Pokémon GO: 8 Pokémon you shouldn’t miss in February

February in Pokémon GO brings some exciting Pokémon. Here you will find an overview of the monsters you should not miss.

Numerous events are also planned this month in Pokémon GO. From the start with the Rocket takeover to the finale with the Hoenn Tour, there is a lot going on.

Accordingly, many Pokémon will appear during this time. But which ones should you definitely secure? Let’s take a look at some of the currently known highlights.

The most exciting Pokémon in February 2023 in Pokémon GO

What kind of list is this? In this list, you will find strong or rare Pokémon that are available this month. The list is ordered by release date. Further down, you will also find a second small overview with more interesting Pokémon.

Crypto-Metagross

Pokemon GO Crypto Metagross

Crypto-Metagross is a top steel attacker in the game and generally a very useful monster. You can obtain it by evolving Crypto-Tanhel. Important: You must forget the move Frustration during the Rocket takeover to get a better move.

How do you get it? Crypto-Tanhel from Rocket Boss Sierra. Then evolve to Metang and Metagross. The best counters against Sierra can be found here.

When is it available? Since February 1, until further notice. But: The Rocket takeover ends on February 5, by then you should have forgotten Frustration.

Registeel

Pokémon-GO-Registeel

Registeel is one of the best monsters you can use in the PvP league. If you like playing against other trainers, you should secure one from raids. The Crypto variant is currently available from Giovanni – however, it is somewhat less suitable for PvP.

How do you get it? In 5-star raids, here are the best counters against Registeel.

When is it available? From February 1 to February 8.

Mega-Guardevoir

Pokémon-GO-Mega-Guardevoir

Mega-Guardevoir can soon be obtained from Mega-Raids. It will be the best fairy attacker in the game and also brings strong bonuses as a Mega evolution.

How do you get it? From Mega-Raids starting from the Valentine’s Day event.

When is it available? February 8 to February 15.

Coiffwaff with Heartcut

Coiffwaff with Heartcut

Coiffwaff is not a particularly strong Pokémon, but one for collectors. It has various forms, and the “Heartcut” form can only be obtained during the Valentine’s Day event in Pokémon GO for now.

How do you get it? Transform your “Woolly-form” Coiffwaff. This costs 25 Coiffwaff candies and 10,000 Stardust.

When is it available? Transformation is possible during the Valentine’s Day event, from February 8 to 14.

Pandir with Heart Pattern

Pokemon GO Pandir

Similar to Coiffwaff, Pandir is a Pokémon that is more for collectors. The small monster is usually encountered in rare field researches and also has various forms. For the Valentine’s Day event, it can appear with a heart pattern. The shiny variant is also available, but very rare.

How do you get it? By luck from field researches during the Valentine’s Day event.

When is it available? February 8 to 14.

Rayquaza

Pokemon-Go-Rayquaza

With Rayquaza, one of the best Pokémon ever returns to the game. It is one of the top attackers in Pokémon GO, brings the new special move “Broadside” and can be caught starting from the start of the “Proto-Rumbling” event.

How do you get it? In 5-star raids.

When is it available? February 22 to March 1.

Proto-Kyogre and Proto-Groudon

Pokémon GO Proto Groudon und Proto Kyogre2

Proto-Kyogre is a more powerful form of Kyogre. Similar to the Mega evolutions, you need Proto energy to carry out the evolution – and that requires completing corresponding raids. It makes its debut at the Hoenn tour and will be the best water attacker in the game.

Proto-Groudon is the counterpart to Proto-Kyogre. The new form of Groudon works exactly the same and will also be extremely strong. It will be the best ground attacker in the game.

How do you get both? By Protomorphosis using energy from the new Proto-raids.

When are they available? Here there are two dates.

Which monsters are still exciting in February?

There are still some other monsters that you can get in February that may be slightly less strong or rare than those mentioned above. We’ll list them here.

  • Crypto-Magnetilo and Crypto-Nidoran are available. The former can be found with Rocket Boss Cliff, the latter with Arlo. Especially Magnetilo is worth it as the developed, strong electric attacker Magnezone. Nidoran is more for shiny hunters who want to try their luck.
    • From February 1 with Rocket bosses.
  • eF-eM was very rare for a long time, now has a dedicated community day in February. Good opportunity to get the needed candies and the shiny.
    • February 5
  • Quabbel is available as shiny for the first time during the Valentine’s Day event.
    • From February 8.
  • You can encounter Flabébé with unusual flower colors during the Valentine’s Day event.
    • February 8 to 14.
  • A limited research on Liebiskus will take place. Interesting event for shiny hunters.
    • February 11
  • You can encounter the shiny Jirachi in the form of a master research. The research costs about 5 euros in the shop.
    • Tickets for the research available between February 20 and March 20.
  • Mega-Latias and Mega-Latios return to mega raids.
    • February 22 to March 1

Want to know exactly what’s happening in the game this month? Then you can find our overview of all events in February at Pokémon GO.

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

Long gameplay video of The Day Before is rejected by fans – “Best walking simulator I have ever seen”

The Day Before is struggling with its credibility. For a long time, it was considered one of the most anticipated games on Steam. However, after a few strange actions by the developers, players are skeptical – and the promised video with 10 minutes of gameplay does not improve the situation for everyone.

With The Day Before, the developers from the small studio Fntastic achieved a surprise success. After the announcement, many players looked forward to the new survival game, and the information about the game and the first images looked really good.

The Division with zombies in a contaminated metropolis.

After two delays and a few strange actions, fans view The Day Before differently. At the latest since the issue with the copyright problems, there is a lot of skepticism. The developers responded with an analogy to heroes from 90s movies.

Fntastic wanted to make up for everything with a long gameplay video. You can watch the 10 minutes of gameplay here:

Start video
The Day Before – 10 Minutes Gameplay

The Day Before: Gameplay is receiving negative feedback from fans

What is there to see? The character runs the path from outside a metropolis into the city. On the way, a few zombies are taken out, a crafting station is used, and some containers are looted.

How are fans reacting? Most reactions are negative. Apparently, expectations were higher. The scenes deliver hardly any action, and the description “walking simulator” comes up more frequently.

Here are some of the comments underneath the YouTube video (via youtube.com):

  • Rage Inducer: “For a game that was supposed to come out this month, that was certainly … a unique presentation.”
  • ✙ Smorgonenberg ✙: “Best walking simulator I’ve ever seen. Can hardly wait for the next delay.”
  • Voyagers Revenge: “The poor marketing and the excuses for the delays seem to be the most interesting aspect of the game.”

After the announcements from the developers, many fans wanted to see a trailer that would blow them away. However, there was very little to see that generated more interest.

The developers wanted to provide proof that they are really working on the game. This is also being appreciated. Now and then, there are also positive comments about the gameplay. However, skepticism continues to prevail – whether the game will be good or even in development.

It’s no different on Twitter. A similar picture can be seen under the announcement of the gameplay video.

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The developers emphasize that they have not made any money from the game so far. Fans who were looking forward to the release do not want to hear this, however. Skepticism is the result.

What do you think about The Day Before after the gameplay video?

Before the latest presentation, we conducted a survey on MeinMMO: New survival MMO on Steam looks like the next big hit – But you don’t trust it

It’s no different on Twitter. A similar picture can be seen under the announcement of the gameplay video.

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The developers emphasize that they have not made any money from the game so far. Fans who were looking forward to the release do not want to hear this, however. Skepticism is the result.

What do you think about The Day Before after the gameplay video?

Before the latest presentation, we conducted a survey on MeinMMO: 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: Gronkh asks, “Am I a bad person if I don’t care about J.K. Rowling?” – Trending on Twitter

The Twitch streamer and YouTuber Erik “Gronkh” Range will address the game “Hogwart’s Legacy” in his professional capacity. The action RPG takes place in the Harry Potter universe and will be released on February 10 for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and later for the Nintendo Switch. For months, there has been a debate about whether it can be played and shown or whether it should be boycotted due to the statements of the author J.K. Rowling. Gronkh has decided not to engage in this discussion. This earns him a spot in the German Twitter trends.

