An employer accused an employee of gaming during work hours. However, that turned out to be false.
The accusations against the employee were not just about gaming. Because besides the working hours, he was also said to have installed software on his government PC. How quickly this can go wrong by mixing personal and work matters was already shown by the email affair surrounding Hillary Clinton (via deutschlandfunk.de).
In the end, the accusations were proven to be false. Because the employee’s computer system couldn’t even get the game he allegedly played to run.
Our title image is a symbolic image.
Update, 27.01.2022: Information about cloud gaming added.
Graphics card in government PC is far too weak for gaming
Erik Strobl, the head of a labor union organization, was able to help the dismissed employee by pointing out an important detail to the employer (via twitter.com): Because the graphics card installed in the computer is not even capable of being used for proper gaming. He writes:
A member [of the union] was accused of playing video games on his work computer. I was able to exonerate him by conclusively proving that the graphics card provided by the employer could not handle the resource-intensive game that his supervisor claims to have seen.
What did the employee do instead? Instead of having played himself, the employee was said to have watched a video about the game during his break. And that is absolutely fine, and he did not lose any working time or misuse state property for his purposes:
He was accused of having installed unauthorized software from third parties on a government computer (which he did not do 100% and, as I have shown, could not have done). No misuse of time or state property.
Many office PCs do not have a proper graphics card
What is behind the discussion? Many office PCs often have a processor with integrated graphics unit. A graphics unit is necessary for the computer to output an image via the HDMI or DisplayPort cable. Both AMD and Intel offer solutions for office systems or simple gaming systems.
In addition, there are also small graphics cards for office systems, such as the GT 710 from Nvidia. These are completely sufficient for office work, but they quickly run out of steam for gaming. Such office solutions generally offer various advantages:
They are significantly cheaper than systems with powerful graphics cards.
They usually require very little power.
In addition, office systems can be built very compactly because no large graphics card is installed.
Such office systems are often also very quiet because they hardly emit heat. Often, passive coolers are also used.
In rare cases, such office systems really need the performance and power that, for example, an RTX 3080 or an RX 6900 XT would provide.
On the other hand, cloud gaming can now also be done seamlessly on a computer with weak hardware, as long as the internet connection is right. Because services like GeForce Now (or the now-discontinued Stadia) can now also be easily started and used from the browser.
What you should consider when buying a graphics card if you really want to game, you can read about in the following article:
The anime MMORPG Blue Protocol has had to postpone its tests in Japan and is now announcing a new date. Future players are now discussing whether this will affect the global release.
In a post on their website dated January 25, they state that they have identified the error and can fix it. “We are still investigating and improving the issue that led to the decision to postpone the network test,” the developers say. They do not specify what the exact problem is.
They name March 31, 2023, as the new date for the tests in Japan.
How does this affect the release? Blue Protocol is set to be released in spring 2023 in Japan and in the second half of the year in the West. It is conceivable, but not certain, that the release will be delayed due to the postponement of the tests.
Here you can see the gameplay trailer of the MMORPG:
Start video
Blue Protocol: Gameplay Trailer
Fans discuss the global release
Under a post on reddit regarding the postponement of the tests, fans are now wondering about the global release of the MMORPG. Some believe that the release will not be delayed because of this, while others fear a release only in 2024.
We summarize a few of the voices for you:
Bytestix: “This could definitely impact the global release of the game. Amazon is responsible for publishing it. Distribution. This could theoretically push back the time when Amazon receives the game, because Bandai Namco cannot send the final version without the bug any sooner.”
PityfulBoysenberry45: “RIP, I already see the NA/EU release in 2024.”
Affectionate-Might-2: “I will wait and see. If they still need to improve things, I will probably wait until mid/late this year or even 2024.”
KingCarbon1807: “This could really affect the global release. If they postpone the test by an entire quarter to fix this bug, it must have been a big deal. I hope that the problem is not network-related and that the servers are stable in the end.”
How it will ultimately proceed, the developers want to reveal in February. Then we will of course provide you with new information.
What do you think about the postponed tests in Japan? How significant do you estimate the impact on the release? Do you believe it will be delayed in Japan and globally as well? Or do you think the few weeks will not affect the release? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!
In addition to Blue Protocol, 55 other MMORPGs are currently in development:
Undecember is a free Hack&Slash RPG on Steam with a dark atmosphere. Recently, the game received a major expansion with numerous new content. However, the game has also garnered negative feedback in the past. Could it be an alternative to pass the time until Diablo 4 is released?
Undecember is an action RPG with Hack&Slash elements set in a dark fantasy world full of creepy creatures.
You play from an isometric perspective, looking down on the action. With your character, you dive into dungeons and slay hordes of enemies.
Throughout the game, you try to earn better equipment for your character and further develop the skill tree. However, there are no fixed classes, and you can flexibly change the abilities based on your preferred play style.
Undecember also features MMO elements; you can play it solo or with others. In the game, you will find social areas where you can chat, trade, or join a guild. Additionally, you can undertake boss raids for up to 8 players.
Undecember is also a mobile game, available aside from the Steam version for Android and iOS.
Here you can see the announcement trailer for the Ortemis update:
Start video
Undecember: Ortemis Announcement Video
There are new contents in Undecember
Why start with Undecember right now? Undecember recently received a major expansion with new content. The update is titled Ortemis and includes:
new story content
new bosses
new maps
improved Chaos Dungeons
new raid
new challenge mode
and more
In addition, from January 25, 2023, to February 15, 2023, there is an event celebrating the update with several actions in which players can secure additional rewards.
Reasons for and against Undecember
Why is Undecember a controversial topic? Opinions on Undecember are divided. This is also reflected in the Steam ratings of the game: the action RPG is rated mixed, with 48% of the total 14,366 reviews being positive (as of January 27, 2023, via Steam).
On the one hand, the game has a stable player base and can convince its fans. For instance, the peak in the last 24 hours was 9,817 players (as of January 27, 2023, via Steamdb).
On the other hand, the game has also made negative headlines. Major points of criticism from players were primarily the high prices in the cash shop and the Pay2Win aspect, which, according to some players, was quite present in the game.
Pay2Win and intrusive anti-cheat software are major points of criticism
Even today, many criticize the Pay2Win aspect. However, a different aspect is now at the forefront of the negative reviews.
Several users accuse Undecember of installing a program as anti-cheat software that monitors all background processes. They say it is a rootkit and malware that remains on the PC even after uninstalling the game.
Undecember has fans who swear by the game
Positive comments praise Undecember primarily as a fun game and say it combines elements from Diablo and Path of Exile, giving it its own interesting spin. Some dispute the accusation of being Pay2Win, claiming that items can also be earned through grinding and that the in-game purchases are purely optional.
Undecember is a controversially discussed alternative to Diablo: on one side, there are criticisms voiced by players in the reviews that represent an absolute no-go for many.
