A fish plays on the Switch Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. A YouTuber set up an aquarium so that a fish could “play”. While doing so, he secretly made purchases on the owner’s Switch. How it works is explained in our article.
Our title image is a symbolic image.
The YouTuber Mutekimaru connected the aquarium with a motion sensor and a webcam. The image included a grid that was filled with controller inputs. When a fish took a break or changed direction, the corresponding controller input was registered in the game.
In an experiment, the fish was supposed to play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. You can watch the entire Japanese stream in the following video:
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Fish buys for 5 euros in the Nintendo eShop on the Switch
How did the purchase happen? After 1,144 hours, the game crashed, but the motion sensor continued to register the animal’s inputs.
Here, the fish managed to start the Nintendo eShop and inadvertently enter the correct inputs to make a purchase in the eShop. In total, it concerns a sum of 500 yen, which is about 5 euros. Even more frustrating: After the purchase, all viewers knew the YouTuber’s credit card details. Otherwise, the fish caused some other mischief:
He bought a new avatar
downloaded the N64 emulator
made PayPal send him a confirmation email for the setup
changed the Nintendo account name from “Mutekimaru” to “ROWAWAWAWA¥”
Why did the error not go unnoticed at first? During the mishap, YouTuber Mutekimaru was not present, so he did not notice the mistake at first. Only after 7 hours did the owner manage to turn off his Switch and undo the actions.
We have embedded the video of the purchase here for you:
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How did it end? YouTuber Mutekimaru ultimately got back the 5 euros from Nintendo. He did not incur any financial loss. Only the points for the new avatar the fish bought, he will not get back.
The fish is still alive and was not (as mentioned in the following article) turned into fish sticks. Whether a fish stick pizza can actually taste good, you can read in the following article:
World of Warcraft Classic is losing its tech lead. The reason is that he didn’t want to judge his employees poorly.
It could have been a nice year for Blizzard. Many players are pleasantly surprised by World of Warcraft Dragonflight, and many others are enjoying Wrath of the Lich King Classic, making their way through Ulduar. But now, there has been another unpleasant incident at the company that reflects poorly on Blizzard. One of the lead developers of WoW Classic was fired – because he did not want to evaluate one of his employees poorly.
Who is it about? It is about Brian Birmingham, the tech lead of World of Warcraft Classic – at least until recently. He had considered quitting Blizzard due to an evaluation system for his employees, as he finds the procedure unfair and counterproductive. Now, they have preempted him and fired him.
What happened to Birmingham? The reason behind it is an evaluation system that team leaders are supposed to use to rate their employees. The process, called “Stack Ranking”, assigns ratings to all employees. However, the system only works – according to the management – if a nice curve can be drawn from the distribution of performance. Birmingham refused to change the assessment of one employee from “Successful” to “Developing”. However, this was expected by the management.
What kind of evaluation system is this? The “Stack Ranking” system discussed in this article is particularly widespread in the USA, having been developed in the 1980s and used in more and more large companies, including Amazon. In recent years, however, the system has been increasingly abolished due to various concerns. In 2013, for instance, Microsoft banned this evaluation system from its own company.
Birmingham subsequently wrote an internal email to many Blizzard employees, which was viewed by Bloomberg. It stated:
When the team leaders asked why they should do this, the WoW directors explained that – although they did not agree – the reasons from the leadership are that it is important to identify the least performing employees to ensure that everyone can grow.
Birmingham explains in the further course of the email that he does not agree with this approach and also that in recent years they have managed not to use the system. For the last two years, they have simply refused to apply the system as requested, but now management insists that it is enforced:
This type of regulation encourages competition among employees, sabotage of another’s work, the desire for people to find a team with poor performance so they can be the best employee there. It undermines trust and ultimately destroys creativity. […]
If this regulation can be revoked, maybe my Blizzard can be saved and then I would love to continue working here. If this regulation cannot be revoked, then the Blizzard I want to work for no longer exists, and I have to look for a job elsewhere.
A negative evaluation can also have consequences for the respective employees. For those rated poorly, chances for promotion decrease, and their bonus payments in case of success may be lower.
In the meantime, Birmingham is also expressing his views on Twitter regarding this issue. According to him, this evaluation procedure likely comes from the management at Activision Blizzard and is generally extremely unpopular at Blizzard.
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At least: According to Birmingham, several team leaders from the WoW team offered to simply set their own evaluations to “developing” (i.e., “bad”) instead of those of their employees to meet the expected quota. However, this was apparently not an option for management.
What is the exact reason for the dismissal? Even before writing the email, Birmingham had told many colleagues that he was likely to resign. Following this, he was summoned by a member of the HR department who wanted to confirm that Birmingham was resigning. However, he only said that he was considering it but was not sure – he would not work until the regulation concerning employee evaluations was abolished.
As a result, Birmingham was fired.
Read more about Blizzard and World of Warcraft here:
What Blizzard says about it: Bloomberg had requested a statement directly from Blizzard. A spokesperson for Blizzard explained about this evaluation procedure that it exists to promote “excellence in performance” and “ensure that employees who do not meet their performance expectations receive honest feedback, differentiated compensation, and a plan on how to best improve their performance.” Furthermore, this process would include evaluations from multiple managers, which could lead to discussions that would then result in a rise or fall in the ratings.
How to evaluate the whole matter must be decided by each person for themselves. On one hand, such an evaluation system – especially from a German perspective with many protective mechanisms for employees – appears highly unjust and destined to treat some employees unfairly. On the other hand, the threat of not working until a system is abolished may not be the best negotiation method either.
Perhaps more details about this story will come to light in the following days.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today, on January 24th, the Spotlight Hour with Zapplardin starts in Pokémon GO. We will show you everything about Shinys, bonuses, and the event times.
What kind of event is this? Every Tuesday, a Spotlight Hour takes place in Pokémon GO. For 60 minutes, a Pokémon selected by Niantic is in focus, changing each week. During the event, there is a bonus affecting XP, candies, or Stardust.
In today’s event, you will encounter Zapplardin. It is a Pokémon from the fifth generation with the Electric type. You can expect a bonus that provides double candies.
Spotlight Hour on January 24th – Start, Bonuses, Shiny
When does it start? As usual, the event begins at 6:00 PM local time. It is active for one hour and ends at 7:00 PM.
What bonuses are available? During the Spotlight Hour, you will encounter Zapplardin almost everywhere in the wild. The spawns are significantly increased. If you want even more spawns, you can light a Incense.
Additionally, you will receive double the amount of candies for catching Pokémon.
Today’s event is already the fourth Spotlight Hour in January. Another one is expected later this month:
Can you catch Shiny Zapplardin? No, the shiny version of Zapplardin is not available in Pokémon GO. You can only catch the normal version during the Spotlight Hour today.
Is the Spotlight Hour today worth it? As attackers, Zapplardin and its evolution Zapplalek are negligible. The highest evolution, Zapplarang, does play in the upper midfield of the Super League and Hyper League.
As attackers in raids, there are many better Electric-type Pokémon that you can use.