Gronkh appeared in a Twitch stream, which apparently was a while ago. There, the 45-year-old shared his views on “Hogwarts Legacy” and how he deals with it.

Even though the stream is older, a clip from it was only recently cut and shared on Twitter, where it has sparked such intense reactions that the hashtag “Gronkh” trended on German Twitter on the morning of February 2.

What exactly did Gronkh say? In the circulating Twitch clip, Gronkh says:

[I received an email where someone] listed arguments not against J.K. Rowling, but for [her – and there is a whole list of points about what she supposedly said … And it’s … I just don’t care. Can I be indifferent? Am I a bad person if I don’t care about J.K. Rowling? Does she have to play a role in my life? Is this important to me? And please don’t send me emails about it.

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How does Gronkh want to deal with the game? From the same Twitch stream by Gronkh, there is another clip in which Gronkh says he will not boycott “Hogwarts Legacy,” but will play and show it.

He wants to use all donations that come in during the streams to support certain organizations. That is much more goal-oriented.

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The author of Harry Potter becomes a controversial figure online

Why is this topic so sensitive? The author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, has repeatedly commented on transgender issues since 2019:

  • As a victim of domestic violence, she said many transgender people are vulnerable and deserve protection, but it is still unsafe to allow any man into women’s locker rooms or bathrooms just because he feels like a woman or believes he is one.
  • She said if she had been born later, she might have considered gender reassignment to escape the disadvantages associated with being a woman.
  • She accused transgender activists of trying to undermine “woman” as a biological and political class.

These views have brought her sharp criticism from parts of the transgender community. She is described as a “radical transphobic feminist.”

In an essay from June 2020, Rowling laid out her position (via jkrowling): She states, among other things, that she receives a lot of support for her views but is severely insulted when she expresses a nuanced opinion on the topic. She is portrayed as transphobic. Many women, according to her view, are now afraid of “trans activists.”

In the months following her essay, her statements on Twitter became increasingly provocative.

GameStar has dealt extensively with the topic: “Why do some want to boycott Hogwarts Legacy?”

More on the topic
The author of Harry Potter reacts sharply to the call to boycott the new game ‘Hogwarts Legacy’
von Schuhmann

In March 2022, Hogwarts Legacy was already critically discussed

In March 2022, an article by Jessie Earl appeared on the GameSpot website, which addressed J.K. Rowling’s “anti-transgender” stance.

In the article, the author concluded that she cannot support Hogwarts Legacy. If you buy the game, you are supporting J.K. Rowling. However, the author declined to call for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy, as that would only draw more attention to the author.

In Germany, the discussion was pushed forward by the Twitch streamer Shurjoka, who called for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy on Twitter in response to the English article:

https://twitter.com/Shurjoka/status/1505607916841324549

Now that the release of the game is approaching, the topic is being discussed again on Twitter and has become much sharper in tone.

Start video
Hogwarts Legacy presents the officially best trailer of gamescom – Has over 600,000 views on YouTube

Some Twitter users consider Gronkh’s statement to be “transphobic” and “disgusting”

How is Gronkh’s statement received? Gronkh’s statement has been sharply criticized by some Twitter users.

It is said:

  • Gronkh behaves transphobically by saying he doesn’t care. His commitment to wanting to donate the money does not outweigh this. That is not a form of indulgence. (twitter)
  • Others say: Gronkh, thanks to his privileges as a “non-trans man,” simply looks away. (twitter)
  • Gronkh has a “damn responsibility” and this attitude is simply “disgusting” (twitter)

However, it is noticeable that all these tweets signaling rejection of Gronkh receive relatively little support on Twitter. The tweets have 45 or 64 likes.

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

Major Twitch streamers defend Gronkh

Many Twitter users, including influential Twitch streamers, defend Gronkh, whose posts receive significantly more likes.

  • Tanzverbot says the debate only shows that some people are trying to elevate themselves and attack others (twitter).
  • Rewinside says let Gronkh be, he has his childhood (via twitter).
  • The WoW legend Uncle Barlow says it is not about justice, but about self-promotion (twitter).

Above all, YouTuber Dennis Werth speaks out in detail in favor of Gronkh and his character. He has known Gronkh for 13 years, he is open-minded, stands up for positivity, and is involved in such an important project as Friendly Fire (twitter).

Many tweets from influencers receive four-digit like numbers and much support.

Twitch Streamer Shurjoka
The Twitch streamer Shurjoka.

Even critics say: It is absurd to call Gronkh transphobic

What do the critical influencers say? The Twitch streamer Shurjoka takes a critical stance on the issue of Hogwarts Legacy (twitter) and speaks out in favor of a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy. However, she cannot agree with some of the criticism of Gronkh.

She says it is absurd to accuse Gronkh of being transphobic. However, she finds it understandable that affected individuals from the bubble are disappointed. The statements are also difficult for her to comprehend.

Shurjoka emphasizes that the criticism of Gronkh does not come from any haters but from parts of the own community or colleagues who are disappointed.

Is this a shitstorm against Gronkh? No, it doesn’t look like it. The overwhelming majority of comments support the Twitch streamer in his view.

Gronkh says: He receives threats – Announces Twitch stream

Update February 3, 9:09 AM: In a tweet on Thursday evening, Grokh announced a stream for Friday, February 3, in which he wants to talk a little quietly.

He has taken a two-day break from social media and during that time deleted threats and insults from his inbox.

Update 8:07 PM: We will report here on the stream by Gronkh on MeinMMO.

Twitch: 42,000 see what Gronkh has to say about the shitstorm surrounding “Hogwarts Legacy”

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

WoW: Sabellian or Furorion? Story Chief Destroys Hope About Player Choice

Fans of World of Warcraft thought they had a choice – but there was never one. Many saw more in a quest than intended by the developers.

The story of World of Warcraft is an important aspect for many players and one of the reasons why some have remained loyal to Blizzard’s MMORPG for so long. Especially with Dragonflight, there were some interesting new developments in the story. Particularly the ‘aspect succession’ among the black dragons is a much-discussed topic. Some even believed Blizzard would give players a choice and there would be a secret ‘vote’ – but the story chief has now dismissed that.

What is going on with the black dragons? It has long been foreseeable that Furorion would follow in his father’s footsteps to become the aspect of the black dragonflight. However, the young dragon has repeatedly acted concerningly, being responsible for Garrosh’s escape to the alternate Draenor and thus also for the subsequent attack of the Legion and the death of Varian Wrynn – a reason why the young dragon has received a proper scolding.

However, Furorion has received competition in Dragonflight. The black dragon Sabellian has returned from the shattered world and brought the rest of the black brood with him. He also claims leadership and is already highly regarded by many black dragons. He has much more life experience and seems to be quite intelligent.

Players hoped they had a choice: At level 70, characters can decide which of the two dragons they want to help this week – Sabellian or Furorion. A widespread theory was that Blizzard was secretly allowing a vote on which character is more popular and would take leadership over the swarm. Thus, it was suspected that Blizzard was looking at whom players have sworn loyalty to first.

Steve Danuser, the story chief of Blizzard, has now clearly denied that and thus destroyed this hope.

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What did Danuser say? In an interview with YouTuber Hiru, who is known for his lore videos on WoW, story chief Steve Danuser spoke

The situation with Furorion and Sabellian is more a matter of taste for the player. This is not meant to be a vote. That would also be a bit unfair to present it first as a matter of personal choice and then later say: ‘Hey, you all have been voting the whole time.’ That would surely make people [very dissatisfied]. (…) This was not intended as [a test for a vote]. (…)

Could something like this be done in the future? Under the right circumstances, certainly. The danger with such things is always that some will exploit the system or deliberately try to ruin the choice for others. With such matters, one always has to be careful.

The whole interview is worth it, as Danuser also answers other questions about N’Zoth and the story of Dragonflight.

Would you have found a player decision good? Or is it right that Blizzard decides how it goes on with the black dragons?