Nevertheless, the game has also found its fans, for whom the new update might just be right to shorten the waiting time until the release of Diablo 4 on June 6, 2023.
However, we cannot give a clear recommendation for Undecember.
The survival MMO “The Day Before” (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X) is one of the most anticipated games on Steam. But there are some doubts about whether everything is above board with the game. A postponement of the release from March 1 to November 2023 has now fueled these doubts. The creators of the game, Eduard and Aisen Gototsev, address the allegations.
However, it was postponed from March 2022 to March 1, 2023
Now the release has been postponed again – to November 10.
What is the accusation? When the game was first presented, people were excited: The game looks like what they have always wished for from The Division, but there were also doubts about whether the team could actually realize the game with its resources.
“Hopefully the storm will calm down and time will put everything in its right place. When the game comes out, people will finally see the truth. But as long as we are here, we are grateful for the fantastic journey and for you joining us.”
Start video
The Day Before gameplay trailer in 4K and with ray tracing
Developers see themselves as 90s action heroes – Everyone also doubts that
The developers also provide a longer statement:
For us and millions of people, with The Day Before a childhood dream comes true. It is a game with zombies and other people in a huge post-apocalyptic city with skyscrapers. We understand that some players who do not see the whole picture have doubts about the game. Our entire focus is on the game itself.
We have been working on the game for 4 years. All these years have been full of blood and sweat – and for many members of our team, it is now painful to hear such accusations. We have not taken a cent from people: no crowdfunding, no pre-orders, no donations. The game is fully funded by Mytona, one of the largest mobile publishers in the world, who is entitled to view the game build at every milestone, as stated in the contract.
It was a groundbreaking experience for us when we decided to face these huge challenges from the ground up – such large challenges that some people might think them impossible: While we are on this fantastic journey from the end of the world, we feel like that simple guy from 90s action films. You probably remember that hero who breaks through a veil of doubt because no one believes in him, but he finds his inner strength and proves in the end that he is worth it.
We solely believe in our finished product. No matter what anyone says, you will see it with your own eyes on November 10 of this year. We hope that people, after our game is a success, will believe again: If you hold onto a dream, it will come true despite all hurdles and doubts.
What do they say about the postponement? The developers say they had already planned to postpone the release of The Day Before from March 1 to November, even before the trademark trouble arose.
They wanted to announce the postponement in a 10-minute gameplay video before the trouble with the trademark arose. But November 10 is a “safe date”; by then the trouble with the trademark should have settled.
Who is the publisher Mytona they are talking about? Mytona is a Russian company based in New Zealand that was founded in 2012 in Yakutsk.
They are known for mobile games like Cooking Diary and Seekers Note.
According to information from the website Statista, a large part of their revenue comes from the USA: In 2021, their revenue from in-app purchases was $94.01 million.
However, Mytona does not appear on a list of the “100 largest mobile publishers in the world” (via appmagic).
Your opinion on “The Day Before” is wanted
What do you think? We have created a survey on MeinMMO to find out your opinion on this controversial topic.
Please remember that in the survey you can only select one answer option. Do the developers’ statements convince you or do they further strengthen your doubts?
The doubts about whether “The Day Before” can deliver what the developers promise have existed for several years now. However, this has not harmed the hype surrounding the game:
The death of YouTuber Alexander “Technoblade” shook the Minecraft community in June 2022. Now, his father shares a final message from his deceased son.
Who was Technoblade? Technoblade was an American YouTuber, primarily active in the block game Minecraft. He was always very concerned about his privacy and usually appeared only in the form of his avatar: a Minecraft Piglin with a crown.
Especially his PvP skills garnered Technoblade a lot of attention and respect. He amassed over 10 million YouTube subscribers. The most viewed video on the channel was posted on July 1, 2022: In it, the father of the YouTuber announced the death of his son and shared his farewell message to his fans.
However, not everything Technoblade wanted to communicate to his fans made it into the video at that time. A Reddit account has now shared what may be the YouTuber’s last message.
A short message to the community
What kind of account is this? As reported by the US site sportskeeda in October 2022, the account belongs to the father of the deceased YouTuber. He created this account last year after a joint stream with the well-known Minecraft YouTuber DreamSMP.
After the stream, the father saw the activity in the subreddit r/Technoblade, which is dedicated to his son. He realized that there were many questions to which he knew the answers, as well as grief he would share, as stated in the first post of the Reddit user MrTechnodad, who was enthusiastically welcomed by the community (via sportskeeda).
Since then, MrTechnodad has been active in the community.
What message did he share now? In a post from January 25, MrTechnodad announced that Technoblade had left him some instructions for his farewell video “so long nerds”.
The YouTuber had also left him photos of himself with Minecraft YouTubers Wilbur Soot and Philip Watson, as well as his YouTube plaque for 10 million subscribers. The photos were particularly special because Technoblade had not shown himself to his fans before.
Moreover, there was also a link to his song. He could not include it in the video for copyright reasons, but now he wants to share it with the community. It is almost the unofficial outro to the farewell video.
The song is “Exitlude” by the American band “The Killers”. The Canadian Félix “xQc” Lengyel also uses it as an outro for his streams. We have embedded the video shared by MrTechnodad here:
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What are the reactions like? The post has already received over 6,000 upvotes. In the comments, many fans report that this last message brought tears to their eyes.
The fellow YouTuber Wilbur Soot reacted via Twitter to the post: He always praised Technoblade about the Killers.
Techno never told me about this but I always used to go on about the killers to him and telling him to listen to it. This hit me really hard ❤️
Especially the lyrics seem to resonate with the grieving fans. It includes lines such as: “It’s nice to have you with us, even if it’s just for a day.”
We hope you enjoyed your stay It’s good to have you with us, even if it’s just for the day We hope you enjoyed your stay Outside the sun is shining, seems like heaven ain’t far away
It’s good to have you with us
Even if it’s just for the day
Exitlude by The Killers
For them, this is a sign of how much the YouTuber valued his community. The reactions show that Technoblade still has a loyal community that appreciates and misses him months after his death.
In Pokémon GO recently had a new update that brought some changes to the game. Among them is a new feature for catching. We at MeinMMO will show you what this feature is and what it can be useful for.
Which update is it about? On January 26, 2023, Niantic provided you with the new update 0.261 for Pokémon GO. This brought you, in addition to some bugs, such as shifted graphics in the research breakthrough or problems executing charge attacks in raids, also a new function when catching.
What this new feature is, what it is good for, and what the trainers think about it, we have summarized for you below.
This is the new function: If you have already downloaded the update, you will have encountered a new feature when catching. While the catch view looked the same for all monsters in the past, there are now differences.
You can now see a small icon next to the name of the Pokémon when lure modules or incense are activated, which indicates where the spawn actually comes from.
As reddit user Blarghish writes (via reddit.com): “Pokémon spawned by lure modules now show a small symbol, similar to daily incense. In another post, the mystery box symbol was confirmed upon encountering Meltan.” He also shows a picture of a Stollunior that spawned from a magnet module.