However, the candy bonus today is still interesting. It applies not only to Zapplardin but also to other catches like raid bosses, allowing you to earn more candies there as well.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The streamer Disguised Toast talked on Twitch about his Valorant eSports team. He revealed details about what it is like to own an eSports team that has qualified for the Champions Tour of Valorant and the downsides that come with the business.
What happened? Recently, Disguised Toast spoke in one of his Twitch streams about his new eSports team for Valorant. The streamer, whose real name is Jeremy Wang, is proud of his team. Because although the team has only recently started playing together, they qualified solidly for the “Valorant Champions Tour”.
The Valorant Champions Tour is like the second division for the FPS shooter from Riot Games. After qualification, Disguised Toast was very relieved. Because by participating in the series, he joked in the stream, he wouldn’t have to fire anyone.
Despite initial small successes, the streamer should have realized by now that such an eSports team also means a lot of work and especially requires financial resources. As an owner, he has to invest a lot of money upfront.
He stated that he pays his players a substantial salary of over $5,000. This places the team’s salaries at the upper end of eSports.
A hymn was created specifically for a major Valorant tournament. Check out the music video for it here:
Start video
Valorant celebrates with anthem the most important tournament of the shooter – fans praise the crazy music video
Does the team have a chance of success?
How is the team financed? So far, the high expenses have not been matched by any revenues, as Disguised Toast explained. The team’s qualification alone has not yet brought in any prize money, and the search for sponsors is ongoing.
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Who plays for the eSports team? Jeremy Wang’s team is named Disguised and consists of both professionals with plenty of experience in eSports and promising rookies. The team captain is Josh “steel” Nissan, who was previously successful with 100 Thieves.
The veteran has a long career in Counter-Strike before finally transitioning to Valorant. His biggest success was reaching the semifinals of the VCT Masters (Valorant Champions Tour) 2021 in Berlin.
The other team members also have tournament experience and, except for Joseph “clear” Allen, have already participated in the VCT. However, Joseph Allen is already regarded as one of the greatest Valorant talents, even though he is still a rookie.
On a purely sporting level, Disguised has real potential. However, it remains to be seen whether the streamer can convince financially strong sponsors and partners.
DrDisrespect was one of the biggest streamers on the platform until his ban on Twitch. He is now also active on YouTube, although he is not always pleased there. The Doc even has his own studio now and is working on developing a new shooter.
Also outside of the computer, Guy Beahm, the real name of DrDisrespect, is doing well in business. At the end of 2022, the Doc launched a whiskey. The liquor was sold out just a few hours after its release.
Now we want to hear your opinion! Are you rooting for Disguised Toast’s team? Do you think streamers can also be successful long-term outside of the camera? Or should the streamer have thought a bit more intensively about how he wants to finance his eSports team? Leave us a comment and discuss with the community!
The action RPG Chronicon is praised on Steam and impresses with strong 95% positive reviews. But what kind of game is it?
What kind of game is it? Chronicon (PC) is an action RPG on Steam, released in 2020 and developed by Subworld.
The game immerses you in a world where evil has been completely defeated and every treasure chest has been looted. To still allow you to hack through hordes of enemies and collect loot in typical hack ‘n’ slay fashion, the people created a mysterious device called Chronicon.
The Chronicon has a special ability. It can create a portal to the memories of heroes from days gone by, who have long since passed away. With this portal, chosen people can revive the history, step into the shoes of former heroes, and fight the evil of the past. And loot treasure chests.
Thank you to our reader Visterface for recommending the game (via MeinMMO)!
Start video
Chronicon Launch Trailer
From the Templar Knights to the Witcher
What gameplay does the game offer? Chronicon has a campaign with 5 acts, each telling its own story and leading you into procedurally generated areas. These can be played alone or in couch co-op on a shared screen.
Additionally, there are a total of four classes to choose from. You decide which one suits you best: the Templar Knight, the Berserker, the Guardian, or the Witcher?
The four classes of Chronicon
Besides the classes, Chronicon offers over 400 items with special abilities and over 700 items with randomly assigned enchantments and properties, build-altering powers, and set items.
Moreover, you can rely on craftsmanship and upgrade your equipment with gemstones, sockets, and runes or enhance your character with over 900 learnable skills.
In general, your character progression in Chronicon is unlimited, as you can play endless mastery strands. Additionally, there is a hardcore mode that is intended to challenge particularly ambitious players.
Send us your game recommendations: Do you have an absolute favorite game on Steam or know true hidden gems that deserve more attention?
Then write us a comment about it or send us your game recommendations to the email address [email protected] with the subject “Game Recommendation”. Maybe your game will be the next one featured on MeinMMO.
Write to us in 3 to 4 sentences about what you love about the game, and we will include your comment in our recommendation article.
The endgame of the action RPG also offers enough content for more hours of gameplay, as at this point specific dungeons, bosses, and crafting mechanics are unlocked.
“Every A-RPG developer should be forced to play this game”
What do players say on Steam? The action RPG has left a very positive impression on Steam. Many players praise the gameplay and draw a positive conclusion. Of the total 7,385 player reviews, a strong 95% are positive.
Fanta Exotic: “I have been on Steam for ages and have played all sorts of things – Titan Quest, Grim Dawn, and hundreds of other games like Diablo 1, 2, 3. And what randomly ends up in my library? Honestly, I can’t remember how I came across the game, but it’s the best hack ‘n’ slay game I have played since Diablo 2 (via Steam).”
Badseb: “Behind little promising information […] and the unremarkable graphics, hides a little gem. Beneath the not particularly pretty exterior is a genuine hack’n’slay, which upon closer inspection turns out to be quite complex. […] Overall, a very good and extensive game, which is hidden under the unremarkable guise of a 2D pixel game (via Steam).”
surikum: “Really a nice game. A hack and slay that is addictive. You can see the love for detail. A recommendation from me for genre fans (via Steam)!”
Primus: “Every A-RPG developer should be forced to play this game. It has everything it needs and everything you expect. You won’t regret it if you are fans of Diablo/PoE/Grimpawn or whatever. Because apart from the pixel art graphics, there’s nothing to complain about, absolutely nothing (via Steam)!”
How much does Chronicon cost? Chronicon costs €11.59 on Steam. Additionally, you can purchase the add-on “Ancient Beasts” for €4.99. Furthermore, the DLC “The Mechanist” is expected to be released in 2023.
Another action RPG that is very well received on Steam and is convincing with plenty of positive reviews is Last Epoch.
Diablo 2: Resurrected will receive eight new rune words with Patch 2.6, which Blizzard had introduced over the past weekend through various YouTubers.One of the new rune words has left a particularly good impression on players because it could strengthen the melee combat of the Druid.
What are these rune words? Overall, 8 new rune words were presented over the weekend by four different YouTubers. The rune word “Metamorphosis” specifically targets the Druid and their melee abilities.
Ground, Hearth, Temper, Bulwark, Cure (introduced by MacroBioBoiDbrunski125)
What are rune words? These are combinations of runes that strengthen your weapons, shields, helmets, or body armor and provide additional effects.