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

LoL plans changes to the Jungle – Forgotten Champions could come back into focus

The next regular patch in League of Legends is coming to the live servers on February 8. With this patch, the developers want to finally refocus the jungle and reduce their pressure on the lanes.

What changes in Patch 13.3? The changes in Patch 13.3 affect all lanes, but the jungle is given a special relevance.

  • On the top lane, K’Sante is the latest champion in LoL. He has the highest participation in games on the top lane at 66.7% (via Oracle’s Elixir). He will be weakened in almost all abilities in the upcoming patch.
  • In the mid lane, Le Blanc receives a buff that is intended to enhance her especially in the early game.
  • In the jungle, the favorite of the pros receives a buff. The scaling on Lee Sin’s attack damage will be improved on his Q and E abilities.
  • On the bot lane, tank-supporters like Thresh, Leona, and Nautilus receive a buff, making them more pleasant to play again. This is intended to end the era of ADC-supporters.

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”

What does this mean for the jungle? The goal of the adjustments is to make the jungle more attractive for champions and thus entice them to spend more time in the forest. The neutral monsters are meant to give more experience than before with Patch 13.3. Additionally, the cookies from the companion will provide less gold.

At the same time, Riot Games is trying to make the lanes less attractive for junglers by increasing tower damage until minute 14. The higher damage leads to a greater risk, so the tower can no longer be completely ignored.

You can find all the changes here:

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What does this mean for forgotten junglers? In the current meta, there is the possibility for junglers to skip certain neutral monsters to get to the lane faster for a kill. It used to be different. The neutral monsters were fought until the very last.

Due to the changes, it may now lead to champions who are not so strong at the beginning of the game to take shelter in the jungle and kill all neutral monsters.

These scaling champions, such as Lilia, who received a decent buff in the preseason, or Nidalee could therefore gain a new surge in popularity. Moreover, there are some champions who could take advantage of this “power farming”.

Which champion do you decide on in the next patch? Let us know in the comments.

If you want to read more news about the pros, we have an exciting article for you here: LoL: Professional players repeatedly ignoring a ban from the developers – Because 1. penalty was very mild

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

Gamer finds top graphics card from AMD for little money – Instead, it is a GPU that is notorious among gamers

A gamer finds an AMD graphics card together with her boyfriend. But there is a completely different GPU behind it, which has a bad reputation among gamers.

Two people discovered a Radeon RX 6800 for around 400 euros. But once in the store, both became suspicious: The sales box says Radeon RX 580, but the graphics card is labeled as RX 6800 (via reddit.com).

From the outside, the model resembles an old Nvidia graphics card. Therefore, nothing seemed to fit together properly. A user in the comments immediately notes: “Ah yes, the notorious GTS 450.”

The GTS 450 is in almost every fake graphics card

What kind of GPU is this? The GTS 450 (codename “Fermi”) from Nvidia is an entry-level graphics card from 2010 and was already too slow for high resolutions and current games back then (via computerbase.de). It was never able to keep up properly with its counterpart from ATI.

This hasn’t changed 12 years later, although ATI has since merged into AMD. Today, the Nvidia graphics card is even more outdated and can only handle somewhat modern games at low settings. You can see how much performance this graphics card delivers in the following YouTube video:

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What does this have to do with the fake? On questionable sites like Aliexpress and Wish, but also sites like eBay and Amazon, you regularly find offers where you supposedly get great graphics cards for little money. If you then order such a graphics card, you will receive a GPU, but in most cases, it is not the one you bought.

Often, you receive a fake graphics card that has nothing to do with the actual product. When you install the model, it will display the purchased product, but you will quickly notice that something is wrong. There is a fraud scheme behind it that has been used for selling graphics cards for some time:

  • Scammers buy an old GTS 450 or the corresponding board for a bargain price.
  • They then install a BIOS update that makes your computer believe it is a completely different graphics card, such as a GTX 1060 Ti.
  • In the next step, the graphics card is sold as GTX 1060 Ti. People with little experience buy the product without recognizing the fake. Because the stickers and the box present the graphics card as a “real” model.
  • When the graphics card is then installed, there are mostly problems with glitches and crashes, as the software and graphics card are not compatible. GPU-Z, a small free tool, now detects such fakes and then warns you that you have a fake graphics card.

Particularly frustrating is the fact that there seem to be numerous Chinese models of the GTS 450. This makes it difficult and time-consuming to get such a card running properly and to install the appropriate BIOS, as there are models with varying amounts of video memory.

The graphics card is notorious among gamers, users regularly fall for it

What is the reputation of the graphics card? Among gamers, the GTS 450 is now considered notorious. In numerous forums (via techpowerup.com, linustechtips.com or computerbase.de) these fake graphics cards are very well known, and there are always users who fall for them and wonder about the problems.

On the internet, these Fermi graphics cards are sold by various manufacturers as GTX-1000 GPUs to unsuspecting buyers.

The well-known tech YouTuber “Dawid Does Tech Stuff” once thoroughly demonstrated the differences between fake and original in a video:

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This is how fake models can be relatively easily identified, as the YouTuber and other users explain:

  • For example, by the wrong connections, as newer graphics card models do not offer VGA anymore.
  • Or by a cooler design that does not match the graphics card.
  • Fake models also sometimes lack components, such as cooling fins or similar. This suggests that the scammers recycled the cooling system from another card.
  • Concern should also arise regarding the packaging: The box is almost empty of marketing material and often only offers very simple packaging and no anti-static cushioning.

Tips and tricks for buying graphics cards: If you want to buy a graphics card and are looking for tips and recommendations, take a look at the following article on MeinMMO:

What should you consider when you want a graphics card – Buy now or later?

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

YouTube: 14-year-old makes a funny video, but it almost destroys his life – The story of the Angry German Kid

Many who surfed the internet in the 2000s encountered the video of the “Angry German Kid.” In it, a teenager is seen smashing his keyboard in anger because he can’t play Unreal Tournament. But the Angry German Kid is actually named Norman Kochanowski, and he says: the video destroyed his life.

What kind of video was it? The video dates back to 2005 and shows Kochanowski trying to load the shooter Unreal Tournament. When that fails, he seemingly loses it, yelling loudly and smashing his keyboard.

The footage went viral under the title “Angry German Kid.” However, many did not realize that the then 14-year-old Kochanowski was only playing a role. Now he shared his story with the NDR media magazine, ZAPP.

Videos that spread without context can still develop a strange life of their own on the internet today.

Start video
Twitch: This is the quirky story behind the most popular clip of all time

A Boy with a Camera

What was he like before the video? At the age of 13, Kochanowski got a camera and began making short action films and parodies of rap videos with his friends. For this, he developed various characters, like the “real gangster.”

Kochanowski posted these videos online in various forums or funny video sites – this was before YouTube existed. His little films were well received and received numerous views: ZAPP calls him a sort of early content creator.

How did the video come about? In a forum, Kochanowski eventually received an offer: for 300 €, he should make a video where he really freaks out. The user who made the request was said to be 17 at that time.

The 14-year-old accepted the deal and produced the infamous video. He actually wanted to add beforehand that it was a staged recording. However, he was already too much into his role, Kochanowski said.

However, he couldn’t predict the consequences: His client, who operated online under the name Hack-Panther, published the video and made it available for download to others. From there, it was spread further, altered, and parodied, eventually landing on YouTube.

Kochanowski himself had no control over the distribution of his work anymore and felt powerless. And the spread soon took considerable extremes.

Funny Video Has Unexpected Consequences

What was the problem? The video went viral at a time when there was a significant debate in Germany regarding violent video games due to several school shootings: the so-called “killer games.”

Ultimately, Kochanowski’s film was shown in a segment of Focus magazine: they labeled him as a video game addict “Leopold,” who was said to have escaped from a clinic in Amsterdam. Suddenly, he became a symbol of a juvenile killer game junkie.

The teenager’s attempts to correct this were said to have failed. Because in the early years of YouTube, anyone could freely dispose of the content uploaded there, and there were hardly any copyright regulations.