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Hunting specific monsters: Although the new feature may seem rather insignificant at first glance, it can be quite interesting for some trainers. Especially when searching for specific monsters with friends or hunting for a Hundo.
Here it makes a difference whether the respective Pokémon is visible to all as a wild spawn or from a lure module, or from incense, which has different monsters for each player.
Distinction with many spawns: Even with larger spawn gatherings, this information can be helpful, as the icon allows trainers to directly recognize how long a monster will roughly stay at that point.
Pokémon from incense tend to stay in one place for a shorter time, while monsters from modules can often be caught for up to 5 minutes. Pokémon that spawn naturally in the wild can be caught the longest.
A similar way to visually distinguish the spawns already existed before. Pokémon could be recognized by different circles on the ground. However, this was not always very easy when many spawns were in one spot.
Help with the Picnic Medal: The new display can also assist in processing the Picnic Medal. In this, other trainers must catch 2,500 monsters from the lure modules that you have placed yourself, in order to secure the platinum medal.
Since other players can now see better that the respective monster spawned from the module, they may also be willing to catch it to help another trainer achieve the platinum medal.
This is how the community reacts to the new feature
Positive feedback: In the reddit community, the new feature is generally well-received. Some trainers are happy that they can now better distinguish where their monster comes from and speculate on why this feature was introduced. In the comments, you can read the following (via reddit.com):
RRubenM2017: “The symbols for lure/incense could be useful when shiny monsters appear during such events that change the spawns at a certain time (e.g. Go-Fest, tours, etc.).”
Pendergirl4: “This could be useful for lure modules. If I come to a stop with a bunch of monsters, it would be nice to know whether the monster I’m catching is a natural spawn (with a 30-60 minute timer) or a lure spawn (with a 5? minute timer (maybe different for special modules)). I would probably back off and focus on the lure modules first. At least with incense, you can recognize that on the map (that would really be a great improvement for module spawns…)”
ToxicOmega: “Probably because we will soon get the shiny lure module effect for Gierspenst, they wanted to find a way to distinguish it.”
Gierspenst is a Pokémon from the Paldea region, which made its debut in the game following the Community Day Classic in November. Trainers were chasing it in search of special golden coins, but at that time it could not be caught.
Criticism from trainers: Despite many positive comments, some players are disappointed that Niantic is initially focusing on new features that no one has requested instead of fixing bugs in the game or implementing more essential features.
Some trainers also expressed frustration that the new view of the item bag has not yet been implemented for all players. For example, reddit user lilfoxy16 (via reddit.com): “This is great and all, but damn, can’t I just have the item box upgrade that everyone else seems to have?”
Whether and when these issues will be addressed by Niantic is still unknown at this time and remains to be seen.
How do you like the new feature for catching? Do you find it useful to recognize the origin of the respective spawns now in the catch screen? Or should Niantic have first tackled other issues? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
How does the ranking of League of Legends (LoL) work? We show you the ranks from Iron to Diamond to Challenger in an overview.
What kind of ranking is this? Those who participate in ranked games in League of Legends earn a ranking. Depending on how often you win and lose, it affects your personal ranking. The idea is that players of about the same skill level should play against each other. This is meant to make matches fairer.
We will first show you the various ranks of LoL and the best and worst ranks in the overview.
LoL Ranks Overview – The Rank System
Requirement for Ranked: If you want to play ranked games, you need an account level of at least level 30. Additionally, you must own at least 20 champions. Only when these two requirements are met can you participate in ranked games.
Your first games are your placement matches. Depending on how they go for you, you will be placed in a corresponding league. If you lose often, you will start at the bottom in the Iron league.
You need to know: Your ranking is reflected in which league (also called tier) you are placed in. There are 9 different tiers, many of which have further subdivisions.
LoL rankings (tiers) sorted from good to bad:
Challenger
Grandmaster
Master
Diamond
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Iron
The emblems for the rankings in LoL. Sorted from top left “Iron” to bottom right “Challenger”
The individual leagues are partially divided into divisions. A Gold player can be in Gold IV or Gold I. The fourth division is the lowest, while the first is the highest. By earning League Points (LP), which you receive from winning matches, you can advance in divisions and leagues. If you lose League Points, you can be demoted.
At the end of a season, your achieved ranking is recorded, and you receive rewards based on it.
All divisions of LoL:
Iron IV, Iron III, Iron II, Iron I
Bronze IV, Bronze III, Bronze II, Bronze I
Silver IV, Silver III, Silver II, Silver I
Gold IV, Gold III, Gold II, Gold I
Platinum IV, Platinum III, Platinum II, Platinum I
Diamond IV, Diamond III, Diamond II, Diamond I
Master
Grandmaster
Challenger
Player Distributions in the Rankings – How many are Gold and above?
Ranks in the Solo Queue: We looked at the rank distributions of the solo queue of LoL. The data comes from February 2023 and is based on information from leagueofgraphs.com. Here, it is clearly visible how the rank ratio of solo players currently looks:
What stands out? Most players participating in ranked games in the solo queue are between Bronze and Gold. These three ranks make up about 79 % of the player distribution.
It is also evident how thin the area above Diamond is. Only about 0.3 % of the players from the ranked solo queue are better than Diamond. For this reason, players in the higher tiers know each other well and encounter the same players more often, while there is more variety in the lower tiers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Wild Hearts is a hunting game by EA and the Japanese development studio Koei Tecmo. Your task is to hunt the so-called Kemono in the fantasy world of Azuma, inspired by feudal Japan. These are once peaceful monsters filled with the power of nature, now ravaging their surroundings.
[toc]
The Release of Wild Hearts
When will Wild Hearts be released? The release of Wild Hearts is planned for February 17, 2023 .
Wild Hearts on PS5, Xbox, and Steam
On which platforms will Wild Hearts be released? Wild Hearts will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Origin, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.
A release on PS4 and Xbox One is currently not planned according to recent information.
Reveal Trailer for Wild Hearts
This is the trailer: The reveal trailer of Wild Hearts reveals first impressions of how the hunting game is played. We see not only some monsters but also the building of constructs that help you in the fight against the Kemono, plus a first taste of the weapons.
Start video
EA reveals Wild Hearts in the new trailer – Reminds of Monster Hunter and promises a unique crafting system
This is known about crossplay: Wild Hearts will feature coop and crossplay across all platforms.
If you want to take a detailed look at the unveiling of Wild Hearts or read information about fighting or the game world, this article gives you a good first overview:
Role players have received one of the best changes of all time in World of Warcraft Patch 10.0.5. They now have the whole world open to them.
In World of Warcraft, there are quite a few different groups that focus on different game content. While fans of PvE group activities are mostly looking forward to new dungeons or raids, PvP fans are excited about arenas and fresh battlegrounds. Although role players are just a small splinter group, they often feel a bit neglected. However, Patch 10.0.5 has now made a change that is likely to take role-playing to a new level for many adventure fans.
