyms
Complete them to receive the encounter
Flee from the encounter and save it
Wait until February 14 for the spotlight hour
Utilize the double dust bonus
Use a Star Piece item if necessary
In addition to the Valentine’s Day event, there are many more events this month, such as the Hoenn tour. You can find a detailed overview here: All events in February 2023 of Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Destiny 2 is slowly entering the hot phase as the new DLC “Lightfall” is about to be released. Therefore, we met with Bungie for an interview to exclusively provide you with some special insights into the new super ability “Strand” in advance.
Where do the infos come from? Bungie has conducted an interview with many editorial outlets, including MeinMMO. The focus was on Strand, the new ability in Destiny 2: Lightfall. Our interview partners were the long-time Combat System Design Lead, Kevin Yanes, and Eric Smith, the Gameplay Feature Lead.
We asked you many interesting questions.
Including how you will unlock Strand.
How it will compare to Stasis in PvP.
And what specific ability options you can expect from it.
Since the interview was very extensive, we decided to split it into several parts. So stay tuned in the coming days to see what we were able to extract from the Bungie developers.
Start video
Destiny 2 shows new insights into Strand in its trailer – The focus in Lightfall
The unlocking of Strand should be simple
What do the developers say? With the DLC “Beyond Light”, a class of darkness was already implemented. However, players had to grind hard to fully exploit the potential of the super after a tough grind. This should simplify in 2023 with Lightfall regarding Strand. Eric Smith said:
[…] Strand will be unlocked by completing the campaign, and you will know that as you continue, you can unlock more elements of the subclass kits. One thing we want to avoid is making it too grindy when you try to unlock your entire class.
So it should become easier to unlock the complete Strand Ultimate to make full use of your new element. Kevin Yanes adds:
[…] We learned a lot from “Born in Darkness” [the lengthy Stasis quest at that time]. There are definitely some cool things about “Born in Darkness”, like a meaningful journey to a permanent upgrade. But the grind there was way too big, especially for new players who came in and couldn’t see the new stuff. […] From there, we created something like a “Take-a-Gift-Type System” where you can tackle things the way you want and earn them.
You can then decide for yourself at what pace and what you want to unlock. So you won’t be forced to shoot green crystals in Neomuna with a new Exo, as it was in Beyond Light.
Strand can also be found in Neomuna
However, there will also be no quests like “Go to location X and kill Y enemies”. Bungie wants to express that it should not feel too grindy or too complicated and annoying.
Strand will still keep you busy for a while: As Bungie revealed to us, Strand will also be developed seasonally, similar to Stasis, throughout the entire expansion year.
The plan here is to bring more Strand aspects into the game over all seasons of Lightfall. By the end of the DLC year, you will have a quite complete subclass kit capable of keeping up with your existing powers. And you will probably also discover a playstyle that is currently not available to you. With Strand, you should “feel like a god”.
Particularly interesting is of course the gameplay itself. So the question was whether there will again be synergy mechanisms with Strand that players can use? And here Bungie gave us a glimpse of the so-called “Clumps” that you can expect with Strand.
[…] Every enemy weakened by a [Strand] strand will turn into a Clump when killed. A Clump is a swirling, volatile bundle of strands. So after you have weakened an enemy with a melee attack or certain grenades, you can transform them into a Clump. Pick up the Clump, and you can throw the enemy like a bomb. Or you can shoot the Clump where it lies. If you hold onto a Clump, it will cost you neither grip nor grenade energy, so you can use the Clumps to set up “Gripper Arenas”.
Explained Eric Smith
There will also be various aspects, exotic armors that will change the entangling in many ways. The core description of Strand will thus revolve around bindings, weaknesses, and dynamic gameplay.
Quickly on the move with the Titan
And Bungie lets you choose freely from Lightfall onwards, as Eric Smith notes: “Use your instinct to just say: Oh, I will change the path. I will change the way I attack this encounter because I see a Clump there. […] If I can change everything in a dynamic way, then I can probably maximize my effect.”