Also, Kochanowski’s own attempt at a humorous correction in another video cannot change the narrative: hate comments follow on the internet, but also hostility in real life.

What consequences arose? The teenager had a hard time dealing with it, becoming increasingly angry. With changes to his appearance and look, he tried to distance himself from his character, but it was already too late.

On a school trip, Kochanowski ultimately announced a real school shooting, hoping that his classmates would finally leave him alone. However, the false threat had real consequences: according to his own statements, he was expelled from school and sentenced to community service and juvenile detention.

You can watch the entire piece here or in the ARD media library.

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The Angry German Kid Becomes a Gangster-Rapper

What happened next? His past also became a hindrance for him later when looking for work; no one wanted to hire a supposed school shooter. Kochanowski withdrew more and more; his life had only consisted of strength training, eating, and sleeping.

Sport helped him a lot, and eventually, it seemed his life began to turn for the better: he found a training position, had a great car, and met his first great love, going out more.

But the young man wanted to try again, began uploading videos on YouTube again: that was just his hobby, his passion. This went well for a while until he was recognized by more and more people.

Kochanowski admitted to being the Angry German Kid and marketed himself as a rapper at the same time. The strategy paid off, and he again received millions of views. However, the boundaries between the real person and his characters became increasingly blurred again.

With increasingly harder lyrics, he also slipped into criminality in real life and was eventually sentenced to probation. This was a wake-up call for him to lead a normal life.

How is he doing today? The piece ends on a positive note: Kochanowski can now enjoy the attention on YouTube, having a real fan base. Nevertheless, this case impressively shows what consequences involuntary virality can have – especially at a time when no one really knew how to deal with it.

The debate over killer games still occasionally heats up today:

Journalist revives the killer game debate in 2023: “Young men sit in front of these games and hunt others”

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

Rainbow Six: Player accidentally calls the police, talks about “Kills” – triggers an operation

A 17-year-old accidentally called the police while playing Rainbow Six: Siege, triggering a response.

How did the player trigger a police response? Elijah Sierocki is a 17-year-old gamer from Kentucky, USA, who occasionally plays Ubisoft’s popular tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Siege. This was also the case on January 5, 2022.

In Rainbow Six: Siege, 10 players compete against each other in tactically-oriented 5v5 matches, trying to take or defend a spot. Alternatively, the team that eliminates all 5 opponents first wins.

So, on January 5, Elijah was sitting on his couch playing Rainbow Six: Siege. But while he was playing the shooter with his friends, he had his phone in his pocket – and that’s when the drama began.

As Elijah reveals to the site lawandcrime.com in an interview, he accidentally called the police. The 17-year-old only found out afterward when, after his in-game death, he looked at his phone to watch TikTok videos.

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Instead of funny clips, he now looked at his call log and saw three missed calls and a four-minute call with the police. Until that point, Elijah hadn’t realized he had accidentally called the emergency center, and the police had been listening to him for four minutes.

The problem was clear: During those 4 minutes, the 17-year-old mentioned that he had killed two people. Although he was talking about the kills he had made in the shooter, the police were already on high alert at that time. After all, he did not respond to the callback.

About two minutes later, the Rainbow Six player then heard his dogs barking, prompting him to look out the window and see four police cars.

I was sitting on my couch playing Rainbow Six Siege with my two best friends Tyler and Devan. In the middle of a game, I killed two people, I had two kills, and then I died. So I went to my phone to watch TikTok – that’s what I usually do when I die – and I see a call on my phone. It’s 911.

Elijah Sierocki in an interview with lawandcrime.com
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What happened after the police arrived? When Elijah saw the police officers on the street in front of his house, he made the decision to step outside with his hands raised. He then explained to them that he was home alone and was just playing a video game. The call had been a mistake, and no one was injured.

The conversation between Elijah and the police officers was also filmed by a camera mounted at the Sierocki family’s front door.

Here you can see a tweet sharing the camera footage:

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Link to the Twitter content

How did the situation end? The situation ended well for everyone involved, and Elijah explains to lawandcrime.com that he can understand the police’s actions. After all, he really did say on the phone that he had killed two people. Still, he was visibly frightened and shaking because firearms were pointed at him.

But after the police officers realized it was an accident and no one was injured, they reportedly tried to calm Elijah down. One of the officers even asked him in the subsequent conversation which operator (playable character in Rainbow Six Siege) his favorite was.

What was hopefully a one-time experience for Elijah is something that some Twitch streamers have to endure regularly, sometimes multiple times a week. Time and again, nasty viewers send the police to them, claiming that a crime is occurring.

Big Twitch streamer sent 2 viewers to jail – ‘I get swatted 3 times a week’

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

20 year old game writes crazy numbers 2 months after release on Steam: over 6 million €, 95% positive

Over the last few months, the ancient indie game Dwarf Fortress has made headlines with crazy successes on Steam. The developers have now provided exact figures.

The long history of the game “Dwarf Fortress” began more than 20 years ago, but took a crazy turn in late 2022.

  • Since 2002, brothers Tarn and Zach Adams have been developing the game as indie developers. It became increasingly complex but was originally free.
  • In late 2022, the brothers decided to release on Steam – because they needed money. Donations simply wouldn’t be enough to cover health concerns, for example.
  • On December 6, it finally happened – and the game exploded on Steam. The sales exceeded the developers’ expectations, they suddenly became millionaires.

The brothers reported that the game sold half a million copies in December. Exact figures, they said at the time, could not be provided until the processes with Valve and the new publisher Kitfox Games were finalized.

But now the time has come.

Developer reports exact number: “Thanks to everyone who helped”

In the Bay 12 Games forum, the studio of the two, Tarn Adams reported under the nickname “Toady One” with an update. On February 1, 2023, he explained:

“So, the wheels have turned, and here is what we got, especially yesterday,” he writes (via bay12forums.com).

Adams writes that Dwarf Fortress has generated a total of $7,230,123.58 – or €6,619,973.45. For the previous months, he lists the following figures:

  • December: $15,635.07
  • November: $14,071.27
  • October: $15,374.72
  • September: $14,679.51

Through the Steam release, the game has generated 426 times the amount of a “normal” month – and thus seemingly put an end to the developers’ biggest concerns, as Adams describes.

“Just less than half goes to taxes, and we continue to pay people and new business expenses and so on, so it’s not all personal money,” the statement goes: “But a large part of it is. Enough that we’ve solved the main issues of health/retirement, which are problematic for independent people.”

Moreover, the future of the game is now secured for the time being – so much so that they even expanded the team: “Thank you very much to everyone who helped!”

In terms of reviews, things are still looking good: The game is rated “overwhelmingly positive” with a total of 95% on Steam.

It will be exciting to see how Dwarf Fortress continues after the initial hype on Steam. Other games are also receiving good feedback on Steam – such as the space co-op game “Astroneer.”

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

FIFA 23: PC players have a disadvantage when buying players – “These prices are absurd”

For less popular cards, the prices are approaching each other. However, the differences are very noticeable, especially for top players, and that frustrates some players on PC.

  • “I have been playing FIFA on PC for 17 years, and every year the prices are absurd. So I consider buying a PS every year, but it just doesn’t feel right because I would only play FIFA” (via reddit).
  • “Yes, it’s ridiculous. They need to increase the pack weight for promo cards,” says a user (via reddit). The “pack weight” refers to the rate of promo cards in packs.
  • “I regret very much that I chose PC this year. I travel a lot for work and thought it was a good idea. Next year back to PS5. It’s not just TOTY; every card is glaringly more expensive on PC,” tells a user (via reddit). However, he also adds: “On the other hand, if you pull these cards tradeable, you can also get the coins on PC, it’s not entirely comparable.”

However, the differences for top players are difficult to balance out, especially when we talk about millions of coins.

What is the problem? One of the main problems of the PC transfer market is that it is isolated. The PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S share a transfer market, and Stadia was included as well.