Start video
Diablo 2 Resurrected – Cinematic zu Akt V
Patch 2.6 brings 8 new rune words
What can the new rune words do? The new rune words have various properties and increase, for example, hit recovery or maximum life. Here you can see the properties in the overview:
Level
Rune Word Name
Sockets
Items
Properties
25
Ground
(Shael Io Ort)
3
Helmet
+20% faster hit recovery +80% to +110% increased defense +10 to vitality +5% maximum life Lightning resistance +40% to +60% Lightning absorption +10% to +15%
35
Hearth
(Shael Io Thul)
3
Helmet
+20% faster hit recovery +80% to +110% increased defense +10 to vitality +5% maximum life Cold resistance +40% to +60% Cold absorption +10% to +15%
35
Temper
(Shael Io Ral)
3
Helmet
+20% faster hit recovery +80% to +110% increased defense +10 to vitality +5% maximum life Fire resistance +40% to +60% Fire absorption +10% to +15%
35
Bulwark
(Shael Io Sol)
3
Helmet
+20% faster hit recovery 5% life stolen per hit +80% to +110% increased defense +10 to vitality +5% maximum life Life replenishment +30 Damage reduced by 7% Physical damage taken reduced by 15%
35
Cure
(Shael lo Tal)
3
Helmet
+20% faster hit recovery +80% to +110% increased defense +10 to vitality +5% maximum life Poisons resistance +40% to +60% Poison duration reduced by 70%
67
Metamorphosis
(lo Cham Fal)
3
Helmet
+5 to shapeshifting skills (only Druid) +69% improved defense +10 strength +10 to vitality All resistances +10 Cannot be frozen
Werewolf strikes grant “Mark of the Wolf” for 180 seconds:
20% bonus to attack rating Increase maximum life by 40%
Werebear strikes grant “Mark of the Bear” for 180 seconds:
+25% attack speed +25% chance of “Crushing Blow” Physical damage reduced by 20%
39
Hustle
(Shael Ko Eld)
3
Weapon
5% chance to trigger level 9 speed boost on hit +30% increased attack speed +130% to +150% increased damage +75% damage against undead +50% attack rating against undead +10 to dexterity
39
Hustle
(Shael Ko Eld)
3
Body Armor
+50% faster run/walk +20% increased attack speed +20% faster hit recovery +10 to dexterity 50% slower stamina drain
53
Mosaic
(Mal Gul Thul)
3
Claw
25% chance for finishing moves not to consume charges +2 to martial arts (only Assassins) +20% increased attack speed +200% to +250% increased damage 20% bonus to attack rating +2 to attack rates Adds 3-15 cold damage Prevents monster healing Increases maximum durability by 12%
“This will be very powerful”
Which rune word is well received by the fans? The first reactions from Diablo fans to the new rune words vary. Some players are not particularly convinced yet, but one rune word has made a solid first impression and has been described as “wild” and “powerful”: “Metamorphosis”.
Metamorphosis was presented on YouTube by Dbrunski125, targets Druid builds, and is primarily intended to increase melee attack power. On reddit, players write:
codeth: “This is just wild. I can’t wait to try it (via reddit)!”
r3ni: “Will be very powerful with a Druid-specific helmet with nice rolls and I love the unique concept of this rune word, makes melee druids much more interesting (via reddit).”
Further reactions to some of the new rune words are:
UTmastuh about Ground, Hearth, Temper, Bulwark, and Cure: “I see low-level items that won’t be too useful […] (via reddit).”
Lillyth: “Bulwark is so strong, even though it’s so cheap (via reddit).”
majortaster about Mosaic: “It’s really hard to get excited about these rune words. As others have said, the effects are not convincing (via reddit).”
What is your first impression of the rune words coming with Patch 2.6 in Diablo 2: Resurrected? Will you be testing them, or is there nothing for you? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments!
If you are still looking for alternatives to Diablo, you might find them in our list:
Fortnite will soon offer a new collaboration with the singer “The Kid LAROI”. This will not only bring a new concert, but also new skins and items, and especially gifts that you can earn with just a few steps. You can find out everything about it here.
When does the event start? The new collaboration Fortnite x The Kid LAROIS has many dates, dedicated to the namesake Australian singer. Keep the following dates in mind:
On January 24, the Duo Cup for The Kid LAROI starts
On January 27, The Kid LAROI comes to the item shop with all his items
From January 28 to February 4, you can complete tasks on The Kid LAROIS’s creative island to get free items
We will show you which items will come to the item shop, what gifts you can get, and what you should know about the cup.
Did you know that Fortnite now looks much more realistic since Chapter 4? You can find out more about it here:
Kid LAROI – Everything about rewards, items, and the cup
Is there anything for free? Epic Games is rewarding you with The Kid LAROI, of course in line with his collaboration, with 5 items that you can earn through tasks.
All 5 gifts from The Kid LAROI
The items include:
Lobby music – “Love Again”
Lobby music – “Thousand Miles”
Loading screen “LAROI & the Hunter”
Spray motif – “LAROI was here”
Spray motif – “LAROIs Day”
Note that you can complete the tasks from January 28 to February 4. If you miss this period, you will miss the items as well.
Which items are coming to the item shop? The Kid LAROI offers fans many items that players can treat themselves to starting January 27. This includes two skins with two styles each, emotes, a pickaxe, and much more.
The Kid LAROI The Rogue LAROILobby music and emotes
When does the cup start? If you don’t want to buy the skin but rather earn it, you can participate in The Kid LAROI Cup. This starts on January 24. The best players in their respective regions will have the chance to earn both skins from The Kid LAROI for free.
But players with fighting spirit will also be rewarded. If you manage to score just 8 points in the tournament, you will receive the LAROI banner icon and the emoticon “LAROIs grin” for free. You can find more information about the tournament in the competitive tab in Fortnite itself.
The South Korean Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is considered the best player of all time in League of Legends. However, Faker himself would not necessarily recommend the MOBA LoL. There are many people who get very stressed out in the game. Therefore, it is a wise decision not to play it at all, he says in a video.
In what situation does Faker say that? In a video on YouTube, three people are sitting together, talking and eating:
One is Faker. The 10-time Korean champion and 3-time world champion is considered the greatest LoL player of all time.
His young top laner Zeus (18) is sitting next to him.
They are talking to a doctor who is very well-known in South Korea.
Start video
The Life of Faker – Why He is a Living Legend
This is what Faker says exactly: In a conversation with Faker, the doctor states that he has never played League of Legends even once in his life.
Faker replies: “Good decision.” He then explains:
There are a lot of people who get a lot of stress from the game, so I think it’s a good decision not to play it. Even regular players can’t fully enjoy it.
LoL is considered a “rage machine”
Is Faker right? Yes, that “many people get too upset and stressed about LoL” is certainly an accurate diagnosis. LoL players tend to blame their teammates when they die. This frustrates them and makes them bitter.
From that frustration, in the worst case, “toxic behavior” can arise: One deliberately sabotages one’s own teammates to frustrate and annoy them as well.
One wonders why someone would spend their free time on something that makes them so angry.