Tents have been changed, now allow for perfect use
With Dragonflight, the developers introduced countless toys into the game. In particular, a toy for changing weather effects has provided role players with many new options. Also new were 3 tents in different designs:
Expedition tent of the Dragonshrine Expedition
Gnoll tent
Market tent
The tents can be set up outside caves and buildings, providing a good opportunity for “camp RP” or simply enjoying an adventure trip with a campsite. But there were a number of problems because, as is often the case in World of Warcraft, toys have massive restrictions that make them useless for use in RP. These were:
Tents lasted only 5 minutes, while the toy had a 10-minute cooldown.
Tents had a random orientation, meaning they were placed differently each time.
This made the tents unwieldy and impractical. RP often consists of many lines of typed text, and if you have to set up a tent every few minutes, it is hardly possible.
These 3 types of tents are currently available for you to use. Particularly, the Expedition tent (center) and the Gnoll tent (right) are well suited for adventures.
What has changed? Blizzard has quietly made a change to the 3 tent toys with Patch 10.0.5, giving role players (and all other tent fans) suddenly new possibilities. Tents now operate under new rules:
Building the tent has a cooldown of 2 minutes.
Tents now appear directly over the character, with the entrance always facing forward.
Tents last for 15 minutes or until a new tent is set up or the character moves too far away.
The result of this change is that role players can now create their own tent camps anywhere in the world – or simply enjoy a tent in the open world in a small group.
Until now, such camps usually relied on various cities, which were then played as “another place.” Now, role players have much more freedom and practically the entire world they can make into their camp.
So from me: Thank you, Blizzard. I really waited for this.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO is the next event “High Voltage”. We summarize what happens at the event.
When does “High Voltage” take place? The new event starts on Friday, January 27, 2023. It begins at 10:00 AM local time and runs until Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 11:59 PM.
During the event, various Electric-type Pokémon will be roaming, along with some other monsters. Additionally, you can hunt for new Shinies.
Lastly, the event will also bring a Rocket takeover – but not at the start, rather on Wednesday, February 1.
We will show you what’s in the event here.
What Pokémon and Shinies does High Voltage bring?
New Shinies in High Voltage: During the event, two new Shinies can be caught if you’re lucky.
One of these Shinies is Kapu-Riki. You can encounter this legendary Pokémon in Level 5 raids. Here you can find the best counters against Kapu-Riki.
The second monster is Eguana. You can find it in the wild, raids, eggs, and field research. It has an evolution, Elezard.
Eguana in its Shiny form and its evolution Elezard look like this:
Moreover, you will find various monsters at the event. We mark possible Shinies with an asterisk*:
In the Wild:
Rettan*
Magnetilo*
Sleima*
Frizelbliz*
Skunkapuh
Elezeba*
Kastadur*
Eguana*
Mabula
Tanhel* (rarer spawn)
Dedenne* (rarer spawn)
In 7-km Eggs:
Alola-Sandan*
Panzaeron*
Elezeba*
Flunschlik
Galar-Flunschlik*
Eguana*
Dedenne*
In Field Research:
Voltobal*
Hisui-Voltobal
Plusle*
Minun*
Emolga
Eguana*
In Raids:
Raid Level
Raid Boss
Level 1
Alola-Sleima* Sheinux* Bronzel* Klikk* Eguana*
Level 3
Omot Galar-Smogmog* Blitza Flunkifer*
Level 5
Kapu-Riki* (January 25 to February 1) Registeel* (February 1 to February 8)
Mega Raids
Mega-Aerodactyl* (January 25 to February 1) Mega-Gengar* (February 1 to February 8)
Team GO Rocket takes over on February 1
What happens with Team GO Rocket? On February 1, 2023, a new Rocket takeover starts. Not only will numerous Grunts appear, but their teams will also change.
Start video
Pokémon GO: Finding Rocket Bosses – How to Collect the Rocket Radar and Track Them Down
A new special research for a super Rocket Radar will be available
Several new Crypto Pokémon should come to the game
Giovanni, the Rocket Boss, will change his team. This will allow you to get a new monster.
Instead of Crypto-Mewtwo, the boss will then use Crypto-Registeel. You should keep an eye on this if you still don’t have Crypto-Mewtwo – as it is one of the absolute top attackers in the game.
Blizzard has presented the content of the new Season 28 in Diablo 3. We summarize the most important aspects from Patch 2.7.5 and take a look at the new season theme.
When does Season 28 start? That is still not quite clear. Patch 2.7.5 is to be ready for testing on the PTR server starting Tuesday, January 31. This test is expected to last for 7 days.
The testing period will therefore end on Tuesday, February 7. Since seasons in Diablo 3 traditionally start on a Friday, February 10 would be the likely start date for Season 28, which would replace the current Season 27.
In the past, there have been extensions to the PTR periods if Blizzard needed to further adjust the update based on tester feedback. Accordingly, it is possible that start dates may shift on short notice.
As soon as the official start date is known, we will keep you updated here at MeinMMO.
What is clear, however, is the theme under which the upcoming Season 28 will take place.
A season lasts for 3 months, during which the content can be used. But only if you create a new seasonal character.
Season theme of Season 28 in Diablo 3
What is the theme? Season 28 is called “Rites of Sanctuary” and revolves around an ominous altar, which unsuspecting citizens of New Tristram stumbled upon during a hunting trip.
This “Altar of Rites” has 26 seals and 3 legendary potion powers that players will discover upon their first arrival at the altar.
These altar runes function somewhat like a unique kind of skill tree. Once the first seal is unlocked, you can progress through the skill tree in different ways, depending on what fits your characters.
Each seal and each potion power grants you new abilities and bonuses, as well as the opportunity to unlock additional seals.
Here is an overview of all of them:
Seal
Power
A
The duration of your kill streak timer and the reward bonus is doubled.
B
Fountains of Reflection persist for the entire season and are not removed by death.
C
Items have no level requirements.
D
+ 200 damage
E
+ 25 % projectile damage reduction
F
+ 25% movement speed (Unlimited)
G
Increases damage against elites by 15%.
H
Picking up regeneration orbs grants a shield for 5% of your maximum health for 7 seconds. Maximum 5 stacks.
I
+25% melee damage reduction.
J
Increases the damage bonus of your highest elemental ability by 10%.
Doubles the number of bounty tokens dropped when completing bounties.
P
Progress orbs from Nephalem and Greater Nephalem rifts are automatically collected.
Q
Reduces damage taken from elites by 25%.
R
+15% damage
S
Gain immunity to crowd control effects
T
Gain passability
U
Pets collect death breath
V
Elite groups drop an additional progress orb.
W
Increases damage to bosses by 25%.
X
Pets pick up common, magical, and rare items and dismantle them.
Y
Increases your chance to dodge by 15%.
Z
Doubles the chance to find a legendary item purchased from Kadala.