In contrast, the PC has an individual transfer market, as does the Switch. This results in fewer users and thus offers on the transfer market than on consoles.

Overall, the PC has actually made a step forward in FIFA, as it has technologically caught up with the next-gen consoles. At the same time, there was early frustration for the PC version, due to errors around the release.

In FIFA 23 you can improve your Ultimate Team with players from the transfer market. But top cards are expensive – especially if you play on PC.

Currently, the TOTY event is running in FIFA 23, which will be replaced on Friday by the Future Stars event.

In particular, the TOTY, or “Team of the Year,” is known for bringing extremely strong but also extremely rare and expensive cards into the game.

Pulling such a card is incredibly unlikely, as some streamers have proven on Twitch. Therefore, some players try to buy top cards on the transfer market instead.

But that’s not easy either. Because you first have to gather the required coins for a TOTY card. Through smart trading in FIFA 23 or strong rewards, it is possible, but it is difficult and takes time.

And especially on PC, you often need significantly more coins than on consoles.

Players frustrated by high TOTY prices on PC in FIFA 23

What frustrates players? In the FUT subreddit, user “fawz97” shared a post depicting the prices of current TOTY players on PC.

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While the TOTY is generally very expensive, even on consoles – on the PC transfer market, it takes on a whole new dimension. We have compiled a few examples from the portal futbin, where current transfer market prices are documented:

  • TOTY-Haaland costs about 4.4 million coins on console, but a whole 6.4 million on PC. That’s a significant difference.
  • TOTY-Messi is also notably cheaper at 5.8 million coins on console than his counterpart on PC for nearly 9.7 million coins.
  • TOTY-Militao costs 1.58 million coins on console, and 1.88 million coins on PC. So there’s basically the equivalent of a TOTY-Courtois in between.
  • TOTY-Mbappé costs around 10.7 million coins on console. Currently, he is not even available on PC, he is thus “extinct.”

But this issue does not only affect TOTY cards, it also applies to other players. For example, the popular hero card of Al-Owairan costs 730,000 coins on console, but 918,000 coins on PC. The regular Mbappé card is priced at 822,000 (console) and 989,000 coins (PC).

For less popular cards, the prices are approaching each other. However, the differences are very noticeable, especially for top players, and that frustrates some players on PC.

  • “I have been playing FIFA on PC for 17 years, and every year the prices are absurd. So I consider buying a PS every year, but it just doesn’t feel right because I would only play FIFA” (via reddit).
  • “Yes, it’s ridiculous. They need to increase the pack weight for promo cards,” says a user (via reddit). The “pack weight” refers to the rate of promo cards in packs.
  • “I regret very much that I chose PC this year. I travel a lot for work and thought it was a good idea. Next year back to PS5. It’s not just TOTY; every card is glaringly more expensive on PC,” tells a user (via reddit). However, he also adds: “On the other hand, if you pull these cards tradeable, you can also get the coins on PC, it’s not entirely comparable.”

However, the differences for top players are difficult to balance out, especially when we talk about millions of coins.

What is the problem? One of the main problems of the PC transfer market is that it is isolated. The PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S share a transfer market, and Stadia was included as well.

In contrast, the PC has an individual transfer market, as does the Switch. This results in fewer users and thus offers on the transfer market than on consoles.

Overall, the PC has actually made a step forward in FIFA, as it has technologically caught up with the next-gen consoles. At the same time, there was early frustration for the PC version, due to errors around the release.

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

Trymacs streams confidently in front of thousands on Twitch, but privately he is probably different: “My brother has to order when eating”

As one of the largest streamers on German Twitch, Maximilian “Trymacs” Stemmler (28) is virtually live daily in front of thousands of viewers. He appears confident and self-assured. However, privately, that may not always be the case: During a stream, he spoke about his own shyness.

What was that stream about? Trymacs reacted to a video by his brother Nicolas Stemmler, who runs a YouTube channel under the name How to be Human, where he addresses psychological topics. This time, it was about introverted and extroverted people.

In this context, Trymacs suddenly recognized himself.

Start video
Do you recognize these German Twitch streamers by their dubbing voices in video games?

Trymacs prefers to send his brother in first at the restaurant

Where did Trymacs recognize himself? In his video, the YouTuber clarified a common misconception: Introverts are not necessarily shyer than other people. Shyness, on the other hand, is actually a form of social anxiety; you feel tense and uncomfortable during social interactions.

At this point, Trymacs stops the video: “I have that, I have that full throttle.”

How does it manifest? The streamer adds that his viewers wouldn’t understand this and describes various situations while dining out:

  • In the past, when he went out to eat with his brother, his brother always had to reorder a drink for him – and it’s still like that today: A glance would suffice, and his brother would know to order a new cola for both of them – even if there is still something in his own glass.
  • Even with steak, Trymacs prefers wild broccoli as a side dish, which he actually doesn’t like, rather than having to talk more than absolutely necessary with the waiter, and instead asking for more beans.

In short: The streamer simply has “zero interest” in conversing with strangers in any way.

And indeed, his brother only a few seconds later introduces him in the video as an example of shyness. You can watch the whole video on YouTube; we have embedded Trymacs’ reaction here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyZWtMCvdeo

Viewers feel understood

How is that received? At first, it may seem funny to some that Trymacs, who averaged 20,000 viewers simultaneously in the past 7 days (via sullygnome), is so reluctant to talk to strangers away from the camera – after all, that’s basically his job.

But many viewers can identify with this too – or have been in situations where they had to take over such conversations for others. That such a prominent Twitch streamer addresses an issue many deal with is well received:

I think it’s great that a man speaks about it in public. Especially as a man, one is quickly judged by society if one doesn’t take the lead. Many more people should raise awareness about this, generally for everyone, but especially for us men, with the underlying pressure behind it.

Ribery088 via YouTube

By the way: even though introversion and shyness are not connected, Trymacs describes himself as both introverted and shy. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 stands for introverted and 10 for extroverted, he gives himself a 2.

Twitch streamer Trymacs wants to entertain at the expense of others – But suddenly it’s about himself

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

Rocket Beans TV temporarily puts most of the team on short-time work – Economic problems

The gaming entertainment company Rocket Beans TV is suffering from the difficult current economic situation, as the managing director announced in a statement on February 2nd. To ensure job security and keep the company stable, a large part of the team has been placed on a 70% short-time work scheme starting February 1st. They hope that the situation will improve.

This is the statement: The managing director of the television and media production company Rocket Beans Entertainment, Arno Heinisch, stated in a statement on February 2nd, 2023 (via rocketbeans):

  • As a result of the energy crisis and the resulting tense economic situation, Rocket Beans has received fewer orders. Therefore, in the coming months, costs will accumulate more than incoming revenue.
  • As a measure to secure jobs, a large part of the team will initially enter short-time work starting from 1.2.2023 for three months and reduce their working hours to 70%.
  • The employees who work on external productions like Game Two are not expected to be affected by the short-time work.

Heinisch says that the content of Rocket Beans TV is funded through a variety of sources, such as YouTube revenues, merchandise sales, or sponsorships. They also finance content on Rocket Beans TV through commissioned productions. The current economic situation is complicating this path.

Rocket Beans wants to rely more on direct support from fans

What’s next for Rocket Beans? Heinisch explains that Saturday events will be canceled in February. There may also be further cancellations or adjustments to the program.

The managing director states that they want to make the benefits for fans more attractive when they decide to directly support Rocket Beans. This is how they plan to generate reliable revenue. They thank the members of the “RBSC” (Rocket Beans Supporters Club) and announce that they will experiment with more features in the coming weeks and months.

The managing director is optimistic that the economic situation will improve over the course of spring.

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What is the RBSC? Through the Supporter Club, fans of Rocket Beans can help support the company directly (via rb.tv):

  • from 1 € per month, you become a supporter, receive a badge in the forum, and your username will be mentioned.
  • from 5 € per month, you will receive a welcome letter, some discounts when shopping in the store, and participate in exclusive giveaways.
  • from 10 € per month, there are ad-free videos – contributions can be increased as desired.