Faker praises LoL for being so diverse, and that it always starts from 0
Does Faker also see good sides to LoL? In a conversation with the “normal guy,” who has no idea about LoL but wants to understand why the two young people are so passionate about the game, Faker also points out the advantages of LoL:
Each game is extremely variable – there are countless, unpredictable aspects in the game. They make it feel like you are always playing a new game.
The game always starts over, so you don’t carry any advantages – for Faker, one of the most important advantages of LoL.
His teammate Zeus adds: The game is so fast and exciting, constantly changing one of the countless elements in the game. That makes it exciting for him.
He is anyway a spontaneous guy, having dropped out of school without much thought.
If you want to watch the whole video (with English subtitles), you can do so here. Two pros explain to an interested listener what the fascination of “LoL” is:
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EA has released a card in FIFA 23 at the end of Gareth Bale’s career that is not only incredibly strong but also very cheap. We introduce the new special card of Bale and show you how to get the Welsh legend into your team.
What kind of card is this? The new Bale card is an End-of-an-Era card that celebrates Gareth Bale’s career and has now been released at the end of his professional career.
Bale has extremely strong values and should enhance any team in FUT, even if he doesn’t make it into the starting eleven for chemistry reasons.
This is what makes the card so strong: Bale is versatile and can be deployed not only as a right winger and midfielder but also as a left-back, reminiscent of his beginnings as a professional footballer. He impresses with outstanding values, making it really hard to find a weakness.
Bale is lightning fast, has incredible shooting stats, is extremely strong in dribbling, and has passing values that could hardly be better. Additionally, the card has very strong physical stats and impresses with 4 stars for skill moves as well as for his weak foot.
However, there is one problem that the great stats can’t fix: his linkability. It is not so easy to bring a Welshman from Major League Soccer to full chemistry. But even if you don’t have any other Welsh players or players from the US league in your team, Bale is simply a must.
Bale offers incredibly strong values.
Because even if you send him from the bench onto the field, Bale should represent an extremely dangerous weapon on the virtual football pitch. The card is likely to score a goal, make a deadly pass, or take a free kick with its endgame stats.
This is how much the card costs: The price of the Bale SBC is currently relatively cheap at 113,000 coins.
The community is amazed by the card and some suspect a price mistake
This is what the community says about the Bale SBC: The FIFA community is thrilled about the new Bale card. They rated the SBC (Squad Building Challenge) on futbin with 97% positive.
In the FIFA subreddit, some fans even believe that this must be a price error. We have summarized some exciting comments for you:
reznovelty: “I can’t wait to use him as a left-back, just like in the good old days.”
kebaa: “A fantastic price! His 91-rated card was already strong, and I’m sure this one will be a real beast. The only problem is that it’s a bit hard to link.”
electionnerd2913: “Insane value. Perhaps the best SBC of the year.”
zephyrr-: “The price is a win, and LB as an alternative position is a nice gesture.”
EdgePunk311: “I completed the SBC immediately in case the requirements were a mistake. Ridiculously cheap for a 93-rated card. I don’t care about the chemistry.”
This is what you need to do: To get the strong Bale card into your team, you need to solve 2 SBC tasks. You have to submit an 83-rated and an 85-rated team.
You have until February 15th.
This is how you solve task 1:
These cards will cost you about 24,000 coins. Source: futbin
This is how you solve task 2:
These cards will cost you about 88,000 coins. Source: futbin
What do you think about the card? Will you get Gareth Bale into your Ultimate Team? Let us know in the comments!
And if you’re looking for more strong cards, then check out the Team of the Year event that’s currently running. Unfortunately, these cards are not as inexpensive as the new special card from Gareth Bale.
The Galar birds in Pokémon GO are very hard to find and even harder to catch. A trainer recently showed what insane luck he had with the birds – and that it still wasn’t enough.
The problem with the Galar birds: In Pokémon GO, there is the “daily adventure incense”. This item can be used by players once a day to get special spawns for 15 minutes. The more you walk during this time, the more Pokémon will appear.
Which monsters appear is completely random. However, it is known that the Galar versions of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos hide behind this item. So it can happen that you suddenly encounter one of these legendary birds while walking in the wild.
However, two factors make the catch difficult:
On one hand, there is no reliable system to find the birds. Some players report having never seen one to this day.
Moreover, they are extremely hard to catch. The flee rate is so high that they usually run away if the first throw of a ball does not lead to a catch.
Encountering such a bird at all means that you had a lot of luck. However, catching it is an absolute rarity.
All the more crazy is what a trainer recently reported in the Pokémon GO subreddit.
Met all birds at once – But it goes as it must
The trainer shows: User “Dabminton” shared an exciting story on the subreddit about Pokémon GO. The trainer went on a completely normal adventure incense tour – but encountered all three Galar birds one after the other during this.
Within 9 minutes, he encountered Zapdos, Articuno, Moltres, and then Zapdos again. He shared this insane luck in a screenshot:
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However, at the same time, the trainer also showed that the spawns themselves are really only half the battle. Because all three birds ran away again and could not be caught.
Thus, the trainer could not add any of the birds to his collection. However, he received plenty of sympathy from the rest of the community who commented on his post on reddit:
“Zapdos mocks you by coming back just to run away again. That feels personal,” comments one (via reddit).
“You are the unluckiest person in this sub,” says user kamrantw (via reddit).
“Happy and unlucky,” corrects another (via reddit).
“I think that’s as rare as actually catching one” (via reddit).
“This disrespect. I personally wouldn’t accept that from my phone” (via reddit).
A user is still trying to find out more details and asks whether the encounters took place on a familiar route or in a new place because he himself would notice more spawns in “fresh” locations. However, the trainer explains that he actually walked the same route at the usual time.
The three birds originally appeared in the summer of 2022 in Pokémon GO. We wanted to know in a survey from you back in December, how many specimens you have already seen or caught. Of 7,520 votes at the time, 61% went to “I haven’t caught any yet,” and 20% to “I haven’t seen any yet.”
Overall, the three birds are still among the rarest catches one can record in Pokémon GO.
How is it currently for you? Have you been able to catch more of the birds by now? Let us know in the comments!
In Destiny 2 there are plenty of good reasons to be excited, as Bungie is not only improving the loot shooter but also providing some teasers for the upcoming DLC “Lightfall”. We show you what the developers have prepared so far.
What’s coming in Destiny 2 soon? Soon it will be time, in less than 5 weeks Lightfall, the latest DLC for Destiny 2, will be released. While Guardians are eagerly waiting for February 28, Bungie is preparing the community with upcoming QoL changes. Additionally, more and more new information regarding the new destination “Neomuna” is being released.
This also includes the latest trailer for Neomuna and how Guardians will speed up with their Sparrows:
Start video
Destiny 2 Lightfall: The new trailer “Neomuna”
Upcoming changes make Destiny 2 more enjoyable
What changes are coming? For Guardians, especially the upcoming changes before Lightfall are interesting. These adjustments include:
The complete removal of blue engrams upon reaching the soft cap.
Rumble will no longer rotate as a PvP mode but will be a fixed, permanent mode.
Exo Catalyst quests from Year 3 will now also benefit from the season pass boost. This includes:
Eriana’s Vow
Symmetry
Tommy’s Matchbook
Witherhoard
The crafting for Exo glaives will be simplified.