Potion AA
When you drink your health potion, you manifest one of three rune circles on the ground that grant increased damage, reduced cooldowns, or reduced resource costs.
Potion AB
When you drink your health potion, all enemies within 25 meters take 25% less damage.
Potion AC
When you drink your health potion, you gain a random shrine or pylon effect.
AD
When a primal item drops, a random second item also drops.
How do you unlock the seals? To unleash the full power of the altar, you must gather various materials and offer them to the altar. The costs will become higher and the items will become rarer, the more seals and powers you unlock. This includes Primordial Ashes among others.
If you manage to unlock all seals, you will also receive a new cosmetic: the “Wings of Terror”.
What else is in the patch? The complete patch notes (in English) can be found here at Blizzard. In addition to the new altar, there will also be changes to known content. This includes various item adjustments, monk changes, and bug fixes.
What is a season anyway? In Diablo 3, seasons regularly take place in which additional content is unlocked to keep the gaming experience fresh. This can usually be used for three months before the next season starts. However, this only applies to newly created seasonal characters.
What do you think of the prospects of Season 28? Can you make use of the Altar of Rites? Tell us in the comments and exchange ideas with other players.
Yesterday, the new chapter Necrom and the content for 2023 for the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online was introduced. The initial reactions from the community suggest that 2023 could be an exciting year in ESO. Here, on MeinMMO, you will learn why.
What does ESO offer in 2023? As usual, a new trial (for 12 players) will be released. This year, there will be only 2 new dungeons, but the developers will focus more on player conveniences and bug fixes.
The new story takes us back to Morrowind, where we will meet the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora.
Here’s a quick overview of all the content:
A new class with its own mechanics
Two new companions
Two new areas
10 new item sets, new antiquities, new collectibles, new achievements, and titles
How is the expansion received? A poll in the official feedback thread for the announcement of the 2023 content shows that a little more than half are positively inclined. This is a better balance than last year. However, only a few users have voted so far.
More than 50% of players have so far been able to convince in the poll regarding the content for 2023. (via ESO Forum)
The post has received 237 votes so far (as of January 26, 2023, 19:15). To date, the narrow majority shows a positive reaction to the new content. A little more than a quarter of players are very excited about the content.
On Reddit, users are mostly enthusiastic
In several posts on Reddit, there is a very positive sentiment regarding this year’s adventure. In one post about the ESO announcements, comments such as:
“Ah, damn, new class, I guess I have to return to ESO” – writes TheFrozenSlime
“If this is actually the case, which I hope, I am even more excited. Hopefully, it is a return to form after a few lackluster years.” – writes destindil
“Honestly, this is enough to make me happy!” – writes Jrod the Thunder God
Only a few users express disappointment about the new content:
“I was really hoping for spell crafting, but it sounds like that has been scrapped and turned into this new class.” – writes Red-on-Red-Lean
There was also very positive feedback on MeinMMO
There was also noticeable good sentiment on MeinMMO. In our first article about the new content, there were almost exclusively satisfied comments. You can check out the article here:
“Finally back to Morrowind. Finally a reunion with Naryu.” – wrote Direwolf
“So the trailer looks really AMAZING and makes me interested in starting to play ESO again.” – wrote Cherico
Players are looking forward to a long-awaited new class
The desire for ESO to introduce a new class has finally been fulfilled after years of waiting. In recent years, there has been a noticeable disappointment when it became clear that there would be no new class for a new chapter.
In 2017, the Warden class was introduced with the chapter Morrowind. The chapter Elsweyr brought the Necromancer in 2019. And for a long time, no new class was added, which led to increasingly louder calls in the chat during the subsequent announcement streams.
With the Arcanist as the new class this year, many ESO players have had a big wish fulfilled that they have been waiting for a long time. Furthermore, the new class stands out from all previous classes, as the Arcanist features an entirely new gameplay mechanic: a sort of combo system.
The Arcanist brings a fresh breeze to the game with the new Crux mechanics.
With the introduction of this class, the maximum number of character slots has also been increased to a total of 20 slots.
The return to Morrowind awakens nostalgia
Players have always appreciated when old memories can be revived with a chapter. This has been particularly noticeable with the chapters Greymoor and Morrowind. In the last chapter High Isle, many players felt this was missing.
However, with the return to Morrowind, the chapter Necrom has this nostalgia bonus again.
The notorious assassin Naryu Virian is a known and especially beloved face for players in ESO. Her direct and seductive nature, combined with her sense of dark humor, has made her a beloved character in the ESO community.
She even made it into our Top 3 of the most lovable NPCs in ESO with her willful and winning character. This year, you can look forward to encountering her again.
Also my conclusion: I am absolutely convinced by the new content for this year!
I am really curious about the new class and how it plays. I find the implementation with a new gameplay style brilliant. It really surprised me a lot.
The last two chapters didn’t really convince me. I also didn’t like the changes to the combat system at all. Therefore, I was extremely happy about the announced course changes this year.
I really enjoyed the story of the chapter Morrowind. Therefore, I am also very happy to return to this area. The snippets in the announcement stream also created a nice dark impression with the encounter with Hermaeus Mora.
MiezeMelli Author at MeinMMO, official member of the ESO stream team
What do you think of the new chapter Necrom and the content for 2023? Let us know in the comments.
Until the announced chapter is released, you will have to be patient a little longer. In the meantime, check out our ESO review of the year 2022.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, Trainers can encounter Gierspenst since November 5th. We at MeinMMO have taken a closer look at the new monster and show you what we already know about its appearance, forms, and location.
Which Pokémon is it? When the Community Day Classic with Dratini ended on Saturday, November 5th, more and more golden PokéStops appeared in the world of Pokémon GO. These brought you mysterious coins and a new tiny Pokémon that accompanied you in search of these coins.
After initially being known only by Pokédex number 1080, it now has a name: Gierspenst. We have summarized below what the new Pokémon looks like, what forms it has, and where you can find it in the future.
We updated this article on January 27, 2023, and added the developments of Gierspenst in the post.
This is Gierspenst – Appearance, Behavior & Shiny
What kind of Pokémon is Gierspenst? Gierspenst is a ghost-type Pokémon from the Paldea region, namely the 9th generation of games. It has two different forms: Chest form and Wandering form.
The Chest form can evolve into the Steel and Ghost-type Pokémon Monetigo with the help of 999 collected Gierspenst coins.
Appearance and behavior of Gierspenst: Depending on which form you encounter Gierspenst in, its appearance, as well as its behavior, differs. In the Wandering form, which you could already meet in Pokémon GO in the past days, the little monster resembles a tiny bug.
It has a bluish-gray body, large golden eyes surrounded by black, and long antennas that it can orient like a divining rod to find golden coins. On its back, it also carries one of those mysterious coins.
In an initial YouTube video from Pokémon, Professor Willow and Señor Jim from the Paldea region discuss the monster. Jim describes Gierspenst in its transformation form as a Pokémon that avoids contact with humans and thus independently searches for coins (via youtube.com).