Among the “Original Beans” is the often grumpy Etienne Gardé. We reported on his adventures on Twitter in 2018 on MeinMMO:

German gaming influencer causes shitstorm on Twitter

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

CoD Warzone 2: Ashika Island – 50 Pictures of the new Rebirth Map

Season 2 of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 arrives on February 15, bringing a new map to the game – Ashika Island for Battle Royale and DMZ. There are already over 50 images, and MeinMMO is gathering all the info about the new, small Warzone map.

With Season 2 of Call of Duty: Warzone 2, a touch of nostalgia flows through the Battle Royale. Many changes are coming that will return some mechanics to the familiar flow of Warzone 1. These include:

However, even in content, familiar concepts are being used. Warzone 2 brings a small map for the popular respawn modes. Here, team members return multiple times during a match as long as at least one member of the team is still alive.

Even with the new map Ashika Island, familiar elements are being utilized – images of the map show parts of the old CoD map “Castle.” What is known about the map so far, we show you on MeinMMO. You can watch the short teaser here:

Start video
CoD Warzone 2: Ashika Island – Teaser

CoD Warzone 2: Ashika Map – Images and Tactical Map

The tactical overview map of Ashika Island:

cod warzone 2 ashika island bild tac map

Here are some images with first impressions of Points of Interest, further down there are more images:

What is known so far about Ashika Island? Early leaks for Season 2 painted a picture of a Japan-influenced season theme. The leaks promised Operator Ronin, the map “Castle” for the multiplayer of CoD MW2, and a small Warzone map.

At least for the Warzone part, it can now be said: The information appears to have been very accurate. The respawn mode (Resurgence) is coming directly along with the new map at the season start on February 15. Additionally, the small map is also coming for the DMZ mode.

Here is a rough comparison between Fortune’s Keep and Ashika Island:

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Here’s another load of images of the various Points of Interest. First, the Beach Club:

cod warzone 2 ashika island beach banner

Tsuki Castle:

cod warzone 2 ashika island castle banner

Oganikku Farms:

cod warzone 2 ashika island Farm banner

Port Ashika:

cod warzone 2 ashika island port banner

Residental:

cod warzone 2 ashika island resi banner

Shipwreck:

cod warzone 2 ashika island schiff banner

Town Center:

cod warzone 2 ashika island town banner

As soon as there are new updates about Ashika Island, we will update the article accordingly. What is your first impression of the map? Do you think the respawn mode can give Warzone 2 a boost again?

According to some content creators, Warzone 2 is already history: The big YouTubers & Twitch streamers say CoD Warzone 2 is already dead – Is that true?

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

Electronic Arts has 4 bad news about games – loses $3 billion in value at the stock market in one day

The game developer Electronic Arts presented its financial report for the last quarter of 2022 on January 31, 2023. The stock market then punished the company: In one day, on February 1, EA lost over 9% of its market value, which translates to about 3 billion US dollars for such a huge company.

What did EA report about the quarter? Actually, the financial report sounds positive. EA says: They have “delivered high-quality experiences” and recorded a “record engagement with the largest game brands.” Sounds great at first.

But it then states (via EA):

Although our teams delivered for our players, the current macroeconomic situation impacted the results of Q3. While we navigate short-term, we are focusing on our long-term future […]

Andrew Wilson, CEO Electronic Arts

In other words: At the moment, things are not going well, even though we are trying very hard. But in the long run, everything will be great again.

  • EA generated 1% less revenue than the previous year, with $7.146 billion in the last 12 months
  • FIFA 23 is on track to become the largest title in the franchise
  • The EA Network grew to over 650 million players by the end of the quarter
Start video
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Trailer Game Awards

EA lowers forecast as “Star Wars” game is delayed

Why is the market reacting so negatively? In a conference call, EA announced some things that are not easy for investors to swallow (via deraktionär):

The game “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” was supposed to be released on March 17, 2023, but has been postponed to April 28, 2023 – now it will appear in a new quarter and fiscal year and will be reflected in the balance sheet later.

As a result, the company had to lower its forecast, now expecting revenue in the current quarter to be only between $1.7 and $1.8 billion, down from $2.22 billion.

The earnings expectation per share also drops from between $6.95 and $7.25 per share to around $6.

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Great mobile hope in Asia shattered

What about the canceled games? This adds to the burden. EA announced the cancellation of the mobile shooter “Apex Legends Mobile” and a new mobile spin-off for Battlefield that was still in beta.

This is particularly bitter news, as EA has been boasting to investors for years about how great Apex Legends is and that they wanted to conquer the market in Asia with a mobile spin-off. That apparently did not work out.

Apex Legends Mobile was released in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia – but apparently could not establish itself there.

In the region, other mobile shooters are preferred.

Allegedly, EA also canceled a planned single-player game related to Apex Legends.

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1620879582038732800

Although gaming stocks are hot on the US market, EA is struggling

The canceled games, along with the delay of the Star Wars game, led on February 1 to EA losing 9.26% in the stock market.

With a market capitalization of $33 billion the day before, that means 3 billion dollars in market value simply gone.

The significant loss in market value ironically comes at a time when some smaller gaming studios have gained value dramatically: The stock of the company “Motorsport Games” skyrocketed to seven times its value on January 28. However, this has market-technical reasons and is not because MSGM has released the next blockbuster game.

More about Apex Legends Mobile:

Apex Legends is better on mobile than the original version and EA doesn’t seem to be doing much to counter that

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

Destiny 2 nerfs your favorite boss weapons in Lightfall and updates exotics

Only a few weeks left and Destiny 2 reveals the new DLC “Lightfall”. To ensure everything is in order, Bungie is now addressing the heavy weapon meta after the abilities of the Guardians. Popular DPS monsters will receive a nerf, as other weapons are intended to provide damage and variety starting in Season 20. MeinMMO tells you what the hottest candidates for boss damage will be.

These changes are planned by Bungie: Starting in Season 20, the weapon meta in Destiny 2 will shift once again. With the upcoming new Lightfall campaign and a new raid, they aim to rebalance the heavy weapon slot. Additionally, ability traits will be added to known exotic weapons to make them relevant again.

Chris Proctor, Bungie’s Senior Design Lead, informed players on Bungie’s website about which changes will soon go live as part of the balance update for Season 20.

  • Linear fusion rifles have been the most popular DPS option for over a year. Now the nerf comes so that other weapons finally have the chance to assert themselves.
  • Machine guns and heavy grenade launchers will be buffed, making them favorites to take over from the old DPS kings.
  • Additionally: Increased bonus damage for kinetic weapons, subclass verbs for more exotic weapons, and some adjustments to various perks.

For players, these changes mean new weapon options will open up, which can then be tested in the Lightfall DLC. There will definitely be plenty of room for testing in the Neptune location “Neomuna”. Plus, many new ability options can be seen in this trailer:

Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Trailer for new weapons and equipment

The reign of Stormtracer and Taipan is coming to an end

It has been apparent for some time that Bungie would bring linear fusion rifles back to reality. They have been vastly outperforming heavy weapons in terms of boss damage for too long. Hardly anything could compete with them. This is likely to change soon.

This is what Bungie is specifically adjusting for the linear fusion rifles:

  • The damage of LFGs against champions, minibosses, bosses, and vehicles will be reduced by 15%.
  • Only the exotics “Sleeper Simulant” and “Queenbreaker” are not affected by this.

It’s time for players to think about new options for boss damage. Looking at the buffs, machine guns and grenade launchers seem to be the best candidates in Season 20 for this. Both the already strong and craftable Season 19 MG “Retrofit Escapade” and the grenade launcher “Wendigo” as a master version could soon shine brightly.