The crafting of glaives will be easier
But that’s not all. Especially Guardians who love to tinker with mods, to create wild builds will have an easier time in Lightfall. Bungie aims to completely eliminate armor elements and the elements of various mods. It should be clearer and much easier to create your special build.
Additionally, Guardians can save up to 10 builds per character so players have the right gear for each situation.
Champions should also be easier to defeat and will be manageable in Lightfall without the additional equipping of champion mods. The artifact will take over this task in the future, ensuring that you can passively disrupt, overload, or stop. This gives you more space to refine your build.
Lots of good things for the launch of Lightfall, but is that enough? The changes we listed are just the tip of the iceberg. Bungie has planned a lot to ensure that Guardians continue to enjoy playing through QoL changes in the future. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the content in Lightfall is planned and whether it will be well portioned and remain challenging.
The Witch Queen had a strong start with an engaging story and challenging missions, but these were not enough to carry the subsequent dry seasons. It remains to be seen what the developers have planned, but until then, feel free to enjoy the upcoming changes.
What do you think about Bungie finally rolling up their sleeves and making changes that have been needed for years? Do you believe Bungie is doing this just to generate hype or is there really a bigger plan behind giving the loot shooter a fresh start? Feel free to leave us a comment!
The DualSense Edge is the first official pro controller from Sony for the PS5. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann was able to test the DualSense Edge for you and reveals whether the new pro controller is worth it for you.
The DualSense Edge is the first official pro controller from PlayStation/Sony. Accordingly, expectations are high that the manufacturer delivers a good product for its console. Because with SCUF or the Aim Controller, there are already third-party providers offering an officially certified pro controller for the PS5.
I was able to try out the controller on my PS5 before release and play various games with it. In my test, you can read why I like the controller, but why the model is not worth it for everyone.
I have a penchant for hardware and tech and personally own over 20 gaming mice. For MeinMMO, I have been testing hardware for our readers since 2019. In addition to the PC and PS5, I also play on the Steam Deck.
We have a review copy of the device that was made available to us by Sony before the release.
Benedikt Schlotmann Hardware Editor MeinMMO
Technical Details, Facts and Price:
Model
Sony DualSense Edge
Special Features
Fully customizable, replaceable analog sticks
Weight
334 grams
Price (RRP)
239.99 euros
Contents, Design and Structure
In the following section, I will discuss the contents, design, and structure of the DualSense Edge. I will explain how big the differences to the regular DualSense really are.
Contents of the DualSense Edge
What is included? The contents of the DualSense Edge controller is very extensive. I expect that from the price of the controller. In the box, besides the Edge model, there are the following items:
braided USB cable
protective case
plug housing
2 stick caps
2 tall round caps
2 low round caps
2 half-round back buttons
2 lever back buttons
user manual
An additional stick module for replacing the controller is not included in the contents. However, there is space reserved in the protective case for a stick module and it can therefore be stored easily.
Structure of the DualSense Edge
How is the controller built? Essentially, the DualSense Edge is built like the regular model, but there are a few adjustments:
Two back paddles can be attached on the back. These are located in my middle finger area.
The thumbsticks can be replaced with stick modules. For this, the front plate must be removed.
There are trigger stops on the back, which allow the trigger travel to be adjusted in three stages. Further adjustments can be made via the software.
Replaceable stick caps. Here you can choose between regular caps, high convex and low convex caps.
There are FN buttons below the sticks on the front. With these buttons, you can switch the profiles for the buttons, for example.
Start video
<strong>DualSense Edge for the PS5 in Unboxing – Our first impressions of the pro controller in the video</strong>
Optics and Design
The DualSense Edge will be available at launch on January 26, 2023, only in white. In terms of design, the pro controller differs only slightly from the regular DualSense. No further designs are currently planned.
The DualSense Edge with protective case and all accessories.
What is different? The area around the analog sticks now features shiny piano lacquer instead of a matte surface. The motion, action buttons, and touchpad are also in black, including parts of the back. Tiny PS symbols are also engraved in the touchpad.
I personally like the adjusted design and the new black details quite a lot. However, the piano lacquer appearance is a magnet for fingerprints, and a matte surface like that of the regular controller would have been better here. After just a few moments, unsightly prints appear on the beautiful controller unless you play with gloves.
DualSense (top) and DualSense Edge (bottom).
Processing
The DualSense Edge, like the regular DualSense, is made of plastic. When applying light pressure to the housing, nothing creaks, and there is no rattling or clattering noise from loose parts during the shake test. Additionally, the higher weight makes the DualSense Edge feel sturdier than the regular version.
If the notorious stick drift occurs, the analog sticks on the Edge can be easily replaced. The price for a single replacement module is 25 euros and can be purchased directly from Sony.
The back buttons, known as paddles, are made of metal and snap into the Edge’s housing via a small mechanism. Once mounted, the paddles sit very firmly and can be removed from the housing with a bit of force.
The protective case in which the controller can be stored also looks elegant and high-quality. Controller and accessories can be stored securely here, and everything stays in place and does not slide around during movement.
When holding the DualSense slightly in the light, you can see the design of the touchpad.
On the next page, I will discuss settings, the various functions of the DualSense Edge, ergonomics, weight, and battery life.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Call of Duty, the American Seth “Scump” Abner is considered one of the most successful and best professionals of all time. At 27, he has decided that it’s no longer enough for esports. He announced his retirement. Scump now wants to focus more on streaming on Twitch: But an expert predicts that CoD is facing its biggest crisis in three years.
This is Scump:
Since 2011, Scump has been playing Call of Duty professionally, and since at least 2016, he has been a big name in esports: Back then, he won an award as “Esports Console Player of the Year.”
Scump has won a total of $1.18 million in prize money with Call of Duty, the most money came from “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare” in 2017 (via esportsearnings) – his world champion year.
In addition to his role as a professional player, Scump has built up a Twitch account over the years: There he has 1.38 million followers and usually streams with about 10,000 viewers – which is quite a lot.
Start video
CoD Modern Warfare 2: Important changes explained quickly – With gameplay
This was the surprise: In the middle of the professional season of “Modern Warfare 2,” Scump has now announced his retirement.
He says he wants to focus more on content creation and cannot fully commit to that while also playing Call of Duty at the highest level.
He is now also 27 and is playing against 21-year-olds, who are simply faster now.
This seems to be balancing justice for Scump having once farmed poor TimTheTatman at an event to the point where he complained: He is a fat dad who is going bald, and please leave him alone.
Nadeshot predicts: “CoD is in its biggest crisis in three years” on Twitch
How was this discussed? The retirement was a surprise to many.
One of the most important streamers for Call of Duty, former pro Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag said (via dotesports): If one looks at it critically, it is indeed a strange time for Scump to fully dive into Call of Duty on Twitch, as it is now the first time in three years that Call of Duty is facing a crisis with the weakest viewer numbers ever.
Many content creators of Call of Duty would speak of an “apocalypse” because their income is dwindling.
Nadeshot said: If he were as talented as Scump, he would continue in esports.