Gierspenst in its Chest form (left) and its Wandering form (right) via pokemon.com
In its Chest form, the Wandering form hides, aptly named, in a treasure chest filled with plenty of golden coins. The chest is red and has golden borders. To close it, it has a black strap with a silver buckle.
In contrast to the Wandering form, the Chest form is not supposed to search for coins on its own, but to let humans fill the chest with the coins.
Is there a Shiny Gierspenst? No! Currently, no shiny variant of Gierspenst can be found in the game.
Catching Gierspenst – Everything we know about the location
Currently, Gierspenst cannot be caught in any of its forms in Pokémon GO. You can only observe it in its Wandering form on the map as it follows you. This is regardless of which region you live in. To see it, you only need to have spun a golden stop once beforehand. If you click on the little monster, you will see a speech bubble with a golden coin.
Gierspenst (Wandering form) follows you in Pokémon GO
In 2023, you should be able to connect with the games in Pokémon GO, making it possible to catch Gierspenst in its Wandering form in the mobile game as well.
When exactly that will be the case, where you can find it, and whether there are any special considerations when catching it are unfortunately not known at this time. However, a similar procedure like with Meltan and the Mystery Box is conceivable. But these are just speculations for now. As soon as new information is available from Ninatic, you will find it with us on MeinMMO.
What do you think of the new Pokémon? Do you hope it will soon be catchable for all trainers? Or would you prefer a different release? Feel free to share your opinion with us here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other trainers.
In February 2023, Wild Hearts will be released for PC, Xbox, and PS5 and apparently aims to offer an alternative to Monster Hunter. A new gameplay trailer now shows how you can take down the game’s monsters.
The basic principle is reminiscent of Monster Hunter: You are to act as hunters in a fantasy world shaped by feudal Japan, facing huge monsters known as “Kemono.”
You can rely on various things.
Various weapons with unique abilities and attack patterns
Pre-built structures that you can conjure out of nowhere – the “Karakuri”
Your friends, as the game offers full crossplay and coop support.
This is what battles can look like, as Wild Hearts has now shown in a new gameplay video. It demonstrates players taking on the “Golden Tempest” – a giant saber-toothed monster.
We embed the gameplay video here for you:
Start video
Wild Hearts – Gameplay Trailer
Monstrous sword excites players directly – combat is well received
The gameplay video shows: In the fight against the Golden Tempest, among other things, the summoned structures, the “Karakuri,” can be seen. However, a focus is especially on the weapons used to combat the beast.
The “Claw-Blade” is used for close combat, including for quick, swirling jump attacks.
The “Cannon” is exactly that: a handy cannon that can shoot fireballs at the monster. This ranges from a “simple” shot forward to laser-like beam attacks or a kind of mortar attack from above.
Finally, the “Karakuri Staff” is used, which does not remain a small combat staff but can be transformed into a monstrously large sword if needed.
Particularly the last weapon, with which the hunter pounds on the Golden Tempest and ultimately delivers the “Final Blow,” has impressed many players in the comments. Overall, the combat demonstration seems to convince interested players.
“It looks great, the weapons and the Karakuri system seem fun” (via YouTube)
“Looks like Monster Hunter has competition. I’m excited to see the results” (via YouTube).
“I’m telling you now, 90% of the player base in Wild Hearts will use the Karakuri Staff” (via YouTube)
Overall, the game seems to want to fill the gap left by Monster Hunter, but with elements that set it apart from the “model”. Whether the result will be convincing remains to be seen in a few weeks.
When will Wild Hearts be released? If you are interested in Wild Hearts, you won’t have to wait much longer. The game will be released on February 17, 2023, for PS5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
PS Plus Essential allows online gaming on PS4 / PS5 and gives you a few games every month at no additional cost, which you can keep as part of the subscription. We will show you when the new games for February 2023 are coming and what speculations are circulating on MeinMMO.
What does the schedule look like? Every month, you can unlock a few free games in the PS Plus Essential subscription, and the following dates are important:
PS Plus: Games available from Tuesday, February 7
Typically around 12:00 noon
Possible announcement: Wednesday, February 1
Revealing of the games often around 5:30 PM
The dates are not set in stone, but there hasn’t been much deviation from them in a long time. Once the new games are available, the titles from January will disappear. Remember to activate the games in time for your library:
PS Plus: February 2023 games – Speculations and rumors
What games could come in February? In the past few months, there has always been a leak shortly before the official reveal. However, there is currently no information or leaks about which games are coming to PS Plus Essential.
We are listing a few games that it would make sense for them to land on PS Plus. These are purely rumors or speculations circulating on the internet:
Cloudpunk
An adventure in an open world with a cyberpunk setting. You play as a courier who makes more or less legal deliveries and dives deeper into a story full of corruption and mysteries while zooming through the city with your hovercar.
A small, award-winning adventure that perfectly fits the target audience of PS Plus.
It Takes Two
The cooperative game can only be played with two players and tells the story of a couple in crisis. However, they are transformed into dolls and must work together to return to their normal life.
It Takes Two is considered one of the best games of 2021, it is an excellent co-op game and would be an optimal addition in February, the month of Valentine’s Day.
PixARK
A colorful voxel spinoff of the survival hit ARK – the dino game meets Minecraft mechanics. You build a base, hunt and tame dinos, improve your equipment, and tame the dangerous wilderness.
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The game series that invented looting & leveling. In Diablo 3, you slash through countless hordes of demons and aggressive creatures, always on the lookout for the next treasure and a way to combat hell.
Diablo 3 has been on the market for over 10 years and similarly to ARK, the sequel will also be released in 2023 – Diablo 4 is planned for June. With Diablo 3 in PS Plus February, many PlayStation fans could be drawn to the series.
Marvel’s Avengers
The brawler MMO often made it onto our speculation list for PS Plus. But this time, things are different. Marvel’s Avengers has announced that support for the game will end this year. PS Plus Essential could provide a last push.
You fight your way through different levels with well-known Marvel heroes and create builds for different play styles. Characters include Iron Man, Hulk, or Hawkeye. The PlayStation version also features Spider-Man.
What does PS Plus Essential offer? The subscription is important if you want to use multiplayer on your PlayStation. Because only a few games allow you to open the online mode without PS Plus.
Additionally, you regularly receive cosmetics or in-game currencies from various games as gifts and have extra discounts on some games. Check the PS Store regularly and review the PS Plus section so you don’t miss any bonuses for games that interest you.
Also, save files can be moved to PS Cloud, and there are the monthly games in the subscription. However, you can only use them if you are currently a member of PS Plus.
The 34-year-old Marcel Eris is already one of the biggest streamers on German Twitch as MontanaBlack. Now he is setting up a second channel that is supposed to provide content around the clock. Find out at MeinMMO what it’s all about.