Kevin Yanes particularly points out: “Things like grabbing a Clump, throwing it, and grabbing it, seeing that very Clump and following up with a grip hit is something you can’t do with any other subclass. But when you chain those actions together, you feel like a god.”
Hunter Threadrunner: Silk Strike
Hunters weave a silk arrow to take down their enemies. The light attack throws the arrow forward to hit a single enemy. Hitting an enemy with the tip of the arrow deals bonus damage, and enemies defeated in this way explode. The heavy attack swings the silk arrow over a wide area, dealing damage to all enemies in the vicinity.
Titan Berserker: Blade Fury
Titans form large blades on their arms as they sweep across the battlefield with light and heavy attacks. With light attacks, the Titans can quickly slash their enemies and build energy for their heavy attacks, where they swing their blades to shoot projectiles that bind and incapacitate enemies on impact.
Warlock Threadweaver: Needle Storm
Hovering in the air, Warlocks conjure a wave of piercing Strand projectiles. When these projectiles hit their enemies, they detonate and weave into threads that pursue nearby targets.
This is how Strand will perform in PvP
A question that many players have already raised with great concerns is: “How will Strand perform in PvP?.”
When Stasis was released with Beyond Light, the new ability was not only very powerful in PvE but also in PvP. Players could eliminate foes with the Glacier Grenade and its shatter in a blink. Also, the duration for being frozen was simply too long.
Will Strand be as annoying in PvP as Stasis? Bungie wants to reassure players with these concerns. Strand should not be as dominant and annoying in PvP as Stasis was back then. Eric Smith explains:
Yes, I think you know that Stasis was delivered with a 5-second stun in PvP […] It’s like being frozen and not really able to fight back. We wanted to avoid this hard crowd control [CC] and give you a way to fight back this time. […] If you get caught by Strand in PvP and are bound, you still have some movement control. You can still fight back by shooting and hip-firing. So you won’t feel as helpless when caught by the [Strand] debuff.
Nevertheless, with all the preparation, it will always be a balancing act. The Bungie team will primarily notice where there are still issues when “Strand” is released, which may need to be improved.
Stasis is a very powerful crowd control ultimate, and Strand is supposed to venture in that direction as well, just with a more pleasant kind and better entry experiences.
Strand will give you a new sense of mobility
What challenged Bungie about Strand? However, the development behind Strand was not characterized by ease either. When asked which aspect of Strand was the most challenging for the developers, Bungie named two new Strand features:
The “Grappling” or “Swinging”
A new feature that allows players to swing around like Spider-Man.
The “Binding”
Players can hold enemies and Guardians in the air with strands.
When swinging, it was mainly about how players can use this feature of the Strand grappling hook even outside the new target location “Neomuna”.
This sounds very much like Destiny 2 will go much faster from Lightfall onwards. Strand will likely give you a new kind of mobility, and thus more freedom, which may also propel you into the virtual beyond at too high a speed.
The second and, above all, more interesting issue is how the new “Binding” talent behaves in PvE and PvP.
Your enemies have no chance against you
In PvE, Guardians can “hang” other enemies like Cabal, Vex, and Fallen in mid-air with “Strand” with ease. While this is fun in PvE, it looks different in PvP because it makes you helpless.
Already with Stasis, the total helplessness was a flaw that many Guardians despised. However, with Strand, Bungie wants to avoid exactly that and has now created something that behaves differently in PvP. You will rather suffer a debuff, with which you will also be swinging in the air but not completely helplessly exposed to a hail of bullets.
How Bungie has precisely worked this out, we will probably only know once Lightfall has seen the light of day. Until then, how do you find the insights Bungie has shared about Strand? Are you looking forward to how Strand will perform? And what serious question would you like to ask Bungie? Feel free to leave us a comment!