Nadeshot knows: It’s not a good time for Call of Duty.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 loses 70% of viewers on Twitch in 3 months
Is Nadeshot right? Yes, viewer numbers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II have rapidly declined on Twitch:
In November 2022, the game had 43.1 million viewed hours and an average of 59,979 viewers.
By December 2022, the numbers had already halved, down to 22.2 million hours and 29,879 viewers.
In the last 30 days, in January 2023, it went down sharply again: 14.2 million hours and an average of 19,808 viewers.
Thus, CoD Modern Warfare has lost nearly 70% of its viewers in a short period.
$17,000 in one stream and more viewers than the official channel
How did it go for Scump now? In Scump’s first week as a full-time streamer for the Call of Duty league, there was no sign of a “Call of Duty” apocalypse:
In 3 streams, Scump attracted over 45,000 viewers – more than 4 times his average in 2022.
At the peak, on January 20, over 88,000 viewers tuned in to watch him – this was a new record for him. He reached far more viewers than the official account of the league, which had 63,000.
Additionally, he earned $17,000 from Twitch subs in the first stream – with a single watch party.
Scump’s success is seen in comments as proof that Scump, as the “face of Call of Duty,” is now bigger than the game.
Some say that by still doing esports, he held himself back. During the golden age of Warzone, Scump could have become even bigger on Twitch.
How the numbers will develop in the long run remains to be seen. At the moment, it seems that the 27-year-old has done everything right with his transition from pro to Twitch streamer, despite the “apocalypse.”
In Pokémon GO you can secure Vivillon with the help of your friends since December 2022. Some trainers have already completed their platinum medal. We at MeinMMO will show you how to find friends to collect all forms.
Which Pokémon is it about? In December 2022, the bug Pokémon Purmel was introduced in Pokémon GO. However, to secure the small caterpillar that can evolve into the butterfly Vivillon, you need the help of your friends.
Unlike what you know from most other monsters in the game, you cannot simply encounter Purmel in the wild. Instead, you get it when you save your friends’ postcards. The little butterfly has a total of 18 different forms that differ based on their appearance and origin.
Now, some trainers are reporting that they have already collected all forms of the little butterfly and thus possess the corresponding platinum medal. How you can achieve this and where to find suitable friends is summarized for you below.
So does the reddit user Dirtmonkey68, who proudly and somewhat relieved shows his platinum medal for Vivillon. He writes (via reddit.com): “Thank God I no longer have to scour the internet to find specific Vivillon forms!”
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How did he find friends from the regions? As Dirtmonkey68 explains, he searched the internet and found new friends this way. And that is currently how some players are trying to achieve the platinum medal.
Particularly on social networks like Twitter and reddit, players are looking for new friends from the suitable regions.
We show you some more options where you can find the corresponding trainer codes.
Ways to find worldwide friends for Vivillon
If you do not want to post your trainer code on social networks or are specifically looking for trainers from certain regions, you can alternatively use the following sites that specialize in bringing players together:
PoGO Trainer Club: On the site pogotrainer.club, trainers can register with their trainer code and player name and publish these for a certain time to be found by other players.
By providing your own region and the option of displaying the respective Purmel, trainers can be searched specifically here. You do not need to register to see the codes.
Pen Pal: Similar to PoGO Trainer Club, you can also share your trainer codes or look for other players from the respective regions at Pen Pal by LeekDuck. Using the filter option for the individual Vivillon forms, you can specifically search for trainers from that region and quickly complete your collection.
Pokémon GO Friends Codes: On the page of pokemongofriendscodes.com, you will find a list of various QR codes behind which the corresponding trainer codes are hidden. Thus, you can easily scan them with your smartphone.
Unlike the other two sites, however, you can only filter by country here. This makes it difficult to search specifically for regions that encompass multiple Vivillon forms.
This can be a “mistake”: The idea of looking for new friends in social networks also came to reddit user Matanavishai. Due to two missing Vivillon, he shared his trainer code on Twitter.
In hindsight, he probably does not consider it a good idea, as he could hardly save himself from friend requests in no time, as he shows in his post. He explains (via reddit.com): “I needed two more Vivillon forms, so I shared my trainer code on the official [Pokémon GO] Twitter account. That was a big mistake.”
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And with this experience, Matanavishai is not alone, judging by the comments. Other players have also been overwhelmed with requests by posting their trainer code on social networks. This can also have a positive side, as trainer Ivi-Tora finds.
Farm with it. Accept 20, send them gifts, wait for them to open them, get XP, and remove them again. Repeat this with the first 100 on the first day and the other 100 on the second day. Keep those who send gifts from the places you need and get over 600,000 XP in two days just by finding friends.
You should note: On all the mentioned sites, it can happen that you are overwhelmed with requests when you publish your own code. If you want to avoid that, it’s better to send requests yourself.
What other ways there are to make new friends and what friendships in the game can bring you is revealed in the following article:
How far along are you with your Vivillon collection progress? Have you already secured the platinum medal? And how do you find suitable friends from the respective regions? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers about it.
Call of Duty has had many titles, which have been appearing for almost two decades, with many shooting games that continue to excite fans. However, the question arises, which is the best Call of Duty, and so we asked you and you got to vote.
The best Call of Duty – How you voted: We created a survey asking which Call of Duty was the best. We listed all the well-known titles of the franchise. Each reader had the chance to influence the survey with three votes and thus promote their favorite to the top.
We now show you all titles with their respective ranking and the achieved vote counts listed from best to worst CoD.
Start video
Trailer shows the first raid of Call of Duty: “Atomgrad” – The new adventure of Modern Warfare 2
The best Call of Duty is Modern Warfare 2 from 2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) (18%, 1524 votes)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) (15%, 1,242 votes)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012) (9%, 753 votes)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) (9%, 708 votes)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011) (8%, 668 votes)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) (8%, 621 votes)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) (7%, 564 votes)
Call of Duty 2 (2005) (5%, 433 votes)
Call of Duty (2003) (5%, 379 votes)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) (4%, 294 votes)
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) (2%, 189 votes)
Call of Duty: World at War (2008) (2%, 172 votes)
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013) (2%, 163 votes)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018) (2%, 135 votes)
Call of Duty: World War II (2017) (2%, 124 votes)
Call of Duty 3 (2006) (1%, 82 votes)
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016) (1%, 76 votes)
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) (1%, 72 votes)
Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021) (1%, 49 votes)
Total votes: 3,742
What was the outcome of the vote? Our readers clearly decided on the winner, which is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from 2009. It impressed readers with a total of 1,524 votes and 18 % of the total votes.
In second place is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare from 2007 with 1,242 votes, followed by the futuristic shooter Black Ops 2 from 2012 with a total of 753 votes. The worst Call of Duty is Vanguard from 2021 with a total of 49 votes.
What was so good about Call of Duty: MW2? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was a big highlight in 2009. It had not only thrilling moments like the detonation of a nuclear bomb or the terrorist attack at the terminal, but also a convincing and above all fun PvP experience.