What kind of channel is this? On January 24, MontanaBlack announced his new Twitch channel on Twitter. There, old videos and streams are supposed to run around the clock from now on. The channel is called GetOnMyLvLTV, you can find it here.
How is it being received? Reactions on Twitter are somewhat mixed. While some find the channel “mega” and already bookmark it for when they’re “bored”, others focus primarily on the financial aspect.
This is actually quite clever and a good source of income, as MontanaBlack could receive stable advertising revenue with minimal effort.
However, some viewers see this quite critically: They accuse MontanaBlack of being only interested in money and not caring about his community. If he needs money, he should simply stream more than 8 hours a week, says a Twitter user (via Twitter).
Many also seem to draw a comparison to another veteran of German Twitch: Erik “Gronkh” Range. He has been operating a second channel since 2015, which, although offline for a time, now broadcasts old Let’s Plays and streams from Gronkh around the clock again.
Start video
Do you recognize these German Twitch streamers by their dubbing voices in video games?
Was Gronkh the role model?
What’s behind GronkhTV? Gronkh’s 24-hour channel has a special backstory. When the YouTuber was pressured by the state media authority in 2018 to acquire a broadcasting license, he decided to reactivate his old second channel and apply for a license for it.
After all, the channel is actually broadcasting around the clock and is therefore more like a TV station than he, a private individual streaming from his basement, explained Gronkh back then in a video (via YouTube).
For this reason, there are already speculations that MontanaBlack’s second channel could have something to do with broadcasting laws. However, the connection is not entirely clear yet, as the 34-year-old – like all streamers in Germany who average at least 20,000 viewers – already had to apply for a broadcasting license.
The second channel thus does not help him bypass such a license.
However, it is possible that the second channel has something to do with the unfortunate wildlife park stream in October 2022. MontanaBlack had to take it offline after a mother obtained a restraining order because she and her daughter were seen in the background.
The streamer had claimed that he was practically a television station and that such things would fall under “ancillary”. He therefore intends to contest the decision in court. Whether his Twitch channel will help him with this remains to be seen.
Age of Conan is a MMORPG from 2008 set in the world of Conan novels by author Robert E. Howard. At release, it was popular, but today hardly anyone is interested in the game. What has become of it?
The MMORPG was developed by Funcom and released in 2008 with the subtitle “Hyborian Adventures.” It transports you to the world of Hyboria, the setting of the Conan novels by author Robert E. Howard.
Age of Conan takes place in the harsh world of barbarians. You create a character and choose a class – Rogue, Mage, Soldier, or Priest. Additionally, there are 3 subclasses for each class, making a total of 12.
You enter the vast game world, where there is much to explore. You also complete quests, can craft, or compete against each other in PvP.
A special feature is the combat system, which places a lot of emphasis on combos and action. The battles take place actively, where your attack direction is important. Enemies can be hit from various sides.
Since the fights look quite brutal and nudity plays a role in Age of Conan, the MMORPG received a USK rating of 18 years and older.
This is what Age of Conan looks like:
Popular at Release, Forgotten Today
When Age of Conan was released on May 20, 2008, players had to sign up for a subscription. According to the developers, over a million players subscribed at launch – making it the largest MMO launch since World of Warcraft (via Wired).
Almost 15 years later, player numbers look sparse. On Steam, 78 players were online at peak in the last 24 hours (via SteamDB). Adding the players from Funcom’s own client, there are probably slightly more – but still very few for an MMORPG.
At launch, the MMORPG was gigantic, but the success did not last long. Due to lack of endgame content, too little content, and bugs that were not fixed quickly enough, many players left Age of Conan. Both PvP and crafting did not work properly.
In 2011, the developers switched to a Free2Play model with optional subscription and changed the subtitle to “Unchained.” You can therefore play it for free, and since 2013 also on Steam. However, Free2Play players face significant restrictions:
Fewer experience points
Fewer tokens and reputation with factions
A maximum amount of gold you can carry
A maximum number of concurrent quests
Players who want to play for free can do so, but progress is slower, and they have to grind longer than players with a subscription.
The transition ultimately did not lead the MMORPG to great success. New content came too slowly, and there were too many technical issues.
In the video, you can see the 11-year-old trailer of Age of Conan: Unchained
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Age of Conan: Unchained Trailer
No Update Since 2020
Taking a look at the website of Age of Conan, the MMORPG seems very dead. The last post under “News” is from 2020, in which Funcom announced an event for the 12th birthday of the game. “It is not getting updates, which is very unfortunate,” writes a player in reviews on Steam.
2020 also saw the last major update. It was titled “Onslaught” and introduced a new area from the original short story “Colossus” from 1933. In it, you encounter the wizard Thugra Khotan, who wishes to subjugate the world. Additionally, it brought new quests, gear, and game modes.
Since then, it has been quiet about Age of Conan: Unchained. It still seems to have an active player base. A user named Gak wrote in the Steam reviews in December 2022: “The community is niche but loyal and passionate. There is no shortage of friendly players who are happy to help newcomers.”
For fans of old MMORPGs as well as Conan the Barbarian, it is definitely worth checking out Age of Conan 15 years after its release. However, you probably won’t meet many players there, and the graphics are understandably outdated by now.
Have you ever played Age of Conan or perhaps still do? Should Funcom have done more with the title? What do you think about the model with an optional subscription that they introduced in 2011? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!
Moreover, the MMORPG Rift is increasingly being forgotten:
After yesterday’s turbulence, everything has calmed down in the loot shooter Destiny 2. Bungie further boosted the mood with good news about the upcoming DLC “Lightfall”. Players can expect not only an improved in-game economy, but also a reassignment for Ada-1. She used to have the best weapons; now she will officially become the fashion queen.
What has Destiny 2 announced? Last night, Bungie announced on its website more news for the upcoming Season 20 and the dazzling DLC “Lightfall”. The information included far-reaching changes to the in-game economy that are surprisingly user-friendly.
Additionally, there was some cool good news for all fashion fans in Destiny 2. Ada-1, the former head of the Black Armory, will soon be the go-to place for guardians who love fashion and colors. Bungie is completely shifting her inventory to fashion, the true endgame in Destiny 2. This again marks a gradual goodbye to FOMO in Destiny 2.
Instead of mods, she will offer shaders starting from Season 20 that haven’t been available for quite some time. The community had long wished for old shaders to be obtainable again, and that request has now been fulfilled.
But be aware, this exclusive fashion is not cheap and very rare:
Guardians will need to exchange 10,000 glimmer for a shader at Ada-1
Additionally, the new fashion queen will only offer three shaders per week
The new fashion queen from Destiny 2 will invite you to shader shopping starting from Season 20
Which shaders will be available? With the launch of Lightfall, Ada-1 will be adding old Destiny 2 shaders to her inventory that have been “unavailable for quite some time.” This will include highly coveted and animated variants like “Bergusia Nacht” or “Satou-Stamm”. Old faction shaders will also make a return.