More on the topic
In Destiny 2, a machine gun is the new star in PvE – „Slightly put: overwhelming“
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

These buffs are what Bungie is giving to machine guns and heavy grenade launchers:

  • Machine guns receive a PvP damage buff of ~10% and a PvE ammo buff. The latter means machine guns with low reserves get a big boost, while machine guns with large reserves receive a smaller boost.
  • Heavy grenade launchers also receive a significant damage buff of 20% against champions, minibosses, bosses, and vehicles. The damage against normal enemies even increases by 40%. Almost a bit of anarchy.
  • Additionally, grenade launchers will receive an increase in explosion radius and improved projectile collision, making it a bit easier to land hits with them.
  • Only the exotic grenade launcher “Parasite” is not considered because it can already deal enough damage.
Our assessment: This damage buff for machine guns applies “generally in PvE”. This means you can also expect that exotic machine guns like “Xenophage”, “The Big Overture” or “Thunderlord” will benefit from this. The more profitable PvE ammo buff would certainly also be helpful.
Xenophage MG Ornament Destiny 2 Title
The exotic machine gun “Xenophage” is especially popular in Gambit.

This is changing in the kinetic weapon slot: Starting in Season 20, it should also be more rewarding to use a kinetic weapon. Until now, kinetic slot weapons have always dealt 5% more damage against unprotected targets in PvE. This meant that Stasis weapons in the kinetic slot were always better, with additional functionality and no downside.

To encourage players to reach for a kinetic weapon again, Bungie will adjust the following:

  • Kinetic primary and special weapons will receive a damage boost.
  • To make the distinction easier, Stasis weapons in the kinetic slot will no longer receive the same damage bonus as their true kinetic counterparts.
  • Additionally, Season 20 will introduce a new “kinetic damage type” into the game.
Our assessment: The kinetic adjustment could have a particularly positive effect on an exotic. Since Bungie is increasing the damage of kinetic weapons with special ammo, this could indirectly make the exotic “Izanagi’s Burden” a good option again in Season 20.
Additionally, the damage change could bring “Deathbringer” back up a bit, even though it still deals acceptable damage since its nerf.

Other exotics will be actively adjusted in Season 20 to fit the new subclass system 3.0. The changes will align them to the revised abilities. This could make them more exciting again and give them additional functionality.

  • The shots of the exotic “Queenbreaker” will chain to nearby enemies starting in Season 20 and apply the blind effect of Arc 3.0.
  • The attack with the transmutation orbs of the exotic “Fallen Avatar” will now suppress enemies.
  • The exotic bow “Leviathan’s Breath” applies volatile projectiles on a perfect draw, deals more damage, and also applies additional damage to champions.
  • The raid exotic “One Thousand Voices” will apply a stack of ignition on each mini-explosion in the future.
  • The exotic hand cannon “Sunshot” can also apply ignition starting in Season 20.
  • The exotic scout rifle “Polaris Lance” will apply ignition instead of the known unique burning effect.
Double-tailed Fox Destiny Exotic 2 Title
The exotic rocket launcher “Double-tailed Fox” will receive a catalyst.
  • The exotic rocket launcher “Double-tailed Fox” will soon be able to apply ignition with its solar rocket and suppress with its void rocket. Bungie also announced that there will likely be a catalyst for the weapon, which will then “complete the trifecta”. This means it may soon also trigger the Arc 3.0 effect.
  • The catalyst of the exotic “Prometheus Lens” will grant its holder the “Radiant” advantage starting in Season 20.
  • The catalyst of the exotic machine gun “The Big Overture” will also apply the blind effect of Arc 3.0 in the future.

Additionally, some tuning for perks is still in the works. Among other things, the popular trait of Veist weapons is being addressed:

  • The origin trait “Veist Stinger” is so popular among guardians that it has become difficult for non-Veist weapons to keep up. The perk will no longer fully reload your magazine, but only 25% of it.
  • The perk “Rewind Rounds” will appear on more weapons in Lightfall. It will be adjusted so that it does well not only in the Glass Chamber but also universally.
  • The perk “Bold Blade” is faulty. In the future, it should no longer deactivate when moving quickly and should deactivate correctly after a single melee hit.

When will these changes go live? The changes mentioned here will go live with the new DLC “Lightfall” on February 28, 2023.

Do you think it is good that linear fusion rifles will finally be replaced after over a year? Or will you miss landing pinpoint hits on bosses with them? Feel free to let us know in the comments which of these changes you think has the greatest potential.

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

Fortnite: When does the new season start?

Fortnite constantly changes its seasons, with fresh skins, a new map, and various weapons that aim to shake up the meta. Many are wondering when the new season in Fortnite starts. We will show you.

When does the new season start? Fortnite will welcome a new season after Chapter 4 Season 1. This time, the developers’ team has set March 10, 2023, as the end date for Season 1 according to the Battle Pass menu. That will be a Friday.

As the past has shown, new seasons and chapters have always started on the weekend. Players then had enough time to dive in and check out the new features. It’s possible that Season 1 ends on March 10 and Season 2 starts on March 11 or 12. Depending on complications and server downtimes, the start could also be delayed.

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Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 – A New Beginning

All about Chapter 4 Season 2 – Live Event, Battle Pass, Leaks

Will there be a live event? So far, there is no indication that a live event could take place. Epic Games already conducted a large-scale event with the start of Chapter 4. Thus, a new attraction is rather unlikely. However, should new information come to light, we will update this for you.

Fortnite-Wartezeit-Zersplittert-Live-Event
Chapter 4 kept us waiting a long time for the live event

What contents will be in the Battle Pass? So far, there is no information regarding the new Battle Pass. However, we will update this part as soon as leakers reveal it.

Are there leaks about Chapter 4 Season 2? There is little to tell about leaks regarding Season 2. However, an important aspect is the first-person mode (via twitter.com), which has already been found in Fortnite’s data. This has been picked up by leakers and even tested by them. So far, the mode is still in a broken state.

Animations can be seen and also how the camera behaves in this mode. However, it is not known whether this feature will make it into Season 2.

Have you already completed Season 1 of Chapter 4? And if yes, did you honestly grind for your XP points or did you exploit some bugs? Let us know!

Fortnite is really not a shooter anymore – Latest update finally unleashes chaos

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LoL: Professional players repeatedly ignore a ban from the developers – Because the first penalty was very mild

The mid laner Luka “Perkz” Perković from the League of Legends team “Team Vitality” has already received a penalty for using a forbidden tactic on the champion Ryze. Now, it is becoming more and more common for pros from other regions to also apply a forbidden trick with Ryze.

What did Perkz do? Perkz played a forbidden combination in a professional match against Fnatic:

  • He selected the champion Ryze – the mage has long been the weakest champion in LoL, but received a buff before the World Championship and is now seen again in the mid lane.
  • He used the Rune “Waterwalking” with Ryze – which grants a hero more movement speed and attack damage or ability power (AP) when they are in the river. The “river” is part of the LoL map: Battles between teams often take place in it.
  • When champion and rune occur in combination, it can lead to Ryze gaining increased mana regeneration when he frequently goes in and out of the river. Therefore, the combination is banned in professional play.

Perkz’s team, Team Vitality, received a low fine from the LEC. It was stated that Perkz did not gain a significant advantage from the combination.

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

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

Riot Games takes a gentle approach to violations

What is happening in pro play right now? Due to the relatively low penalty for this misconduct, it is occurring that other players are also trying out this combination.

For example, the mid laner from MAD Lions apparently announced on January 22nd, as a provocation, that he wants to play this way as well.

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Other professional players are unimpressed by the penalty.

The situation escalates in Spain

In addition to the European league, players from other leagues have also taken notice of this combination. In the Spanish Super League, there was a case where “Baca” from Finetwork KOI also wanted to circumvent the ban.

Unlike Perkz, however, a higher advantage from the rune was observed in this game, and higher penalties are expected to follow.

It could even result in his team being denied the victory.

What is Riot Games doing about the combination? As the trend extends across various leagues, it is becoming increasingly necessary to address the problem.

So far, there is no clear regulation regarding this combination. It has only been banned by Riot Games for professional play. This means that it is up to the referees of the game day to determine whether and how severely the use of the combination should be punished.

In doing so, the referees refer to how the decisions have been made so far.