But also the specialists mode and the accompanying museum offered much entertainment and cool moments. Basically, MW2 had what a good shooter can offer at its best:
Outstanding movement
A large variety of weapons
Drama-filled scenes full of conflict and tension
Clear PvP
A separate PvE mode for entertainment
An engaging story
What do you think of the result? Did you expect that Modern Warfare 2 from 2009 would actually be the best title of the franchise? Feel free to leave us a comment!
A player has allegedly found an exploit in Old School RuneScape that allowed him to generate event currency and exchange it for items. According to his statement, he earned 450 billion gold, which he then sold to gold sellers for $100,000.
What was this exploit? The issue revolved around a general achievement in the MMORPG and the mini-game Soul Wars. By combining these, Twitter user Lyrn was able to generate items endlessly, which he then sold in the auction house:
For the Hard Combat Achievements, a high level of equipment, knowledge of tough bosses, and the completion of a series of difficult quests are required. Lyrn had achieved this success beforehand.
As a reward for the achievement, there is, among other things, a discount on items from the mini-game Soul Wars. The items there then cost 50% less zeal.
However, the vendor buys these items back at any time for 80% of the original price.
And this is exactly where the exploit begins. Lyrn bought the item Black Mask for 250 instead of 500 zeal. He then sold it back to the vendor for 400 zeal. He then programmed a bot that constantly bought and resold the item. Thus, he allegedly earned 2.7 million zeal per hour.
The zeal he gained was exchanged for a box containing various items and materials. He then sold them in the auction house for gold. The gold he ultimately sold to gold sellers.
According to his statement, Lyrn earned about 450 billion gold in two weeks until a patch just before Christmas came that fixed the issue. Of the 450 billion, he managed to sell almost 350 billion before he was banned. This corresponds to about $100,000 based on a purchase by gold sellers.
You can check out the entire method and an analysis in this video by YouTuber SirPugger:
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How realistic are the claims? Although Lyrn has published a video with a corresponding bot and the collected items, there is currently no proof that his story is true. The recordings may have originated on a private server, says MoldRS, a well-known content creator for Old School RuneScape (via Twitter).
YouTuber SirPugger, however, examined the items that Lyrn sold in the auction house. Around December 18, he noticed a spike in supply and a drop in price.
Since millions of these items are sold every day under normal circumstances, the exploit could indeed have been carried out around that time without attracting too much attention.
Basically, the exploit seems possible, especially when looking at the comments on Twitter and YouTube. Yagex has made mistakes before, and this trick with the buyback could simply have been overlooked.
We contacted Lyrn again to get some details and possible proof to see if the story is really true.
However, RuneScape players are generally very engaged and a bit crazy. Just recently, a record was set that required nearly 40,000 play hours:
That players use MMORPGs to farm gold and resell it is particularly a lucrative business in countries with high poverty. We previously reported in 2020 about a man from Venezuela whose main source of income was the sale of gold in Tibia:
This week, a new extra hard challenge is available in Destiny 2. While Destiny streamers like Gladd, Fallout, and Saltagreppo are still dancing around the topic of who will start first, one has already completed all strikes. However, his conclusion is sobering.
Which challenge is it about? Normally, a high power level is the key in Bungie’s loot shooter. Higher power levels make it easier for players to succeed in many activities. Yet while some Guardians want to raise their power level as high as possible, the best players in Destiny 2 thought last week about how to get rid of it.
The reason for this was a change by Bungie. Until recently, the toughest content, the Grandmaster Nightfall, was subject to a minimum power level. Without that, you could not start the activity. However, this restriction for Grandmaster was lifted last week.
The required power level for entry has been lowered by 25 to 1,580.
The overall power level for Grandmaster activities is lowered by 10 to 1,620.
“The Lightblade” is currently considered the toughest Grandmaster Nightfall
Anyone can now play a Grandmaster faster: Now anyone can quickly get there to finally start a Grandmaster Nightfall and experience pure endgame feeling. Provided you dare. Because this lifting of the often-criticized restriction also means that your enemies at the start with the minimum power level will have an unstoppable 40 power levels above you.
Only those who increase the artifact or their power level can make the activity easier. In Season 19, this goes up to power level 1,595, so all enemies will then only be 25 power levels above you.
For the best players in Destiny 2, who are really looking for challenging and punishing content, this lifting and the under-powering of minus 40 levels, however, was the perfect challenge. They challenged each other on Twitter to play the six Grandmaster Nightfall with minus 40 power level and solo. It can’t get any more underpowered right now. But only one made it through in the end.
While Destiny streamers like Gladd, Vendetta, AllThePlayers, Saltagreppo, and Fallout were still discussing on Twitter, their followers, on the other hand, were already sure. If anyone can successfully pull off this new challenge, it is the god of PvE Esoterickk. And they weren’t wrong.
Esoterickk didn’t beat around the bush and completed the new toughest content first and within a few days. He shed the power levels he had collected so far through gear adjustment and played all available Strikes in Season 19 in the following order:
Terminus of Insight, on Nessus
The Scarlet Fortress, on the Earth Moon
Birthplace of Evil, in Savathun’s Throne World
Mirror Corridor, on the Ice Moon Europa
The Corrupted, in the Dreaming City
Guardians of Nothing, in the Tangled Shore
You can watch his runs with maximum under-powering through the strikes again here:
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Esoterickk was the first to complete all 6 Grandmaster Nightfalls with -40 power level
Basically, a great challenge. But it also clearly revealed a previously suspected insight among players. Since their introduction in Destiny 2, the Nightfall strikes have become much easier. Nowadays, anyone can achieve that, and Esoterickk also has a clear opinion on that.
The hardest content in Destiny 2 is not hard enough
Challenge shows how easy it has become: After the top PvE player completed all the strikes, he made a sobering conclusion: The hardest content in Destiny 2 is no longer challenging enough – even with -40 power level.
In the past, a handicap of -40 at a Grandmaster Nightfall would have made it nearly impossible to succeed in many cases. This stands in stark contrast to how it is now with some of the toughest content the game has to offer. […] Grandmasters were originally launched with the idea that they would challenge even the most dedicated fireteams, but season after season, we’ve seen them become easier and easier, with changes made to make them more accessible to all. Now they are just the equivalent of another triumph that can be checked off each season without any satisfaction for the more dedicated players being challenged.
The “Grandmaster” mode simply no longer lives up to its designation as “the hardest content.” Most players could complete the strike “Terminus of Insight” this week with some careful play and knowledge of the mechanics, even with a minimum power level of 1580 and thus reap double loot.
At the start of the activity, it was already a tough challenge with minus 25 power levels that only the best could handle.
Destiny 2 needs at least 1 brutal content: Esoterickk thinks it’s good that the Grandmaster Nightfalls are currently likely at a very good point for the majority of the player base.
He continues:
They are accessible enough to be doable even by some of the least engaged players and by the majority of the player base that wants to complete them. […] Being able to survive as much as possible while also eliminating entire groups of enemies without much effort shows in -40 content solo how strong we are. […] But ultimately, I think it would be nice to have at least one brutally challenging content in the game.
Has Destiny 2 become too easy? Of course, the statement “The game is too easy” also depends on how much someone plays. Destiny 2 is constant repetition, and hence players get better at Nightfall strikes the more they play.