MrMadMaxMan listed all the soon-to-be-available shaders in the Destiny Reddit
What else has Bungie announced: For all those who can’t make use of colorful shaders and clothes in Destiny 2, there will be an improved in-game economy starting from Season 20.
No more umbral engrams
The ever-present umbral engrams will disappear from Destiny 2. They will be replaced by their predecessors, the seasonal engrams. However, those still possessing umbral engrams in their inventory can still have them decrypted by Master Rahool.
Weapon focusing will be expanded
With Lightfall, guardians will be able to obtain more weapons and armors than ever before through engram focusing. Both dusk weapons at Commander Zavala and legendary gear sets from the Crucible, Gambit, the Vanguard, and even Iron Banner will be possible.
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Destiny 2: Trailer for Lightfall shows new race – Guardians get cool lasso, swing like Spider-Man
Here’s how expensive the focusing will be: Particularly focused targeting will soon offer players more direct choices than ever before. New players will also be able to obtain an old Trials armor set. However, it will still cost 7 Trials engrams, 100 legendary shards, and 10,000 glimmer each.
It won’t be cheap. The focusing costs can only be reduced if the respective item has already been obtained from the loot pool.
For instance, a dusk weapon that one has not yet obtained will cost 7 Vanguard engrams, 100 legendary shards, and 10,000 glimmer. However, if it has already been received in the collection, focusing will only cost 3 Vanguard engrams, 25 legendary shards, and 25,000 glimmer.
New dusk ciphers are also coming: In top-tier dusk, Bungie will introduce special ciphers that allow for improved deeper focusing.
Players can earn dusk ciphers by completing top-tier activities with platinum or gold status. Platinum grants 2, gold 1, and silver 0 ciphers.
Commander Zavala will provide the rotating master dusk weapon for focusing each week. The costs for this will be 3 Vanguard engrams, 50,000 glimmer, 50 legendary shards, and 10 master dusk ciphers. Dusk weapons must have been obtained at least once before they are available for focusing.
On the Bungie website, players can see the exact armors and weapons that Bungie will offer for focusing in Season 20.
What do you think about getting old shaders back soon? And what is your opinion on the costs of focusing? Fair? Or too expensive? Please let us know in the comments.
After all, someone is having a good time in Destiny 2 because he is a god in PvE:
Should a 7-year-old child have access to age 18+ games when it happens under parental supervision? Tell us what you think about it.
Compared to other forms of entertainment, gaming is actually considered a relatively young hobby. However, among gamers, all age groups are now represented. From older people like us, who have been gaming for decades, to little kids who get into gaming at a very young age.
It also happens that gamer parents play one or another game together with their children on the PC or consoles, which in itself is a good thing. You have fun together and spend valuable time with each other.
The games played together can vary extremely. While some parents and their kids have a lot of fun with Mario Galaxy or Minecraft, others prefer to shoot enemies together in CoD. Such as with a father and his 7-year-old son, who activated a nuke together:
In such cases, playing together is often viewed critically, as children come into contact with games that are often far above the recommended age level. They do so in the presence of their parents, who play together with them.
What do you think about such situations? Is it okay for children aged 7-10 to play games like CoD, GTA V, or CS:GO when their parents are present?
Here you can vote: You can cast your vote in the survey tool below. Everyone has just one vote, and the vote cannot be undone.
Tell us how you feel about the topic of children and games rated 18+: Should little kids generally not play games above their age level, or are there exceptions? What should it depend on whether a child can play an age 18+ game? Do you perhaps have children yourselves? What rules apply at your home regarding gaming?
Forspoken is a new fantasy action RPG for PS5 and PC that was released on January 24. It has already fallen short with a 68% rating on Metacritic, and user reviews are even worse. There are several unusual criticisms, besides the gameplay and technology, that stand out: main character, dialogues, and narrative design. The game apparently suffers from the Buffy syndrome.
This is the basic idea of Forspoken: In Forspoken, the protagonist Frey is sent from New York to a fantasy world.
The idea was apparently that comedy and emotional connection arise by having a ‘character from the player’s world’ interact with a classic fantasy world.
But for many users rating the game on Metacritic, this narrative trick does not work at all.
Start video
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“The most annoying and unsympathetic character in gaming”
What is the criticism of this? When reading user comments on Metacritic (40% on PS5), many have a problem with exactly this narrative decision:
The character Frey is described by many as ‘unsympathetic’ and ‘annoying’. She does nothing but swear. You just don’t like the main character.
In a review, it is stated that Frey is the ‘most annoying and unsympathetic character in gaming history’: She cannot form a sentence without a curse word, is bitter, mean, and terrible in every way.
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What do we understand by the Buffy Syndrome? The TV series Buffy aired from 1997 to 2003 and was the project of Josh Whedon, who later developed series like Firefly or movies like Marvel’s The Avengers.
Whedon is known for a dialogue style and a narrative form that has been adopted by many:
His characters know the clichés of their genre and actively make fun of them.
They repeatedly point out how absurd the situation they find themselves in is – while they also break the fourth wall, so to speak winking at the audience.
Moreover, they tease each other and rib each other all the time.
In 2020, allegations emerged that Whedon displayed harassing behavior on the set of “Justice League”. Later, more reports surfaced that he had behaved in a way on the sets of Buffy and Angel that was described as misogynistic, degrading, and generally aggressive. He also allegedly abused his position as a creator.
The narrative style is described in an article by Forbes as ‘Whedonesque’, with an example being a tension-filled scene from ‘Age of Ultron’.
At the climax of the film, superhero Hawkeye says: ‘Okay, let’s see. The city is flying, we’re fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes any sense.’
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This narrative style, of ironically questioning a tension-filled situation, has become typical of the Marvel universe – and is now also used in films like Dungeons and Dragons: Honor among Thieves.
Partly, criticism has now flared up around this. Some found the new Thor film too silly.
In Forspoken, the dislike for this narrative style is now fully evident.
Start video
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Second Official Trailer for the Movie
Cool when Deadpool does it – Annoying when women do it
What note resonates here? This criticism of the narrative style is not universal; it does not always come:
For example, the character ‘Deadpool’ is fervently celebrated by fans precisely for this narrative style. In Forspoken, it is now failing.
Also, in Marvel projects that heavily feature women, such as the new Thor film or the series ‘She-Hulk’, criticism has grown loud regarding the tone that was hardly heard in highly ironic films like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.
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Forbes notes that it is already striking that the criticism of the narrative style often arises when women are at the forefront of a project, such as Mindy Kaling in ‘Velma’ or now voice actress Ella Balinska in Forspoken, while Ryan Reynolds has built a star career with exactly this narrative style as Deadpool.
On the other hand, it could also simply be due to the setting: The Whedon narrative style fits a world where Deadpool, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or Buffy live, possibly not to a fantasy world.
Perhaps one should not make fun of the fantasy world of Forspoken to elevate it – it would function without quips and sarcastic meta-remarks.