In the discussion on the topic, some users are also urging Riot Games to fix the bug in the game instead of punishing its exploitation.

What do you think about this stance from Riot Games? Let us know in the comments.

For more news on Ryze, you can find it here: LoL: Riot bans important employee for 14 days for trying the weakest champion 20 times in a row

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Source(s):
  1. 3DJuegos

WoW is getting even better – you can now send Twinks “Primal Chaos”

The most annoying resource from World of Warcraft Dragonflight can now be sent to twinks. This makes the Primal Chaos really meaningful.

Dragonflight is already significantly “twink-friendly” compared to some other, earlier expansions of World of Warcraft. But there is still a bit of room for improvement. Blizzard has realized this and quickly patched a feature into the game that many players have wished for. You can now send Primal Chaos from character to character – even if there is a bit of loss involved.

Where can you send Primal Chaos? The vendor “Rabul” from the Trading Consortium in Valdrakken has a new item for sale, the “Satchel of Coalescing Chaos”. This costs 80 Primal Chaos and grants 60 Primal Chaos when opened – you lose 25% of the resource you put in. However, you can send the bag to other characters of your account.

WoW Satchel of coalescing Chaos
The little Vulpera Rabul sells the bag.

Although Rabul is actually a reputation vendor, you don’t need any reputation level to buy the bag.

How else can you get Primal Chaos? Primal Chaos can be obtained in large quantities from raid bosses, but also from dungeons like “Mythic+” or from PvP battles. In general, the higher the difficulty, the more Primal Chaos you get.

In smaller quantities, you can also obtain Primal Chaos from world quests or treasure chests and from disturbed earth. However, this is less reliable and can take a lot of time.

What is Primal Chaos used for? It is one of the most important resources in crafting. You need Primal Chaos to craft almost all high-level items. Whether it’s armor, weapons, or trinkets, you always need to bring several dozen Primal Chaos to craft the desired item.

It is likely that you have a lot of Primal Chaos lying around on your main character that you no longer want or can use, while your second characters are starving. With the new bag, it is now possible to send the resource to twinks as well. This is a good deal, even if 25% of the Primal Chaos is lost in the process.

In case of doubt, your alchemy twink will be happy about this – because the best potions also require Primal Chaos.

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Source(s):
  1. wowhead.com

Call of Duty MW2 player spends 600 hours grinding for weapon challenge – Receives tiny reward

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 offers plenty of gameplay challenges to unlock cosmetics. Individual weapons offer gold skins or polyatomic camouflage. But what happens when you grind all the weapons to the max?

When diving into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it’s all about weapon levels. You need to quickly get the most important attachments, the strongest weapons, and of course, a fancy weapon skin.

Once you’ve passed the weapon levels and the motivation for the shooter wears off, the topic of “weapon mastery” emerges. Special tasks will reward you with a load of skins:

  • Basic skins lead to gold
  • Gold skins lead to platinum
  • Platinum skins lead to polyatomic
  • Polyatomic skins lead to Orion

Each step requires further tasks to get to the next skin. Once that’s done, you can go one step further. To complete the full weapon mastery, CoD requires another 1,000 kills per weapon from you.

This brings emblems and business cards featuring images of the respective weapons. Once you’ve achieved this for every single weapon in the game – including rocket launchers, knives, and riot shields – an extra reward awaits at the end of the grind tunnel. A little talisman.

If you need tips for leveling weapons in CoD MW2, then check out our video:

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CoD MW2: 3 tips for quickly leveling up your weapons

CoD MW2: Mastery reward is quite meager

A thread on Reddit gained significant attention from a player who subjected himself to this mastery ordeal.

User “Anddree98” titles: “After nearly 570 hours, I finally got it. The Grand-Mastery Talisman – after 1,000 kills with every single weapon, the riot shield, rocket launchers, and the knife”:

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The thread received 4,200 upvotes three days after release and is one of the biggest topics in the Modern Warfare 2 subreddit this week. Over 850 comments show how much discussion this “reward” brings.

However, the biggest discussion in the thread doesn’t even revolve around the talisman. Many users want to talk about the fact that Anddree98 has spent almost 600 hours in MW2 since release. He states that on weekdays he spends about 11 hours traveling for work.

User “LazyAnonBoner” points out that Anddree98, subtracting 7 hours of sleep, work, and gaming, would only have 3 hours a day left for anything else but playing CoD. There’s discussion on whether that’s even possible and what to make of it.

No matter what one may think of the performance, the opinions in the Reddit thread about the talisman are less controversial:

  • NBKDexx: “All that grind for a talisman … let’s hope Infinity Ward has a better reward for you later.”
  • NorNed3: “That’s such a huge amount of work for an actual ‘non’ reward”
  • MeGustaBeni: “For the ‘Grand Mastery’, there should actually be a complete refund. And money for the emotional and psychological damage.”

Many in the thread agree that the reward and the effort are disproportionate to each other. Also considering how toxic some players become when working on their weapon challenges.

On the way to the great grind talisman, many rewards are earned along the way, but in the end, there is only the small, puny talisman. What reward would you have given instead? Leave a comment on the topic.

If you’d rather inform yourself about the upcoming Season 2, then check it out here: CoD MW2 & Warzone 2: Season 2 comes with a new Rebirth map – Start, content, battle pass. Start is on February 15.

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The most popular screen resolution on Steam for years has been a tough one for you and could soon be replaced

On MeinMMO, you could vote on which resolution you play. We present the results to you. The “winner” of our survey is just a few votes ahead and could soon be overtaken.

MeinMMO wanted to know, on which resolution our users play their games. More than 3,000 people voted and told us which resolution they use. The most popular (and well-known) one for years is in the lead, but another option is closely following behind.

What do the results of the survey look like? A total of 3,669 people participated in the voting. The votes are distributed as follows:

What resolution do you mainly play on?

  • 1920×1080 – 32.19 %, 1,181 votes
  • 2560×1440 – 31.53 %, 1,157 votes
  • 3840×2160 – 12.95 %, 475 votes
  • 3440×1440 – 11.74 %, 431 votes
  • 5120×1440 – 2.97 %, 109 votes
  • 2560×1080 – 2.67 %, 98 votes
  • I use multiple monitors with different resolutions – 2.28 %, 84 votes
  • 3840×1080 – 1.82 %, 67 votes
  • Another resolution – 1.42 %, 52 votes
  • 5120×2160 – 0.41 %, 15 votes

The three winners are also the three most well-known resolutions, Full HD, WQHD, and 4K. Just slightly ahead is Full HD with 972 votes (32 %), closely followed by WQHD with less than 20 votes difference (31 %, 958 votes).

Full HD could soon be overtaken by WQHD

What do the results mean? Full HD has long been considered the most popular resolution among gamers, as the hardware requirements are moderate, and even the most current titles look quite good on weaker hardware.

As the resolution size increases, so does the pixel density: On one hand, games appear sharper and significantly better, but on the other hand, you need correspondingly powerful hardware. You can see the difference in the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEJvm5fnbG4

Also on Steam (via steampowered.com) in the monthly hardware survey, Full HD (1920×1080) with 64.83 % is far ahead, followed by WQHD (2560×1440) with 11.06 % and 1366 x 768 with 5.89 % of the votes.

For you, the gap between Full HD and WQHD is much smaller.

More on the topic
The best gaming monitors 2024 for PC: Full HD, WQHD and 4K
von Benedikt Schlotmann

A look into the future: Among PC gamers, there is now a trend towards larger monitors. The number of players using WQHD monitors is steadily increasing, as our colleagues from GameStar have already noted. We can also see the trend that the two resolutions are close together. Perhaps we will see in the next survey how WQHD will overtake the currently most popular resolution.

WQHD had a difficult time, especially in the console sector, since the PlayStation in particular did not support the resolution between Full HD and 4K. But that has now changed, and Sony has finally unlocked WQHD for the PS5 consoles after a long time. A feature that MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann had been waiting for years:

Sony is finally bringing the feature to the PS5 that I have been waiting for 2 years

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