Nevertheless, there is a desire in every player to be challenged. That one special activity through which one has to really struggle is currently missing from Bungie’s loot shooter.
What is your opinion on this topic? Is Destiny 2 now easier than before? Or do you think the challenge for players has reached a better point? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
Other changes in Destiny 2 sound like they could change everything in Lightfall:
In 2010, Dragon Nest was released in Korea, an MMORPG that received much praise for its action-packed combat system and was shortly thereafter published in the West. Now, a sequel has been announced with Dragon Sword – also known as Project D. The same head, who developed Dragon Nest, is responsible for the game.
What is behind Dragon Sword? The new game by Hound13 is described as an online RPG that is supposed to play even more action-packed and faster than Dragon Nest. The first gameplay trailer looks promising.
One can observe quick attacks with a sword or two daggers, powerful combos, and skills with a battle axe, crossbow, and bow as ranged weapons. Visually, Dragon Sword roughly resembles Genshin Impact, although the colors are a bit bolder.
However, there are not many details about the new game yet:
It is being developed in Unreal Engine 4 or 5.
The story of the game is supposed to be “captivating”.
It will have a “semi-open world”, which possibly indicates hubs with instanced areas like in Guild Wars 1 and Vindictus or separate areas with loading screens like in Guild Wars 2.
There are supposed to be puzzle elements (according to the job postings)
It is supposed to be released for PC and mobile and also offer crossplay.
It is currently unclear whether it will really be a full-fledged MMORPG or rather rely on a kind of coop like Genshin Impact. In the trailer, a group of several players has already been seen. The job postings are also specifically looking for employees who have already worked on an MMORPG or mobile MMORPG. There has also been no comment on the payment model.
Start video
Dragon Sword – Gameplay Trailer
Dragon Nest was popular among fans of action RPGs and PvP
What kind of game was Dragon Nest? Dragon Nest is a PvEvP game and labeled itself as the “most action-packed MMORPG” on the market. In fact, the battles received a lot of praise upon the European release in 2013. The website TentonHammer, for instance, granted a score of 80 out of 100 in its review.
The highlight was the nests – special dungeons with powerful opponents that often could only be visited with a group. In addition, the MMORPG placed a strong emphasis on PvP and offered the first arenas starting from level 10. There were various modes, including 1v1 and 3v3 ranked matches, Free For All with 16 players, Team Deathmatch, and the Ghoul Mode, in which part of the players became ghouls and tried to infect the humans.
However, there were some issues with the European version, including a data fiasco and a change in publisher. In Korea, Dragon Nest is still running, but the European version was discontinued in 2019.
Why is the new game considered a successor to Dragon Nest? The head behind the new game Dragon Sword is Park Jung Sik, the former lead developer of Dragon Nest. Moreover, it visually and also from the previous information strongly resembles the old MMORPG by Sik.
What do you think about Dragon Sword? Does this anime game appeal to you? Or do you prefer to place your hopes in another MMORPG? And if so, which one?
A good alternative seems to be Blue Protocol. It is set to release in 2023:
Softonic and Itch.io are in a clash. The indie site Itch.io accuses the download portal Softonic of stealing software and sharing advertisements.
Softonic is one of the largest and most well-known portals for free software downloads. However, there is now criticism regarding their approach.
The platform Itch.io criticizes that the site offers its free software itself and packs it with advertisements. They write: “[They] steal content from our developers, cover it with ads” (“stealing content from our developers, covering them with ads”).
Itch.io is especially popular among indie developers who can offer demos or their games for free through the platform and receive voluntary donations from users. Many people who are active on Patreon also like to use this platform as an additional source of income.
But what lies behind the allegations from itch.io against Softonic?
Softonic is said to buy advertising spaces and thus push out the official provider
On Twitter, the operators of itch.io are complaining and showing a screenshot. Here it is shown how Softonic buys the first place in Google search as an “Ad” and offers a software from itch.io for free:
Whom can we contact to make you stop stealing content from our developers, covering it with advertisements, paying for search placement ahead of the actual creator, and continuing to host for advertising revenue even when a developer has taken down their own site?
The indie platform accuses Softonic of paying Google to place its downloads before the original download pages of the games, which would happen through the reinvestment of profits from the numerous ads in the title and on Softonic itself.
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Moreover, Softonic is said not to make even the effort to adapt the stolen content to its own website. Because the official links to the developers are still integrated on the download pages – but in a way that they cannot be tracked. The developers explain in another Twitter post:
You are so lazy that you just insert the @itchio link from which you stole the game into the “Author” field on your website. And you prevent with “rel=nofollow” that search engines can trace the link back to the original. That is simply evil.
Why is this so dramatic? Through Itch.io, you not only have the often free download option but also the possibility to leave a donation for the developers. So you can still “buy” the game. This approach is likely to harm not only Itch.io but also the developers in the long run.
In general, you should be careful from which website you download free content. Other users have now had bad experiences with software from Nvidia that did not originate from Nvidia itself:
How it continues in 2023 with the MMORPG Elder Scrolls Online is still unclear. But slowly, the marketing is getting underway. Selected players and media representatives have received a letter, and now the community is speculating about what will happen – and already has some ideas.
The last DLC of Elder Scrolls Online – Firesong – went online at the end of September 2022, and slowly but surely the next content cycle is approaching.
To tease the new content, the MMORPG has come up with something “more personal” this time. Selected players, streamers, and media representatives received a real letter at home.
The letter contains a cryptic message and reveals more information when held under black light. Consequently, the rumor mill is boiling. We will show you the letter and the first conclusions from the community on MeinMMO.
You can watch the prologue trailer for the latest ESO DLC Firesong here:
Start video
ESO: Firesong Prologue Trailer
ESO: A Letter from “Prince of Destiny”
What was that for a letter? Here you will find a photo of the English letter, with normal light and under black light:
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Letter translation: “Representative. The flood of fate swirls around you with glorious wrath and has chosen you to serve as a representative in an extremely dangerous crisis. The future of at least two worlds is at stake. Your talent for changing fate has been noticed. The reason for this letter.”
“Many paths lead forward, but only one ends with the survival of Nirn. In this particular moment, in this specific case, you must be the thread that prevents reality from unraveling itself.”
“I will summon you as soon as the inevitable fates show me where we are needed the most.”
Even the emblem that appears under black light was quickly identified. It is the Golden Eye – an emblem that indicates the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora. Here are some of his names:
Shrines and statues of the prince depict a being with crab claws and/or tentacles.
Lines fuel hope for long-awaited feature
What speculations are circulating? One theory is based on the fact that something can be seen on the letter under black light. This could be a hint at the city of “Blacklight” in the northeast of Morrowind (via twitter.com).
In the ESO forum, the discussion seems to go in the opposite direction of Morrowind. Some users hope for the Telvanni Peninsula, which makes up most of the eastern mainland of the area.
In addition, there is hope for the long-awaited feature “Spellcrafting”, which is the creation of custom spells (via elderscrollsonline.com).
For more information, we will have to wait until ESO reveals the secret.
